Friday, 14 April 2017

Review - A Promise of Fire (Kingmaker Trilogy, #1) by Amanda Bouchet




Title: A Promise of Fire (Kingmaker Trilogy, #1)
Author: Amanda Bouchet
Pages: 464
Publisher: Piatkus
Release date: 1st August 2016

Blurb from Goodreads:
 
Kingmaker. Soothsayer. Warrior. Mage. Kingdoms would rise and fall for her . . . if she is ever found.

In the icy North, where magic is might, an all-powerful elite ruthlessly guided by a glacial Queen have grown to dominate the world. Now rebellion is stirring in the rough, magic-poor South, where for the first time in memory a warlord has succeeded in uniting the tribal nations.

Stuck in the middle is Cat - circus performer and soothsayer - safely hidden behind heavy make-up, bright colours and the harmless illusion of the circus. Until someone suspects she's more than she seems . . .

Captured by the Southern warlord Griffin, Cat's careful camouflage is wearing thin. For how long can - or should - she conceal the true extent of her power? Faced with dragons, homicidal mages, rival Gods and the traitorous longings of her own heart, she must decide: is it time to claim her destiny and fight?










My Review:
 
*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to Little, Brown Book Group UK and NetGalley*




Cat lives in a divided, magical world where parents kill their own children and siblings turn on each other for power.
Working in a circus as a soothsayer, Cat tries to keep a low profile and not attract any unwanted attention.
Then she meets Griffin, a Southern warlord who can tell that there is more to Cat than meets the eye. He takes Cat from the circus against her will, intending to use Cat's skills to help his family.
Can Cat escape from Griffin?
Will Cat's past catch up to her?


The premise for A Promise of Fire intrigued me - I love anything with mythology - but it wasn't what I expected.
Any plot was overpowered by the romance - the first half or so of the book seemed to be focussed on building tension between Cat and Griffin. While I did ship them together, I was disappointed that everything else was pushed to the background.
I enjoyed the scenes with magic, Gods and where the world was explored and elaborated on.
I liked Cat but at times she was too stubborn for her own good.
I didn't mind the writing style but I did lose interest a couple of times (mainly because of the romance).


Overall this was a disappointing read that was ruined by the romance.




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