Crowning Soul

Heart of Noorenia

Young Adult - Fantasy - Epic
540 Pages
Reviewed on 11/04/2021
Buy on Amazon

This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Free Book Program, which is open to all readers and is completely free. The author will provide you with a free copy of their book in exchange for an honest review. You and the author will discuss what sites you will post your review to and what kind of copy of the book you would like to receive (eBook, PDF, Word, paperback, etc.). To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email.

This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Review Exchange Program, which is open to all authors and is completely free. Simply put, you agree to provide an honest review an author's book in exchange for the author doing the same for you. What sites your reviews are posted on (B&N, Amazon, etc.) and whether you send digital (eBook, PDF, Word, etc.) or hard copies of your books to each other for review is up to you. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email, and be sure to describe your book or include a link to your Readers' Favorite review page or Amazon page.

This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Donation Program, which was created to help nonprofit and charitable organizations (schools, libraries, convalescent homes, soldier donation programs, etc.) by providing them with free books and to help authors garner more exposure for their work. This author is willing to donate free copies of their book in exchange for reviews (if circumstances allow) and the knowledge that their book is being read and enjoyed. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email. Be sure to tell the author who you are, what organization you are with, how many books you need, how they will be used, and the number of reviews, if any, you would be able to provide.

    Book Review

Reviewed by Liz Konkel for Readers' Favorite

Crowning Soul by Sahira Javaid is the first book in the Heart of Noorenia series. Nezha has the ability to control fire but she keeps it a secret with her Aunt Lamis as her biggest supporter. All could be exposed when she's attacked by a jinni wanting revenge with its eyes set on her family. This is just the beginning of Nezha's journey as this encounter sparks a chain of events that lead to her disappearing through a pond. She enters another world where she discovers that she possesses something powerful within her. On her journey, she encounters mysterious and magical beings such as the unicorns that inform her that a shard of an angel's soul resides within her heart. She joins forces with her new allies to put an end to the jinni's plans before they have a chance to get her soul.

The descriptions that Sahira Javaid supplies are lovely and vivid in a rich writing style that brings to life a juxtaposed balance between the serenity of light and the darkness of shadows. The story delves between the various perspectives of Nezha, the unicorns, and the jinni, weaving between the light and the dark. Various characters are incorporated throughout Nezha's journey with allies such as Sapphire the angel, Kayan, Thunderbolt, and the other unicorns. Unicorn characters are woven throughout and provide a source of light and spirituality which incorporates their desire to protect their kind and their strong dedication to duty. The Iron Prince is the primary villain against Nezha and was corrupted by the jinni, which began with the tragic loss of his love, Sanari.

Beautiful writing brings to life a story about light and dark, empowerment, love, and faith that captivates you from the first page. The story strikes a balance between Nezha's journey of light and Eisen's journey of darkness in an adventure that explores various themes. The brilliant and beautiful mythology that Javaid has created is rooted in faith with a stunning exploration of light through the various characters such as the unicorns, who encompass all that is good. Crowning Soul is stunningly written with details that bring the mythology of the world to life, vivid characters, and a beautiful journey.

Kristen

Some people might expect a generalized young-adult fantasy. What you get with Crowning Soul is unique--it's a look into the vibrant culture of Morocco plus that of a fantasy world called Noorenia.
Fans of InuYasha and other fantasy-style animes will love this book. Those that are unfamiliar with the genre may be disappointed, as it does take some getting used to. So, expect angels that shapeshift into unicorns; a housecat that stays by the protagonist's side despite the danger; and tons of action-packed fight scenes between characters with magic and elemental powers (think Avatar: The Last Airbender and you're on the right track). This book was really well done in my opinion and would make an excellent cartoon series.