Leena Edenfrell has been wrongly exiled and has been forced to sell the magical beasts she catches to survive. However, fate isn’t quite done with Leena and now she must survive the bounty on her head.

Verdict: Kingdom of Exiles is an interesting beginning to a new world. Both Leena and Noc are characters with extreme flaws but have found a way to be both likable and realistic. I loved the concept of being able to charm beasts and hold them in a different realm until they’re needed – very pokemon-eske. One small note, I would have liked more beast charming and a little less dialogue; there were times where I started skimming so I could get back to the action. Overall this was a good fast-paced read, and I enjoyed myself.

*Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

I was intrigued by the premise of Kingdom of Exiles and was so excited to read it but I struggled with it. I found the concept interesting and liked certain aspects about the characters and their journey but there were some things that became tiresome after a while like the issue the hero had that he kept harping about. I liked the action and adventure element but not sure if I'll read the rest of the series despite how intrigued I am by the cliffhanger.

Kingdom of Exiles by Maxym Martineau is the first book in her new fantasy The Beast Charmer series. This is my first time reading this author, and after finishing this book, it will not be my last. I loved Kingdom of Exiles.
Leena Edenfrell, our heroine, is a beast charmer, who is living in exile for a crime she did not do. A beast charmer has the ability to tame wild beasts and bond with them. Leena is very strict, making sure those who want one of her many beasts, must treat them with care and love. One night on her way home, Leena is accosted by someone who is trying to kill her. Leena manages to stop the person with help from one of her beasts, and learns that there is a bounty on her head.

Noc, our hero, and the leader of Cruor team of assassins comes to the rescue of one of his men, and because of Leena’s strength, he is willing to make a bargain with her; but he is compelled to kill her no matter what, when their bargain is complete. Noc is also cursed, and is desperate to find a way to remove the curse; finding a beast that can do that; hence the agreement with Leena to find beasts for his 3 top men and himself.
At the start, Noc was very distant and cold, but over a period of time, especially watching how Leena is so loving with her beasts, he slowly begins to have feelings for her, which he knows he cannot allow to happen. I loved Noc’s men, especially Oz and Calem, and Kost loosened up in time.

What follows is an exciting, intense action-packed adventure to find those wonderful magical beasts, and to find the truth of who put the bounty on Leena’s head. When Leena’s life hangs by a thread, Noc will do anything to save the woman he has fallen in love with, despite the repercussions. It was a slow built romance between Noc and Leena, but I really liked them together. I loved how Leena became trusted friends with the other members of Cruor; she was a fabulous heroine. She was amazing, especially nearer to the end when she had to suffer torture. To say too much more would be spoilers.

Kingdom of Exiles was a great start and wonderful world-building to this different kind of fantasy series. The beasts were the best part, as it was fun to learn about the different kind of beasts and what they can do. The battles to fight and save Leena were done so well, and as we raced to the climax, we were on the edge of our seat to see if she will survive. The villain in this story was evil, and I did like the ending, which will lead to the next book. Maxym Martineau has written a wonderful story, and I look forward to what she has next for us.

Kingdom of Exiles was a well written fantasy genre book. It is the first one in the series, and the author does a great job of introducing the characters and locations. I really liked the main character, Leena, she is immediately someone you want to know more about. You are given just enough information about her to want to know more about her life and how she ended up (or started) at the tavern where we first meet her, I like that the this novel was different from other fantasy novels, it weaves in the history of the characters with new kinds of magic - beast summoning and shadow assassins just to name two. I am looking forward to the next books in the series, and will want to re-read this book before starting the next just to enjoy Leena's world again.

For about a week I was wondering around bookmedia and I would see something for an up and coming book that was going to be released soon, Kingdom of Exiles was kinda everywhere I looked. So of course being the big booknerd that I am, I had to read the book synopsis. So here is the thing, I am not an animal/pet person, animals scare the crap out of me and therefore I have never been interested in stories that have an animal theme with the only exception being supernatural creatures. However, when I read the description for Kingdom of Exiles I knew I wanted to read it. I mean it's describe on Goodreads as "Fantastic Beasts meets Assassin's Creed in this epic, gripping fantasy romance from debut author Maxym M. Martineau.", how could I not fall for something like that. I was lucky enough to be blessed by NetGalley with an ARC and it was amazing.

