Sophie Lark

I’d Go Anywhere For Her…

Even to Kingmakers, the most brutal college in the world. Where mafia heirs are trained to control, dominate, infiltrate, and kill.

I followed Anna because she’s my best friend. I’ve always been right by her side.

She needs me to protect her. Especially from Dean Yenin, a Bratva heir with a lethal grudge.

He plans to take everything from me. Starting with Anna...


The Lark Notes:
Buckle up, ladies! You just received your acceptance letter to Kingmakers. You’ve never experienced so much raging hormones, bitter grudges, violent angst, and nail-biting mystery. Keep your eyes open for Easter Eggs from the Underworld and Brutal Birthright series, as well as plenty of clues for the twists, turns, and dark secrets that will be revealed at Kingmakers. – Sophie

“The Heir” is the first book in the epic dark mafia Kingmakers Series. It’s a forbidden friends-to-lovers romance filled with mystery, suspense, and kindle-melting bedroom scenes that take place everywhere but the bedroom.

Kingmakers, #1

The Heir

“Hate to break it to you,” Miles says, “but you two ain’t subtle. You’ve had a real Sweet Home Alabama vibe since you were about twelve.”

He swapped positions with me, and now he’s basking in the light of the most beautiful girl in school, and I’m the one locked outside, jealously looking in with my face pressed up against the glass.

But polite is almost worse than hateful. Because there’s no passion in it.

You would think I’d be used to his beauty, having known him all my life. But instead, it’s the opposite—he’s my standard of what a man should be.

And Anna is just . . . someone I could be around forever.

It’s funny how even the simplest words can cut if they’re said sharply enough.

Anna is the only person I’ve ever met more intense than me. Sometimes she scares me a little. But mostly she’s my balance, my rock.

Keira 💫

Morana 

omggg i love this story tho i still need more of their relationship.

But seriously I didn't quite like the very end scene. Like the epilogue was nice however the final scene and dialogues were just not my fav idk maybe it's a personal thing but oh well. 

Also does anyone else feel like it's heavily inspired by harry potter or is it just my craze🙈

Stranded 

OMG HES SO FINE AND YUMMY. 

But seriously I didn't quite like the very end scene. Like the epilogue was nice however the final scene and dialogues were just not my fav idk maybe it's a personal thing but oh well. 

Also does anyone else feel like it's heavily inspired by harry potter or is it just my craze🙈

Yummy book nonetheless 😋

I’m not the biggest fan of love triangle books, but I loved the Brutal Prince series so I wanted to read this one. It was better than I was expecting. The only thing I really didn’t like was how Dean pressuring Anna didn’t really seem to be an issue? But other than that, definitely not the worst love triangle book.

Ana Clara Moreno

ALMAS GEMEAS BEST FRIENDS TO LOVERS amei muito

this was such a fun read and i loved it. we have childhood best friends to lovers, and on top of that they’re mafia children that basically attend mafia hogwarts!!!! like thats so fun!!! i dont get how ppl said the romance buildup wasnt there, like did we read the same book?? i absolutely love this series and am i excited to read more, which is shocking because i had low expectations since it’s a spinoff series

Danyella Barajas

Skye

“you don’t have to be perfect to be the perfect person for me”

•
I absolutely loved this book! the setting was fantastic and vivid, the slow burn was delicious, and the characters were captivating. everything about the story was so strong. it’s the best I’ve read from Sophie yet! 
•

read if you like:
♡ mafia romance 
♡ multiple POVs 
♡ dark academia settings 
♡ boarding school style college 
♡ childhood best friends-to-lovers
♡ family rivalries 
♡ ancient seaside castles with lots of secrets 
♡ ballet 
♡ slow burn 
♡ team competitions 
♡ on-page spice 
♡ love triangle 
♡ strong character development 

trigger warnings:
☞ mentions of rape and suicide 
☞ parental abandonment / neglect 
☞ sexual assault 
☞ emotional manipulation 
☞ attempted murder
☞ roofies

