Princess of Souls by Alexandra Christo, a spellbinding Rapunzel retelling full of witches and adventure 4.75/5⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley UK for giving me a free E-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.
I was really excited to return to the world of To Kill A Kingdom as I quite enjoyed it and this book is definitely a great improvement from that book.

The world is led by an immortal king who with the help with his witch steal the souls of people. I thought this was quite an unique concept and it was developed nicely. The writing was perfect for a YA Fantasy with lots of added humour, sarcasm and wit. The plot is fast paced as it focused on an adventure which I loved. In my opinion, Alexandra has improved on this aspect the most compared to To Kill a Kingdom. Also I loved how the trope were utilised eg found family and I am suppose to kill you.

The characters are definitely the highlight. It is dual POV so we get a great insight into the characters.
Our main protagonist Selestra, is trapped in her tower and is being be prepared to be the next witch to steal souls for the king. She goes through a great arc as she finally does accept her power and herself. I really related to her and she finds it hard to trust herself but finds it easy to trust others.
Our other main protagonist, Nox, is a solider who wants to avenge his father by killing the king. He is practically a Fylnn Rider with all his sarcasm and humour but has a deep heart and will do anything to protect Selestra. I absolutely adored him and he and Selestra’s banter and chemistry was incredible.

Overall, I had so much fun reading this book and I cannot wait for everyone to read this book on 11th October!

Princess of Souls

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I received this as an arc by the author in exchange for an honest review.

By the author of To Kill a Wicked Kingdom, this book is a dark reimagining of Rapunzal filled with witches, soldiers and magic.

This was witty, fun and very immersive in descriptive.

“I can tell someone when they’re going to die. All I need is a lock of their hair and their soul.”

Well, I think we can all agree that that sounds like a great party trick. I would love to wander around parties after a couple of gins with a pair of scissors, claiming souls, chopping off locks, and generally terrifying people. That said, I don’t fancy Selestra’s life, so I’ll probably give it a pass. Selestra is destined to do this as her job once her mother dies; as the king’s witch, she will give predictions and snatch souls (denying them safe passage to their afterlife, the River of Memory) in order to feed them to the king and protect his immortality. King Seryth is vile. I hated him from the moment I met him. He’s awful to Selestra. If I were the Somnatis witch in charge of reaping a hundred souls each month so he could continue his disgusting existence, I simply would not.

Selestra doesn’t want this life. She hates it. She is ashamed of what her family do and she wants something more for herself. She doesn’t want to be a monster working for the king and thriving on death. Selestra wants to choose her own destiny, to be who she is and do what she wants to do rather than living the life that has been chosen for her. She has big mummy issues; she feels like she needs to prove her worth to her mother, but her mother is aloof, rarely shows any sign of caring for her and prioritises the king over her, so it’s hardly surprising she’s not winning a Mummy of the Year award. Selestra (and the reader) keep hoping that there is a kinder version of her mother in there, but it seems unlikely.

Princess of Souls begins more or less with the start of the festival, where the people come to the castle in hope of winning a wish. All they have to do is hand over their soul, hear their death predicted and then survive two weeks without dying. It sounds relatively straight forward, but let’s be honest, most people who attempt this die. That’s how the king keeps his immortality. I don’t know that I’d be prepared to risk my soul for a wish from a guy I’d never get tired of punching, but many do.

It is here that Selestra meets Nox, member of the Last Army and the favourite of the king. Selestra is ordered to make his prediction and everything goes horribly awry when she sees that his death is linked with her own. She steps in to sae him (and herself) from the death she saw, but in doing so betrays her mother and the king. It sets off a wild and dangerous adventure where Selestra and Nox become more and more entwined in each others lives. They hate each other from the outset, but if one dies, so does the other, so they have to keep each other safe, which is easier said than done with the scrapes they get themselves into.

I loved seeing their relationship grow as they continue to evade death. Their banter is excellent and made me cackle on many occasions. They need each other (her to evade the king’s wrath and him to survive the month and have a chance at destroying the king) so they have to learn to work together, which is more amusing than I expected it to be. There are a lot of twists in this book, exciting revelations, phenomenal characters with some home truths for Selestra, showdowns and shocks.

