Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.82 AVERAGE
3.82 AVERAGE
I thought I would like this, the world is quite fun but everything is so predictable throughout, I did not get into it and DNF at 60%
The one thing this book definitely had was potential. The fantasy aspects and the world-building were pretty original, I guess, and I was definitely interested to learn more about it - but the characters simply weren't interesting or authentic to me, so at times it was hard to care about them at all.
I liked the ending - pretty cute and well-rounded, but still interesting - but I won't pick up the following books from this series because quite frankly, I just don't care what happens.
Overall, 2.5 stars - don't regret reading it, but definitely didn't love it.
I liked the ending - pretty cute and well-rounded, but still interesting - but I won't pick up the following books from this series because quite frankly, I just don't care what happens.
Overall, 2.5 stars - don't regret reading it, but definitely didn't love it.
“No matter how hard you try, no matter how many battles you win, you will never survive me.”
UM. Yes. That is all.
World Building: ★★★
Characters/Character Arcs: ★★★
Romance element: ★★★★
Writing/Plot: ★★★
Seriously I am obsessed with this book. It has been such a long time since I have been able to become full ingrained in a fantasy plot. And this does it so well. Magical beasts? Assassins' for hire? Slow burn romance? Tension? EXTREMELY lovable side characters? I am here for it.
Also can we discuss the tropes ? Enemies to lovers. Found Family. "I was sent to kill you." Everything I need. The plot and the writing was extremely easy to follow and genuinely interesting. The story hooked me in from the start, the pacing continued to go up and I couldn't stop reading.
BUT THE ENDING? I can't. I just need to see what else happens. About to start Book 2 in a couple of minutes.
UM. Yes. That is all.
World Building: ★★★
Characters/Character Arcs: ★★★
Romance element: ★★★★
Writing/Plot: ★★★
Seriously I am obsessed with this book. It has been such a long time since I have been able to become full ingrained in a fantasy plot. And this does it so well. Magical beasts? Assassins' for hire? Slow burn romance? Tension? EXTREMELY lovable side characters? I am here for it.
Also can we discuss the tropes ? Enemies to lovers. Found Family. "I was sent to kill you." Everything I need. The plot and the writing was extremely easy to follow and genuinely interesting. The story hooked me in from the start, the pacing continued to go up and I couldn't stop reading.
BUT THE ENDING? I can't. I just need to see what else happens. About to start Book 2 in a couple of minutes.
DNF Chapter 25, page 289
I put the book down after binging it for a couple of days and have not felt an inkling of desire to keep reading.
I put the book down after binging it for a couple of days and have not felt an inkling of desire to keep reading.
Kingdom of exiles was so much more then just a fantasy debut novel! This book had it all-Interesting Plot, consistent story line, slow burn romance and of course magic! Right away you were swept away into the land of beast charmers and assassins. Our main character Leena starts off hunter for her like from rouge assassins. The only way to spare herself is to offer powerful mythical beasts to the assassins. As she travels with the assassins in search for mystical beasts, she encounters troubles along the way as well she begins to develop a longing feeling for the leader of Assassins, our boy Noc. However she doesn’t know that whoever Noc loves, will end up dying. Lemme tell you, through out this whole book, my heart broke for poor Noc. Not able to express your love for anyone, even your friends and family... how can you live with that? The whole book I spent Leena and Noc wanting to be together yet resenting it since I didn’t want Leena to end up dying. This book kept me on my toes, leading me to never put down this book. If you are a lover of fantasy or slow burn romance then this book is definitely for you. I cant recommend it enough!
KINGDOM OF EXILES by Maxym M. Martineau! ⚔️ Assassin’s Creed meets Fantastic Beasts—possibly the most exciting pitch I’ve seen this year?
Leena, an exiled beast charmer with a bounty on her head. Noc, the leader of a brotherhood of assassins hired to kill her. I. SHIP. IT. It’s not exactly enemies to lovers but there’s a forbidden aspect that makes you root for them even more. I’m loving the world building; the magical creatures are all unique and fascinating. My personal favorite is the Myad, a powerful winged panther-like beast Leena is seeking to tame. If you like epic fantasy/romance, keep this on your radar.
Leena, an exiled beast charmer with a bounty on her head. Noc, the leader of a brotherhood of assassins hired to kill her. I. SHIP. IT. It’s not exactly enemies to lovers but there’s a forbidden aspect that makes you root for them even more. I’m loving the world building; the magical creatures are all unique and fascinating. My personal favorite is the Myad, a powerful winged panther-like beast Leena is seeking to tame. If you like epic fantasy/romance, keep this on your radar.
