<i>Kingdom of Souls: The Last Witch Doctor</i> is a fast-paced YA fantasy book inspired by West-African mythology and magic. Arrah is born into a family of renowned witch doctors, but years pass and still she shows no magic of her own. It's as if the gods her mother, the kingdom's most esteemed priestess, have deserted her. When one of her friends is captured by malicious beings, Arrah fears that Demons - banished long ago – are returning. As more children disappear from the city, Arrah goes after her friend – but her foe may be someone she personally knows... and to save him, she may have to commit the gravest sin of all: to trade her years for magic.

I had some mixed feelings about this title: it started off very strong, with a fresh new fantasy world to explore, and the world-building, I thought, was done well. Then towards the middle, the pace picked up so quickly it was hard to follow, a million things happened and I felt rushed – I wanted to get better acquainted with the characters rather than discover more and more of them. As the protagonists travel across the fantasy kingdom, I also wished the author had paused to give us more vivid descriptions of this land; I struggled to picture it.

The twist at the end redeemed the book in my mind and promises an exciting sequel. Overall, I would say the book had some teething problems, and of course the writing style is something each reader will feel differently about – but a strong debut, nonetheless.

The mythology and world-building was the biggest draw for me, and I found it interesting that the author decided to involve the many gods (or Orishas) that rule this fantasy world directly in the narrative. They have first person POV, short chapters that serve to build the intrigue – they don't always succeed in this aim, but towards the end of the book, I could see why the author had decided to use this device. Hopefully this is something that develops more strongly in the next instalment.

One thing I'm certain of: this would make a brilliant film adaptation!

I saw this book everywhere and I was happy to receive it in advance for a review.

We are in a world of fantasy inspired by the mythology of Central Africa. There are people living in the desert who have strong magic. they live with a clan hierarchy and leaders are systematically powerful magicians. In the main city, the religion is strong and the power is divided into three entities, the priestess who is the mother of our heroine, the king, and the regent. It's a mythology and an universe I loved discovering. The gods have their own story, and magic and gods have a strong bond. We read myths around demons, forgotten gods, it's really a very beautiful universe that deserves to be discovered.

Arrah wants to have magic, unfortunately for her, she has none. When children disappear in her city and a boy close to her is missing, she will make a sacrifice to get magic and lead the investigation and what she discovers will change everything. Arrah is a great heroine, she will have to make complicated and difficult moral choices. I really appreciated her humanity and the complexity of her actions and I can not wait to find her in the sequel, because let's be honnest for me this book need a sequel.

For the plot, the book starts very strong, before having a quieter second part that will play on the psychology of our characters before offering a beautiful finale. The central twist is really well thought out and I did not expect it at all. The book, however, retains a small introductory side, but the author lays a very solid foundation for the future. So I had a good time with this book that I recommend for this fall. We finally have diversity in our books and it brings so much to the genre in my opinion.

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

-- DISCLAIMER: I received an eARC of this book from Harper Voyager through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Many thanks for this opportunity! --

SUMMARY: In a world where her mother is a powerful priestess with magical powers and her grandmother leads a clan of witch doctors, Arrah is powerless. Struggling with her lack of Magic, she becomes desperate when children start vanishing and decides to cast a ritual giving her power in return for years of her life. Her path to try and contain the looming darkness is perilous and unexpected, and she will have to go against family and friends to save them all.

OPINIONS: For me, Kingdom of Souls top feature was the beautiful writing, especially the descriptions of magic. Passages such as "Magic of all colors flutters in the air as gentle as wingbeats. I can't be still when it dances on my father's dark skin like lightning bugs. It flits out along his jaw and leaps onto his nose. My hand shoots out to catch an ember of gold, but it slips through my fingers. I giggle, and he laughs too." or "Magic clings to the air, so thick that it stings my skin. It dances in the night sky above endless rows of tents quilted in vibrant colors."are haunting and lyrical, and made me fall in love with the book. I can't wait for Rena to become an established author - if her debut writing is this good, just imagine what years to come will bring!

If you've been following my reviews, you might have noticed that character depth and development are something that is like catnip for me. And Arrah does not disappoint. She grows into herself over the course of the novel, and actively tries to overcome her issues. She is a deeply flawed character, but she is real and human, makes mistakes and fixes them, and we see her struggling with the things she is confronted with over the course of the story. This depth is not lacking when it comes to the more minor characters, who shine just as much.

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.

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.

