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    A Promise of Fire
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    A Promise of Fire
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    A Promise of Fire
    Ebook508 pages7 hours

    A Promise of Fire

    By Amanda Bouchet

    4/5

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    About this ebook

    KINGDOMS WILL RISE AND FALL FOR HER

    Cat Fisa isn't who she pretends to be. She's perfectly content living disguised as a soothsayer in a traveling circus, avoiding the destiny the Gods—and her dangerous family—have saddled her with. As far as she's concerned, the magic humming within her blood can live and die with her. She won't be a pawn in anyone's game.

    But then she locks eyes with an ambitious warlord from the magic-deprived south and her illusion of safety is shattered forever.

    Griffin knows Cat is the Kingmaker—the woman who divines truth through lies—and he wants her to be a powerful weapon for his newly conquered realm. Kidnapping her off the street is simple enough, but keeping her by his side is infuriatingly tough. Cat fights him at every turn, showing a ferocity of spirit that burns hot...and leaves him desperate for more. But can he ever hope to prove to his once-captive that he wants her there by his side as his equal, his companion...and maybe someday, his Queen?

    Discover exciting bonus material, including maps, illustrations, and an expanded look at the world of Thalyria. Fans of Jennifer Armentrout, Scarlett St. Clair and Sarah J. Maas will burn for this spicy romantic fantasy.

    The Kingmaker Chronicles:

    A Promise of Fire (Book 1)

    Breath of Fire (Book 2)

    Heart on Fire (Book 3)

    A Curse of Queens (A Kingmaker Chronicles novel, Book 1)

    Readers are raving about the Kingmaker Chronicles:

    "Give this to your Game of Thrones fans." —Booklist STARRED Review

    "Loved it!" —ELOISA JAMES, New York Times bestselling author

    "Utterly breathtaking!" —DARYNDA JONES, New York Times bestselling author

    "Masterful worldbuilding." —Kirkus STARRED Review

    "Absolutely fabulous." —C.L. WILSON, New York Times bestselling author

    "Magic, action, romance—everything I love in a series." —JENNIFER ESTEP, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author

    "Sweeping in its world building and poignant in its emotion. A Homeric trilogy not to be missed." —GRACE DRAVEN, USA Today bestselling author

    "Easily my favorite book of 2016!" —Bookriot

    "Delivers with both heat and heart—loved it!" —JEFFE KENNEDY, award-winning author

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherSourcebooks
    Release dateAug 2, 2016
    ISBN9781492626022
    Author

    Amanda Bouchet

    Amanda Bouchet is a USA Today bestselling author of Fantasy Romance and Sci-fi Romance. She was a Goodreads Choice Awards top 10 finalist for Best Debut in 2016. For more about Amanda’s books with equal parts adventure and kissing, connect with her at www.amandabouchet.com.

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    Reviews for A Promise of Fire

