This is one of my highest anticipated reads for the year, so when I got offered a spot on the blog tour I jumped at the chance. This was an amazing read, so make sure you scroll down to read my thoughts, and US readers, there is also a giveaway for a copy of the book!

Synopsis:

THERE’S MAGIC IN HER BLOOD.
Explosive fantasy set in a world of magic and legend, where one girl must sacrifice her life, year by year, to gain the power necessary to fight the mother she has never been good enough for.

Perfect for fans of Sarah J Maas, Tomi Adeyemi and Black Panther

THERE’S MAGIC IN HER BLOOD.

Arrah is a young woman from a long line of the most powerful witch doctors in the land. But she fails at magic, fails to call upon the ancestors and can’t even cast the simplest curse.
Shame and disappointment dog her.

When strange premonitions befall her family and children in the kingdom begin to disappear, Arrah undergoes the dangerous and scorned process of selling years of her life for magic. This borrowed power reveals a nightmarish betrayal and a danger beyond what she could have imagined. Now Arrah must find a way to master magic, or at least buy it, in order to save herself and everything she holds dear.
An explosive fantasy set in a world of magic and legend with a twist you will never see coming.

Rena Barron grew up in small-town Alabama where stories of magic and adventure sparked her imagination. After penning her first awful poem in middle school, she graduated to writing short stories and novels by high school. Rena loves all things science fiction, ghosts, and superheroes. She’s a self-proclaimed space nerd.

When she’s not writing, she can be found reading or brushing up on her French. Follow her at @renathedreamer and renabarron.com. 

Author Links!

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17797267.Rena_Barron

Website: http://www.renabarron.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/renathedreamer

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/renathedreamer/

September 4th

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September 5th

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Becky’s Book Blog – Review

Jrsbookreviews – Review

The Reading Chemist – Review

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September 6th

In Between Book Pages – Review + Favourite Quotes

Utopia State of Mind – Review + Favourite Quotes

Camillea Reads – Review

A Dream Within A Dream – Review

Artsy Draft – Review + Favourite Quotes

September 7th

Frayed Books – Review

The Layaway Dragon – Review + Favourite Quotes

NovelKnight – Review

Charis Rae – Review

Novel Lives – Review

September 8th

Shalini’s Books & Reviews – Review

The Bibliophile Chronicles – Review

Luchia Houghton Blog – Review + Favourite Quotes

Justbusyreading – Review

Flying Paperbacks – Review

September 9th

Here’s to Happy Endings – Review

Moonlight Rendezvous – Review + Favourite Quotes

Confessions of a YA Reader – Review + Favourite Quotes

TBR and Beyond – Review + Playlist + Favourite Quotes

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September 10th

Wishful Endings – Review

Jessica Writes – Review + Favourite Quotes

The Reading Life – Review + Favourite Quotes

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Flipping Through the Pages – Review + Favourite Quotes

Official Blog Tour Link

Review!

The story follows Arrah, born into a family of powerful Witch doctor’s but with no power of her own. She feels the only way she can live up to her namesake is to behave like the charlatans and ask the Gods for magic, but as they say in all the stories, magic comes with a price and this one is years of Arrah’s life. It takes the mysterious disappearance of children from the capitol to make Arrah finally decide whether she is willing to pay that price, and the decision she makes sets her off on a journey no one could have anticipated.

I mean, I had heard rave reviews about this book but nothing really came close to describing just how amazing it was. Arrah is a fantastic heroine and lead character. Headstrong and loyal, she is determined to change the world for the better. I got so invested in Arrah’s storyline that there were parts of the book I was literally screaming at the pages hoping beyond hope for a good outcome. Arrah is not the only character in this book that I adored, Barron manages to bring in a multitude of smaller side characters, that even if they are only mentioned in a few sentences, make an impact big enough for you to notice and bond with them

The romance in this book is beautifully written, Arrah and Rudjek, star crossed lovers. Their parents hate each other and their friendship has had to be contained to the shadows, with only their closest friends in on the secret. I thoroughly enjoyed following the progression of their relationship from the sweet to the almost steamy, I was so invested in their outcome.

Some debuts tend to fall short on the descriptions, either giving us too little or using that many descriptive words it almost doesn’t make sense. I would never have guessed that Kingdom of Souls was a debut book if I hadn’t already been told. Her descriptive writing is magnificent. Whether it is describing a setting, a character or simply a scene, I found myself dragged head first into Arrah’s world, and found it increasingly hard to remove myself from the pages the more I read. The world-building was truly immersive and I was swept away following Arrah on her journey throughout the magical kingdom that Barron creates.

This book had me in pure states of anguish at parts, and this seems like a good point to bring up some trigger warnings you should know before picking the book up. The book features heavily on blood magic, blood is used in multiple spells and is not used sparingly. There are an awful amount of dark topics explored throughout the story including parental abuse, sibling abuse, mass murder (off page) and the loss of a loved one. At parts I felt my heart racing with anticipation, and at other parts I was in tears of both anger and sadness. Barron truly knows how to bring out emotions in the reader and I went through sooo many whilst reading this book.

There was an underlying story flowing parallel to the one you are reading, that of the Devil King and the God he fell in love with. We get hints throughout the book that this should be relevant, and it stays in the back of your mind right until the end when BAM! Barron throws a massive curve ball I just didn’t see coming. Talk about ending on a cliff hanger, I very nearly threw my book across the room knowing that I would have to wait over a year to read more in this wondrous world, and learn the outcome of that torturous ending.

I honestly cant recommend this book enough! Looking for a kick ass heroine, a sweet/steamy romance, a fresh and beautifully described magic system and world building to die for… well then this is the book for you. To say I gave this 5/5 would be an understatement, I loved this book, I turned up late to work so I could finish this book and I cannot wait to read the next instalment.

Giveaway!

Enter here for the chance to win a Kingdom of Souls VIP saw bag: Includes a copy of the book & swag. (US only)

Book Links!

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43245862-kingdom-of-souls

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2xHN60S

B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/kingdom-of-souls-rena-barron/1129998144#/

iTunes: https://books.apple.com/us/book/kingdom-of-souls/id1446265767?ign-mpt=uo%3D4

Bookdepository: https://www.bookdepository.com/Kingdom-Souls-Rena-Barron/9780008302238?ref=grid-view&qid=1562917818545&sr=1-1

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/fr/en/ebook/kingdom-of-souls-1

Google Books: https://books.google.fr/books/about/Kingdom_of_Souls.html?id=kyx-DwAAQBAJ&redir_esc=y