I was so excited to see this book upcoming for release. I really enjoyed the Kingmaker Chronicles series last year.

I was initially worried that I may have forgotten the plot of the original and that would affect my experience of this book. However, this fear was unfounded. Enough information was sprinkled in seamlessly to spark my memory and I found myself thrilled to be back in this world with all these characters.

The previous books are essential reading I would say to be able to enjoy this book.

I found this one brimming with great character work. All the old favourites make their appearances and I adored every moment with them.

The characters of Jo and Flynn are great in this one too. Jo is very relatable and I enjoyed her POV a lot. She is strong and confident in herself but not in an overbearing way. Flynn may just be the perfect man. He is understanding and thoughtful, and sees Jo in a way others don’t. Things between them were a little slow to get going and there is lots of miscommunication. If slow burn is not your thing, be warned! It’s not always my thing but I enjoyed it here more than I thought I would. A shove in the right direction was all they needed in the end.

The plot is executed well, with lots of character moments sprinkled in between the action. Things were a little slow at times and sometimes things felt a bit too convenient for our heroes, but overall I loved the ‘quest’ feel and really enjoyed this story.

I also loved the ending!! The scene at the end with the certain someone really got me intrigued for what’s to come! I’m feeling like there is at least two more books and two sets of characters still with a story to tell.

The four stars rather than five is really just because the book lacked the ‘oomph’ of a five star read for me. It just didn’t capture my attention at the level of a five star read.

All in all, I am looking forward to then next book.

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This cover is so intriguing! I enjoyed this read! It follows a good trope for me.

I was so excited to see that Amanda Bouchet was getting back into Thalyria with the Kingmaker Chronicles. Cat and Griffin have taken the Throne and are well on their way to uniting all kingdoms with the birth of their daughter, Baby Eleni. When a curse halts them in their tracks, the family is scrambling to find a way to overcome the gods.

I couldn't recall much about Jocasta from the earlier books, only that she was a Hoi Palloi healer. We get a view of just how good Jocasta is with healing plants here, and her sheer determination when it came to researching a solution for Cat. Jocasta had a lot of humility. Although she was joyful for the happiness her family had found, she couldn't help but feel that her own life was lacking and unfulfilled. This would then lead her to feel guilty. It was wonderful to see her overcome all of that and each out and grab the things that would make her happy.

Flynn had been with Griffin throughout the series, so I was no stranger to his grumpy and serious mien. Now we get to peek beyond Flynn's gruff exterior to all his vulnerabilities and doua2bts. I found him endearing, and stubborn. LOL

There were pockets of action as Team Elpis embark on their quest, but not quite so much as the prior installments. That gave us time to get to know our main characters, along with Carver, Bellanca, and Prometheus. I love these fantasies with elements of Greek mythology and meddling gods. This one took us back across the countryside and into unknown territory. I have a feeling there will be at least two further books that will also take us to new and exciting places. I can't wait.

Omg I love love love Jocasta! Everyone is beyond amazing! I’m so happy to see all my favorite characters from the previous series (which is one of my favorites) I can’t wait for the next book. Thank you so much to the publishers and Netgalley for this ARC.

I have missed this world so much since the last book and it was so great to be back in it again in what feels like a really long time. The last third or so of this book was really good and I enjoyed it a lot but I’m not sure what happened at the beginning. Nothing really happened for what felt like forever and there was just too much back and forth between Jo and Flynn for my liking without any real tension? Even with that being said, I do think this is worth reading if you did enjoy the beginning trilogy.

***Thank you NetGalley for this Arc***

Sadly this was DNF for me, not because the book was poorly written. But because I somehow missed that this was the 4th book in the series. So I had no clue at all what was going on and what had led up to the events of this book.

From what I read, I did find the story well written and the plot compelling, just could to get into it enough. I think that if you have read the series up to this point you will probably enjoy it.

