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kirstenf's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Grief, and Death of parent
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Murder, and War
Minor: Genocide, Child death, Torture, Misogyny, and Colonisation
ana_withlovexox's review
adventurous
3.75
tropes: proximidad forzada y enemigos a amantes.
Me gustó el inicio del libro, también el slow-burn. Pero los personajes y la trama no son memorable, son entretenidos en su momento, sin embargo, de aquí a una semana no voy a pensar mucho en el. No solo eso pero el final me pareció poco planeado, siento que sacó muchas cosas para poder conseguir el final. Aún así no pude soltar el libro, más que todo por el romance✨, siento que en ese aspecto lo hizo muy bien.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Violence, Death, Death of parent, and Murder
frantically's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
A solid story (though I wouldn't go so far as to call it a retelling) with good storytelling but slightly flat characters.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Death
Moderate: Death of parent, War, and Murder
Minor: Emotional abuse
doodeedoda's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent, Grief, War, Blood, Confinement, Death, and Violence
marine2907's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, Violence, Body horror, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail
tak_everlasting's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Violence, and War
hue's review against another edition
dark
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
2.0
I went into this thinking it'd be similar to To Kill a Kingdom, but was severely disappointed. What I got instead was a predictable plot with poorly written twists and very few fantasy elements.
Besides the two main characters, Nox and Selestra, all the other characters fell flat. Irenya and Micah seemed only important when they hadn't been forgotten. They each had one presonality trait and no further depth. The other characters were boring and unimaginative, and so very forgettable. The evil villain, the King himself, Seryth, was a typical poorly written villain. He was painted such a horrible man but rarely did anything horrid on page. There was too much telling versus show. It hurt the story and the characters.
The story was repetitive, cheesy and the romance did not feel like romance. There was no chemistry between the two main characters, and yet I was made to believe they were in love. No. The constant use of the words Death and Souls was jarring. The darkness of the story dissipated by the overuse of them. By the end it was boring to read about death and souls and whatever those two words had to tell. I just wanted it to end.
This book needed a through edit, and would probably have been a lot shorter if the constant repeating of events and sentences would've been left out. The very first pages were so promising I'm sad to have seen the story turn into such a mess.
Besides the two main characters, Nox and Selestra, all the other characters fell flat. Irenya and Micah seemed only important when they hadn't been forgotten. They each had one presonality trait and no further depth. The other characters were boring and unimaginative, and so very forgettable. The evil villain, the King himself, Seryth, was a typical poorly written villain. He was painted such a horrible man but rarely did anything horrid on page. There was too much telling versus show. It hurt the story and the characters.
The story was repetitive, cheesy and the romance did not feel like romance. There was no chemistry between the two main characters, and yet I was made to believe they were in love. No. The constant use of the words Death and Souls was jarring. The darkness of the story dissipated by the overuse of them. By the end it was boring to read about death and souls and whatever those two words had to tell. I just wanted it to end.
This book needed a through edit, and would probably have been a lot shorter if the constant repeating of events and sentences would've been left out. The very first pages were so promising I'm sad to have seen the story turn into such a mess.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, and Death of parent
natashaleighton_'s review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
As a huge fan of fairytale retellings I was really excited to dive right into this decadently dark and deliciously enthralling YA fantasy reimagining of Rapunzel, in which Christo skillfully reinvents the eponymous, long haired damsel into a sharp and wickedly compelling witch determined to find a way out of her predestined life of magical servitude—foretelling deaths and stealing souls for the tyrannical, immortal king Seryth.
It’s told through the dual POVs of Selestra and Nox which I really enjoyed—their initial opposition to one another was really intriguing and I loved that we get to explore both of their respective (and deeply emotional) journeys together. Especially when you realise how closely tied they are (thanks to a mutual friend) which I felt really added another layer of dimension to their friendship/ relationship.
I really liked Selestra (our witchy female protagonist) who starts off as a really fearful and cautious young woman eager to inherit her powers if only so she can leave the isolation of her tower. She absolutely despises the king she’ll one day be forced to serve. But it’s not until she and Nox cross paths that we get to see Selestra truly contemplate a life beyond what was predetermined for her—and I loved the confidence and fierceness it begins to inspire in her.
