Dziękuję NetGalley za egzemplarz do recenzji!

Oj, niestety, ogromny potencjał okazał się ogromnym zawodem! Bo dajcie spokój, widzieliście gdziekolwiek koncept duszo-nienawiści jako przeciwieństwa pokrewnych dusz? Ja nie i dlatego właśnie się nakręciłam! Dokładając do tego przepiękną okładkę, czego mogłam chcieć więcej?
Ano właśnie, żeby sam tekst był dobry. Powiem pokrótce: umiejscowienie tego świata w krainie stworzonej na kształt starożytnej Grecji i Rzymu oraz religii na podobieństwo chrześcijaństwa to nie wszystko, co trzeba zrobić w przypadku kreacji miejsca akcji. Wszystko to jest głównie z nazwy i tylko na założeniu się opiera. Ta książka nie ma kompletnie żadnego klimatu przez to, że autorka maksymalnie uwspółcześniła słownictwo i pewne zachowania bohaterów. Czy to grzech? Nie do końca, ale przez warstwę językową ciężko było uwierzyć w to, co próbowano pokazać. Czułam się tak, jakbym czytała o bandzie ziomeczków z tego wieku. Lubię językową przystępność, ale jest granica, której dobrze jest nie przekraczać.
Samo to, że w jednym momencie pada słowo gladiatorskie sandały na obcasie, a nawet nie wiadomo czy gladiatorzy tutaj istnieli 😆
Bohaterowie nijacy w swoim zróżnicowaniu. Mocna warstwa polityczna, sprzeczki na spotkaniach i otoczka podążania za wolą Ojca Przeznaczenia - to wychodziło na pierwszy plan. Nie jest to minus, ale w chwili, w której książka targetowana jest jako romantasy (widziałam więcej przypisań do tego motywu), a sam romans jest dość delikatnie zarysowany, to potencjalny czytelnik może poczuć rozczarowanie.
Mogłabym jeszcze mówić o Idrisie i Renzie, ale nie ma co się rozwodzić - w moich oczach ta książka była zwyczajnie słaba. Pod pewnymi aspektami przemyślana (jak ma wyglądać warstwa polityczna), pod wieloma napisana na leniwo (jeden z pierwszych obrządków modlitewnych był taki, że zmieniono tylko słowo Bóg na Ojciec Przeznaczenia i czujecie się jak w kościele; niedbałe podejście do wydarzeń sytuacyjnych, gadanie otwarcie o rzeczach które ze względu politycznych rozgrywek powinno się obgadać w domu, litości; bardzo luźne i współczesne podejście do picia, imprezowania, seksu) i wręcz z niedbałością. Może gdyby “Soul hate” zostało napisane na nowo, ale jednak z trzymaniem się faktu, że jest to jednak setting na kształt starożytności i trzeba jednak trochę przemyśleć słownictwo oraz styl wypowiedzi, książka by się sprawdziła. Ja niestety nie bawiłam się dobrze, zmęczyłam się i pewnie szybko zapomnę :(

Thank you so much to Netgalley, One More Chapter and the author for providing me with an advanced reader copy for review purposes!

2.75 ⭐
Soul Hate by Hannah Kingsley is a fantasy based on the soulmate trope but with a spin, based on the fact that each person is supposed to have a soulmate and a soulhate.
I decided to pick this up because I had recently read a different book with similar vibes (inspired by ancient Greece) and thought why not, but unfortunately I didn’t end up enjoying this as much as I thought I would.

A few reasons why:
The world building is supposedly inspired by ancient Rome, and you can clearly see which elements took inspiration from it but there’s a lot of things that feel too modern in my opinion;
It took me a long time to get into the story mainly because of the jumps from one scene to another. One chapter ends and then the next one begins on something that at first seems completely disconnected from the previous scene;
The whole soulhate thing was left in the background, while the main focus was on politics and betrayals. Don’t get me wrong, I liked the idea behind the conflict but I expected the soulhate part to have more space (I mean, the book is called soul hate after all);
Renza. She is presented as a strong, intelligent woman that loves her city and will do anything to save it, but honestly I found her really immature and not that smart.

I really enjoyed Idris as a character, and I would’ve loved to have his pov so I could get to know him better. He is probably the main reason why I decided to keep reading and finish the book.
I don’t know if there will be a sequel, but I probably won’t be reading it. I might pick up something else from the author, especially if set in a different context.

