Kingdom of Souls

Rena Barron launches us into this rich, complex, magical and thrilling story. I couldn’t put the book down and I am desperate to read more of this wonderful world.

Magic has a price - if you’re willing to pay.

The story centres around a young woman called Arrah, who was born from two powerful bloodlines of witchdoctors. Each year she is tested to call forth her own ancestral magic, her heritage, and each year it escapes her grasp. She yearns for the magic that comes so easily to others to impress her ever-disappointed mother and supportive, loving father.

There is another way to reach magic, scraps of it, but it comes at a cost, that cost being the years of your life.

Back in Kingdom after coming home from the Tribal lands, children begin to go missing, Arrah is desperate to find out where they have gone and is willing to trade her years, for a scrap of magic to find the culprit.

What she finds leads her on a rollercoaster journey of desperation, betrayal, loss and discovery for a demon king is rising with a hunger for souls and Arrah may be the only one who can stop him.

Utterly compelling and complex. I was hooked from the start and my heart breaks for the struggles of these characters against gods and demons from the dawn of time. Arrah is a fierce, heroic character who I fell in love with.

A brilliant novel which surprised and excited me. I cannot wait to read it again and for the story to continue.

I absolutely loved Kingdom of Souls and read most it in one sitting because I just couldn't put it down. The worldbuilding is excellent and immersive, painted in a rich and vivid manner that makes it easy to visualise both the world in which Arrah lives and the characters that inhabit it. I adored the magic system and that it, particularly for Arrah, is not always without consequence, especially as this is something that is increasingly rarely seen in fantasy and YA novels, where many protagonists seem to pay no price for powers they possess or embrace over the course of their journeys. That the magic is grounded primarily in the use of physical objects makes it all the more tangible and engaging.

I don't want to give away too many spoilers, so I will say that one of the things that kept me reading was Arrah's relationship with her mother, which, much like Arrah herself, I could never quite figure out. I didn't want to be lured into thinking that some of the elements of her behaviour were leading to a double cross and so was quite resistant to any suggestion that she is anything other than what she is initially painted as, despite the suffering she has endured. Ultimately, I think Arrah's relationships with both her mother and her father are some of the strongest threads of the narrative, contrasted as they are. Other than Arrah herself, her father is one of my favourite characters, mostly because he is depicted as a good and kind man who plainly loves his daughter as she is.

I would say the only thing that detracted from my reading was that I did catch on to one of the plot twists rather early in the narrative, whether this is a deliberate facet of that section of the story or otherwise, and so I wasn't terribly shocked by one particular revelation. However, it is only a very small detraction, as I love the plot element itself and look forward to seeing where it leads the story in future instalments.

All in all, Kingdom of Souls is a fantastic read and one I would highly recommend!

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.

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.

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

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.

This is one of the best fantasy books I've read for a while. Thanks so much to NetGalley and HarperCollins for allowing me to read it. The best way I can describe it is think Children of Blood and Bone, but add a little extra darkness, some more present Gods and demons, and a whole lot of trickery.

Our protagonist Arrah faces some huge life altering events in this book. She has grown up without magic, much to her dismay, resulting in her becoming an outcast. Her parents are two powerful witch doctors, and to have a child without magic is rare, so she has spent the majority of her life trying to overcome that. As her story progresses, she tumbles into chaos and magic that she never knew was possible.

The mechanics of magic in this book are very interesting - I like that some magic comes with a price whereas some doesn't. I like that there's different kinds of magic for different purposes, and I like the background of where magic came from.

I also love how your opinion changes throughout the book. It's not just clear cut 'good' and 'bad' by the end, you really begin to understand the choices and decisions that Arrah must make. Fantasy books can often overwhelm you with the sheer expanse of the worlds they're set in. But this book doesn't do that. It has a wonderful focus on the specific places it visits, and because of this you are really able to imagine what's going on. You can see the people in the markets and the gardens of the buildings, and the riverbank where they visit. Honestly, I just really enjoyed this whole book and can't wait for the second one.

The only constructive criticism I would give it is that sometimes when the Orishas start talking to each other, it's not immediately clear who is talking. That might be due to the formatting though.

