Rena BarronRezensionen

Gr 5–7—Comic book—loving Maya discovers that she is no ordinary girl from South Side Chicago, but a godling and
half-orisha; her father is the Guardian of the Veil that separates the worlds. When he suddenly goes missing, it is up
to Maya and her two best friends to save him from the Lord of Shadows. Barron expertly weaves a nail-biting
adventure featuring a diverse cast and elements of African folklore that is sure to excite any reader.

* I got this book for review from the publisher for my honest thoughts*

I found this to be engaging read that focus on myths, growing up and friendship. I also loved how this book focus on young minority girl and really loved how Chicago was the setting of this book. I thought the villain of this book lord of shadows was a fun villain and loved how the myth world was developed. I also like maya and her parents dynamics in this read. I thought the pacing of this book was not as strong as should have been and i also thought there was some massive info dump moments but i grew to love the world and the characters. I will def be checking out book 2!

* I got this book for review from the publisher for my honest thoughts*

I found this to be engaging read that focus on myths, growing up and friendship. I also loved how this book focus on young minority girl and really loved how Chicago was the setting of this book. I thought the villain of this book lord of shadows was a fun villain and loved how the myth world was developed. I also like maya and her parents dynamics in this read. I thought the pacing of this book was not as strong as should have been and i also thought there was some massive info dump moments but i grew to love the world and the characters. I will def be checking out book 2!

+ High stakes! There’s serious tension that things may not end up happily ever after.

+ The kids really ran the spotlight this time. They had full agency and had little assistance from the adults this time.

+ Parents have big enough hearts for all their kids. Maya’s papa had a previous family that was slaughtered by the Lord of Shadows. In this book, we find out one of the kids survived, and the child and Maya learn there’s enough room for both of them.

+ The Darkbringers get some complexity here. Everything isn’t black and white.

+ The book doesn’t sugarcoat death, violence, or war.

+ New character Zeran

+ Ghost army!

+ Another cover from GDbee!

o This is very plot-driven, so if you like connecting with characters, it may not interest you.

- Unfortunately, my same complaint from book 1 is here. Frankie and Eli are so utterly boring. Eli has his love for the paranormal and unfunny jokes and Frankie is super smart. Okay. You could replace these two with cardboard cutouts and miss nothing.

- Maya was dry here. We, understandably, only feel her terror for her papa. But, at times, it feels she’s just reacting to what’s happening

- Zeran, who I liked, feels very tropey. But again, tropes aren’t bad it’s how you used them.

- the writing style was bit bland and the pacing felt verrry slow

- Too many godlings. It’s been a while since the first book, but it’s like everyone and they mama got powers now.

Of course, I definitely acknowledge I’m not the target audience here.

Kingdom of Souls has a very slow beginning and a lot of world-building to digest but with some very nice plot-twists and suspense as well. I really liked Rudjek and Arrah much more than I should have for some reason. When Arrah gets all flustered around him, I can't help but go "aww." In addition, I loved the relationship between Arrah and her father.

Now, this isn't a very satisfying story, and I'm not talking about the writing/plot. It's just Arrah's life is tragedy after tragedy. As soon as something good happens, 12 worse things rear their head. This story could possibly beat you down.

Spoiler Section:
Um... Y'know that part when there's a twisted-demonic reversal of Mary getting pregnant with Jesus. Chile, what was that!?! 0___O Aarti is something else, I tell you.

GOSH, I wanted to strangle Efiya so badly. When Rudjek and Arrah's relationship (who had been acting dry as toast) was about to get some payoff, the climax of their love story, URGGGGHHHH! To be honest, I wish this part hadn't even been there. The way that the whole thing went down is just terrible Why?Can you imagine being tricked into sleeping with someone who you thought was your loved one?

Efiya is bland. Don't nobody care about you.

Also, people cannot stay dead in this story for anything!

Overall, if you don't mind long stories where optimism is bleak, then I recommend it.

