Breath of Fire

Cat has mostly given up running from her destiny since she has fallen in love with Griffin, Beta Sinta. She is reluctant to tell him that prophecy says she is the Harbinger who will bring about destruction or the world. When she does, he isn't dismayed. After all, it is his goal to dismantle the current political structure of the world and make it better for everyone.

Before things can be better, she and Griffin need to defeat the rulers of Tarvan and Fisa. They travel to the Ice Plains to gain magical help and Cat goes through all sorts of hardships. They also travel to Tarvan and take part in a to-the-death tournament. The action was fast-paced. Cat learns a lot more about her magical abilities and how much the gods are supporting her show more efforts.

I like the world building in this series. The magic and the magical creatures add all sorts of interest to the story. I also like the relationship between Griffin and Cat. show less

If I could give this 0 stars I would. I LOVED promise of fire. Absolutely loved it. I loved Cat and Griffin. I LOVED the sexual tension between them. I loved their bickering, their care and love for each other, and their protectiveness of each other and those around them. Unfortunately none of that is in the second book. Though I can't really rate this accurately because I couldn't get past the 5th chapter. What was once an enjoyable dynamic, turned sour and frustrating. Cat used to be so amazing! She was smart, funny, and kick ass. I don't know what the hell happened between the end of the first book and the beginning of the second but it was the worst thing to ever happen to my once favorite couple. She becomes submissive and just show more plain dull. I really wanted to continue the series because I loved the first book so much. But unfortunately there was so much wrong (in just the first five chapters!) of the book that I will no longer continue the series. Too much sex. Not enough kickass Cat. one of the most annoying parts of this book (again I only made it partway through chapter 5) was the fact that Cat just BLURTED out all of her secrets to Griffin's family. Yes I understand she wuvs him and would do anything for him but it just doesn't make any sense! She swore team beta to secrecy, kept her secrets from her friends at the circus for 8 years, and then all of a sudden threw caution to the wind?! Ugh no! There's so much wrong with what happened to the characters between books 1 and 2 that it almost seems as if it was written by an entirely different person! I'm going to pretend book 1 was a standalone because I freaking just loved those characters so much. Sigh. Will not be continuing the series. show less

5 "The Queen & Origin" Stars!

I thought book 1, A Promise of Fire, blew me away--well let me tell you, Amanda Bouchet was just warming up! Breath of Fire, book 2 in the Kingmaker Chronicles, a fantasy and mythology based romance, is top-notch in both the action world building and in the romance! By far this is one of the best debut Fantasy/PNR series I have ever read! Intriguing, witty and addicting, this series has me wishing that Book 3, Heart on Fire, the final book in the trilogy, were available now! Fortunately, Ms. Bouchet is not going to make us wait a whole year for the final installment, as the last book is scheduled to be released in the Fall of next year.

Please note that this series, as is often the case in fantasy/PNR reads, show more must be read in chronological order as both the fantasy world building and the romance arcs require an understanding of the story commenced in book 1, A Promise of Fire. As a consequence the below review contains spoilers for book 1.

The world in Breath 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 is part of the Sintan ruling family, and Cat, the heroine, is a Hoi Polloi with remarkable magic. Griffin captures Cat in Book 1 to help aid his family rule. However, as we learn in A Promise of Fire, the tables get quite turned around when it turns out that Cat is actually the one who captures Griffin's heart and soon they become bound by much more than just a political alliance.

Being the goddaughter of Poseidon, and having an alliance with at least two other gods (Zeus and Hades), helps partly explain why Cat's magic (which includes the ability to be invisible, know if others are lying, and even steal magic) is so powerful; but in A Breath of Fire we finally learn the secret that Cat has been hiding and which helps explain the origin of her magic and her fear of being discovered. Moreover, while this revelation is likely to not be too much of a surprise to those who were paying close attention to clues in Book 1--the journey that Cat, Griffin, and Beta Team embark on to try to secure the Sintan borders in order to put their world ending and realm unifying plan into action is a splendid surprise. Blending detailed magical action, including mythology inspired characters who are sure to keep you at the edge of your seat, with strong interpersonal relationships among Cat and the various Sintan family and team members, Breath of Fire is expertly penned in every aspect.

As if this were not enough, the fun and games continue as Beta team puts their plans further to action when they devise their first power play to capture Tarva. But is Cat strong enough to keep them all safe and conquer a new realm or is the harbinger correct and will her actions just lead to devastation? Moreover, as the threats from Alpha Fisa become more pointed and targeted, will Cat be able to continue evading Alpha Fisa long enough to accomplish her immediate plans or will her loved ones also become the victims of this most brutal and powerful of all of the realms' alphas?

What a fantastic weaving of personable characters, awe inspiring magic and fantasy, as well as a touching romance! The Kingmaker Chronicles delivers on all fronts and should definitely not be missed by any fantasy/PNR enthusiasts!

Source: Review copy provided for review purposes. show less

I loved the first book, absolutely loved it. Cat was headstrong, independent and resourceful. She didn't take any crap, She was a badass with a dry wit, hilarious really. A female protagonist you could really get behind. She had her issues, mainly trust issues and a low opinion of herself as a person as oppose to a tool. I know I'm picking up a romance but I love it when the characters are fleshed out. I liked Griffin too, who doesn't love an Alpha male. The members of Beta team stole my heart as well as Griffin's family, it was all good.