Lover of Romance 

The Heir is the first book in the "Kingmakers" series by Sophie Lark. This author is a hit or miss for me. I really love her as a person, but her writing doesn't always do it for me. This series is probably her most well loved series. I absolutely had a fun time with The Heir. It was much more atmospheric than I was expecting. The setting of the series is super fun and I really enjoyed how it all played out. Now there is LOTS of angst and drama for a friends to lovers romance but it is taboo and forbidden but that aspect really wasn't that focused to be honest. So while it wasn't my favorite taboo as it was just too close to incest for me, it definitely is an aspect that I think will work for many readers especially if you enjoy books that push boundaries. I personally wasn't a huge fan of all the angst and not that much couple time. Seriously, once the angst is worked through, its like the end of the book almost and its a 500 page book. I wasn't a fan of that, as our pair just gets divided for much of the book and I didn't care for that aspect too much to be honest. It just makes for a more challenging time in feeling the connection between the two characters. 

We do get some drama between the hero and the cousin Dean, and yeah its going to be bad before it gets better that is for sure. I am hoping everything between the cousins does get resolved before they kill each other though. But we shall see, I try not to have too high of expectations with Sophie Lark, because anything goes. However I know Dean's book is the most well loved out of the whole series, so its one I am definitely looking forward to. The biggest downside to picking up this series is the new covers. The author is switching out her covers for illustrated and I really am not caring for it much. *sigh* I can't wait for this fad to end. 

Overall I found "The Heir" to be a wildly entertaining story set in a super atmospheric world that fascinated me from beginning to end. I can't wait to see what happens next throughout the series.

Anita

Daniella Cuesta

** spoiler alert **
           This was cute in a mafia-high stakes-badass way. Childhood friends to lovers, Leo and Anna were so adorable and I won’t lie I almost DNF’d cause of how casually the author dealt with Leo being drugged and then assaulted. I don’t know why we treat these things differently from it happening to a woman compared to a man because they’re both utterly disgraceful. Besides that, I love how Dean is literally insane. It made the stakes so much higher. The smut was also interesting and I kinda cringed so hard with the dialogue (Monica you know what I’m talking about lmao). Also, the ending smut moment was a hardcore escalation. They were virgins and then suddenly in less than a month they’re experimenting with hardcore events. Super intense but kinda hot, hence the 4 stars :)

i had so much fun with this!! i just wish it could have more romance but it was good!! intense and funny and hot and cute at the same time!!

catia

Catarina Silva

3 stars
I enjoyed the romance, but Dean was crazy and I didn't really care about the school stuff

ALÓ, esto es harry potter para mafiosos? ILOVEIT

3⭐ solo por dean. aunque sea un raro hijo de su mami? si, sea un mal perdedor? obvio, y que tenga graves daddy and mommy issues? absolutamente PERO ES MÁS INTERESANTE QUE EL HUEVO SIN SAL DE LEO igual que su papá (perdón Seb el cojo, pero lo tenía que decir) 

voy a pasar por alto eso de que anna y leo se criaron como primos y que sean medios UDI pa sus weas.

MILES otra razón por las 3 ⭐, se nota que es hijo de aida y call, tkm miles no cambies nunca.

NESSAMIKO PADRES! THAT'S SO FUCKING CUTE I LOVE THEM

ME FALTÓ ARES, hes cute pero siento que oculta algo tkm dios griego.

kendall p

this was my first mafia book, and the only reason i picked it up is because the author described it as ‘mafia hogwarts’.

it definitely did give me those vibes - the school, uniforms, rules etc.

the kingmakers is a school full of mafiso children from all over the globe. you have the heirs, accountants, enforcers and spies. they all come to this remote island in order to train for their families mafia.

we are given triple povs. all in the division of the heir. anna, leo and dean.
i’m not gonna lie, i didn’t care for these three. i did enjoy the story, and i did like the characters for the most part but i feel like the side characters really carried this one story.

that being said, these characters did have their strengths. the love story is so sweet - it’s bestfriends to ex friends to lovers. they really care about each other, and i could really see the spark between the two.

i feel so bad for dean. i didn’t like the way he went about things, and how he blamed leo for everything but that’s how their world is. i wish he could find someone who cares and loves him. he deserves it.

it’s not too mafia - there’s some terminology here and there, but we are at a school where they’re training so it’s not really too crazy in that sense. if you’re like me, and looking to just dip your toes in the mafia world then this is perfect!

