This review was originally posted on <a href="https://booksofmyheart.net/2019/06/25/kingdom-of-exiles-by-maxym-martineau/" target="_blank"> Books of My Heart</a>
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Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
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Fantasy romance is a more popular genre lately.  I've always enjoyed fantasy with romance.  The world-building in <strong>Kingdom of Exiles</strong> is fascinating! I love the idea of beast charmers and the beasts.  I want to learn MUCH more about the different beasts with their classes and talents.  It is only the tip of the iceberg on the entire "world" as well.  There is much we don't know about the Cruor.

I liked Leena with her love of beasts. I felt for how difficult things have been for her with losing her family, ending up with a bad guy.  She seems a bit young, a bit naive, but has some skills.  Noc was less easy to love. He is a leader who cares about his people but he has some issues. One of them is trust and honesty.  He is not forthcoming enough with Leena for me.  But things have been crazy and they are only beginning.

Another aspect I enjoy is the strategy and battles. Some of this related to the different beasts and their abilities.   Then there are the Charmers with their skills and the Cruor with the characteristics and capabilities. It made for exciting conflicts.

So I loved the world and the characters, but I don't trust the romance yet. Leena and Noc may love each other but they have a ways to go in the development of their relationship.   If the <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/256085-the-beast-charmer" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><strong>Beast Charmer series</strong></a> is continuing with this couple them it feels more UF than PNR (actually fantasy romance).  I look forward to two new books projected for 2020 - <strong>The Frozen Prince</strong> and <strong>The Shattered Crown.</strong>

Leena Edenfrell thought exile from the Charmer home of Hireath was the worst thing that could happen to her. I mean, because of her exile, she was forced to sell her precious beasts on the black market just to survive—which itself is an offense punishable by death.

When she learns there’s been a bounty put on her head, she’s both surprised and not. For years, she’s been cultivating a plan to get back to Hireath and clear her name, and when she confronts the bounty hunter who holds her contract, she thinks her plan may have a chance to come to fruition.

Since being named leader of Cruor, Noc has tried to do right by his brother and sister assassins, but a curse he carries keeps him from getting too close or emotionally involved due to the resulting death of anyone he loves that loves him in turn. When a bargain with Leena demands that she provide his people with four beasts in exchange for the cancellation of her contract, he sees the opportunity to finally get the curse lifted.

Soon, however, the lines between their individual objectives begin to blur as they get caught up in an attraction neither saw coming. What Leena doesn’t know, however, is that the Cruor are bound by their oaths to carry out their jobs, no matter what, or face death.

Kingdom of Exiles reminded me of the first time I read the Night Huntress series or the Kate Daniels series or Mercy Thompson, and the list goes on. It is what I look for every time I open a new book by a new author. The feeling of every aspect of a story fitting together in just the right way. The world building, the romance, the action, the mythology, the pacing.

It was interesting seeing how Leena and Noc play off one another because they are both people who feel loneliness and vulnerabilities, but their strength lies in being able to continue on despite the loneliness and vulnerability. To continue fighting even when there seems to be no end in sight. They complement one another in that way. I found it so interesting that Maxym Martineau decided to show such blatant yearning on Noc’s part in regards to how much he’s closed himself off from feeling, and how much he wants to be able to feel. It’s probably one of the big things that separates their experiences because, if nothing else, Leena does have her connection to her beasts.

And boy, do those beasts really take center stage. Maxym Martineau has brought some truly visualized creatures to life in this book. I love their powers and I enjoyed seeing Leena pair the different beasts to the Cruor who travel with her as she searches for her own Myad-Beast whose taming will show the Charmer Council Leena’s worthiness. Having the group slowly build from enemies to family was a joy to behold.

Maxym Martineau knows how to perfectly plot out the story. While we get some closure as far as Leena’s issues with the Charmers, by the end a completely new can of worms has been opened. Noc still holds some secrets close to the chest, and while the pieces are slowly coming together, the puzzle isn’t yet complete, nor are the implications for the future realized.

