What a good opening there is to this book - it had shivers running down my spine. Arrah's parents are witchdoctors however it seems as though she will never get magic herself. She is in her teens and magic has still not come to her. However something evil may be coming that will affect her, her family and her friends. Will she be able to deal with it without magic or will she have to take a darker path? The book follows Arrah and her family as the Kingdom's children start to disappear. There are also signs that the long imprisoned Demon King is stirring. I was hooked!

Initially Arrah seems to be a fairly ordinary teenager. She loves her father dearly but finds her mother rather cold. She likes being with her friends some of whom already have magic powers. There is a boy who she likes too. Other than the opening this started to feel like something a little more ordinary if fairly colourful. The settings, customs and life generally are wonderfully described and gave me a feeling of being there. There is quite a bit to understand in this book - magic and magical creatures are not generally the sort of ones I've met before but I found the discovery interesting.

BANG - then the book starts to get more magically and the roller coaster starts. You really do need to hang on - your very being is at risk. I found this became a book that was increasingly hard to put down. It also becomes very very intense and even a somewhat upsetting read at times.

There is an unmistakeable African feel to this which I really enjoyed. Reading around a little I realise that some of the magic in this book is normal in African based tales. This book definitely makes me want to read more of this kind of writing so my thanks to the author for that.

There is a real feeling of evil here which you don't come across all that often; this indicates a very high quality of writing. I guess because I'd not read anything African based this felt genuinely fresh to me. Coming from a European perspective I felt the end (really unputdownable) had some element of Norse like mythology by the end. I do see some criticisms of this and maybe it isn't perfect. For me though it was a book I simply loved so a possible 4.5 star is very happily rounded up and I would love to read this author's next book.

"so dark, so magical, so desperate"

Fascinating Sci-Fi/Fantasy story. Very detailed with some great characters and storylines. Gods and Demons, nothing as it seems and a great conclusion. Open ending with the possibility of a follow on.

2.5 / 5

Interesting premise and magic system that in theory I should have loved, but I never really warmed to the story.

In part, the pacing is to blame. At times things felt like they were happening too fast, other times far too slowly and I never particularly cared about any of the characters - they were all incredibly bland and the side characters were forgettable and I struggled to put a face to their names. The story also felt far too long and stretched out which made it hard to keep my interest.

I didn't care for the 'twist' either - in fact, for the last 10-20% I couldn't really follow what was happening and it felt like the author had tried to squeeze an entire series worth of things into one book, or rather into the the last 100 pages.

Bit of a disappointment. Not sure I'll continue with the series.

There was so much I liked about this novel - the fantasy world, the magical elements, the mystery surrounding Arrah's magic, the search for the child snatcher and its awful reveal, the back story of Arrah's mother, and the atmosphere created by Barron all entice you in very qiuckly. However I felt that Barron needed to explain her magical world a bit more, there were too many alien names and references to back history that needed to be revisited in order to make sense and put into context within the present narrative.. The impression I got was of a world with a mix of tribal African and Ancient Egyptian influences where benevolent gods, 'orishas' had once mixed with humans. I liked the first half of the story more than the second half - after the birth of Arrah's demon sister Efia the story became more predictable as Efia is a less interesting and more 2-dimensional character than Arran's parents or the Vizier and the royal family. I was hoping that her mother would be more of a central character than she eventually became. However it is an enjoyable story and an interesting world.

This book has so much hype and excitement from the Harper Voyager team.... and with GOOD REASON. I actually squealed when my wish was granted.

This book is so different from your average YA fantasy, with an exciting and fascinating world built to perfection with such rich language and lore building. Arrah is a fantastic heroine with a backup cast of equally loveable and detestable characters in equal measure with heartbreaking twists and turns throughout. A book to fall in love with, to be delighted and surprised by.

*eARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

I have some conflicting feelings about this book, but first let me say that reading it stole my time like I was trading it for magic (you'll understand later). I sat down with this book and didn't get up until five hours later when it was finished. An entire afternoon, gone.

So, let's start with the good. Firstly, the world-building in this book is beyond amazing. Fully fleshed out culture and mythology, and yes, the story depends on this world-building (which some books don't do, for some reason). Kingdom of Souls is set thousands of years after a great battle between the orisha (godlike figures) and the Demon King. Throughout the book, we get little tidbits of storytelling from them (which is confusing at times), but the best part is putting all the pieces together at the end and realizing the impact that it has on the story. Readers, pay attention to the little details!