**Received copy for review.*
I must admit that I wish I had refreshed myself on this works before starting this book. It took a bit to reacquaint myself and that made the beginning drag.
I love that this book is a quest/road-trip with a best friends younger sister dynamic. There is a lot between these two before they head into danger. So much tension.
There are fantastic others along and a lot of team work along with everyone having their time to shine.
The discussion about the gorgons and Circe and the punishment of women in mythology for mens terrible deeds, was fantastic.
The book really picks up with the quest and it flies after that.
I liked seeing one if Griffins siblings get an HEA and look forward to where this story goes next.

If you've read the three preceding books you'll know that Cat and Griffin have united the three kingdoms of Thalyria under their benevolent rule and are intent on ensuring magic users (or Mogoi) don't abuse the non-magic users (Hoi Polloi).

Now Cat is heavily pregnant with a daughter who is prophesised to unite Thalyria, but someone has cursed her by giving her a draft of Olympian immortality - now she will remain eight and half months pregnant forever unless someone can find a cure.

Step forward Griffin's sister Jocasta, petite healer who has felt out-of-place and of no use ever since the family moved to the Palace. Jo has pined after Flynn, Captain of the Palace Guards, ever since he was the boy next door back when her family were just farmers in Sinta. But after humiliating herself as an eighteen-year old, Jo and Flynn have barely exchanged a word. Nevertheless, her family's well-meaning attempts to marry her off to a Thalyrian nobleman are doomed to fail because Flynn is still the only man for her.

When a chance comment by a noble suitor gives Jocasta hope that there could be a cure for Cat, she cobbles together a ragtag team to search for a mythical island and bargain with a witch goddess. With her go Flynn, her brother Carver, a fire mogoi called Bellanca, and Prometheus (yes him). But as they travel, the team come to realise that Cat's poisoning is just a move in a battle for control of Olympus and the humans are merely pawns.

I got a bit tired of the series by the third book TBH, the ratio of romance/smexy times to plot was way off (in my opinion) which was a pity because I thought the world-building was brilliant. Also, I found the intervention of 'real' gods and goddesses in what I thought was a completely new world to be a bit jarring. Anyway, I got over that because the gods are front and centre in this book from the get-go and it works. Also, there is still a LOT of love/lust and a fair amount of smexy times in this book, but it worked for me because Jo and Flynn had loved each other from afar for years.

(view spoiler)

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advances copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I loved being in this world again, this is book 4 in the series. I loved the Greek mythology. This book is more focused on Flynn and Jocasta and they are on a quest. I could not put this down. I loved it and can’t wait to see what’s next.

I had high hopes of this book when I read the description. Although I did not realize it was quite far along in a series when I began it, which was my bad. But I still could understand most things or piece together the backstory over time. Overall, I'm not the biggest fan of Greek mythology so that aspect of it was not particularly appealing to me. Initially, I was really engaged by the story and romance but over time that kind of faded for me, but that also coincided with more mythology references so that could be it too. In the end, I was a bit disappointed but I hadn't realized the very heavy Greek mythology influence beforehand, which was my bad. Fans of Greek mythology and of romances would probably really enjoy it though.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

A Curse of Queens is the first book in the continuation of Amanda Bouchet's Kingmaker Chronicles series after the events of the original trilogy. The first trilogy is a complete, self-contained story, but the seeds and possibility for follow-on books were definitely planted both from the perspective of burgeoning relationships and the sweeping world-building that was necessary for a tale of such epic proportions. The structure of A Curse of Queens shifts from the first trilogy, which focuses on Cat's epic quest and a single-relationship arc across three books to a more traditional dual-POV focus on a single couple; this novel tells the story of Flynn and Jocasta, one of the couples set up to have their own story during the first trilogy. And while I was happy to read Flynn and Jocasta's story, and I thought that the book was another fun installment in the Kingmaker Chronicles world, I was left wanting more in a couple of areas.

But first, there are a lot of things to love about this series, the biggest of which is the world-building. Thalyria is a world steeped in ancient Greek culture and mythology, and in this particular book, we get an experience reminiscent of the journey and trials of Odysseus. As Flynn, Jocasta, and their friends travel to the island of Circe to retrieve a potion to reverse the effects of the elixir that has the new Queen Cat in statis, they must go through several trials, many of which are taken right from the Odysessy - Scylla and Charybdis, the Lotus Eaters, Circe herself - but also the Gorgons and the Minotaur. It is jam-packed with fun adventures that are truly enjoyable, especially for those who are fans of Greek mythology!