I cannot wait to find out where we go next. I’m excited to meet and learn about more Beasts and I’m eagerly waiting to spend more time with this group of characters. It’s official, Maxym Martineau is an author to watch. Highly recommended.

Ah, it had been way too long since I enjoyed a fantasy read as much as this!! I would've devoured this book had I had the time for it! Damn adulting.

First of all, if you're a fan of Sarah J Maas' books, I have a feeling you might like this one. I definitely got a similar vibe from it.

The world Martineau has built is amazing. I could alrady imagine it as a movie whilst reading it and I so wish that it's made into one some day! Fingers crossed.

I always find it hard to talk about books I loved as I feel what I have to say won't do it justice. I so enjoyed everything about it. Leena and her beasts and how much thought the author had put into all of the different kinds of creatures. Noc and his brotherhood of assassins - you'd automatically think they'd be the bad guys in a book (and it definitely seems that way at the beginning of it as well), but you'll grow to love all of them in the end.

This book had just enough of love, humour, and badassery. The perfect recipe for a thoroughly enjoyable fantasy read. The other two in the trilogy cannot come fast enough! I need to know more!

This is the first book in The Beast Charmer series by Maxym M. Martineau. The book does end on a bit of a cliffhanger, so it’s best if you go into it planning to read the entire trilogy.

The story is interesting and exciting from the first sentence. I enjoyed the world-building and loved the characters. This author does a great job with characterization and establishing meaningful relationships, romantic and otherwise. All of the characters have strengths, flaws, fun quirks, and interesting backstories that are mostly only hinted at, and I can’t wait to get to know them better in future books!

The beast charming reminded me a bit of Pokémon as well as Fantastic Beasts. I enjoyed the interesting new creatures the author described, and her descriptions of the charming process and beasts bonding with their masters were so beautiful and heartwarming I felt like I was glowing after reading those scenes. It’s really worth reading the book just for those moments.

This isn’t a perfect book. The characters sometimes make very foolish choices, although you can understand why they would make the choices they do. And there’s probably a bit too much romantic angst for some readers. Nevertheless, I think the book is beautifully written, inventive, fun, exciting, and very emotional, so I recommend it to anyone who enjoys romantic fantasy.

Note that the book contains violence, torture, foul language, and sexual content.

Thanks to Sourcebooks Casablanca for providing me with an ARC through NetGalley that I volunteered to review.

I love the concept of this series. Whomever described it as “Assassin’s Creed meets Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” was spot on. The heroine is an exiled Beast Charmer and the hero is an assassin who is hired to kill her. They team up instead, (or do they?) when Leena barters four of her beasts in exchange for her life.

This was a good, solid fantasy romance. There were times that I felt like the story and pacing could have been tighter, and I will admit to a few pages skimmed during the hunt for mystical animals to charm, there were 400+ pages after all, but all in all I enjoyed myself. The characters are engaging and interesting and I enjoyed their banter. The worldbuilding hints at interesting backstories for the main cast and some of the lands they visited.

I know this is just book one of a trilogy and I’m hoping this author focuses more on the world building and fleshing out of both the main and secondary cast in the next two releases. I didn’t expect the romance so solidify so quickly, but now that it has I’m hoping we get more focus on the beasts and character backstories and facts about the world they reside within.

Kingdom of Exiles was a wonderful debut in the fantasy romance genre. I’m looking forward to getting to know the Leena, Noc, and their friends better. Looking forward to The Frozen Prince, which releases next year.
Final Grade- B-

Kingdom of Exiles drew me in for the ride from the first page. This book was un-put-down-able! This magical world was atmospheric and intriguing, filled with shadow assassins brought back from the dead and charmers of magical beasts. I loved the main characters Leena and Noc, such a good mix of romance, danger, and intrigue. The charming of magical beasts aspect reminded me of Pokémon, which I enjoyed very much, also the friendship between Noc and his crew of assassins was woven into the story brilliantly! I can’t wait to read more about these characters when the sequel comes out.

