I really enjoyed this book: the scope of the Disney-style park, the main character's confusion over her rising emotions and self awareness. There are similarities to Westworld, but this story zooms in on one character and her inner journey. It leaves you with things to think about in the end, and that's always satisfying.

A dystopian fairytale with a killer twist - it was always going to be bl**dy brilliant, wasn’t it?
The world building is phenomenal. The right mix of sickly sweet fairytale land with the behind the scenes junk that customers never get to see.
I adored reading the relationship between Ana and “Daddy”. You knew something was off from the beginning and it just grew and grew from there.
The mix of writing styles really broke up the chapters and made it so much easier to work through.
And, The Fantasists. Well, I was rooting for them from the very beginning.
Dark, sinister and brilliantly constructed - this is one of the more creative and unique pieces of work I’ve read in a very long time!

Thank you Netgalley and Henry Holt & Co. for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest and unbiased opinion.

Disney meets Westworld. I was hooked on the synopsis, but that's where the fantasy magic stopped for me.
The story follows Ana, a human robot mix living and working in the Kingdom with her sisters. Populated by extinct animals, dreams and nightmares. The whole place is created for the paying guests. I totally bought into the world Rothenberg created, sign me up for a season pass. And it was that world that really interested me in the same way Westworld or Virtual Reality interests me. The world wasn't the problem for me with this book.
The characters were the problem for me. Everyone felt very flat and lacking which made their actions feel very disjointed. The romance element felt empty and more added as a prop than an element of the story.
The story was fine, but the way it was told was amazing. I really enjoyed the mix of past and present told through court transcripts and actual events. It gave the book a great pace and made it a speedy ready.
All in all I was glad my visit to the Kingdom was over and while I'd be more than happy to visit the world I wont be jumping back into the book.
Grab this book for a vacation read, but maybe nowhere with robots.

Yay for sci-fi fantasy stories that have strong and unusual heroines!

I adored the Westworld TV series, and to be fair, it was only a matter of time before somebody adapted the idea for a book. A YA book. A YA book that is also Disney-themed.

In short, what more could you want from any story, ever?

I’ve been fizzing with impatience to write this review, but I’ve had a schedule to stick to. Now it’s time to give this book the love it deserves from this blog.

So. The Kingdom is a riff on Disneyland, where people from around the now climate-ravaged world come to explore the arctic, aqua parks and even jungles. And it’s populated by Fantasists: human-robot hybrid princesses who are programmed to make every guest’s dream come true. But what happens when the Fantasists start to think from themselves? And what happens when one is accused of murder?

Where to start with this? Anna is a great heroine: there’s just enough robot-ness in her narrative to make you believe that she’s other, that you can’t quite predict her actions. But at the same time, her naiveté and innocence come across very clearly. She’s a flawed central character who wants to do the right thing, and the interactions between Anna and her ‘sisters’ comes across very clearly.

Rothenburg’s great writing makes this even better. The story is cleverly told across multiple viewpoints: the courtroom scenes, the transcripts of Anna being interviewed, and Anna’s recollection of what actually happened. It draws you in, and the courtroom scenes add a dark frisson to Anna’s pastel-pink world at The Kingdom, which gradually gets darker and darker as we find out just what’s happening behind the scenes at the park.

The Kingdom also takes the time to ask from intelligent questions of its readers. Such as, to what extent are we responsible for our actions? To what extent are robots responsible for their actions? And what does it mean if they are- does that make them humans? Seeing as we’re barrelling down to the track to a future of this kind in a few years time, these are interesting things to make us think about.

Aaand the plot itself. The build-up is amazing; I was absolutely hooked. The payoff and the ending was a little less so- it felt rushed, and the ending felt too abrupt, especially the shock reveal towards the end of the book. But these are small quibbles, and I was already wayyy too deeply invested to care about that. Jess Rothenburg has written a romantic, interesting, and far too addictive book, and I’m hooked. Sequel, please!

So The Kingdom was nothing like I expected. I thought that I was going to enjoy an easy YA that was a bit fantastical and romance. Instead I got a hybrid novel that was fantastical with a mysterious twist.

This is a tale about Ana, one of the Seven “Fantasists” at the Kingdom. Which is this amazingly huge Disney type part where dreams really do come true. Told via interview scripts, back-flashes, video clips and action in the court room, we find out all about the seedy underbelly of the Kingdom and what caused Ana to kill to Owen....

From the beginning Ana is obsessed with Owen. A maintaince man with a higher security clearance than normal. Added to that there are mysterious events and the other Fantasists are showing non-normal behaviour. Is it simply faults in the system or is something more happening?

This is an intense page turner that will sweep you off your feet and turn you upside down. You think that everything is tied up nicely for it all of a sudden to come crashing down.  If like the unexpected, The Kingdom has it in spades and more.

This was a very interesting concept that I really enjoyed exploring. The mixture of interviews, court testimony and narrative was very well judged. I never felt lost or confused by what was happening but still felt intrigued to understand more about what was going on for Ana and the other Fantasists and Owen. I completely understand the reason why the book ended the way it did - and it was very satisfying - but I am not sure of the morality. A great read.

This was such an intriguing book that I ended up really enjoying. It's pretty much a Disneyland/Westworld crossover so if you're into either of those things then you'll love this.