With this book, you can tell that Bouchet is doing a lot of setup in order to continue the series in a more "traditional" Romance fashion - couples are starting to form (Carver and Bellanca, Kato and a mysterious blonde, Prometheus and Kaia) and all the seeds are laid for another epic plot arc to provide the backbone for such a series. There is a "big bad" who has been orchestrating the events of the book to wage an Olympianomachy against Zeus and a portal room is discovered in which the other worlds - Attica, Atlantis, and the Underworld - can be reached. This book is very much a launching point to use the existing world-building for a continuing series.

In terms of Romance, A Curse of Queens has two main romance tropes: brothers-best-friend and second-chance-romance. Brothers-best-friend is always a win for me, but second-chance-romance is generally hit or miss. For me, that particular trope has to be done in a way that reestablishes significant conflict and tension such that there is something meaty to resolve. Unfortunately, that fell a little flat for me here. The couple shared a passionate kiss six years ago, and Flynn panicked due to unresolved trauma around the deaths of his family members, which caused both him and Jocasta to awkwardly pull away from one another. But they never truly stopped wanting each other, and from page one the reader knows they love one another. So, the only conflict here was for Flynn to overcome his fear of losing Jocasta and the two of them reestablishing their communication. For me, that was not enough conflict to make the romantic arc compelling.

The other part of the story that I struggled with was that although the relationship focus was on Jocasta and Flynn, the adventure itself focused on Cat. The characters all revered here and talked about her as if she was a goddess herself. And while I understand that she is meant to be the emobodiment of hope - Elpis - it did grate a little after a while. I would have liked to see the adventure focus more on the main characters and less on saving Cat. Intertwining the quest plot with the relationship plot in a Romance is always more satisfying, and I really would have liked to see that here.

I don't think you can read this book without having read the first trilogy. There is just too much world-building, character history, and plot points integral to this story that will simply leave the reader confused and frustrated. I'm not sure I will read on in this series. To be honest, I was always disappointed with the third and final book in the original trilogy, and this book left me feeling a lot of the same. I do enjoy Amanda Bouchet as an author though and will keep an eye out for any additional works.

DUAL POV DUAL POV DUAL POV WE GET FLYNN'S POV AHHHHHHHHHHHHH

I was SO freaking excited to get Flynn and Jocasta's book and I was NOT disappointed, this was my favourite in the series.

It was such an interesting twist on a curse, although I do wish the end of the previous book had led into it a little more, perhaps in the epilogue. And I think the pain from learning about the curse would've hit harder if we had had a bit of time to see them all happy. But honestly, I loved this plot. Although I still got mad every time they mentioned elpis.

Flynn is a stupid in love himbo and I love him, he's just so gone for Jo. And he's a <spoiler>virgin</spoiler>?!??! I truly did not see that one coming. The tension between Flynn and Jo was just delicious. I was a liiiiittle uncomfy with how he was into her when she was younger, but as it's a different fantasy world and it's normal there I can get past it. It was so cute watching them learn each other, and the way he just so casually said <spoiler>I love you</spoiler>, I'm DEAD. (also there are so many potential options for a future age gap romance for Kaia when she's an adult and I'm so here for it, give me all the romances in this world)

AND THAT ENDING?!?! I am truly hyperventilating, I need the next book like <i>yesterday</i>. Carver and Bellanca???? <b>redacted</b> and <b>REDACTED</b>?!??!?!?!?!?! holy fuck holy fuck holy fuck

I just really freaking love Amanda Bouchet's writing - it's truly been so long since I was so obsessed with a series that I stayed up all night reading and could think of nothing else. I honestly wanted to cry reading this because it just felt like being my teenage self again, obsessed with those fantasy worlds and characters I could escape into and know I'd be happy. In case you couldn't tell by the fact I lost all ability to speak in coherent sentences in this review, I love love loved this and simply will not rest until I have the next book in my hands.