    4/5

    256 ratings18 reviews

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    • 5/5
      I'm so mad at myself for reading A PROMISE OF FIRE early. Why? Because I LOVED it and now I have to wait even longer to continue the story with book two. January 2017 can't get here fast enough.Cat is a huge mystery at first, but slowly her layers are pealed away and her secrets are revealed. I didn't love Griffin at first. I didn't like that he basically kidnapped Cat and held her against her will for his own gain. Slowly you start to see who he really is and there is definitely more to his decisions than appear.The romance is an important part of A PROMISE OF FIRE, but it's more of a dessert, the characters and storyline are the main course. Griffin's Beta team quickly became an essential part of the story and I loved the way Cat became part of their team. I loved the way everyone interacted even during the tough times.The world is well written, I felt like I was in the world as the story was told. I have so much more to say, but I don't want to ruin anything for you.As I said, I loved A PROMISE OF FIRE and I am very excited to see where Amanda Bouchet takes Cat and this story next. Crossing my fingers that I will get my hands on an advanced copy of BREATH OF FIRE.* This book was provided free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
    • 4/5
      4.5 Rating I'm not sure how I selected A Promise of Fire, but I'm certainly glad I did, as it turned out to be a truly awesome Adult Fantasy Romance which engaged me from the very beginning. It's interesting that the world building in this story blends Greek mythology, magic, and elements unique to this story. The main characters, especially my favorite, Cat, a Royal in hiding and Garrett, the Warlord and his loyal band of warriors, are solid, and best of all, I cared about them all. The book's got that indefinable spark that made me connect and invest in what was happening from the start.I know that Urban fantasy readers have met this kind of heroine before. Cat's laying low. She's the daughter of a ruthless tyrant of a Mother who wants Cat back under her thumb. And her childhood was forged in torture and blood so she doesn't believe she can be loved and believes that anyone she could love will meet a horrible end. Cat has her own power, but she has to hide it in order to hide herself, but I loved her as she was very much her own person.Anyway, she's hiding out in a circus when Garrett crosses her path. Somehow, this powerful warlord has figured out one of the secrets she holds close. She is what's called a Kingmaker. Cat can feel the difference between a truth and a lie, and that's only the beginning of her multiple powers. She's also a warrior in every sense of the word. Garrett kidnaps her and forces her to come back with him back to his sister's kingdom.At first, I didn't care for Garrett. However, he had a way of growing on the reader (as well as Cat). His family now rules one of the nearby lands. The whole family are very good people and Cat doesn't know what to make of them, but she comes to love them because they real and loving people who need Cat, her guidance, and her magic, to hold on to what they've gained. And while at first she fights the idea with everything in her, she grows to love not only the group, but specifically Garrett, the man who has changed her life.I really just loved the contrasts in Cat's character. She jaded. She believes the worst in people because that is the only life she's known. But in other ways, she's naïve. I loved watching how the simple goodness and kindness of Garrett's people begin to affect her on a fundamental level. I loved how she comes to begrudgingly accept friendship and love into her life, while still being the prickly, argumentative powerhouse that she always was. I love Garrett's stalwartness, his steadiness and strength that he wants to share with Cat from the start. I believed in their growing feelings for one another and I wanted for it to work for the two of them and I certainly came to grow in love for them both.This book is the first in a new series. While it doesn't end on a cliffhanger, it certainly leaves me wanting more. I want more of these characters and more of their story. I would definitely recommend this one for fans of fantasy romance. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series, Breath of Fire. Way to go Amanda!Jack Murphy
    • 5/5
      An addictive read. One that I couldn't put down. A Promise of Fire is a beautiful way to start a series. The characters know how to handle themselves and I wanted to know what happens to them next. The characters had the feelings that I've known them for a few years and that they were friends.
    • 5/5
      5 "Poseidon's Goddaughter, the Kingmaker" Stars for the story and narration.I gave this audiobook an A for the story and A- for the narration at: AudioGals*Narrated by Mia BarronFantasy and mythology romance lovers, do I have a treat for you! Somewhat of a cross between George R.R. Martin’s Game of Thrones and a grown-up version of Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson series, A Promise of Fire adds a flare of romance to an intricately woven fantasy plot. This book, the debut of the Kingmaker Chronicles series, had me simply mesmerized. I could not put down my earphones, so I binge listened to this close to 15-hour book in a little less than two days. From the clever mythology-based setting, which was introduced in easily digestible, bite-sized increments that made understanding this world seamless, to the romantic tension between the spunky and powerful heroine and her loyal and alpha hero (yet comically named “Beta Sinta” because he’s the second in command of the realm of Sinta), not to mention the heroine’s snarky humor (as this book is written in the first person from the heroine’s point of view), this listen has something for every romance lover! Moreover, as if the captivating story is not enough to get you to listen, the narration by Mia Barron is also expertly done, making this a great choice to experience in audio format.The world in A Promise of Fire is made up of two basic kinds of people, those who have magic (the “Magoi”) and those who do not (“Hoi Polloi”). For many years, the three realms (Fisa, Tarva, and Sinta) have been ruled by people with magic, with the lands in North (Fisan lands) having the most power. However, in a revolution the realm of Sinta (which sits in the South) has been taken over by a non-magical family. Griffin, the hero of this story – and who appears to be the real person that is calling the shots, though he has put his older and extremely meek and gentle sister, Egeria, on the throne – is a part of the ruling family of the realm of Sinta. Although Griffin and his family have taken over the rule of Sinta with their incredible might and wit, Griffin knows that to keep the land he must find a powerful soothsayer to guide his family in ruling the kingdom and determining how to out maneuver the inevitable politics with the other realms (something that Hoi Polloi have no experience in). So, Griffin sets out on a mission to locate a powerful Magoi to fill this role. The woman he finds is none other than our heroine, Cat.See the full review at: AudioGals.
    • 5/5
      Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy.allthingsuf.comA PROMISE OF FIRE is Paranormal Romance with the sweet, freshness of YA, a traditional adventure with the snappy wit of Urban Fantasy. Hitting the sweet spot between so many already wonderful genres, this is a funny, sexy, un-put-downable book.Cat is ferocious and hilarious, and allowed to grow out of her prickly shell in an organic way. While she and Griffin buttheads and throw sparks from the get go, their chemistry is given room to build in a lovely way. This romance has the freshness of young love mixed with the passion and fire of two headstrong adults resisting compromise. In other words, a devastatingly sexy combination.Offering the slow burn of a YA romance with the satisfying consummation of an adult romance, A PROMISE OF FIRE fulfills a craving I didn't even know I had. Book one was exciting, sweet, and an enormous amount of fun, I can't wait to read more of this series. Sexual Content: Sex scenes.
    • 5/5
      Amanda Bouchet A PROMISE OF FIRE is an amazing start to the Kingmaker Chronicles. This adult fantasy was captivating from start to finish. Catalia "Cat" Fisa has been in hiding. She is a rare clairvoyant who only emerges once every two hundred years known as the Kingmaker. She is captured by a warlord, Griffin, who intends to use her talent to help his recently conquered realm of Sinta in the south.I loved this story. Cat is a fantastic and complex heroine. She had a horrible childhood. She is strong mentally and magically. She is a good individual despite her upbringing. Griffin is an honorable warlord. He is a skilled warrior with a talent of his own. Cat and Griffin love to squabble and have great chemistry.The plot was interesting and had lots of twists. The magical versus non-magical issues are fascinating. I love that the Greek gods are part of this story. The story is mysterious and full of action and conspiracy. I cannot wait for book two, BREATH OF FIRE.Complimentary copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
    • 5/5
      This was an amazing epic fantasy and wonderful start to a new trilogy. Cat has fled her home after a childhood of abuse and torture and has made a new life for herself in a circus. She is a soothsayer but she had picked up a lot of other skills too. When she catches the eye of Griffin who is Beta Sinta, second in command of Sinta, he first sees her for what she can do for his country.Cat doesn't want to leave her hiding place in the circus but he forces her to go with him. In fact, he binds her to him with a magical rope that doesn't let her get more than four feet away from him. Griffin is part of the Hoi Polloi who gathered an army of those like him and overthrew the Magoi who were previously in charge of the country. Now he faces threats from both the other Magoi in the country and from outside forces who just assume that a Hoi Polloi ruler can't keep a country.Cat, being out of her safe hiding place, has also drawn the attention of Andromeda, the Alpha Fisa, who wants to use her skills and control her. Cat gradually displays a number of magical skills besides her soothsaying. She is the legendary Kingmaker who can tell truth from lies. She can also make herself invisible, suck magic from other magic users and gain their powers briefly, and heal from major injuries.The worlds are controlled by the gods of the Greek pantheon and Cat is a special favorite of Poseidon who is her father. Hades and even Zeus also take an interest in her. There is some sort of prophecy that she is trying to outrun. The gods have thrown her into the path of Griffin and together they are destined to bring great changes to their world. But Cat doesn't want to trust him because she knows that Alpha Fisa will kill anyone that Cat cares about. Griffin is just as stubborn as Cat and he is determined that they will have a future together. I can't wait to read the next two books in this trilogy. I love Cat's snarky viewpoint and her character which is a finely balanced combination of fear and strength.
    • 5/5
      Super great read! I'd only say at times Cat's fear irreverent attitude could seem immature and annoy me. But, I loved her. No character needs to be perfect, but she was perfectly strong, charming, and funny.