This fantasy story is told from two point-of-views (povs) the first is Leena, who is a fierce, strong and kind, is a beast charmer. As you can guess she can tame these wild, crazy powerful magical creatures and she keeps them in her bestiary which she uses to call them from a magical realm. The other pov is from Noc who is the leader of the Curor which is an assassins' guild. Noc is handsome, strong, cunning and controls shadows. They both are wicked smart, stubborn and determined. So imagine when their worlds cross when someone puts a hit out on Leena and she shows up at the guild and a wild and crazy adventure ensues. How can you not love it just from the description.

Kingdom of Exiles is a fantasy so the book has a pretty good length to it and the pacing was spot on. I never got bored because of the interactions between Leena and Noc, it's a will they, won't they, hate to love, both parties are hiding secrets, and we are in pretty deep shit kinda story. So in other words it was really good and I couldn't wait to see what would happen next. The animals really took me by surprise, I loved the parts when I got to learn about new magical creatures and what powers they had and how someone could tame them.

This book caused me so much stress. I was in it deep, I was invested in the animals in the characters and that storyline was amazing. There was action, banter, steamy romance, betrayals, evil plots, mysteries, secrets, magic, and so much more, I loved every minute of the story. Maxym has done a fantastic job writing her first book and better yet Kingdom of Exiles is the first book in the Beast Charmer series. I am so looking forward to continuing the story and see where Maxym takes us next. If you are looking for your next adult fantasy then I highly suggest you give this one a try.

3.5 stars/5

This debut paranormal romance is a classic quest story with the hero and heroine on a journey to tame magical beasts and they just happen to find love on the way. The heroine, Leena, wants to tame an extremely rare and powerful beast to get her exile from the Charmer (beast-tamer) community lifted. Shortly before leaving for the hunt, she discovers that someone in the Charmer community has placed an assassination order on her. To save her life, she convinces the leader of the undead assassins, Noc, to spare her in return for her help acquiring beasts for him and his lieutenants. Despite the uneasy truce, Leena and Noc slowly find themselves falling for each other.

This is a pretty standard paranormal romance. Some of the classic tropes are a little heavy-handed (she’s light, he’s dark, and their magic is literally reflective of that). That said, it is well-written and the world-building is fairly solid. There are a few twists to the romance’s obstacles: a personal curse on Noc; the geas binding the assassins to complete their missions; and the mystery of how Leena got kicked out from the Charmer community. It is fairly long for a debut, and there were a few times when I had to go check the author’s website to make sure there wasn’t a prequel short story or novella somewhere because it seemed to refer to a previous story. However, overall it was a fast-paced, diverting read, and I would pick up the next book in the series. I have also recommended it for purchase at my branch. Thanks to netgalley and Sourcebooks for the ARC!

Loved it! The story was great! I had such fun with this! The characters are awesome! I absolutely loved it

Fantasy romance seems hard to find at times, so I was really looking forward to this one. We have a beast charmer who is exiled and who makes a deal with someone who is seeking to kill her for the bounty on her head.. The fantasy and adventure parts are engaging, but I felt the romance was a bit weak. I wonder if that is something that will develop in further books or if we'll be seeing other couples. I will definitely continue to give this author's future works a try.

I was given an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Leena is a former Beast Charmer who is on the run from the realm’s most talented murderer-for-hire. She makes him a deal he can't refuse: powerful mythical creatures in exchange for her life. Noc agrees to Leena's terms in hopes of finding a cure for a curse that kills everyone he loves.

The premise of the book reeled me in but the plot and the characters kept me wanting more. The world building in this book is spectacular and the dark magic and the magical beasts made the book really enticing. I also loved the romance between Leena and Noc. I love that the book had both fantasy and romance!

I just loved the book. The characters had a lot of depth. They were brave and vulnerable and really well developed. The power play in the world gave the book a new level of depth. The world building and the characters really made the book come to life. It's amazingly planned and written, not to mention that it's incredibly passionate and heartfelt.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I Kingdom of Eiles you have a Beast Charmer who has been exiled by her clan and comes to depend on and friend the Assassin sent to kill her. It paints a great fantasy with lots of suspense and love/lust and drama to keep you reading. It does end with a cliffhanger, which drives me crazy! But I can’t cant wait for the next book. I am voluntarily leaving my honest review after reading this arc.

It's been a while since I've read something in the Sci-Fi/Fantasy genre, and this book brings me back to everything that I miss about it. It has the added bonus of have a romantic twist to the plot. It's well written, and in the first person pov, which is my preference. The world building and character development is great. There were times when I laughed out loud, and other times that just made me want to cry. The expanded group of characters were well fleshed out, and you could definitely get a sense of who they are and their personalities. It didn't take much to get hooked into the page turner. I kept on thinking throughout the book, "this would make an awesome movie!" But then again, like real life - a movie probably wouldn't be as near as great as the book.