over all, i did enjoy the writing style, and plot so i will be continuing with the series. miles was my fav side character so i’m super excited for the rebel. ⚔️

clau

once i got into it i couldn’t stop reading

Shay

I can't believe it took me so long to read this book! Since I finished this one a few days ago, I think my rating might be a bit too high and should probably be about 4.5 instead of the full stars. Still, I love this book and had so much fun reading it that I'm just leaving it at 5-stars. So in this one, we are following Leo, Anna, and Dean, and I can't believe that this book took me from rooting for one team and then swapped it for rooting for the other as it did. So Dean and Leo are estranged cousins and Dean's like the underdog. He had a rough childhood, and I can't help but root for the underdog.
On the other hand, Leo is a very spoiled boy and had everything so easy growing up, so he had that very obnoxious attitude. But by the middle of the book, my opinions of the two swapped juristically to the point I was rooting for Leo and hating Dean. Outside of these three characters, the setting and background were so much fun, too, because we are at this college that's like a boarding school for all of the kids of these big crime families. The students are divided into different classes based on their roles, so we have spies, accountants, enforcers, and heirs. Watching these kids' journeys at this new school was so fascinating. I flew through this book, and I just need to get my hands on the next one ASAP! The next one follows one of Anna's friends. Since they're all at school together, I can only assume that Anna, Leo, and Dean will pop up at some point, but I just really want more of Kingmakers.

alyssa 

First off i want to say that sophie really did such an amazing with the brutal birthright series, she was so organized and it made the smoothest read . now onto kingmakers i feel as if i’m going to have another smooth read . 
Overall i loved this read , i love that it was bestfriends to lovers and i might have loved it a little more because i can definitely relate .. it was incredible how well leo and anna clicked and they’re just like 2 magnets , knowing everything about each other , reading each other’s body language .
i’m really glad the book ended the way it did .

Logan Chisholm

SO HAPPY to be attending Kingmakers academy rn. I’d heard it described as Hogwarts but for mafia kids, and literally what’s not to love about that description. The world that Sophie has built is freaking incredible and i truly felt like I was there with them. I absolutely loved Leo and Anna, they are the best parts of both their parents while being totally their own people. (I feel like I enjoyed this book a million times more having read about all the parents in brutal birthright first, so don’t skip those.) 

Love triangle plots stress me tf out, so I struggled w that a teeny bit bc honestly I typically avoid books with them all together, but it’s Sophie so obviously I had to read it. I was glad to see Leo humbled a little bit. I love a possessive mafia man as much as the next gal here, but he just assumed Anna would always be his and he hadn’t deserved her yet at the beginning of the book. Anna is SUCH a bad ass, and i absolutely love how similar she is to Miko. 

I have a love hate relationship with Dean, anytime I started to feel sympathy for him, he would fck it up and make me not like him again lol so I’m really excited to see his growth and character development! I’m also in love with Ares, but when I asked my friends about him I got radio silence…. Suspicious. CANNOT WAIT for Miles the hottie now.

Medha Vadlamudi

I picked up this book based on a TikTok recommendation—unbeknownst to me that it was a mafia romance—and abandoned it about 150 pages in. But I had a couple of hours to kill so I decided to finish it and I found myself pleasantly surprised.

Mafia romances often guarantee a plot wholly consisting of a simpering maiden in distress, a mafia don who hates everyone but said maiden, and a plot filled with random acts of violence. This book is the exception. The characters were well developed and told from different points of view, making the story multi-layered and interesting. And throughout the story, the various events that occurred actually moved the plot forward instead of acting as fillers to break up sex scenes. There were parts of the novel that I didn't agree with, but I would recommend this book to a friend and will probably read the rest of the series.

Kristen Gillis

“Fantasies are so much more than dreams—they’re a vision of the path you need to take to get what you want.”

Leo and Anna are completely made for each other. Being raised side by side for their entires lives, there is no better match. 

All of the miscommunication between Anna and Leo killed me. The slow burn in the book is real, but completely worth it in the end.

Every side character grips you, I can’t wait to read their stories ❤️ Dean, oh Dean, I know he has a book in the series and let me just say his redemption arc better be large!

