Rena said, "f*ck your second book slump," let's go!

REAPER OF SOULS starts off immediately following the exciting (and violent) events of Book 1, KINGDOM OF SOULS. Arrah and her friends must deal with the consequences of her mother and sister's actions. At the same time, Arrah and Rudjek are encountering more and more obstacles to their relationship. Not to mention, an extra love interest of two. 👀

There are twists, there are turns, there are meddling gods - and a Demon King determined to have his revenge! If I'm being honest, I found the politicking in the capital a bit slow, but the rest of the plot had me hooked.

I had a moment when I literally squealed out loud, "Omg, this is a love story!!" It is dark and twisty and I'm obsessed! 😍 And that ending!

Overall I enjoyed this even more than the first. My body is ready for book 3!

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Thank you to EpicReads and NetGalley for sending me an e-ARC!

One thing I love about this series is that the world is lush. I love when a fantasy paints a clear picture of it's setting. I think one of Rena Barron's strengths is creating the atmosphere with food, clothes, the hustle of the market place. The magic system is well thought out and it's fascinating reading about how it formed. It's not oversimplified nor overly complex.

This time the story splits the narrative between Arrah and Rudjek's POV's with flashback's that give the orisha Dimma's memories. I thought this format was much better because it allows us to become familiar with Rudjek. While I still wasn't fully convinced of his love story with Arrah; I felt more of a contention to him. He like Arrah was also discovering his powers. Rudjek's anti-magic powers prevent him and Arrah from touching and being around each other long. How can their love survive when they can't touch? Then the changes in the Kingdom and Rudjek's family coming in to power provide another obstacle against them. Arrah sets off to explore the tribal lands to look for survivors after hearing that some may have escaped. While Rudjek is hunting down a demon army.

I liked Dimma's memories because she had a relationship with the Demon King who is the big antagonist in this story. Arrah and her friends have an image of him based off the stories told to them however she shows the loving and vulnerable side of him.

Every time I was infuriated at this book and wanted to scream, "Why is this happening?!" it turned out that what was happening was truly a bigger part of the overall plot and not just some meaningless plot point to be forgotten. Just like the last story this was full of twists and red herrings. Every time I thought I knew what was going on I realized I had no idea. I love when a fantasy can keep me fully engaged throughout. This story did a very good job of balancing action and emotional beats. Neither side is completely good or bad in this story. This is a phenomenal follow up and I look forward to book 3.

https://womenofcolorreadtoo.blogspot.com/2021/02/reaper-of-souls-by-rena-barron.html

*Disclaimer I received this free ARC ion NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

This second installment in the Kingdom of Gods trilogy, Reaper of Souls is filled with intrigue, twists, and complete shockers. I must admit, I won this ARC before reading the first book, and after I finished the first chapter, I had to stop and go by the first book, because while a standalone, I had to start this story from the beginning. Barron has created a truly outstanding world full of angry Gods, demons, mortals, and a love than has expanded lifetimes. From unlikely heroine to a powerful unnamed force, Arrah has grown from so much betrayal, loss, and love. Once upon a time she wished nothing more than to be a witchdoctor just like her paternal mother, now, she has stepped into an even more powerful destiny, or fate depending on how you look at it. I for one, cannot wait until the last book to see how Rena will bring Arrah home.

I find myself writing this review with a slightly heavy heart. I had loved Kingdom of Souls for its world building, its amazing Own Voice African setting, and the brutal, cliff-hanger ending. I wanted to love Reaper of Souls, but the switch to multiple pov's just put me off slightly. I get why Barron chose to give Rudjek his pov to move the plot forward, but it felt like it was taking away from Aarah in some way
Plus, instead of Aarah rising, rebelling and being the badass witchdoctor that she deserved, there was a little too much wallowing. Plus, without spoilering things, there was one particular decision made by Aarah at the end that made me so mad!
The setting is still amazing, the world and the history that Barron has created are A+. The narrative going back in time to see where everything went wrong was great. And the reveal of exactly where a particular godly character came from blew my mind. Plus, I can't go without talking about the amazing covers! Not the Australian version, but the American one is amazing. The symbolism shown within the illustration, and evolution from the cover of Kingdom blew my mind.
Just beautiful.

