Amanda Bouchet returns to the world of her Kingmaker Chronicles with a new book that focuses on Griffin’s younger sister, Jocasta, and his best friend, Flynn. Now that Cat and Griffin are installed as the Queen and King of a newly united Thalyria, they can no longer go adventuring. So when Cat is given the Elixir of Eternal Life (it’s a bad thing), they must remain at court, pretending everything is fine. Jocasta, an herbalist and healer, thinks she can find Circe’s island prison and win an antidote from her.
I sped reread A Promise of Fire, Breath of Fire, and Heart of Fire to refresh myself on the story so far. I still like A Promise of Fire the best, even though there is still the issue of Griffin kidnapping Cat.
Jocasta has a theory that there is about to be a war among the gods on Olympus and that the attack on Cat and some other events are designed to see who is willing to help Zeus, Poseidon, and Athena, and who is not. Jocasta is the brains and heart of the group that goes to look for Circe. It was fun to read about a woman with no magic, and no significant gift at warfare leading an adventure in this world where gods, titans, and magical creatures are active participants.
Flynn and Jocasta have been in love with each other for years, but Flynn feels like he isn’t good enough for her, and after losing his entire family years before, he is reluctant to love and build a family of his own. Flynn is the weak link in the story until he gives up and admits to Jocasta that he loves her. After that he is much less annoying and very happy to let Jocasta lead.
A Curse of Queens was fun. It doesn’t quite have the snap, crackle, pop of A Promise of Fire, but I suspect the next book will. With Jocasta and Flynn settled happily at the end of the book, I have my suspicions about where Bouchet will take the series next, and I can’t wait.
Also, after inhaling 4 Kingmaker Chronicle books, I would like to request that Amanda Bouchet publish a recipe for the spice cake that is eaten in all of the books. I want one. I want to be able to make it. I made myself some gingerbread cake, but I’m not sure it’s the same thing.
CW: grief for several family deaths that happened either before the start of the series, or in the previous book, illness, injury, memory of past sexual assault, attempted sexual assault, unfairness of the gods’ treatment of Medusa and the Gorgons, unfairness of the gods, betrayal.
I received this as an advance reader copy from Sourcebooks and NetGalley. My opinions are my own, freely and honestly given.