The Goodreads premise is a little misleading, as there is so much more to the plot of the book than Arrah getting magic (or even the Demon King awakening)! This is great, and I love how much it explored; however, there is definitely something off with the pacing of the book. There are three major sections of the book (though I believe technically it is divided into four sections). The first is very well paced, the second is slow and strange, and the third is very fast. Books that leave all of the reveals towards the end tend to cause the end to be information heavy, and this was no different. Even worse, the reveals were only partial, they revealed half of something and waited another chapter or so to reveal the rest of it. This led the last part of the book feeling fragmented and it was hard to reconcile the new information with the plot. It didn't wrap up neatly enough for me, but left a gaping hole for book two. There were times when I wasn't sure whether this would be a series or a standalone while reading it, but the ending leaves no question. This is only the beginning of Arrah's story.

And I did say I had conflicting thoughts, let's summarize. The worldbuilding is amazing, but the pacing is a little off. A few somewhat important side characters are unmemorable, and there were a lot of important characters that I didn't really care about at all. The magic system seemed really fascinating, but I understand it was hard to explore when the main character doesn't have powers (need more magic focus in book two!). The focus of the book took several turns throughout, and the end result was... not completely unsatisfying, but (again) I think it will be better in book two.

Final thoughts:
1. It's so nice to see a black woman on the cover of a YA fantasy! Even better, all of the characters are POC (well, duh, it takes place in Africa)!
2. Arrah and Rudjek are my couple of choice for this book, and I am very interested in seeing how their relationship progresses in the next book.
3. I've already preordered this beauty from Goldsboro (their special edition is gorgeous!), and I am looking forward to putting this book on my shelves

Thank you to Harper Voyager and Netgalley for granting my wish to read this. I was so excited to read this book and it didn't disappoint!

I knew I'd love this book from one word, Witchdoctors.

I loved this book, it was such a great read with a fascinating world and I have already preordered it.

This book really gripped me, the plot was amazing and I read it it one sitting. This is a book that will stay with me for awhile. The characters were great and I found the main character Arrah to be likeable and I wanted her to succeed! The other characters are also good, I preferred some other others. The villains are complex and sinister which I really enjoyed. The magic and world-building in this book is really good, I loved the different types of magic, the tribes and I also loved the kingdom. I fully enjoyed this book and I cannot wait to get my hands on a finished copy.

Overall I will happily reread this book again and it is such a great debut novel.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

It's been so nice recently to read more fantasy that isn't set in the Western European world, and this book is no exception. By diving into the world of witchdoctors and demonology, Barron creates a unique setting for her novel which drives the plot forward. I never knew where the plot was going, which was enjoyable, and the main characters felt three dimensional. However, some of the introspection did feel rather repetitive and this book lacks the narrative detail and lushness of books like the Daevabad series and The Priory of the Orange Tree. Hopefully this is something Barron will develop as she goes along, as a fairly new writer. I will definitely read the next installment of this series.

I was incredibly lucky for harper voyager to grant my wish for this book on Netgalley. It is a great addition to young adult fantasy. And especially that US cover made me really excited.

Oh gosh where to start. If people say that Kingdom of Souls is like any other young adult fantasy don’t listen to closely. If you stripped it to its barest bones they would be right. But isn’t that the case for many other stories? Isn’t it how you fill in things that make or break a story? There are some plot elements regarding reincarnation and the gods that made me go hmm. However this is very clearly being set up for the overall story and for that reason I am reserving my right to judge on them. Pacing wise I think the middle dragged.

What stands out in this book are the world building, magic system and characters. The world building regarding the different cultures, regarding the differences between the tribal life and the city life. The cultural differences between the various tribes. The various bond and relationships within the city and even across towards the tribes. It was all such a great enrichment to a new world. The magic and the orisha are all very interesting. And the author has said that it is only the tip of the iceberg. I can’t wait to dive in even deeper.

Arrah is our main character who can’t seem to come into her magic at all. It is her vocal point at the start of the book. However as the plot starts to stretch out beyond her, not having magic might be the last of her problems. She is head strong but has a secret insecurity running deep through her. Lively and stubborn. A bit impulsive at times. There is a lot to like about Arrah. And she makes her mistakes, like we all do. Most of all I enjoyed her in interaction with her friends. Rudyek, Maika and so on. There is a certain loyalty between this group, where they are safe to make jokes with each other. To relax. But they don’t hesitate to protect each other either.