      A great hero too...
    • 2/5
      Eh. It was a fine palate cleanser. Don't go in with high expectations, though. The writing is so/so, there are a few plot holes, the metaphorical fire/ice thing doesn't really make sense, none of the big issues were really resolved, and the romantic lead is... forceful. I didn't think it was horrible, but there were a few times where he skated the edge of acceptable behavior.
    • 3/5
      Weak fantasy but the 'gods' kept me going (Roman, I think) Character development was not great and plot could have done with tightening up. Still, ok read.
    • 4/5
      Fun, fast read. Although I did squirm some at the consent issues.
    • 5/5
      Highly enjoyed this books. I couldn’t put it down!
    • 3/5
      As a fantasy it does alright. The world-building was pretty neat. As a romance it fails completely by throwing consent out the window almost from page 1. Griffin (the main male character) was just so incredibly unlikable. Despicable even. 3 stars for nice setting, some interesting non-romance plotlines and the greek mythology bits.
    • 4/5
      There's a lot to enjoy about this book. While the main character herself is well flushed out with an interesting backstory set of magical powers and abilities and a love interest, one of my favorite parts about the book is the supporting cast of characters. They are diverse, have depth, and as the character moves from place to place she doesn't discard them never to be heard from again like so often the case in a hero's journey.
    • 5/5
      The books are set in a land called Thalyria. It seems to be based largely on Ancient Greece, with Greek language, Greek Gods (who are real in this world), etc. Half the world is ice and half is desert, or so it seems. Magic is stronger in the regions with ice, and weaker in the regions without. Magic is might in this world…

