Catalia Fisa has much to accomplish in this adrenaline charged, emotionally rich and sometimes heart-rending, roller coaster conclusion to The Kingmaker Chronicles, HEART ON FIRE. Cat faces fierce battles, not all of which are physical, a challenging quest, and finds herself thrown into one particularly dark and difficult ordeal. Together, Cat and Griffin are forging a new world between the three previously separate and often warring provinces of Tarva, Sinta, and Fisa. Cat’s greatest struggles result not only from her seriously evil and vicious mother’s actions, but her own fears and lack of confidence. Cat desperately needs to figure how to use her frustratingly erratic God-given powers which will enable her to be triumphant. Her path to victory comes with many hard choices. In Cat’s realm, doing what is right and honorable is rarely easy and often dangerous. She has the perfect man at her side in Griffin whose love and confidence helps Cat become everything she is meant to be. With his unconditional love and unwavering support, Griffin shows Cat no matter where the journey takes her, he will be right by her side. Her own worries and self-doubt are perhaps the truest enemy if not the most tangible one. Cat sees herself as too damaged to be the queen she is meant to be. Griffin's love and support empowers Cat to overcome self-loathing and crippling uncertainty giving her the strength to take wing and fly.

By embracing her true purpose instead of fleeing it, Cat becomes the embodiment of “Elpis” which means hope; her destiny is to unite Thalyria. She wants people to see life can be good when lived with joy and peace rather than brutality, neglect, and the abuse they have known. Cat must convince herself though as well that the Gods are on her side. However, the Gods are often far from benevolent, Cat finds their interactions less than helpful and frequently maddening. The capricious meddling Gods have quite a few surprises, not all of them pleasant, their master plan for her and Griffin. Cat’s family, those who are blood and those claimed as such, also figure greatly into this epic tale. The harder Cat fights, the more her mother, Andromeda, unleashes her immense abilities as Cat’s most powerful and painful enemy. Soon to become a mother herself, Cat has even more reason to fight with every fiber of her being to establish a new world order.

Cat embodies my favorite kind of fantasy heroine. I love the combination of her courage, strength, stubbornness, and self-sacrificing loyalty thrown together with a little bit of crazy, but laced with humor to lighten a very heavy load. Cat never gives up or loses hope though she may falter in the darkest places. I thoroughly enjoyed this exceedingly well done book. Truthfully, there are some very painful places further demonstrating Amanda Bouchet’s skills as a writer who can elicit all variety of emotions from readers taking them on a journey to places of deep joy interwoven with heartbreaking agony, and other equally intense feelings along the way. The world and characters Amanda Bouchet has created hit all the right marks of action, adventure, and romance. It is such a pleasure to read a very satisfying and well-wrought end to this most enjoyable trilogy. I am left thinking about the characters long after the story has ended and longing for more. I can think of no higher compliment.

I'm still, emotionally speaking, so RAW at the moment. This book... shbgdhfjbgbdfgjbdfjgdfg It was devastatingly beautiful. My fangirl heart still can't handle everything it read the last couple of days. So for the readers out there who want to read the book when it publishes in January; GOOD LUCK and I'll be waiting on the other side of the ryver Styx for you with all my fangirl feels ;)

Thank you, thank you amanda for giving us these books! But omg I NEED MORE. I'm not kidding when I say I want to jump in my car right now, drive over to France and put you - with a friendly, friendly shove of course ;) - behind your laptop so you can keep writing hahahahahaa.

My ehh (very fangirly) extended-review will be online in a couple of months, so I can celebrate it's release with you guys!! But seriously; YOU NEED THESE BOOKS IN YOUR LIFE. This is how you write amazing fantasy/mythology books with characters that'll steal your heart, adult romance that holds you on the edge of your seat and such beautiful writing!!!!

This is probably the biggest reading disappointment I've had all year long.

This book was one of my most anticipated since devouring the first two in the series and after dropping everything to dive into the amazing world Bouchet created in those books this was such a let down.