An interesting relationship is that of Arrah with her sister. One that I think could have used a lot of deepening out to make that ending work even better. I just don’t think the bond was there as the author wanted at the end and it made the impact less for me. It was a shame.

All in all however, this book is a great read and I can’t wait for the next one to come.

<i>Kingdom of Souls: The Last Witch Doctor</i> is a fast-paced YA fantasy book inspired by West-African mythology and magic. Arrah is born into a family of renowned witch doctors, but years pass and still she shows no magic of her own. It's as if the gods her mother, the kingdom's most esteemed priestess, have deserted her. When one of her friends is captured by malicious beings, Arrah fears that Demons - banished long ago – are returning. As more children disappear from the city, Arrah goes after her friend – but her foe may be someone she personally knows... and to save him, she may have to commit the gravest sin of all: to trade her years for magic.

I had some mixed feelings about this title: it started off very strong, with a fresh new fantasy world to explore, and the world-building, I thought, was done well. Then towards the middle, the pace picked up so quickly it was hard to follow, a million things happened and I felt rushed – I wanted to get better acquainted with the characters rather than discover more and more of them. As the protagonists travel across the fantasy kingdom, I also wished the author had paused to give us more vivid descriptions of this land; I struggled to picture it.

The twist at the end redeemed the book in my mind and promises an exciting sequel. Overall, I would say the book had some teething problems, and of course the writing style is something each reader will feel differently about – but a strong debut, nonetheless.

The mythology and world-building was the biggest draw for me, and I found it interesting that the author decided to involve the many gods (or Orishas) that rule this fantasy world directly in the narrative. They have first person POV, short chapters that serve to build the intrigue – they don't always succeed in this aim, but towards the end of the book, I could see why the author had decided to use this device. Hopefully this is something that develops more strongly in the next instalment.

One thing I'm certain of: this would make a brilliant film adaptation!

I saw this book everywhere and I was happy to receive it in advance for a review.

We are in a world of fantasy inspired by the mythology of Central Africa. There are people living in the desert who have strong magic. they live with a clan hierarchy and leaders are systematically powerful magicians. In the main city, the religion is strong and the power is divided into three entities, the priestess who is the mother of our heroine, the king, and the regent. It's a mythology and an universe I loved discovering. The gods have their own story, and magic and gods have a strong bond. We read myths around demons, forgotten gods, it's really a very beautiful universe that deserves to be discovered.

Arrah wants to have magic, unfortunately for her, she has none. When children disappear in her city and a boy close to her is missing, she will make a sacrifice to get magic and lead the investigation and what she discovers will change everything. Arrah is a great heroine, she will have to make complicated and difficult moral choices. I really appreciated her humanity and the complexity of her actions and I can not wait to find her in the sequel, because let's be honnest for me this book need a sequel.

For the plot, the book starts very strong, before having a quieter second part that will play on the psychology of our characters before offering a beautiful finale. The central twist is really well thought out and I did not expect it at all. The book, however, retains a small introductory side, but the author lays a very solid foundation for the future. So I had a good time with this book that I recommend for this fall. We finally have diversity in our books and it brings so much to the genre in my opinion.

Devouring! This book drew me in, gripped my imagination and ate my soul!!!
This book was everything that I didn't know I needed to read. I loved the writing, the plot, the characters. Arrah felt so real to me, so completely tangible.
And the mythology in this beautiful book is so vivid and engrossing that I could not put it down.
Thank you Netgalley for gifting me with an early released proof of this amazing book.

My favourite book of 2019 by far.

This is a wonderful read, such a magical world that is well constructed, characters that are relatable and each one likeable, they aren’t there to serve a purpose for the main character. The other characters have their own stories and are as well developed as Arrah herself. The book had me gripped from the very first page and this is one of my favourite reads of 2019, I was forcing myself to put it down as I needed sleep but didn’t want it ! Arrah is a strong female lead, but realistic with faults and flaws, which always makes me like them more and I think is far more relatable to readers. I can’t wait to see where arena takes this next, a real fantasy gem.


Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

-- DISCLAIMER: I received an eARC of this book from Harper Voyager through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Many thanks for this opportunity! --

SUMMARY: In a world where her mother is a powerful priestess with magical powers and her grandmother leads a clan of witch doctors, Arrah is powerless. Struggling with her lack of Magic, she becomes desperate when children start vanishing and decides to cast a ritual giving her power in return for years of her life. Her path to try and contain the looming darkness is perilous and unexpected, and she will have to go against family and friends to save them all.