      Our two primary characters are Cat and Griffin. Cat is hiding from her evil family, and has made a home with the circus. She is kidnapped by Griffin, who is a warlord who has recently taken control of one of the three Kingdoms in Thalyria. He wants Cat because she has the magic his family lacks.

      Cat takes a long time to warm up to Griffin and his team, but I felt that was understandable considering that he literally kidnapped her, put her in danger and made her leave the only people she loved. Yup, fair enough. They are good guys though, and she can’t help but warm to them. Sometimes she resents liking them, which feels like it fits the situation pretty well! I’ve read other reviews that say Cat is a bit whiny, but frankly, I would be too if I was treated the way she was!

      I never felt like the story dragged, even after reading all three books in the trilogy. It’s an epic adventure and story, and so it feels okay that it takes three books to tell it.

      There is an enormous amount of world building that has gone on behind the scenes, and the creatures (some are mythical creatures I’ve heard of, some aren’t), the gods, the secondary human characters, etc., are all well described and feel like integral parts of the story. You get enough scenery to picture the scene, but not so much that you feel the need to skip pages of description.

      There is plenty of action, and if you’re squeamish, it might squick you out a bit. Even the healing scenes can be pretty gory or squicky in their own right.

      The general plot of the story is obvious, but the story doesn’t feel predictable. So many things happen that I don’t expect, and things don’t go how I thought they were going to, and it all adds up to keep me interested and keep me turning the page.

      The romance between Cat and Griffin is secondary to what is an epic fantasy adventure story. But it’s there.

      The secondary characters are fantastic additions to the story, and Kato is a clear favourite. I’m not sure if that’s because he’s Cat’s favourite or mine. Ha ha!