5 stars!

Vivid, magical, and utterly thrilling. Kingdom of Souls is a story of a girl born to a powerful bloodline of witchdoctors with no powers of her own who discovers that she may be the only one who stands a chance to save her kingdom from being ruined - but she finds this battle to be more personal than she expects. While flawed at times (e.g. pacing was a bit off, middle part did drag a bit, stakes were a bit undermined at times), Kingdom of Souls is a gripping, riveting, and ambitious dark fantasy epic that definitely slithered its way to greatness - promising much more chaos for the world of the Orisha's. It does not pull its punches even when it is barely halfway through the book, and doubles it down to downright-depressing levels - but that is all the more reason the main character Arrah is determined to make things right, no matter the cost. It is a book that while it blows your mind early on, promises to do more and actually delivers - soaring towards a beautiful chaos. Kingdom of Souls is an absolute thriller and Rena Barron is definitely a tour de force to be reckoned with.

Absolutely chuffed to get my wish granted by the publisher for this gorgeous African-inspired fantasy. Arrah is a daughter of two magical bloodlines, granddaughter of the Chieftain of Heka's tribes in the tribal lands and daughter (on the other side) of the ka-Priestess in the city. With such strong magical heritage, it is a source of constant pain to her that her magical gifts show no sign of appearing. But magic in this world can be obtained another way - if you're willing to pay the price, magic can be traded for your life, or part thereof. Charlatans who gain magic in this way are shunned by most of society, and Arrah knows she would never harm herself in this way. That is, until children start disappearing in Tamar, her home city. When her friend is threatened, Arrah is forced to confront her deepest self to find out just how far she'll go to save a friend. Worse than that, the long-imprisoned Demon King is stirring, and Arrah is much more intimately connected to him than she ever would have guessed.

There is SO MUCH in this book that's really wonderful. A rich, vibrant world with two vastly different cultures - the bustling city of Tamar in the Kingdom contrasts sharply with the opening scenes set at Heka's temple in the tribal lands. Arrah is a child of both cultures, daughter of two tribal parents, but raised in the city, and as such she's also caught between two different religions. The orisha of the city contrast sharply with the single god Heka of the tribal lands, and Arrah is forced to confront both of these elements of herself as the stakes rise and the action gets going. The worldbuilding here is first class, with the city of Tamar almost being audible as I read the book, the bustle of the East market giving way to the shrine to the Orisha in the Temple. Arrah's parents Arti and Oshe are caught up more deeply than Arrah can imagine in the sinister goings-on in the city, and Arrah will get dragged in before she knows what's good for her.

As the story progresses, the action proceeds at a steady clip, with intrigue and mystery, and a rich cast of backing characters. Arrah's friends and sometimes more (*cough*, Rudjek, *cough*) are equally deeply drawn, with backstories that are only touched on, and nuanced relationships, both with Arrah and with each other. Their support will be crucial to her in the trying times ahead.
And then... Efiyah. Ah, what is there to say about this magnificent, enigmatic, whimsical, cruel character? Well, without spoilers, not too much. But she's a personality who is at once sophisticated and naive, terrifying and endearing, and utterly compelling. Arrah's complex relationship with her is a pleasure to behold.

The relationship of Arrah's story to the wider mythology throughout the book becomes clear as the story progresses, with a variety of twists and turns which kept me gasping. The unravelling of the mythology of the Demon King, the orisha and Heka's grace is slow and complex, and the snippets from the perspective of other characters really added to the depth of this book. I felt like I was alongside Arrah on her journey as she fights demons, discovers magic, experiences crazy things, and discovers her true destiny.
Absolutely wonderfully written, tightly plotted, and promising greater things yet to come, this is a spectacular debut full of black girl magic, diverse, complex characters, and incredible atmosphere. I'm already awaiting the second in this planned trilogy, and KoS hasn't even been published yet. Absolutely one of my favourite books this year.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for granting a wish and letting me read a copy of this.

I was completely gripped from the first page. Rena Barron weaves a wonderful tale and a magical land that draws you in and doesn't let go.

I can't wait to read others in this series!

I don't think my ka will ever be the same.


