DNF around 20% in. I wasn’t feeling engaged by the story and it lost me entirely when the characters started catching beasts via a magical version of pokemon.

I’ll have to admit, the description of “Assassin’s Creed meets Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” is definitely enough to pique my interest. Not two stories I would have put together on my own–but Martineau makes it work fantastically. (No pun intended.) We have an exiled magic-creatures-wielder and an assassin-for-hire going toe to toe, with each of them trying to save themselves.

Leena is our beasts expert (a Charmer), with a sassy tongue and a taste for the dramatic. Noc is our assassin, hired to kill Leena but selfish enough to want to cure his own curse before figuring out what to do about the Charmer. And if Leena likes a flair of drama, Noc has it again tenfold. So these two move forward, Leena trying to save her life by trading Noc and his men some magical beasts, and Noc trying to fix his own problems before he kills Leena–in more ways than one.

Bit of a slow start, but once this got rolling I was absolutely sucked into it. Leena has enough sass for the next three people in line, and neither she nor I quite knew what to do with Noc and his people at first. I’ll admit, we took a path with them I didn’t expect. Leena’s backstory was predictable, and the whole plot between Noc and Leena was exactly what you’d think it would be. But as any of these stories really need to be, I was connected enough to the characters themselves and how they were going to get from point A to point B.

And of course, I get to the end… and it’s only book one.

I’ve tried so hard to avoid book ones. I have 857 books on my TBD right now, and that’s probably not a complete list. Now I have to add two more.

And as is so often the case with book ones I pick up through NetGalley, book two isn’t due out until early next year, and book three late next year.

So it looks like I’m putting two more books on the list. Because if there’s more to these two’s story, I want to be there to see it. (And a post note as I went to publish this: it’s a six-book series. I am so doomed.)

Rating: **** – Recommended

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them meets a fantasy world of assassins and secrets in Kingdom of Exiles. If you like your magic with a dose of romance, this book is one you need to read.

I love Urban Fantasy and this is an interesting addition to the genre. It reminded me a little bit of Pokémon with the beasts. Looking forward to the sequel.

GREAT world-building, I honestly was on the fence at first upon realizing that this story had more urban fantasy elements than I was expecting - but to my surprise, my apprehension fell flat once I kept reading and dove further into the story. The slow burn romance was well carried out, and the storyline flowed at a good pace.

It starts off slow and kind of dense, but once the action begins, it's hard to resist the story as it drives forward. It reads as a true epic, one that makes you feel the world really has been reshaped as you read it. Would recommend.

This book was wonderful!! I've finally found a series with a story that is DIFFERENT and exciting. The story-line and the characters were amazing, I have 0 complaints. Can't wait for the next one!!

This was a book that I was really anticipating this year and I enjoyed it. But I was somewhat disappointed and underwhelmed. I didn’t enjoy the romance as much, I felt it was too insta-lovey which to be fair it just isn’t and never was my thing. I felt like everything was solved easily as the story progressed and I just expected and wanted more hate-to-love banter and angst and I just didn’t get that. It was a really interesting read, I did see myself wanting to pick up the book as it reminded me of Pokémon and I just was genuinely interested in what happened next. The characters were likeable but forgettable. I enjoyed the world to some extent and I didn’t have any problems with the writing.

DNF 25%
I think the fantasy elements of this book are very intriguing. The beast Charmers and their power of magical, other-worldly beasts, the risen undead, bound to serve as assassins, the magical/steampunk society, and the integration of magic and technology...
I was ready to find out more about this world, this magic system, and the characters living in it.
However, I was disappointed. The fantasy elements turned out to be a thin veil for a romance novel. As with all such veils... it was thin. Thin on plot. Thin on character development. Thin on world-building.
Thick on longing glances, suppressed sexual desire, and rampant misunderstandings leading to sexual tension. Also thick on descriptions of characters physical features and minute actions indicating possible attraction. it started to feel like reading a slightly-more-interesting-than-normal diary of a teenaged girl, fawning over some handsome guy. "He looked at me and I think his eye might have twitched slightly in interest. Maybe he likes me after all!"
If that's your thing then, by all means, go on ahead. Nothing technically wrong with the writing, just boring to someone who can't be convinced to care about the very quickly developed and forced romance between the main characters.

I received a copy of this book for a fair and honest review. The description of this book is what made me want to read it. I love fantasy that is like this. I like Leena Edenfrell and what she does. I like magical animals. I can see what she did is wrong because it is a crime to sell the animal on the black market. Which has an assassin sent after her for her crimes and that is a turn for the worse. She tries to mak a deal with him, but she does not know that he has to complete his mission. He does not want the rest of the brotherhood to come after him. Noc struggles with this choice becacuse he found someone that he wants to stick around and he has a connections to her. It is a wonderful story.

I loved this book! The main character was kickass and the world of magical beasts was the best! The magic system and it's rules were fascinating and I loved the storyline. I couldn't stop reading this! I was completely absorbed, watching the story play out like a movie in my head. That's some great writing and the romance was superbly done. In other words, if you love fantasy with romance and a great cast of characters, this is it!

What an amazing first book in a series! I am always on the lookout for a new amazing urban fantasy and this was it! I loved the world, the characters and the plot. I can not wait to read more from this author.

An exhilarating adventure and utterly absorbing story, Kingdom of Exiles by Maxym M. Martineau is filled with magic, mystery, fantastic creatures, witty banter, adorable characters, and a searing romance that absolutely captured my heart and kept me reading long into the night.

