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Hundred Kingdoms #2
Princess of Souls
From Alexandra Christo, the author of To Kill a Kingdom, comes Princess of Souls, a Rapunzel-inspired YA fantasy romance about a teen witch groomed to steal souls for an immortal king and the reckless, rebellious boy to whom her fate is tied.
For sixteen years, Selestra has been 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.
A soldier in the King's army, Nox is an unlikely candidate for the Festival, but, driven by revenge, he is determined to steal the King’s immortality and kill the entirety of his court, starting with Selestra.
Yet when Selestra touches Nox in her very first prediction, their fates become entwined, and death seeks to take both their souls. Only by working together can they survive long enough to escape the dark fate and the immortal King that now hunts them.
For sixteen years, Selestra has been 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.
A soldier in the King's army, Nox is an unlikely candidate for the Festival, but, driven by revenge, he is determined to steal the King’s immortality and kill the entirety of his court, starting with Selestra.
Yet when Selestra touches Nox in her very first prediction, their fates become entwined, and death seeks to take both their souls. Only by working together can they survive long enough to escape the dark fate and the immortal King that now hunts them.
416 pages, Hardcover
First published October 11, 2022
603 people are currently reading
37096 people want to read
About the author
Alexandra Christo
16 books5,870 followersAlexandra Christo is a British author whose characters are always funnier and far more deadly than she is. She studied Creative Writing at university and graduated with the desire to never stop letting her imagination run wild. She currently lives in Hertfordshire with a rapidly growing garden and a never-ending stack of books. Her debut novel To Kill a Kingdom is an international bestseller and her Young Adult fantasy books have been translated into over a dozen languages worldwide.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,362 reviews
June 13, 2024
this was so fun - enemies working together to achieve a common goal slay
ft. romance, adventures, secrets, betrayal, magic
binged in a day!
ft. romance, adventures, secrets, betrayal, magic
binged in a day!
Want to read
December 16, 2022We have a cover! 👀
- same world as To Kill a Kingdom
- evil Rapunzel vibes
- twists on Greek myth
- ENEMIES TO LOVERS
YES!!! YES!!! YES!!! I NEED IT NOW!!!
- same world as To Kill a Kingdom
- evil Rapunzel vibes
- twists on Greek myth
- ENEMIES TO LOVERS
YES!!! YES!!! YES!!! I NEED IT NOW!!!
February 21, 2024
The difference in # of ratings between this book and book 1 is wild. How did that happen?
Thematically Princess of Souls is in line with To Kill a Kingdom, even though these two are only standalones set in the same world. You’ve got the same basic elements in both: royalty, corruption, dark and violent magic, enemies going on a trip together and falling in love, a heroine who’s raised evil but turns good.
But tonally Princess of Souls felt lighter than the previous installment. Where both leads in book 1 are murderers by choice, in book 2 the heroine’s only real nod towards anti-heroine is the fact that she’s inheriting a kind of magic that’s been used for evil by her ancestors. And the hero is just a hero, nothing anti about him.
Alexandra Christo knows how to write a fulfilling YA character arc. I didn’t really have any issues with the characters and storyline here, except that maybe the author was a bit heavy on literally telling us the moral of the story. Multiple times. Trust your readers to figure it out themselves, please.
Thematically Princess of Souls is in line with To Kill a Kingdom, even though these two are only standalones set in the same world. You’ve got the same basic elements in both: royalty, corruption, dark and violent magic, enemies going on a trip together and falling in love, a heroine who’s raised evil but turns good.
But tonally Princess of Souls felt lighter than the previous installment. Where both leads in book 1 are murderers by choice, in book 2 the heroine’s only real nod towards anti-heroine is the fact that she’s inheriting a kind of magic that’s been used for evil by her ancestors. And the hero is just a hero, nothing anti about him.
Alexandra Christo knows how to write a fulfilling YA character arc. I didn’t really have any issues with the characters and storyline here, except that maybe the author was a bit heavy on literally telling us the moral of the story. Multiple times. Trust your readers to figure it out themselves, please.
March 2, 2023
This is labeled as a retelling of Rapunzel but this felt pretty unique from Rapunzel's story. It still had some references which came in unexpected ways and overall this book, with the world and characters, was a fun adventure.
Selestra’s life is illustrated as one of no freedom, and Nox is driven most of the story by revenge. I thought they had great chemistry and especially in the beginning, I couldn’t wait for scenes they had to interact. Their banter was great, and it is in fact illegal to write romance interests with no banter so I'm glad Christo got the memo.
I enjoyed their growth from not necessarily enemies to lovers, but from mistrust to trust and a lot of encouragement towards each other. Selestra’s personal journey to understanding more of herself and her family’s past was very intriguing and ultimately put the whole story in a different perspective.
I didn’t feel the book was too long but an appropriate length. I would definitely recommend it if you like YA fantasy.
****Thank you Fierce Reads for a copy of this book!
Selestra’s life is illustrated as one of no freedom, and Nox is driven most of the story by revenge. I thought they had great chemistry and especially in the beginning, I couldn’t wait for scenes they had to interact. Their banter was great, and it is in fact illegal to write romance interests with no banter so I'm glad Christo got the memo.