I received this book for review from Netgalley and HarperCollins UK. And man am I glad they granted this wish.

Arrah is a girl who is from a line of powerful witchdoctors that desperately wishes for magic that just won't come. The dissapoinment that she has because of this and the coldness of her mother lead her to make some pretty costly choices in the pursuit of magic.

This book was so wonderful. The descriptions, the characters, the world. Everything was on point. It was gratifying to read about Gods and magic systems from Africa. Although I'm happy to have been able to read this ARC, I'm also sad because now I have to wait for the sequel to see what happens next.

The story follows Arrah, born into a family of powerful Witch doctor's but with no power of her own. She feels the only way she can live up to her namesake is to behave like the charlatans and ask the Gods for magic, but as they say in all the stories magic comes with a price and this one is years of Arrah's life. It takes the mysterious disappearance of children from the capitol to make Arrah finally decide whether she is willing to pay that price and the decision she makes sets her off on a journey no one could have anticipated.

I mean, I had heard rave reviews about this book but nothing really came close to describing just how amazing it was. Arrah is a fantastic heroine and lead character. Headstrong and loyal,she is determined to change the world for the better. I got so invested in Arrah's storyline that there were parts of the book I was literally screaming at the pages hoping beyond hope for a good outcome. Arrah is not the only character in this book that I adored, Barron manages to bring in a multitude of smaller side characters, that even if they are only mentioned in a few sentences, make an impact big enough for you to notice and bond with them.

The romance in this book is beautifully written, Arrah and Rudjek, star crossed lovers. Their parents hate each other and their friendship has had to be contained to the shadows, with only their closest friends in on the secret. I thoroughly enjoyed following the progression of their relationship from the sweet to the almost steamy, I was so invested in their outcome.

Some debuts tend to fall short on the descriptions, either giving us too little or using that many descriptive words it almost doesn't make sense. I would never have guessed that Kingdom of Souls was a debut book if I hadn't already been told. Her descriptive writing is magnificent. Whether it is describing a setting, a character or simply a scene, I found myself dragged head first into Arrah's world, and found it increasingly hard to remove myself from the pages the more I read. The world-building was truly immersive and I was swept away following Arrah on her journey throughout the magical kingdom that Barron creates.

This book had me in pure states of anguish at parts, and this seems like a good point to bring up some trigger warnings you should know before picking the book up. The book features heavily on blood magic, blood is used in multiple spells and is not used sparingly. There are an awful amount of dark topics explored throughout the story including parental abuse, sibling abuse, mass murder (off page) and the loss of a loved one. At parts I felt my heart racing with anticipation, and at other parts I was in tears of both anger and sadness. Barron truly knows how to bring out emotions in the reader and I went through sooo many whilst reading this book.

There was an underlying story flowing parallel to the story you are reading, that of the Devil King and the God he fell in love with. We get hints throughout the book that this should be relevant, and it stays in the back of your mind right until the end when BAM! Barron throws a massive curve ball I just didn't see coming. Talk about ending on a cliff hanger, I very nearly threw my book across the room knowing that I would have to wait over a year to read more in this wondrous world, and learn the outcome of that torturous ending.

I honestly cant recommend this book enough! Looking for a kick ass heroine, a sweet/steamy romance, a fresh and beautifully described magic system and world building to die for... well then this is the book for you. To say I gave this 5/5 would be an understatement, I loved this book, I turned up late to work so I could finish this book and I cannot wait to read the next instalment.

My blog post will be going live on 5/9/19 on the below link, and I will post to my goodreads (link below) on the same day.

One of my top reads of 2019 so far. Rena Barron writes so beautifully that you are immersed in the storyline, so much so that you actually feel as if you are there in the book with all the characters. The visuals in this book are some of the best I've read, you can really imagine everything around you and you soon become attached to the MC Arrah and really hope that everything goes well for her.
That ending though shook me, and I definitely can't wait for the next in the series.

A great book, I was worried with all the hype that it wouldn't live up to my expe. But boy did it! It was great learning all about this new magic system and witch doctors. Arrah was an awesome lead and brought such strength to the book.
A wonderful read .

