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3.75 AVERAGE
3.75 AVERAGE
I liked this more than I thought I was going to, but honestly I wish Leo would have been present for all of the Dean scenes.
It would have certainly matched his parents' spirit, but he is still young :)
It would have certainly matched his parents' spirit, but he is still young :)
Why am I rooting for Dean.. I love him ?
Don’t get me wrong, I couldn’t stand seeing my Leo & Anna in that state. Shit got dark there for a minute for Anna, muh boy Leo had me all worried, & my nails are down to the nubs. I was not ok. But still… tortured Dean Yenin slays me. Come to mama.
WARNING: Long wordy jumbled review to follow. i can't help it. These (fictional) ppl get me all in my feels & I can't think straight. You get it.
Plot
Our adorable pals were accepted to go Kingmakers, essentially a school for Mafia kids.
Leo, son of will literally go anywhere Anna goes. She goes to Kingmakers, obvs he does too. Their parents are worried, mostly Leo's, since Yelena's twin brother who hates her guts, has a son the same age who will also be in attendance. And well... she wasn't exactly wrong.
Dean = the drama... That's about all I can say without spoilers.
WARNING if you haven't read Brutal Birthright! Below includes some discussion about that series. There are NO real spoilers, but general info. Avoid if you don't want to know anything of it! Reading the Gallos & Griffins back stories legits changes the game. It's easier to understand their motivations, old grudges and loyalties. It also makes who the kids are, their character traits, that much more entertaining!
THE WHOLE DAMN FAM
Leo's parents: Sebasian Gallo & Yelena Yenin
Book: [b:Heavy Crown|55313080|Heavy Crown (Brutal Birthright, #6)|Sophie Lark|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1599961090l/55313080._SX50_.jpg|86259585]
This book ends with Nessa (Anna's mom) & Yelena becoming friends, bonding over their pregnancies. Then, in the prologue 18 years later, Yelena sees an acceptance letter from Kingmakers for Leo. Seb tells her Miko & Nessa let Anna decide for herself, & she chose kingmakers, so obviosly, Leo will too. In The Heir, we see a clearer picture of these two and their friendship, which is absolutely adorable.
Anna's parents: Miko (?) & Nessa Griffin
Book: [b:Stolen Heir|54612985|Stolen Heir (Brutal Birthright #2)|Sophie Lark|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1595260489l/54612985._SX50_.jpg|85206248]
Anna, like Nessa, is a dancer. She has her moms compassion, but her fathers edgy, & gothic-ish style. She is combo of these two in every way from her hybrid style of dancing, to her graceful yet heavy makeup, & the fact she can kick literally anyones ass.
Heavy Crown also gives the full story of Adrian & Yelena's fall out.
Dean Yenin, Son of Adrian Yenin & rando home nurse
After what went down between Adrian, Yelena, & the Gallos, Adrian's hate took over his life, & that's all Dean knew. Hate. Grudges. Unhappiness. Insight into Dean's life didn't paint a pretty picture. He went to Kingmakers ready to take down Leo. Let's just say, things don't go according to plan, & Dean's story & his subsequent glow up is one the most tragically beautiful (& sexy) things ever. Heavy Crown isn't just the love story of Leo's parents, it's also the unraveling of Yelena's relationship with her twin brother Adrian. It was the start of the his downfall, the beginning of the end.
The Yenin Twins: Yelena & Adrian
The history between the Gallos, Yelena, & her twin brother is brought up in this series starting here. It's mentioned that she's tried to reach out since some massive falling out, but Adrian, a recluse who lives in Russia, doesn't give a single fuck.
We meet Adrian as an adult, as Dean's father. He is hateful, angry, & hoards in a house that he & his son live in that should surely be condemed. Since that's all I knew of Adrian, it was hard to imagine another version of him that was close with his twin sister, friendly, & funny, though it was mentioned. It was almost impossible to merge the image this book painted, with this image of who he was in the 'before', that was the only thing keeping Yelena going:
Going into their history broke my heart for Adrian & Yelena, while simultaneously still wanting to throttle former. Reading their background in this book made it hit harder, & made Yelena's reaction on the topic of Adrian & Dean (which is shown moreso in Deans book, The Bully) more emotional.
