Alexandra Christo has done it again!
I just love her storytelling, she's so great at taking fairytales and twisting them so creatively by turning them into something so unique, dark and magical. I just fly through her stories so quickly; she has such an effortless way of writing, and you can't not binge her books.
This is just as good as To Kill A Kingdom, it's such fast-paced book with so much going on, there's plenty of adventure and some great character dynamics. Selestra's a fascinating protagonist and I love her love/hate relationship with Nox, who definitely gave me some 'if Flynn Ryder was a soldier' sort of vibe. I'm all for that. And the side characters had purpose, they were fun, and really added to the story.

A dark and intriguing yet hopeful retelling of Rapunzel - an underrated story and one of my favourites - which I was anticipating so much, and it did not disappoint.
I'll always recommend Alexandra's books. I look forward to seeing what other retellings she does!

The book is set in the same world as To Kill a Kingdom. This was such an easy read which is common with a good YA book. The generic plot and structure was oddly comforting and helped with the easiness of the read. I would recommend.

I loved To Kill a Kingdom so much, but every other one of Alexandra Christo's books have disappointed me. I just can't seem to capture the magic that I had when I first read To Kill a Kingdom. It's a pity because she is genuinely a good writer.

I did like some parts of it very much though. The magic system was my especial favourite. How the way her mother teaches her magic tied up in death and darkness, but then Selestra's journey teaches her a different way to use her magic and how to find balance.

I liked the sassy enemies-to-lovers romance, but it all felt a bit predictable. It's possible I've just read too much enemies to lovers, but it just didn't hit right for me at all.

All in all, I think I liked what this book said in terms of magic and character progression, but the execution felt a bit off for me.

I really quite enjoyed Princess of Souls. I liked the banter between Nox and Selestra as they went from enemies to reluctantly working together, to the realisation that they actually quite liked each other lmao.

I enjoyed the side characters, Micah and Ireyna. However, it seemed like sometimes the author forgot Ireyna/Micah was in a scene with the characters because even though you knew they were there (it never said they left) their name wouldn’t be mentioned for pages. And it’s like where are they? They’re still with you? What are they doing? I didn’t expect a ton of detail but a line or two to acknowledge them in the scene would’ve been good.

This leads in to the next issue I had with the book — while I really did enjoy the characters and their relationships, often things felt rushed between them (even in the friendships). I just feel like a lot of build up & depth was missing, when there could have been so much more.

I thought the plot was incredibly interesting too. I like the magical elements, and watching Selestra as she learned more about herself, her family, and her power. Again, I do feel like some elements were rushed, such as the ‘trials’. I know the book didn’t want to spend too long on them, but they felt too easy, too rushed.

All in all though, I did enjoy the banter between the main characters, the magical elements, and the adventure that our characters went on. I just wish we had a bit more complexity and depth!

Thank you to Bonnier Books UK / Hot Key Books for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review

A fab reentry into this world! Great character building and a fab reimagining of a fairytale. I can't wait to see where Alexandra Christo goes next with this series. Here's hoping the storylines from this book and the first meet.

I did enjoy lots about this dark Rapunzel YA fantasy novel - there's a great deal of thought to the world of the novel and it served as a great backdrop to the overall plotting of story and the characters. There're alternative points of view to help both perspective and pace - this included snarky and provoking dialogue between the leads - Selestra and Nox. This pairing of solider and witch forced into close proximity was entertaining.
'Princess of Souls' fulfills expectations from the blurb, genre and cover - I found it entertaining and provided some Sunday afternoon reading fun.

I loved this book just like I loved the first one! I couldn’t stop reading and finished it in one sitting! Definitely an addition to my bookshelf upon release!
Thank you so much to netgalley and the publisher for the early access to this book.

Princess of souls by Alexandra Christo

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Thank you to netgalley, hot key books and alexandra christo for the opportunity to read this book.

I'm giving this book 3.5 to 4 stars because that's what I gave to kill a kingdom and I enjoyed them both equally.