3.5 stars
Content warning for physical and emotional torture.
It's been a while since I've read a fantasy and this one delivers.
The good:
- The characters make this novel. They're complex and shaped by their pasts in real and meaningful ways. Hangups are spun out slowly, both to other characters and to the reader, and motivation and character arcs ring true.
- In that vein, people keep their secrets for as long as makes sense and no longer. This is big for me, as I'm not a fan of secrets in general, but it works here.
- There are heaps and heaps of plot once the story gets going, which is the escapism I wanted while stuck inside during a windy typhoon.
- Themes include found family, finding home, redemption and forgiveness, and how to take care of those we love. Love itself is explored on many dimensions - romantic of course, but also platonic, material, familial, and love for those you are responsible for.
- Side characters have pasts that are hinted at, and make me excited for more. It appears to be a Happily Ever After For Now for the main couple, with other couples coming together in future books.
- Noc has the best cover for being an emotionally stunted man that I've seen in a long time. It makes for a slow burn and thoroughly confuses Leena.
- Queerness is natural and a given - stated as fact and not commented on beyond that. When Leena turns on her charm both men and women get starry eyed. While some characters seem to prefer a particular gender for romantic partners, several others are attracted to more than one.
- And speaking of sex, Leena is given the same latitude a male hero would get. She enjoys casual sex and isn't above considering it as a means to an end. She's experienced, enjoys her sexuality, and doesn't apologize or feel guilty for her desires. Most excellent.
- Similarly, Leena proves her self as equal to, if not better than, the guys early on. There are a couple of moments where she takes action without giving them warning because she knows better, something men do all.the.time in fantasy. It's challenged and connects to a couple of character arcs, but it isn't framed as something wrong, mean, or awful. She has to get shit done, yo.
- The more that I think about it, gender differences are minimized overall. The immediate bad guy is indeed a guy, but the Big Bad is a woman. When the group stops at an inn she isn't given a separate room "because she's a girl" - everyone shares one room or gets their own as circumstances dictate.
- The ending strikes a nice balance between wrapping things up (the romance and main conflict) and unresolved storylines (the Big Bad, several characters' mysterious pasts).
The less-than-good:
- There are some first novel wobbles where details don't come together or quite make sense.
- The worldbuilding is good but not perfect. It took a while for me to get my head around the world.
- The healing nature of some beasts leads to convenient deus ex machina moments. Big stuff comes with a hefty price, which helps.
- There's an index of all the beasts mentioned but beware using it as a reference while reading - many spoilers are contained within.
I'm excited to see how the series continues from here.
Content warning for physical and emotional torture.
It's been a while since I've read a fantasy and this one delivers.
The good:
- The characters make this novel. They're complex and shaped by their pasts in real and meaningful ways. Hangups are spun out slowly, both to other characters and to the reader, and motivation and character arcs ring true.
- In that vein, people keep their secrets for as long as makes sense and no longer. This is big for me, as I'm not a fan of secrets in general, but it works here.
- There are heaps and heaps of plot once the story gets going, which is the escapism I wanted while stuck inside during a windy typhoon.
- Themes include found family, finding home, redemption and forgiveness, and how to take care of those we love. Love itself is explored on many dimensions - romantic of course, but also platonic, material, familial, and love for those you are responsible for.
- Side characters have pasts that are hinted at, and make me excited for more. It appears to be a Happily Ever After For Now for the main couple, with other couples coming together in future books.
- Noc has the best cover for being an emotionally stunted man that I've seen in a long time. It makes for a slow burn and thoroughly confuses Leena.
- Queerness is natural and a given - stated as fact and not commented on beyond that. When Leena turns on her charm both men and women get starry eyed. While some characters seem to prefer a particular gender for romantic partners, several others are attracted to more than one.
- And speaking of sex, Leena is given the same latitude a male hero would get. She enjoys casual sex and isn't above considering it as a means to an end. She's experienced, enjoys her sexuality, and doesn't apologize or feel guilty for her desires. Most excellent.
- Similarly, Leena proves her self as equal to, if not better than, the guys early on. There are a couple of moments where she takes action without giving them warning because she knows better, something men do all.the.time in fantasy. It's challenged and connects to a couple of character arcs, but it isn't framed as something wrong, mean, or awful. She has to get shit done, yo.
- The more that I think about it, gender differences are minimized overall. The immediate bad guy is indeed a guy, but the Big Bad is a woman. When the group stops at an inn she isn't given a separate room "because she's a girl" - everyone shares one room or gets their own as circumstances dictate.