Nothing felt the same ... not the characters and not the story... I felt there was so much filler that I found myself skimming pages and large sections just to get to the end.

It feels like this wasn't even written by the same author and for that, I'm just so disappointed and sad.

Thank you for the chance to read this even though it absolutely didn't work for me.

Soooo, the only good thing I can say is that Cat`s usual snark is back, and there were only two or three sex scenes - that`s a plus for those who didn`t like the sequel because there was too much sex and almost no banter between Cat and Griffin.

But that`s all. I think this book was the worst in the trilogy.

First of all, it`s unbelievably dragging. Every chapter could be shortened in half. And that’s because half of it was Cat`s whining or explaining obvious things. For example, she thinks her mother is a bitch and she should be killed. Okay. And THEN she explains for two pages why her mother is a bitch and why she should be killed. We already fucking know why, it`s the third book, give me some action! 5 pages of whining how pathetic she is, 2 explaining how evil is her mother and 5 more cheese pages of thinking how lovable and smart is Griffin – ta-daaaaa! We have a chapter! It`s like the author didn`t know what to do with the plot but needed to write at least 300 pages.

My second problem with this book was Cat`s praising. She has an ichor in her veins, she`s an Origin, she`s a Goddess, she`s a Kingmaker, she`s all-powerful and bla-bla. Seriously, it was said so many times that I don`t get why is there even a problem? She could just snap her fingers and destroy the country. But that`s the deal, when it comes to the battle Cat`s doing nothing. She just gets beaten or stands and watches her people die. All-powerful, my ass! Seriously, it`s boring to read about a person who can do everything. There shouldn`t be a problem. So the author decides to make it so that she can`t use all her powers because SHE DOESN`T BELIEVE IN HERSELF AFTER ALL SHE SUFFERED. For fucks sake! That`s the lamest excuse I`ve ever heard. She doesn`t use her magnificent powers even to save her life or her child`s life! Shouldn`t it be instinctive? Still, everyone kiss her ass in awe.

And here we come to the third problem – the Gods. This is the most illogical part of the story. They conveniently save Cat EVERY TIME she gets in trouble. She doesn`t even need to do something, because Gods will always be there to set things right. At the same time, they basically created her to save Thalyria. They gave her unlimited powers, wings, created her a perfect husband, yada-yada, but they have to intervene in every battle, because she`s helpless. Why bother making an invincible person when you could do everything she was created for in a blink of an eye? The author tried to explain it, and I loled so hard at that moment. There was a dialog, something like:
Cat: “Why don`t you kill my mother yourself?”
Gods: “Humans are not marionettes, and you don`t dance when we pull strings”.
Reeeeeally? You created Cat, matched her with Griffin, gave her a task to save Thalyria, even though she didn`t want it at the beginning, made her suffer through the loss of her sister, and you are saying she`s not your puppet?

When the Gods see she can`t do a shit against her mother, they shout at Cat, because she didn`t use her unlimited powers, though she didn`t know about them. And when Cat asks why they didn`t tell her about those powers, they answer that SHE WASN`T READY. O_O????!!!! So you concealed her powers and now you`re angry she didn`t use them? Hello, logic, where are you?

Moreover, when Cat FINALLY uses her almighty powers, the Gods PUNISH HER, because she did what she wasn`t supposed to do. Again, no puppet at all. So, I have a question. Why the fuck did you give her those powers if she`s not supposed to use them?

The only thing that wasn`t dragging was the ending. It was SO abrupt, guys! Like, “okay, we won, bye”. No epilogue, no “happily ever after”, nothing. Like, what was the point of this story if we`re not even shown the result of all their work? What happened with them after?

All in all, the third book is all about telling, not showing, and it centers on super-specialness of our snowflake, though she was powerful from the beginning, but I guess that wasn`t enough. There`s almost no plot, no real ending, and too much whining and idle talking. But I liked the humor and battle scenes – they were pretty epic and action-packed.

