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Promise of the rose Item Preview. EMBED for wordpress. Want more? Advanced embedding details, examples, and help! Publication date Publisher Avon Books Collection inlibrary ; printdisabled ; internetarchivebooks ; delawarecountydistrictlibrary ; china ; americana Digitizing sponsor Internet Archive Contributor Internet Archive Language English.
Always, I am drawn back. The Plot blows me away. My hands land on my hips. You're not invited. He turns to leave, and I know I'm supposed to follow. Kato barks a laugh. A Promise of Fire is a good mix of a "damsel in distress" because the heroine is being kidnapped and held against her will but she is actually far from being in distress, she is a badass, kick-ass, and strong-willed woman. She fights back at every turn, is resourceful, and can take care of herself.
I also adored that while being at the mercy of a gruff warlord and his most trusted friends, Cat manages to keep her sarcasm and irony to a high level. Sep 23, Helen 2. He looks at me like he might not be able to breathe without me - like maybe he wouldn't even want to. I've known all sorts of fear - fear of pain, fear of discovery, fear of capture. This is new. This is the kind of fear that teaches me the difference between trying to stay alive, and wanting to live.
Another buddy read with the crazy MacHalo tribe. The plot features Cat, a runaway circus psychic with a family that far surpasses "dysfunctional". She's spent the better part of her life running from past nightmares and her psychotic queen mother. Cat unfortunately struck me at once as a classic Mary Sue archetype. All the signs are there: - ridiculously overpowered ; can steal, absorb, and gift any kind of magic, can discern lies and the truths behind them, can see the future in dreams, has the Gods on her side - everybody loves her ; not one but four gods apparently favor her, all her circles circus friends, Beta Team, Sinta royals are loyal to her, even in her crazy family she's the mom's favorite - withstands every challenge ; soldiers, crazy tests from oracles, murderous family, view spoiler [DRAGONS hide spoiler ] , poison, etc - "special" from birth ; view spoiler [more specifically, she's the lost princess that all her people adore and miss hide spoiler ] , not to mention she's the Kingmaker who only appears every few centuries So you see why I was worried I'd end up hating Cat for all she's worth.
However, it turns out she has a quick wit, a tough outer shell, and a traumatic past that affects all her actions in the present. Plus, she's missing that wide-eyed, naive "why me" act that generally makes me want to strangle Mary Sues.
So, all in all, I like her despite the above points. But put all that aside and enter Griffin , the hulking warlord-turned-royal who swoops in to kidnap Cat for his regime.
I've always been a sucker for the "kidnapped for her power, but kept for her love" storyline. In Thalyria, 3 kingdoms live in unstable peace, with the north harboring most of the realm's magic. The southernmost kingdom Sinta has just experienced a coup in which long-standing magical royals were overthrown by popular non-magical revolutionaries. This starts a power upheaval in the whole region.
Overseeing all this are the ancient Greek gods, reimagined here as far more involved in earthly people's affairs. Very cool! Favorite quote: "So, a strapping warlord, who is actually Beta Sinta, takes one look at you and decides he has to have you? Why you? May 22, Choko rated it liked it Shelves: fantasy , dragons , paranormal-romance. I think this is a case of "it's not you, it's me" I was very excited about this book, after all, look at that cover!!!
And it is named similarly to many of my favorite Fantasy books. So I was all in. It started well enough, a circus, magic-wielding beings, a sassy young woman with mysterious origin and hiding from her past ran away with the circus folks and has made them her family Then this alpha-male Warlord snatches her for himself, supposedly because of her unusual magical talent, but it is obvious her curves and looks all together are a good enough reason by themselves.
So, this dude and his warrior buddies kidnap her against her will, are planning on using her, and just because they don't mistreat her otherwise they think she should be happy and grateful to them! That kept me pissed most of the time, mostly because they never once thought of what they did as wrong and kept not understanding why she is not delirious with happiness to be part of their gang!
Wanted to beat them all over the head with a 2X4, repeatedly!!! I am all for the " hot dude kidnaps hot dudette and after angst and drama lust is born" trope in PNR, but in those there is the understanding in both sides that although there is a presumed reason for the kidnapping, in its entirety it is not right. Then they go through emotional changes on their way to justify their attraction and we reach the inevitable sex Here, only she had some issues with being forced to leave her space and loved ones behind, and showed some flimsy excuse for a fight.
She was eager and willing to accept her kidnappers' argument of why she will be better with him. That was my main issue. The other one was that for a supposed tough-ass chick, Cat was immature and whiny as a 13 year old on a camp, while she really wants to be home watching the Kardashians brat!!!
I wanted to smack her just for the principal of things! Yep, so usually, if a main character bugged me as much as she did, I would go with a lower rating, but I have to say that the story otherwise was imaginative and engaging, the guys were alluring, although the way they fawned over her was nauseating most of the time, and his family was very cool!
The magic was interesting and I would not mind learning more about the world as a whole. I think this could be a good book for PNR fans, but I hope the next book gets better. Now I wish you all Happy Reading and may you always find what you need in the pages of a Good book!!! View all 9 comments. Bouchet, well done. Such a wonderful imagination that immediately had me wanting to go back for more the moment I was forced to put the book down and, you know, attend to 'real life' stuff.