I have been waiting for this book for a long, long time!
It was lovely to see the gang, reminess on the previous books, wrack my brain when something is mentioned and I don't remember the context or situation. In this book we get to read from Jocasta's and Flynn's perspectives, and I truly love Jo, she knows what she wants (even if she sometimes pushes it aside so that her family comes first) and she goes above and beyond to help others. I love Jo's cleverness, figuring out things before others do, and her determination to save Cat and her unborn niece (and therefore their world that they've faught so hard to achieve). Flynn has faced a lot of hardship in his life, and it's shaped the man he is - while he is brave and always ready to fight for those he loves and the causes he believes in, he never puts his heart on the line as it's been hurt so badly.

The journey to find a cure for Cat takes Team Elpis on an epic journey, and the thing I loved so much about their journey is the connections between the team members. We see a Titan start to find his feet again, a ex-princess relish in her new freedoms and her favourite verbal whipping boy, and a brother, brought back from the dead, learn to accept all life has thrown at him. Not to mention Jo and Flynn working through all their baggage to see if they can find a way to be together after years of history and tragedy.

Now in saying all that, it's been a long time since I read the first 3 books in the Kingmaker Chronicles so maybe my reading style has changed but I remember reading the original 3 books and really, really liking them (heck I got a free copy to review of each of them and yet I still went out and bought the physical books as I liked them that much!) So why did I find this one kind of average? I found it quite slow going, and I certainly didn't have any great desire to pick up the story again after I'd put it down, so it was a slow read for me but I did find the pace picked up in the last third or so, and I got through it much quicker than the initial two thirds. Overall, a nice addition to the Kingmaker Chronicles, and I'd be interested to see where the story takes us next, and who it focuses on, as there is trouble brewing and those pesky gods won't stop meddling with the humans.

**3.5 STARS**

I read the last Kingmaker Chronicles book when it was published back in 2018 so I advise anyone who hasn’t read them to read it first before this one because you will be very lost. I actually didn’t realize this was a book four of that series. I saw the author’s name, and the cover and requested the book. As I read it I vaguely remembered these characters but not having read the last book in four years meant that I got lost a bunch of times!

What’s fun about this series is the Greek Mythology, plus I loved the series because of the romance. Once more the romance shines here with Jocasta and Flynn. It’s a very slow burn though but they have history. Jocasta has always been in love with Flynn and it’s the same for him but he’s had to deal with some traumatic situations in his life that has scared him off the idea of marrying and having kids.

Jocasta’s character really goes through some challenges and transformation in this book. She starts off as the daughter who is pretty much forgotten since she isn’t much of a warrior. She is a healer and sometimes overlooked in her family. But by the end of this story she is the heroine.

There are a lot of characters in this series and this being book four, it was hard to get situated and remember what happened to certain ones in past books. I had to just push through though. Also there is so much Greek Mythology characters alongside the human ones, there was just many times I wished I had reread the first three books.

The fun parts of the book are the adventures Jocasta and her little crew go on to get to Circe’s island. Carver, Jo’s brother is always arguing with Bellanca. I think their story would be less slow burn and lots of burning haha so I’m excited to see how their story ends up.


Why you should read it:
*a slow burn romance
*Greek mythology
*lots of adventure and battling Greek Gods

Why you might not want to read it:
*you haven’t read the previous three books in a while or ever…(I recommend you read them!)

My Thoughts:

I would have enjoyed this book more if I had reread the other books in the series. The parts I did enjoy was the adventure to Circe’s island and watching Jocasta and Flynn push and pull towards one another. It’s a slow burn romance but I did like both characters and they deserve their happy ending. I am interested to see what happens to Jo’s brother Carver and if he can get a happy ending as well.

Before starting the overall review I will give two pieces of "advice" to other readers about this book: 1) If you have not read the first three books in the Kingmaker Chronicles (Cat and Griffin's trilogy) I highly recommend reading those first before starting this book, 2) If you've already read the first three books then be aware that the pacing in this book is much faster as, presumably, this is the only book that will be dedicated to Flynn and Jocasta which makes this book a bit jarring to get used to at first as the pacing from Cat and Griffin's trilogy was a bit slower.