A strong fierce heroine, a swoon-worthy romance, and an unexpected twist.

A great conclusion to The Kingmaker Chronciles

I really liked this series, the first two a lot more though, it was enjoyable, new, action packed and emotionally. Will definitely be reading more of her

I first read this series because it kept appearing on sites when I was looking up books by Ilona Andrews, who I love. I was not disappointed, it's great. The story is fascinating and really well fleshed out. The characters are well rounded people who I love and hate at times but always care about. I cannot wait for the next book in this series so I can immerse mysyeld in this world again. I am reviewing this book based on an ARC received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest opinion.

An enjoyable read that fuels escapism. Some of the teists and reveals were a little contrived and there was a place where the plot seemed to lose its way. It also ended more abruptly than I think this series deserved, however, wow, what a ride!

Review can be found on *Milky Way of Books*

The thrilling conclusion in the Kingmaker Chronicles had everything I loved in a good NEW Adult fantasy! Action, banter, romance, and tragedy. Cat and Griffin will have to win the war against Cat's mom in order to unite the realms and rule as one. But there are far more deadly forces than they expect.

The beauty of the book was the inner growth of the characters. All of them from Cat and the Beta Team to the supernatural and mythological creatures of this world. I also realized that some of the secondary characters can have more stories added from their POV. There is a rich world building here which I would love to see more expanded. A set of novellas set in this world would be a delight!

This is a solid ending to the trilogy. I loved Cat and Griffin from the start. The way their relationship started was comical to say the least. This is the conclusion of their story (or maybe the author will continue it later???). I am still completely in love with these characters and it isn't just Cat and Griffin. I love all of them, even some of the ones I found obnoxious before. This book made me laugh, cry and want to scream. At one point, I honestly could have thrown it across the room! I love it when an author can evoke that much emotion.
I don't think there was nearly as much action in this one as the other two. That being said, it didn't lack for content. There are twists, reveals, unexpected turns and plenty going on to keep you glued to the pages. Griffin is still completely devoted to his cause and his family. Cat is still up in the air about being 'the one' and on more than one level. I loved the interactions from the gods.
I'm sad it is over but this will be a series that I revisit at least another time or two. It was a 5/5 for me.

Thank you to the publisher for the review copy of this book. I received this book in exchange for an honest review and the opinions stated above are 100% mine.

Fiiiinally!! Heart on Fire is the epic conclusion to Cat and Griffin's adventure. I was so excited to start this, but felt the need to reread the 1st two (which I also adore). I was immediately happy at the new(ish) characters (no spoilers, though!), and the continuation of Cat and Griffin's relationship.

This books takes all the things I loved in the first two (even Cat's stubborness), and expands on them (especially Cat's stubborness). Again, no spoilers, but the ending was perfect. Cat was able to stay true, and Griffin was endlessly supportive.

Yes, Cat could sometimes be dense, but that's just her. I love that she didn't magically get that character flaw fixed. Overall, I loved this book and this series. It will definitely be one to reread!

Heart on Fire, Amanda Bouchet

Review from Jeannie Zelos book reviews

Genre: Sci-fi and fantasy, Romance

The final stretch, and what a fantastic trilogy this has been. A mesh of traditional legends, Gods, Goddesses, fantastical creatures and imagined kingdoms. Amanda has taken bits of stories we all grew up with and shaped them into an amazing story that had me gripped right from the start. 

The characters, a real mix, and finding out some of the ones Cat has known for years were actually more then just magical humans came as a shock to her. Griffins family, she wishes she'd been brought up that way, secure in her parents love, but her upbringing was very far from that. Griffin and his siblings and parents support each other at every turn, Cat's siblings were forced to fight each other and their mother for their lives, and killing her sister scarred Cat's psyche in unimaginable ways.
When she ran, aided by Thanos, and found the circus they became her family for many years, but she kept secret inside her talents, her magical skills. Then Griffin came into her life. 