In the end, I guess I just expected a little more. More bad-ass-ness, and less love-triangle-ness. Or was it a Hexagon? Very Good, but I wanted great.

It's been a while since I've read Kingdom of Souls so I was a bit concerned about my ability to immediately pick up the world I'd grown familiar with. Upon the first few chapters in the book these concerns were waylaid. Barron's writing is just as gripping as it was in the first book and the Arrah's journey post the events of the first book are similarly compelling and interesting. I appreciated the change in location and the magical understanding the characters show throughout these books but wish there had been earlier set up of the newest locations and their significance in the first book to feel less lost.

Overall, I felt this a fast=paced and interesting read and look forward to finishing the series.

This sequel picks right up from where Kingdom of Souls left off. The battle ended, and the war is still raging though war always comes with a price. Arrah is trying to save Sukar from his wounds, some at her own hand. Essnai is supporting Arrah, while Rudjek is at the mercy of his father’s politics and doing everything in his own power to protect Arrah. (To be fair though Rudjek really is too strong and stubborn to be at anyone’s ‘mercy’)

The book is seriously an emotional roller coaster though and Barron once more smashed my soul as she did in the last book. If you want to know why...you’ll have to read and find out or if you’ve read it just guess. Or I can spell out spoilers with my tears. Half jk.

This amazing sequel is coming out in less than two weeks so please keep it in mind for your TBR! It does not disappoint and it was just as amazing as the first book. Thanks so much to Rena Barron, NetGalley and Harper Voyager UK for an eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

The first installment in this series was my favorite book I read in 2020 and the sequel has the spot of top contender for 2021 so far. Arrah, once again, leads us on a journey of continuing to better understand the magical system and the inner workings of the Orishas, while simultaneously tugging at the heartstrings of the reader because of the fantastic character development. I can’t rave about this series enough. Reaper of Souls built upon the story we already know and love and leaves you ready to battle whatever is coming next.

A phenomenal sequel! I can not stress enough how much I loved this book. As someone who normally finds second books in a series to be lacking, this one blew me away! Rena Barron expertly weaves a story with twists and turns that all feel natural because she's already given you all the information to make sense of it without you even realizing. Rich, spectacular world-building and a beautiful story for a team of strong characters. I am so sad that I now have to wait for the next one! I can't wait to go back and reread both Kingdom of Souls and Reaper of Souls to see all of the stuff I missed the first time around. Highly, highly recommend!

Reaper of Souls picks up a couple of weeks after the ending of Kingdom of Soul. The story starts straight back into the drama and action which doesn't stop throughout the story. 




The story is mainly split into three points of view, Arrah, Rudjek, and the Unnamed Orisha. I liked enjoyed having these three points of view. I adore Rudjek and Arran and love seeing the story through there eyes. The Unnamed Orisha point of view makes me see the demon king in a different light. It made him seem a more rounded character and it explained his motives. It made the fight between the two sides go from back and white to many different shades of grey. 

Rena has weaved the story beautifully. I liked that even with the separate plot point that it comes together and makes sense. She also kept me guessing with what's going to happen. As well as drops in some surprises. All these things meant I didn't want to put the book down, and I finished it in one sitting.




One of my favourite aspects of Reaper of Soul is Arrah battle with idling the right thing with her magic, and how there is a very fine line between good and bad. And doing bad things for good reasons. Also, I don't know if I would have made the same choices at the end that Arrah did. 

As I swiped the last pages of Reaper of Soul I was checking when the book is out, it still left me wanting more even when happy with the resolution.




My Rating for Reaper of Soul is 5 out of 5




Thank you to Netgalley, Harper Voyager and Rena Barron for gifting me anE-book copy for reviewing.

3.5/5

I've been eagerly awaiting Reaper of Souls ever since I finished Kingdom of Souls in 2019. RoS delivers even more grit, raises the stakes even higher, and tells you that no-one is safe.

I enjoyed how deep Rena Barron took us into Arrah's psyche as she battles on a personal level with the Orishas. Much like KoS, there were twists and turns a'plenty, and some of them fell remarkably well. There came a point where the twists and deaths became less shocking and more unbelievable. A few characters acted so differently to how they were in KoS, and while it makes sense later on, it definitely made me more detached, lessening the impact of a few violent moments.