Everything about Dean ... It’s just brutal but I love him.
At the end of the series there’s this little tidbit about “not being blood cousins & LOL at that. It made me lol at the "dating family" jokes RE: Anna & Leo.
That's the start of the MF'ing Kingmakers squad that I love so much
Don’t get me wrong, I couldn’t stand seeing my Leo & Anna in that state. Shit got dark there for a minute for Anna, muh boy Leo had me all worried, & my nails are down to the nubs. I was not ok. But still… tortured Dean Yenin slays me. Come to mama.
WARNING: Long wordy jumbled review to follow. i can't help it. These (fictional) ppl get me all in my feels & I can't think straight. You get it.
Plot
Our adorable pals were accepted to go Kingmakers, essentially a school for Mafia kids.
Leo, son of will literally go anywhere Anna goes. She goes to Kingmakers, obvs he does too. Their parents are worried, mostly Leo's, since Yelena's twin brother who hates her guts, has a son the same age who will also be in attendance. And well... she wasn't exactly wrong.
Dean = the drama... That's about all I can say without spoilers.
WARNING if you haven't read Brutal Birthright! Below includes some discussion about that series. There are NO real spoilers, but general info. Avoid if you don't want to know anything of it! Reading the Gallos & Griffins back stories legits changes the game. It's easier to understand their motivations, old grudges and loyalties. It also makes who the kids are, their character traits, that much more entertaining!
THE WHOLE DAMN FAM
Leo's parents: Sebasian Gallo & Yelena Yenin
Book: [b:Heavy Crown|55313080|Heavy Crown (Brutal Birthright, #6)|Sophie Lark|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1599961090l/55313080._SX50_.jpg|86259585]
This book ends with Nessa (Anna's mom) & Yelena becoming friends, bonding over their pregnancies. Then, in the prologue 18 years later, Yelena sees an acceptance letter from Kingmakers for Leo. Seb tells her Miko & Nessa let Anna decide for herself, & she chose kingmakers, so obviosly, Leo will too. In The Heir, we see a clearer picture of these two and their friendship, which is absolutely adorable.
Anna's parents: Miko (?) & Nessa Griffin
Book: [b:Stolen Heir|54612985|Stolen Heir (Brutal Birthright #2)|Sophie Lark|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1595260489l/54612985._SX50_.jpg|85206248]
Anna, like Nessa, is a dancer. She has her moms compassion, but her fathers edgy, & gothic-ish style. She is combo of these two in every way from her hybrid style of dancing, to her graceful yet heavy makeup, & the fact she can kick literally anyones ass.
Heavy Crown also gives the full story of Adrian & Yelena's fall out.
Dean Yenin, Son of Adrian Yenin & rando home nurse
After what went down between Adrian, Yelena, & the Gallos, Adrian's hate took over his life, & that's all Dean knew. Hate. Grudges. Unhappiness. Insight into Dean's life didn't paint a pretty picture. He went to Kingmakers ready to take down Leo. Let's just say, things don't go according to plan, & Dean's story & his subsequent glow up is one the most tragically beautiful (& sexy) things ever. Heavy Crown isn't just the love story of Leo's parents, it's also the unraveling of Yelena's relationship with her twin brother Adrian. It was the start of the his downfall, the beginning of the end.
The Yenin Twins: Yelena & Adrian
The history between the Gallos, Yelena, & her twin brother is brought up in this series starting here. It's mentioned that she's tried to reach out since some massive falling out, but Adrian, a recluse who lives in Russia, doesn't give a single fuck.
We meet Adrian as an adult, as Dean's father. He is hateful, angry, & hoards in a house that he & his son live in that should surely be condemed. Since that's all I knew of Adrian, it was hard to imagine another version of him that was close with his twin sister, friendly, & funny, though it was mentioned. It was almost impossible to merge the image this book painted, with this image of who he was in the 'before', that was the only thing keeping Yelena going:
I think if I didn’t have Adrian, I would have killed myself a long time ago.
Since our mother died, he’s the only person who’s loved me. The only person who’s brought me any happiness.