Ateenage 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)

-Kirkus Review

A great recommendation for the parent who's child has read all the Rick Riordan books. I'm don't make this comparison flippantly. It follows a similar pattern in terms of plotting. The African mythology and traditional folklore is well utilized and the book is full of action, along with magical beings, strange powers and positive role models. For readers who love listening, the audiobook is well narrated and uses sound and music to accentuate the story's action.

RGG: Similar to the Lightning Thief, but with African mythology, godlings, gods and goddesses. The plot and writing are somewhat prosaic, but a great read-alike.

RGG: Similar to the Lightning Thief, but with African mythology, godlings, gods and goddesses. The plot and writing are somewhat prosaic, but a great read-alike.

Maya starts having nightmares about this menacing creature who drains the color out of the world. As this accelerate, she and her friends realize that the world is not what it seems. Their grouchy old-lady neighbors are demi-gods helping to protect people from the dark and constantly keeping a watchful eye.
Maya and her two best friends find out that they are godlings and that Maya herself is meant to be a protector of the veil between our world and the dark realm. When her dad is kidnapped the three middle schoolers venture to the dark to try to save the day and her dad. It's treacherous.
Chicago is peppered throughout the story of a world creatively designed.½

Read first 75 pages. Many similarities to Pahua and the Soul Stealer by Lori M. Lee. Might come back to it.

In social studies, Mr. Kim said that history was biased because people left out things they wanted to hide. (11)

First Line: "T- minus five days."
Summary: There is magic in this world, and the rest, and nobody knows it. One day Maya watches the color drain from the world, and wonders if she is going crazy. Then her dad disappears-- literally-- and Maya knows something is going on. When the truth is revealed to her, she knows she must go save her father.
Rating: 4.5 stars! I know something about this book must not be perfect, but I cannot think of it!
My Thoughts (SPOILERS): This book makes me want to research. I know I've heard of the Orisha before, I believe it is an African folklore, but i want to KNOW. I want to compare these characters to the Gods they are based on. I want to dive deep into the mythology.
A little warning, I wanted to read this book with my daughter, who is 9. I'm a little glad I didn't. Some kids could handle this book at that age, and others would have nightmares. I'm not sure which side my girl would land on, and that is why I'm glad I didn't share. The villain is quite creepy, and he can kill you in your dreams (which is why I was timid to share with my young one).
All in all, it's a wonderful book, just be sure your creepy kid won't get nightmares before you bring it home to them.

Much better! Where the first book was congested with too many storylines and flat characters, the sequel is more focused and lets the characters breathe. I think the pacing overall improved drastically though the opening chapter was a bit disorienting because you’re hit with like 20 different characters. The romance also takes a bigger focus in this story. Once you get into the story, it's really enthralling.

Keep in mind, there’s A LOT of carnage in this story. Death and body horror is ever-present, if not constant.

Still, I enjoyed reading this, and this book was almost 500 pages.

While Rena Barron’s debut novel, Kingdom of Souls, failed to blow me away, its sequel Reaper of Souls did just that. Gone are the repetitiveness of the writing as well as the one-dimensionality of the characters I found most distracting. In their place is an exciting world that brings something new to every page wherein the characters are deliciously grey in their morality.

More importantly, Reaper of Souls helps fill in many of the missing puzzle pieces that made the first story more than a little confusing. Because the story involves an age-old clash between demons and gods, the analogy of the story as a gameboard is apt, and being able to see entire swaths of the gameboard not only helps in reader comprehension but also in entertainment as well. Plus, by taking the time to explain the conflict’s origins, Ms. Barron highlights the similarities between each party’s motives and behaviors. In so doing, she blurs the lines between the good guys and the bad ones, forcing you to reevaluate what you know about each character. It makes for compelling storytelling.

Plus, I cannot stress how refreshing it is to read about characters who are not white and blonde-haired. I love that there is not one character with white skin within the entire text. I find the stories about the tribes fascinating and relish the chance to learn about a culture of color, no matter how rooted in fantasy it is. I read to learn, and Ms. Barron’s fantasy allows me to learn about life in someone else’s skin, whose culture is not Euro-centric and therefore all too familiar.