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
"THERE’S MAGIC IN HER BLOOD"
This line and the cover art hooked me into an exciting, unique story that unfolds in a West African world full of magic. The main character is from a long line of powerful witch doctors but isn't very good at being a witch doctor herself. Children start disappearing and she ends up doing something very dangerous and risky to gain the magic she needs. I loved the writing style, the pace, the unexpected plot twists and the unique characters. The world was well built and I am looking forward to reading more from this fabulous author.

She tastes of firestorms and ashes,
Of new beginnings and endings.
She is the monster stalking the dark,
The savior guarding the light.
She sleeps in a pit of vipers and fire,
And awakes in a windstorm of fury.
-Song of the Unnamed

Rating: 4.5 stars, rounded up to 5.

Arrah is the sixteen year old daughter of two powerful witchdoctors, born to two long lines of powerful witchdoctors. Every year she waits for magic of her own, and every year Heka moves past her. When her last chance passes and she still has no magic of her own, Arrah has no time to dwell on the loss of the future she's always dreamed of. Children are going missing, and Arrah might be the only one who can find them. There is <i>one</i> more way that she can use magic, but the cost is high. Every spell might be her last.

This review has actually been hard to write, because I'm so enamoured with Kingdom of Souls. Honestly my only criticism is that there was a section of part 3 that I found a little slow but even saying that I read the majority of this book in one sitting and the pacing still felt really, really good. I've been loving the quality of the #ownvoices books coming out lately, and I need more diverse fantasy like this, and Gods of Jade and Shadow. Teach me your mythology and culture, please!!

Kingdom of Souls is dark, and there are lots of applicable trigger warnings to pay mind to. Rena has a really good list on Goodreads if you need to check them, and they're worth paying mind to. Despite that, I felt that the darkness in this novel was really well balanced. It wasn't overwhelmingly dark, and while a large portion of this novel is focused on Arrah's helplessness in the face of witchdoctors and demons that are much, much more powerful than herself, it doesn't make the novel seem miserable or hopeless. The West-African setting is beautiful, and I loved the city versus tribal comparisons and how the two cultures were blended together, particularly for Arrah who was living between two belief systems, between Heka and the Orishas.

I think it was Arrah herself that I loved the most, though. She's passionate and brave, willing to sacrifice everything over and over if it means that she can do the right thing. Even in the face of some truly horrible losses, she stands back up and keeps fighting. I was mostly expecting the traditional YA trope of a young witch-to-be who doesn't have her magic right up until she needs it where she proves herself to be the chosen one. That didn't happen here, and I loved Arrah all the more for it. Arrah is massively, massively outmatched. Even with risky charlatan magic that could take her life at any moment, she's weak compared to her enemies. But she doesn't care. There's right and there's wrong, and if she's the only one that can do right then she believes she has to, no matter the personal risk. She's a true heroine, fighting past her believable flaws. Her relationship with her mother is powerfully written, and her sorrow at never quite matching up to her expectations is something that I think most young women can relate to. I can't talk in too much detail about the rest of the book, because it's packed with twists that are better if they're truly unexpected, but Arrah is a character I can't wait to read more about. Especially after the way this book ended. The final line gave me chills for a good twelve hours after I finished the book.

All in all, I can't wait for the next part of this series to arrive, and I'm about ready to trade some of my years if it means getting the book just a little bit faster.

This is hands down one of the best YA fantasy books I have EVER read. Barron's writing is superb, her worldbuilding engaging and the pacing was perfect. Honestly, there is little to no complaint out of me other than I wanted more haha. Arrah is such a wonderful protagonist and the side characters are so easy to love [or hate depending on which side of the plot they're on] and I think I could never get enough of the relationship between Arrah and her Father. So often we find not enough positive parental relationships in YA but Barron gives you the good and the bad and Arrah's father and grandmother are two of my ultimate favorite characters in this book. I could sincerely gush about this all day and feel so lucky to have had a chance to read an eARC of it.

Thank you with an absolutely MAJOR THANK YOU, to Netgalley, Harper Collins and Rena Barron for the opportunity to read an eARC of Kingdom of Souls in exchange for an honest review.

