Leo and Anna have known each other since childhood, having been raised as cousins. As they grew up, their feelings for each other began to blossom. It was during their time at the Kingmakers that these feelings became more apparent. This book is set in a new world on an island that has been transformed into a college for children of mafia and criminals. It can be intense and challenging at times, reminding me of The Hunger Games in some ways. Dean is Leo's cousin who grew up in Russia. He had a difficult relationship with Leo's family, and there was animosity between their families. Dean believed that the Gallos were his enemy and despised Leo and Anna's closeness. He tried to interfere in their relationship, causing fights and trying to keep them apart.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for granting me an e-arc!

This is my first Sophie Lark book, and I’m excited to continue reading this series! I will definitely be checking out other books by her as well.

Anna and Leo have been raised together as “cousins” since birth, making them the closest of best friends. The two are both from mafia families in Chicago, and have both enrolled in Kingmakers, an elusive, elite school for young adults in mafia families. The school offers courses in five different specialties, and Leo and Anna are both Heirs.

As the two embark on the school, there are concerns about conflict within Leo’s family. A long ago feud makes things very tense when Leo encounters Dean, a cousin of Leo’s who absolutely despises Leo and his entire family for the fate of Dean’s father and grandfather. Surprisingly, the family feud isn’t their only point of contention- the boys both want Anna.

Anna has had feelings for Leo for a long time, but assumed he sees her as family, so she kept her crush to herself. Little does she know that Leo has also felt the same. But since the two haven’t discussed their feelings, a bit of drama ensues at Kingmakers. Dean makes it known that he wants to be with Anna, and a love triangle of sorts begins.

On top of their feelings, everyone is also very invested in an annual competition that happens at the school- each grade faces off in various competitions to see who is the ultimate champion.No one remembers how long it’s been since freshmen have won, but with Anna and Leo being a part of the youngest class, things may just change this year.

I really enjoyed this book! I think it’s perfect for anyone looking for a dark academia read, especially this fall! My one complaint with the book is how the men repeatedly alluded to “owning” Anna- I wish it was phrased differently.

Definitely an interesting series that I will continue!!

Love it. It was great. I like the story and how it was done, like the main characters and their personalities. Enjoyed a lot

I did not realize this came out in 2022 and this was a re release HOWEVER, I am so glad I read it! The book took me on a wild ride! For starters the brilliant way she wrote the two main male characters had me pining for both! I was as confused as to where this was gonig. The pace was really great. It took me a minute to get into it and really familiar with the characters and then I hit a point where I finished the whole last half of the book in a day.

I feel like I deeply related to Anna. There were so many times in this book I thought she was just like me (only much more cool and a lot more money lol). She could go to really dark places and ballet and reading was her escape. The connection between Anna and Leo is extraordinary. Reading about them was intoxicating. When Dean came into the picture it really threw me for a loop. I was frustrated and could not stop reading. I was very satisfied with the ending, I thought it was very very fitting. I definitely want to go back and read more of this author.

꧁𝓠𝓾𝓸𝓽𝓮𝓼꧂

I want to keep everything I love perfect and unchanging, preserved under glass like a snow globe.

“Power is not only in what we do but in what we don’t do,” Anna quotes calmly.

I don’t want to think about anything in my real life. That’s what books are for. To take you away.

Kingmakers Academy, where the children of the world's most powerful mafia families are trained in the dark arts of criminal enterprise. Interesting concept right? Just this sentence in the Blurb had me…. You know when all of the mafia children are put together, there will be action, drama and angst! And oh boy was I right! Sophie Lark delivers a thrilling mix of danger, rivalry, and forbidden romance that had me hooked from the first page.

Leo Gallo, son of the infamous Sebastian and Yelena, enters Kingmakers ready to prove himself. But the academy's strict rules—like no fighting or killing—are easier said than followed when tensions are high and rivalries run deep. Amidst the deadly games and power struggles, Leo finds himself drawn to Anna, a fiery and fearless student who’s off-limits in every way.

From the moment Leo and Anna meet, sparks fly, and their chemistry is undeniable. As they navigate the treacherous waters of Kingmakers, you can’t help but root for them. Their relationship builds beautifully, with just the right amount of tension, passion, and the ever-present threat of danger.