This book was kind of slow for me to get into but I did enjoy the overall premise so I kept going. It was a good read but I wish I had been sucked in from the beginning.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins, One More Chapter for the advance reader copy.

The world building for this story was very good and didn’t feel too overwhelming or like info dumping. I will say that this should be aimed at new adult/adults due to some of the sexual content- it felt weird thinking that this would be read by a child.

The pacing was ok, there were parts that I wanted to skim read I order to get through them.

The main characters are great and have a unique relationship with each other which you see grow within the story.

There’s a ‘twist’ which wasn’t surprising and felt obvious from a few chapters in.

There was a lot more I think I was more interested in within the world than the politics and religion but also see how that was an important part of the story.

Renza is overjoyed to meet her childhood friend Nouis again and it’s clear he has romantic intentions. What she definitely isn’t happy about is meeting Idris, the man deemed by Fate to be her Soulhate . Soulhates cannot be in the same room without the urge to destroy each other and yet when tragedy strikes Renza has to overcome her terrible urges in order to make sense of the chaos her city is thrown into.
I didn’t really like the idea of someone having a Soulhate particularly when we are told that someone gentle , sweet and kind could instantly want to tear someone apart due to unnatural rage inflicted by Fate . If blunt I nearly stopped reading but actually I’m glad I persevered particularly when Idris was introduced because I felt he had potential to pull the story around. Renza is a character that it’s easy to like as she wants to do good. I was conflicted by her relationship with Nouis and if honest this just didn’t feel like a romance at this point. There is however a slow buildup as the story progresses that felt tantalising but ever so slightly out of reach. What stymied me at times was trying to believe the time period which felt slightly Roman and yet sometimes the dialogue had a contemporary edge. I did enjoy how the story became a political one with deceit and hypocrisy, ambition too. Certainly the last part was very interesting and it was easy to cheer for these brave characters. So not perfect perhaps but I’m really happy that I carried on reading and that I guess is a recommendation.
This voluntary take is of a copy I requested and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair

4,5 stars rounded up.

Renza Di Maineri follows in her father's footsteps as an Electi in her city Halice. The democratic city chooses together how to run, renew and renovate their city. While her father is also an Electi, she is a fierce Electi who believes in the future of their city and votes accordingly.
But, there is one thing she cannot control and that is Fate. And Fate choose het and her political rival to be Soul Hates. She has to manage a city while also trying not to murder her soul Hate.

This book was so much more than I expected it to be. I absolutely loved this political system, how it was built up and how the laws were implemented. Of course we couldn't have a romantasy without some romance and for me it delivered. The fantasy part was not very big, but it was there in Father Fate and Sister Love and Sister Hate. This implementation was felt throughout the whole book and was a prominent part in the story.

I absolutely felt all the emotions Renza felt. The hate, the love, the sadness, the determination. All emotions were so well written and I honestly felt the rage boiling in my stomach, the sadness in my throat and I shall not deny that I have felt the tears in my eyes. I was completely swept away in Renza's feelings. So absolutely well done!

I think you need to like the political side of books in order to really like this. But if you give this a chance you will not be disappointed.

Overall, I loved it! Hannah Kingsley will forever be on my book radar!

Thank you Netgalley, One More Chapter/HarperCollins and the author for this e-arc. All opinions are my own.

It took me a couple of tries to get into the story. I spent several days reading the first 15% of the book before finishing the rest in one go. The pacing was quite fast, with some enjoyable twists and turns (some predictable, others not). While there wasn’t as much romance as I hoped, the political intrigue was quite high. I’m not entirely sure if this would qualify as a “romantasy” ??

The concepts of Soulhate and Soulmate were refreshing and unique, but I expected a bit more development on those themes. The ending wasn’t exactly what I anticipated, and I’m left with several unanswered questions. I didn’t mind the fast pace or the fact that it’s a standalone, but it would have been nice if the book had wrapped up a bit more conclusively.

While this book didn’t “wow” me, I’d still be open to reading a sequel or exploring another book set in the world Hannah created!

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Soul Hate by Hannah Kingsley is a first person-POV fantasy exploring what if everyone had both a soulmate and a soulhate, someone they are destined to kill. Renza is the youngest ever elected leader of her city and is determined to follow in her father’s footsteps. When her childhood friend, Nouis, returns and she starts reconnecting with him, so, too, does Idris, the son of her family’s greatest rival and her soulhate. Renza and Idris agree to keep their urges at bay, for the sake of their families and the city as nothing good could come out of one of them killing the other, but their agreement is made all the more difficult when most of the elected officials are murdered and Idris and Renza now have to work together to keep their city afloat.