I can’t say much more without spoiling this book so let me just finish by saying, it is brilliant. Read it.

I have just finished this book and videoed my reaction through the last 10% of the book because what an absolute journey!

I adored this book- from the start I was gripped as I was with the author's previous novel but this one took the win in my opinion.

The characters were great- the found family vibe and the banter between our main cohort was just so heartwarming, obviously Nox is going to be everyone's next book boyfriend and I can't wait for the fan art, Selestra was everything thing I wanted in a strong female protagonist- feisty, strong, flawed. Michah and Irenya's sibling bickering is just so relatable.

The retelling or reimagining of "Rapunzel" while subtle there are lots of parts that take you back to the original tale and while we are on subtlety Alexandra Christo is so good at subtlety especially when the romance is blossoming between Selestra and Nox!

On romance it's there but there are no toxic relationship tropes and this is YA fantasy romance so it's safe to recommend in my opinion to a wider age range than traditional YA especially if you know your audience. So for those of you in to tropes we have enemies to lovers to friends to enemies to lovers this isn't linear, found family, some one bed all be it a blanket.

As I'd read "To Kill a Kingdom" I recognised the world and magic systems however this can be read as a standalone and the writing is so good that if this was my first outing I'd know the world/magic.

The pace, characters and story are so good throughout and there was at no point that I thought it was dragging however that last 10% of the book wow!
Chapter 44- heart ripped out
Chapter 45- head in hands
chapter 46-goosebumps
chapter 47- slight breather into heart ripped out again
chapter 48- head in hands, crying
rest of the book smiles, sobs- honestly just so good!

I loved this book in fact I rationed it out because I didn't want it to end - thank you so much for the opportunity to read in advance.

4.75 stars

After recently being introduced to the To Kill A Kingdom world (and loving it) I was thrilled to hear about it's newest edition... Princess of Souls.

In true Alexandra Christo fashion, its a far darker storyline then that of the Rapunzel fairytale we grew up with. In fact, apart from some small similarities (princess locked up in a tower, handsome dude saving princess from said tower and an evil mother figure) the two stories differ quite a bit.

With Christo, we get witches (a favourite of mine) soul eaters, immortality and the righting of past wrongs. Add in some action, a charismatic love interest and two loveable best friends and you've got yourself one hell of an enjoyable read. Dare I say... but I *think* this is my favourite Christo book yet - I couldn't put it down!

I’m am yet to pick up an Alexandra Christo book and not instantly fall in love with it and when I say instantly I mean 1st line, she is the queen of opening lines.
POS is filled with everything you need from a book: action, adventure, great back and forth between main characters, brilliantly written villians and morally grey characters with a continuous pace there isn’t a moment of boredom. The characters are well written and you love them all and hate them all.
Following Nox and Selestra on this journey will leave you breathless from continuous adventure With an amazing clash of titans ending!!

PRINCESS OF SOULS

⭐️⭐️.5/ 5 STARS

Thank you @netgalley for giving me an earc to read for an honest opinion.

I was so exicted to read this book because I LOVED To kill a kingdom but this one was not a patch on it.
It was flat and I felt like I didn't really connect with the characters. They just okay. It's an enemies to lovers which are my favourite to read but this one just felt bland. I wasn't fussed. And that's not like me at all!
If it wasn't for the last 20-25% or so it would have been a 2 star rating. That bit just boosted it up a bit. There was something that happened that I thought completely unnecessary and I'm still not over it 😂

I did like the adventure that the characters went on I thought that was fun and I liked that the main character got the chance to figure herself out without her family controlling her every move. I also love the cover I think it looks stunning.

But this book overall just wasn't for me.

Preliminary 5-star review. Will post a full review and adjust the rating accordingly after I finish the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an e-ARC copy of this book, in exchange for this honest review.

Many thanks to Bonnier Books UK, Hot Key Books and Alexandra Christo for the advanced copy of Princess of Souls via NetGalley, in return for my honest and unbiased review.

I absolutely adored reading this YA fantasy and positively inhaled it. Whilst I’m normally a fan of series (as I like seeing characters develop over time), the depth and development of Christo’s characters in this book made it feel like I read an entire series over only one book.