OPINIONS: For me, Kingdom of Souls top feature was the beautiful writing, especially the descriptions of magic. Passages such as "Magic of all colors flutters in the air as gentle as wingbeats. I can't be still when it dances on my father's dark skin like lightning bugs. It flits out along his jaw and leaps onto his nose. My hand shoots out to catch an ember of gold, but it slips through my fingers. I giggle, and he laughs too." or "Magic clings to the air, so thick that it stings my skin. It dances in the night sky above endless rows of tents quilted in vibrant colors."are haunting and lyrical, and made me fall in love with the book. I can't wait for Rena to become an established author - if her debut writing is this good, just imagine what years to come will bring!

If you've been following my reviews, you might have noticed that character depth and development are something that is like catnip for me. And Arrah does not disappoint. She grows into herself over the course of the novel, and actively tries to overcome her issues. She is a deeply flawed character, but she is real and human, makes mistakes and fixes them, and we see her struggling with the things she is confronted with over the course of the story. This depth is not lacking when it comes to the more minor characters, who shine just as much.

Enter a rich magical world that is expertly built and complex. When I began this book I was unsure if I would like it but as I continued to read I found myself entranced. The plot is like a tether whose tug increases the further in you delve. The characters too are multifaceted and interesting, especially the duality of the MC and I hope that is is something that will be explored further. The book seems to draw on notions of right and wrong and flip them breaking them down and making you consider if the characters actions are the correct ones.
I throughly enjoyed this book and I am so glad I got to read it now before it’s release because now I have the Goldsboro edition on order.

I really loved this book. It did not hold back at all. There were some moments that absolutely shocked me and that really pleased me. I love that YA has become so much more diverse and being able to experience all these other stories inspired by something other than European mythology and folklore. This story really blew me away. I can’t wait for a sequel!

Wow. Kingdom of Souls is WOW. After S. Chakraborty's Daevabad trilogy, Tasha Suri's Empire of Sand, and Swati Teerdhala's The Tiger At Midnight, Kingdom of Souls features the most masterful, lush, and utterly immersive world-building. It captivated me from the first page, and I was constantly in awe of Rena Barron's talent and imagination.

I also loved the character relationships. The cast was large, and it felt like every part of the book focuses on a smaller number of characters. I loved it, and Rena Barron did it exceptionally well. Every character was well developed and had their own arc. They all felt like real people. I loved how Rena Barron fleshed out each character's relationship to Arrah. My personal favorite is Arrah's grandmother and Sukar. I love her tenacity and his irreverent humor.

Arrah as a main character was the strong, fierce, afraid but brave heroine you can't help but root for. I loved how she wasn't born or raised/trained as a badass girl, and that she hadn't had it easy with magic. It's not something we usually see in YA fantasy, and it was so refreshing and original. She wasn't born with aptitude in magic, but she fought for what she wanted.

The villains were also refreshing, but I can't say much without giving spoilers, so I'll just say that they're awesome and new.

Rena Barron makes tropes her own and twists and turns them into one of the most original plot lines and character arcs I've seen in a long time. Kingdom of Souls is one of the best fantasy books I've ever read, and I cannot wait for more books in the series but by Rena Barron herself, including her MG series.

Five stars aren't enough for this beautiful masterpiece. I can't recommend it enough. Kingdom of Souls is ground-breaking in all ways. Rena Barron is the next great fantasy author. Bravo, Rena.

5 stars – ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Author: Rena Barron
Publisher: HarperCollins UK/HarperVoyager

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Here comes a small number of editorial comments I'd like to make, in case there's time to apply changes before publication. In no way do they diminish my love and awe for this book, though. SPOILERS FOLLOW!!

However, there were a couple of cases when it wasn't consistent, especially during 30 - 40% of the book. For example, after her mother cursed her, Arrah escaped from her room and on one page, she lost a shoe but didn't have time to find it. Some pages later, she notices that she's missing a shoe and doesn't remember when she lost it. Transitions could be a bit smoother in that section, too. I found it too sudden and jarring from when she performed the ritual that took years from her life the first time and passed out under the tree, to when she wakes up in her room. I was confused how it happened. On that note, when she did perform it for the first time, I was left unsure of why she did it: for herself or for Kofi. I understand it's for both, but maybe her motivation could be clearer.