With Reaper of Souls, Ms. Barron shows her writing chops. Not only does she flesh out her world and her characters, but she complicates the situation by making her two sides more alike than different. At this point, I have no idea how Arrah’s story is going to end, but I am more than a little excited to find out.

Lovely book with a capable, young MC! Maya gets sad and feels beat down often (of course, with these heavy circumstances), but she's got a righteous determination. I loved the cranky granny twins, but Frankie and Eli were a bit bland. I would love to see them more fleshed out in a sequel. The plot feels slowwww at times, but ultimately I recommend this book for any young fantasy-lover.

SN: The cover's by GDBee. My god, I love all her artwork ❤❤❤

Kingdom of Souls has a very slow beginning and a lot of world-building to digest but with some very nice plot-twists and suspense as well. I really liked Rudjek and Arrah much more than I should have for some reason. When Arrah gets all flustered around him, I can't help but go "aww." In addition, I loved the relationship between Arrah and her father.

Now, this isn't a very satisfying story, and I'm not talking about the writing/plot. It's just Arrah's life is tragedy after tragedy. As soon as something good happens, 12 worse things rear their head. This story could possibly beat you down.

Spoiler Section:
Um... Y'know that part when there's a twisted-demonic reversal of Mary getting pregnant with Jesus. Chile, what was that!?! 0___O Aarti is something else, I tell you.

GOSH, I wanted to strangle Efiya so badly. Y'all (Rudjek and Arrah) have been acting dry as toast, and as soon as the readers about to get some payoff, the climax of their love story, URGGGGHHHH! To be honest, I wish this part hadn't even been there. The way that the whole thing went down is just terrible for all parties included (except you vile beast Efiya who I feel no sympathy for). Can you imagine being tricked into sleeping with someone who you thought was your loved one?

Efiya is bland. Don't nobody care about you.

Also, people cannot stay dead in this story for anything haha. xD

Overall, if you don't mind long stories where optimism is bleak, then I recommend it.

This was a confusing book. I liked the characters, especially her relationship with her father, but the plot was hard to follow. That might have been because I just had surgery & I'm a little out of it, but I felt like I was missing out on major explanations. There were a lot of characters to keep track of too.

I really, really wanted to love Kingdom of Souls. I wanted to love it because I absolutely adore the African-inspired magical setting of Children of Blood and Bone and because Twitter is right – epic fantasy is far too whitewashed. But I can’t good conscience say that this was an amazing fantasy story or that it answers Children of Blood and Bone and that I love it because… I didn’t. I struggled through Kingdom of Souls. I appreciate the diversity and I want ALL of the different cultures in fantasy novels because to me… fantasy is fantasy and I want to devour it all. But I can’t in good conscience say “this book was amazing!” because… for me, it wasn’t.

I will admit that Kingdom of Souls had its moments.

The prologue itself was incredibly aesthetic. Arrah’s time in the tribal lands was unique and well written. In fact, there are a lot of good things going for the novel. I’ve been trying to think of the best way to explain it, and what I’ve come up with is that it’s like baking. Rena Barron has all the highest quality ingredients and they’re all there to make an amazing, tantalizing batch of cookies. But in baking, you must do things a certain way and in a certain order, or your cookies won’t come out quite right. Instead of following the recipe, Barron’s thrown all her ingredients in a bowl at the same time and is mixing them on high power. Batter’s splatting everywhere. There are too many chocolate chips. Things have gone awry. The end result will still taste good, but it won’t taste great.

It’s not about the characters, or the setting. The magic system she’s created is interesting and has consequences (yes!) but it’s also whimsical in its delivery. I’ve concluded that all the faults of this novel fall back to the writing style, and in turn, affect the pacing. Kingdom of Souls feels more like an early draft than a finished novel. There are too many extended asides to justify plot directions or character development. And there are far too many convenient events.

Take the pacing for example. It jumped all over the place. Sometimes it was incredibly slow and dragged on and on. Other times, months passed between chapters. Barron explained away these awkward transitions at one point by putting Arrah and her family in a city where time did whatever it wanted. There were many moments where I had finally gotten used to the pacing only to suddenly be in the middle of something and be unsure how I got there. I’d flip back and reread, certain I’d missed a page – but no. That’s just how the book works.