I loved everything about this book. The story, the characters, the plot, the world building. It was all done so beautifully and reminiscent of both We Hunt the Flame and Children of Blood and Bone in the best way, two books that I absolutely loves reading this year.

We meet our heroine, Arrah, as a child getting ready to partake in a traditional ceremony where all the tribes of Heka come together to celebrate the magic bestowed upon them by Heka, one of the orishas (gods) of their people. This ceremony also is the time at which Heka bestows the gift of magic upon the chosen ones of their people in accordance with a promise he made long ago. Arrah, who is the child of two powerful witchdoctors and the granddaughter of a powerful witchdoctor chieftain, is nervous because she doesn’t necessarily belong, considering her parents are from two separate tribes and she no longer lives with either tribe. Instead, Arrah and her parents live in the Kingdom where her mother serves as the Ka-Priestess, one of the most powerful people there. Arrah is extremely nervous about whether or not this will be when she develops her magic because she’s wanted it for so long. Fast forward to 5 or 6 years later and it looks as if Arrah is still waiting for her gift. It’s practically unheard of for someone with Arrah’s lineage to never develop magic and she absolutely feels the shame of it because her mother can barely stand to look at her. Her father and paternal grandmother have not given up hope, though this last Blood Moon celebration seems to be an indication that not only will Arrah never develop magic, but something dark and sinister surrounds her. After this development, it also becomes clear that something sinister is happening in The Kingdom, where children are disappearing and neither the Temple or the royals in charge are able to figure out what is going on or how to stop it. The journey to discover what is happening and how to stop it sets Arrah on a dangerous path which involves trading her years for magic, something that not only leaves a mark on a person’s soul (ka), but also their reputation. Arrah, however, is resolved to find out what happening, no matter the cost, and it turns out that the cost and culprits are greater than she ever expected.

That’s as much of the plot as I’m willing to give away with out giving spoilers. Essentially, Arrah throughout the story has to come to terms not only with the so called disgrace she brings her mother, but the fact that her best friend and love happen to be the son of her mother’s rival. The love story of it all definitely plays a role in the plot, but what I love about Rena’s writing is that the love story seems to flow with the main plot and mystery, not overshadow it.

Arrah also finds herself in the middle of a predicament that involves the orishas, who may not be as trustworthy as some believe, the Temple, which is full of mysteries, a Demon King, and children who have gone missing. All of this is combined with the fact that she has to finally accept that she will never have magic of her own, not unless she does the unthinkable and trades years of her life for the ability to do magic. This magic is known to be the magic of the unworthy and of charlatans, but what if it’s the only way that she can truly help? What if the children disappearing are connected to whatever dark and sinister green eyed entity is supposedly coming after her or at least in her future? A girl has to do what she has to do right? Exactly.

Kingdom of Souls is filled to the brim with love, action, and the struggle of not only living up to your family’s name, but also dealing with struggles within a family in general. Arrah’s relationship with her mother leaves a lot to be desired and she constantly seems to be fighting to gain her mother’s approval, even when she’s not sure she wants it. I think that Rena does a great job of showing Arrah’s inner struggle and detailing how the relationship with her mother impacts Arrah’s decisions throughout the entire story.

I’ll be honest and say some of the secondary characters were a bit confusing and I had a hard time keeping them straight, but that didn’t stop me from loving them. It also helped that theres a handy guide on Rena’s website and twitter for some of the characters. The orishas as characters provided their own mystery because while they are worshipped as gods, it soon becomes clear that they are not as benevolent as one would hope and they have their own secrets and failings that impact the story as well. You’re left not knowing whose story to trust, which is amazing because I think that is exactly how Arrah feels as well.

The magical world that Rena created is an amazing one and I honestly can’t wait until the next installment because the ending of KoS sets you up in a way that closes out one story, but leaves you wanting more of another. Also, as a black woman, getting to see black female characters who are powerful, strong, who love, who hurt, and who can break is amazing. Yes, we love a strong main character and yes you get those, but you also get to see that behind every strong mask is pain that you may or may not have thought would be there. You can’t be strong 100% of the time and I think that Rena does a great job of showing that with her characters.

Be sure to go and pick this up when it’s released on September 3rd. It also doesn’t hurt that the cover is absolutely gorgeous.

