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.

Wonderful completion to the series, but I hope there will be more stories to come.

I'm not entirely sure if this is meant to be the final book in the series, if it is I would have liked a little more epilogue. Otherwise, it's an excellent entry to the series with all our favorite characters and some moments that will rip your heart out.

The wait between book 1 and 2 was shorter and better than the longer wait and less satisfying story we got between book 2 and 3. To be fair, it is hard to sustain a romance trilogy when the romance was pretty much effectively wrapped up in Book 2. As much as I love Griffin and Cat, they were somewhat boring in this book. The world around them is just as rich, action packed, and funny. There's a pantheon of gods who make sassy appearances. There are delightful new characters, one of whom, Bellanca, was as fun to read here as Cat was in Book 1. But without a central relationship to suck me, I did not feel the same level of escapism that I felt before and have come to expect from a Fantasy Romance. If you love Books 1 and 2, you should definitely read this. It's just not AS good of a read.

Oh, and if you have a special place in your heart for Beta Team members, prepare to be oh, so disappointed! There are absolutely no bones thrown out to readers who love those guys. I'm assuming that means new books will be forthcoming. But if you love Kato, Flynn and Carver you will not finish this book with anything remotely resembling satisfaction. In fact, you may be irritated. Just prepare yourself!!!

Received an ARC for an honest review.

In Heart On Fire we have a stunning finale of the Kingmaker Chronicles and this book was a BLAST of goodness, delights, shocks and terrors and with typical Bouchet flare, keeps you on the edge of your seat. We get more into the head of our daring heroine Catalina Fisa. Catalina we have seen through in the previous two books, as she grows and learns into her powers and abilities with her husband and mate by her side Griffin. And boy did I love seeing Griffin and Catalina together in this book. Their relationship is stronger than ever. I just love how well these two are in tune with each other. This review will be shorter than what you are used to, mostly because I don't want to reveal anything too much or spoil the story for you. I just wanted to share some thoughts and impressions I had on this book. I have become impressed with this series. In this book, Cat and Griffin will need to face up with Cat's mother and also Cat's insecurities. Now Griffin, I ADORED him in this book to be honest. He is so solid and true to Cat, it just makes your heart melt. I love how he believes and trusts in her so much. He never gives up on her succeeding, he knows what she is capable of, and stands by her in everything. You just have to admire a hero like that.

Cat is strong and has many abilities, however in this story we see how she really struggles with herself. We see the way she has to face up to who she is, and to overcome doubts and fear to become who she was born to be. Its not an easy road for Cat----not in ANY way. But she faces it head on, and we see the love she has for her family, her devotion to her people and how much she is willing to fight for them no matter the cost to herself. There are definite moments that this book just about broke my heart. So much emotion was displayed that I had a difficult time keeping my emotions in check. But we also have a book where we see the delights and joys too. The only reason why this book is a four star instead of

Why won't NG allow you to be nice and not rate a book anymore?

I feel really sad about HEART ON FIRE. It just was not as good as books one and two. I thought it was a pale ending for what had been a truly magnificent series up to this point. I came very close to not finishing it several times.

I feel like I still want to recommend books one and two to people (book one especially), but I can't in good conscience recommend this one. HEART ON FIRE just didn't feel true to the way the first two books were set up and executed.

Others may love it. It just wasn't for me, however; and didn't live up to the loveliness of the first two books of the series.