Griffin has been incredible, he's ambitious, but not for power, for peace. He wants to reunite the fractured kindoms and stop all the fighting, the abouse by those in power, the cruelty and murders, but he's happy to stand behind Cat, to take second place as he knows she's meant to be the figurehead. 
Turns out much of what he feels is real, that he and Cat were shaped for each other, given the skills to get this done but that doesn't mean its plain sailing. They've come so far but still have a big battle in store, Cat's mother won't give up her kingdom easily, and Cat knows just how powerful she is.  

I love the way this plays out, as with the other two books there are battles, both on a large scale, and small with just Cat, Griffin and sometimes some of the others from Elpis team.
There's a backstabbing betrayal that comes as a shock, there are multiple times they face death and scrape by aided by one of the Gods, or by a talent they've gifted them in the past - nothing was ever free though, they had to prove they had the skills, they were right to hold that gift. 

I love the way Amanda has dealt with my pet hate, when characters are right on the edge of losing and one of them gets a new power and miraculously is skilled and wins the day. Mostly she has them use powers we already know they have, having worked hard to refine the use of them. There are times when they are almost in the situation I've described, but they have to really think about, understand the consequences of using what they have, and often it doesn't go right first time, or even fourth time, and they need a quick Godly rescue ;-)
I want my characters to have to work to win, to have to make tough choices, to really understand what it is their asking, doing, wanting.
I need them to practice to get the skills they need, not just whip them out of a hat at the tough moment, and Griffin ensures Cat and the rest of the team do all that.
There's lots to understand to about him and Cat, why and how they are who they are, the consequences of their actions, their pasts and how that has affected them. 

Of course it culminates in an amazing battle bringing in so much of whats gone down earlier in this book, and in the previous two.
I love stories that do that, build on events and characters, let them play a full role in how the story ends, not just a bit part along the way. 

Way back when I read the first part of Charlie N. Holmberg's  Magician trilogy, I wrote that I thought it would make a fantastic family film - and a couple of years later Disney picked it up.
I really think this trilogy would be a terrific film too, but more for new adults upwards. There are scenes between Cat and Griffin that are very sensual, which belong to the story, show their connection, but which would probably get toned down too much or disappear if this became a family film, and that would be a real loss IMO. 

Stars: five, a fantastic trilogy, gripping, entertaining and one to keep. 

ARC supplied for review purposes by Netgalley and Publishers

Totally captivating and entertaining is how I would describe this one and while this is the conclusion to the The Kingmaker Chronicles it won't disappoint you.  The journey to the final showdown has a ton of twist and turns that will keep you guessing and provide plenty of surprises from the first page to the last.

OMG - this author is killing me!!!

As with Breath of Fire, Heart on Fire opened with a BANG!

Heart on Fire continued shortly after where Breath of Fire ended. But compared to book 2, books 3 was so much more thought provoking, emotional and raw.

The jokes and funny quips were missing. It was palpable that Cat and Griffin were preparing for war. The gods were keeping an eye on Cat and when necessary gave her the unequivocal truth, but her own decisions laid heavy on Cat's shoulders. She had such a HUGE heart and took her responsibilities incredibly personal and serious.

This book answered so many questions. I was fascinated by Cat's backstory and the truth behind the gods machinations, and why they've always played such a huge role in her life. It almost felt like a lesson in mythology - which was not a hardship at all.

Cat and Griffin were as strong as ever - they are for a reason one of my most favorite fantasy couples. They understood each other in a way that other couples could only dream about. But of course this book wouldn't have been a worthy sequel if they wouldn't have been put through the wringer at times, just to come out stronger on the other side.

War times are never easy and Books about going to war are never easy to read either. I thought the author did a great job of building momentum, and I was on the edge of my seat during most of the book. Even though the book was about HOPE, JUSTICE, and NEW BEGINNINGS, to get to that point, sacrifices had to be made. And that had me sweating bullets. I couldn't keep myself from turning pages like a maniac just so I could find out what would happen next.