- The ending strikes a nice balance between wrapping things up (the romance and main conflict) and unresolved storylines (the Big Bad, several characters' mysterious pasts).
The less-than-good:
- There are some first novel wobbles where details don't come together or quite make sense.
- The worldbuilding is good but not perfect. It took a while for me to get my head around the world.
- The healing nature of some beasts leads to convenient deus ex machina moments. Big stuff comes with a hefty price, which helps.
- There's an index of all the beasts mentioned but beware using it as a reference while reading - many spoilers are contained within.
I'm excited to see how the series continues from here.
I got the chance to read an ARC of this book and I finished it a while ago, but completely forgot to review it. Great of me, right? Well, I'm getting to it now, okay?
Kingdom of Exiles were all I hoped it would be. A completely new story, with new creatures and characters. I've read of animal mages and watched Pokémon, but the way Charmers work is for me unique. The guild of again risen assassins isn't something I read about every day, either.
In this book, there's a lot of descriptions of the environment, but the story also goes deep inside the characters' feelings and thoughts. Leena and Noc are two people with very different backgrounds of abuse and defeat, but still have a heart that longs for closeness and love. None of them trusts that longing, though.
The overall intrigue, of someone wanting to kill Leena, a Charmer who's been falsely accused of a hideous crime and exiled from her beloved home country and who's now selling her beasts to survive, is slowly weaving between the growing attraction and friendship between her and the assassins. I love a good story that focuses on the characters and Martineau is splendid at writing the different characters that grace us with their presence - I loved all the assassins and Leena and their personalities more than shone through. Noc is a total softie even if he tries to deny it and Leena is caring, thoughtful and kick-ass in all the right ways.
It's fun, it's sweet, it's dark, it's dangerous. And the sexual tension, which is there for a good reason even though it's a bit insta-lovey, lets us all sigh happily in frustration.
I loved this one.
4 of 5 charms
/ Denise
Kingdom of Exiles were all I hoped it would be. A completely new story, with new creatures and characters. I've read of animal mages and watched Pokémon, but the way Charmers work is for me unique. The guild of again risen assassins isn't something I read about every day, either.
In this book, there's a lot of descriptions of the environment, but the story also goes deep inside the characters' feelings and thoughts. Leena and Noc are two people with very different backgrounds of abuse and defeat, but still have a heart that longs for closeness and love. None of them trusts that longing, though.
The overall intrigue, of someone wanting to kill Leena, a Charmer who's been falsely accused of a hideous crime and exiled from her beloved home country and who's now selling her beasts to survive, is slowly weaving between the growing attraction and friendship between her and the assassins. I love a good story that focuses on the characters and Martineau is splendid at writing the different characters that grace us with their presence - I loved all the assassins and Leena and their personalities more than shone through. Noc is a total softie even if he tries to deny it and Leena is caring, thoughtful and kick-ass in all the right ways.
It's fun, it's sweet, it's dark, it's dangerous. And the sexual tension, which is there for a good reason even though it's a bit insta-lovey, lets us all sigh happily in frustration.
I loved this one.
4 of 5 charms
/ Denise
4/5
This is grown up Pokémon meets Assassins. I was hooked right away and read it all in one night. The plot is fast pace, the love interest is a broody, dark haired, cursed assassin. Who wouldn't want those two things? The heroine does the majority of the work throughout the book which I prefer. I hate when heroine are described as strong or brave but are saved constantly. The only thing keeping this book from 5 stars for me is the ending. I felt it was a bit of a rush, and it was almost given away who the "hidden" bad guy is for the following books. I understand the need for a second book with the way the book ended, however I think it could have been set up to be a standalone better. The later book is changed to YA- I disagree with this change. I think having it as adult allowed for more, and fit the tone of the first book perfectly.
This is grown up Pokémon meets Assassins. I was hooked right away and read it all in one night. The plot is fast pace, the love interest is a broody, dark haired, cursed assassin. Who wouldn't want those two things? The heroine does the majority of the work throughout the book which I prefer. I hate when heroine are described as strong or brave but are saved constantly. The only thing keeping this book from 5 stars for me is the ending. I felt it was a bit of a rush, and it was almost given away who the "hidden" bad guy is for the following books. I understand the need for a second book with the way the book ended, however I think it could have been set up to be a standalone better. The later book is changed to YA- I disagree with this change. I think having it as adult allowed for more, and fit the tone of the first book perfectly.
This was light though I am not sure if I will continue to read the rest of the series.