Nox, Selestra’s enemy turned partner in crime (and love interest) was an absolutely phenomenal (and probably my favourite) character; he’s a cocky, charismatic soldier with a laser focus on avenging his father but, when things take a turn for the worse (and his fate ends up entangled with Selestra’s) we get to see a softer more compassionate and complex side to Nox, which I loved. Not to mention how off the charts good his swoon-worthy, enemies to lovers romance with Selestra is!
The world building was gorgeously lush and incredibly immersive—I especially loved the magic system which was darker than I imagined it would be, but deliciously intriguing all the same. If you love your fantasy fast paced and heart-stoppingly action packed then you’re going to absolutely love this, I just wish it was a little longer cause I didn’t want to leave!
Overall, a beautifully written and richly magical reimagining of Rapunzel that all fairytale lovers and witchy YA fans should check out.
Also, huge thank you to Insta Book Tours and Hot Key Books for the stunning finished copy.
It’s told through the dual POVs of Selestra and Nox which I really enjoyed—their initial opposition to one another was really intriguing and I loved that we get to explore both of their respective (and deeply emotional) journeys together. Especially when you realise how closely tied they are (thanks to a mutual friend) which I felt really added another layer of dimension to their friendship/ relationship.
I really liked Selestra (our witchy female protagonist) who starts off as a really fearful and cautious young woman eager to inherit her powers if only so she can leave the isolation of her tower. She absolutely despises the king she’ll one day be forced to serve. But it’s not until she and Nox cross paths that we get to see Selestra truly contemplate a life beyond what was predetermined for her—and I loved the confidence and fierceness it begins to inspire in her.
Nox, Selestra’s enemy turned partner in crime (and love interest) was an absolutely phenomenal (and probably my favourite) character; he’s a cocky, charismatic soldier with a laser focus on avenging his father but, when things take a turn for the worse (and his fate ends up entangled with Selestra’s) we get to see a softer more compassionate and complex side to Nox, which I loved. Not to mention how off the charts good his swoon-worthy, enemies to lovers romance with Selestra is!
The world building was gorgeously lush and incredibly immersive—I especially loved the magic system which was darker than I imagined it would be, but deliciously intriguing all the same. If you love your fantasy fast paced and heart-stoppingly action packed then you’re going to absolutely love this, I just wish it was a little longer cause I didn’t want to leave!
Overall, a beautifully written and richly magical reimagining of Rapunzel that all fairytale lovers and witchy YA fans should check out.
Also, huge thank you to Insta Book Tours and Hot Key Books for the stunning finished copy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Confinement, and Violence
Moderate: Death of parent
lucypreston's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This is a fantasy Rapunzel retelling and the story centres around the romance between Selestra and Nox as well as their quest to save the Six Isles from the tyranny of the king.
I really enjoyed the world building and the beautiful descriptions throughout this book and for a fantasy novel I found it very easy to understand. I thought the plot was very clever in that you could tell it was inspired by Rapunzel but there were enough twists that it was still engaging and unpredictable. The protagonists felt fully developed and I enjoyed discovering their backstories and motivations as the plot went on.
However, I think it would've been interesting if the villains had more fleshed out characters. Also, I did find some of the dialogue slightly cheesy and the central love story felt a bit forced. I also found some of the fight scenes dragged on slightly and interrupted the pace of the book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, and Death of parent
Moderate: War
caseythereader's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Thanks to Macmillan Books for the free advance copy of this book.
- If you're looking for a lush YA fantasy you can burn through in a weekend, PRINCESS OF SOULS is the book for you.
- The magic system in this book was unique, and it was interesting to learn more about it alongside Selestra as she discovered the true history of her people over the course of the book.
- The Festival of Predictions part of the plot was a bit overcomplicated, but I was more than happy to follow Selestra and Nox across the kingdom as they tried to outrun their fates.
- If you're looking for a lush YA fantasy you can burn through in a weekend, PRINCESS OF SOULS is the book for you.
- The magic system in this book was unique, and it was interesting to learn more about it alongside Selestra as she discovered the true history of her people over the course of the book.
- The Festival of Predictions part of the plot was a bit overcomplicated, but I was more than happy to follow Selestra and Nox across the kingdom as they tried to outrun their fates.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Murder, Blood, Gore, Grief, Death, Death of parent, Alcohol, and Violence