Author Maxym M. Martineau delivers THE must-read fantasy romance of the summer with her darkly seductive and uniquely magical tale, Kingdom of Exiles.

Leena Edenfrell is a beast charmer, a person with the ability to enthrall legendary creatures with extraordinary abilities. These creatures dwell in a magical realm and are cataloged in a small, charm-like book until called upon by their charmers. After being betrayed by the man she loved and cast out of the charmer community, Leena must do anything that she can to survive. Even if that means selling her precious beasts for coin. But there is one beast that she can capture that might be able to clear her name and allow her to return home. Just when she's on it's trail though, Leena is set upon by assassins and makes a bargain she may very well come to regret for her freedom. Find beast's for the assassins master's top men and himself. However, she must also find out who put a price on her head. Because an assassins oath can only be broken by death, his or hers...

The one and only problem with reading an ARC of a series book is that you have a longer wait then most between releases. This is the case with Kingdom of Exiles, I am so ready for the next book in the series and this one hasn't even been released yet! With alternating point-of-views readers are introduced to Leena; a tough-talking, independent, and determined young woman with a wall around her heart. Leena trusted the wrong man once before, is she willing to chance repeating that mistake again? I simply adored Leena's spirit and her fight to carry on - no matter what. She come's across at the beginning as a bit corrupt, but as we delve more into her past, and the quest she is on, we learn that she has many layers to her character. And then Noc. Noc is the head of the assassins guild and a complete enigma, even at the end of the book there was still so much to figure out about him. What secrets is he hiding? How can he get out of the oath that he made to end Leena's life? The anticipation for answers is killing me! But Noc and Leena are only two characters in this vibrant world that Martineau has created, and even the side-characters jump out of the pages at you with their larger-then-life personalities and intriguing tones. Each character is wonderfully fleshed out and captivating.

A readers imagination can take flight with the delightful world of magic and creatures that the author has spun to life with each new page. While your mind will spin, unraveling the many secrets and betrayals woven into the plot. But don't worry, there is also redemption... for some... With a complex story-line filled with action and balanced beautifuly with romance, you won't want to put Kingdom of Exiles down. Leena and Noc's chemistry was potent, and my heart twists with the trials these two have navigated...and those yet to come. I am very much looking forward to the next book in The Beast Charmer series, it can't come soon enough, so that I can delve more into this fantastical world and it's alluring characters.

What a unique and creative story this was!

Leena is a Charmer and she charms all sorts of exotic beasts. Noc is a Cruor Assassin. He’s a not so dead-dead guy, and he has a guild of Cruors that he runs. Team these two up and there’s PLENTY to write a story about.

Maxym M. Martineau did a wonderful job creating the bestiary for this novel. I can’t wait to see what beasts Maxym comes up with in future novels.

A book is only as good as it’s writer, and Maxym M. Martineau is a wonderful, visual writer. I can’t wait till book 2.

I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book, so I could give an honest review.

I finished this a couple of weeks ago and forgot to review it! I received an ARC copy from NetGallery and the publisher. I requested to read this book because the synopsis and cover pulled me in.

This book is set in a steam punk meets fantasy land where "charmers" can tame magical beasts and keep them in their own world. They can visit this other world, or have the beast come into their world. Leena is on the run from her own people and land. She learns that there is a bounty on her head so she is determined to end it and is willing to go to great lengths to end it... even confronting the assassins of death herself.

I loved the world and all of the characters. There was good depth and details.

I would have given it five stars, but deducted a star for language and a couple of sex scenes. Because of those reasons alone, I would hesitate to recommend it to anyone.

