I have long believed that there is nothing new under the sun, and the only way to achieve originality in writing was to give a different, fresh viewpoint on an old, established idea. Even if it required being traced back to pre biblical times. I was wrong.

This book has opened my eyes to wonder and almost childlike amazement by creating a world where monsters are the ones we give our most love and care to, and people are the ones we most need to look out for. Charmers show cruelty unparallelled while Assassins show mind altering love.

Throughout this book I find myself reminded of the greats in the genre; Frank Herbert, Anne McCaffrey, Melanie Rawn, Raymond E Feist and Mercedes Lackey, to name a few. The world building is so captivating that by the end of this first of the trilogy I felt I knew this world as intimately as my own.. Such world building is difficult, to say the least, and worthy of awe when so in depth that I find myself lost within it for hours, unable to come up for air without feeling a loss of balance. Maxym Martineau, in her debut novel, created a world so detailed, so descriptive that it wouldn't be far fetched to find myself living in it in my dreams. This is so difficult a thing to do and yet she seems to do it with such ease.

The character building , I also found, was no less amazing. Creating a heroine, a hero and a villian, a family of miscreants and a lost family of supposed do-gooders, is no less difficult as creating a cast of creatures that each have their own personality, their own gifts, their own histories, even their own detailed descriptions. This cast of monsters (though you will find yourself not thinking of them as monsters by the time you're done) has such depth that they capture your hearts, your minds and your souls. You find yourself wanting to bring them home with you to raise, to nurture, to take comfort from and offer comfort to. They become your children just as your pets would in this supposed real world in which we now live. The diversity of characteristics is so vast that you could spend months just picking one to "charm" into your family. Such imagination is not just rare but extraordinary in the way it captures you so thoroughly. Such talent!

Meeting Leena and Noc and all the people that make up this corner of this amazing universe is a treat. Learning their likes and dislikes, their talents and their failings, their friendships and their enemies is a full time job, just as choosing friends in the real world would be. I found myself walking away with a brand new family to love and cherish, to welcome into my own imagination where they can reside with all the other characters I've come to love in all the other novels in my fantasy universe. By the time I had finished Book One of the Beast Charmers trilogy I found myself more than ready for Book Two. Following this amazing story is certain to land them on your Must Read group of books yet to come.

If I have gotten nothing else across with this review, I hope I have at least sparked your interest in who these people are, who their creatures are and where they call home. There is new, raw talent encompassed within this wonderful author's mind and everyone who loves fantasy will find themselves a new, undeniably captivating, epic series in Beast Charmers, Kingdom of Exiles. And for a debut, novel, she has surprised and delighted me in ways it usually takes at least 2 books into a new series to do.

So, for some of the finest writing, most detailed editing, and most imaginative world and character building, allow me to say, Excellent Work! So Very Very Very well done, Maxym Martineau, so Very Very well done in-very-deed!

I received this book from NetGalley as an ARC and give this review in my own words and of my own volition.

Most of the time reviewing a book is easy, but with this one it is hard because i'm sad. The reason I'm sad is because of how long it's going to be before the next book comes out! In all honesty this was a great book. The world building was excellent, the characters were well developed and the story gripping. I enjoyed this book immensely and found a new author i love and will add to the list of authors I wait longingly for the next book to come out.

I literally could not put this book down until I finished it! This book had a perfect blend of fantasy and romance and the characters were well developed. This was a immersive world and I look forward to the next book(s) in the series. I highly highly recommend this book for anyone, especially those that enjoy fantasy and romance genres.

“Assassin’s Creed meets Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” was all I needed to read before I squealed, yes, literally squealed with delight and enthusiastically hit “READ NOW” on my ARC. It’s like they knew the way to my heart.

A few words come to mind to describe this book and the story within — Irresistible. Dangerous. Sexy. Magical. Fantastic. Not sure if they do it justice but oh my! This was just the book I needed to read right now and I didn’t realize I needed it. It’s an incredibly original story that dives right into the action without any downtime. The pages just kept turning and I was totally consumed by it all. I was in awe of the world-building and the beasts, down to the very last detail. I got sucked right in without a second thought and was able to see it all before my eyes as I was entranced by the story.

I loved Leena because she stayed true to herself and I loved Noc for the exact same reason. They didn’t change or have to change in order to fall for each other. They just gravitated towards each other, as is, and fell in love. And then they grew as characters, together. It was an amazing love story that left me wanting more!

The rest of the brethren, Calem, Oz and yes, even Kost, were the perfect supporting characters, offering comedic relief and angst when needed. They were great and I found myself hoping for more interactions with them.

This is definitely my new favorite series! I can’t wait for the next books.

This book had it all - Crazy edge of your seat adventure, fantastical creatures, and an AMAZING love story. If you like those three things, then you will LOVE this book. Honestly, I'll probably still pick up a physical copy of this book when it releases just because I thought it was that good and I want it in my library!

