EDIT MADE 12/18/19: So a friend just started this and mentioned that she was hearing about discourse involving a rape/sexual assault scene. I didn't initially piece together what was being talked about, but after looking it up to see what scene people were referring to I really took a step back and thought about it and came to the conclusion they're right. The scene in question features a character getting deceived by another into having sex under the guise that they are someone else. This is used as a plot point or obstacle in their relationship and he gets blamed for not being able to tell the difference and know this was a trick. I definitely didn't understand the MC being upset with the guy in question because I didn't think it was his fault, but I also didn't take the time to make the connection that he was in essence raped, whether the main character knew it or not. I've adjusted my rating for that reason because while I still enjoyed the magic and the world that was created, using his assault as a means to an end and not fully looking into how this affected him is definitely problematic.

Thank you with an absolutely MAJOR THANK YOU, to Netgalley, Harper Collins and Rena Barron for the opportunity to read an eARC of Kingdom of Souls in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book. The story, the characters, the plot, the world building. It was all done so beautifully and reminiscent of both We Hunt the Flame and Children of Blood and Bone in the best way, two books that I absolutely loves reading this year. The writing was a bit chaotic, but I enjoyed the story that began to take shape.

We meet our heroine, Arrah, as a child getting ready to partake in a traditional ceremony where all the tribes of Heka come together to celebrate the magic bestowed upon them by Heka, one of the orishas (gods) of their people. This ceremony also is the time at which Heka bestows the gift of magic upon the chosen ones of their people in accordance with a promise he made long ago. Arrah, who is the child of two powerful witchdoctors and the granddaughter of a powerful witchdoctor chieftain, is nervous because she doesn’t necessarily belong, considering her parents are from two separate tribes and she no longer lives with either tribe. Instead, Arrah and her parents live in the Kingdom where her mother serves as the Ka-Priestess, one of the most powerful people there. Arrah is extremely nervous about whether or not this will be when she develops her magic because she’s wanted it for so long. Fast forward to 5 or 6 years later and it looks as if Arrah is still waiting for her gift. It’s practically unheard of for someone with Arrah’s lineage to never develop magic and she absolutely feels the shame of it because her mother can barely stand to look at her. Her father and paternal grandmother have not given up hope, though this last Blood Moon celebration seems to be an indication that not only will Arrah never develop magic, but something dark and sinister surrounds her. After this development, it also becomes clear that something sinister is happening in The Kingdom, where children are disappearing and neither the Temple or the royals in charge are able to figure out what is going on or how to stop it. The journey to discover what is happening and how to stop it sets Arrah on a dangerous path which involves trading her years for magic, something that not only leaves a mark on a person’s soul (ka), but also their reputation. Arrah, however, is resolved to find out what happening, no matter the cost, and it turns out that the cost and culprits are greater than she ever expected.

That’s as much of the plot as I’m willing to give away with out giving spoilers. Essentially, Arrah throughout the story has to come to terms not only with the so called disgrace she brings her mother, but the fact that her best friend and love happen to be the son of her mother’s rival. The love story of it all definitely plays a role in the plot, but what I love about Rena’s writing is that the love story seems to flow with the main plot and mystery, not overshadow it.

Arrah also finds herself in the middle of a predicament that involves the orishas, who may not be as trustworthy as some believe, the Temple, which is full of mysteries, a Demon King, and children who have gone missing. All of this is combined with the fact that she has to finally accept that she will never have magic of her own, not unless she does the unthinkable and trades years of her life for the ability to do magic. This magic is known to be the magic of the unworthy and of charlatans, but what if it’s the only way that she can truly help? What if the children disappearing are connected to whatever dark and sinister green eyed entity is supposedly coming after her or at least in her future? A girl has to do what she has to do right? Exactly.

Kingdom of Souls is filled to the brim with love, action, and the struggle of not only living up to your family’s name, but also dealing with struggles within a family in general. Arrah’s relationship with her mother leaves a lot to be desired and she constantly seems to be fighting to gain her mother’s approval, even when she’s not sure she wants it. I think that Rena does a great job of showing Arrah’s inner struggle and detailing how the relationship with her mother impacts Arrah’s decisions throughout the entire story.

I’ll be honest and say some of the secondary characters were a bit confusing and I had a hard time keeping them straight, but that didn’t stop me from loving them. It also helped that theres a handy guide on Rena’s website and twitter for some of the characters. The orishas as characters provided their own mystery because while they are worshipped as gods, it soon becomes clear that they are not as benevolent as one would hope and they have their own secrets and failings that impact the story as well. You’re left not knowing whose story to trust, which is amazing because I think that is exactly how Arrah feels as well.

The magical world that Rena created is an amazing one and I honestly can’t wait until the next installment because the ending of KoS sets you up in a way that closes out one story, but leaves you wanting more of another. Also, as a black woman, getting to see black female characters who are powerful, strong, who love, who hurt, and who can break is amazing. Yes, we love a strong main character and yes you get those, but you also get to see that behind every strong mask is pain that you may or may not have thought would be there. You can’t be strong 100% of the time and I think that Rena does a great job of showing that with her characters.

Be sure to go and pick this up when it’s released on September 3rd. It also doesn’t hurt that the cover is absolutely gorgeous.