The worldbuilding is inspired by the Roman Empire, the Catholic Church, and has some modern aspects to it. There is a restaurant with dancing and fashion that feels fairly current to what we know of when and where political families gather, but the architecture is very Roman. The Catholic inspiration is the strongest as there’s the Holy State, cardinals, and the Holy Mother who is a Pope analogy. As a Catholic, I personally do not care if people want to mess around with my faith in art as exploring what-ifs doesn’t take away from my faith and I personally love seeing what other people take from Catholicism when they create. If you have strong feelings about people not touching real world religions, the coding is very strong and very obvious, so weigh that carefully before picking this up.

The concept of a soulhate is fascinating and I liked how it’s juxtaposed to soulmates. Soulmates are still around and people definitely do have them, but it’s the strong negative, violent feelings that a soulhate elicits that gets the most attention. The most realistic thing that Hannah Kinsley did with soulmates is that it is explicitly spelled out that just because someone is who you are destined to love, it doesn’t mean they are a good person. One of Renza’s friends is transgender and her father is violently transphobic, leading his daughter and wife, who was his soulmate, to leave him. It does remove the fantasy so many of us have that a soulmate is good and kind and wonderful, but the point of the book is to break down love being determined by a higher power instead of an active choice and that artistic choice helps to sell that point.

Idris and Renza initially struggle with their desire to kill each other, and Renza even attacked him in public when they met for the first time, but they have a lot of self-control and push themselves to be civil with each other. Over time, Renza is attracted to how steadfast and devoted to the city Idris is and they gradually fall in love despite Fate telling them they aren’t supposed to. Most of the tone that is associated with romance, however, is associated with Renza’s relationship with Noius, which is one reason why I would say the genre of the book is ‘fantasy’ and not ‘romantic fantasy’ or ‘fantasy romance.’ The story goes if Idris and Renza remained friends and the voice I expect for romance arcs was used for a different relationship than the one that was endgame.

Content warning for mentions of transphobia

I would recommend this to fans of voice-y, fast-paced YA fantasy who want a lead who is in her early twenties and those looking for an exploration of soulmates that goes in a different direction that usual

Soul Hate is an intriguing Romantasy, with the idea of those who are opposites of soul mates - those Soul Hates who are destined to hate each other.
I really enjoyed the premise of this as I've personally not read something with this kind of idea before. The concept is interesting and I enjoyed seeing how the relationships would develop. Renza was a strong female main character and I like that the story did have a lot of political elements and wasn't focused heavily on the romance. You can tell it's the first in a series and gearing up to more of the romance in subsequent books.
That being said, as someone who has to have romance in her reads, I would have liked a bit more development of Renza and Idris's relationship. It's very much a slow burn which introduces them as opposed to a Romantasy, in this book. Some of their romantic interactions seemed to come a bit from nowhere as they weren't really a focus/we didn't get to know Idris very well. Renza didn't really get to know him so I wasn't really invested in them yet - I'd definitely like to see more of Idris and their relationship developing in the next book!
An enjoyable read, especially if you're a fan of political intrigue with a bit of romance.

Thank you for the e arc!

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this arc, it was fast paced,, full of angst and tension with a well thought out and developed enemies to lovers story line. The political part could have benefited from more refining and tweaking it seemed rushed and there was potential for further exploration.

I feel inlove with Renza and idris, the depiction of it was done well. The play on sole hate rather than mate was so interesting and it had me GRIPPED. I loved renzas character she was so fun to read.

I love a good plot twist and I really did not see the plot twist coming. I loved the world and world building, I fell inlove with side characters and the plot. I would highly recommend this book.

The first couple of chapters made me think that this wasn’t going to be a book ie not.
BUT!
It got so so good! Romance, political intrigue, enemies (sort of) to lovers (sort of), LGBTQ+ rep, backstabbing, strong FMC, and people coming together to protect what’s theirs!
I loved the writing (minus the first few chapters). I loved Renza and Idris’s relationship and how it’s depicted. The idea of a Soulmate and a Soulhate was fascinating, even more so that the book is focused on the hate rather than love aspect!
The world building was beautiful and made me want to see Halice for real!
The side characters were also great, you loved the good guys, got tricked by the supposed good guys and hated the bad guys.
I would love/need another book that continues the story!!!

