I was prepared to love Her Soul for a Crown, as the description was compelling and sounded like an adventure I’d enjoy. The story was based on Sri Lankan mythology and follows Anula whose family was killed, leaving her with nothing but vengeance in her heart. As a skilled poisoner, she works to avenge her family and those in the kingdom who have been oppressed.

In order to become queen and ultimately the sole ruler so she can end the conflict and improve the conditions for her people, Anula enters a bargain with the Yakkas, who are apparently a group of celestial beings (demons? Gods? It’s really not clear) from Sri Lankan folklore, to secure a crown in exchange for her soul, which results in her being “tethered” to the blood Yakka, Reeri, but to additional Yakkas as well. The goal of the Yakkas is to be freed from their current situation.

Under this premise, the story sounds like it’s going to be fantastic. Unfortunately, it fell flat for me. The beginning was slow and didn’t adequately ground the reader in the myth, or provide good descriptions of the characters, which made it difficult to picture them, or really care about them. I also felt like the relationships were rushed and forced, especially between Anula and Reeri who had no chemistry.

Finally, the action and plot lines in the book weren’t given enough room to develop and play out on their own. There were multiple conflicts taking place and the lack of development made things confusing. The deal between the Yakkas and Wessamony, who I’m still confused by, the mysterious Kattadiya, as well as the impending war in Polonnaruwa.

Overall, I believe the book could have been longer, affording the author the opportunity to fully develop and inform the reader on all that was taking place.

A slow-burn romantasy inspired by Sri Lankan mythology follows a fierce orphaned young woman, Anula, with an affinity for poisons and revenge who would do anything to end the reign of heartless rajas—even sell her soul to the most dangerous cursed god of all—the Blood Yakka, Reeri.

I loved this story. It was different and well written, great worldbuilding and beliavable characters. It is easy to become invested in the FMC and her need for revenge. Then the added parts of gods, bargains and men with their own agenda, makes this story wonderful. It shows the power of believing in oneself and to see things through, to not be confused with the immediate but seeing the whole picture.

Review posted on Goodreads, StoryGraph and Instagram.

I found this book to be so confusing. I re-read the first few chapters multiple times and nothing made sense to me. I felt like I was missing context or world building or something. If you enjoy a book opening with action immediately, then pick this one up but if you don't, this won't be for you like it wasn't for me.

Her Soul For A Crown is a fascinating tale based on the mythology and legends of Sri Lanka. Rameera has asked a wonderful What-if question about the existing histories that depict Anula as a scheming queen and the Blood Yakka as unrepentently cruel. In the novel, both main characters carry out certain deeds as an act of love for their people (Anula) and for their fellow demons (Reeri). That their love story follows the trajectory of their efforts to free both groups from tyranny adds a delightful slow-burn enemies-to-lovers trope into the mix.

There is a decided learning curve as the reader weaves their way through the unfamiliar names, aspects, and plotlines. This reader would have liked a bit more clarity in the beginning chapters, especially since Rameera gives Anula and Reeri individual POV chapters. For those who like danger in their romantasies, there is plenty of action, many gory deaths, and enough scheming to keep readers guessing about the outcome.

The explanation of the history of the tales comes at the end of the novel. Perhaps it would be better served at the beginning.

This is a stand-alone (as far as I know). It was refreshing to finish a novel that did not leave one on the edge of a precipice waiting a year or more for the next volume to arrive!

I was lucky enough to receive a physical copy of this book, so I'll be reading and evaluating that instead!

3.25 stars "Anuradhapura belongs to no man!" The premise of this book was incredible. A dark retelling of Sri Lanka’s first queen, Anula, remembered as a villain for poisoning her husbands while her male predecessor’s crimes were ignored. GIMME! Anula was a fierce FMC, and I am a sucker for demon romance. That said, the first half dragged for me—partly due to my own struggle with the unfamiliar names, which pulled me out of the story. The end had so much happening...I didn't want to stop reading (and actually got frustrated that I couldn't stay up all night to finish it). Solid debut!

Thank you NetGalley

This had me hooked from the first page! the worldbuilding and romance were perfect.

This is everything for a fantasy romance book.

Actual rating: 4.5
Thank you to Sourcebooks Casablanca and NetGalley for this arc!
Her Soul for a Crown is an intriguing fantasy which focuses on Anula, a woman driven to get justice for what happened to her home. Its a fantastical tale, with an MC who knows what she wants and is decisive about what she does. She's quite strong willed, but has an empathic nature to her underneath. She cares, a lot, but she also refuses to be taken as a fool. I think she's rather refreshing as a fantasy MC; she's not shy to go for what she wants, but she also stumbles because of things she can't control. She is arguably the best thing in this book, hands down. On the other, her counterpart, Reeri, was a bit lacking. I found there wasn't as much intrigue surrounding him, especially when he was surrounded by his more interesting siblings (especially Kama). I don't think of him as a bad character however, just that he is constantly outshone by Anula.