Anna and Leo’s love story is one of the highlights of the book. Despite the odds stacked against them—especially with obstacles like the annoying ‘Dean’ (yes this will be a thing now, whenever you hate a character, just compare it to Dean and see which one you hate more!) they fight for their love, making you cheer them on with every twist and turn. Their journey is intense, romantic, and oh-so-satisfying, especially when you see them emerge as the end game. Was truly relieved for this… wouldn’t be able to handle it the other way round.

Sophie Lark does an incredible job of blending romance with the gritty world of mafia politics, creating a story that’s as thrilling as it is heartwarming.

Kingmakers: Year One is a must-read for fans of dark academia, forbidden love, and stories where the stakes couldn’t be higher. I am eagerly awaiting the next instalment, desperate to see what’s in store for the rest of the Kingmakers.

Thank you to the publisher Bloom Books, The author Sophie Lark and Netgalley for a copy of this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Obsessed would be an understatement when it comes to this series. I love the mafia school so much wow. The dynamic of it is amazing and the students are so interesting... I am intrigued at all their stories (specifically Ares)

This was my first book by Sophie Lark and it definitely won’t be my last. This was also my first mafia book, and I have to say, I really enjoyed it and can’t wait to read the rest of the series. I love the new cover, the characters are well thought out and the plot kept me intrigued. Definitely recommend.

Solid 4 stars.

THIS BOOK. I was literally so hooked from the beginning. Sophie Lark's writing style in this book is so easy to follow, though sometimes repetitive, I absolutely ate this up. I really was impressed with the fanart at the beginning and throughout the book. I love having visuals because I find it hard to imagine a character in my head. I also really appreciated the family trees!

I loved the dark academia vibe that this book gave and it is my first true mafia romance so I was very impressed by the build up of tension. The characters were mostly likable but driven by their backstories and family ties. The only thing that kept me from feeling like this was a 5 star read was that at points the writing felt very repetitive and maybe leaning a bit into YA (juvenile.) I know that the book is meant to be from the perspectives of 18 year olds but still. This is a book with lots of spice and some detailed explicit scenes so the juxtaposition of the juvenileish writing felt out of place and took me out of the story at certain points.

I will definitely be continuing this series but I am obsessed with the plot lines!!!!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Sourcebooks/Bloom Books for this arc.

I loved the Brutal Birthright series so I knew I had to jump on Kingmakers! Can we talk about the cover? The setting in this book is hauntingly beautiful. I loved the concept of a mafia college plus the next generation as well. Here they're competing to be winners and the challenges were cool.

Leo and Anna have been best friends since kids and leaving for Kingmakers together. Also, going to Kingmakers is Dean Yenin 👀 Cue the tension! We have friends to lovers situation along with a bit of a love triangle 🙈 I loved the characters I think they each had something special about them. However, Dean does make some questionable choices throughout this book but I'm very interesting to see where his character goes.

Thank you Netgalley and bloom books for the gifted copy.

DNF at 55%
Honestly, I was bored reading this book. I wanted to like it, but I just couldn’t get into it. This is probably a me thing, because it had all the elements that I generally like - dark academia, mafia, dark romance, what appeared to be interesting characters, but it just wasn’t for me.

I think I found my new favorite series! There are so many connections to the Underworld and Brutal birthright series. I am not finished with those two series just yet, but I still enjoyed it. I loved the concept of a moody dark academia setting for mafia children. Ana and Leo are literally the definition of friends to lovers. There is a love triangle going on involving a family rival Dean. This man here!!! I was honestly kind of shocked that I liked his character at first, but it changed towards the end of the book. I don't think he is a total lost cause, but he has done some questionable things in this book. I will be continuing this series, and I am excited to see where it leads to next.

I really wanted to love this book but it was unfortunately not for me. Which is sad because I love Sophie Lark's other books but I could not for the life of me get into this book.

A school filled with mafia kids, sign me up!!
This book was unlike any mafia/academia book that I’ve read.
I love how Sophie included multiple povs so we can see the book from various angles and actually get to see how the characters are feeling and what they are going through.
I think my favorite thing about this book was Ana and Leo’s friendship and how it develops throughout the book.
The book kind of gives me Harry Potter vibes but without any magic. It’s cool to see how there are different house and challenges like in Harry Potter.

