Kiss of the Royal
by Lindsey Duga
Genre: YA Fantasy
Release Date: July 3rd 2018
Entangled Teen
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.
Let me preface this playlist with the fact that most of the music I listen to while writing is lyric-less. Listening to movie soundtracks, lo-fi chill beats, and cello covers helps me focus, so the list below is more of a compilation of songs that I think either the lyrics or tone of the song captures the essence and message of KISS OF THE ROYAL.
(By the way, I recommend ALL the artists on this playlist and their albums. I hope you enjoy!)
- Fools by Lauren Acquilina – Almost all of this artist’s songs I could see being on a playlist for this book. She’s so amazingly talented and her lyrics capture love and relationships so well!
- Honey by Magic Man – One of my favorite bands of all time and these lyrics have such beautiful imagery.
- Out of the Woods by Taylor Swift – I wrote this book right in the midst of the 1989 obsession. Needless to say, a song from that album had to be included.
- Bronte by Gotye – [-l,juy65r565
- Legend of Ashitaka by Joe Hisaishi – Joe Hisaishi is one of the best composers of all time. Having pretty much done almost all the Studio Ghibli Films, I think some of his best pieces are in Princess Mononoke. This song in particular is so beautiful and powerful, I think it captures a fantasy/journey theme so perfectly.
- Years of War by Porter Robinson – While this is a little different from the rest because it is more electronica, I thought its subject matter was relevant. KISS OF THE ROYAL is set in a world where a war between the Royals and the Forces has been going on for hundreds of years.
- Firestone by Kygo – This song is gorgeous, fantastical and reminds me of dragons. The End.
- The Cascades by Fleet Foxes – I love Fleet Foxes. Like most of their music, this is song is mellow and woodsy, and I can see this playing in the background during scenes where Ivy and Zach are traveling through the forests of Myria.
- Kolnidur by Jonsi – As the featured artist in both How to Train Your Dragon movies, Jonsi is the perfect artist for fantasy and dragons. (hint hint!)
- This Love (Will be Your Downfall) by Ellie Goulding – First, love all of Ellie Goulding’s music. Second, could this song be foreshadowing? Better read to find out!
- If I Lose Myself by OneRepublic – Not only is OneRepublic amazing (one of the best concerts I’ve ever been to) but this song perfectly encapsulates Ivy’s feelings towards Zach.
- Say When by The Fray – Gotta love The Fray. I feel like this song has a lot of painful backstory to it, which is very similar to both Ivy and Zach.
- Vagabond by Misterwives – A good representation of Prince Zach. He’s a wanderer, a lone wolf, a vagabond and scoundrel. Enter Ivy…
- Emerald by LYRA – I first found this song on the MTV show, Teen Wolf, and fell in love with its haunting and sensual sound.
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15853318.Lindsey_Duga
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com
