A review by emfass
The Kingmaker by Kennedy Ryan
adventurous
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
I mean, I just, I can't....PHEW. Kennedy Ryan has been at the top of my list of Authors I Need to Check Out and my friends, the rumors are fuckin' true. She is writing on another level.
The intense emotionality, the crystal clear characters, the consent--my god, the CONSENT! The way Maxim checks in with Lennix, over and over again, while still making it abundantly clear all the ways he wants her. *fans self*
I was also SO INTO the political discussions in this book, and the awareness raised by making the heroine, Lennix, "a proud member of the Yavapai-Apache Nation."
I loved the way both Maxim and Lennix were uncompromising and ambitious in going after what they wanted for their lives. The way that (small spoiler) Ryan uses time in this story to track a relationship over many years, and the ways people grow and change and come to know themselves and hold onto the memories that matter most was just...UGH. SO GOOD.
That's all the words I have for now. Please note this one ends on about as high stakes a cliffhanger as they come, and you will want to have The Rebel King teed up and ready to go.
The intense emotionality, the crystal clear characters, the consent--my god, the CONSENT! The way Maxim checks in with Lennix, over and over again, while still making it abundantly clear all the ways he wants her. *fans self*
I was also SO INTO the political discussions in this book, and the awareness raised by making the heroine, Lennix, "a proud member of the Yavapai-Apache Nation."
I loved the way both Maxim and Lennix were uncompromising and ambitious in going after what they wanted for their lives. The way that (small spoiler) Ryan uses time in this story to track a relationship over many years, and the ways people grow and change and come to know themselves and hold onto the memories that matter most was just...UGH. SO GOOD.
That's all the words I have for now. Please note this one ends on about as high stakes a cliffhanger as they come, and you will want to have The Rebel King teed up and ready to go.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Death of parent, Grief, Kidnapping, Police brutality, and Violence
Minor: Gun violence, Misogyny, and Racial slurs
Lots of references to Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women