I felt that this book did not suffer from the drawn out beginning that to kill a kingdom did. We get right into the plot straight away and that allowed for a brilliant development in the characters and the romance.  The main characters here have strong backstories and you can't help but to root for them. It also fulfilled the enemies to lovers trope really well and their transition from one to the other felt like it made sense.

I will say though that I was disappointed in the lack of connections to the original book to kill a kingdom. Now technically this is my fault for assuming that returning to that world would mean cameos and recognisable setting. We did get some slight mentions of the sirens and places I recognised but nothing major, unless I missed it.

Overall I liked the book and I'd read it again if I was in the mood for a quick enemies to lovers read.

It was the first book I read by this author and found it well written and entertaining. A solid fantasy, set in a complex world and featuring two great MCs.
The world building is fascinating, the enemy-to-lover romance is well developed, and I rooted for the characters enjoying the plot.
I want to read other books by this author as I enjoyed this one.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine

Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for supplying me with an arc of this book.
Princess of Souls is a dark Rapunzel retelling set in the same universe as To Kill a Kingdom. It follows Selestra and Nox on their adventure to escape death.
I enjoyed the beautiful descriptions of all the buildings and the world we are in.
However, I felt like the pacing was all over the place as there were parts that went very quickly to then fall short of the buildup.

Selestra is a Somniatis witch locked in a tower, awaiting her turn to serve the king. To help him with her visions and her ability to harvest souls as to maintain his immortality. Nox wants vengeance on the crown. A vengeance that starts with killing Selestra. But then her prediction shows they are joined at death. They must now work together to prevent their gruesome fate. Will they?

A lyrical narrative that is sweet as honey and simultaneously tinged with melancholy, so intimate you feel like you can touch the story — a story that flows beautifully. I love how the paragraphs are not long, mostly one or two lines or maybe four. It makes reading so pleasant like you're skipping along with the story to a wonderful rhythm. This does not mean it is wholly carefree, for there is a delicious darkness. Precious Greek flourishes in names for places and etc.

The two POVs that present their character, each in their own light, while delighting you in the discovery of their personalities, intertwine closely, bringing along the intriguing plot and enhancing the fairy tale vibe. And we have an impressive mythology that captivates you in its creativity.

Nox is cheeky and I love his battle of wits with Selestra, delightfully peppered with sarcasm. The one-liners in the book are all the money. Generally there is a lot of wit to be found in this story, the intelligent kind, smile or even chuckle-worthy. Selestra and Nox both share a determination and are braver beyond what they thought, in ways not realized. Power not realized. The forced-to-work-together trope works wondrously here. There are also amazing supporting characters you'll love to love or love to hate.

The glory of life and the inevitability of death are important ingredients here. Also inner strength and realizing your potential. It is about making the world a better place. It is about choice.

With a whisper of known and unknown tales, and sumptuous writing that makes the vibrant images sear across your imagination, this story is far from predictable and gifts us with heart-jolting reveals, building up to an epic conclusion.

After reading and ADORING To Kill A Kingdom whilst on holiday earlier this year, I couldn’t wait for @alexandrachristowrites’s new novel. Princess Of Souls did not disappoint and was just as thrilling as I had hoped! 🐍

In this Rapunzel retelling, we follow Selstra, who is a young witch from a family forced to steal souls for the king. When her fate becomes tied to that of Nox, a soldier hellbent on revenge against the king, she breaks free from her life and discovers so much more than she could ever imagine. 👀

This is a story about self discovery, exploration and power. It is juicy, thrilling and gripping, set in a brilliantly built world and containing characters you can’t help but want to know. I absolutely adored reading this and going along with Selestra and Nox as they discovered truths about their land’s history and king. The action was fantastic and the magic system was unique and exciting! 👏

The romantic themes were also done really well and honestly I’d recommend this to any fantasy lover. It’s such a unique and wonderfully executed concept. 💫

Princess of Souls is a Rapunzel inspired fantasy novel. Selestra is a young Somniatis witch who steals souls for the immortal king. Bound to the Six Isles she has never glimpsed the world beyond the Floating Mountain upon which King Seryth’s castle stands. She meets Nox, a rebellious soldier from the Last Army, to whom her fate becomes tied. This is a really pleasurable read and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It is only very loosely linked to Rapunzel and therefore I wouldn’t class it as a retelling as such. This is an interesting and intriguing world and magic system, both of which are described in detail by the author. I particularly enjoyed the hot air balloon ride and the descriptions of the Floating Mountain and the city below. It is fast paced, action-packed from the onset and a lot of fun to read.