"Isn't it funny how facing the truth can bring out the violence in weaker men? They rarely react so viscerally to lies. But the truth? Even if they're afraid to admit it? Oh how they erupt...Violence is the mark of a weak man's truth."


Okay, buckle up because Soul Hate is a whirlwind of politics, enemies-to-lovers, and some seriously twisted fate vibes that had me glued to the pages! 😅💥

First of all, let’s talk about Renza di Maineri. She’s the youngest elected leader in her city, Halice, and I was immediately here for her. She’s a total badass who’s determined to prove herself beyond her father’s shadow. But, of course, fate isn’t playing fair—enter Idris Patricelli, her soulhate (yes, you heard that right—her fate-bound nemesis she’s supposed to murder). 🥴 The tension? Chef’s kiss.

Now, I have to admit, the world-building in this book was super intriguing. A world where you’re literally born with someone fated to either be your soulmate OR your soulhate? 🤯 It was a fresh twist, and I couldn’t get enough of the political chaos and intrigue that played out between Renza and Idris. The whole "soulhate" concept was intense, and the fact that Renza and Idris refused to follow their instincts and work together despite their fated roles? Iconic. I was living for their dynamic.

Idris—can we just take a second? 🔥 This guy is so swoon-worthy but also totally mysterious. He’s got secrets, and I was constantly like, Tell me everything! He knows that he’s her soulhate, but instead of going full villain, he steps back and tries to protect Renza. My heart was NOT prepared. He’s all dark and brooding, but you can see this protective side to him that was so endearing. 😍

And then we have Nouis, the longtime family friend who clearly has feelings for Renza. You can tell from the jump that he’s trying to be the rock she needs, but honestly? I was side-eyeing him the whole time. 👀 Gaslighting narcissist alert—I was screaming at Renza to open her eyes and realize what was going on. 😬 Trust me, you’ll be yelling at the page at some points!

As for the twists in the plot, I kinda saw them coming early on. I’m not mad about it though. Even though I guessed what was going to happen, the way everything unfolded still worked. The writing, the character growth, the stakes? It still delivered the emotional punch. 💥💔

Also, can we talk about some of the lines? I’m obsessed. From Idris being all “If I am to be your distraction, Renza, then I will do it properly” 😳🔥 to the absolutely heartbreaking “Old history leaves long scars.” Oof, Hannah Kingsley knows how to hit you right in the feels. 😭

One thing I’ll say, though: the writing could have used a bit more polish at times. There were moments when the descriptions felt a little overdone. But hey, this is a debut novel, and I’m so excited to see how Hannah develops as a writer because there’s definitely potential here. ✨

And the ending? Let’s just say I NEED more. The way things wrap up makes it feel like we’ll be back in this world soon—and I’m here for it. 🫶

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5)

I really enjoyed Soul Hate overall. The world-building was unique, the characters were dynamic (I’m looking at you, Idris 😏), and the tension between Renza and Idris kept me turning the pages. The writing could be tightened up a bit, but honestly, I’m so excited to see what’s next from Hannah Kingsley. Keep ‘em coming! 👏✨

“But Fate always has the last laugh”

Loved it. Ya, fantasy powerful and fast paced. I really enjoyed this book. I also appreciated a lot the fact that some of the names did feel very Italian and for me it’s always enjoyable to read even small things from different cultures in books. Renza’s story was complete in its own. A true enemies to lovers where hate is the reason why they can’t stand each other but because Fate has decided it. Betrayal, family and justice were also important topics in this book but overall, it’s fantasy and it’s driven by that amazing thing that it’s magical storytelling which, in my mind, is an absolute wonder. While the magical element was not present, the setting and dynamic between the characters were absolutely fantasy like and I really enjoyed the time spent ready it. It did feel a lot like a palate cleanser after heavy books. And we all need that sometimes!!!

“I’m Renza Di Maineri, and Fate is a sick, twisted god”

2.5 ⭐

I loved the prologue, but the rest... Not really.

Fast paced, enemies turn to lovers after approximately 100+ pages. There was a good plot twist, but sadly quite predictable. The political part was also rushed and no real motive was provided.

The idea had a lot of potential.

Thank you Netgalley for the e-ARC. This was my honest opinion.

It was a fun quick time! I liked where the story went but it was underdeveloped in parts. the concept was very interesting, will probably give a finished copy a go!