Going into their history broke my heart for Adrian & Yelena, while simultaneously still wanting to throttle former. Reading their background in this book made it hit harder, & made Yelena's reaction on the topic of Adrian & Dean (which is shown moreso in Deans book, The Bully) more emotional.
Everything about Dean ... It’s just brutal but I love him.
At the end of the series there’s this little tidbit about “not being blood cousins & LOL at that. It made me lol at the "dating family" jokes RE: Anna & Leo.
They won’t be cousins by blood, but they’ll be cousins-in-law, or second-cousins, or whatever you want to call it. I’m glad that Nessa and I are swiftly becoming friends, so I’ll have someone to share this experience with.
Aida is over the moon when I tell her.
“That’s fantastic!” she shrieks. “I didn’t think Miles was going to have any cousins around on my side. I was so annoyed with Dante moving Serena away before we even got to know her. Ours will only be a year or two apart in school—that’s barely anything!”
That's the start of the MF'ing Kingmakers squad that I love so much
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Generally speaking, friends to lovers can't go wrong. Leo and Anna were a great pairing, even if it takes a while for them both to pull their heads out of their asses. To be honest, I even loved Dean. He was angsty and desperate, which I tend to find is a favorite of mine when it comes to book men. :D
I wish we could have gotten them to see the obvious quicker, as I would have wanted more interactions for them and their love story. However, this was still an excellent beginning to an overall amazing series.
I wish we could have gotten them to see the obvious quicker, as I would have wanted more interactions for them and their love story. However, this was still an excellent beginning to an overall amazing series.
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
3.5-3.75 Stars
I love the concept of having a school for the kids in the mafia world, it's like the graphic novel/show Deadly Class. I just wish there was more relationship development and bonding moments between Leo and Anna.
2.5⭐️ Listen, I understand that with a new series you have to build up the world and include descriptions, but this book dragged on for what seemed like forever. It only got interesting around the 60% mark, and even then it wasn’t all that.
I did like that Kingmakers was essentially a Hogwarts for mafia kids.
Leo and Anna were cute childhood friends, but they weren’t even together for most of the book. When they did get together, it felt like the timeline just zoomed on and went so fast. The chemistry between them felt idk forced in a way, and it was hard to like them.
Dean was very mysterious and just held a massive grudge the whole book, and I didn’t like his character at all.
Lol, ok I’m sad that I didn’t enjoy this, because I loved the Brutal Birthright series!!
I did like that Kingmakers was essentially a Hogwarts for mafia kids.
Leo and Anna were cute childhood friends, but they weren’t even together for most of the book. When they did get together, it felt like the timeline just zoomed on and went so fast. The chemistry between them felt idk forced in a way, and it was hard to like them.
Dean was very mysterious and just held a massive grudge the whole book, and I didn’t like his character at all.
Lol, ok I’m sad that I didn’t enjoy this, because I loved the Brutal Birthright series!!
dark
informative
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Sophie has been on my radar for a minute. I know you aren't supposed to judge a book but it's cover BUT I have had my eye on this series and the Brutal Birthright because of them! I am going to give this one a solid 3.5. I liked the intro to the world and though I didn't feel lost necessarily because I hadn't read the Birthright series, I feel that I would have gotten more context if I had. That being said this was a little more college/new adult angsty than I anticipated. Everything plot wise seemed to move fast but also slow at the same time- like stuff happened but there was also a lot of filler. I felt like I had a harder time connecting to the characters. We have these two best friends (Leo & Anna) who have grown up together and are called cousins who suddenly have feelings for each other and then a miscommunication of sorts occurs, and I didn't love the way Anna responded. I mean yes I get that her feelings were hurt but if he was MY best friend, I would have given him a little of the benefit of the doubt. I also haven't ever been in love with my best friend turned lover so who knows. Anna was a little whiny in my opinion. Leo (poor Leo) could not for the life of him say the right thing to clear the air. I am REALLY on the fence about Dean. It seemed like there was potential there but nothing panned out. I am hoping we get more from him in this book (*fingers crossed).
