Pitched as Fantastic Beasts meets Assassins Creed and I have to say, that’s a pretty close description. Leena is a beast charmer, Noc is an assassin sent to kill her, and what follows is a delightful enemy-to-lovers romance.
Fast-paced and intriguing, Martineau sucked me in from the first couple of pages when Leena is dealing in beasts, which is something that’s illegal in her line of work and something that will certainly come back to haunt her. Not only does she have an assassin on her tail, but now she has to worry about events in her past catching up to her present. Noc and his fellow brethren are members of the Cruor, undead assassins that are just as deadly as you’d imagine someone who’s undead could be. Certain circumstances bring Noc and Leena to an unlikely and tenuous relationship, and once they’ve both satisfied the terms of their own personal agreement, they can part ways. Expect for those pesky feelings they’ve developed for one another, that won’t be quite as easy as they’ve initially thought.
Kingdom of Exiles is on the darker side of fantasy, but the introduction of beasts and beast charmers adds such a fun and whimsical element to this story. I adored every single beast and I loved how each and every one was so dramatically different. I also loved the relationship Noc had with his fellow Cruor members and the often complicated predicament he’s put in with trying and failing to keep his feelings for everyone in check, which is an important aspect considering his position.
All told, Kingdom of Exiles was a fantastic first entry in a new fantasy series, and I can wait to see what Martineau brings in subsequent books. Magical, dark, whimsical, and romantic, it’s a fantasy series that’s got a little something for everyone. Highly recommended and I’ll definitely be looking forward to anything else by this debut author.
*ARC received courtesy of BookishFirst.
Fast-paced and intriguing, Martineau sucked me in from the first couple of pages when Leena is dealing in beasts, which is something that’s illegal in her line of work and something that will certainly come back to haunt her. Not only does she have an assassin on her tail, but now she has to worry about events in her past catching up to her present. Noc and his fellow brethren are members of the Cruor, undead assassins that are just as deadly as you’d imagine someone who’s undead could be. Certain circumstances bring Noc and Leena to an unlikely and tenuous relationship, and once they’ve both satisfied the terms of their own personal agreement, they can part ways. Expect for those pesky feelings they’ve developed for one another, that won’t be quite as easy as they’ve initially thought.
Kingdom of Exiles is on the darker side of fantasy, but the introduction of beasts and beast charmers adds such a fun and whimsical element to this story. I adored every single beast and I loved how each and every one was so dramatically different. I also loved the relationship Noc had with his fellow Cruor members and the often complicated predicament he’s put in with trying and failing to keep his feelings for everyone in check, which is an important aspect considering his position.
All told, Kingdom of Exiles was a fantastic first entry in a new fantasy series, and I can wait to see what Martineau brings in subsequent books. Magical, dark, whimsical, and romantic, it’s a fantasy series that’s got a little something for everyone. Highly recommended and I’ll definitely be looking forward to anything else by this debut author.
*ARC received courtesy of BookishFirst.