There's just so much creativity, heartbreak, humor and romance here, as well as an assortment of intriguing mythological aspects and characters that I came to adore. And magic? Oh, the cool and marvelous magic Something you've just got to experience for yourself. Never thought I'd say thi 5 stars Well done, Ms. I was seriously tempted to go ahead and read the sneak preview of the next book. Instead, I've decided to save it for when I can no longer help myself and absolutely must have another wee taste of Cat and Griffin's world.
We'll see just how long I can hold out. View all 19 comments. Oct 24, Rachel E. Carter rated it it was amazing Shelves: have-paperback , author-signed-copy. This book was everything I didn't know I wanted. If all adult fantasy was like this I would read it just as often as YA fantasy.
Can't freaking wait for the sequel! And the writing style was right up my freaking alley, not pretentious or overly drawn out detail, just lots of snark and kickass fighting. View all 4 comments. This is now the second time I've read this book and I love it just as much as I did the first time. It's incredible and I love it!! I was scrolling through my local Dymock's instagram feed and they were excited about the release of book 2 and the covers were so beautiful that I went, you know what?
Luckily this random cover buy paid off beca This is now the second time I've read this book and I love it just as much as I did the first time. Luckily this random cover buy paid off because I absolutely loved this book. This is definitely such a hidden gem and I'd highly recommend picking it up if you're after a new adult high fantasy. There's dragons, Greek Gods, magic, lusty romance and a kick ass squad and family.
I absolutely adored every single character and I'm still high key sitting here clapping about how happy this book made me! Real talk: why not a full 5 stars?
Welllllllll it was a bit predictable. It's what I expect from a debut novel to be honest so I'm not mad about it. Plus, there were a few scenes that I had to reread to fully grasp what was going on and who this character was.
Basically if you want a run down, we have Cat who's snarky and sarcastic. She lives in a circus and she predicts peoples future kind of because she can tell the difference between what's a lie and what's truth and SOMETIMES she can see the future.
Also, she can extract other peoples magic and use it herself. However, one day she gets taken by Griffin , a warlord who's trying to find someone with magic that will help his family who has just taken over the throne. Along with Griffin, we have Carver, Flynn and Kato who all had me in stitches. I just loved every single member of the gang.
I just love strong friendships and characters who are accepting new members into their team. Of course, like most novels right now, our two main characters start to fall for each other. I actually really liked Griffin and Cat together and I liked that there wasn't any unnecessary drama caused to split them up - sure, they had their arguments and their moments of separation but there were no moments where they broke up for no reason just for them to get back together 2 pages later.
I would do anything to keep you safe. That is my binding vow. I'd highly recommend this series - it's so underrated. First of all, a giant thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me this ARC for an honest review! Seeing as most of my friends love this book, let me start off by saying I certainly had fun reading it. It was most definitely a page turner. Will I continue to book two?
You bet. But I do have some problems with it that ruined my experience a bit. I'll mark the spoilers so don't worry!
The Plot I'm not going to give a full synopsis, but essentially we follow a girl who is in hiding because o First of all, a giant thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me this ARC for an honest review!
The Plot I'm not going to give a full synopsis, but essentially we follow a girl who is in hiding because of what she is the Kingmaker from her former kingdom. I can't believe I'm going to say this- but I really wish it had taken a backseat believe me.. But the romance payoff could have been much stronger if the other plot details came into play more.
The thing is The romance in itself annoyed me. Don't get me wrong, I like angst and slow burn- but this was so focused on lust. These two kids literally know nothing about each other on a personal level. At times, I really enjoyed their dynamic Not to mention it was a bit too possessive. The history of our heroine is built up to be really interesting even though its PAINFULLY obvious what her secret is, I'm still super interested to see what happens when shit hits the fan.
I was pretty disappointed that all the build up with the other kingdom has yet to pay off. Last complaint: view spoiler [Okay for real- that whole part with Helene? The other girl that has a "crush" on Griffen and threatens Cat and stabs her just over jealousy? So unbelievable. I can't even believe that stereotype just happened. So dumb. This was a bit TMI and graphic for me and I found myself skipping quite a bit. The MC I had a difficult time connecting with Cat our resident heroine.
Her personality just felt a little forced. Her magic was just just downright corny to me. Fire breathing? Lie detector? Future teller? Can steal anyone else's magic? Yeesh woman. The World Building I kid you not. This is a completely new fantasy world but it revolves around greek mythology. I'm talking Zeus, Poseidon, Athena, all them folks. That just weirded me out. Religion aside, the world building was a bit confusing.
The country names are all similar and I was frequently confused on which country was which a map would have helped The structure just feels odd. There are no kings or queens. The leaders are referred to as Apha or Beta I think this was an attempt at being original and it was but I was just scratching my head most of the time. So what was strong then? I really enjoyed the rest of the characters.
