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3.82 AVERAGE
3.82 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Torture
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Pokemon-like creatures and undead assassins, with a healthy dose of romance. If any of that sounds appealing to you, I'd recommend Kingdom of Exiles as a very fun fantasy read.
Kingdom of Exiles follows Leena, the titular exile, who's been thrown out of her home city for a crime she didn't commit and forced to do things she finds abominable in order to survive. Leena is a Charmer, who, not unlike a Pokemon trainer, has the ability to find and catch magical beasts, whose powers aid her and whose companionship she loves. She wants to clear her name and return to her mystical home of Hireath, where Charmers and their creatures exist in a seeming utopia, but first she has to capture a creature capable of proving her worth. Enter Nox, whose guild of assassins has been hired to take Leena out, but who finds her intriguing and useful enough to strike a bargain: his assassins won't kill her if she'll find useful magical creatures for them. This kicks off a journey through gorgeously imagined settings, featuring a number of wonderful-sounding magical creatures, a healthy dose of banter, strong friendships, and plenty of action.
Fantasy worldbuilding, and placing your reader directly inside scenes that may be taking place in, say, an evil and magical forest, or a city inhabited by magical beasts and their Charmers, can be really difficult, but I think that's something Kingdom of Exiles really excels at. As a character-focused reader, sometimes I'll find myself having to force myself to re-read descriptions of scenery in books to try to imagine where exactly these characters are spending their time, and sometimes it can be a struggle. I never felt that way during this book, even though its setting is wholly unique. The variety of magical creatures in this book is another huge strength; every time we were introduced to a new one, I was fascinated by their uniquely imagined abilities, and the powers and world of the Charmers was a great concept.
What I liked less about this book was, unfortunately, the romance. I liked both Leena and Noc quite a bit, and I very much like the idea of them together, but I did feel that the chemistry was a bit lacking for me. I also found myself struggling with certain plot points towards the end of the story, which felt rushed and/or jarred slightly with the pacing that had been established earlier in the book.
Overall, I found this to be a very enjoyable fantasy read, and I'm quite interested to hear more about what happens to Noc, Leena, and friends in the second book. I'm also very much hoping for even more magical creatures. 3.75 stars.
*I received an eARC of Kingdom of Exiles from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Kingdom of Exiles follows Leena, the titular exile, who's been thrown out of her home city for a crime she didn't commit and forced to do things she finds abominable in order to survive. Leena is a Charmer, who, not unlike a Pokemon trainer, has the ability to find and catch magical beasts, whose powers aid her and whose companionship she loves. She wants to clear her name and return to her mystical home of Hireath, where Charmers and their creatures exist in a seeming utopia, but first she has to capture a creature capable of proving her worth. Enter Nox, whose guild of assassins has been hired to take Leena out, but who finds her intriguing and useful enough to strike a bargain: his assassins won't kill her if she'll find useful magical creatures for them. This kicks off a journey through gorgeously imagined settings, featuring a number of wonderful-sounding magical creatures, a healthy dose of banter, strong friendships, and plenty of action.
Fantasy worldbuilding, and placing your reader directly inside scenes that may be taking place in, say, an evil and magical forest, or a city inhabited by magical beasts and their Charmers, can be really difficult, but I think that's something Kingdom of Exiles really excels at. As a character-focused reader, sometimes I'll find myself having to force myself to re-read descriptions of scenery in books to try to imagine where exactly these characters are spending their time, and sometimes it can be a struggle. I never felt that way during this book, even though its setting is wholly unique. The variety of magical creatures in this book is another huge strength; every time we were introduced to a new one, I was fascinated by their uniquely imagined abilities, and the powers and world of the Charmers was a great concept.
What I liked less about this book was, unfortunately, the romance. I liked both Leena and Noc quite a bit, and I very much like the idea of them together, but I did feel that the chemistry was a bit lacking for me. I also found myself struggling with certain plot points towards the end of the story, which felt rushed and/or jarred slightly with the pacing that had been established earlier in the book.
