Book info:
Author: Lindsey Duga
Genre: YA Fantasy Romance
Release Date: July 3rd, 2018
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Source: Physical copy of book from publisher which did not influence my opinion in any way
My rating: 4.5 stars
Synopsis:
In the war
against the Forces of Darkness, the Royals are losing. Princess Ivy is
determined to end this centuries-long conflict once and for all, so her new
battle partner must succeed where the others failed. Prince Zach’s unparalleled
skill with a sword, enhanced by Ivy’s magic Kiss, should make them an
unstoppable pair—but try convincing Zach of that.
Prince Zach has
spent his life preparing for battle, but he would rather be branded a heretic
than use his lips as nothing more than a way to transfer magic. A kiss is a
symbol of love, and love is the most powerful weapon they have—but try
convincing Ivy of that.
With the fate of
their world on the line, the battlefield has become a testing ground, and only
one of them can be right. Falling for each other wasn’t part of the plan—but
try convincing their hearts of that.
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-->My Review:
This is one of those books that has such a beautiful cover you automatically have to pick it up to see what it is about. The synopsis gives you a good idea of what it is about. But really the world is so much more intricate and magical than you might guess from the idea of a kiss being magic. About 80 pages in I was so hooked it was hard to have to go back to work when I'd been reading on my break. Since all we're given is the story from Ivy's viewpoint and background, it is very frustrating the way that Prince Zach keeps denying her a simple kiss. How he even stands back at first and doesn't immediately agree to be her partner. It was easy to feel Ivy's pain at losing a partner, and not just one, five. And then how her mother treated her, she really did feel alone. But she had her sisters, and then she had Bromley, who was like a brother to her. I liked the correlation between how the Wicked Queen ripped out her heart, and how the Legion felt emotion was a bad thing.
Once Zach and Ivy got on their way, however, there was so much to learn about the Romantica group. And then to learn that there might be a dark side to the royal kiss, something that may make the good it did not worth it. The ending had some twists and turns, and I loved the little epilogue so we knew just how things could turn out without needing a sequel. I could totally see a sequel, as it sounds like this world has more battles to end the darkness, but the main obstacle in this story was basically solved and we get a pretty happy ever after.
I look forward to putting this in my school library. I think the beautiful cover will make students pick it up, and the story itself will keep them turning pages until the exciting ending.
About the Author:
Lindsey Duga is a middle grade and young adult writer with a
passion for fantasy, science fiction, and basically any genre that takes you
away from the real world. She wrote her first novel in college while she was
getting her bachelor’s in Mass Communication from Louisiana State University.
Other than writing and cuddling with her morkie puppy, Delphi,
Lindsey loves catching up on the latest superhero TV show and practicing yoga.
Get in touch with the author:
Giveaway:
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Prize: 1 copy of KISS OF THE ROYAL by
Lindsey Duga (US Only)
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Starts:6/25
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Ends: 7/10
Check out the rest of the tour HERE.