The rest of Beta Sinta's team and family were quite fun. I also loved the whole prospect of the kingdom they were trying to build. The politics and struggles were really interesting and I got really attached to their goals. I'm also really looking forward to the inevitable war that happens when Cat is discovered to be among them. So while this book wasn't a bust or anything, I just feel like there was so much more potential.
Perhaps we'll see that in book two. View all 8 comments. I've had this ARC for more than a week now and I'm wondering why I didn't start reading it immediately! This is one of those rare gems, it's also what seems like an urban fantasy but set in a high fantasy world. I devoured this book and while the ending didn't feel like a cliff hanger, I hope there's going to be more because there's definitely room for it. A Promise of Fire, is Cat's story she travels with a circus performing as a soothsayer.
While she's very close her to her fellow performers wh I've had this ARC for more than a week now and I'm wondering why I didn't start reading it immediately! While she's very close her to her fellow performers who she also regards as her family, none of them really know who she is, her past is obviously a sore subject and brings back painful memories. Until Beta Sinta arrives and tears her world and secrets apart. Beta Sinta is a warlord looking for a Kingmaker and he's pretty sure that Cat is one.
He kidnaps her and along with Beta team they travel back to his home with Cat bound to him by an enchanted rope. I can't tell you how many times the heroine in this book had me in stitches. The banter between Cat and Griffin was hilarious. Cat's character is spunky and fierce, she's an independent take no prisoners kind of girl. Griffin is the ultimate alpha male, but definitely not a jerk.
He was so protective of Cat, and would have laid down his life for her. I loved the Beta team, Kato and Flynn wore so cute and so protective of Cat. They were the loving big brothers Cat had never had. I also loved Griffin's family and how they welcomed Cat so easily into their midst. Something else I loved about this book was the strong sense of adventure and the abundance of magic in all its forms. It was thrilling! Andromeda the villain in the story had the perfect amount of evil bitch to make me hate her!
And despite there being very few smexy scenes, there was enough sexual tension that I didn't even miss them. If you're looking for a fun fantasy romance with a strong heroine who falls for an equally strong hero then this book has all those ingredients! Throw in a hefty dose of adventure and magic and you're all set! View all 11 comments.
Jul 02, Maria V. This book was fantastic!! I loved it!! A great blend of fantasy and romance and I loved all the characters.
Basic plot - Griffin kidnaps Cat because she has magic and his realm is in dire need. It has a similar tone and humor of my book, Touch of Power as Griffin's "merry men" are like Kerrick's group. There's lots of action and Cat is willing to sacrifice herself for others similar to Avry. If you enjoyed Touch of Power then you'll enjoy this one as well.
I've only two very small quibbles view This book was fantastic!! I've only two very small quibbles view spoiler [Yes, Cat hates and fights Griffin at every turn - it's understandable, but her resistance despite her feelings get a bit tiresome near the end of the book - it's like holding a music note just a bit too long.
The other is Daphne getting the drop on Cat in the pool- I don't think Cat would have let her guard down, but it helped Cat finally stop trying to push Griffin away so I'm willing to go with it.
May 30, Mei rated it it was amazing Shelves: netgalley , fantasy. What a strangely compelling book! The voice telling the story is Catalia "Cat" Fisa. A woman in hiding. Nobody knows who she is and what she is. Nobody knows her real name. And he wants Cat. The story is very complicated, but at the same time very simple. Not only for Griffin, but for all his family and friends. That tough road is described very, very well with her internal dialogue and sarcastic comments she makes to herself!
A beautiful story that reveals her origins, her being protected by some really powerful people that are not people at all! The books had a kind of HEA, but many, many things are lest unexplained. View all 12 comments. Jun 05, Riley rated it really liked it Shelves: romance. I went into it just wanting romance but the worldbuilding and plot was so good! I really liked how there were greek gods in this world. I just love a good journey plot so once they made it to their destination I was slightly less interested.
But I can't wait to read the rest of this series! Okay guys, what was my blurb immediately after reading A Promise of Fire? This was fantastic! A gritty hot circus with magical intrigue and danger lurking about. Cat is on the run, trying to stay in disguise and hidden away from a ruthlessly evil and maniacal family. She keeps her head down and avoids anything that will reveal who she really is. Problems erupt when a Warlord has become drawn to her. Snatching Cat and taking her home is what Griffin has found himself compelled to do.
He will do what needs to be done to keep himself and his people safe. Plenty of doors have been opened for more books to come, with a plotline that has a fountain of opportunities to weave a deeper more involved story. Amanda Bouchet is a first time author, but I see a long and fan filled careering ahead of her.
View all 10 comments. Apr 19, Princess under cover rated it it was amazing Recommended to Princess under cover by: Katerina. Shelves: fantasy-paranormal , favorites.
Really good recommendation by a Goodreads friend Katerina. This is my first foray back into fantasy books since I abandoned it when I was in college. Just too long winded sometimes and I'm an impatient person. Putting Out Fires by Marie Sexton. Song of Oestend by Marie Sexton. Promises, Promises by Erica James. Never a Hero by Marie Sexton. The Letter Z by Marie Sexton. Paris A to Z by Marie Sexton.
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