Maxym M. Martineau

I read a preview (only a few chapters) and I found Leena to be a strong character that I want to meet and read about some more! I like how the author wrote this book and made the paranormal seem “real”. It isn’t Over the top, but a great descriptive journey into a world we do not know. I usually have to be in the mood for this type of book, but found the characters to be so believable, that I wasn’t bothered at all. I felt like I was taken into their world.
“I never imagined a life where I’d sell the very things that made my existence bearable. And yet here I was, doing exactly that. All because I’d trusted Wynn. Years of devotion and love, and for what? To become a scapegoat? My exile was his fault, and yet I had been the one to lose everything” I can’t wait to see what she does with Noc!… (más)

The main character of this book used to be able to form bonds with magical beasts and was a member of the Charmers Council. After his death and resurrection, the main character ended up becoming an Assassin of Cruor and struggles with his new reality. The male lead is the leader of the Assassins, and the one who brought the main character back from the dead. They both have issues that they must overcome so that they can trust each other again when they are both lost in the shadow realm.

This is the first book in the GUILD OF NIGHT series, which is a spin-off to THE BEAST CHARMER series. It is highly advised that readers should read THE BEAST CHARMER series before the spin-off series to have a better understanding about this particular fantasy world that this book inhabits. There are also some characters mentioned in the first series that are in this first book, which may help readers have an inkling about those same characters as they make appearances in the story.

This is a fantasy book with a New Adult queer romance that has some spicy moments in the story. The story is told in multiple viewpoints, though primarily told by the main character and the male lead. I appreciated reading how the main character is struggling with the changes in his life, as well as how the male lead is feeling guilty about his own actions in relation to the main character. It was nice to have other characters' perspectives, but it would have been nice to either have a smaller number of viewpoints or have the story told in third-person perspective. I did enjoy the spicy moments of the book, which definitely enhanced the romance of this book. Also, the fantasy aspect of this book is interesting, like the magical beasts and the shadow realm. Overall, a nice addition to the fantasy world created by Maxym M. Martineau, and I look forward to reading future additions to the series.

** Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy. All opinions and thoughts in the review are my own. **… (más)

Rating: ★★★★★ (5/5 Stars)
Title: Kingdom Of Exiles
Author(s): Maxym Martineau
Character(s):
― Leena Edenfrell: Brunette, Hazel Eyed
― Noc: Black, Brown/Black Eyed
Setting: ―
Tag(s): Romance, Fantasy, Paranormal
Content Rating: R
POV: Alternates between Heroine/Hero
Smexy Level: Hot
Favorite Quote(s):
― “You’re a puzzle piece that doesn’t fit, and I love a good puzzle.”
― “I wanted it to be me. But you can’t jam the wrong piece into the picture if it’s not meant to be there.”
― “It’s safer to love someone who’ll never have the opportunity to break your heart.”
Overall Opinion:
Hands down a phenomenal read from beginning to end! There just any enough words to express how immensely I've enjoyed this. The freshing concept that was filled with action-packed supernatural and paranormal elements almost left me to my knees with the author great writing style and should we also mention the characters? Needless to say that it became more than difficult to choose who was my favorite. Was it Noc, Calem, Kost, Leena or the other characters that left a good impression on me? I'm pretty sure there wasn't a character I didn't like and that includes Wynn and Winnow. Moreso each character, rather big or small, brought something to the story and that ultimately lead to the spectacular cliffhanger, if you want to call it that. This was definitely a series where Assassin’s Creed meets Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, and it's worth the long read. During the course of this read, I seriously couldn't put this down and before I knew it I have made it to the epilogue but fortunately enough there is still much more to the story and I can't wait for the release of the of remainder parts of “The Beast Charmer Series”. Let's just say 2020 couldn't come fast enough!

… (más)