I enjoyed their growth from not necessarily enemies to lovers, but from mistrust to trust and a lot of encouragement towards each other. Selestra’s personal journey to understanding more of herself and her family’s past was very intriguing and ultimately put the whole story in a different perspective.
I didn’t feel the book was too long but an appropriate length. I would definitely recommend it if you like YA fantasy.
****Thank you Fierce Reads for a copy of this book!
April 14, 2023
"Zaplątani" jako książka fr
June 8, 2024
Nach einem Buch wie "Princess of Souls" habe ich gesucht🤍 - ganz "klassisches" Romantasy mit einer Enemies to lovers-Dynamik zwischen den Protagonisten und einem spannenden Fantasy Setting. Das Grundkonzept der Geschichte überzeugte mich innerhalb der ersten Seiten, genauso wie der einnehmende Schreibstil. Mit prägnanten, kurzen Sätzen entstehen starke Bilder, sodass ich das Geschehen erleben konnte. Nach dem Einstieg war mir klar: Dieses Buch MUSS ich lesen. Im weiteren Verlauf stellte sich für mich heraus, dass die Handlung durch einige (an sich positive) Klischees relativ einfach bzw. in manchen Momenten etwas vorhersehbar konzipiert wurde. Obwohl dies für mich an einigen Stellen die Spannung reduzierte, hat es die Leseeuphorie kaum geschmälert. "To kill a kingdom" bleibt zwar zunächst mein Favorit der Autorin, jedoch LIEBE ich auch hier ihren Schreibstil und ihr Gespür für ihre Figuren sowie Fantasy-Atmosphären. Insgesamt habe ich das Lesen von "Princess of Souls" sehr genossen!😍
September 28, 2022
I love fairy tale retellings and this one veered away from the traditional story a bit more than most but I liked that. It made this a unique story in its own rights. I haven’t read the other book set in this world, but I did think it was an interesting world. Selestra was born to be a witch but until her 18th birthday she is just her mother’s heir. They are the only magic left in the 6 isles and they are blood oathed at maturity to the king. The king who feasts on his peoples souls and lives out their potential lives making himself immoral. Selestra has spent most of her life locked in her tower not allowed much contact with anyone and only allowed the training the king wants to give her, but she has sought some of her own freedoms by sneaking out and training with a sword in secret, desperate to hold on to what freedoms she can. The king has a tournament of sorts every year, people can gamble their lives to survive death by using a prophecy from the witch and if they live two weeks they get a wish. If they live the month they take the king’s immortality from him. No one every tries beyond the wish stage. Enter Nox, the first petitioner that Selestra is to give a premonition to and nothing goes as planned. The two of them are enemies so it is the enemies to lovers trope, but they weren’t every super great enemies, more like snarky. All together this was an enjoyable book!
June 11, 2022
I wanted to like this so much more than I did but sadly, it fell kinda flat for me.
I loved the storyline, but I think what pulled me out of it was that I lacked a connection with our characters. WE HAVE ENEMIES TO LOVERS AND I FELT "MEH"? This is not okay. I'm upset. I don't know if it is because I'm older than the actual intended audience or if it's because it just was lacking that pull to the main characters. Our main characters were okay, I really really liked our supporting cast, but overall I think it was mostly a miss for me. I'M SO SAD. I love Alexandra's stuff and the fact that this was in the To Kill A Kingdom universe and I just felt :/ over it? Maybe it's me. Maybe I'm the problem. I think I'll give it a try on the release day and see what happens but as of now, it just wasn't the read for me.
Thank you to Edelweiss+ and Macmillan for the ARC in exchange for an honest review
I loved the storyline, but I think what pulled me out of it was that I lacked a connection with our characters. WE HAVE ENEMIES TO LOVERS AND I FELT "MEH"? This is not okay. I'm upset. I don't know if it is because I'm older than the actual intended audience or if it's because it just was lacking that pull to the main characters. Our main characters were okay, I really really liked our supporting cast, but overall I think it was mostly a miss for me. I'M SO SAD. I love Alexandra's stuff and the fact that this was in the To Kill A Kingdom universe and I just felt :/ over it? Maybe it's me. Maybe I'm the problem. I think I'll give it a try on the release day and see what happens but as of now, it just wasn't the read for me.
Thank you to Edelweiss+ and Macmillan for the ARC in exchange for an honest review
November 14, 2022
Since this book is going to take place in the same world as 'To Kill a Kingdom' even if I wasn't a fan of that I'll give this one a go.
March 16, 2023
Po „Pieśni syreny” wiedziałam, że i ten tytuł skradnie moją sympatię. Lekki, przyjemny i najważniejsze czarujący. Wątek hate/love stale znajduje się w mojej topce, nic dziwnego, że przepadłam bez większego zastanowienia.
Live, laugh and love Nox.
Live, laugh and love Nox.
May 15, 2024
pre-read: not the biggest fan of this cover. but its supposedly a fairy tale retelling AND enemies to lovers, and there’s really not much else i could ask for.