I appreciated the humour, with plenty of little quips and jibes throughout the books. “Says the girl who nearly got eaten by a puddle.”

The inclusion of a bisexual/pansexual character was great, and without the usual inherent homophobia battle that is still found in most books. It’s just a given and part of the narrative. “She’s dated both women and men and always said she cares more about people than their bodies.”

Whilst this is, loosely, a retelling of Rapunzel, with frequent mentions of her tower, letting down her hair, and a symbolic cutting of her hair, this story goes much deeper. It delves deep into good vs evil, into misunderstood and twisted powers and what the quest for immortality could do to the mind.

Moods: adventurous, emotional, mysterious, challenging & inspiring
Pace: fast
Character development: strong
Plot or character driven: 50/50
Diversity: medium
Trigger warnings: death of a family member, death of a friend, murder, physical assault, violence, war theme

Overall, I give this book 5/5 and I would highly recommend this to any fantasy reader. Adored this book!

If ryou want a story about a green haired witch, who fell in love with a soilder and had magic to see a person's death, then this is the perfect book.
I loved To Kill a Kingdom and love this book even more. Enemies to lovers, secrets, betrrayl and family. You go thrrogh all the emotions.
The world building is emmense and believeable.
Alexandra's novels are a must read.
Thank you #netgalley for the ARC. Physical copy already pre ordered.

Really enjoyed this. Good plot, loosely based on Rapunzel, likeable but conflicted heroes, and horrible villains. Swords, magic, enemies to lovers (no spice) and adventure.

‘To Kill a Kingdom’ is definitely my favourite book by Alexandra Christo, so I was very much excited about ‘Princess of Souls’ which gives a little glimpse to the same world though follows completely different Kingdom, and features a new cast of characters.

While ‘To Kill a Kingdom’ remains at the top of my list, I have enjoyed ‘Princess of Souls’. Selestra is an interesting character, full of passion and conviction, and she learns to not to be afraid to speak her mind, as well as change her beliefs once she witnesses things that question her world. In terms of character development, I definitely enjoyed her portrayal the most, but Nox was interesting as well.

It's definitely a story that keeps to on the edge, even if at moments is a little bit predictable. Selestra and Nox’s journey is full of ups and downs, but it allows them to grow and change, and it’s an interesting journey to witness.

2.5 rounded up.

Thank you for giving me this earc in exchange for my honest opinion.

If it wasn't for the last 10 chapters, this would've been 2 stars. It doesn't come close to To Kill a Kingdom. I didn't like Selestra or Nox until the last few chapters (tbh I don't think I like Nox still), Micah and Irenya carried this story. Whilst the concept was good, it was carried out so poorly. I can't explain it, but it felt rushed. The action flew by whereas everything else was a drag. Overall, I probably won't read this again.

I'm going to start off this review by saying if you're looking for a heavily inspired Rapunzel retelling, you're not going to get that. There are some references, sure, but I wouldn't class it as a retelling.

Saying that, I really did enjoy this book. I liked the banter between Selestra and Nox, especially at the beginning, and their journey together. Unfortunately, Irenya and Micah felt a big tagged on, and I'd have preferred getting to know them a bit better. I liked the magic in this book, and the relationship between Selestra and her mother. There were a few good twists in this book as well.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Princess of Souls is set in the same world as To Kill A Kingdom but aside from that there's no connection between them so you don't need to read that first if you haven't but totally recommend the book regsrdless!

I adored To Kill A Kingdom so I was very much looking forwards to this one and I was not disappointed. Alexandra Christo is an incredible writer and I must read City of Spells soon (only one I've got unread by her!)

It's a duel point of view with our main characters, Selestra and Nox, their chemistry and relationship was perfect, it wasn't forced and I enjoyed their back and forth!

Will definitely have to grab a physical copy once it's out, highly recommended!

I was a bit disappointed with this book. I wish there was some more depth and details to certain parts, for example the magic system, because it felt a bit rushed to me.

I think it was meant to be loosely based on Rapunzel (and an evil one at that) but I didn't really get much of that and I definitely didn't think Selestra was evil. The plot itself has potential and I feel like it would've worked better as two books rather than being condensed into one.

