Princess of Souls is promoted as a Rapunzel-inspired fantasy romance, but I would not recommend picking up this book if you are looking for a retelling. Our main character, Selestra, has long hair which is cut off early on in the book and she is living in a tower for the first handful of chapters that she narrates. She also has a standoff against her 'evil' mother in the finale. For me, this is the extent of the similarities. So yes, you could describe it as 'Rapunzel-inspired', but it's incredibly loose inspiration, especially in comparison to many of the fairytale-inspired works that are popular right now.

Both books begin with the teenage female main character leaving a toxic home environment and meeting a charismatic male main character and his slightly less charismatic best friend. In Princess of Souls, Selestra is joined by her own charming best friend so the two male and two female characters can be coupled off nicely by the end of the book. Both books spend some time travelling on a boat to a port city location which might be the same city but it's been so long since I read the first book that I no longer remember that detail. During this time, there is a lot of hatred between the main characters that is a long stronger than reasons I can justify and some banter as we begin a slowish-burn, kind-of-enemies to almost-lovers arc. Princess of Souls has some of the travelling and banter in a hot air balloon which I genuinely found to be an exciting addition to a fantasy world. Both books arrive at the third location and begin a final journey to find the object that the male main character has been hunting for years. There is some kind of argument between the main characters about hidden identities or secrets. Both books end with the female main character confronting her toxic mother.

The books are promoted as being part of the same universe, but that was actually one of the elements that I found different and enjoyable: there is very little - if any - overlap between the locations and there are no cameos from the To Kill a Kingdom cast that I noticed. I liked that Princess of Souls could stand on its own in a sense and could be enjoyable for readers who are completely new to the author's work without expecting appearances from another book.

I was going to spend some time here talking about the character dynamics, but I don't think I have anything to add that hasn't already been covered. The female and male protagonists are very similar to the ones in To Kill a Kingdom. There are fewer crew members this time, so the side characters had more room to grow, although I don't feel they added any substance to the plot other than comic relief and fleshing out the main characters' backstories. There is a lot of banter and very few serious or emotional moments to add some dimension to their personalities.

I do think that Princess of Souls is superior out of the two books, although I don't think any book can top the majesty of To Kill a Kingdom's opening line. The plot itself also hits more of my niche interests, and I was a lot more invested in the main character's arc, even if I found her a little bland as a character. There were also some descriptions of a sentient haunted forest that tugged at my soul as horror influences and forests in general are very exciting to me.

In summary, if you've already read To Kill a Kingdom, you've pretty much already read a majority of Princess of Souls. I would not recommend picking up the latter unless you either haven't read the former or adored it with your whole heart. However, ignoring any other books, Princess of Souls was an enjoyable fairytale-inspired adventure and slow-burn romance with an enemies-to-lovers dynamic. I rated this book three stars on Goodreads but I would more accurately rate it as 3.5 stars, mostly for the haunted forest.

I thoroughly enjoyed this return to the world of To Kill a Kingdom. Fresh and fun, this is a take on Rapunzel, with the story of Selestra Somniatis, heir to a terrible magic which keeps the king immortal. Celebrated soldier Nox is on a mission to kill the king and avenge the disappearance and death of his father two years previously. but Selestra and Nox will be tied together by the King's bargain - in a series of near-death experiences, Nox and Selestra will come together to escape the castle and embark on an adventure with a butterfly, a seamstress, a cantankerous old inventor, and a host of dangerous and deathly circumstances.

This is a ripping adventure across the Six Isles, introducing us to ancient magics, psychic visions of death, a young woman who's never been touched, and a spooky magical tattoo of a snake. It's a riff on Rapunzel, so it's an isolated young woman making her way out into the big bad world and realising that perhaps those who were raising her weren't entirely honest about how the world works.

I liked lots of the side characters in this one, and thought it was well developed for the most part. I was quite confused, though, about the initial magic that set things off - for some reason Selestra's fate was tied to Nox's, which is what set them on the whole ripping adventure together, despite despising each other. But I don't understand how or why that happened, and it's never really... explained? Nox is tied to the King, and Selestra is tied to Nox, but Selestra doesn't seem to be tied to the King, despite having his mark on her hand?
Because this happened so early in the book, it irritated me the whole way through that we never got an explanation for this, and I was left kind of flat at the end of it.
Overall, though, a pretty enjoyable romp through a new kingdom linked to the world of To Kill a Kingdom, with a gentle opening left for a third installment to tie together these two stories.