I thoroughly enjoyed book 1 and can’t wait to read the rest of the series:)

Zodiac academy, meets dark and Gothic twistyschool., mafia meets Harry potter and the magicians. Interesting world and characters. Not my favorite thing in the world but saw what the author was trying to accomplish

I went into Kingmakers pretty blind. I haven't read a Sophie Lark book yet and wanted to try one. I was not disappointed. Normally, I do NOT like love triangles. However, I felt this wasn't really a love triangle. Anna never really liked Dean. She didn't even really want to date him, but he was super pushy and forced her. But, more about that in a minute.

Anna and Leo have been best friends their entire lives. Both of them start feeling more than friend feelings, but don't want to say anything to the other. Overall, I just loved these two! I was frustrated with their lack of clear communication, but honestly it all made sense. They acted like I expect college kids to act-scared to ruin a friendship. I also loved seeing how they brought the best out of each other. Anna needs Leo's confidence and pep. Leo needs Anna to keep him in line. The plot is interesting, since this isn't a normal "college". The danger of the competitions was cool and getting to know some of the other kids added depth to the story.

This was my first Sophie Lark book and it was a hit! I can't wait to dive into book 2!

Thank you Sophie Lark and NetGalley for the ARC!

3 Stars!

When I read the blurb and saw that this was a mafia world with a college specifically for their kids, I was so excited. I expected a fun school with lots of drama and romance. I loved the school and the atmosphere we got from it. I would love to attend for a day lol. However, we are given a friends to lover's story, and the chemistry wasn't there for me. I was confused on why we had the third pov from Dean, when he wasn't a love interest. I honestly thought it was the perfect opportunity for a love triangle. Then Dean did something pretty messed up, and I didn't want his pov any longer.

Overall, this one just missed the mark for me.

I absolutely love Sophie, I love her writing so much! I would literally read her grocery list. I really did enjoy this book but I think I need to go back and finish the brutal brightright series about the parents!

I'm not entirely clear on the official difference between YA and NA, but in my personal definition, YA is where the characters in the book are high-school aged, and NA is where the characters are university or college-aged. So, by that definition, this book would be New Adult, and I've always had a hard time with New Adult books, because I can never really relate to them. I find the characters are always too immature, or too mature.

In the case of this book, I found the characters to be too very immature, though to be fair, they were fresh out of high school. I also wasn't a fan of the character art that was at the end of some of the chapters, the art style wasn't my thing at all. Some of the art near the end was very pretty, but didn't actually depict the scene of what happened in the book very well.

By about 30%, I noticed that the story was reminding me of Fourth Wing a little bit, just without any dragons. Probably just because of the "four quadrants, and part of a school" part of the story.

At 37%, and only by reading someone else's review, did I find out that the Kingmakers series is actually the second story arc, and should really be read after the author's Brutal Birthright series. (Kingmakers seems to be king of "Brutal Birthright series, the next generation", as it's all the kids of the characters of the first series.) GAH I wish I had known that, I would have read that series first to really have more depth into these characters! A little author's note or something at the very beginning as a 'heads up' would have been nice. sigh! This series can be read on it's own, but I would have liked to have that additional background, because the family's backgrounds and feuds and things does come into play.

In the end, it was a fast-paced, entertaining read, which was great. No slow parts, no boring parts, I was always interested to see what would happen next. I definitely want to continue the series, but first I want to go back and read the Brutal Birthright series!

I really enjoyed this story, and that goes for the re-release as well!

The premise of Kingmakers is basically Hogwarts for children of mafia families- and I’m here for it.

The three person POV was interesting since it’s not a poly story, but I think it offered important perspective!

Looking forward to the re-release of the rest of the series too!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC. Unfortunately, after getting to 33% of the book, I decided to DNF this one for several reasons.

Maybe if I had it in paper form I would be able to flip back to the beginning of the book to see the family tree over and over again to figure out how everyone is related. There’s so many characters and backstories we are told up front that it was a whirlwind trying to put them all into perspective.

I also think that the language and characters are too young for me now. At 34, I think high school into college age is just not relatable to me anymore.

I was very excited that this was suppose to be a mafia college type book. As a fan of mafia romances, I was so excited but at this stage of the book there’s been nothing really giving life to this claimed theme. Maybe if I read more we’d get more into it but other than it being a literal college setting filled with other mafia groups children, this isn’t giving what I was expecting.

Maybe I can pick this up at a later date but as of right now, it doesn’t work for me.