———
read: it’s a very loose retelling, and overall average. howeverrrr, the banter between characters and the complicated mother-daughter relationship were the two things that made this story stand out to me. objectively, it’s a 3.5, but subjectively i’d give it a 3.89.
recommend: only if you value banter to the point that you’ll let an overdone plot slide (i do…)
———
read: it’s a very loose retelling, and overall average. howeverrrr, the banter between characters and the complicated mother-daughter relationship were the two things that made this story stand out to me. objectively, it’s a 3.5, but subjectively i’d give it a 3.89.
recommend: only if you value banter to the point that you’ll let an overdone plot slide (i do…)
May 31, 2023
La princesa de las almas era un libro que tenía ganas de leer desde hacía tiempo.
De la autora ya había leído "Matar un reino" hacía unos cuantos años y lo había disfrutado mucho.
Siendo reteeling de Rapunzel la historia nos presenta a nuestra protagonista Selestra, una joven con lagos cabellos verdes que vive encerrada en el palacio del rey. Su madre es la bruja que facilita al rey el acceso a la inmortalidad, a partir de un trato que hace con los jóvenes del reino. Y Selestra, su hija y heredera, sabe que algún día tendrá que tomar el papel de su madre en la corte real.
Sin embargo, todo cambia cuando llega al palacio Nox, un joven que busca engañar al rey para quitarle todo lo que posee.
Los caminos de Nox y Selestra se cruzarán y juntos partirán en una aventura para desentrañar el último deseo del padre de Nox al morir.
El libro me gustó. Pero debo decir que a medida que iba pasando las páginas fui perdiendo interés. El primer planteo me resultaba interesante, pero a la larga terminó yendo hacia un lugar típico de los libros juveniles.
Considero que es una excelente lectura para aquellos que recién empiecen en la literatura juvenil y quieran una novela entretenida y linda de leer. Me hubiera gustado que hayan más referencias a Rapunzel, creo que a lo largo de la historia me fui olvidando que era reteeling de esta historia.
A grandes rasgos, fue una lectura pasajera pero no creo que sea un libro que me marque de por vida. Y entre los dos libros de la autora, me quedo con matar un reino. Amamos las sirenas ✨
Yo leyendo la princesa de las almas: 😔🥰😝🥺🤩
De la autora ya había leído "Matar un reino" hacía unos cuantos años y lo había disfrutado mucho.
Siendo reteeling de Rapunzel la historia nos presenta a nuestra protagonista Selestra, una joven con lagos cabellos verdes que vive encerrada en el palacio del rey. Su madre es la bruja que facilita al rey el acceso a la inmortalidad, a partir de un trato que hace con los jóvenes del reino. Y Selestra, su hija y heredera, sabe que algún día tendrá que tomar el papel de su madre en la corte real.
Sin embargo, todo cambia cuando llega al palacio Nox, un joven que busca engañar al rey para quitarle todo lo que posee.
Los caminos de Nox y Selestra se cruzarán y juntos partirán en una aventura para desentrañar el último deseo del padre de Nox al morir.
El libro me gustó. Pero debo decir que a medida que iba pasando las páginas fui perdiendo interés. El primer planteo me resultaba interesante, pero a la larga terminó yendo hacia un lugar típico de los libros juveniles.
Considero que es una excelente lectura para aquellos que recién empiecen en la literatura juvenil y quieran una novela entretenida y linda de leer. Me hubiera gustado que hayan más referencias a Rapunzel, creo que a lo largo de la historia me fui olvidando que era reteeling de esta historia.
A grandes rasgos, fue una lectura pasajera pero no creo que sea un libro que me marque de por vida. Y entre los dos libros de la autora, me quedo con matar un reino. Amamos las sirenas ✨
Yo leyendo la princesa de las almas: 😔🥰😝🥺🤩
May 28, 2023
Princess of Souls was a fine read. The world caught my attention but the main focus was on the characters, and I found them flat. While it didn't excite me and the plot certainly wasn't anything new, it was readable enough for me want to finish it and I'm glad I did.
November 27, 2022
“𝘕𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘳𝘦, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘶𝘯 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘦, […] 𝘕𝘰𝘵 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘥𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘦𝘯𝘵.”
✮ ✮ ✮ ✮ ✮
If you love fantasy, read this book. Really I don’t have much else to say, because it’s worthy of a week long book hangover! I haven’t read any of Alexandra Christo’s books before, but I knew I had to get my hand on this new release after hearing the hype about her previous book. And let me just say, this one did not let me down.
It’s a Rapunzel inspired fantasy novel, and no there was no “Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair”, but there was a Princess of Souls locked in a tower and she did have really long hair - just green rather than blonde! But this novel was packed with action, adventure and romance too. There’s also a major theme of found family, which really got me! It was really well crafted, and from a readers point of view I loved the idea of constantly having another possible death looming on the horizon.
Give this a go if you’re even slightly intrigued, because it’s worth it. Thank you so much to Hot Key Books and Alexandra Cristo for my gifted copy, and to Insta Book Tours for my spot on the tour.
