Review: Princess of Souls by Alexandra Christo

 

Selestra has it all. She’s a powerful witch serving an immortal king. She is an honoured member of his court. A feared ornament by her mother’s side. So what if she’s locked up in a tower for most of her life? So what if she can’t talk to strangers or touch anyone? That doesn’t make her a prisoner, right?

Selestra’s entire life changes when, during the king’s festival, she predicts the fate of Nox, a vengeful, deadly soldier in the king’s army. But things don’t go as planned. Selestra touches him, and instead of seeing his death, she glimpses a lethal future for both of them. Selestra and Nox must form an unsteady alliance if they are to outrun fate itself. If they fail, they won’t just lose their lives but their souls too.

Princess of Souls is incredibly fast-paced and hard to put down. There isn’t a lot of time to ponder on the meaning of the Festival of Predictions or breathe in this world before the status quo is overturned. Personally, I prefer when fantasy novels give me a stronger and lengthier introduction to the world before the main events begin. However, this could be better for younger readers to maintain attention and is definitely made up for later in the story.

Selestra and Nox work well as a couple and their vastly different backgrounds make them compelling characters. The witty back-and-forth bickering is always my favourite part of the enemies-to-lovers trope and Christo doesn’t disappoint. The duo gets plenty of insults and jabs in before they realise their affection for each other.  Princess of Souls is great for fans of Holly Black, Cassandra Clare, enemies-to-lovers romance, magic, and brutal fantasy worlds. 

Wiktoria Willer, 16