PUBLISHER: Recorded Books
PUBLICATION DATE: August 2, 2016
FORMAT: Unabridged audiobook
LENGTH: 14 hrs and 45 mins
GENRE: Romance/Fantasy
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.
MY REVIEW:
I received a complimentary copy of this book for voluntary review consideration.
A Promise of Fire delivers all my favourite elements in an amazing debut: A kickass heroine, a hot Alpha male, fiery chemistry, vivid worldbuilding, cool magic, and mythology! There are even dragons!
Catalia “Cat” Fisa is a young 23-year-old woman, who has spent the last eight years in hiding and on the run. As the story opens, she is working at a travelling circus as “Cat the Magnificent, Soothsayer Extraordinaire.” She captures the eye of a rugged warlord, Beta Sinta known as “Griffin,” who discovers that she possesses a rare and powerful gift which allows her to sense when someone is lying. She is known as The Kingmaker, and there is only one such person born every 200 years. As the second in command to the throne, Griffin needs her as his ally. When she refuses to go with him, he binds her to him with a magical rope to bring her to his realm. I know, I know…he does capture her and forces her to go with him at the outset. However, even when she is no longer physically bound to him, she willingly stays with him. Griffin never brought any harm to Cat, and she never felt that she was in danger. Truth be told, I think that Cat could have annihilated him if she really wanted to! She has magical gifts that even she is unaware of!
The chemistry between Cat and Griffin was delicious! Cat is a little spitfire and full of sarcasm, but Griffin is undeterred. Because of how she was raised, Cat grapples with her emotions. I love how the author let the sexual tension build until the last quarter of the book, and the wait was worth it! I also love how Griffin and his family became so protective of Cat, especially Kato and Flynn.
I was captivated by the setting of Thalyria and the impressive world-building. The book was fast-paced, and the battle scene was intense. I can’t wait to read the next book in the series, Breath of Fire, which was released in January 2017.
Memorable quote:
“Love is weakness, an exploitable flaw.”
Mia Barron is a new-to-me narrator, and she captured the essence of Cat. Not only did her snarkiness come through, but also her tenderness. Ms. Barron also did well with the male characters. Here is a sample of the narration:
MY RATING:
MY RATING:
5 stars!! It was superb! I loved it and will likely re-read it again in the future! You should definitely put it on your TBR list! Thanks again to Recorded Books for the opportunity to review this audiobook!
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This sounds like so much fun! I'm also a sucker for a kick-ass heroine, and I love the idea of the fantasy elements and worldbuilding. Definitely something I need to check out. Great review, thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteAlyssa @ Purple People Readers