5 Wine Glass #Review of A Promise of Fire by Amanda Bouchet

Title: A Promise of Fire
Series: Kingmaker Chronicles #1
Author:  Amanda Bouchet
Format: Mass Market Paperback, 448 pages
Publication: August 2nd 2016 by Sourcebooks Casablanca
ISBN: 1492626015
Links: Goodreads | Amazon | B&N
Reviewer: Crystal
Source: Netgalley
Rating: 5 out of 5 Wine Glasses

Catalia "Cat" Fisa is a powerful clairvoyant known as the Kingmaker. This smart-mouthed soothsayer has no interest in her powers and would much rather fly under the radar, far from the clutches of her homicidal mother. But when an ambitious warlord captures her, she may not have a choice…

Griffin is intent on bringing peace to his newly conquered realm in the magic-deprived south. When he discovers Cat is the Kingmaker, he abducts her. But Cat will do everything in her power to avoid her dangerous destiny and battle her captor at every turn. Although up for the battle, Griffin would prefer for Cat to help his people willingly, and he's ready to do whatever it takes to coax her…even if that means falling in love with her.

Crystal's Thoughts:
A Promise of Fire was a sweeping, powerful, breathtaking journey that captivated me with each new page!

Meet your new addiction, my friends. I am almost wishing that I didn't read this early because now I have extra long to wait until the next book's release! Ahhg! A Promise of Fire really was such a rare treat. I can't  say that I have ever read a book like this before. There are some YA fantasy series (Sarah J. Maas and Colleen Houck, perhaps) that are similar, but when you throw that sort of epic fantasy into the adult world there are so many more possibilities! Ms. Bouchet weaves a complex, interesting world of magic and myth with Magoi's, a magical race from the north that descend from the Gods of Greek mythology, and the Hoi Polloi. The Hoi Polloi's are a race without magic that reside in the south and are seen as plebeians by the Magoi's.

Cat Fisa is a Magoi with mysterious powers who has been masquerading as a soothsayer in a traveling circus for the last eight years. But she is oh-so-much more then that, however, she can't let anyone find out just who or what she is. Told from Cat's point-of-view everything about Cat is a mystery for the reader. But page-by-page her tale is revealed, and there are a lot of ugly parts. You have your suspicions, you can't help but guess this and that while reading...is she a Goddess? Magoi royalty? A nobody who the God's just happened upon to place favor in? Us readers aren't the only one's left guessing. Griffin, the Hoi Polloi Beta Sinta that decimated the Magoi Sinta kingdom to place his sister on the throne as Alpha Sinta, wants answers too. One thing he knows, Cat is the Kingmaker and she will ensure his family's rule, and Griffin will go to any length to make sure that she does. Even if that means magically tying her to him...

Brimming with breathless intrigue, I was on the edge of my seat wondering what secrets Cat could be hiding and what dangers lurks around the next corner for her. The terminology was new and unique, so it might take readers who don't often delve into the fantasy genre a bit to become accustomed to it, but it was well done and helped immerse you into the world further. The sexual tension between Cat and Griffin is intense. Cat is a strong willed, saucy character who puts on a good front but is also very naive when it comes to relationships and all of those mushy-gushy feelings that come with them. Griffin is determined though, and slowly chisels away at Cat's walls, will he ever be able to reach her soft center though? There were also some marvelous secondadry characters that I easily fell in love with, in the form of Beta Team. These are Griffin's closest friends and allies, men who he trusts with not only his life, but with Cat's as well. The banter between these guys was beyond entertaining and watching Cat find her place in the group was heartwarming.

Bottomline; A Promis of Fire is an unforgettable story that you'll be thinking about for days afterwards. Author, Amanda Bouchet, is sure to be a rising star in the fantasy world and I can't recommend this story enough. Pick it up today, you won't regret it. Be sure to come back here and tell me what you think!

Suggested Reading Order:

A Promise of Fire (Kingmaker Chronicles #1) 

Breath of Fire (Kingmaker Chronicles #2) 

Heart on Fire (Kingmaker Chronicles #3)