There are some wonderful friendships within the cast of characters, namely Selestra and Irenya, her apprentice dressmaker and Nox and Micah, his best friend and fellow Last Army soldier. The romance is an enemies-to-lovers one, it’s gentle and kept clean but it’s nevertheless lovely to read about and watch the relationship unfold.

I really liked the fact it’s a standalone, investing masses of time into endlessly long fantasy series can be onerous and daunting and this is a refreshing change. It’s well written and easy to read and a well thought out standalone novel with a happy and conclusive ending.

Thank you to the publisher for the gifted eARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Princess of Souls Had Some Spirit!

After the towering success of to kill a kingdom, I foresaw I would fall for a Rupunzel retelling by the same author.

Loosely inspired by said fairy tale, this ensnared some of my interest, but did not quite capture my heart the way I had hoped.

The thorny matter is that the characterisation was frankly not as cutthroat as her little mermaid counterpart. Instead, we were gifted a rather pleasant heroine, which made her, well, a bit boring. Even though she too was a witch, I rather felt her thunder was stolen by more intriguing villains.

That said, I was impressed with the world building. Bold and richly devised, it sprung up in my imagination as a verdant creation. I thoroughly enjoyed being swept away to this tricksy land.

I also found the plot fun. Though I wasn’t sold on the enemies to lovers aspect and wasn’t invested in the characters to love their romance, I did find myself swept up in the action. Pulled along by the powerful prose, I was unable to tear myself away from the book for long.

Ultimately, this was a rather unique retelling, full of witches and ghoulies and all things foul (ie a light selection from spooky season 😉) yet not the most memorable read.

Rating: 3½/5 bananas

Princess of souls is a marvellously written book, it follows Selestra for her whole life she has been prepared to replace her mother and become the next King’s Witch. As the King’s Witch she would tell people their deaths in the Festival of Predictions, thousands of people enter each year with a chance of any wish they want at the end but still thousands of people die trying to get the Kings immortality, If they die they give up their souls to the King as a forfeit and feed his immortality. At the end of the day of predictions a soldier in the Kings army is determined to kill the king and all members of his court first is Selestra. When Selestra reads his destiny their fates become entwined. This book is full of twists and turns, it is written so well. It was fast-paced with an enchanting plot, it was lovely to read and overall a fantastic retelling of Rapunzel and I would definitely recommend it

So happy to be back in this world- what a fantastic book!!

Loosely based on Rapunzel- it was an amazing book to just jump straight into. I enjoyed all of the characters and their story arcs. Such a great read- I read it within a day! Can't wait to see what's next for this author.

Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book!

Firstly I want to thank Bonnier Books UK/ Hot Key Books and NetGalley for an earc of this book.

I was so excited when they announced this book. I read To Kill a Kingdom via audiobook last year and I absolutely loved it! So when they said Alexandra Christo's next book was to be set in the same universe - I was ecstatic and immediately requested it when it became available.

The story was pitched as a Repunzel retelling just as To Kill a Kingdom was pitched as a Little Mermaid retelling. But unfortunately, I felt that the connection to the original fairytale in this wasn't as strong as the first novel. If not for being told that the character had long hair and was locked in a tower (and a singular joke about letting down her hair to escape), I am not sure I would have clicked on the connection.

While I didn't dislike the romance, I wasn't swooning at their relationship. It developed nicely and they had some cute moments. However, my biggest concern was that their third act break up could have very easily been resolved if they explained their actions to each other.

