Hannah Kingsley delivers a compelling and unique fantasy with Soul Hate, weaving political intrigue, fate-driven conflict, and deeply emotional storytelling into a fascinating world. Easy ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Renza di Maineri stands out as a protagonist. Instead of the familiar rebellious outcast that we typically see in books, Renza is a politician (so interesting!)— she’s young, determined, and navigating the challenges of leadership while trying to step out of her father’s shadow. Her journey is already complex, but it becomes even more volatile when she discovers her Soulhate: Idris Patricelli, her greatest rival and the person she is fated to kill. The tension between them is palpable, and their dynamic adds a captivating layer to the political stakes of the story.

The Soulmate vs. Soulhate concept is a fresh take on fate-driven narratives, and Kingsley executed is so well! 🙌
The novel’s world-building is immersive, with Halice feeling like a fully realized city, shaped by power struggles and deep-rooted traditions. The writing is beautifully done (I feel like I absolutely devoured this book!)- but I have to particularly shoutout the one scene at the library unveiling, as this was especially moving and I sobbed. 😭

With a gripping plot, complex characters, and an ending that leaves a lasting impact, Soul Hate is a standout addition to the fantasy genre. Please tell me a sequel is on the horizon because this story is far from over and I cannot wait to see what happens next!

DNF @10 %

I wanted to enjoy this book but the beginning was just way too political for me and i was not a fan of the writing.

Thank you for the arc!

DNF at 17%

I was expecting more of a romance/fantasy type read but this was just too much politics for me. I was struggling to get into it as I don't enjoy overly political books.

The writing was well done though and had this been more plot other than the politics I think I would have really enjoyed it.

Probably 3.5 ⭐
This premise was SO FUN! Seriously loved the idea of a Soulhate and the trials to go through working with someone that your body is trying to kill.
The romance was good, very minimal spice, great betrayal (even if it was easy to spot, it was still a great reveal!), but if I had to hear how hot it was one more time 🙄.
Overall, definitely recommend it, but go into it knowing it's not the best ever.

Thank you to the publisher for granting me access to an arc via netgalley! This was a very anticipated read for me, having followed Hannah for years due to her business, and have had the pleasure of both meeting her and being one of her reps - which will not be factored into my review of Soul Hate.

Soul Hate takes place in a universe where everyone has a Soul Mate, and a Soul Hate - basically the opposite of a soulmate, and makes the people want to kill the other, and historically there have even been soul hate battles to the death. I didn’t anticipate the rage between soul hates, it was much mire intense than I thought, but was pleasantly surprised!

Soul Hate follows Renza Di Marineri, who is an Electi, a leader of the city of Halice, the youngest one the city has seen. Unfortunately for Renza, her Soul Hate appears and chaos ensures and she must work together with her Soul Hate - who is also her political rival!!, to uncover what has happened in the city which has hurt the people closest to her.

I really enjoyed the plot, I thought the tension with the action was well written and I loved seeing Renza working with Idris, despite him being her Soul Hate and not fully trusting him! Speaking of Idris, the tension between these two!! Aah! I need more of it!! I definitely want there to be a twist of fate and they be both Soul Hates and Soul Mates, that would make things so complicated fand I would genuinely love it if that happened. In this world, soul hates and soul mates are fated, you can’t break that fate.

I feel like there could be a little more to this book, but this is the first in a trilogy so that is understandable and I am very much looking forward to the next book, especially as I feel like ther were some things left unresolved fully. This is a fab political enemies to lovers romantasy, with a badass female main character, who is not scared to stand up for what she believes in.


I enjoyed Soul Hate and I am giving it 4.25 stars. Also, I would like to say that I really like the cover!

I did enjoy this book however there were times I was a little confused and found it a little politics heavy. Personally it wasn’t for me however I know so many people will enjoy this book!

The story had great promise and I’d love to read more work from the author in the future.

2.5 ⭐

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

I loved the prologue, but the rest... Not really.
I'll explain why;

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.

This had a lot of potential, but ultimately I feel like it fell short in its execution. It was very tough to get into in the beginning, so much so that I can see typical YA readers stopping before they got too far into the story. I wish things had been described and developed more.

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! 👏✨