A Promise of Fire by Amanda Bouchet

A Promise of Fire (The Kingmaker Chronicles, #1)

by Amanda Bouchet

Kingmaker. Soothsayer. Warrior. Mage. Kingdoms would rise and fall for her . . . if she is ever found

In the icy North, where magic is might, an all-powerful elite ruthlessly guided by a glacial Queen have grown to dominate the world. Now rebellion is stirring in the rough, magic-poor South, where for the first time in memory a warlord has succeeded in uniting the tribal nations.

Stuck in the middle is Cat - circus performer and soothsayer - safely hidden behind heavy make-up, bright colours and the harmless illusion of the circus. Until someone suspects she's more than she seems . . .

Captured by the Southern warlord Griffin, Cat's careful camouflage is wearing thin. For how long can - or should - she conceal the true extent of her power? Faced with dragons, homicidal mages, rival Gods and the traitorous longings of her own heart, she must decide: is it time to claim her destiny and fight?

An award-winning fantasy debut with an unforgettable heroine, set against a luminous world on the brink of battle, this is for those who love Ilona Andrews, Laini Taylor or Victoria Aveyard

'This book is utterly breathtaking!' Darynda Jones, New York Times bestselling author of the Charley Davidson series

Reviewed by Leigha on

4 of 5 stars

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This first book in a new adult fantasy romance has a young woman taken captive to ensure the survival of a new regime.

Oh boy, cliches abound in this book – the special snowflake, Cat; the alpha male, Griffin; the high risk stakes of kingdoms; the mysterious pasts of several characters (including our snowflake). And yet, it all worked for me. Sometimes all I want in a book is something easy to digest – consider it my version of chicken soup in book form. It allows me to drop seamlessly into the world and devour it in one quick reading session.

Cat is a lovable, snarky badass fully capable of fighting her own battles with words or her own mighty powers. I enjoyed her interactions with the secondary characters, especially Griffin and his men. I was less enamored with the kidnapping plot, although it was similar to my favorite book, Snyder’s Touch of Power. Instead of men using their muscles, their sidekicks, and their special Wonder Woman lassos/ropes to kidnap the main female protagonist, how about they negotiate with words for the main heroines help? I wouldn’t mind the “kidnapping ” trope disappearing from the romance genre all together.

My favorite part of the entire story is not the characters or the plot, but the setting. I adored the mixture of fantasy and Greek mythology. Surprisingly, I’ve never seen another story mix the two successfully. Cat and company interacting with mythological creatures and multiple gods was highly entertaining.

tl;dr An entertaining romance with a phenomenal setting mixed with familiar tropes.

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 13 June, 2017: Finished reading
  • 13 June, 2017: Reviewed
  • 9 November, 2020: Started reading
  • 11 November, 2020: Finished reading
  • 13 June, 2017: Reviewed