I absolutely loved reading this book it had so much depth to it. The story line was great and kept me second guessing in place and what an amazing reveal about one of the main characters. I can’t wait to see where they go next with this story.

Barron is an exquisite storyteller. This story should be enjoyed like a glass of fine wine, sip by sip and word by word, as the author weaves beautiful fictional magic. As she conjures up demons, shamans and the kind of magic that sucks people dry.

Arrah feels immense pressure to make her family, her people and her ancestors proud. As yet her ancestral powers have failed to make an appearance, which can be rather embarrassing at the annual ceremony where all the tribes and witch-doctors gather. Her father and grandmother have faith, but her mother doesn’t even try to hide her disappointment.

There is one thing she can try to evoke magic, however it comes with a price – the kind of price that is irreversible. When local children start going missing, including a dear friend, she finds she has no other choice. It’s the beginning of an intricate, vicious and ruthless power struggle. A struggle that will leave death and despair in its wake. It will make Arrah either crumble like a sandcastle or rise to the occasion.

It’s YA fantasy, however it has the intricate world-building and mature complexity of high fantasy. The blurb doesn’t do it the justice it deserves and neither does my inadequate attempt to give a brief idea of the plot. It’s an intense and captivating read. A fascinating exploration of myth, culture and fantasy.

This book. THIS BOOK. Barron knows how to tell an emotional and rich story. I felt like I was *in the story* while reading this (most of the time I feel like I'm watching a movie). She grounds you so deeply into every scene, and then she hits you with all the feels. I can't imagine wanting something so badly that I'd trade years of my life for it, but Barron helps you understand why it's so important to Arrah, even while everything is hitting the fan.

You grow so attached to the characters, all of them, so you're screaming at the book, then also crying, and I know this review is kind of a mess but that's just an indication of how good this book is. I want to be left speechless and stunned when I finish a novel and Kingdom of Souls did that and more.

Thank you NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to review!

My knowledge of the mythology that Kingdom of Souls uses is based entirely on having read Children of Blood and Bone, and N K Jemisin's hundred Thousand Kingdoms, and elements of the mythology are common in all three. All three are also very good!

Arrah is from two lines of witchdoctors, her parents are strong in magic and from two different tribes - but she doesn't have magic. This makes her a disappointment to her mother - who is the Ka-Priestess (most senior figure at the Temple) - and Arrah can never be enough for her mother. She has a good relationship with her story-telling father, and a good set of friends, but she still longs for magic. The only way she can get it is by trading some of her years for it, a dangerous path she's forced down when she's desperate to find some missing children - and the truth behind their disappearance becomes horribly clear.

Sometimes it's a little confusing to keep track of who everyone else, partly because whilst some of Arrah's friends are well-drawn, not all of them are and it would have been nice for them to have been a bit better developed. There wasn't a lot of space for that though, as there was a lot going on! Many of the other characters had their own arcs going on as well, again I'd have liked to see more of that - a sign that the world building has worked, I want to explore it further! Even the bad character has a reasonable motivation, and some gleams of who they once were, which makes for a much more complex story than it seems on the surface.

It deserves to be huge.

It's not often that I put a book down in the middle of reading it because I can't bear to know what happens next. But Barron's story was so good that I picked it up again once I'd come to terms with what was about to happen.

I loved all the characters in this book; their stories and motivations all felt fully realised and reasonable for their own perceptions of the world. So many of them I wanted to spend more time with, not just Arrah but her father as well, and all her friends. I'd also love to read more just about Tamar, they were so well written you could imagine them fully but I want to know everything about them too.

The storyline was brilliant and felt complete, in that the next book is going to be the next step of a journey. Sometimes series books can feel a little like they've been cut short too soon, this was cut perfectly. These storylines have mostly come to their full completion, but a few introduced right at the end are keeping me hooked for the next book. It's a great balance of satisfaction at reading a finished story, and hype for the next instalment.

My only quibble is that I feel the blurb doesn't do Arrah justice, she's a strong, caring, clever, protagonist with or without magic. We see a lot of her determination and sense of justice and you should read it for all of those qualities too.