I've got to start by saying the world building is phenomenal. I'm in awe of this world, this magic system and these gods and demons. Everything about it is so intricate and interesting and so damn good. I loved it.

The plot is also interesting. There were twists and turns and I kept feeling like I should be in love with this story. But I wasn't. I often found my focus drifting and I just didn't really care much for the events happening. Part of the problem was pacing. Especially when it gets to a bit where time is weird. It feels off and like too much is happening too fast. Which is a shame because all the building blocks to the story are good.

In the end as much as I love and want more of this world, this book wasn't as good as I was hoping for. But it's also a book I'm definitely going to reread in the future to see if my opinions change. I would definitely recommend it if you're looking for a very original fantasy but watch out for pace.

KINGDOM OF SOULS is an engaging debut set in a rich, expansive world. The mythology was woven throughout the story, binding up a deep sense of history behind the actions and rituals.

The city is a melting pot of cultures, vividly portrayed through its market places. I loved the way Barron brought the world to life with her descriptions, giving each sense a focus which made it so evocative. The myths woven into the story made the forest very eerie, as well as the demon town. The Tribe Lands burst with energy and the sacred places have an uneasy feel, particularly as the story progresses.

From the Kingdom to the Tribe Lands to the hinted at other countries there is clearly a massive world out there. The plot moves around a bit, so I would have liked a map to track where they were.

The magic is interesting - not quite the same as the blood magic that's very common in YA at the moment. The unpredictable selling of years for magic was so well written and very uncomfortable, never sure how much it would take and whether this would be the time death would come knocking.

There are a lot of characters, including Arrah's five close friends. Of these friends, only one has any impact on her growth. The others are simply friends mucking along together - more than just characters to guide and shape Arrah. I liked that, and would have liked to see more of the friends, as they dropped out for a significant chunk of the book.

The relationship Arrah had with her mother was so hard to pin down and characterise. As soon as I thought I knew where they stood in relation to one another, new information popped up and I had to re-evaluate. It reflected the complicated process of learning more about you parents.

The plot takes several interesting turns. What I thought was going to be the main plot turns out to be, if not resolved, then dealt with early on and used as the launching point into the second act. I really liked that, how it used my expectations against me. It's not a book for complacent reading, and these rugs pulled out from under your feet certainly keep you on your toes.

The middle section slacks off in pace a bit. Events are happening, but Arrah does very little. She just bobs around in other people's wake and observes. She barely even reacts, let alone acts for the middle 10-20%. I know why she wasn't acting, but it did make it a bit difficult to push through as there wasn't any character-centric action to latch onto.

There is a prologue. While it's engaging and builds the world spectacularly, I question whether it was needed as it simply serves as a massive dollop of exposition. The key points I took away from it are highlighted later in the book, so I think it could have been woven into the main story.

I was a little confused by the gods and orishas, particularly when they started to get interludes/snippets. I wasn't sure who they were talking to - or who indeed it was. This could simply be a formatting error, but I also didn't understand exactly who they were in the mythos. I thought they were gods at first, but then the language around them made me think they were heroes of old, and then they started interacting, and I thought they were gods again.

There is a twist near the end, to do with Arrah, which I had guessed was coming in part. I'm not a big fan of it, as I've seen it a lot, but I'm interested to see where it's taken in the next book.

Kingdom of Souls started out with promise.
The premise and world are well thought out with beautiful descriptions and amazing characters. I loved the concept of people obtaining magic from the gods at a certain age, and the rituals that the people in the book undertook in order to maintain it. The main story is about children that are going missing in the town and the fear that the Demon King might be returning. There’s a slow build up of the main character, Arrah, not having any magic and how people are freaking out because young children are going missing. It’s beautifully done. There’s a point; however, where that well-thought out story and building tension gets thrown out of the window.
Roughly a third into the book everything changes and craziness ensues. Everything just speeds up. I was disoriented as a reader and often found myself confusing characters because they were only mentioned once or twice and weren’t developed enough for them to stand out. Arrah’s motivations as a character seemed haphazardly developed. I feel like I needed more time for her to set up her relationship with her sister and deal with her anger at not having magic.
By the end of the book I was exhausted with trying to keep up with everything that was happening. This is a series, and the second book with definitely have a love triangle in it, which is frustrating.

This was surprisingly good read.
I had no expectations going in to it, and knew almost nothing about the plot.

The plot was rich and suspenseful in all of the best ways and the magic system was incredibly well done.

I really enjoyed this.

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.