Content warning for this book: there are mentions and discussions of rape

My review for this book (which might include some small spoilers for this title and definite spoilers for anyone who hasn't read Cat and Griffin's books):

This is the fourth book in the Kingmaker Chronicles and follows the story of Jocasta and Flynn, a highly anticipated couple after the first three books strongly suggested these two had some chemistry. The book follows the journey of this couple as they fall in love on a quest to Circe's Island to help Cat and Griffin. We get callbacks to things and characters from the first three books and some closure for Kato, as well as a possible opening for a book about him and Eleni. We also get more chemistry between Carver and Bellanca as well as a perfect opening for their own book. We learn more about Prometheus and get a branching out of the original story and universe of Thalyria into other worlds that hopefully will be featured in future books.

What I liked about this book:
1) The dual POV between Jocasta and Flynn was fantastic. Without Flynn's perspective the book would have felt like it was missing crucial pieces that made it easier to understand both characters and their journey.
2) Jocasta's confidence was very refreshing. Despite having reasons to feel self-conscious, Jocasta was an optimistic and intelligent woman and her confidence in her abilities and knowledge was perfect, as well as her confidence in her own sexuality, something that you don't always see when a female character is a virgin.
3) The way Flynn worked to overcome his doubts about his relationship with Jocasta and himself was great. While Jocasta helped him overcome his fears, it never felt like she was forcing him and it read like Flynn was growing as a character with Jocasta's aid.
4) The inclusion of true aspects of the Greek myths, especially those surrounding the gods specifically was very smart. The reality of many Greek myths is that they heavily favored the gods, but particularly the male gods, doing whatever they wanted, especially in regards to women, and facing no consequences while the women they interacted with were punished and/or suffered. Bouchet acknowledged this in a way that did not feel as though readers were being overwhelmed with a history lesson or social commentary, but felt accurate and necessary. Often when reading books that include myth retellings/inclusion, the bad parts of myths are overlooked. This was not the case in this book and it was greatly appreciated.
5) This book ended with an HEA and no major cliffhangers for Jocasta and Flynn, while leaving enough room to open the door for future books and stories with other characters.

What I did not like about this book:
1) As someone who does not mind a slightly slower pace and inclusion of what can be considered mundane details, the pacing in this book was a little too fast for my liking. While I liked that there were no massive cliffhangers at the end of this book and readers were given a conclusion to this story, many points in this book, especially at the beginning, made the book a little hard to follow. There were several points between chapters where I would finish one chapter then start the next one only to have to take a few seconds to reorient myself and understand that one or more days had passed. This made it a little challenging to follow along at the beginning.
2) Jocasta's desire to travel Thalyria and help set up healing centers was never returned to after it was mentioned that this was something she had desired to do and was told she couldn't by the men in her life. It would have been nice if Jocasta had been able to help set this up in the epilogue, especially when the meeting with the people with the sick daughter strongly suggested that Jocasta would redouble her efforts to help set up more healing centers.
3) The way that Jocasta and Kaia, but especially Jocasta, continued to be treated like helpless damsels was a bit frustrating. It was established in Cat and Griffin's books that Cat was a capable woman who could fight and keep up with Beta-turned-Alpha Team, but Jocasta and Kaia continued to be treated like helpless little girls despite the fact that Jocasta was well into her 20s and helped fight in the Agon Games. If Flynn hadn't helped champion Jocasta going along for the quest she discovered to get Cat's remedy, then Jocasta would have continued to be treated like a helpless child, instead of the wholly capable woman she was. While this was mostly something that we only saw in the beginning of the book, it was still frustrating as it felt like Bouchet was deliberately making Griffin, Carver, and Anatole overbearing just to push Flynn and Jocasta closer.
4) Bellanca and Carver's exit felt hasty. Carver especially has been a fundamental character since book one, and while this was hopefully an opening for his book (which will maybe be the next book in the series?), it still felt rushed and as though Bouchet was rushing to wrap up the book while still making sure there was an opening for future books. If this and other parts of this book had been slowed down just a little I think the end of this book would have read less rushed.