Overall, I found this to be a very enjoyable fantasy read, and I'm quite interested to hear more about what happens to Noc, Leena, and friends in the second book. I'm also very much hoping for even more magical creatures. 3.75 stars.
*I received an eARC of Kingdom of Exiles from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
What a nice breath of fresh air from Maxym M. Martineu! Wonderful debut book <3
First things First, BIG THANK YOU to Netgalley and Sourcebooks for providing me with a copy of this wonderful novel in exchange for an honest review.
Kingdom of Exiles has a release date of June 25th, 2019.
If you enjoy fantasy with a touch of romance, you should add it to your TBR now. š
This story begins with Leena Edenfrell, a beast charmer, exiled by her people and alone in the world. Forced to sell her beasts to survive, sheās already low on luck when someone puts a price on her head, and an elite brotherhood of assassins has taken up the task of claiming it.
I felt like this story was if the āBeastmasterā TV show of the 90s was written a million times better and then you added in other supernatural aspects and species. I adored it. Beast Charming is just a small part of the story. It did have an extreme PokĆ©mon type feel in some cases. Haha #nerdalert! This plot was well presented and written fabulously! Iām excited to see where the next books take us.
Yes, Kingdom of Exiles is only Book one in Maxym M. Martineuās new series.
No, book two is not out yet BUT, we do have a title and a year. Hahaha
Book Two is slated for 2020 (next year) and is called āThe Frozen Princeā. It does look like this will be a trilogy, at least based on current information. Sometimes decisions are made later. #pleaseletthisbeatrilogy #closuresooner hahaha
NOW TO THE BREAK DOWN REVIEW!
āAssassins are not warriors. We donāt fight fair. We donāt battle, and we donāt give forewarnings. We strike when we know weāll win.ā ā Maxym M. Martineu
High level book feel: Fantasy with sass, action, and a detailed world.
The author has gorgeous writing. Both in dialogue and in description. I was enveloped in the dingy bar atmosphere and the open spaces the characters travelled to and from. Her writing style flows very well and the pacing was fantastic. Other than the initial start, which required some build given the fantasy structure, the whole of the book is quick and smooth to read.
The world is phenomenal and I had zero issues being fully immersed from the beginning. This is such an original premise and I was immediately involved and curious about what made a beastmaster, and specifically, what made Leena tick. Maxym M. Martineu introduces more than just this ability in her novel and I do hope we get more information in later books and maybe even a spinoff?
(If sheās listeningā¦.a spinoff sounds amazing at this point, I need more information of certain charactersā¦and history!!!) #nospoilers
The characters!! All of them!! AH-MAZING!
Whether this was happy, sad, or angry feels. I ended up feeling all spectrum of emotion from beginning to end for these characters.
Leena was is such a strong lead. She is everything that I hope for when reading, as I have a pet peeve of dumb heroines.
Leena is not dumb. Ms. Edenfrell is not weak or silly. She is smart, driven, and empowered. She is then matched with a hero that has equal parts to compliment her. Even the side characters are fully flushed out and I, naturally, do have a favorite. (I have a thing for the shy, strong types *shrug*). As mentioned above, I would love to have a spinoff surrounding some of these side peeps. Thatās how well sheās done in writing their story ARCs. <3 <3
Needless to say, the side characters make my heart happy and the main characters make the story worth every moment.
Please keep in mind that this is an ADULT FANTASY book with romance. I say this as I know a lot of YA Fantasy has become popular and they include romance, but itās not the same as adult sexy. So please be aware of the sexiness for any young adults or other audiences that are uncomfortable with more risquĆ© content.
Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone that enjoys paranormal romance and fantasy. Maxym M. Martineu Has created a world that I will easily revisit and I will absolutely read the next books as they are released.
Overall Rating: 4.5 Stars
Plot: 4 Stars
Character Development: 5 Stars
Dialogue: 4 Stars
Writing: 5 Stars
Happy Reading!
