I never really connected with this book or the characters. I did like how the story began by alternating between Will, the baker's apprentice, and Dana, the young royal princess, although the focus moved more to Dana as the story progressed. Dana told her own story, while Will's story was in a third person narrative. Not sure why the author did this, but interesting. In my opinion Will was a much more likeable than Dana, and I found him to be a more believable character. Dana grated on my nerves and at times her modern language clashed with the medieval setting. The ending was left wide open, obviously the start of yet ANOTHER series (whatever happened to good old stand-alone novels?) but I won't be looking for the sequel. ( )

A magical fantasy adventure about love, loss and hope.

Dana is a princess, but she wishes that she wasn't. Always told what to wear, how to behave, she has her whole life mapped out for her, when all she really wants is to see what life looks like beyond the castle walls. Strange things are happening in the castle though, her father is having strange dreams about her, and looks at her as if his heart is breaking. Dana also wonders why no one will talk about the guardian, or the necklace that protects the realm? As she attempts to answer these questions, Dana is taken on a journey, one that will take all her courage and strength.

Welcome to my stop on the Necklace of Souls blog tour! The tour is run by the lovely YA Bound Book Tours, and kicks off today, so make sure you check out the rest of the stops!

A Necklace of Souls is a rather interesting book, it’s got everything you need – princesses and knights, magic, fantasy and romance. What more can you ask for? It has an exciting plot that continues to intrigue right to the end, and I look forward to reading the second book in the series to find out what happens to such an intriguing cast of characters.

The novel is split into alternating POV chapters, from Dana the princess fighting against her destiny, and Will the young boy who has lost his family and entire village to the plague, and has taken up residence with his not so welcoming aunt. I really liked this way of writing because it gave the chance to see things from different perspectives and to really get into the heads of the two main characters. There’s loads of character growth in this novel also, Dana starts off a somewhat weak and defenceless princess in the introductory chapters, but that changes completely by the final page.

I was really intrigued by the dream seeing element to this story

‘A true dream is when the events I see in my sleep have, or will happen. It’s a talent that runs in my family. I was thirteen when I had my first true dream.’

I found this pretty interesting because I felt like it added another dimension to the story. The magical and world building elements are well put together in this novel, and it flows easily, at an enjoyable pace. I really liked Will and Dana, but I did feel some of the other characters were a little one dimensional, it would have been nice if some of them had been brought into the fold more. There are a few mentions of other worlds scattered throughout the book, and this has left me with some questions, but hopefully book two will bring that more to the forefront.

Overall, A Necklace of Souls is a really exciting, enjoyable read that flows well and has all the elements of a great high fantasy. Book two a Skilful Warrior is due to be released at the end of May, so get reading this one before it’s released! ( )