Milanna K

It was fine… but could have been so much better. It was too slow in some places, and felt rushed in others. Almost felt like this was just intended to be a place holder for something else? But idk… just didn’t feel like the story was enough to stay engaged 

Tanya 

Still on the fence about this, will update later
____________________________________________

I was very excited to start this series and I edged myself because it’s much shorter than Brutal Birthright. I went into this completely blind, I didn’t know which kids these would be about other than Leo & Anna bc of Heavy crown obviously. This series started out very differently to Brutal Birthright. This follows Leo & Anna who have been bestfriends since birth now are 18 and heading off to a school that teaches you about the mafia. Leo is Sebs & Yelenas only child, Anna is Miko & Nessas oldest. .

At the beginning we get alot of info about the school, the mafia families, & side characters along the way. I can’t lie it was a lot of info to digest but I’m grateful for it because it lays everything out for us moving forward. 

Because of the information dump I felt like we missed out on a lot of time to see Leo & Anna together. At first it was like they didn’t even know they were that into each other, then Dean being in the story definitely put a wrench into things and caused lots of havoc. The miscommunication in here really threw me for a loop. Majority of the book Anna & Leo were not together and I felt like this book was more about the feud between Dean & Leo. 

I did enjoy the story and the journey because Sophie writes in such a way that it’s really like watching a movie. Once the conflict was pretty much fixed I really loved them together. There was so much unspoken love and ache between them and I was so happy when they finally got together. I think friends to lovers really hits differently when done correctly.. I’m so excited to see where this series leads because I know it’s only going to get better from here.

Alexandra 

Here’s my first word of advice before reading this series do your damn homework and READ BRUTAL BIRTHRIGHT SERIES BEFORE STARTING KINGMAKERS

There is no way you can appreciate the backstory, characters, the conflict, the vendetta these characters have without reading that first. Have I made myself clear? Good...now on to the review..

This is a love triangle/ falling for your best friend story. First book in a new series so expect a lot of world building. The world building is actually amazing and easy to digest. This is Hogwarts meets mafia kids set in a university so don’t worry everyone is over the age of 18. 

Leo and Anna made me sick with how adorable they were. Truly honestly perfect couple. They are both their father’s children’s and it shows in their personality. I absolutely LOVED AND ADORED THEM...but Dean...Dean stole the show. 

Dean is traumatized by his upbringing where he has developed OCD and this need to be loved by someone it really motivates a lot of his decisions. He is so complex so I am excited to see his growth in the next few books!!

Maya Federman

WELCOME TO KINGMAKERS, BITCHES. Kingmakers is a second generation spinoff of Brutal Birthright, and I CANNOT STRESS ENOUGH that you should read that series FIRST. I will die on this hill.

The series kicks off with Leo Gallo following his childhood best friend Anna Wilk to study abroad at Kingmakers--a private institution for the children of mafia/organized crime syndicates worldwide to learn the trade. 

Sophie did a fantastic job of creating a fully immersive setting at Kingmakers. As this is book 1, it's understandable that a portion of the plot would be devoted to world-building, but I found it to be very captivating! 

Leo & Anna were raised like cousins, but they don't have any blood relation. And they secretly love each other, surprise surprise. This is very much a reverse grumpy/sunshine, with Leo as the all-star charismatic it guy and Anna as the reclusive, goth-leaning artist. But it's clear that these two are soulmates--they fill the empty spaces in each other's souls. We do get a bit of the miscommunication trope here but it's worth it in the end, IMO.

Loved this book and these two, and can't wait to read about mini-Aida in The Rebel.

Tori Nelson

After reading the Brutal Birthright series, I really wanted to like this book. I understand that the Kingmakers series starts with the children from the Brutal Birthright series - there is a bit of world-building with the school. But the chapters seemed to drag on a bit about irrelevant things and information. 

Leo and Anna seemed interesting at the beginning, and their friends-to-lovers storyline was one I was looking forward to, but the execution just fell a bit flat for me. And introducing Dean/Dmitry with their conflict had great potential, but again, did nothing for me. I got the feel he was meant to be misguided/tormented, but he just came across as psychotic, possessive, dangerous, and obsessive. He started out wanting Anna for Anna, but became obsessed with the idea of just beating Leo. 

I kept reading because I was hoping for something more, but then I realized I was too far into it that I just skimmed to get to the end. I don't think I'll finish this series unless I have nothing else to read, but if you're a major Sophie Lark fan you might enjoy this.

The Heir Kingmakers, #1

Reviews

Highlights