Her mother was one-dimensional; all black, no grey. An evil witch with all the trimmings, cackle and all, but I could overlook that because the rest was amazing.

Gritty protagonist, great action, funny show more and endearing side characters. It was all rainbows, I was in book heaven. I was so sad when I finished it, i immediately looked for the next instalments release date and lowkey stalked the author on social media. Loved it

This book though....
It is not bad, but it's chock full of cliches. It's lost it's balance, it is your typical romance novel with no vision.
She is ALL about Griffin, he is her world. Don't get me wrong, I love a good die-hard romance, an undying love. You should want this person, almost need this person. But the keyword being 'almost'. Cat goes on and on and ON about Griffin, her inner dialogue is all Griffin or atleast it feels that way. He's over-protective but that's fine, that is not a problem, that is just the type of guy he is. It's part of his character and tbh I like that. But Cat, she is not the same character I fell in love with, she's needy and not nearly as funny....
What happened to the snark?!
She's a light-weight character now, all her motivation is....questionable. I don't think she really has a purpose. The gods have a purpose for her and so does Griffin, but I want to know what she wants aside from Griffin. Now that she's decided she is no longer hiding or rather (again) it was decided for her, I want to know what the main character wants aside from the guy and whatever he wants.
Also from the quote shown below, I kinda get the feeling that the author was aware that Cat's dependence on Griffin was a bit iffy:

I may be the one on my knees right now, but I bring this earthquake of a man to his knees as well. He's big and strong and commanding but he needs me. I'm vital. He's becoming the air I breathes but maybe that's alright, because I'm the air he breathes too.

No it's not alright, but more so it's REALLY annoying.

'But he needs me, I'm vital' is what bothers me the most. And this is basically her mantra through the whole book. Griffin needs me so I'm important. It grates.


This is not the type of 'love' I'm into. Well that's a half truth, It's not what I was expecting from a character like Cat. The way the author has written their love story, her love for Griffin has made her weaker rather than stronger and less instead of more. In Cat's mind, she is nothing without Griffin and that's sad. Not sad as in weepy but sad as in pathetic and I can't get behind that.

I saw glimpses of the Cat I love from the first book, cheeky humour here and there, but not enough...

The love scenes were on point though.

When they started dropping the pregnancy hints, I groaned and started mourning the death of a series that seemed so promising ! Cliche after motherfucking cliche.

All that being said, I'll read the next one, I won't pre-order it and wait with bated breath like I did for the first one but I will most likely read it. show less

This romance novel continues the story of Cat and Griffin and their entourage. It, like the first novel in this series, is not great literature, but it is a fun novel to read. There is just enough action in the novel to keep the excitement level up and to keep the reader turning the pages. If you liked the first novel then you definitely should read this one. If you didn't like the first novel - why the heck are you wasting your time reading this one? There is no second book syndrome going on with this novel, as the author has kept the pedal to the metal and not slowed down the action one bit. The author does this by introducing more elements of ancient Greek and Roman life into the plot and gives them a modern fantasy twist. I have to show more admit it, the Argon Games is Rollerball on steroids. Or is that hormones? Oh well - it is great fun. show less

I fell in love with the Kingmaker Chronicles while reading A PROMISE OF FIRE, BREATH OF FIRE would have had to be pretty awful for me to not like the series anymore. BREATH OF FIRE was NOT awful and in fact was just as engaging, adventurous and action packed as book 1!

The beginning chapter just about broke my heart, but it didn't last long and my heart was mended in time for Cat's next adventure. We didn't know a whole lot about Cat when we started reading PROMISE OF FIRE. Her past was slowly revealed and by the end you know who she is. BREATH OF FIRE continues to reveal things about her. There is still a little bit of mystery to her, but I felt like I really knew her by the end of BREATH OF FIRE.

Cat and Griffin's relationship has show more grown a lot the past two books, but again, BREATH OF FIRE brought them to an even higher level. They truly work as a team and have each others backs at every turn. I also love the relationship that Cat has with Griffin's family and friends. They have become her family and friends and it really shows in every interaction and situation. Amanda Bouchet did a phenomenal job in making the supporting characters just as important to the story.

If you loved the action in A PROMISE OF FIRE, you will love it in BREATH OF FIRE. Lots of adventure and danger at every turn forcing the characters to fight for survival. The ending was epic. I didn't want to put the book down the entire time I was reading and the ending made me want the next book even more. There is going to be one heck of a showdown ahead and I will be reading it as soon as I can get my hands on book three!

* This book was provided free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. show less

I have relationship problems with this book. The two main characters; Catalia Fisa and Griffin have a lot of sexual tension but they don't seem to have a lot of conversations going on about them. It left me feeling a little uneasy with them when Griffin wrecked the room around her with a sword and she ran away to her former rooms to escape this anger. I can't blame her. Griffin shaggs his way to forgiveness. It just made me feel uneasy that they really hadn't dealt properly with the problem, just glossed over it.

And that's the problem I had with the story, glossing over the aftereffects of what happens to people. It was readable and I really wanted the characters to succeed. I'm vaguely curious about the conclusion.