Overall, I wasn't thoroughly impressed with this book. From the start, it wasn't as gripping or as engaging as TTAK. My biggest issue with the book was that it lorded the King of the Six Isles as treacherous and bloodthirsty and the worst ruler they had ever had. but my issue with creating a character with such a formidable reputation is that if you can't show it - the motivation to stop him doesn't feel as urgent.

Despite this, I will say that I did enjoy the magic system. The way magic is passed on through generations, the way magic affects the users.

In the end, I think my expectations going into this book were too high. Having read and loved TTAK, I expected the same again. But unfortunately, it just didn't hit the heights.

This wasnt what I was expecting and I'm so much happier about it. I was expecting a story more strongly centerd around the fairytale just with darker themes and villains. But this was so much better, it was more like tangled where it is about the adventure not really about her being locked in the tower and more about her saving herself. The actual mentions of the themes of rapunzel such as the tower and the hair were more casually mentioned, sometimes more as a joke. Which I loved! There is a intriguing magical system and great darker heroes fighting together and a slight enemies to lovers plot, and rapunzel has been transformed into this baddass witch with green hair and snake eyes and incredible powers. Definitely worth the read!

Selestra feels trapped. Trapped in a life she never asked for as the next Somniatis Witch for the King, doomed to a life of seeing people's deaths and stealing their soul to keep the King immortal. But when Nox, a soldier in the King's army turns up asking to take part in the festival of predictions, Selestra see's something strange. Nox's fate and death seem linked to her own, and before long Selestra finds herself drawn to this boy until more than their fates are entwined. Alongside friends, they journey to search for a weapon capable of killing the King, taking his immortality once and for all. But everything comes with a price, and freeing the Kingdom from this tyrant may ask more of Selestra than she is willing to pay.

Princess of Souls is told from the POV's of Selestra and Nox. Selestra is the next in line to become the King's witch, something she would rather avoid, but thanks to a curse put on her ancestral line, she has no choice in the matter. She leads a lonely life, unable to touch anyone without being drawn into a vision of their death, and slowly but surely finds the walls of the tower closing in around her. She is headstrong and more than able to look after herself in a fight, but she lives under the shadow of her fate, and would do anything to try and escape it. Nox is after blood. He wants the King, as well as the Somniatis Witches dead, and see's the festival as his one chance. But when he meets Selestra he see's not evil, but sadness in her eyes. Someone who wants to change their fate, as well as the Kingdom, as much as he does. He's resistant to trust her at first, but knows that she is the key to him getting his revenge.

Christo has a knack for writing incredibly fast paced stories that never manage to skimp on character exploration or world building. Her writing style and use of plot twists keep the story moving at an energetic pace and she inserts the perfect balance of high octane scenes as well as the slower style. The fight scenes were brilliantly brought to life and played like a little movie in my head whilst reading, and they certainly add to the energy of the story whilst also enamouring you to our characters. But I think the parts I loved reading the most were the scenes where Selestra used and explored her magic. She is so sure that it leads only to death, to pain and torture, but as the story unfolds she starts to see a different side to it, a side that stops her from being scared of using at, and a side that makes her infinitely more powerful.

As a Rapunzel retelling, it's pretty on point. Girl trapped in tower, rescued by rakish boy and they then bring down the people who kept her locked. But thanks to the magic system, as well as how our characters are written, Christo manages to make it wholly her own. If you enjoy enemies to lovers romances, then this is definitely worth checking out. The snark, the sneaky looks, the fights and the eventual romance made for a fun and entertaining read. They bring out the best in each other, as well as help each other to get over past issues, and I thoroughly enjoyed following them on their journey.

If you're in the mood for a high energy, entertaining and fast paced read filled with magic, romance and brilliantly written characters then you should definitely pick this book up. I thoroughly enjoyed following Selestra on her journey of revenge and exploration and can safely say that Christo is becoming a favourite author of mine.

The author’s prose is still engaging and this was a quick read. I still love the Kill a Kingdom universe. I guess a Rapunzel retelling is a hard sell for me because it was never a favourite and this diverges a lot but not in a way I really cared for. I didn’t really gel with the characters either. So good book, well written but ultimately not for me.