Leena Edenfrell is a Charmer, a human with magical powers who tames and captures magical beasts. The bond between master and beasts is sacred and selling them is a crime punishable by death. When Leena is wrongfully accused and gets exiled, she is forced to sell her beasts in order to survive. Her only chance of going back home to Hireath is to charm a powerful beast and convince the Charmers Council of her innocence. But, with a bounty on her head, Leena has no choice but to make a deal with Noc, the realm’s most dangerous yet charming assassin. In exchange for her life, she will give him some of her beloved magical creatures.

Noc is the leader of the guild at Cruor, a group of deadly assassins. He’s been keeping a secret - a curse that causes the people he loves to become sick and die from an incurable disease. Desperate for a cure, Noc accepts Leena’s offer and journeys with her to find the beast that might just save him. With the assassin’s oath, Noc knows that he must finish the job, kill Leena, or end up forfeiting his own life. But, choosing might just be the most difficult decision Noc will have to make cause he never expected to be charmed by Leena and start falling for her.

With secrets, lies, and dark forces threatening both their lives, will Leena and Noc find a way to finally get what they both really want?

I honestly haven’t been this excited about a fantasy romance in a while and this book really surprised me in so many ways. The writing is fantastic and the world-building is lush, vivid, intricate, and so enthralling. I adore everything about this imaginative world Martineau has created and found myself absolutely enamored by all the different aspects and magnificent beasts. The plot is fast-paced, brimmed with amazing action, sprinkled with humor, and has so many fun and delightful moments. It’s spellbinding, thrilling and overflowing with twists and surprises that had me flipping through the pages.

The characters are absolutely wonderful and I dare you not to fall in love with them. They’re charming, quirky, funny, and so intirguing. I love the brotherhood between the assassins and I think they're sweet in their own ways. I also really love the friendship they form with Leena and how protective they become. I really don’t think I can choose a favorite cause each one of them has a special place in my heart. I also loved all the different beasts. They have their own personalities and quirks and I really enjoyed seeing them develop relationships with their masters.

Leena and Noc are both great MCs and their character arcs are done so well. Leena is fierce, strong, determined, and has a heart of gold. She loves her beasts and only parts with them to survive. Noc is broody and impatient, but he’s an amazing leader who’ll do anything to protect his family even if it means never having true happiness. They’re both dealing with impossible situations and seeing them handle everything together is incredibly satisfying. Oh and their romance is wicked hot and super sexy. Given their situation and who they are, Leena and Noc both try to fight their attraction to each other. I won’t spoil the fun for you, but there’s definitely some delicious tension between them and their chemistry is heart-meltingly swoony.

Kingdom of Exiles by Maxym M. Martineau is a stunning debut novel and the perfect introduction to a magical and enchanting series. This book has everything I LOVE in stories - beautiful writing, characters that will steal your heart, fantastic world-building, great action scenes, endearing friendships, and a simmering romance with all the swoons. Be prepared to immerse yourself in a wonderfully thrilling journey and a fantastical adventure you won’t want to end. I promise you, you don't want to miss this one!

I received an advance reader copy from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Wow! This book blew me away. I have read much paranormal romance, so I didn't really know what to expect, but I read so many good things about this book ahead of it's release that I really wanted to review it. Those other reviewers were right, this story had it all - romance, adventure, swoons - the whole shebang. I was up reading late into the night when I definitely needed to be sleeping. Will definitely be grabbing more in this series.

I can’t say enough positive things about this book. It hooked me from the beginning. The main character has to sell her magical creatures but as a result she has been sentenced to death. She tells the group of assassins that she is willing to get them beasts so that maybe they will save her life. She also ends up falling for one of them assassins. Such a situation to be in. I couldn’t fall for the one that was going to kill me. But, it sure does make for a great story.

This was one of the best books i have read in a long time!!

I absolutely loved everything about it, from the characters to the storyline.
I feel like the story was completely different from anything I’ve ever read before.. the beasts, charmers, the assassins. It was all very original and unique, to me anyway!
I also loved the characters. While Leena and Noc were the main two, i love the fact that this story was written in a way that made me fall in love with every character! Kost, Oz, Calem.. they literally all have a piece of my heart!

Overall.. awesome book, unique storyline, loveable characters and a must read!!

As much as I have tried, I am unfortunately not the audience for this book.
I can see the time and effort that the author has put into their work, and I hope that it finds the right readers

The next one please... If you love magical beasts, assassins, and love stories with just enough mystery to keep you on the edge of your seat, this series will have you dancing. If you enjoy Assassin's Creed and Harry Potter, I can happily say you will love this series. Great!!

I loved this book!!! I think the part that spoke out to me the most was that it was an "adult" novel instead of all the usual YA Fantasy books I read, it was refreshing to deal with characters that were older and dealing with adult emotions. I also loved that there was a little smut thrown in there as a relief to all that damn sexual tension!!! GIVE ME ALL THE ROMANCE!

The whole idea of collecting beasts was similar to the JK Rowling Fantastic Beasts story but also had its own twists which kept it unique and interesting. I loved how she could gift the beasts to those she felt were worthy of owning one, and how connected they became once they belonged to each other.

The characters were all very well fleshed out and kept me intrigued with their stories throughout., This really was a fast paced adventure that I couldn't put down until the very last page.

I really really really enjoyed this book and can't wait for the next in the series!

I regret to say I could not finish this book. I normally enjoy sword and sorcery fantasies, but I just could not care about any of the characters. After 150 pages, I just had to give up.
Sorry.