“I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”

This novel was a great read! Combining magic and beasts with romance and adventure, it a must read!
Leena Edenfrell is an exiled charmer and has had to sell magical beasts to keep herself alive, a crime in itself. She was falsely accused and plans to capture a powerful beast to get herself back in with the Council and destroy the man who put her into exile. Leena is savvy and knows what she wants, which makes her determined yet stubborn. When an attempt on her life fails, she goes to the home of the assassins responsible for carrying out the order. There she meets their leader Noc, who has his own demons and secrets. Noc comes off as stoic, not showing any emotion, but there is more to him that you learn about throughout the novel. Noc plans on getting what he wants from Leena and then carrying out the order. He has always protected the brotherhood, but now has something he can bargain with to get magical beasts. There are many different kinds of beasts, which is fascinating as well as learning about their abilities. Leena, Noc, and others travel to gather these beasts and Leena pursues her own objective. Neither as willing to completely trust the other, but they never expected the feelings that would arise. Noc cannot love anyone due to his curse and Leena refuses to love after a deep betrayal. No one controls the heart though and sacrifices are made, though the price paid is even more dangerous than they know. I cannot wait to read the next novel in the series!

This book was SO not what I expected. It was a thousand times better.

I am very skeptical about new fantasy authors, and almost always avoid them until I have a recommendation from someone I trust. I love good fantasy so much, but it’s also very easy to ruin. That being said, I am so glad I took a chance on this book.

Full disclosure, I got the ARC from Netgalley during the open download time. I happened to come across it, and decided to give it a whirl.

World building: The most important part of any good fantasy is world building. This world was created with excellence. The descriptions are colorful, vivid enough to perfectly imagine the seen without being so descriptive that it bogs down the story. The story begins immediately. There is no long period of historical description about how we got here, or anything like that. You simply have to figure it out as you go. I actually really prefer this method. I think it keeps my attention better.

Character Development: Leena and Noc are both excellent characters. By the end of the book, there are still things yet to be learned about Noc’s history. Enough has been unveiled that you have a general idea, but there is still some mystery. I thoroughly enjoyed that. As with the world, the characters are revealed piece by piece. Rather than knowing everything about them in the first few chapters, their histories and personalities are revealed slowly. It felt very organic. When you meet someone, you don’t automatically know everything there is to know about them. In the same way, we learn more and more about Leena and Noc at a natural pace.

Plot: Reading this description, I was very hesitant. I love Fantastic Beasts and Assassins Creed, but a combination? ehhhh? It’s not a perfect analogy, but I can see how those parallels could be drawn. This story felt totally original to me. That is a novel concept. I thoroughly enjoyed it. There were several little plot twists that I enjoyed very much.

I wholeheartedly give this story 5 stars. I cannot wait for the rest of the series. I can’t wait for release day! You guys gotta read this!

Kingdom of Exiles was better than I expected it to be. Leena is a very strong intelligent female lead. Definitely don't see enough of that type of character. She has amazing abilities. Interactions with other characters are engaging, dynamic and entertaining. She's the total package. The story is well written and different from other fantasy fiction I've read. The world building is excellent. The plot unfolds just right with twists and turns in all the right places. I read it in two days. I recommend for anyone wanting a fun, engaging and unique story. Thanks to NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

I was surprised by this book. Figured it would be one of those books where the description was better than the actual book, and was I so completely wrong. Couldn’t put the book down. From the strong female protagonist, amazing collection of mystical creatures, to the motly crew of assisasins, I was hooked. This story was a nice departure from either the heroine or hero having to save the other, instead they helped each other save themselves. Cannot wait for the next installment!

Magic check
Badass heroine check
Hot assassin check
Awesome beasts check

Kingdom of Exile is a new world filled with amazing snippets of actions, laughs, and adventure.
I truly haven't read a book in a while that has captured my full attention in a while. Such a page turner!
I finish this book in one sitting.

Fans of strong female protagonists will love this book. It is decidedly the most unique fantasy I have read in a long time. Assassins, mystery, betrayal, excellent worldbuilding, and lest I forget, THE most fabulous and complex imagining of beasts in any depiction. Charmers are the ultimate beastmaster and Leena has been banished from her people by betrayal. With a price now on her head, the assassins may be her only hope of canceling the contract. I can't stress how much I liked this book. Read in one sitting, could not put it down. Recommend this to anyone a fan of fantasy. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book from Netgalley.

Hot dang, if you're looking for a darker, slow-burn romance novel then this is it, folks. I'm a huge fan of both the Assassin's Creed games and Fantastic Beasts so this was right up my alley. My main struggle with most romance novels is that the back story isn't strong enough alone to keep my interest without the romance, i.e. I'm bored to death reading chapters that aren't focusing on the love. However, this was a rare exception. Reading about all the creatures in the book was fun and honestly made me want my own mythical creature. Overall, a very strong romance and I look forward to future books in the series.

Excellent read. Grabbed my attention from the beginning and kept me entertained to the last. The characters were described in minute detail and were charming and relatable and their world was just as illustrated. A couple of delightful and not seen coming twist towards and at the end.

3.5 stars

This is the first book of a trilogy and the set up took some time for me to wrap my head around. It took almost half of the story before I really got into the swing of things and became invested in the characters. I’m glad I stuck with it because that’s when the story really picked up speed! The myriad of beasts Leena could conjure and/or charm was my favorite part of the story. From cute, cuddly, and wily to ferociously protective, I never knew what Leena had up her sleeve! As to the characters, Leena, Noc, and his band of assassins were a fun, mysterious bunch, especially Noc. I can’t wait to see what’s in store next!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book from the author. All thoughts and opinions are my own.