𝐈 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐚 𝐜𝐨𝐩𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐞, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈 𝐚𝐦 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 𝐯𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐥𝐲.
✮ ✮ ✮ ✮ ✮
If you love fantasy, read this book. Really I don’t have much else to say, because it’s worthy of a week long book hangover! I haven’t read any of Alexandra Christo’s books before, but I knew I had to get my hand on this new release after hearing the hype about her previous book. And let me just say, this one did not let me down.
It’s a Rapunzel inspired fantasy novel, and no there was no “Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair”, but there was a Princess of Souls locked in a tower and she did have really long hair - just green rather than blonde! But this novel was packed with action, adventure and romance too. There’s also a major theme of found family, which really got me! It was really well crafted, and from a readers point of view I loved the idea of constantly having another possible death looming on the horizon.
Give this a go if you’re even slightly intrigued, because it’s worth it. Thank you so much to Hot Key Books and Alexandra Cristo for my gifted copy, and to Insta Book Tours for my spot on the tour.
𝐈 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐚 𝐜𝐨𝐩𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐞, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈 𝐚𝐦 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 𝐯𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐥𝐲.
July 22, 2022
(1.5, rounded up)
I really wanted to enjoy this but... I just didn't! I was really excited to get an early copy, but it just fell really flat. But go and read some other reviews - I don't want to stop people enjoying it! I have a vague feeling now that I didn't enjoy To Kill a Kingdom as much as everyone else appeared to; I remember a whole lot of hype and feeling kind of let down. Maybe Alexandro Christo isn't my jam? Well, I wanted to have another go.
One of the exciting things was hearing it would be set in the same world as To Kill a Kingdom but... I mean, there was hardly any crossover. I feel this is a slightly dishonest plug for the book. The storyline had potential but it didn't feel executed well, mainly because I didn't feel a real connection to the characters.
Selestra is the 'Rapunzel' character in this retelling, although she's a little more like Medusa! No - that's not fair: she just has green hair rather than snakes haha. But, really, this is not a Rapunzel retelling - except for very very loosely - so don't go in expecting too much. It's more like it has some references to Rapunzel. Selestra is heir to the king's witch - her mother - and is forced to watch each year as Theola (her mother) holds a festival of predictions of people's deaths. If the predictions come true, then King Seryth takes their souls to feed his immortality; if they manage to avoid death, they will be granted a wish. I'm pretty sure the latter has never happened before...
So Selestra's 'knight in shining armour' comes in the form of Nox, a soldier from the Last Army. He comes for a prophecy hoping to avenge his father and depose the king and his witch. (...yeah, it's not really a very sound plan). Selestra finds an unusual connection to Nox through her magic, and they travel together to The Six Isles in order to find a weapon Nox is convinced will kill the King. Lots more ensues...
I just didn't really feel much for either Selestra or Nox, and I felt next to nothing for their respective sidekicks, Irenya and Micah. Also, the King felt like one of those villains who had no real character and was just evil and power hungry for the sake of it - which is a MASSIVE pet peeve of me. Villains need to be characters too!
It's billed as an enemies-to-lovers story and this part was... meh. I don't know. I just didn't care about them as much.
It might be me! So give it a go anyway, but this was flat and a slog to get through from my perspective (I kept restarting in the hope that it would boost it's storytelling power for me); even the dual perspective felt awkward. But you know sometimes when you don't like something you find lots of things wrong - confirmation bias? I might have that going on.
Reading other reviews, people were impressed by the world building, the magic system, the depth of characters and emotional complexity... so don't take my word for it!
Thanks to NetGalley and Bonnier Books UK for providing me with an arc; I wish it had gone to someone who appreciated it more!
I really wanted to enjoy this but... I just didn't! I was really excited to get an early copy, but it just fell really flat. But go and read some other reviews - I don't want to stop people enjoying it! I have a vague feeling now that I didn't enjoy To Kill a Kingdom as much as everyone else appeared to; I remember a whole lot of hype and feeling kind of let down. Maybe Alexandro Christo isn't my jam? Well, I wanted to have another go.
One of the exciting things was hearing it would be set in the same world as To Kill a Kingdom but... I mean, there was hardly any crossover. I feel this is a slightly dishonest plug for the book. The storyline had potential but it didn't feel executed well, mainly because I didn't feel a real connection to the characters.
Selestra is the 'Rapunzel' character in this retelling, although she's a little more like Medusa! No - that's not fair: she just has green hair rather than snakes haha. But, really, this is not a Rapunzel retelling - except for very very loosely - so don't go in expecting too much. It's more like it has some references to Rapunzel. Selestra is heir to the king's witch - her mother - and is forced to watch each year as Theola (her mother) holds a festival of predictions of people's deaths. If the predictions come true, then King Seryth takes their souls to feed his immortality; if they manage to avoid death, they will be granted a wish. I'm pretty sure the latter has never happened before...
So Selestra's 'knight in shining armour' comes in the form of Nox, a soldier from the Last Army. He comes for a prophecy hoping to avenge his father and depose the king and his witch. (...yeah, it's not really a very sound plan). Selestra finds an unusual connection to Nox through her magic, and they travel together to The Six Isles in order to find a weapon Nox is convinced will kill the King. Lots more ensues...
