Written by Tasya
In the kingdom of Myria, a kiss is not just a kiss. A Kiss is a magical weapon bestowed by princesses to the princes to provide enhancement and protection against the dark forces invading the kingdom. It enhances your speed, protects you from dark curses, heals you, and yes, it breaks curses. The strongest Kiss is owned by Ivy, who is a direct descendant from Queen Myriana, the founder of the Royal Legions. However, she just lost her fifth prince partner and as for her sixth… well. Not only is Zach eccentric, he also does not want to be kissed by Ivy, even when the rest of the kingdom rest on that one Kiss. As the dark forces grow and the time is ticking, Ivy must convince Zach that the power of her kiss, along with his unbeatable swordsmanship, must be joined in order to defeat the dark forces.
This book was a pleasant surprise! I’ve been suffering from fantasy burn out lately as they are all starting to feel the same and the plot becomes predictable. However, Kiss of the Royal felt like a breath of fresh air with its unique premise and twists along the way.
I find the concept of the Kiss interesting with how it gives magical power and can only bestowed by the princesses. Of course, it’s going to be hard to differentiate a simple kiss and The Kiss, therefore in kingdom of Myria, there is no such thing as love, only lust. This makes an intriguing dynamic, especially if the Legion and our main characters are teenagers.
The worldbuilding is really satisfying. Everything is described in a concise way without being overbearing, but still enough that we can have a vivid picture of the world. The author also manages to build a solid piece of history, myth, and religion surrounding the Kiss and the Evil Queen. They are revealed as a story in pieces, so there is no info dumping throughout the story. For the most part of this book, we spend the time travelling through the kingdom on a quest. However, there are never any dull moments as there are always creatures to slay and curses to break, powers to think about and their consequences. All these elements help to make the story move forward and the pacing never lags behind.
The story is told from Princess Ivy’s point of view, and she’s the direct descendant from Queen Myriana whose Kiss first gave power to defeat evil. The “Pure Royal” own the strongest Kiss, and she has been brought up in the Legion’s values and believe in them. She has dedicated her whole life to fighting to defeat the dark forces and Evil Queen. This all changes when she meets Prince Zach, a legendary swordsman prince from the South, who is not your average soldier. He’s half royal and his mother is from Romantica, a heretic group who believes in Love. He doesn’t seem to take anything seriously, but what’s worse, he doesn’t want to be Kissed by Ivy, even if it means saving a lot of people. There is also Bromley, Ivy’s page who is considered as brother by Ivy. And of course, there is the Evil Queen.
The characters are very well-rounded! They are all fleshed out really well and it’s easy for us to sympathise, understand their reasons, and the things they did. Both Ivy and Zach came from opposite groups within the kingdoms, it’s interesting to see how their ideologies clashed, how they both learn to trust each other and accept the truth, and how they react to it. In the end, their characters have tremendous growth and their journey is always interesting to watch.
This book is not without its flaws though. The main villain, despite feeling human with fleshed out motives, felt caricature-ish. Also, the showering and sparks of gold is really cliché, so while the characters are awed, we felt nothing.
As a debut, Kiss of the Royal reads like a solid book. It has interesting plot, well-rounded characters, and an action-packed plot. It’s something I’ve been looking for, and I’m looking forward for the author’s future releases!
Kiss of the Royal is available on Amazon, Book Depository, and at other good book retailers.
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Synopsis | Goodreads
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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