I have received this ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Kingdom of Exiles was actually pretty good. I definitely flew through this once I found time to just sit and read. Leena is an exiled beast charmer who does what she has to do in order to live. It sucks that she can't go home and basically would trust a rock over a person but hey - she's adapting. I honestly really enjoyed her character. She was refreshing and quite lovable.

So we know that she's kind of the run due to being shunned from her homeland and it wasn't hard to believe that someone out there wanted her dead. It wasn't hard to think about who it was but it was fun for the book to try. I am, however, intrigued to find out which woman was behind all of this since we didn't see what we were looking for - maybe it's someone who comes at the end of the book?

Anyhoo, love is kind of in the air and the romance was cute. HOWEVER, I hate cliffhangers and this book did me dirty. I was so happy and I shouldn't have been because the rug was swept underneath me. Dirty book and a dirty cliffhanger that makes me want to scream. I definitely need the next one and I need for a certain someone to outsmart a certain villain ASAP.

Kingdom of Exiles has been getting A LOT of buzz. I was pretty hyped up to read this one. The fantasy romance genre doesn't get a whole heck of a lot of new titles published. Considering that this title was coming from the same publisher as Amanda Bouchet's fantasy romance trilogy, Kingmaker Chronicles I was feeling pretty confident that I would enjoy this one. Disappointingly, this one was a bit of an uneven reading experience for me.

The fantasy aspects in Kingdom of Exiles was great. I really enjoyed the world that Martineau created. The concept of beast charmers, their magic, and the secret world that the beasts inhabit was intriguing. The power politics that were also in affect in the background were also interesting and gave the story a depth that I wasn't expecting. However, it was in the romance aspect that I felt a lack of interest. Leena and Noc's romance was, quite frankly, kind of boring. I still don't know why they are "in love". I get the whole "in lust", but where and why they have developed these seemingly deeper feelings is kind of a mystery for me. As a romance reader, the whole insta-relationship just doesn't work for.

So, while I'm excited to actually see some fantasy romance get published, this one missed the mark for me.

The Kingdom of Exiles (the first in her Beast Charmer series) by Maxym Martineau is a fantastical debut that features magical creatures, deadly secrets, betrayal, redemption, and an epic antagonistic romance. The heroine is a bold mixture of rash bravado and heartfelt vulnerability. Cast out by her clan, she is forced to bargain for her life with the very man who has been hired to kill her. A man whose own dark past could very well spell the end for them both. An adventurous storyline and a vibrant cast of characters pushes the reader down the rabbit hole and leaves you breathless with anticipation as you wait for the next installment.

MAGICAL BEASTS WITH ASSASSINS AND A CUP OF ROMANCE? I'M ALL HERE FOR IT!


I don't know where I should begin. Everything about this book was mind-blowing. I picked it up expecting some cheesy romance with average beasts show up here and there but boy I WAS COMPLETELY WRONG. When the premise announced that this is going to be something like Fantastic Beasts meet Assassin's Creed, well, I can't be sure that they're right because I haven't read Assassin's Creed. BUT, I can assure you that Kingdom of Exiles was perfection.


First, I want to praise Martineau for creating awesome and powerful beasts. I love this book mainly because of them. The description of these creatures was so beautiful and detailed. I could picture them breathing and moving inside my mind. I swear the images felt so real. Throughout reading this book, I tried so hard to remember their names and what their powers were. They just seemed so wonderful. Oh, how I love if there are some fan arts of them!


Now, let's talk about the world inside Kingdom of Exiles because I can't miss such a crucial and magnificent part of a fantasy book. I gotta admit there was a little explanation about how the kingdom works. Guess book one wasn't meant for that. But their journey took me to get a glorious view of the stunning places in this book. Not to mention the beasts realms and a mysterious place where the Charmers lived! They were written so beautifully I could feel like I was in there with Leena and Noc.


Besides the beasts and the world, I really liked the plot. Everything went so smoothly. No, that doesn't mean everything is going to be okay. Clearly, not. The writing hooked me from the start then things quickly heated and that made me can't stop reading. The story slowly but surely escalated into something big and magical. There were many things that got explained clearly in here but there are also some secrets that are yet to be revealed. This only makes me dying to read the sequel!