**There is on-page sex, binary gender language, sexual/suggestive remarks, and a few bad words.

This book was brilliant, an amazing start for a new fantasy series.
I loved how it mixes romance and fantasy making the work in an engrossing and entertaining plot, the world building and the well written and fleshed out cast of characters.
I look forward to reading the next installment in this series.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

This book was such an unexpected joy to read. Though labeled as sci-fi it did remind me more of steampunk fantasy, and you'll hear no complaints out of me because that's the aspect I loved best! Honestly, the beasts were so interesting and I love the way Martineau describes them, she's got a talent for descriptive writing without overwhelming with details. Leena is a great character and the whole cast is except and somewhat diverse in LGBTQ rep which was really nice. It's not often we get a bisexual male main character like Noc, another great character that is a delighted balance to Leena. The side characters are fleshed out well and I might have enjoyed them more than even Leena and Noc! And don't get me started on the plot, it was great and I cannot wait to see what happens in book 2. I'm off to preorder a physical copy now because I plan on rereading and lending this book out quite a bit.

It is a slow burn romance and never loses sight of the plot and really it made it such a great read for me, the pacing was wonderful both in action and romance and the world is lush and creative. Martineau has impressed me and I wish I would have read this sooner!

I got the chance to read an ARC of this book and I finished it a while ago, but completely forgot to review it. Great of me, right? Well, I'm getting to it now, okay?

Kingdom of Exiles were all I hoped it would be. A completely new story, with new creatures and characters. I've read of animal mages and watched Pokémon, but the way Charmers work is for me unique. The guild of again risen assassins isn't something I read about every day, either.

In this book, there's a lot of descriptions of the environment, but the story also goes deep inside the characters' feelings and thoughts. Leena and Noc are two people with very different backgrounds of abuse and defeat, but still have a heart that longs for closeness and love. None of them trusts that longing, though.

The overall intrigue, of someone wanting to kill Leena, a Charmer who's been falsely accused of a hideous crime and exiled from her beloved home country and who's now selling her beasts to survive, is slowly weaving between the growing attraction and friendship between her and the assassins. I love a good story that focuses on the characters and Martineau is splendid at writing the different characters that grace us with their presence - I loved all the assassins and Leena and their personalities more than shone through. Noc is a total softie even if he tries to deny it and Leena is caring, thoughtful and kick-ass in all the right ways.

It's fun, it's sweet, it's dark, it's dangerous. And the sexual tension, which is there for a good reason even though it's a bit insta-lovey, lets us all sigh happily in frustration.

I loved this one.

4 of 5 charms


/ Denise

I haven't seen this type of protagonist, a Beast Charmer, in a novel before to I really enjoyed the originality. I think fans of the Harry Potter series and the Fantastic Beasts movies will enjoy this series.

Kingdom of Exiles is book 1 in The Beast Charmer series. This cover is stunning and the blurb really caught my interest at first glance. I'm so glad I tried this novel because it was a unique Fantasy that I didn't want to put down.

Our leading lady, Leena Edenfrell is a beast charmer that's been exiled from her fellow beast charmers. To be able to survive she's doing something against their beliefs, selling some of the beasts she captures. Someone has it out for Leena, they hire the Cruor a brotherhood of assassins to find and kill her. What they didn't count on was that the leader, Noc would strike a bargain with Leena for him and his team to get beasts. Along their journey we learn more about the abilities of a beast charmer and little glimpses of what the Cruor stand for. It's a really interesting and unique world to say the least. I'm utterly charmed by some of the beasts that Leena captures and cannot wait to see what the next installment brings us.

Kingdom of Exiles is a breath of fresh air in the genre with vivid imagination. The pacing was a tiny bit off in a few spots for my taste but overall the novel was great. I loved the characters and the plot and am left intrigued and wanting the next book. If you're a fan of fantasy books you're going to love this new series.

3.5 stars

Kingdom of Exiles is a really good debut, especially for a fantasy romance. The fantasy archetypes are there and it's fairly easy for me to plot out the next two books in the trilogy, but the characters and the story are interesting enough for me to continue reading the series. I know this book has been described as a mesh of Assassin's Creed and Fantastic Beasts. Having no experience with either of them, Kingdom of Exiles mostly reminded me of Pokemon on LSD.