(Thank you to Netgalley and Hot Key Books for an eARC in exchange for an honest review)

This book started off a little bit slow paced but I was intrigued by the magic and witches right from the start. And the plot definitely does pick up the pace and becomes action-packed with both tense and funny moments. I loved the magic system and witches although there wasn’t really much explanation as to how the witches’ power worked exactly which confused me a little, but the backstory and the explanation as to how they got their magic was really cool.

This is marketed as a Rapunzel retelling but there is only a couple of similarities. That being said, I did quite like how it felt different to the original tale and had its own unique plot. I also really liked all the characters, especially Selestra as she had fantastic character development.

I was excited to see that this is set in the same world as To Kill A Kingdom (as I really liked that book) but there weren’t really as many calls to or mentions of the kingdoms or sirens as I was expecting (in all fairness, places or names may have been said that are from To Kill A Kingdom that I easily could have forgotten about).

A big thank you to Hot Keys Books for such a brilliant book .


The Book is a mix of Sc-Fi and Fantasy / Teen / Young Adult




Plot : Selestra has been kept in the tower for 16 years as a prisoner , she has to take her mothers place as the kings witch , as they can foretell deaths in the festival of prediction and this very useful to a immortal king ,why you ask.... well if you can outrun your fate it can earn a wish and YES have a chance to steal the king immortality, but if you die will you are doomed forever . then we get introduced to charming Nox who is a candidate ,but he has no plan to die oh no !! he planning to take out the king and his enterer court , but when Selestra touch Nox her first prediction she see her own death as well as Nox . then Nox and Selestra forced to work together to save their-self's..

My Thoughts : Now I haven't read To Kill A Kingdom but WOW!! not I really do , do don't need to read the book before though its linked by places in the story which if your fan you will love .I know I will be as I really enjoyed this story was incredible.
it is a bit of a retelling of Rapunzel which HELLO !! we all know I love a retelling that real sold me on the story but a lot darker its no Disney film its so much more .The book really lived up to it expectations and more
the book pulled the rug from under me but in the best way .
The characters oh my gosh !! they was on fire totally badasses doesn't even cover it I would say a lot of them are very morally grey in their own ways. now my favourite has to be Nox , hot and hero in his own right I know a lot of people will love Selestra I really loved her true girl power , but Nox was the one who kept me gripped ill let him come save me anytime ,

this story is going to stay with me got a very long time the magic being pulled in to a different world for a while and felling like you part of the gang was truly amazing and I'm sure of this you will to .


I give this book 5 gripping stars

I am unsure if it was the book itself, or me for being a mood reader. But I got about 10% into the story and I just found myself not caring at all. Nothing was urging me on to keep reading.
Hopefully I will try again in the future and have a different outcome, but for now, it's being put aside.

Another look into the world of to kill a kingdom but this time with a rapunzel themed tale.
I loved the dual POV and the fun relationship between the characters.
Again, not what I expected at all but very enjoyable!

Thankyou netgalley for the opportunity to read this arc

4.5/5*
Loved this loose rapunzel retelling. The writing style is similar to to kill a kingdom.
Great characters (loved Micah and Nox) the villains were villainous
It had a compelling intruiging plot.
When selestria had to give a death prediction for the first time it does not go to plan and she finds herself inexplicably linked to Nox, a first soldier who wants revenge for his father. Some great banter scenes, some parts that made me laugh, parts that made me gasp and parts that made me sad.
Can’t wait to read more of this author

Green haired, yellow eyed Selestra has been trapped in her tower on the Floating Mountain for sixteen years. In training to be the next Kings Witch for an immortal King, she helps to predict people's fates at the Festival of Predictions. If a person can outrun their fate, a wish is granted but if they die... their soul is forfeit. When Selestra meets Nox, she makes a surprising prediction that ties his fate to hers...

For a retelling of Rapunzel this is the complete opposite of what I was expecting. Selestra and Nox have such a fun jabby relationship, the pacing of the story was great, there was always something happening which was definitely helped by the book being dual POV (I love dual pov's, I like to see everyone's opinions on one situation and when they are enemies? DELICIOUS!) and the story itself was interesting enough to keep me engrossed.