I find the world and setting to be very enjoyable and fun to be in, the side characters memorable and the magic is interesting. I find the pace enjoyable, although I wish there was more character interactions to be had outside of Reeri and his siblings. I found as much as I did enjoy Reeri and Anula together, they never really had moments where they could do things together. A lot of their time on page felt limited and silted to an extent (even if understandable for story reasons); I think because of this, neither really get to know each other as much as I would've wanted them to.

All in all, if you're wanting a beautifully written non-white fantasy with an intriguing main character and a delightful side cast, I'd highly recommend this book!

Thank you to Sourcebooks Casablanca and Alysha Rameera for the ARC of Her Soul for a Crown.

Her Soul for a Crown is inspired by Sri Lankan mythology — a concept I was really excited about. I loved the unique cultural grounding and the potential it brought to the worldbuilding.

I was intrigued in the beginning, and I appreciated the fierce, strong-minded female main character. However, I found myself repeatedly confused about the plot. Just as I’d start to understand what was happening, something would shift, and I’d lose the thread again. This might be a case of me not connecting with the story at the right time, rather than a fault in the writing.

That said, I can absolutely see why readers are loving this — especially fans of enemies-to-lovers romantasy. While it wasn’t the right fit for me at the moment, I think this book will find a passionate audience.

Unfortunately, I had to DNF at 30%, but I’m looking forward to seeing what Alysha Rameera writes next.

This cover is stunning but unfortunately the book did not match. The FMC was great, loved her. But that's about it. There was to much going on but at the same time nothing. Nothing was fully explained or answered. Things happened and we didn't get any explanation for it. I love side characters but the ones in this story suck. They aren't fleshed out and were just 2 dimensional. The pacing of the book was also off and didn't match throughout the book.

Thank you NetGalley, Alysha Rameera and Sourcebooks Casablanca for the opportunity to read and review this book as an ARC

I absolutely adored the worldbuilding of this book and the mythology behind the story. It is incredibly fast paced with a delicious slow-burn and a story that has you cheering and frustrated. In places it does feel slow and heavy, and the writing style did take some getting used to but it is a promising book with a good story for people wanting a new element to fantasy

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC and thank you Alysha and Rameera for giving me the opportunity to read this book In exchange for a review.

Her future was right on track, she was to rule the kingdom, but an unfortunate fate had changed everything for Anula as she saw everything crumbling down right in front of her and sought out to take what's back...

I really loved the storyline, the world building, and the new terminologies that came along.

Anula and Reeri journey may have started as enemies but gradually became something more when all the stories she knew was not entirely true.
And she offered her soul so that she would take the crown and rule in exchange for finding the bone blade.

Anula, who is a fierce, cunning and confident person, who never lost her cool, saw everything she once had gone. And took risks to get what she wanted.
Reeri, a handsome shadow I must say, isn't like any other person but was really thoughtful, kind and loving. Both had a mission to fulfill, but both also fell in love. Love their fiery passion chemistry.

In the later end we can see that how both had worked together to save the heaven and earth, and forged a new Era for both anula and Reeri. Many sacrifices were made, the truth and lies and who is on which side all made sense in the end.

I really like how the story just went even better throughout my reading journey. It was a wonderful book to read.

This book started out with promise, and even though the main characters showed growth there were so many bad decisions made starting at 80% that I almost DNFd. I was really disappointed in the end of this one.

ARC review:

This book was one of my most wanted reads of the year. This fast paced slow burn romantasy was great. I enjoyed the mythology it was based on and how the author took on their own representation of the forced proximity trope. It's definitely a palette cleanser from what I'm normally used to reading.
I cannot wait for this book to release!

Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for the opportunity to read and review this book as an advanced copy.

Alysha Rameera has come up with a very fast paced, slow-burn fantasy romance based on Siri Lankan mythology. I truly enjoyed this book quite a lot.
Anula is hell bent on avenging her family’s murders. And she has an affinity for poisons. She’s also based on a real historical character from Sri Lankan history. She’s cunning, intelligent, fierce, and determined. I was rooting for her to succeed from the very beginning. And she wants to be a better leader than the current king. She wants to enact changes and bring fairness to her people.
Reeri is the blood Yakka and is based on Sri Lankan folklore. He’s portrayed differently here, he’s compassionate and self reflective. He wants to be better, and he wants to save his fellow Yakkas as well.
The Ratadiya character I couldn’t stand from the beginning. I don’t think I would’ve given her as many chances as Anula did. Some folks are just evil.
And the slow burn romance between Anula and Reeri was so well done! Both leaders with a haunted past, both needing to do some morally gray things to achieve their end goals while facing betrayals, sacrifice, and blood shed.
Lots of great world building here as well. I loved the folklore and the mythology of these ancient gods. I wanted more at the end, and I can’t wait to read anything Alysha Rameera writes next!

I wanted to love this book but the writing style was not for me. The story, characters, and general concept were all very interesting. I loved the wit on the fmc. But, the world building was taxing. It quickly jumped into subjects with not background info and could become confusing.