The characters, they were all super fun to read. With different personalities, they made an interesting squad. Let's break down some of them real quick:
Leena; brave, strong, smart, bold, and lovely. I liked her from our first meeting. She reminded me of some of my favorite characters.
Noc; always curious, cunning, mischievous, charismatic, secretive, and brilliant. He captured my attention right away with his silent mysterious way and the way he fought. He sure knew how to beat his opponent and gave a good show.
Kost; cold, aloof, smart, and honest. Even though he struck me as cruel at first but I came to love him. He was loyal and kind to his brothers and so dang good at strategy.
Ozias; kind, sweet, gentle. He was the only character that's most easy to get attached to. I mean, he was the nicest and understanding person, how could I not love Oz?
Calem; flirty, wild, genuine. It felt like there's fire running in his veins. He just full of eagerness and always looking for a challenge.


Beneath all that, this book left a strong impression on me. This isn't just about falling in love with a dangerous man.
It is about finding what you really want and fight for it, no matter what.
It is about trying to survive with a terrible and haunting past.
It is about appreciating what you have and show everyone who really matters to you that you love them


Overall, I loved Kingdom of Exiles! It was enchanting, magical, unique, and surprisingly sweet. The romance was well-written. It wasn't too much but engaging enough. I really adore this book. If you're looking for a fantasy read with mythical creatures, interesting characters, and gripping romance, I recommend you to add this book to your TBR.

I had a difficult time getting through this, at one point setting it aside and later coming back to it. The idea behind the story with the beast charmers was intriguing, but I was frustrated and disappointed with its execution.

To begin with, I found Leena and Noc’s thoughts and emotions to be at odds with their supposed characters. Leena was presented as a pragmatic woman who had forged a tough life for herself after being exiled and who was at least somewhat worldly when it came to men. Yet her puppy love-like thoughts about Noc nearly from the start seemed out of place and a bit silly. In addition, her almost virginal blushing routine when one of the assassins took off his shirt and came on to her seemed odd for someone who admittedly enjoyed uncomplicated physical relationships with men. Similarly, Noc was supposed to be a detached killer who eschewed personal entanglements yet he too quickly succumbed to the pitter pat puppy love when he saw Leena. When the insta-love turned into real love, I never really bought into it.

In addition, Leena too often was outright stupid in her actions. <spoiler>She too quickly trusted Noc and the others and repeatedly depleted her energies, leaving herself vulnerable, sometimes for no good reason. She missed the obvious loophole in Noc’s vow not to let his men kill her. She claimed she was forced to sell her beasts to survive, but she easily could have used her own beasts’ abilities (healing, creating food, etc.) and sold her services through them to make a living. Heck, she could have worked waiting tables or other jobs nonmagical people did. There were other instances I can’t recall offhand.</spoiler> I found myself being exasperated with her (and Noc) for much of the book.

While there were some unanswered questions left at the end of the book, particularly about Noc’s history, I am not drawn enough to the story to read another book in the series to find the answers.

What do you mean I have to wait for book two? I didn't agree to that! (just kidding, I knew it was a trilogy when I started it). Overall it was a really great book and I am looking forward to the rest of the series

I truly enjoyed Maxym M. Martineau's debut Kingdom of Exiles. Fantasy and romance? Count me in.

I loved the world-building, and I was most intrigued by Hireath and Cruor so I'm hoping we'll get to spend more time in both places in the upcoming books.

Also, the cast of characters was wonderful. The slow-burn romance between Leena and Noc was spot on for me. Obviously Leena and Noc took precedence in this book, but I would love to get more in depth with the other assassins and beast charmers.

Hopefully, we'll get to see and learn about more beasts in the upcoming books as well. I couldn't get enough of them.

***I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advance Reader Copy generously provided by the publisher via NetGalley.***

When I first picked du this book to read it I was intrigued by the blurb and the cover. As I got into the story I was even more captivated by the story.

the author was brilliant in bringing to life the character and the world in which they lied. I found my self rooting for Leena because she was smart, strong and fearless. My heart went out to Noc.

I truly enjoyed watching these two characters explore their life choices and their connection to each other. I also loved that I got a sort of Fantastic Beast feels to it. My favorite was seeing the world come to life on paper. The author did a wonderful job breathing life into the worlds, the characters, and the story.

Overall A wonderful read and very enjoyable.

Pokemon-like creatures in a fantasy setting? I'm sold!
A really intriguing and interesting story with well-built characters, amazing world-building that is not too didactic.
Exiled Leena is a Charmer who gets a bounty put on her head: enter the Cruor, an assassin guild led by the mysterious Noc with a troubled past and his merry band of fellow assassins, and a flimsy alliance is struck.