Publishers Weekly
07/15/2019
Every year, Arrah, the unexceptional 16-year-old daughter of two potent witch doctors, travels with her father from the city of Tamar to the kingdom’s tribal lands for the ceremonial summoning of Heka, the orisha who gives magic to mortals. Nobody older than 16 has ever come into magical gifts, so after this year’s sacrament fails to trigger a change in Arrah, she loses hope. There is a rite that allows an ordinary individual to trade years of his or her life for enough magic to execute a single spell, but Arrah has never been sufficiently desperate to try it, until someone starts stealing Tamar’s children. After performing the ritual, she learns the terrible truth about the kidnapper’s identity and uncovers a plan to free the soul-devouring Demon King—one that she has no clue how to stop. First in a planned trilogy, Barron’s West Africa–inspired fantasy debut is a slow-burning, character-driven tale of vengeance, greed, sacrifice, and star-crossed romance. Organic worldbuilding and a rich central mythology featuring a vibrant pantheon of fallible gods ground Barron’s intricate, if occasionally convoluted, story, which thoughtfully examines issues of faith and free will. Ages 13–up. Agent: Suzie Townsend, New Leaf Literary. (Sept.)
Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
Driven by intricate mythology with meddlesome, vengeful gods. Fantasy fans will find a refreshing, beautifully crafted setting in this novel.
Rebecca Ross
Lush, captivating, and full of my favorite things: a vivid world, a cast of compelling characters, and a young heroine ready to rise and fearlessly fight for her beliefs. This powerful coming of age story lingers long after the final page.
Kendare Blake
I couldn’t get enough of Kingdom of Souls. Wonderfully written, and full of dark magic and danger, it was a story I couldn’t wait to escape into. Highly recommended!
Dhonielle Clayton
Magnetic and addictive, Kingdom of Souls turns ambition into sacrifice and blood into power. Magic is always worth the price—and the pain—and this book is black girl magic at its finest.
Booklist
A tough-as-nails protagonist overcomes odds stacked heavily against her in this captivating debut.
Rebecca Schaeffer
Crackling with tension, this masterpiece of escalating stakes doesn’t pull its punches.
Elly Blake
Barron’s lush prose and boundless imagination enchant the reader with a vivid world, compelling characters, and twists to keep you reading all night. Kingdom of Souls spellbinds with fresh and dazzling magic.
Mindee Arnett
Set in a lushly drawn and fresh magical world, Kingdom of Souls was a wild, heart-wrenching ride. Every turn took me by surprise, and these unforgettable characters face a complex evil that threatens from both without and within. Readers won’t be able to put this one down.
Samira Ahmed
Powerful. Captivating. Heart-wrenching. Rena Barron has crafted a thrilling, twisty, unputdownable epic about a complex, brave young woman who must find the true magic within herself in order to fight for her family, her people, and her life.
Booklist
A tough-as-nails protagonist overcomes odds stacked heavily against her in this captivating debut.
Dhonielle Clayton
Magnetic and addictive, Kingdom of Souls turns ambition into sacrifice and blood into power. Magic is always worth the price—and the pain—and this book is black girl magic at its finest.
Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
Driven by intricate mythology with meddlesome, vengeful gods. Fantasy fans will find a refreshing, beautifully crafted setting in this novel.
School Library Journal
★ 08/01/2019
Gr 9 Up—Legend has it that the orisha destroyed all of the demons in the Almighty Kingdom, but when children begin to disappear from the Kingdom and a great evil looms, it seems that perhaps the orisha were wrong. And if they were wrong about this, where else have they failed? Sixteen-year-old Arrah is the daughter of two powerful witch doctors in a long lineage of magic. For as long as she can remember, she has waited to come into magic of her own, and though she has the ability to see magic, she cannot touch it. Magic in the Kingdom, however, can be acquired at a cost. Will Arrah be willing to give up years of her life in exchange for the magic that might be able to save the people she loves? In this epic West African–inspired debut, Barron weaves a story filled with blood magic, political intrigue, epic world-building, and a brilliant cast of characters. VERDICT Fans of folklore-inspired fantasy and Laini Taylor's Strange the Dreamer will relish in this masterful tale. From start to finish, this magical debut is not to be missed.—India Winslow, Cary Memorial Library, Lexington, MA
Kirkus Reviews
2019-06-15
A teenage girl ashamed of her lack of magic must step up when she discovers evil at work in her kingdom.
Privileged Arrah has never wanted for anything—except magic. Though she comes from powerful magical lineages on both her parents' sides, when she turns 16 without developing any gifts, she must finally admit she won't be blessed with magic. Heartbroken, Arrah throws herself into discovering who's behind the recent child abductions in her kingdom. The magic needed to accomplish such a task has a high cost, and her discovery of the culprit proves to be a devastating revelation. In Arrah's West African-based world, there are orishas as well as other gods and demons, and orishas are able to converse directly with humans. Arrah, aided by her friends (including love interest Rudjek), must mine hitherto unknown depths in herself in order to stop the ascension of the Demon King, who supposedly was vanquished by the orishas long ago. Though the pace is sometimes slow and the page count perhaps higher than needed, Arrah's a compelling heroine, relatable in her fallibility, and her story is intriguing. Most characters are black; Rudjek is biracial (his light-skinned mother and a handful of other characters hail from the north).
An imperfect but promising series opener. (Fantasy. 12-18)
