Kiss of the Royal by Lindsey Duga Pages: 400
Published by Entangled Teen on July 3, 2018
Genres: Young Adult, Romance, Fantasy & Magic
Source: Paperback ARC from Publisher
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.
Kiss of the Royal by Lindsey Duga is a young adult fantasy novel, and one of my most anticipated reads of summer 2018. Fantasy romances are my very favorite genre at the moment, and one where the magic travels through kisses…well, how could I not love that book? I am so happy to report that not only was Kiss of the Royal just what I was looking for, it also surprised me in a very good way. Lindsey Duga took pieces of a few fairy tale classics and twisted and turned them into a fantasy novel of epic proportions. While I would really love to revisit the world that Lindsey created in Kiss of the Royal, at the moment I believe this is meant to be a standalone novel. And it is very satisfying as a standalone. It ends in a nice way, but I am so in love with the characters that I would love to read more about them. ::CoughZachCough::
Kiss of the Royal is set in a world where the royals have magic, and their magic is passed through kisses. But don’t think romantic kisses, think more of kisses as a way of casting a spell. There are healing spells, and battle strengthening spells, and curse breaking spells. Princesses and Princes are paired up as battle partners to fight all of the evil creatures that seem to be overtaking their realm. It was interesting to see the royals out there as the major battle forces, battling evil. Normally, the royals- save one or two, are locked up in the castle while hordes of troops are out doing most of the fighting, so I liked this change up. But what was the most interesting about Kiss of the Royal was the concept of Love. There are two camps in this novel. The Royals that see love as something that doesn’t exist. Kisses are meant to be a conduit for magic and nothing more. Anything else is simply lust. The Royals take a very pragmatic and logical approach to everything and romantic love as no place in their world. Princes and Princesses are carefully bred. And then you have the outlawed romantica…who believe that true love does exist. Learning more about love and how the two cultures viewed it was my favorite part of Kiss of the Royal. And it is a part of the story line that grows and unfolds more and more as the story progresses. I loved how Lindsey Duga developed it. It was great.
Princess Ivy has the strongest kiss in the land and Prince Zach is the strongest swordsman in the realm so when they are paired up to go on an epic adventure, I was hooked. I loved watching Zach and Ivy interact. I’m not going to lie, Zach was totally my favorite. I found myself really hoping to read some chapters from his point of view. but The Kiss of the Royal is told entirely from Ivy’s point of view.
Kiss of the Royal really had it all. It has an epic adventure with tons of evil creatures, great battle scenes and plenty of kissing magic, but it also has so much more. It has a wonderfully developed plotline and great character interaction. I loved the connection between Zach and Ivy and I loved watching it grow into more. Kiss of the Royal gave me everything I was craving from a fantasy romance and then some. The twists and turns in this book surprised me more than once. Awesome job Lindsey Duga. She is an author that I cannot wait to see more from. And Zach is totally making my top 10 list of 2018 book boyfriends. I heart him.
Bottom line: If you are a fan of epic fantasies, with a dose of romance, Kiss of the Royal is a book you do not want to miss. It is a standalone, but I would love to see more books set in this world. (or heck even some scenes from Zach’s point of view.) Kiss of the Royal is a romantic fantasy adventure that I completely loved. And I think you will too.
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About Lindsey Duga
Lindsey Duga developed a deep love for courageous heroes, dastardly villains, and enchanting worlds from the cartoon shows, books, and graphic novels she read as a kid. Drawing inspiration from these fantastical works of fiction, she wrote her first novel in college while she was getting her bachelor’s in Mass Communication from Louisiana State University. By day, Lindsey is an account manager at a digital marketing agency based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. By night, and the wee hours of the morning, she writes both middle grade and young adult. She has a weakness for magic, anything classical, all kinds of mythology, and falls in love with tragic heroes. Other than writing and cuddling with her morkie puppy, Delphi, Lindsey loves catching up on the latest superhero TV show, practicing yoga, and listening (and belting) to her favorite music artists and show tunes. KISS OF THE ROYAL is her YA debut novel.
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