Unfortunately I decided to DNF. I appreciated the Sri Lankan mythology inspiration—it brings something refreshing and unique to the Romantasy genre. However, the writing style didn’t quite work for me. I found the world-building lacking in clarity and pacing off, which made it difficult for me to immerse myself in the story. I also struggled to connect to the characters. I think this book has potential but needs stronger execution.

Thank you to Netgalley and Publisher for advanced copy.

Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for the arc.

Amidst the lush and complex backdrop of Sri Lankan mythology comes a slow burn fantasy of revenge. After her family is killed, Anula has vengeance on her mind. With a strong mind, determination and knack for complex poisons, Anula enters a bargain with the Yakkas, a group of demons from Sri Lankan folklore, to secure a crown in exchange for her soul. Now tethered to the blood yakka, Reeri, Anula and Reeri are forced to work together to face enemies both human and otherworldly.

Tropes:
enemies to lovers
Forced proximity
Romantasy
Sri Lankan mythology
One bed
Slow burn


A Soul for a Crown is a unique fantasy that truly grounds itself in the gods and monsters of Sri Lankan mythology. Not just a retelling, the book depicts both the mythological world and the human world interacting with the mythology.

As far as characters go, our fmc Anula definitely shines through as a total badass set on revenge. She is skilled at poisons. A mild tincture slipped into a tea, she’s got that (although she’s not always clear on potency), and sealed with a kiss, more like killed with a kiss. She uses her skill by any means necessary. She’s a woman on a mission and will stop at nothing to get the job done, even if it means forfeiting her soul.

Reeri is no stranger to betrayal himself. While Anula would do anything for revenge, Reeri will stop at nothing for freedom for himself and his family. The two make an interesting pair.

While I liked the two as characters, the development of their attraction did feel a bit forced and rushed. How much of their attraction was a result of the bargain and how much was genuine appeal based on forced proximity? It’s hard to tell. The secondary characters, especially the yakkas, were ok but could have been fleshed out more. I would have loved to have seen more banter and familial bonds. They were implied, but never truly developed.

This book is truly a story of revenge wrapped in mythology, and to be honest, the introduction to the yakkas and the mythological aspects in the beginning were heavy and confusing. I feel like I needed to be eased into the idea of bodiless beings more and it took me time to wrap my mind around the characters and other entities. While I love the idea of grounding this story in Sri Lankan mythology, I also feel like I’m missing part of the story i was just expected to know.

The flow of the story was also hit or miss. The beginning of the book starts off slow and feels very heavy in folklore. By midway, I was more engaged in what was happening especially once Reeri and Anula’s separate motivations and storylines converge. Once they begin to truly work together, their development and the story’s development becomes more grounded, although at times, transitions between chapters made me feel like I was missing something.

I also wish there was more visual description. I realized early on that I truly couldn’t picture what the characters look like (although Reeri gets a nice physical description at the end!). I pieced together what Anula mostly based on the cover and I had a really hard time picturing what Reeri looked like for most of the book especially given that he occupies someone else’s body (also not my favorite concept although it’s handled ok in this book). I also wished I had a little more description of the setting. I found myself filling in a lot of blanks when there was a real opportunity for colors and texture.

Ultimately, I found the fmc and mmc to be strong characters. The revenge plot was at the core and the motivation for story. The beginning was slow but the story picks up midway although sometimes the transitioning was a bit choppy. Also, this is a true slow burn! If you’re in it for the spice, know that you’ll have to be patient!

Gutted to have to write this review but this for me was a dnf, or at least a soft-dnf at the 23%. Unfortunately took issue with many parts of the book. The writing style didn’t work for me, it was very tell rather than show and the felt rather choppy. A lot was happening in the book but with no real context or explanation. It became very confusing to keep up with the world building and I couldn’t find myself convinced of the FMC plan because I didn’t have the time to really grow with her rage and frustration. I really couldn’t find myself hooked into the novel and I really do hope this may change before the book is published as I would love to support! Thank you again NetGalley for this ARC! This book may be for another reader but it unfortunately was not it for me.

It had been a while since I found a book that brought back that unique feeling, when fantasy and romance blend in just the right way. Her Soul for a Crown did exactly that, and it kept me hooked from beginning to end.

The story follows Anula, a young woman willing to do whatever it takes to claim the throne, even sell her soul to a cursed god. Alongside Reeri, the powerful Blood Yakka, she forms a dangerous alliance marked by politics, revenge, and a bond that soon proves more risky (and irresistible) than any bargain.

What stood out to me the most was the chemistry between Anula and Reeri, ntense, well-developed, and full of tension. They completely own every scene they share, and honestly, I would have read an entire book focused just on the two of them. On the other hand, I felt like the mythological elements and a few side plots slowed down the narrative at times.

Still, I can’t deny how much I appreciated the author’s research and the cultural richness woven into the story. The Sri Lankan-inspired setting brought a fresh perspective to the genre, and the mix of mythology and political intrigue was definitely a highlight.

In the end, Her Soul for a Crown delivers a bold, standalone fantasy that leaves you wondering what the author will write next. And yes,the book is as stunning on the outside as it is promising on the inside.