I just didn't really feel much for either Selestra or Nox, and I felt next to nothing for their respective sidekicks, Irenya and Micah. Also, the King felt like one of those villains who had no real character and was just evil and power hungry for the sake of it - which is a MASSIVE pet peeve of me. Villains need to be characters too!
It's billed as an enemies-to-lovers story and this part was... meh. I don't know. I just didn't care about them as much.
It might be me! So give it a go anyway, but this was flat and a slog to get through from my perspective (I kept restarting in the hope that it would boost it's storytelling power for me); even the dual perspective felt awkward. But you know sometimes when you don't like something you find lots of things wrong - confirmation bias? I might have that going on.
Reading other reviews, people were impressed by the world building, the magic system, the depth of characters and emotional complexity... so don't take my word for it!
Thanks to NetGalley and Bonnier Books UK for providing me with an arc; I wish it had gone to someone who appreciated it more!
November 27, 2022
I really tried to like this book and normally love all books by Hot Key Books but this one was such a chore it took me months to read. It reads like a Scholastic book that hasn’t decided if it’s meant for children or YA. The writing style is quite juvenile, it was very “this happened, and then this happened, and then this happened.” Descriptions were sparse, world building felt underdeveloped. Characters seemed too stereotypical - I would have liked if they were all less black and white and had a little more of a grey area with regards to the good/evil nature of all the characters. The names of the characters were also very cringey and weird. I’m not sure why this was marketed so heavily as a Rapunzel retelling when literally the only similarities are the MC living in a tower and her mother being a witch. This comparison seemed like a massive stretch to me.
November 30, 2022
This was such a fun enjoyable read!
I flew through this book as its fast paced and easy to read but it still has great world building and characters.
The back and forth banter between Selestra and Nox was endearing and hilarious. The plot was interesting and entertaining.
I loved the mix between the Rapunzel and Medusa retelling as Selestra is a witch with long green hair thats locked in a tower by the immortal king.
I wish we got more of a backstory on the side characters Micah and Irenya while they were on the journey with Nox & Selestra we barely heard anything about them.
I would recommend this to YA fantasy romance lovers, you wont be disappointed
I flew through this book as its fast paced and easy to read but it still has great world building and characters.
The back and forth banter between Selestra and Nox was endearing and hilarious. The plot was interesting and entertaining.
I loved the mix between the Rapunzel and Medusa retelling as Selestra is a witch with long green hair thats locked in a tower by the immortal king.
I wish we got more of a backstory on the side characters Micah and Irenya while they were on the journey with Nox & Selestra we barely heard anything about them.
I would recommend this to YA fantasy romance lovers, you wont be disappointed
November 30, 2022
This was such a fun enjoyable read!
I flew through this book as its fast paced and easy to read but it still has great world building and characters.
The back and forth banter between Selestra and Nox was endearing and hilarious. The plot was interesting and entertaining.
I loved the mix between the Rapunzel and Medusa retelling as Selestra is a witch with long green hair thats locked in a tower by the immortal king.
I wish we got more of a backstory on the side characters Micah and Irenya while they were on the journey with Nox & Selestra we barely heard anything about them.
I would recommend this to YA fantasy romance lovers, you wont be disappointed
I flew through this book as its fast paced and easy to read but it still has great world building and characters.
The back and forth banter between Selestra and Nox was endearing and hilarious. The plot was interesting and entertaining.
I loved the mix between the Rapunzel and Medusa retelling as Selestra is a witch with long green hair thats locked in a tower by the immortal king.
I wish we got more of a backstory on the side characters Micah and Irenya while they were on the journey with Nox & Selestra we barely heard anything about them.
I would recommend this to YA fantasy romance lovers, you wont be disappointed
October 3, 2022
This was such a fun read and I highly recommend it especially if you enjoyed to kill a kingdom this was a fun action packed YA fantasy & I would love to know more about the world
December 17, 2022
This was a cool
Concept and story it just didn’t do it for me personally
Concept and story it just didn’t do it for me personally
April 15, 2023
Podobała mi się trochę mniej niż "Pieśń syreny", ale ogólnie lubię jednotomówki tej autorki i na pewno sięgnę, jak wyjdzie coś nowego.
June 17, 2023
Per autocitarmi, questo è un retelling di Rapunzel come Christo comanda (lol)
Mi ha catturata sin dalla prima pagina, sia per i personaggi che per le vibes un po' dark e mystery che trasmetteva
Avevo già letto La regina delle sirene della stessa autrice e già allora avevo apprezzato tantissimo la bravura dell'autrice nel riuscire a creare una storia bella compatta e lineare, piena di azione ma allo stesso tempo con la giusta attenzione alla psicologia dei personaggi, con una buona dose di romance (enemies to lovers, ovvero la trope superiore) che alla fine porta anche ad una grande crescita dei personaggi stessi - in questo libro seguiamo un po' la stessa onda, ma qui si è davvero superata
È stato una ventata d'aria fresca, e quegli aspetti che ha ripreso di Rapunzel rendevano la lettura ancora più interessante, perché era curioso vedere come quelle cose fossero state traslate in questo universo magico e cos'altro invece l'autrice si era inventata da cornice.