But, knowing how important this book was - and how unavoidable the confrontation with Cat's mother was - Heart on Fire wasn't my favorite book in this series. Maybe because I absolutely ADORED Breath of Fire, the light and funny moments between all the characters, but especially Cat and Griffin made it a standout novel. Compared to book 2, Heart on Fire was much more sobering and undeniably raw in regards to hardships and lessons Cat had to learn. She needed more personal growing and time to find her magic, but unfortunately time ran out. The importance of what was to come was palpable and made the air crackle. Heart on Fire was a solid and very satisfying conclusions to an AMAZING series.

So many characters found a happy place. And many more could be potential couples, which made me think that maybe the author had more books coming. I would be delighted to read more about my favorite characters, more books in the Kingmaker Chronicles would make me incredibly happy.

Will post it on December 11th - at that point I'll be updating links

It was good to 'see' Talia again in the third book of this series! The feisty and completely imperfect heroine of Heart on Fire continues to do battle against her mother and question the role the Olympian Gods have set for her.

While I loved the first and second books completely -- steamy romance, action-packed fantasy, and some hilarity -- the third felt a bit lacking. While it answered the questions from before, at times Heart on Fire felt rushed to tie up lose ends. Talia's character had been fully developed (for me) in the first book, yet in the third, it seems at Griffin's character (as well as others) was overshadowed by the more powerful Talia.

Overall, it's a trilogy that I loved reading, have reread, and will continue to read over again. I'll definitely be on the lookout for more books by Amanda Bouchet.

Series fans will rejoice at the epic conclusion of the Kingmaker Chronicles!

Aw that was so good!! I absolutely love this series, but I have to be perfectly honest that this was my least favorite of the three. There were some parts that I just didn't LOVE. In the second book, I loved everything and there were a couple scenes that dragged for me. Besides those couple scenes, I wish the book also focused more on the secondary characters. We see them a lot in the second book, and their lack of presence in this third and final book was disappointing. However, the book as a whole was a great conclusion, and didn't tie everything up in a bow! There's more room to explore this world if Bouchet chooses to (I hope she does!!) but also gives it the finality the series deserves. Though my least favorite, it was spectacular overall.


4.5 Stars!

Full review to come closer to publication date. :)

War-games and politics converge in the last installment of Amanda Bouchet’s Kingmaker series, though admittedly, it isn’t that much different from the first and second book, except for the fact that the plot moves on with loose ends consolidating and the sun setting over a new, united kingdom. In essence, a 'Heart on Fire's' ending cannot come without sacrifice and blood and tears as with the epic tales that follow this trajectory, along with the big questions of destiny and human choice that run consistently through the narrative.

The biggest draw of this series had always been the intriguing mix of gods and people with magic swirling in the midst of them—with screwed up characters mingling with equally screwed up deities who do nothing but act on their own whims just because. It’s deeply imaginative and what I envisage pre-Christian, ancient Greek civilisation of mythology could have been, supercharged in a way that can only come alive in fiction with many modern inserts in it.

Yet apart from Greek gods messing around in people’s lives and paving the way for a woman who’s supposedly unique in the whole universe, I found myself having the biggest problem with Cat Fisa at the start: petulant, juvenile and reckless, though this isn’t too far-off from what might come from a teenage girl thrust into power and kingship, who’s doing everything she can just to survive and go with the flow.

But somehow I expect characters in New Adult fantasy to be larger than life with traits that transcend petty teen tendencies which means I need to see some kind of exponential growth from the Cat as the main protagonist, so the depiction of an immature twit with TSTL moments didn’t gel with these expectations. Yet because Cat annoyed me so much, the little pockets of drama involving secondary characters had turned out to be more entertaining than the main plot itself. As was the descriptions of the magical parts and the landscape that thrilled me more than the adventures of Griffin and Cat (who can suddenly grow wings) with too many ‘easy’ Deus Ex Machina devices here at play.

