Title: Kiss of the Royal
Series: Standalone
Author: Lindsey Duga
Release date: July 3, 2018
Cliffhanger: No
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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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.
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REVIEW
Kiss of the Royal by Lindsey DugaMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Princess Ivy has pure, undiluted royal bloodlines which makes her the most powerful female in the Legion's war against the Forces of Darkness. With her partners, she's taken down many dangerous goblins, trolls, wraiths, witches, and griffins. All with the unmatched strength of her Kiss and a protection spell before battle. You heard me right. In this fantasy societal construct, belief in love is outlawed, and kisses are used as weapons on the battlefield. I must admit, in the beginning of the book, I wan't entirely sold on the concept.
Imagining people in the army running around bestowing something as intimate as a kiss while gearing up to evil creatures...it's bizarre. I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to immerse myself in this strange world. I'm glad I stuck with it though, because the poignant theme underneath all of it sold me in the end. This story is about the incredible power of love. Yes, it can destroy someone down to their core, but its restorative power is enough to heal kingdoms if you only have faith. The people of Myria have chosen to believe that familial and romantic love are silly fairy tales, the stuff of Romantica legend. Those who believe in such archaic nonsense are looked at as outcasts, and often arrested or punished for their weak emotions and actions.
Their heart was in the right place, or should I say their heads? They don't allow their hearts to rule them. Their goal was to bring down the Evil Queen, and the monsters that she conjured. People were suffering and dying, so they were doing what they felt would save the population in the fastest way possible. But the idea that Love didn't even exist? This was one thing that I found difficult to understand. Ivy's mother, Queen Dahlia had no time for her most days. When she did acknowledge her, it was only to show disappointment and disgust. So it's not hard to see how she could dismiss the concept so easily, and shy away from wanting to feel things. But what of everyone else who is taught to not believe? Surely their feelings of tenderness and affection can't be dismissed as simply a family "bond."
After Ivy loses yet another fighting partner, she's assigned to Prince Zach in the hopes that his unparalleled sword skills will make them an unbeatable pair. Now, more than ever, the Legion needs a way to defeat the enemy. Curses were multiplying, and there were signs that the Queen has created a Sable Dragon, and if hatched, there wasn't much hope of survival. On a desperate journey together to find the egg, it becomes more than just a dangerous mission to save their people. Along the way, their beliefs clash, and their patience snaps with each other. But we slowly see Ivy's eyes open to more than what the Legion has fed to her all of her life. She sees things that contradict her entire belief system. And she begins to reevaluate what she was fighting for, and how she was going to do it.
Zach was a wonderful prince. He was strong, devoted, valiant, and everything you would want in a sweeping fairy tale fantasy like this one. As the true romantic in the story, he was very passionate about the existence and meaning of true love. I enjoyed that HE was the romantic as opposed to the heroine. He really had his work cut out for him. Not only did he have to convince her of his love for her, but in the truth of love, of its entire existence. There was a lot of tension between these two as she fought the new emotions swirling through her. The repressed jealousy and attraction was really palpable and enjoyable. The ending really amped up the action and suspense, and I was actually surprised at how thrilling it was. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time.
The plot was certainly unique, and the romance was nicely delivered in the end. I didn't think that it was completely believable that the Legion would believe her stories of what she discovered after she came home. It would seem more likely that she would be immediately sent away or punished for even attempting to try to tell them the truth. Though overall, I was pleasantly surprised by the Kiss of the Royal, and would definitely read more by this author in the future.
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