Princess Ivy has one goal–end the war against the Forces of Darkness. Ivy’s magic is more powerful than any other Royal’s, but she needs a battle partner who can help her harness it. Prince Zach’s unparalleled skill with a sword should make them an unstoppable pair–if only they could agree on…well, just about anything. But Ivy’s magic can only fully unlock with Zach’s help, and he’s not … Zach’s help, and he’s not exactly cooperating.
Zach believes Ivy’s magic is dangerous. Ivy believes they’ll never win the war without it. Two warriors, one goal, and the fate of their world on the line. But the more they argue, the more they fall for each other. And only one of them can be right…
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A timeless tale with a marvelous twist!
An action-packed fantasy filled with richly-drawn characters, page-turning twists, and a steamy romance, Kiss of the Royal will capture your heart like a magical kiss.
A heart-warming and charming debut. In Kiss of the Royal, Lindsey Duga carves out a delightful fantasy adventure wrapped up in finding first love.
Princess Ivy is the purest of Royal blood and the magic in her kisses is very strong. Still, she has now lost her fifth partner due to the Forces of Darkness. Losing a partner is hard enough as it is, but to know that her magic did not work was too much to handle. Ivy did not want to be cast aside and moved to the countryside to produce heirs if a new partner could not be found. She wants to help her people and beat the Forces of Darkness so her people and all of the other kingdoms could finally find peace. Unfortunately for Ivy, there was really no one left in her kingdom that could match her level of magic.
With the Forces of Darkness growing closer and a threat to her people looming in the background, Saevall’s Kingdom steps in to help. There is a new prince nicknamed The Swordsman’s Prince that is said to be able to defeat hordes of trolls and monsters all on his own without the kiss of a princess. When Ivy first meets Zachariah, The Swordsman’s Prince, she can’t believe for one moment that he is the answer they have been in search of. Zach is like no other prince she knows. He tells jokes, looks like a commoner, is clumsy, doesn’t believe in partnerships, and worst of all *gasp* He is half Romantica.
Ivy is a Royal by blood. She leads by logic and reason, much unlike the heretic Romantica who lead by love and emotion. Ivy can not even grasp the concept of love and does not believe in it. She thinks most people confuse lust for love and she is having none of that nonsense, but yet as much as she tries to deny it, she can’t help but to feel attracted to Zach in a way that scares her. They have a chemistry together that she never had with any of her other partners and it brings out a side to her no one has ever seen before. He tests everything Ivy has grown up believing in.
Zach does not believe in kissing for magic. He can fight monsters and trolls quite well on his own, thank you. He believes kissing is between people who love each other. He does not believe that kisses should be used as weapons. His refusal to kiss Ivy is a shock to the kingdom, but yet his fighting skills are epic and rumors swirl about in the kingdoms of his latest victories. Zach, like Ivy, feels the same connection, but he sets out to show Ivy that there is another world out there that is not just based on logic and reasoning, that magical kisses could do more harm than good and that love is the strongest weapon of all.
OMG! I freakin LOVE this story. Ivy and Zach compliment each other in so many ways and yet, it takes them a while to figure out what truly matters in a world filled with dark forces threatening them at every turn. When they are sent on a mission for the kingdoms, they finally get to know one another. There is a lot of push and pull mostly on Ivy’s part as she grew up believing one thing and Zach slowly chips away at her defenses and beliefs. I sooooo love Zach! He is definitely a force to be reckoned with, strong in his own rights, passionate about his beliefs, and truly wants Ivy to see the other side. I was really, really looking forward to their first kiss, flipping through the pages like “Where is it, oh come on stop teasing me already!” I don’t think I ever screamed at a book like I did this one. Lindsey Duga really knows how to draw you right in and keep you hooked and desperate for that very first kiss.
The world-building in Kiss of the Royal is simply amazing. A world filled with goblins, monsters, and Griffins that all come to life and make you feel as if you can actually see them and feel them. You can see yourself in the forest taking everything in. Kiss of the Royal really brings to life the mythology, lure and magic of the kingdoms in such a way that you actually wish you were apart of it. Duga has a way with words that just draws you right into the scene and it is both magical and fascinating all at the same time. The fighting scenes were absolutely phenomenal and I could feel my heart racing as Ivy and Zach faced danger after danger. I found myself rooting for them over and over again. Ivy and Zach are by far my favorite book couple of the year.