Overall, I greatly enjoyed this book and give it five stars as the first three books are among one of my favorite book series'. It was great to get a story about two characters who I was highly anticipating getting a story for. I was also very happy to get an opening into what will hopefully be a new chapter with all these characters and a new challenge and adventure that will bring back some of the characters that have been missed since the first three books and will introduce characters like Eleni (Cat's sister) who we only met as an idea and not a person. The new looming challenge to Olympus and Thalyria seems really interesting and likely when you look at Greek myths and get some hints from this book. I highly recommend this book for anyone who has read the first three books and I look forward to getting more books in this series!

An enjoyable read! A new adventure for the characters from the Kingmaker Chronicles. The Gods are meddling again, except they do not know is the mastermind behind it all. Sides are being chosen and the mortals are the ones caught in the crossfire. Some have magical abilities, others have learned abilities, and both will be needed on this quest. The quest will be treacherous, for the Gods never play fair, and Team Elpis will face many challenges to save the life of the future queen. Jo and Flynn are the main characters, having known each other for years, both falling in love with each other, yet not together. Their relationship changes as they go on their journey with the other members of their team. Some of your favorite characters return for this new adventure, but the adventure does not end here, for the Gods know how to play a long game, and it has only just begun.
I received this novel from net galley and the publisher as an ARC. Thank you! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

As a huge fan of the Kingmaker Chronicles, I was so excited to hear that there was another book coming out. This world is such a unique take on mythology and so rich and complex. But the stars of the show for me were always the characters and their journeys and this book also delivers. Jacosta and Flynn are so different than Cat and Griffin, creating a unique story despite the familiar cast of characters. It was so fun to see them work through their personal struggles (and get out of their own way) to decide their futures and fight for what they love. A lovely addition to the series but also stands on its own!

Unfortunately, the first half of this fourth book, which thankfully does not start a new trilogy - hence the additional starlet - is excruciatingly slow, with all the personal elucubrations of Jocasta and Flynn, who despite being two people in their 20s and 30s respectively, have extremely puerile attitudes towards love and relationship. Other than that, in my opinion the story begins to work when the quintet leaves for Circe's island and encounters then, a whole series of obstacles in its path.
The ending leaves something to be desired, but it also opens up for further complex developments in the overall arc, which will take place, I gather, on different planes (Hades, Atlantis, and Thalyria), and I hope that with the return of Cat and Griffin, the pace will also return to that of the first two books.

Purtroppo la prima metá di questo quarto libro, che per fortuna non da inizio ad una nuova trilogia - e da qui la stellina aggiuntiva - é lentissima, con tutte le elucubrazioni personali di Jocasta e di Flynn che pur essendo due persone con rispettivamente piú di 20 e piú di 30 anni, hanno degli atteggiamenti estremamente puerili nei confronti dell'amore e delle relazioni sentimentali. A parte questo, secondo me la storia comincia a funzionare quando il quintetto parte per l'isola di Circe ed incontra quindi, tutta una serie di ostacoli sul suo percorso.
La fine lascia a desiderare, ma apre anche ad ulteriori e complessi sviluppi dell'arc generale, che si svolgerá, deduco, su piani diversi (Ade, Atlantide e Thalyria) e spero che con il rientro di Cat e Griffin anche i ritmi tornino ad essere quelli dei primi due libri.

I received from the Publisher a complimentary digital advanced review copy of the book in exchange for a honest review.

AHHH!! Amanda Bouchet's Kingmaker Chronicles was amazing so when I saw she was editing Flynn and Jocasta's book I was so excited. I loved this story and the exhilarating feeling the writing evoked! I loved the connection between the main characters and can't wait for more from this author in the future! 5 stars! ~Ratula

I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book for an unbiased review!

Could not put this book down. Thanks This is a must read series and this newest book in the series does not disappoint. The world building, character development and story line do not disappoint you. The author has surpassed the earlier books in the series. The romance was off the charts good. The depth of the characters especially Flynn was perfect. Words cannot do justice to how good this book is. Buy it and read it. You won’t regret it!!

Flynn and Jocasta relationship has so many layers and so not one dimensional and their escapades are so well written it feels like you are there with them ! What an exhilarating ride !! The secondary characters makes the story even better. I want more of them !!