Written by Peta Hardiman
Romantic high stakes fantasy is always an interesting concept for a novel, and to be honest, it quite often falls short of expectation one way or another. And yet, somehow, in Kingdom of Exiles… it all worked.
Beast charmer Leena Edenfrell knows two things. One, she can’t go home (being exiled will do that to a girl), and two, even though it kills her, selling her magical beasts is the only way to fill her pockets. Unfortunately, selling things on the black market isn’t a great way to stay unnoticed, and Leena has ended up with a price on her head despite her best efforts.
Enter Noc, murderer-for-hire and attractive thorn in Leena’s side. Desperate to avoid death, Leena makes him a deal, she’ll supply him with four magical beasts, and he doesn’t kill her. Sounds simple enough. Unbeknownst to Leena, however, is the magical contract that bids Noc to complete all his contracts, and despite his growing affection for the beast charmer… he can’t place her life ahead of the rest of his guild.
Okay, so here’s the thing about fantasy romance, or paranormal romance for that matter. Lately, there’s been a trend towards it being somewhat formulaic with a heavy push on the romance, which is fine, but it doesn’t make for the most interesting read of all time. Kingdom of Exiles doesn’t fall into that category, it’s not your typical romance novel that just happens to be set in a fantasy world. And to be honest, it’s actually a fairly well rounded fantasy novel all on it’s own, but just with more sex.
That’s probably the one thing I’ll mention earlier in the review rather than later – this book is marketed at being a fantasy romance for a reason friends! And that reason is the sex. It’s in there. Consider yourself warned.
This book was pitched as Assassin’s Creed meets Fantastic Beasts, and for the most part, it fits the bill of the second, with a little bit of Pokémon thrown in for good measure. The only link it has to Assassin’s Creed is the fact that there are assassins thrown in as there wasn’t any kind of exceptional parkour—just the normal kind of fight scenes you’d expect from a book about hired killers.
Leena is our beast charmer, a class of magic-possessing humans who have the ability to “tame” beasts that she finds (Pokémon style, but without the Poké Ball) and keep them in the magical beast realm that she can access (Fantastic Beasts, think Newt’s suitcase). After being banished from the charmer’s haven for a crime that she didn’t commit, Leena finds herself destitute and resorts to selling beasts to get by. Unfortunately, this draws her to the attention of the very people she fled from and she ends up with a bounty on her head.
I really liked Leena’s character as she was this really awesome blend of feminine and masculine. Her character combines sarcasm, wit, and badass fighting ability with the heart and soul of someone who cares so desperately about the people (and creatures) that she loves. It’s always great to see characters (male or female) that combine traits, and here, it made for a well-rounded and interesting character to read about. I will sometimes find myself skim reading internal dialogue, particularly if they’ve got a more annoying voice, and yet, I didn’t catch myself doing that with Leena.
Noc is the leader of the Cruor, a guild of reborn assassins that are essentially mercenaries for hire. His guild is tasked with ending the life of our intrepid beast charmer, but when the first attempt fails and she shows up on his doorstep with an injured assassin and a chip on her shoulder, they come to an arrangement – Leena provides Noc with beasts, and he doesn’t kill her. Of course, what he doesn’t tell her is that he has to kill her… or he himself will die in her stead. Noc is such a stereotypical hot, tortured male… and yet, he’s just such a cinnamon roll underneath it all that it’s okay.
Leena and Noc’s relationship is explosive, the sexual tension will quite literally sear itself into your mind, and as they take off on their journey with a few other of Noc’s Cruor compatriots, the banter and adventure really sets in.
The side characters are also a great addition to the story and they bring in a few different levels of friendship and familial love that tie together with Noc and Leena’s storyline in a beautiful way. Maxym uses the book as a way to explore bonds and love and friendship, and it manages to be surprisingly poignant in something that’s perceived to be “all about the sex” as romance novels often are.
The plot in Kingdom of Exiles is probably its weakest aspect, in comparison to the portrayal of relationships and character dynamic, but it was still interesting and we moved through a vivid (if simple) world along with our cadre as they hunt beasts and kick ass.
I found Kingdom of Exiles quite a surprise: it was a fun read, emotional at times, and quite dark during others (trigger warning for some fairly serious physical and mental assault at one point), and I’m definitely looking forward to the sequel!
Kingdom of Exiles is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers.
Have you read Kingdom of Exiles? Or will you be checking it out? Tell us in the comments below!
Synopsis | Goodreads
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.