We get to see more of Arrah's world -- the Tribal Lands, and the North. It's clear Rena Barron has put the thousands of years of history to good use.

Where I feel the book fell down was mostly in the plot and pacing. It meandered along, the stakes not entirely clear until further into the book. In KoS, there were logical points to each part -- finding the child-stealer, obtaining magic, breaking free of her mother. In RoS, the plot wanders, making its way to the climax with assurances via internal monologue that "this is what Arrah must do".

Though this is a middle-of-the-road book for me, I'm still looking forward to the next. RoS reads like a setup to the next book, which promises to be heart-wrenching.

Reaper picks up weeks after the events that went down in Kingdom of Souls. Arrah continues to amaze me with her perseverance and strength. After all she has experienced, I am rooting for this young woman to have some sort of happiness and peace.

I love that this story is told from Arrah's and Rudjeck's point of views. I love these characters with all my heart. Rudjek's chapters gave me so much insight as he adapts being a Craven and the abilities that come with it. I lived for every sweet moment Rudjek and Arrah shared. Whether they were together or not, will these star crossed lovers find happiness?

I also enjoyed The Unnamed Orisha chapters. It helped tie in the past and present. I also liked how the world building and magic expanded. It is such an intricate and immersive world, I had to reread many paragraphs several times to make sure I fully understood what in the world was going. I know some people have a hard time getting into books where the culture is foreign to them and are unable to connect. I think Barron does an amazing job weaving African mythology and lore. I love this world she created.

Reaper also had so many twists and turns and deaths that I did not expect. Correction, twists I did see coming, but the turns I did not! It's hard to explain, but Barron got me good and I wanted to scream and hate certain characters. Maybe it's just me, but I loved the meddling gods and their callousness.

Like the first book, there are a lot of dark themes and questionable actions the main characters and supporting characters experience and make. I guess it's a matter of perspective, as the characters all believe that in the name of love and justice, their actions seem justified. Who's at fault? Who is the villain in this story? Perhaps they all are. And I am not mad at Arrah's decision to choose herself for once. Where there's a will, theres a way, and this girl is a force, and she will find one way or another to save the kingdom and it's people.

Am I anxious and excited for the book 3? Absolutely! It is everything my dark fantasy heart loves.

I was fortunate enough to receive an ARC.

Reaper starts off where Kingdom ends. So much happens in this book. We get lots of information and things start to make sense. There are so many twists, many I didn’t see coming.

I absolutely loved Rudjek. Loved him in the first book, but he was such a cinnamon roll in this one. He must be protected at all costs! He went through a lot in this ad did Arrah. Speaking of Arrah, can she catch a break? She struggled a lot, which was understandable. She’s dealing with the aftermath of what her mother and sister did on top of her feelings for Rudjek. She’s trying to do her best in a tricky situation and help her people.

I loved the Un-named Orisha chapters. It adds so much to the story and those chapters were super important.

Let’s talk about the one twist: like I did not see that coming. Made me hate that character even more than I did.
Another twist I didn’t see coming: I had a feeling but I wasn’t 100% convinced. It made sense.

There was much loss in this and Ms. Barron is not afraid to kill her characters 😭

I’m so happy the one question I had throughout the book was answered AND HOLY CRAP I DID NOT SEE THAT COMING. Needless to say, I need book 3 ASAP because that ending..

5 ⭐️

I was granted an eARC from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Slow to start and then barreling straight into adventure, heartbreak and deception.

I adored Kingdom of Souls so much and it's sequel does not disappoint. Rich with it's history coupled with a plan eons in the making, it takes the reader further into the world that Arrah lives in and the past that has forged their present.

Prepare yourselves for twists and turns, epic battles and heart wrenching moments.

Rena has done it again!!!! REAPER OF SOULS was EVERYTHING I desire in a sequel!!!! The characters’ development was SO REALISTIC AND SO WELL WRITTEN!!!! The story pulled me right in. I highly recommend this one to everyone!!!!!

