Breath of Fire & Heart on Fire (Kingmaker Chronicles, #2-3) by Amanda Bouchet

Warning: potential spoilers if you have not read the other books.

Synopsis (via Goodreads):
SHE'S DESTINED TO DESTROY THE WORLD... "Cat" Catalia Fisa has been running from her destiny since she could crawl. But now, her newfound loved ones are caught between the shadow of Cat's tortured past and the threat of her world-shattering future. So what's a girl to do when she knows it's her fate to be the harbinger of doom? Everything in her power.

BUT NOT IF SHE CAN HELP IT
Griffin knows Cat is destined to change the world-for the better. As the realms are descending into all-out war, Cat and Griffin must embrace their fate together. Gods willing, they will emerge side-by-side in the heart of their future kingdom...or not at all.

“Kato looks ill. “I… It… Me…” He stares at the massive snake. “Big.”I squeeze his arm. “Don’t worry. You’ll speak in complete sentences again soon.”

I really enjoyed the story and world-building for the first book, and I was excited to jump back into this series. Breath of Fire picks up right where the other book ends, so there isn't a lag or jump to adjust to.

Cat and Griffin have an initial argument that seems bizarre and out-of-nowhere, and he's also a little cruel and abusive, which doesn't seem like the Griffin from A Promise of Fire. He would never hurt Cat, even if he was angry, and now he's banging her head against a wall. It just didn't fit. Overall though, I did enjoy the additional information for Carver, Kato and Flynn. I still wish there had been more, but it was better this time. I also like that there was an entire section that only included Kato and Cat. He's quickly becoming my favorite character!

Piers makes me uncomfortable. I don't like how abrasive he seems to be, or how calculating. He's the bookworm of the family, but I feel like he is planning something awful.

The story is compelling and engaging, so I never wanted to put it down, but there were still quite a few things that irked me. For example, Cat is more than willing to sacrifice herself for her male companions, but she still always seems to end up the Damsel in Distress. She's a strong female character, but then she isn't. Blargh, it's confusing.

♡

Synopsis (via Goodreads):
Who is Catalia Fisa?
With the help of pivotal figures from her past, Cat begins to understand the root of her exceptional magic, her fated union with Griffin Sinta, and Griffin's role in shaping her destiny.

Only Cat holds the key to unlocking her own power, and that means finally accepting herself, her past, and her future in order to protect her loved ones, confront her murderous mother, and taking a final, terrifying step—reuniting all three realms and taking her place as the Queen of Thalyria.

What doesn't kill her will only make her stronger...we hope.

“I am caught. You caught me. Not the other way around. From the very first day. And from the very first day, I would have done anything for you—except let you go. I couldn’t. Not when deep down, I knew we were meant to be like this. To love like this.” 

I received ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thoughts and opinions are my own. Also, the quote I used may have changed or been altered in some way, but I am quoting from what I received.

So. Many. Questions.

I have enough loose ends to make a sweater. This is how it ended? Really? The entire series has been action-packed and fraught with turmoil, and then it just ends. I groaned when I looked down and saw there was only 1% left in the book. I knew that meant there would be no further explanations, and that it was unfortunately the only conclusion I would be getting. It was incredibly anticlimactic, which was honestly a surprise. 

I wish Cat had fewer and shorter inner monologues. They would last page after page even in the middle of a battle. The girl has the thought process of a snail. I didn't mind her thoughts and explanations, I just wish they had been condensed. That time could have been better spent evolving other characters or the story. I still don't feel like I know them well enough. Kato is definitely my favorite, which is why *highlight to view spoiler» I will never forgive Amanda Bouchet for killing him off. He didn't need to die for Cat to learn something she should have figured out an entire book sooner. Gods, I cried and over that. I liked him more than Cat. It was annoying watching her struggle with the same problem over and over again. 

I know it sounds like I didn't like this book, or the series, but surprisingly that's not true. I really enjoyed these books. I quite literally could not put them down. I think I read the last two books in just three days. I stayed up entirely too late to finish them, too. The story itself is captivating and mind-consuming. The Greek Mythology, always a bonus for me, was phenomenal. I love that Persephone and Ares were a main focus. Persephone isn't always a god that's given a lot of attention, and Bouchet shows a softer side of Ares. Who knew he could be compassionate? He's always portrayed as a brute.

I did love these books, there were just really big things that I found infuriating and wish had been written a little differently. There were a few unexpected twists, and I can't believe I didn't figure some of them out sooner. It was like a slap to the forehead when they were revealed. 

A Promise of Fire (Kingmaker Chronicles, #1) by Amanda Bouchet

Synopsis (via Goodreads): 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. 

"Never in a billion suns. Not even if Zeus showed up as a swan and tried to peck me in your direction. I wouldn't go with you even if my other option was Hades dragging me to the Underworld for an eternal threesome with Persephone."

Why am I having trouble writing this review? Did I like the book? Definitely. Would I read it again? Yes. Am I anxious to read the next book in the series? Mostly. I can't put my finger on what bothered me about this book. I feel like it ended too abruptly and in a way that didn't fit in with everything else. I was also starting to get a little frustrated with Cat, so I think the last few chapters left a sour taste in my mouth.

I'm all for angst and building romantic tension between characters, but they have to break at some point. I was annoyed with Cat's lack of commitment and self-loathing. She should have grown and gotten more comfortable in her own skin. She has trust issues, which are understandable, but Griffin and the others repeatedly prove their love and genuine concern for her. She would trust them with her life and her love, but not with her secrets? What kind of a relationship is that? Eventually, she should have broken down and confided in her new "family," but she didn't. We as readers know what is going on (for the most part), which only made it more maddening when Cat wouldn't confide in anyone else. I know she thought she was protecting them, but I wanted to pull my hair out.

The ending was abrupt and felt a little forced. I don't know how many times Cat nearly had to die while four men fluttered around her and tried to move mountains. I also don't feel like her male companions got enough attention in the book. I can easily describe what they looked like and how they smelled, but I want to know characters on a deeper and more personal level. Where did they come from? Why are they so loyal to Griffin?

Now, with all that being said, those are just my feelings about the last few chapters. I was thoroughly enjoying the book up until then. There's magic, Greek mythology, a She-Dragon--all things I love reading about. I frequently found myself grinning from ear to ear, and a few times I literally laughed out loud. The Beta Team banter was one of my favorite things, and I loved Cat's short, internal arguments with herself. I just wish the story had progressed a little differently, and that Cat would have confided in someone by now.