      All in all, it’s a fascinating read, and I rated all three books in the trilogy a solid five stars. I recommend them to anyone who enjoys fantasy or epic adventure stories.
    • 2/5
      It’s difficult to even rate this book because I realize that I am not the target audience here. I was looking for a fantasy romance where the fantasy elements took center stage alongside the romance. Instead, I got a romance novel so over-the-top that I almost couldn’t finish it. A Promise of Fire has the kind of insta-lust that makes me roll my eyes so hard they may get stuck that way, with an alpha-male hero that makes my inner feminist cringe. Not to mention, the heroine is painfully immature. But, somehow, I managed to get through the whole book, and it wasn’t all bad.The highlight of this novel is its unique worldbuilding. Different and refreshing, the setting mashes together magic and mythology in fascinating ways. This outstanding creativity is a major part of what pulled me along and made me want to keep turning the page. I just wish the story had spent less time on the well-worn romance and more time exploring this complex, compelling fantasy world.Unfortunately, the plot was predictable, the “mystery” about the heroine's identity was obvious from the start, and the ending was completely anti-climactic. This is clearly just the setup to a series with multiple, important storylines left unresolved. As much as I’d love to learn more about the gods, the oracles, the magical creatures, and the ice plains, I will not be running out to read to the rest of the books. The romance was just too overpowering for me.In short, A Promise of Fire was not my thing. It was shelved in the romance section for a reason, and, to be fair, it is a great read if you like a little fantasy with your romance. But if, like me, you’re not really into insta-lust and overbearing, alpha-male heroes, then you’re going to have a hard time with this one. Two stars because the worldbuilding genuinely rocked and because I can easily see how romance readers could enjoy this, even if it’s not the book for me.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      Fabulous!Wow! This has everything. Feisty mysterious heroine, powerful easy on the eyes warlord, fighting companionsCat (Catalia Fista) has secrets of her own. Gods are becoming involved with her destiny--bloodthirsty and brutal as it seems to be.Cat is a mystery. She is 'from the north of Fisa. Where magic is might.' Escaping an unforgiving and brutal childhood where siblings are raised to fight for what is there's to prove their strength and cunning. Brother is turned against sister. All for the lure of absolute power. Acting as a soothsayer in a circus she avoids drawing attention to herself. Cat has fought to escape her heritage but it looks like it's coming to claim her.Cat is of the magi. Holding and using magic is part of her very being.Yet with Griffin--a warlord from the south, she is finding something more.I'm hooked! I am having serious difficulties waiting for the next in the series. Bring it on, soon!A NetGalley ARC

      1 person found this helpful

    • 4/5
      This one was a definite winner for me. I found a whole lot to like in this book. I thought that the blend of fantasy and romance was well done. I was sucked into this story right from the story and found the characters, the world, and the overall story to be fascinating. This was a really strong start to a new series.I loved the world that this book was set in right from the start. It started out feeling almost like a historical novel but it was quickly apparent that this was a completely different world. A world full of magic and danger. I couldn't get enough of the magic in this story. I loved how the world building continued throughout the book and by the end I had a really good feel for the entire realm.I loved the characters. Cat was amazing. She had a lot of spunk and I quickly figured out just how brave she really is. She is a clairvoyant but not just any clairvoyant - she is the Kingmaker. She has worked to hide what she is so that she can have control over her own life. It seemed that we learned a little bit more about Cat's powers with every chapter and I thought all of her abilities really made the book more interesting.Griffin was pretty awesome as well. Even though he has the power to be Alpha of his realm, he is happy to let that title fall to his sister while he assumes the role of Beta. He seemed to want to see strong but fair leadership in his realm instead of the usual tyrant ruler. He isn't perfect...I mean he does kind of kidnap Cat and everything.I liked Cat and Griffin together. The always seemed to have respect for each other and a level of trust. I really enjoyed their banter and the the chemistry between them. There were even a few rather steamy scenes that were very well done as well. I liked how they quickly became very protective of each other and how their actions really demonstrated their feelings.I would highly recommend this book to others. It does have a strong romance theme but any reader that enjoys a bit of romance along with their fantasy will enjoy this captivating read. This is the first book by Amanda Bouchet that I have had a chance to read but I am already eager to get my hands on the next on in this series.I received a copy of this book from Sourcebooks Casablanca via NetGalley for the purpose of providing an honest review.