Overall, I'm sure other readers would love this book but unfortunately it just wasn't for me.

*Thank you to @Netgalley, the author and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

I had high hopes for this book after really enjoying Christo's other book set in this world, 'To Kill A Kingdom', but sadly this one just didn't work for me.

The worldbuilding and magic system were intriguing, but we never quite get a good enough look into either. I would have loved more of the beginning at the court and the initial days of the festival exploring the world and politics, instead it moved quickly from one plot point to the next. In particular I would have liked to learn more about the magic system, as the magic development and power controls felt very plot convenient as times.

Bur mostly my issue was with the main characters. In comparison to Christo's other work I just couldn't feel the connection and main relationship felt very rushed. The friendships were better portrayed than the romance, but I really feel that there was simply too much plot to cover in this 400 page book, and that the book should have been longer or perhaps even a duology to allow time for the character dynamics to breathe and to properly flesh out the world.

I do appreciate that the book commits to it's stakes well for a YA, the characters do have to face tough decisions and choices in this one. While it wasn't for me it might suit someone looking for a fast paced standalone tale.

Thank you so much Bonnier Books Uk + Netgalley for providing me with this E-ARC I am eternally grateful. I feel extremely lucky that I got to read this book before it is released and it was AMAZING. This was just the perfect fantasy book and now i’m sad that it’s over because I loved it so much. This carried out the Rapunzel re-telling perfectly, with a few parallels to tangled I often spotted, and an amazing take on it. This book was perfect for me, the short chapters, dual POV told from first person perspectives, with lovable characters, perfectly carried out character arcs and enemies to lovers romance that was carried out in the best possible way. The main characters romance was carried out perfectly and I loved the tension and angst. This book also had an extremely interesting world and magic in it which I loved very much. There’s so many good things I could say about this book - I just couldn’t put it down and I loved it so much - definitely one of my favourite fantasy reads, if not the favourite of mine I feel so lucky I got to read this book before the release date, I can tell it is going to be very popular. My one critic as a few typos and there is this one chapter I think around chapter 20, told from Selestra’s perspective, when Nox and Selestra are on the king’s ship, where it mentions that Selestra sees her mother. However after this chapter she just miraculously disappears without Selestra or Nox fighting/communicating with her and with no mention that she ever left - so I think it should just be mentioned in the chapter that Selestra could no longer see her mother / that she disappeared or something as it felt edging onto a plot hole when there was no mention that she had left the king’s ship. However apart from that, this book was absolutely amazing and nothing else of it needs changing in my opinion.
I’m going to miss the characters and this book so much knowing that it’s probably a standalone - so I will definitely be purchasing a copy when it is released to re-read as this book was so good!

I really loved and enjoyed To kill a kingdom so I was quite sure that this too wouldn’t disappoint and nobody is more glad about it more than me. I really loved and enjoyed it. It was fast paced, full of excitement, action and mystery. I just can’t seem to put it down except read and finish it in a single sitting. So yeah, I loved it that much.

I am going to get the negative out of the way first so I can focus on the many things I LOVED about this book.
If I were to say the characters of this book were completely original and new I would be lying. The main plotline of overthrowing a tyranical ruler whilst the protagonists gain a new understanding of themselves and their power is almost identical to that of Christo's incredible debut To Kill A Kingdom. Furthermore, in terms of characters, Nox is practically a reincarnation of Elian, not to mention the two very similar mothers in both novels.
HOWEVER, and this is a huge caveat, I did not care one bit whilst reading this book.
The style of Christo's writing is wonderful. The story captures the reader from the first instant, there is quickfire action, witty dialogue, detailed and relatable characterisation, and incredible worlds that I long to explore. Additionally, the story was empowering and exciting and written with elegance. The descriptions brought each element to life without being overly wordy or dull as Christo's word choice was careful and well considered. Lastly, Selestra and Nox are even more lovable that Elian and Lira. Their relationship is wonderful to experience and I found myself grinning like a lovestruck teen when they finally had their first kiss.

Overall, "Princess of Souls" is wonderful addition to any YA or fantasy lovers bookshelf. I highly recommend.