So that’s one minor example of convenience? Another would be the development of both Arti and Rudjek’s characters. Events happened to both of these characters that were supposedly instrumental to the plot, but from a (jaded) reader’s perspective, I didn’t buy it. To avoid spoilers, I can’t say precisely want it was about Rudjek that drove me crazy, but I’m never a fan of casually twisting characters’ fates for story advancement when there are many other more sensible (if less dramatic) paths. And Arti completely broke character at the end of the book and I believe Barron was trying to give her some sort of redemption moment, but it was so out of the blue and uncharacteristic that it simply didn’t work.

I should also mention that there are chapters from the POV of supernatural beings. This is fine, but stylistically these chapters are jarring. They’re written in italics (again, fine) and without proper punctuation in dialogue. Not all the supernatural asides had dialogue, but the asides that did made me cringe because of the chosen style and definitely took me out of the world. Also, none of these chapters helped or advanced the story – early ones distracted – and could have been cut to help tighten the novel.

It was things like that which made me struggle through the book. I’m objective enough to see deep down there’s an excellent story here. Unfortunately, the unrealistic conveniences gave it a fan fiction feel, and the telling nature of world building and backstory made pacing inconsistent and felt like unnecessary threads that distracted from the story. Kingdom of Souls read to me like a middle draft… it’s definitely edited and generally good in its bones, but it really needed to be tightened up before publication because while there’s a dark fantasy in there, it’s covered in random flashbacks and moments where Barron decided not to follow through on the consequences of some of her in-story choices.

Just… generally… this isn’t the worst fantasy I’ve read and like I said in the intro paragraph, seeing other cultures represented in fantasy was great. I always have a difficult time giving diverse books a low rating because I want to support these authors in a world that seems dead set on putting them down. But taking aside the culture that inspired the fantasy (which was wonderful, honestly) and the characters’/author’s ethnicity, this book was a bit of a mess as far as style and technique goes. I am not inspired to pick up the next in the series.

But! It is a diverse fantasy and many people are enjoying it, so if you’re curious, it’s worth a read. I read a LOT of fantasy – it’s sort of my thing – so I’m particular about the rules of universes and what I like to see in these novels. Many of my pet peeves from Kingdom of Souls may not be apparent to a less frantic reader, so therefore, it’s worth a go.

This is a great story, diverse with mythology within it that is very different from anything else I have read. Sadly, while I enjoyed it, I could not devour it as one might expect. There is a repetitiveness to the syntax that grew tiresome, plus the characters remain fairly one-dimensional. There are one too many pages where nothing happens. While it has gods, spirits, magic, and demons with a fight that transcends generations, I kept falling asleep every few pages and felt no compulsion to keep reading.

This is the first book in The Kingdom of Souls trilogy. I got an eGalley from Edelweiss to review (thanks to HarperTeen for the copy!) This is one of those annoying books that I tried and tried to read. I kept sitting down to read it, getting through a couple pages, and then getting distracted because I just could not get into the story. I got about 30% of the way through before giving it up.

This story follows Arrah. Arrah is a young woman who desperately wants to have her magic power develop (she comes from a line of powerful witches). However, year after year Arrah remains devoid of magic. As signs of demon activity increase in her homeland, she decides on a desperate course of action...she will trade years of her own life for magic in order to combat this evil.

I am having a hard time pinpointing what I didn’t like about this story. I think it was a mix of the slow paced story and Barron’s writing style. The story itself is pretty typical YA, I was looking forward to the witch doctor parts of it and some history around that...unfortunately that was in the story very little.

I don’t have a ton to say about this one. Nothing really grabbed me here. Some of the witch doctor stuff was interesting but it was a very small part of the story. I really struggled at trying to get through this one.

Overall this just was not for me. It was too typical YA fantasy, moved too slow, I couldn’t get into the flow of the writing, and I had a horrible time trying to stay engaged in this one. A lot of people are loving it but I am not one of them.