Omg, this book surprised me so much! I went in expecting a cliché romantasy (which, excuse me, I absolutely love) and got a political intrigue that was so well done and developed! On top of that, I got a romance full of tension and angst that I absolutely ate up. I only took off one star because, for me, the ending felt a bit rushed compared to the pacing of the rest of the book, but other than that, I loved everything!!

Soul Hate is a unique, fast-paced fantasy full of vivid description and complex characters. It follows Renza's journey as a city official who lives through a devastating attack on her city, and must decide who to trust as an ally. An unlikely one is her Soul Hate, a person she is fated to despise and can barely stand to be around. But their relationship develops in surprising ways as they seek to do the right thing for their country.
The world-building was quick and uncomplicated, such that I wasn't overwhelmed by too many names or magical powers or places, but rather I could get right into the plot. It moved fairly quickly, and excellent development of the large cast of characters kept me engaged. A first-person and present tense narrative style brought the story to life.
As much as I applaud the vivid imagery used to create this story, at times it was too much. We shared in Renza's every bodily sensation to the point that it sometimes detracted from the plot. More strategic description of both setting and characters would help to not bog down the story.
The premise of the book was intriguing, but some elements of the plot were a bit weak and predictable (I would love to give examples but they would provide spoilers). I don't know if there will be more books in the series, but if not, a few threads were left hanging that felt unsatisfying. Overall, very well written but the story itself is average.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this book, all thoughts and views are my own and I was not paid to write a review.

3.75 ⭐️

Renza di Maineri is the youngest elected leader her city has ever seen. Devoted to the citizens of Halice, she is determined to prove herself and finally step beyond her father’s shadow. But her world falls apart when she meets her worst nightmare, Idris Patricelli.
It’s bad enough that Idris is her main political rival, but fate is playing a cruel game. Idris is also her Soulhate, the person she is fated to destroy, and every moment in his presence she fights an urge to rip his throat out.

So, I loved the political aspect of this book, it was intriguing and kept me engaged throughout. I wouldn’t call this a fantasy novel, only because there was very very little actual magic happening. The writing style was very odd, it sounded YA and then boom, sex scene, I’m not sure what we’re rating this as. I loved the soulhate concept, I thought it brought something a little extra and it’s not something I’ve seen in many books. The twists were not shocking, I knew all along who the real enemy was. I was only upset when they tried to kill off a character I liked. All in all, interesting concept, kind of well executed, very YA writing style.

Soul Hate is Hannah Kingsleys adult romantasy debut, and it had a lot of really awesome things going for it.


What I enjoyed:

•The premise is so unique and interesting. Every person is born with two Fated, a soulmate and a soul hate. One is destined to love you, and the other is destined to destroy you. Most people never meet their fated, but Renza meets her Soulhate in one of her political rivals son Idris. They instantly hate each other and have to fight constantly to avoid killing each other to fulfill their fates.

•The political aspect of this book as fast paced and well done. The world building was based on Ancient Rome and Greece as far as the democratic ruling system and culture was concerned. I felt like the author did a great job at showing (not telling) readers how much Renza loved her city and wanted to be a good leader.

•The tension between Renza and Idris in the last 25% of the book was delicious! Having to fight your instinctual disgust/gods given hatred to act on your attraction is such a new idea and it really worked for me.


What I didn’t love:

•This was marketed to me as a romantasy, but it felt like this was a political fantasy instead. Romance had very little to do with it, and the main romantic love scene about 40% through the book was the FMC with a different man. Idris and Renza, who were marketed as the enemies to lovers, didn’t speak more than 2-3 times before the 60%. Most of the romantic buildup and scenes were between Renza and her childhood friend. Since the book was marketed using Renza and Idris’ relationship, this felt unnecessary and took a lot away from their emotional connection.

•The pacing on the end felt a little rushed, like so much time was spend on buildup that nothing was left for the big reveal and conclusion. After I realized that politics were the main star of the show, I wanted to see how they played out.

•This is nitpicky, but the word “creamy” was used to describe stone and rock 15(!!!) times in 344 pages. Believe me, that’s a lot when you’re reading it. 🫠


Overall I think this is a solid debut. Hannah Kingsley has a distinct voice and a great imagination. I’m interested to see where she takes this series 🩷

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC.

The concept of this book once I saw it was so up my street and I was so excited. With soul mates so popular in fiction these days, it was refreshing to have the opposite as the basis for the book. Hannah Kingsley excelled at the world building and the politics, however sadly the book felt a bit flat and one dimensional, especially with some of the characters. Overall I feel like this could have been so much more.