Kingdom of Soul lived up to the hype and exceeded it.

I read Kingdom of Souls in one night. the story engrossed me to the point I couldn't put the book down. It was well worth missing out on a couple of hours of sleep to finish it.

Kingdom of soul writing is vivid, descriptive and magical. The magic isn't just in the story but laced in the worlds. The story is intriguing, compelling, fast-paced which keeps you on your toes. I enjoyed the multiple POV, the story is Arrah, but the others give more context and drama to the story.

The dynamic between Arrah her family and friends create moments that range from sweet to oh no to f**k to laughter. I knew I would like Arrah when I read the below comment.

"Although it's quite pretty, I prefer my trousers. They have pockets."
As my copy is an ARC I don't know for sure if it will be in the final version but I hope it is.

The world that Renne has created is layered, complex, fascinating. It is a world brimming with history and multiple possibilities. The melting pot of cultures and people captivates me to the point where I would read a book detailing just the different clans.

Kingdom of Souls is perfect for fans of Tomi Adeyemi, Rin Chupeco, Hafsah Faizal and S.A Chakraborty.

My rating for Kingdom of Souls is 5 out of 5.

‘My sister is every scary story my father ever told about evil witchdoctors – only she’s so much worse.’

‘Kingdom of Souls’ is the first YA Fantasy novel by Rena Barron. And what a fantastic debut it is! I requested the ARC of this book from NetGalley because I was intrigued by a story about witchdoctor. That’s not a popular theme for fantasy books, it made this one stands out from the very beginning.
Arrah is born to a family of powerful witchdoctors. Her parents and her grandmother are the most magickly gifted people in all tribes. But so far, all she can do is seeing traces of magic in the air, but she can’t command it. And with every year she becomes more desperate, because being gifted with power after your seventeenth birthday was unheard of. Her mother doesn’t even try to hide her disappointment. There is some other way to gain the magic Arrah desperately seek, but it’s coming with a great prize – one’s own life. But can she resist this chance, while the children in her city are disappearing without a trace and no one is doing anything about it?
The book is starting with a young girl longing to belong. She is treated like an outcast because she can’t command magic, while most people from tribes can learn from a very early age. Her mother, a powerful High Priestess also not helping, treating her daughter like she’s just another girl, not her own child. I thought the book will be about her struggles and how she finally turns to the temptation of generally despised blood magic. But this book is so much more! Very soon, Arrah uncovers the dangerous plot, and the book turns very dark. And when I say dark, I mean demons are eating souls, mind-controlling curses are cast and betrayals waiting in every corner.
‘Kingdom of Souls’ is not another cheery YA fantasy book. In most of the novel, the most dominant feelings are despair and helplessness. Even when Arrah manages to make an earthshattering discovery, she can’t do anything about it. And just when you think, that situation can’t get any worse, it does. And then again, and again, until the point that every effort seems futile and doom becomes inevitable. I’ve heard that for some people it was a bit too much, but for me it was captivating. When I wasn’t reading it, I was continually thinking about how this story would end and if it possible to our main character to survive.
I loved the world the author painted. The tribes with their strange magic, commanding different aspects, praising ancestors, dark rituals, lively festivities, orishas walking among the mortals… it’s a lot! I’m glad this is the first book in the series because we will see more of this amazing place and learn more about its history and people.
I also liked the characters, most of them were very complex. There were no good or bad people there, everyone had their share of morally disputed deeds, even people who you would never suspect of any wrongdoings. There is also romance here, and to my surprise, I really enjoyed it. Finally, it was not a love from the first sight trope so popular in YA books.
I enjoyed reading this book immensely, and it was one of the best debut YA Fantasy I have read recently. It’s very original, and the story is captivating. If you are not fazed by very dark and sometimes brutal plot twists, you’ll love this book as much as I did!

Wow! This was such a dark and twisty story. I loved every moment from the characters to the cultures to the world and mythology.

The story is fast paced and constantly changing and truly remarkable debut and an epic fantasy I'd recommend.

It reminded me a great deal of both Children of Blood and Bone as well as A Spark of White fire so if you like one or both of them I'm sure you'll love Kingdom of souls as well.