Kiss of the Royal blends magic and mythology with a sprinkle of romanticism and turns it into a fantasy filled with characters you will fall in love with, a story you can’t help getting immersed into, and a blossoming romance you will be rooting for up until the very end. Duga has created a world I wish to live in. I am truly heartbroken that this is a standalone story as I would have loved to see and read more. Lindsey Duga, thank you for being an amazing writer. You have won me over and have taken me into a glorious ride into your fantasy world. I can not recommend this book enough and five stars is definitely NOT enough to express how much I loved this book. A definite add on to my keeper shelf. If Fantasy is your jam, you NEED to be adding Kiss of the Royal to your reading list.
Kiss of the Royal by Lindsey Duga is a different type of fantasy book than I have ever read before. It has an adventure, an intense goal, a royalty that is reimagined, and a fight that is another reimagined.
Does True Love actually exist?
Ivy Myriana
Ivy Myriana is a princess that has been fighting this battle against the forces of darkness since she was six years old and was in training. She is a pureblood royal being descended from the first royal couple that started this fight against the darkness. Ivy armed with her kisses and a prince to bestow them upon can fight against this evil. Right? Well, that is what she believed, but the darkness keeps multiplying their forces. Ivy has no idea what to do about this besides to kill the Evil Queen and find a prince that can stay alive long enough to help her. She is our main character and our point of view throughout the entire book. Ivy is a determined character and one that I was rooting for a lot.
The thing that I like about her is that as she gets further away from her castle, she lets her mind be free of any doubt. Ivy is more openminded about her family history. She is a beautiful character. I enjoyed watching her grow into herself.
Zachariah
Zachariah, aka Zach, is just a lowly half-blood prince that happens to be an excellent swordsman. That is probably the only reason why the council of the Legion partnered Ivy, a pureblood royal, to him. Zach is a bit different than a typical royal will ever be. He believes in things that the Legion has drilled into their soldiers not to accept. Zach doesn’t care since that is what he believes in and knows that it is the right thing to do. Although, he does do something that he probably should never have done.
The Legion
Ivy and Zach belong to the group of royalty known as the Legion. She is one of the many children that they enlist to help them fight the Evil Queen’s “children” so that they might one day be able to rule without the problems that the darkness cause. The Legion was made possible through three people. Myrianna, Saevalla, and Raed. Their descendants are all capable of using their powers as royals to defeat the darkness. They also have a council in each of the four kingdoms that decide who will be partnered up. But is there more to this story than what the history books say?
Five Stars
Kiss of the Royal by Lindsey Duga is an entirely different young adult book than I have ever read. Ms. Duga takes royalty to a whole new level in her debut novel. It has a lot going for it, and I enjoyed reading every moment of it. I blushed at embarrassing moments, laughed when necessary, and cringed when something went horribly wrong. Ms. Duga had it all and made me feel all of the emotions that Ivy felt.
I am giving this book five stars and recommending it to anyone that wants to read an entertaining story with new twists.
Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this book review of Kiss of the Royal by Lindsey Duga.
Until the next time,
Karen the Baroness
If you would like to see other reviews like this one, check out BaronessBookTrove.com.
Meet your new obsession!
Kiss of the Royal was so incredibly enjoyable. It was fun and exciting and unique and swoony and adventurous and scary and just OUTSTANDING!
The world of Kiss of the Royal was imaginative, to say the least. A Royal’s Kiss is used for charms and spells. Love is considered to be utter nonsense, and frankly blasphemous. I can’t remember ever reading something like this.
Duga wrote a compelling and charming story. Her characters were delightful and genuine. Ivy’s character development was stellar! Zach was a stud and super crush-worthy. Brom (my favourite) was such a sweetheart.
If you like reading YA Fantasy, you need to pick this one up!
First, let me start off by saying that I love this book cover!!! This fairy tale swept me off my feet once the plot started moving along. A unique twist to this read is how the Royals had powers based on a kiss… yeah buddy!! The characters were beautiful and I loved the writing. Magic abounds along with many twists and turns.
{I requested an arc from the publisher via NetGalley. I made no guarantee of a favorable review and the opinions contained herein are unbiased and my own.}
Full of swoony romance intertwined with non-stop adventure, Kiss of the Royal was a delight from start to finish. Lindsey Duga has created a world with fairytale charm and shivers that readers are sure to enjoy.
This is one of those books that has such a beautiful cover you automatically have to pick it up to see what it is about. The synopsis gives you a good idea of what it is about. But really the world is so much more intricate and magical than you might guess from the idea of a kiss being magic. About 80 pages in I was so hooked it was hard to have to go back to work when I’d been reading on my break. Since all we’re given is the story from Ivy’s viewpoint and background, it is very frustrating the way that Prince Zach keeps denying her a simple kiss. How he even stands back at first and doesn’t immediately agree to be her partner. It was easy to feel Ivy’s pain at losing a partner, and not just one, five. And then how her mother treated her, she really did feel alone. But she had her sisters, and then she had Bromley, who was like a brother to her. I liked the correlation between how the Wicked Queen ripped out her heart, and how the Legion felt emotion was a bad thing.