However.... I felt like there was something missing? I think that i didnt emotionally connect with the characters much, like i said the story is quite fast paced and perhaps that is to its detriment. Also Selestras magic was interesting but I just don't personally feel there was enough of it. And there is a specific scene towards the end that I felt could have done with more magical oomph and heartbreak. I barely felt anything which was a shame.

A

BOOK REVIEW

A BIG thank you to Netgalley and Bonnier Books UK for the opportunity to read this arc.

This review is spoiler free.

A retelling is always going to grab my interest and Princess of Souls was no exception. I have read To Kill a Kingdom but don’t really remember too much about it as it was around the same time as I read The Wicked Deep and Sea Witch and those plot lines have all merged together in my head.

Princess of Souls is exactly my kind of novel. A retelling inspired by the Rapunzel story, although it’s very subtle with only a few nods to the original tale. It’s a standalone fantasy set in the same Universe as TKaK however, it’s been so long since I read it that I’m not sure where the crossover lies but loved it regardless.

The only downside, and it’s minimal, is the enemies to lovers trope. It’s such a cliche! It didn’t stop me demolishing it in under 24 hours though or loving both Selestra and Nox.

Overall, an wonderful, magical adventure full of twists and turns, evil doing and romance. 4/5 stars

Selestra is a young witch who is kept in the castle tower by the king who also has claim to her mother. Both witches have the power of visions that allow them to see a persons death. When Selestra uses her power for the first time on Nox a guard their destinies become intertwined and together they must work to bring down the corruption of the king who feeds on souls to keep his immortality.

I enjoyed this book, the story was well told and the pace was fast enough that it kept me interested to the end. I did read through this in two sittings so was a quick read for me. I do wish the characters had been a little more fleshed out, I just didn't feel as much of a connection as I would have liked. I also found a lot of parts predictable, it was a very YA story with what you would come to expect from any story in this genre, I was hoping for something a little different than all the usual YA troupes. I saw this described as a Rapunzel retelling but I didn't get those vibes at all, the MC has long hair and spends a short time in a tall tower but other than that I didn't see the compassion.

I hope to see a map in the final copy, it would definitely help with the the worldbuilding. I'd recommend this if your looking for an easy quick YA read. I enjoyed 'To Kill a Kingdom' slightly more than this one, the themes between the two are very similar so if you enjoyed Alexandra's previous work you will most likely enjoy this one.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bonnier Books for an E-arc copy of this.

I absolutely love the writing style, as I did with the first book. It’s just so easy to read and makes the book flow so well. The plot was really interesting, but it did feel the author tried to cram too much into the book. This caused certain scenes to feel rushed and lack depth, I think the scenes on the island could have been developed a little bit better and the bonds that were formed there.
The characters were well written and I liked the fact Selestra wasn’t completely naïve. Nox was a great male lead and I liked the fact he was an equal to Selestra. The book was funny at times and sad at others, making the book at overall amazing read. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

☆☆☆½

I quite liked Princess of Souls, Selestra was an interesting character to read about and I enjoyed the Rapunzel elements of the book but unfortunately it just wasn’t for me (which was a shame because I enjoyed liked To Kill A Kingdom). I don’t know whether it was because I’m in a slump or I just didn’t like the book but I found myself skimming parts of it to get to parts that could hold my attention, don’t get me wrong it’s a good book I just think I picked it up at the wrong time.
I was also disappointed by the lack of page time for side characters, we had Irenya and Micah and they were in most the book yet despite the fact they were there you sort of forget about them and don’t connect with them, I felt like whatever they’re there, the journey could’ve been had without them and not much would’ve changed.

Sixteen-year-old, Selestra has been unwittingly trapped in her tower on the Floating Mountain, preparing to take her mother's place as the King's Witch, who foretells deaths in the Festival of Predictions. Outrunning your fate earns a wish and the chance to steal the King's immortality. But die and your soul is forfeit. And though thousands have tried, nobody has ever beaten death.
Nox a soldier of the king however is determined to try and succeed. When Selestra is for the 1st time is given the task of foretelling a death, his death, she becomes inexplicably entwined and thus begins Selestra’s life changing moment, where by she betrays her family, leaves the tower with Nox and undergo their escapades to evade death.
Neither initially trusts the other, but recognising they must work together to survive, they learn to trust, like and eventually love each other. It’s a witchy journey of discovery as Selestra matures, realises she is a good person and attempts to save the Isles and end the suffering of the people. With decent battles, a sense of adventure, Nox’s wit and some intense determination, it makes for an action packed, YA adventure balanced with action and humour. Very enjoyable.