Leena is a beast Charmer who was wrongfully exiled by the Charmer Council. Left to her own devices, Leena is forced to sell beasts to survive. When a hit is placed on her, Leena survives and comes to an agreement with the assassin house assigned to killing her. In exchange for sparing her life, she will gift a group of assassins, including their leader, Noc, with beasts. The group of assassins accompany Leena to hunt for their beasts. Unbeknownst to Leena though, an assassin's word is bound by magic, so despite their agreement, the assassin will have to eventually kill her or he will have to die himself.

The story is interesting and I enjoyed everything that had to do with taming and bonding with beasts. I also really like the plot and the difficult situations that Leena and Noc found themselves tangled in. Both have a past — Leena's past is pretty much revealed, but Noc's past is still kind of a mystery, though I do have my suspicions. The relationships between the characters are great, but...the relationship and trust building left much to be desired. My main issue with this book has to do with how Leena trusted the assassins at an unbelievably fast pace. The assassins too trusted her so quickly. It felt very inauthentic, especially since Leena has a lot of trust issues. Leena and Noc fell for each other so quickly I got whiplash. Leena trusted Noc so quickly and spilled all her feelings to him so easily. I felt like they barely knew each other and yet Leena was not hesitant to spill all of her secrets. In other words, the relationship development didn't feel genuine enough to me.

I was also so tired of Noc's repetitive admonishments to himself for having feelings for her. He started off as this sexy and aloof assassin, but ended up being so pitiable in the end. I was also not impressed with his skills — he's supposed to be so much more powerful than the other assassins, but we only got a few glimpses into his supposed powers.

As such, it took me a while to be fully invested into this fantastical world. I think I only felt truly immersed in the world at the 60% mark. But once I was immersed, the book was pretty much unputdownable.

The ending left me with a lot of questions, which I'll put in my private notes because I'll probably forget everything by the time the second book rolls in lol. I also really like two of the supporting characters and I'm intrigued about their own story. Not sure how far the author will take it though since this series is about Noc and Leena.

P.S. I hope that Noc and Leena don't become insufferable with the whole Mate business like Feysand 😒

I thought this was great! I hope this is successful and kicks off a new golden era in fantasy romance. This is a sub genre of romance that doesn’t get enough respect and hopefully that will change with this amazing story. Definitely recommend.

This was such a fascinating and fun fantasy romance debut! The story centers around Charmers, who care for powerful beasts, and shadow assassins from Cruor. Leena is a Charmer down on her luck when a Cruor assassin tries to take her out. She uses one of her beasts to save her life and strike a deal with Noc, the head of Cruor. He’ll spare her life in exchange for a beast; only if he doesn’t kill her, his life is forfeit. Talk about high stakes!

Leena and Noc are on journeys both literal and figurative. Leena was exiled from her home and has had to scrabble hard to survive. All she wants is to find a way on to Charmers Council, never mind whoever is trying to have her killed. Noc, on the other hand, was cursed long ago, which causes the death of anyone he cares for. He holds himself separate from Cruor, not willing to risk the death of his brothers and sisters but also desperately alone and lonely. He and Leena have valid reasons for staying apart and yet they can’t help themselves. They each have a way of seeing the other person.

It was such an angsty and delicious slow burn of a romance. They take one step forward and then three back, not sure if they can trust the other person but wanting to. Watching Noc, in particular, decide to try something with Leena was beautiful. He cannot stay away from her and something about her begs him to risk it all for love. Gah, it was so good!

The side characters are wonderful. I adored Kost, Calem, and Ozias and look forward to learning more about them in the coming books. They had such distinctive personalities and the way they related to Noc and then to Leena spoke volumes about who they were and what they were about.