Anna has made the decision to go to Kingmakers, the school for the mafia kids. She wants to learn more about this world that she will someday inherit from her father. She is excited to learn that her best friend Leo will be joining her. She has known him her whole life. She has done life with him. In fact people confuse them as cousins. But she has started to feel differently about him recently. She puts on a front that all is well but then they go to school together and things shift. She feels it between the two of them. She swears he was about to kiss her on the way to this party. But then she finds him in a precarious position and she is heartbroken! How could she have read all of this so wrong? Well she is fine and will move in and be with whoever she wants if that's how he wants to play. Enter Dean Yenin- Leo's actual cousin and mortal enemy. Anna has had a few classes with him and gets the glimpses of who he could be. She is intrigued enough to take him up when he asks her on a date. She enjoys herself but recognizes that he isn't Leo. And seeing Leo- none of this feels right. When things start to rekindle between her and Leo and then their true feelings are revealed all is well again. But Anna AND Leo both underestimated the hatred and need for revenge Dean has. Especially now. Will they be able to evade his tactics or will they get caught in the crosshairs?
Leo has it all. He is the extrovert of this group. He is comfortable in any situation. He is a protector. So when his best friend Anna decides to go to Kingmakers, he does too. And now that they are there it feels like things are different between them. He knows Anna is beautiful, she always has been but now he is really starting to SEE it. He tries to fight it but then he sees that she feels it too. He wants to confront it but then something out of his control happens and all of this slips away just like that. Now Anna won't even look at him let alone talk to him. And she seems to be dating Dean, his mortal enemy/true cousin. He can't help but hope she is happy and alright. He doesn't know how to fix this thing between them. But he knows when he is given the chance he will do whatever it takes. Which is what happens and then they realize they have both liked each other from afar for a while. Now they are together. Things are right with the world again. But neither him nor Anna realized the lengths that Dean would go to to stop Leo. And all he has been focused on is the last challenge at the school before year end. So when Dean takes his shot- he isn't ready and all he can do is hope someone else is.
All in all, this was an intro to a new world that left me intrigued enough to read on and see what all unravels before graduation! I have read such good things about this series and hope they translate that way for me as well :)
Thank you to NetGalley and the author for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
Anna has made the decision to go to Kingmakers, the school for the mafia kids. She wants to learn more about this world that she will someday inherit from her father. She is excited to learn that her best friend Leo will be joining her. She has known him her whole life. She has done life with him. In fact people confuse them as cousins. But she has started to feel differently about him recently. She puts on a front that all is well but then they go to school together and things shift. She feels it between the two of them. She swears he was about to kiss her on the way to this party. But then she finds him in a precarious position and she is heartbroken! How could she have read all of this so wrong? Well she is fine and will move in and be with whoever she wants if that's how he wants to play. Enter Dean Yenin- Leo's actual cousin and mortal enemy. Anna has had a few classes with him and gets the glimpses of who he could be. She is intrigued enough to take him up when he asks her on a date. She enjoys herself but recognizes that he isn't Leo. And seeing Leo- none of this feels right. When things start to rekindle between her and Leo and then their true feelings are revealed all is well again. But Anna AND Leo both underestimated the hatred and need for revenge Dean has. Especially now. Will they be able to evade his tactics or will they get caught in the crosshairs?
Leo has it all. He is the extrovert of this group. He is comfortable in any situation. He is a protector. So when his best friend Anna decides to go to Kingmakers, he does too. And now that they are there it feels like things are different between them. He knows Anna is beautiful, she always has been but now he is really starting to SEE it. He tries to fight it but then he sees that she feels it too. He wants to confront it but then something out of his control happens and all of this slips away just like that. Now Anna won't even look at him let alone talk to him. And she seems to be dating Dean, his mortal enemy/true cousin. He can't help but hope she is happy and alright. He doesn't know how to fix this thing between them. But he knows when he is given the chance he will do whatever it takes. Which is what happens and then they realize they have both liked each other from afar for a while. Now they are together. Things are right with the world again. But neither him nor Anna realized the lengths that Dean would go to to stop Leo. And all he has been focused on is the last challenge at the school before year end. So when Dean takes his shot- he isn't ready and all he can do is hope someone else is.
All in all, this was an intro to a new world that left me intrigued enough to read on and see what all unravels before graduation! I have read such good things about this series and hope they translate that way for me as well :)
Thank you to NetGalley and the author for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
the incest……? i know they’re not blood but it’s a tad too close for comfort