Però ammetto che l'aspetto migliore sono state le interazioni tra i protagonisti: Selestra e Nox mi hanno fatta morire dalle risate ancora più di quanto mi abbaino emozionata. Partiti prevenuti, lei che lo odiava per il suo atteggiamento e lui pronto ad ucciderla perché una strega senza cuore, si ritrovano sfortunatamente legati dal destino e da una visione e sono costretti a collaborare. Pian piano metteranno da parte le loro divergenze, ma non mancheranno mai i banter, i commentini sarcastici, le battute a mo' di critica che hanno reso la loro relazione una delle parti migliori di questo libro.
La scelta del doppio pov inoltre è stata davvero ottima, permette al lettore di vedere nel dettaglio i caratteri dei protagonisti, così da capire meglio le loro emozioni, le loro idee e motivazioni, ma anche il modo in cui i loro sentimenti cambiano e iniziano ad abbassare la guardia, senza sapere di cos'altro li aspetta, compresi tradimenti...
Mancava però forse un'attenzione maggiore al resto della storia, personaggi secondari che purtroppo si sono visti poche volte e quasi per niente dopo aver compiuto il loro dovere ai fini della narrazione, così come alcune passioni e caratteristiche dei protagonisti (mi sarebbe piaciuto sapere qualcosa di più sulla passione di Selestra per la pittura, invece di accontentarmi delle sole due scene ricevute, o della effettiva bravura di Nox nei combattimenti e altri soui interessi, dato che a differenza di Selestra non abbiamo avuto molti insights sulla sua infanzia). Si tratta effettivamente di uno stand-alone neanche troppo lungo, ovviamente molto più focalizzato sulla storia in sé e sui personaggi che su altro, e queste sono effettivamente delle accortezze minori che non avrebbero tolto o aggiunto niente di più alla storia, ma forse seppur sciocche anche sciocche, queste info in più (come sta l'uomo che ha creato la mongolfiera? Selestra ha ripreso a dipingere? Lucian ha smesso di sembrare costipato?) avrebbero chiuso 'davvero' la storia sotto ogni aspetto e mi avrebbero accontentata ancor più di quanto il libro non abbia già fatto
È comunque una storia davvero bella e ben curata, che tiene incollati alle pagine e ti intrattiene davvero bene, la consiglio tantissimo soprattutto se si cerca qualcosa di 'leggero' e 'corto' ma fatto bene (benissimo) e che ti trascini davvero
Mi ha catturata sin dalla prima pagina, sia per i personaggi che per le vibes un po' dark e mystery che trasmetteva
Avevo già letto La regina delle sirene della stessa autrice e già allora avevo apprezzato tantissimo la bravura dell'autrice nel riuscire a creare una storia bella compatta e lineare, piena di azione ma allo stesso tempo con la giusta attenzione alla psicologia dei personaggi, con una buona dose di romance (enemies to lovers, ovvero la trope superiore) che alla fine porta anche ad una grande crescita dei personaggi stessi - in questo libro seguiamo un po' la stessa onda, ma qui si è davvero superata
È stato una ventata d'aria fresca, e quegli aspetti che ha ripreso di Rapunzel rendevano la lettura ancora più interessante, perché era curioso vedere come quelle cose fossero state traslate in questo universo magico e cos'altro invece l'autrice si era inventata da cornice.
Però ammetto che l'aspetto migliore sono state le interazioni tra i protagonisti: Selestra e Nox mi hanno fatta morire dalle risate ancora più di quanto mi abbaino emozionata. Partiti prevenuti, lei che lo odiava per il suo atteggiamento e lui pronto ad ucciderla perché una strega senza cuore, si ritrovano sfortunatamente legati dal destino e da una visione e sono costretti a collaborare. Pian piano metteranno da parte le loro divergenze, ma non mancheranno mai i banter, i commentini sarcastici, le battute a mo' di critica che hanno reso la loro relazione una delle parti migliori di questo libro.
La scelta del doppio pov inoltre è stata davvero ottima, permette al lettore di vedere nel dettaglio i caratteri dei protagonisti, così da capire meglio le loro emozioni, le loro idee e motivazioni, ma anche il modo in cui i loro sentimenti cambiano e iniziano ad abbassare la guardia, senza sapere di cos'altro li aspetta, compresi tradimenti...