But as I said, the book is a masterpiece, and I can't recommend it enough. I loved every single minute of reading it.

I've got to start by saying the world building is phenomenal. I'm in awe of this world, this magic system and these gods and demons. Everything about it is so intricate and interesting and so damn good. I loved it.

The plot is also interesting. There were twists and turns and I kept feeling like I should be in love with this story. But I wasn't. I often found my focus drifting and I just didn't really care much for the events happening. Part of the problem was pacing. Especially when it gets to a bit where time is weird. It feels off and like too much is happening too fast. Which is a shame because all the building blocks to the story are good.

In the end as much as I love and want more of this world, this book wasn't as good as I was hoping for. But it's also a book I'm definitely going to reread in the future to see if my opinions change. I would definitely recommend it if you're looking for a very original fantasy but watch out for pace.

KINGDOM OF SOULS is an engaging debut set in a rich, expansive world. The mythology was woven throughout the story, binding up a deep sense of history behind the actions and rituals.

The city is a melting pot of cultures, vividly portrayed through its market places. I loved the way Barron brought the world to life with her descriptions, giving each sense a focus which made it so evocative. The myths woven into the story made the forest very eerie, as well as the demon town. The Tribe Lands burst with energy and the sacred places have an uneasy feel, particularly as the story progresses.

From the Kingdom to the Tribe Lands to the hinted at other countries there is clearly a massive world out there. The plot moves around a bit, so I would have liked a map to track where they were.

The magic is interesting - not quite the same as the blood magic that's very common in YA at the moment. The unpredictable selling of years for magic was so well written and very uncomfortable, never sure how much it would take and whether this would be the time death would come knocking.

There are a lot of characters, including Arrah's five close friends. Of these friends, only one has any impact on her growth. The others are simply friends mucking along together - more than just characters to guide and shape Arrah. I liked that, and would have liked to see more of the friends, as they dropped out for a significant chunk of the book.

The relationship Arrah had with her mother was so hard to pin down and characterise. As soon as I thought I knew where they stood in relation to one another, new information popped up and I had to re-evaluate. It reflected the complicated process of learning more about you parents.

The plot takes several interesting turns. What I thought was going to be the main plot turns out to be, if not resolved, then dealt with early on and used as the launching point into the second act. I really liked that, how it used my expectations against me. It's not a book for complacent reading, and these rugs pulled out from under your feet certainly keep you on your toes.

The middle section slacks off in pace a bit. Events are happening, but Arrah does very little. She just bobs around in other people's wake and observes. She barely even reacts, let alone acts for the middle 10-20%. I know why she wasn't acting, but it did make it a bit difficult to push through as there wasn't any character-centric action to latch onto.

There is a prologue. While it's engaging and builds the world spectacularly, I question whether it was needed as it simply serves as a massive dollop of exposition. The key points I took away from it are highlighted later in the book, so I think it could have been woven into the main story.

I was a little confused by the gods and orishas, particularly when they started to get interludes/snippets. I wasn't sure who they were talking to - or who indeed it was. This could simply be a formatting error, but I also didn't understand exactly who they were in the mythos. I thought they were gods at first, but then the language around them made me think they were heroes of old, and then they started interacting, and I thought they were gods again.

There is a twist near the end, to do with Arrah, which I had guessed was coming in part. I'm not a big fan of it, as I've seen it a lot, but I'm interested to see where it's taken in the next book.

Kingdom of Souls started out with promise.
The premise and world are well thought out with beautiful descriptions and amazing characters. I loved the concept of people obtaining magic from the gods at a certain age, and the rituals that the people in the book undertook in order to maintain it. The main story is about children that are going missing in the town and the fear that the Demon King might be returning. There’s a slow build up of the main character, Arrah, not having any magic and how people are freaking out because young children are going missing. It’s beautifully done. There’s a point; however, where that well-thought out story and building tension gets thrown out of the window.
Roughly a third into the book everything changes and craziness ensues. Everything just speeds up. I was disoriented as a reader and often found myself confusing characters because they were only mentioned once or twice and weren’t developed enough for them to stand out. Arrah’s motivations as a character seemed haphazardly developed. I feel like I needed more time for her to set up her relationship with her sister and deal with her anger at not having magic.
By the end of the book I was exhausted with trying to keep up with everything that was happening. This is a series, and the second book with definitely have a love triangle in it, which is frustrating.