“No matter where you are, the sun has to rise. Not even the darkest days are permanent.”
From the author of To Kill A Kingdom comes a new fantasy tale loosely inspired by Rapunzel. The novel veers away from the traditional tale more than most retellings making it a unique story that stands out on its own.
For 16 years, Selestra has lived locked up in the castle on the Floating Mountain; almost without contact with other people. She’s been preparing to eventually take on her mother’s role as the King’s Witch when she turns eighteen, and with it acquiring the power to foretell death and feed souls to the immortal King.
The story begins at the Festival of Predictions. A yearly ceremony where the King offers those who are brave enough to cheat death the chance to grant their biggest wish if they make it throughout the next couple of weeks; or the chance to steal his immortality if they stay alive for the whole month, until the Blood Moon. Although thousands have tried, only a handful have attained a wish and none have been able to escape death and attain immortality before.
This year, Selestra, although not yet of age, is instructed to complete her first prediction. She meets Nox, a soldier in the King’s army seeking revenge for his father’s death. However, things don’t go as expected and, when Selestra foretells his death, she binds both of their fates together: if one of them dies the other will too. In order to survive and achieve each of their own personal goals they will have to form an alliance and survive together without anyone finding out about this accidental partnership.
Despite the novel being quite a predictable read, Alexandra Christo delivers a fun YA with classic tropes and romance. It’s well written and the fantasy elements of the novel are actually very interesting. The world building is easy to understand and follow throughout the story. Even though at times slow, the pace of the story picks up as the story moves forward and we encounter more action scenes full of emotion.
The characters are pretty charismatic. Selestra is full of fears but with huge curiosity to see the world and with a desire to break free form being her family and the destiny that awaits for her. It really is satisfying to see her grow into herself by the end of the book. On the other hand, Nox is a smug young soldier with an understandable motivation but questionable methods. The dual POV highlights their different perspectives and how each interprets the events of the story making it all the more interesting. Their companions Micah and Irenya are also interesting but there’s not as much depth to them. As for the relationship between Selestra and Nox, it’s your usual enemies to lovers, and its development feels organic. The banter shared between the group makes the whole reading experience a lot more enjoyable.
This is not a groundbreaking book and it’s quite simple in terms of plot and structure—making it predictable at times—but it’s still a fun and enjoyable read that doesn’t require the reader to put a lot of thought into it; one can just enjoy the story for what it is. All in all, Princess of Souls brings us into a fantastical world of magical and mythical creatures. An original and easy to read story with witty characters and action-packed scenes.
Princess of Souls is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other book retailers, like your local bookstore.
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Synopsis | Goodreads
From the author of To Kill a Kingdom comes Princess of Souls, a Rapunzel-inspired YA fantasy romance about a teen witch groomed to steal souls for an immortal king and the reckless, rebellious boy to whom her fate is tied.
For sixteen years, Selestra Somniatis has been trapped in a castle on the Floating Mountain, preparing to take her mother’s place as King Seryth’s right hand. Tied by blood to steal souls for the immortal King of the Six Isles, the Somniatis Witch foretells the deaths of participants in the Festival of Predictions. To outrun your fate is to save your soul and steal the King’s immortality. But if you die, your soul is forfeit. And though thousands have tried, nobody has ever beaten death.
As a soldier in King Seryth’s army, Nox Laederic is an unlikely candidate for the Festival, but he has no plans to die at the hands of the King or his witches. His plan is more akin to violent revenge: steal the King’s immortality and kill the entirety of his court, starting with Selestra herself.
But when Selestra touches Nox in her very first prediction, she sees her own death alongside his —their fates are unmistakably intertwined, and Selestra is no longer safe in the only home she’s ever known. Nox and Selestra will have to enter a turbulent alliance in order to survive long enough to free the Six Isles from King Seryth’s clutches and escape the new fate that hunts them.