Once Zach and Ivy got on their way, however, there was so much to learn about the Romantica group. And then to learn that there might be a dark side to the royal kiss, something that may make the good it did not worth it. The ending had some twists and turns, and I loved the little epilogue so we knew just how things could turn out without needing a sequel. I could totally see a sequel, as it sounds like this world has more battles to end the darkness, but the main obstacle in this story was basically solved and we get a pretty happy ever after.
I look forward to putting this in my school library. I think the beautiful cover will make students pick it up, and the story itself will keep them turning pages until the exciting ending.
Kiss of the Royal by Lindsey Duga is a young adult fantasy that takes the fairytale concept of “true love’s kiss” and changes it in a unique and creative way that is completely different yet familiar at the same time.
For five centuries, the Legion has been fighting the Forces of Darkness lead by the Evil Queen. Combating monsters and curses, the Royals are trained for battle and blessed with a magic that can enhance their strength and spells through a Kiss. Royal Princesses and Princes are partnered to help each other on the battlefield as they continue to fight the Darkness. However, the Light is losing.
Princess Ivy, a direct descendant of Queen Myriana, who’s sacred Kiss started the birth of the Royals, has struggled to prove herself to her mother that she is useful. However, when her fifth partnered prince falls to an incurable curse and she is left unprotected, Ivy has to find a new prince to partner with especially if she wants to complete her mission.
Prince Zach is a Romantica, unlike the Legion, he believes in Love and will not Kiss Ivy for the purpose of a weapon. He is more than prepared and willing to fight the Darkness without the aide of the Kiss. Two heroes with two different beliefs are partnered together to save the world as they journey to face the Darkness and the Evil Queen.
Overall Lindsey Duga has created some fascinating and intricate characters and a fun and entertaining journey within a fantastical world. I enjoyed the interactions between Ivy and Zach and what they were battling for.
(I voluntarily reviewed an advance review copy of this book I received for free from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my open and honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.)
I received Kiss of the Royal from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Kiss of the Royal is YA fantasy romance. It was an OK book for me; I didn’t love it for few reasons. I found the world building a little convoluted and lacking and the characters under-developed. I didn’t see a lot of growth in Ivy or Zach and their relationship. The pacing was slow, I found myself bored and my attention wandering to other things. The whole premise of this book is built on “love conquers all” and “true love’s kiss” ideas and it was done in a cheesy way, I thought. There is nothing wrong with cheesy but it wasn’t my cup of tea. I like my fantasy darker and more complex. The Kiss of the Royal doesn’t stand out among other YA fantasy reads in my opinion. I am glad it’s a stand-alone and, at least, the story was wrapped up satisfactory
This was so friggin’ cute!! The perfect summer weekend read. I love me a good classic fairytale, but was a little worried this would fall prey to the trope trap. Even though there are aspects of this that are a little predictable, the fantastic world building, fun cast of characters, and great story overshadowed everything else. In a good way!
When I first started reading, I was immediately intrigued by structure of this society and that’s really what kept me going in the beginning. In this world, kisses are the trigger for magic and only those with royal blood can practice it. If a prince or princess think of a spell before touching their lips to the skin of another royal, they can do almost anything—heal wounds, increase speed, add protection, etc. Is the idea of this a little odd?? Ummm yeah. I mean, royals are just running around kissing each other all over the place. But it somehow completely worked???? In the context of the story, it didn’t feel awkward to me at all and I was actually really fascinated by the repercussions of all this magic kissing. I mean, when you have to kiss people all the time on a regular basis, you can’t afford to have feelings. Love isn’t something that exists in this world with marriage and courtship being ancient “heretic” ideas. People choose their partners for battle purposes, only considering those who would bring the most power. Logic rules above all else.
And I really enjoyed Ivy’s character! Despite the fantastical world she lived in, I found her completely relatable. She’s smart and strong with a great need to protect her people, a quality that I admired. And her familial relationship with Bromley was so cute!! I’m so happy that Ivy’s discovery of friendship was just as central to the plot as her discovery of love because friendships in YA are the beeeeeeeest! Of course, I also loved Zach the romantic and watching his blossoming relationship with Ivy was so cute. It was really nice seeing a guy as the sensitive one for a change.
Plus, I was completely surprised by the ending????? I was not expecting that twist at all and I loved it!!
FINAL WORD
An adorably light, fun summer read that was completely engrossing! In a world full of book series, it was so nice reading a great standalone YA romance for a change. Two thumbs up!!