Ash~
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Visit my Blog!
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First things First, BIG THANK YOU to Netgalley and Sourcebooks for providing me with a copy of this wonderful novel in exchange for an honest review.
Kingdom of Exiles has a release date of June 25th, 2019.
If you enjoy fantasy with a touch of romance, you should add it to your TBR now. š
This story begins with Leena Edenfrell, a beast charmer, exiled by her people and alone in the world. Forced to sell her beasts to survive, sheās already low on luck when someone puts a price on her head, and an elite brotherhood of assassins has taken up the task of claiming it.
I felt like this story was if the āBeastmasterā TV show of the 90s was written a million times better and then you added in other supernatural aspects and species. I adored it. Beast Charming is just a small part of the story. It did have an extreme PokĆ©mon type feel in some cases. Haha #nerdalert! This plot was well presented and written fabulously! Iām excited to see where the next books take us.
Yes, Kingdom of Exiles is only Book one in Maxym M. Martineuās new series.
No, book two is not out yet BUT, we do have a title and a year. Hahaha
Book Two is slated for 2020 (next year) and is called āThe Frozen Princeā. It does look like this will be a trilogy, at least based on current information. Sometimes decisions are made later. #pleaseletthisbeatrilogy #closuresooner hahaha
NOW TO THE BREAK DOWN REVIEW!
āAssassins are not warriors. We donāt fight fair. We donāt battle, and we donāt give forewarnings. We strike when we know weāll win.ā ā Maxym M. Martineu
High level book feel: Fantasy with sass, action, and a detailed world.
The author has gorgeous writing. Both in dialogue and in description. I was enveloped in the dingy bar atmosphere and the open spaces the characters travelled to and from. Her writing style flows very well and the pacing was fantastic. Other than the initial start, which required some build given the fantasy structure, the whole of the book is quick and smooth to read.
The world is phenomenal and I had zero issues being fully immersed from the beginning. This is such an original premise and I was immediately involved and curious about what made a beastmaster, and specifically, what made Leena tick. Maxym M. Martineu introduces more than just this ability in her novel and I do hope we get more information in later books and maybe even a spinoff?
(If sheās listeningā¦.a spinoff sounds amazing at this point, I need more information of certain charactersā¦and history!!!) #nospoilers
The characters!! All of them!! AH-MAZING!
Whether this was happy, sad, or angry feels. I ended up feeling all spectrum of emotion from beginning to end for these characters.
Leena was is such a strong lead. She is everything that I hope for when reading, as I have a pet peeve of dumb heroines.
Leena is not dumb. Ms. Edenfrell is not weak or silly. She is smart, driven, and empowered. She is then matched with a hero that has equal parts to compliment her. Even the side characters are fully flushed out and I, naturally, do have a favorite. (I have a thing for the shy, strong types *shrug*). As mentioned above, I would love to have a spinoff surrounding some of these side peeps. Thatās how well sheās done in writing their story ARCs. <3 <3
Needless to say, the side characters make my heart happy and the main characters make the story worth every moment.
Please keep in mind that this is an ADULT FANTASY book with romance. I say this as I know a lot of YA Fantasy has become popular and they include romance, but itās not the same as adult sexy. So please be aware of the sexiness for any young adults or other audiences that are uncomfortable with more risquĆ© content.
Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone that enjoys paranormal romance and fantasy. Maxym M. Martineu Has created a world that I will easily revisit and I will absolutely read the next books as they are released.
Overall Rating: 4.5 Stars
Plot: 4 Stars
Character Development: 5 Stars
Dialogue: 4 Stars
Writing: 5 Stars
Happy Reading!
Ash~
Check out my Instagram
Visit my Blog!
Say Hi on Twitter
3.5 stars. Review posted here: https://courtneyreadsromancesite.wordpress.com/2020/03/09/review-of-kingdom-of-exiles-the-beast-charmer-1-by-maxym-m-martineau/