A solid story (though I wouldn't go so far as to call it a retelling) with good storytelling but slightly flat characters.

 This is a fantasy Rapunzel retelling and the story centres around the romance between Selestra and Nox as well as their quest to save the Six Isles from the tyranny of the king. 

I really enjoyed the world building and the beautiful descriptions throughout this book and for a fantasy novel I found it very easy to understand. I thought the plot was very clever in that you could tell it was inspired by Rapunzel but there were enough twists that it was still engaging and unpredictable. The protagonists felt fully developed and I enjoyed discovering their backstories and motivations as the plot went on. 

However, I think it would've been interesting if the villains had more fleshed out characters. Also, I did find some of the dialogue slightly cheesy and the central love story felt a bit forced. I also found some of the fight scenes dragged on slightly and interrupted the pace of the book. 

Selestra is 16 years old, she has lived her entire life locked up in the castle, almost without contact with other people, apart from the king and her mother.

The story begins at the Souls Festival; the king is immortal, he feeds on souls, freely granted in exchange for granting a wish to the person who survives a month, after having exchanged their soul, to date no one has been able to do so. It is the first time that Selestra will participate in the festival. Nox is looking for a prophecy on how to avenge her father and kill the king, but things don't go as expected, Selestra not only sees Nox' death but also her own. Between Selestra and Nox a strange alliance is created, for different reasons but the same goal, to finish off the king.

The characters were fun, I appreciated Selestra's curiosity to see the world, not wanting to be a king's puppet, and looking for her path. She is brave and fierce. And as companions, we have Irenya and Micah, best friends you couldn't ask for.

I enjoy the world-building and appreciate the map, I found the world simple, but lovely, with prophecies, myths, witches, gods, and magic. It's also a bit of a kissing story, but with tension and slow burn. 

The travel was fun, travel by hot-air balloon :D wonderful idea, we see nice places and it is when the action begins, fight and run.

The Princess of Souls is loosely inspired by Rapunzel, but apart from a few references here and there, it feels like an original story, it's easy to read, and fun, with action scenes and witty characters.