Mancava però forse un'attenzione maggiore al resto della storia, personaggi secondari che purtroppo si sono visti poche volte e quasi per niente dopo aver compiuto il loro dovere ai fini della narrazione, così come alcune passioni e caratteristiche dei protagonisti (mi sarebbe piaciuto sapere qualcosa di più sulla passione di Selestra per la pittura, invece di accontentarmi delle sole due scene ricevute, o della effettiva bravura di Nox nei combattimenti e altri soui interessi, dato che a differenza di Selestra non abbiamo avuto molti insights sulla sua infanzia). Si tratta effettivamente di uno stand-alone neanche troppo lungo, ovviamente molto più focalizzato sulla storia in sé e sui personaggi che su altro, e queste sono effettivamente delle accortezze minori che non avrebbero tolto o aggiunto niente di più alla storia, ma forse seppur sciocche anche sciocche, queste info in più (come sta l'uomo che ha creato la mongolfiera? Selestra ha ripreso a dipingere? Lucian ha smesso di sembrare costipato?) avrebbero chiuso 'davvero' la storia sotto ogni aspetto e mi avrebbero accontentata ancor più di quanto il libro non abbia già fatto
È comunque una storia davvero bella e ben curata, che tiene incollati alle pagine e ti intrattiene davvero bene, la consiglio tantissimo soprattutto se si cerca qualcosa di 'leggero' e 'corto' ma fatto bene (benissimo) e che ti trascini davvero
June 26, 2023
Me estás diciendo que lo que empecé a leer, es que:
¿La protagonista con tan solo tocarte puede ver cómo vas a morir y está encerrada siempre en una torre, para estar al servicio del Rey cuando se muera la madre de la protagonista (que es la actual bruja).
Tambien que el rey necesita almas para vivir, así que engaña a la gente para ofrecer su alma a cambio de un deseo si ganas, y uno de ellos (que tiene sus motivos para matar al rey y es un soldado que es el protagonista masculino). Pero cuando ella toca sus manos ve como va a morir y se ve que ella también va a morir con el... y decide averiguar porqué ella se involucra con el y va a hacer un plan para salvarle la vida?
Solamente por eso mismo lo leí y me gustó pero yo pensé que iba a gustar más cuando lo terminé. Hubieron cosas de falta de conexión entre Selestra y Nox. Como que se tenían que enamorar porque así tenía que ser pero no sentí que fuera opcional, sino que ellos tenían que estar juntos y fue algo que no me gustó y tampoco el final. Siento que la construcción del mundo quedó un poco del lado y algunas cosas más que no puedo mencionar por temas de spoilers.
Pero eso sí, gustó como jugó la autora con las cosas importantes de Enredados (porque es un retelling) y darme cuenta de esos detalles. Hubiera amado que hubiera metido a un animal mágico o un caballo para sustituir a Max (que es uno de mis personajes favoritos), pero de ahí en más amé que tuviera la esencia de una película que amo.
Se lee rápido y pasan muchas cosas. Me gustó la construcción y Selestra como protagonista con su cabello verde.
¿La protagonista con tan solo tocarte puede ver cómo vas a morir y está encerrada siempre en una torre, para estar al servicio del Rey cuando se muera la madre de la protagonista (que es la actual bruja).
Tambien que el rey necesita almas para vivir, así que engaña a la gente para ofrecer su alma a cambio de un deseo si ganas, y uno de ellos (que tiene sus motivos para matar al rey y es un soldado que es el protagonista masculino). Pero cuando ella toca sus manos ve como va a morir y se ve que ella también va a morir con el... y decide averiguar porqué ella se involucra con el y va a hacer un plan para salvarle la vida?
Solamente por eso mismo lo leí y me gustó pero yo pensé que iba a gustar más cuando lo terminé. Hubieron cosas de falta de conexión entre Selestra y Nox. Como que se tenían que enamorar porque así tenía que ser pero no sentí que fuera opcional, sino que ellos tenían que estar juntos y fue algo que no me gustó y tampoco el final. Siento que la construcción del mundo quedó un poco del lado y algunas cosas más que no puedo mencionar por temas de spoilers.
Pero eso sí, gustó como jugó la autora con las cosas importantes de Enredados (porque es un retelling) y darme cuenta de esos detalles. Hubiera amado que hubiera metido a un animal mágico o un caballo para sustituir a Max (que es uno de mis personajes favoritos), pero de ahí en más amé que tuviera la esencia de una película que amo.
Se lee rápido y pasan muchas cosas. Me gustó la construcción y Selestra como protagonista con su cabello verde.
April 2, 2023
Kocham motyw odbierania duszy, bo totalnie dodaje mrocznego wątku, którego często brakuje mi w fantastyce młodzieżowej. Końcówka jest niczym z najlepszego serialu. Byłam ultra zaangażowana w naszą parę bohaterów, a to jaka jest między nimi chemia i jak na siebie wzajemnie oddziałują… I love
October 26, 2025
¿POR QUÉ AÚN NO HABÍA LEÍDO ESTA JOYA DE LIBRO?
Lo ame muchísimo, totalmente enamorada de esos dos🫦
Lo ame muchísimo, totalmente enamorada de esos dos🫦
March 23, 2023
Chciałam tutaj napisać coś więcej, bo uważam że warto. Książka na prawde warta uwagi, pomimo swojej szablonowej akcji fabularnej i tak bawicie się cudownie. Idealna jeśli chcecie coś lżejszego, lub dopiero zaczynacie z fantastyką. Ja pokochałam ten tytuł, tych bohaterów i ten humor.