In short, ‘Heart of Fire’ wasn’t quite the breath of fresh air as the first book was, and it required a greater suspension of belief that took a lot of effort on my part. And before it becomes mortifyingly obvious that I’m just desperately digging around for things to like about this story, it’s probably best to say that this is a series that I should have stopped earlier on.

4 Wine Glass ARC #Review for Heart on Fire by Amanda Bouchet
Posting 1/1/18, 8:00 PM

Crystal's Thoughts:
Heart of Fire was an electrifying ending to a series that was beautifully brutal in every way.

In A Promise of Fire, readers were first introduced to the world of Magoi's, a magical race from the north that descend from the Gods, and the Hoi Polloi, a mundane southern race looked down upon because of their lack of magic. Where we met Catalia Fisa, the Kingmaker, and her match in every way, Griffin Sinta. Mysteries abounded, tension sizzled, tempers flared, trust took it's first tentative steps, and a romance bloomed. In Breathe of Fire though, that same trust and love was shattered and rebuilt, friend's were lost, and new beginnings made. Now, in Heart on Fire, Cat and Griffin must unite all of the kingdoms in Thalyria, including Cat's childhood home of Fisa, in order to complete Griffin's vision of reuniting the three realms and fulfilling the God's ultimate plans. Which means confronting Cat's own mother, who is as terrifying as she is powerful, and her own painful past.

Amanda Bouchet, who debuted with this series, excels at weaving a compelling world of magic and myth. The vivid world-building, heart-pounding action, memorable humor, and fervent romance has had me enchanted from the start. Mythology lovers can rejoice with this final installment. Not only do we find out that some of Cat's friends are more then what they seemed, but several more God's, Titan's, and Goddesses grace the pages of Heart of Fire too. Epic quests will ensue and prophecies will be fulfilled. I was on the edge of my seat throughout, just waiting to see what would be thrown Cat and Griffin's way next! The chemistry and passion between Cat and Griffin was intense as ever. The love that they share is beyond sigh-worthy. I am desperately hoping for a spin-off from this series that feature Griffin's family and Alpha/Beta Team. The dynamics between this group of characters was as lively as always, especially with the addition of a new fiery member. The loss of one or two key members, shakes their foundation, but with the support of each of these charismatic characters, there is never any fear of it crumbling.

What I found to be disappointing in this final installment (which is why I am rating this a 4, instead of a 5) was Cat herself. In the first two books she was a bad-ass, take-no-shit, independent woman with an ever-developing soft side when it came to those she loved. In Heart on Fire though, Cat seemed to loose all of those strong, endearing qualities that I enjoyed so much. At times, I couldn't even fathom her thought process and decisions. There were many instances where she would be on the verge of giving up completing and needed rallying from outside sources. This didn't jive with the Cat I've come to know. I could see her character softening up a little, that would have fallen in as part of her natural growth, but this seemed like a whole new character at times and disturbed the flow of the book and series ARC.

That discrepancy notwithstanding, I still found Heart on Fire to be a captivating, satisfying, unforgettable story. I'll be keeping my eyes out for news on more stories from this world in the future! If you're a fantasy and romance lover, the Kingmaker Chronicles is a series not to be missed. You'll definitely want to start at the beginning, as this is not a series that you can jump into mid-way, but it will be well worth it!

What an amazing end to the Kingmaker Chronicles! I am both incredibly happy and sad all at the same time - happy because I got to read the conclusion of Cat and Griffin's story but sad because, well, it's the end of Cat and Griffin's story... However, I suspect we may see more of these two in the future, as other characters were set up in ways to indicate they may get their own spin off books, which would hopefully feature my favourite couple - one can only hope.

As for the book itself, I really enjoyed reading the conclusion of Cat and Griffin's journey but was somewhat disappointed in the ending. Without giving away any spoilers I thought the ending fell flat. I was all ready for the big confrontation/war and ...
Overall, it's a good book and an amazing series, one that I am now going to read back to back again.