I don’t want to spoil the plot because part of the delight of this book is meeting the mythical creatures Leena charms and watching the crew face various difficulties. Well, that latter part isn’t as delightful because my heart was in my throat for a few of their scrapes but you know what I mean. The twists were satisfying and there’s still a lot to be explored as the series continues. Also satisfying: Leena’s vile ex Wynn gets what he deserves.

CW: violence, murder, attempted assassination, kidnapping, torture, imprisonment of a human, references to death of loved ones, grief, character forced to take an abortifacient

Check out my full video review: https://youtu.be/f_Par8gy3Ck

Kingdom of Exiles is set in a magical world, where charmers can tame different beasts that also has different abilities. Leena is one of these charmers, but has been exiled from the charmer’s city and lives by selling beasts. One day assassin’s are sent after her, she fights her assassin and demands to see their leader. That is when she meets Noc, they go into a deal: she will provide the assassin’s guild with four beasts and they will not kill her.

This is a book that a wonderful world, I enjoyed every worldbuilding I got. It was just too bad that it was overshadowed by all the romance. I don’t hate romance or anything, but this was way too insta-lovey for my tastes. I wish the book had more of a plot focus, and much more of the world the author has created. There was also way too many predictable storylines, where nothing ended up surprising me. However, the book was still entertaining and I had some fun with it! 2.25/5 stars.

Really fun YA fantasy. It had plenty of action, intrigue and romance. Leena was a great female character, strong and honerable. All of the characters were well developed and showed growth and,change. Both the story and,the romance were well paced and kept me invested. I really enjoyed Kingdom of Exiles and can't wait for the next book of the series!

WOW. From my very mediocre reactions to the cover to the fact that I entered it during a miniature personal reading slump, Kingdom of Exiles blew me away with its readability, world building, and overall pure reading enjoyment.

Writing: ★★★★
Concept: ★★★★★
Characters: ★★★★
Plot: ★★★ 1/2
Pacing: ★★★★

It's been a long time since I've loved a new paranormal romance. I think as I've shifted to more adult mystery/thrillers and YA novels, it's hard to revert back to the often formulaic nature of the average paranormal romance. Kingdom of Exiles is no ordinary romance. In fact, it's one of those books that I often feel is on the wrong side of the shelf between romance and fantasy—it has the action and world-building of many adult fantasy novels, just with more sex.

I mean, who can complain?

Leena is a Charmer, a class of magic-bearing human that can tame the magical beasts found in the world and keep them in her "beast realm," which for the sake of this review can best be described as a similar concept to Newt Scamander's suitcase full of beasts in J.K. Rowling's Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. Leena has been exiled from the Charmer's haven and finds herself eeking a meager existence as an illegal beast trader in the slums. That is, before she finds herself as the target of an assassin's hit.

Noc is the leader of the Cruor, a guild of reborn (not vampiric, but definitely previously dead) assassins that are killers for hire. His guild is tasked with ending the life of an exiled Charmer who the Charmer Council has branded a criminal, but she thwarts the Cruor's first hit attempt and comes knocking on Noc's door, battered assassin in tow. Leena wants the hit removed, and Noc wants her for something else. With a hidden past and dark curse attached to him, Noc finds his pull to Leena irresistible even with its deadly possibilities. He strikes a deal with his mark.

Leena, Noc, and a few other colorful Cruor characters find themselves on an adventure through the realm to a) fulfill Leena's bargain with Noc and provide his Cruor brethren with beasts of their own—think animal familiars—and b) for Noc's mission of killing Leena once she's exhausted her usefulness.

But is Leena really the criminal that the Charmer Council proclaims?

As Noc and Leena dance closer and closer, they find themselves entwined in a larger story than either of them expected, where secrets come to life, love can kill, and not all is what it seems.

I found this story to be surprising at points, emotional at others, and altogether a humor-filled, well-built narrative. Kingdom of Exiles brings new life into a tired genre with its unique focus on magical beasts and assassins—I loved every moment.