August 22, 2022
I don't like "To Kill a Kingdom" that much. BUT THIS? HSHSHSHSHS OKAY BYE
✨Princess of Souls✨
4⭐️
A Rapunzel inspired fantasy - I'M HOOKED! Though I didn't really enjoy the author book; To Kill A Kingdom, surprisingly this one works for me! I HAVE PLENTY OF STUFF TO SCREAM RANT AND FANGIRL.
Short summary:
Selestra is the heir of Somniatis Witch, the king's witch. Imprisoned in a tower, she dreams of freedom. The king fed on souls for immortality and every year there's a festival where people give part of their souls to the king and try to survive until the end of the month. If they ever survive, they are promised to get one wish from the king if they don't survive, the king will consume their souls. Selestra is gifted with a power that allows her to foresee death of the person she touch. And when she touches Nox, their futures interwined together. Is Nox her key to freedom that she dreams of?
What I love about this book
❤️ The world building is much clearer and interesting compared To Kill A kingdom. It is much more detail and very easy for me to imagine myself in the world.
❤️ The relationship between Selestra and Nox are so hot?! HSHSHSHSHS SLOW BURN ROMANCE (PERIODDDTTT) Loving their chemistry so much and I hope for more.
❤️ Loving the plot. It is a Rapunzel inspired fantasy, but it is very subtle of it. And it is also said that it is the same universe as To Kill a Kingdom, though I don't really notice tbh. So you can just read this book first.
What you can expect in the book
🧙🏻♀️ SLOW BURN ROMANCE
🧙🏻♀️ Rapunzel Inspired Fantasy
🧙🏻♀️ Enemies to Lovers
Princess of Souls will be released on 27 September 2022 and this cover is the arc cover. The real cover is beautiful! I am excited to see your reaction when you read it. I LOVE IT SO MUCH AND I HOPE YOU GUYS WILL LOVE IT AS MUCH AS I DO TOO!
I would like to say thank you to @definitelypansing for the arc copy in an exchange of honest review. #pansing
✨Princess of Souls✨
4⭐️
A Rapunzel inspired fantasy - I'M HOOKED! Though I didn't really enjoy the author book; To Kill A Kingdom, surprisingly this one works for me! I HAVE PLENTY OF STUFF TO SCREAM RANT AND FANGIRL.
Short summary:
Selestra is the heir of Somniatis Witch, the king's witch. Imprisoned in a tower, she dreams of freedom. The king fed on souls for immortality and every year there's a festival where people give part of their souls to the king and try to survive until the end of the month. If they ever survive, they are promised to get one wish from the king if they don't survive, the king will consume their souls. Selestra is gifted with a power that allows her to foresee death of the person she touch. And when she touches Nox, their futures interwined together. Is Nox her key to freedom that she dreams of?
What I love about this book
❤️ The world building is much clearer and interesting compared To Kill A kingdom. It is much more detail and very easy for me to imagine myself in the world.
❤️ The relationship between Selestra and Nox are so hot?! HSHSHSHSHS SLOW BURN ROMANCE (PERIODDDTTT) Loving their chemistry so much and I hope for more.
❤️ Loving the plot. It is a Rapunzel inspired fantasy, but it is very subtle of it. And it is also said that it is the same universe as To Kill a Kingdom, though I don't really notice tbh. So you can just read this book first.
What you can expect in the book
🧙🏻♀️ SLOW BURN ROMANCE
🧙🏻♀️ Rapunzel Inspired Fantasy
🧙🏻♀️ Enemies to Lovers
Princess of Souls will be released on 27 September 2022 and this cover is the arc cover. The real cover is beautiful! I am excited to see your reaction when you read it. I LOVE IT SO MUCH AND I HOPE YOU GUYS WILL LOVE IT AS MUCH AS I DO TOO!
I would like to say thank you to @definitelypansing for the arc copy in an exchange of honest review. #pansing
May 7, 2023
The writing style. Absolutely terrible. and the dialogue. 😐🖐🏼 the amount of times i cringed in this book hurts me. the banter was NOT good and honestly felt like it was written for a child. The romance was flat and so.. gray. What wasnt gray however was the black & white good-or-bad character dynamics. Absolutely NO gray areas there. Ofcourse, characters with personalities of a doorknob were included. So far its a Its a three-in-one deal 👍🏻. So disappointed because i LOVED to kill a kingdom and this was supposedly set in that world (absolutely no evidence of that except of a few remarks of sirens in the outside world 😱😱). the plot and the story had potential 💔 Dont read this please.
Want to read
September 6, 2022Interesting cover…but more importantly the synopsis 🤌🏻 Love a enemies to lovers ❤️🔥
March 25, 2023
Top 3 rzeczy które absolutnie uwielbiam w tej historii- kreacja głównych bohaterów, klimat i motyw enemies to lovers!!! Wciągnęłam się od pierwszych stron, mega cieszę się że po nią sięgnęłam🥰
I dlaczego chłopacy z książek wydawnictwa young są tacy super zawsze?!?! Nox>>>>>
I dlaczego chłopacy z książek wydawnictwa young są tacy super zawsze?!?! Nox>>>>>
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