A tale for generations. Magic, light and dark, a fight against evil. The boundaries are blurred. Not everything that is evil, truly is, and not everything that is good, truly is. This book covers love, family and the consequences of actions through time. True love never dies and finds itself reincarnated again and again. There will be passages that you will read twice. There will be parts that you cannot keep together because the point of view changes, suddenly.

This was an amazing and thought provoking read.

I received a digital ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

In Reaper of Souls, Arrah has finally attained the magic she's always wanted, for a terrible price. Now she alone is left to deal with the consequences, with the threat of the demons on the rise and the gods watching her every move.

This book was perhaps more character-driven than the first one, but multiple twists and turns make this a suspenseful page-turner from start to end. Rena Barron masterfully weaves together a dark plot full of depth and nuance. The writing is lush and atmospheric, making it easy to fully connect to the characters and immerse yourself in their adventures.
Perhaps my favourite thing about this wonderful book is how much the scope of the world expands while we learn more about the history of the Kingdom, the demons and the orisha.

It was a delight to spend more time in this haunting, immersive fantasy story. The last book can't release soon enough.

I was really anticipating this sequel, after book 1's climatic ending. However, I was disappointed that Arrah resorted back to questioning her self worth, decisions, and whether or not she should even have magic for the entirety of this book. I was expecting Arrah to rise like a phoenix after the end of book 1 and be this bad ass with a new exciting love interest, similar to <i>A Court of Mist and Fury</i>. (that did not happen) I wasn't really a fan of Rudjek and Arrah's love story in the first book, and unfortunately that continues through to the second book, along with Sukar now having feelings for Arrah as well. (an unnecessary love triangle/square) I was really hoping that Daho the Demon King was going to get an awesome redemption arc and him and Arrah were going to destroy all the orisha, but Daho and Dimma seem to be just as crazy as the rest of the orisha. I was also really disappointed with Arrah's decision at the end of this book, and honestly without Efiya -it didn't feel like there was a real villain. I'm still invested enough in the series to read the final installment, but was bummed this one didn't live up to my expectations.

I really enjoyed the first book of this series so I was very excited to read the second. It did not disappoint! The author did a great job at continuing the story and I really enjoyed the crazy plotline. The characters were also very relatable and I really connected to them. Great Book!

REAPER OF SOULS sees our return to the lush, vibrant, and dangerous world that Rena Barron has masterfully constructed in her debut KINGDOM OF SOULS. After years of yearning for magic, Arrah finally attains the one thing she's wanted - but she too discovers that it came at too steep a price. Still reeling from the devastating events in KINGDOM OF SOULS, Arrah is left to shoulder the weight of a legacy, shattered relationships, a kingdom plunged into chaos, and a love so ill-fated. True to the reputation KINGDOM OF SOULS has built, this book continues the trend of driving head-on to messed-up situations - yet Barron manages to juggle all the hideous circumstances placed on her cast with the depth and nuance they deserve. The battle lines are clearly drawn, but the reckoning of the ugly truth behind the Kingdom's history leaves no one unscathed and forces many to reckon with the weight of their decisions on their conscience. REAPER OF SOULS profoundly explores passion, hard decisions, and heavy consequences that come with every single choice transcending ancestral lines.

REAPER OF SOULS is a much more intimate, emotional, and character-driven book compared to its predecessor, but Barron still hard-carries its dark plot exceptionally well with generous helpings of insane plot twists and high-octane suspense. This roaring sequel to KINGDOM OF SOULS is impossible to put down, and promises an explosive finale to the trilogy I sure wouldn't want to miss.

This book was flipping PHENOMENAL! I'm already a big fan of Rena Barron but this made me even more so of a stan! I didn't want to stop reading and the plot twists throughout the book were *chef's kiss*! I had so many internal and external responses to this book! Rena really messed with my mind on this one and I stayed up till 7:47 am to finish this book! I wasn't ready for all that happened, the roller coaster of emotions I was on, the level of attachment I felt for Rudjek only tripled (he's my forever favorite)...I was in Rena's DMs throughout the time I was reading this, going full on auntie (that's not a bad thing in this case). I plan to write a longer review for my blog in the future, definitely before the release but this book was EVERYTHING! It was worth waiting 2 year for Reaper of Souls...hopefully book 3 won't take 2 more but if it does, Rena knows that I'm ready to ready to read it.