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A review by beckythebibliophile
Princess of Souls by Alexandra Christo
adventurous
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I dithered between 2 stars and 3 stars for this one but I decided in the end to err on the generous side.
Princess of Souls is set in the same world as To Kill a Kingdom. Not that you would know it as there is no overlap whatsoever. The stories happen in completely different places and there are no overlapping characters or peoples. Sirens are mentioned in passing but never appear and that is the only indication that these books are related. Advertising these as linked makes no sense.
Anyway, on to the book.
Princess of Souls is apparently a loose retelling of Rapunzel, although again, there are very little similarities. Selestra, the protagonist is locked in a tower - although she sneaks out all the time - and she has long hair - but not really that long. Other than that, the only thing linking it to Rapunzel are some off hand jokes that Nox makes about climbing her hair. I found myself wondering if it was marketed as a Rapunzel retelling just because To Kill and Kingdom was marketed as a Little Mermaid Retelling...
Let's break down what I liked and disliked:
❤ The plot. It was fast paced and fun, even if it did take an odd turn towards the end.
❤ It's super accessible if you are new to reading fantasy.
❤ The concept was interesting - I just don't think it was developed that well.
💔 The prose. It's been a long time since I read To Kill a Kingdom but I do remember not loving the prose. That is the same for this book so maybe Christo just isn't for me. I found it clunky and awkward and for some reason every sentence was a new paragraph almost.
💔 The characters. I didn't care about them at all. This is the number one important thing for my enjoyment too.
💔 It was incredibly repetitive - reiterating the same exposition over and over.
💔 Lack of emotional connection to the characters' problems. For most of the book Selestra is under the impression she can't ever touch anyone. We're told this upsets her but I didn't really get any emotion from it. This should be heartbreaking!
This is definitely a book that I think could be someone else's jam, but wasn't really mine.
Princess of Souls is set in the same world as To Kill a Kingdom. Not that you would know it as there is no overlap whatsoever. The stories happen in completely different places and there are no overlapping characters or peoples. Sirens are mentioned in passing but never appear and that is the only indication that these books are related. Advertising these as linked makes no sense.
Anyway, on to the book.
Princess of Souls is apparently a loose retelling of Rapunzel, although again, there are very little similarities. Selestra, the protagonist is locked in a tower - although she sneaks out all the time - and she has long hair - but not really that long. Other than that, the only thing linking it to Rapunzel are some off hand jokes that Nox makes about climbing her hair. I found myself wondering if it was marketed as a Rapunzel retelling just because To Kill and Kingdom was marketed as a Little Mermaid Retelling...
Let's break down what I liked and disliked:
❤ The plot. It was fast paced and fun, even if it did take an odd turn towards the end.
❤ It's super accessible if you are new to reading fantasy.
❤ The concept was interesting - I just don't think it was developed that well.
💔 The prose. It's been a long time since I read To Kill a Kingdom but I do remember not loving the prose. That is the same for this book so maybe Christo just isn't for me. I found it clunky and awkward and for some reason every sentence was a new paragraph almost.
💔 The characters. I didn't care about them at all. This is the number one important thing for my enjoyment too.
💔 It was incredibly repetitive - reiterating the same exposition over and over.
💔 Lack of emotional connection to the characters' problems. For most of the book Selestra is under the impression she can't ever touch anyone. We're told this upsets her but I didn't really get any emotion from it. This should be heartbreaking!
This is definitely a book that I think could be someone else's jam, but wasn't really mine.