Thanks to Netgalley and publishers for this eARC of Princess of Souls

I really enjoyed To Kill A Kingdom and I went into this one thinking it was a sequel. IT'S NOT.

Princess of Souls is a Rapunzel retelling and even though the world building and characters are well written it wasnt as good as To Kill A Kingdom. I think I'm mainly disappointed by this as it was plugged as being set in the same world but there was no cross over.

The enemies to lovers trope is something I usually enjoy but in this case it was meh, the whole thing wasnt working for me.

The storyline is good and the premise had promise, I just didn't connect to it.

Having enjoyed her previous book, which I read a few years ago, I was excited for this one!

However, I DNf at 15%. Not the book's fault per se but my own. I enjoy YA but I am quite picky with what type I read. U though this one was going to be enjoyable as it has enemies to lovers, which I enjoy, and also it is Rapunzel's retelling. And I wnjoy retellings.

Unfortunately it wasn't for me but I am sure others will appreciate this one more than I did!

Selestra Somniatis is a witch, whose sole purpose is to be the King's heir, to help him to stay immortal and remain in power.
Nox Laederic is one of the strongest in the King's Last Army, and has spent the last few years preparing to kill the king, and avenge his father's death.

Like Christo's previous novel, this is a fairytale retelling, this time based on Rapunzel. I absolutely adored this story, it had me gripped from the start and was everything I needed, enemies to lovers, powerful female protagonist, amazing friendships.

The POV is dual so we get both Selestra's and Nox's story and it makes for a richer story. I loved seeing their relationship grow, and I am so grateful that I had the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this brilliant book!

I adored this book so much, and I can't wait until October so I read it again!

Locked away in her tower, sixteen year old Selestra Somniatis is a witch whose only purpose is to be the King's heir, one who helps the King to stay immortal and all powerful.

Nox Laederic, one of the strongest soldiers in the King's Last Army, thinks only of avenging his father's death by killing the King, his witch and his heir...

Like To Kill A Kingdom; this is a fairy tale retelling (Rapunzel in this instance) and it is also set in the same world as TKAK. However, I enjoyed this story much better than TKAK, I thought the characters were far better written and the banter between them all was very witty and well constructed. Nox, Selestra, Irenya and Micah were extremely likeable and charming.

The storyline was great, very enthralling and I was really rooting for the characters. The pace was good and the last part of the book was excellent. Some parts genuinely made me emotional.

I would have preferred more world building and more detail on the magic system but it was still very enthralling for a standalone..

DNF at 40%.

This DNF is entirely my fault - I requested this thinking 'oh, I enjoyed To Kill A Kingdom back in 2018', without realising that my taste has changed a lot since 2018. If you enjoy that very classic YA style, full of snarky one-liners, angsty princesses with dark magic who can't touch anyone, wise-cracking soldier boys who just happen to be tied to them by fate, and a quest to take down a corrupt ruler, then you're going to be in heaven with this book. For me, I just found it too similar to so many things I've read before, and not in a style I enjoy any more. For fans of classic YA fantasy, this will be great.

“There are many who believe they can cheat death. When they fail, I take their souls…
Every. Single. One.”

After reading and enjoying To Kill A Kingdom, I was so excited to pick this up- thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to get my hands on this before the pub date!!

The book is a Rapunzel retelling… with a twist. It begins with the festival of predictions where the witches foretell deaths and fate is then tried to be avoided. If unsuccessful (which most are) their souls are forfeited to the King. Selestra is also trying to avoid her fate of taking over her mothers position alongside the King, and so she and an unlikely participant in the festival flee in an attempt to make up for the past and promise a better future.

This story is so unique and fast paced. It has everything you need: enemies to lovers, a powerful female protagonist, found family, laugh out loud banter, dual pov, and two loveable friends as side characters. What more could you ask for?

Oct 11 can’t come quick enough! I’m so excited for other readers to get their hands on this.

I didn't enjoy this one as much as To Kill a Kingdom but I think that was more with when I read it (bus journeys) than anything wrong with the book as when I read it on my breaks I just flew through it.

It was a very unique story, I loved the premise of a witch heir wanting to go against the system and changing a centuries old system to do the right thing for people. The immortal king that steals souls and her mother who is bound to help him are really good villains in the story and the enemies-to-lovers hero is refreshing too.

Overall I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it!