Kingdom of Exiles by Maxym Martineau
Description:
Fantastic Beasts meets Assassin's Creed in this epic, gripping fantasy romance from debut author Maxym M. Martineau.
Exiled beast charmer Leena Edenfrell is in deep trouble. Empty pockets forced her to sell her beloved magical beasts on the black market—an offense punishable by death—and now there's a price on her head. With the realm's most talented murderer-for-hire nipping at her heels, Leena makes him an offer he can't refuse: powerful mythical creatures in exchange for her life.
If only it were that simple. Unbeknownst to Leena, the undying ones are bound by magic to complete their contracts, and Noc cannot risk his brotherhood of assassins...not even to save the woman he can no longer live without.
My Review:
Kingdom of Exiles takes you on a journey through a world of assassins, magical beasts, curses, and romance.
What I most enjoyed about this book is that it’s both romance and fantasy, and both are done equally well. I get a bit tired of contemporary and historical romances, but toss in some magical beasts, a curse, and a quest, and I’m one happy reader. I loved the dynamic of the budding romance, and the tension builds on multiple levels. None of that mess where the love interests hate each other, but true internal conflict, desire, and sacrifice. Solid.
That being said, while the beast magic is fleshed out, the world building isn’t quite there. I picked up that the Charmers live separately, but didn’t understand where until the very end. I understood that there was a kingdom, but there were only hints and inklings of it and its history, as if it were a faraway place rather than the country where everyone in the story lives. The story tends to focus more on the character interactions, the building tension, and the development of backstory, but at the expense of the larger world.
As for the steam rating, it’s up there, especially later on in the book. Detailed, steamy, and a bit coarse. Nothing is left to the imagination, so yeah. If you’re in it for the fantasy alone, you might be in for a surprise. I read through the first scene, but the others, well, I just kind of skimmed through. The good thing, in my opinion, is that the racy content doesn’t take over the book. It’s a part of it, but not the main event.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to fans of romance who dig fantasy as well. Definitely targets adult readers who either prefer or don’t mind erotic content.
I received the review copy of this book from NetGalley.
About the Author:
Following her passion, Maxym earned her bachelor's degree in English Literature from Arizona State University. She's a member of Romance Writers of America, and currently lives in Arizona with her husband and their dogs. She is represented by Cate Hart of Corvisiero Literary Agency. Her debut, Kingdom of Exiles, is slated for release in June 2019 with Sourcebooks.
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