The story revolves around a group android fantasists which are basically robot princesses whos job it is to walk around the park and interact with guests and make their whole kingdom experience magical. Only what happens when one of the fantasists Ana starts to have emotions of her own and become self-aware of her surroundings, well there's a murder mystery and some romance to start.

This was definitely a different kind of YA Dystopian that I one hundred percent recommend.

Plot: 4/5
Characters: 4/5
Writing: 4/5

Trigger Warnings: suicide, sexual assault (off page, implied), animal abuse

This book wasn’t just a bit dark and disquieting- it took me to a whole new level of sinister that I had never experienced before.

The Kingdom was a futuristic theme park that used cutting-edge technology to create an enchanting experience for all of its visitors. With thrilling performances from previously extinct creatures, magical rides, flamboyant parades and vivid fantasy simulations it promised to inspire wonder and make everyone’s wildest dreams come true by giving them the ‘happily ever after’ they deserved. One of its most prominent creations was the Fantasists– seven android princesses engineered to delight, amuse and represent equality and tolerance in the world.

The novel was a series of flashbacks, interrogation records, court testimony, emails and more which pieced together the story of Ana, a Fantasist who was accused of murdering one of the theme park’s maintenance workers. This format allows us to see the events unfold from her perspective and simultaneously see how the same events have been twisted to appear in court. It’s funny how there never is any question as to whether or not she actually killed the person even though she claims to be not guilty. The case is built on whether or not Ana had the conscience to make the decision to murder someone or whether it was a programming malfunction. It was fascinating to see things from her perspective and understand her methodical manner of learning about the world. As Ana gradually unearths the hidden terrors of The Kingdom, the reader does too and it makes for a very suspenseful journey.

I found it sad that a society of the future would feel the need to have Fantasists. Beautiful, subservient princesses, admired by girls all over the world, engineered and programmed to entertain and please, to always say ‘yes’ and never say ‘no’. And the irony was that they were represented as strong and brave– princesses who didn’t need saving- when in reality their lives were not their own. Their vulnerability and naivety was exploited, they were treated deplorably, they were emotionally abused and manipulated, they were harassed and assaulted and intimidated. They were objectified and paraded and displayed for the enjoyment of others and despite all of that, they were always told to be grateful for what they had. Is that really the kind of role model young girls should have? I also found it interesting that there were no male Fantasists. It reminded me of two articles I have read recently. The first was about the increasing popularity of artificial intelligence being modelled on female personas (for example things like Siri or Alexa having default female voices). The second being about the increase in parents banning their children to watch Disney princess movies because they don’t want them to think it is alright for a woman to always be saved by a man. Although The Kingdom is a work of fiction, it has some very real themes in it.

The Kingdom was the epitome of hypocrisy. At first glance, it seemed like a wonderful theme park- but beneath it’s pretty façade there was relentless anguish and pain. For example, at the time of the novel, nearly all of the animals we have today had gone extinct. Therefore, The Kingdom started a program to revive extinct creatures through bioengineering. They claimed they were doing good to the planet and helping preserve our world. But why would you reintroduce an animal only to put it in chains? To make it live a life in a cage being ogled at by visitors. The animals at The Kingdom were abused and starved and most of the bioengineered animals died in days, weeks or months due to genetic defects they were created with. Is that really helping the world? It repulsed me how they thought it was alright to make the cost of entertainment for some, the suffering of others.

The reason I knocked off a star was because at times the story did become a bit too confusing as it kept switching between different formats which made it hard to keep up with the plot.

Overall, I found The Kingdom very creepy but I would recommend it to someone looking for an original, thought provoking read. After reading it, some may wish for the chance to visit The Kingdom but I wouldn’t go there even if someone paid me. Why? Because my entertainment is not worth someone or something else’s pain.

Thank you to Macmillan and Jess Rothenberg for providing me with a review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinion expressed are my own.

I have put off writing this review because I wanted to have a good think about it and try and do as a good a review as I can for it. This is a prime example of why I shouldn't judge a book by it’s cover, I loved the look of the cover and was so very intrigued by it and was excited to start it. However once I started it I couldn't wait to finish it, I persevered because I hate quitting on books and I hoped that it would get better but it didn’t. I felt like it seemed to drag on and for me the story line wasn't very enjoyable. I would imagine if you prefer fantasy and sci-fi books then this will be right up your street but it definitely wasn't for me. I will most definitely learn from my mistake of judging books by their covers. However I would like to thank NetGalley for giving me the chance to read this even though I didn't enjoy it they gave me the chance to read a book I probably would never have read if I saw it in a shop and had a little sneak peak so thank you.

HE KINGDOM starts off rather slow, and not much happens. We just bob around with Ana, being introduced to the Kingdom. There is a burst of activity around Nia, but then it slumps back into meandering as Ana obsesses over Owen. The ending is then very fast, with a lot of revelations coming at once.

This is a multimedia story, told through chapters, trial transcripts, interviews and more. The transcripts at points are interesting, and give an alternative look at the world. I quite liked them at times, and they were great at setting up the initial mystery - did Ana kill someone? Why?

However, they sometimes didn't add anything. There was a lot of Dr Foster arguing that Ana was just following her glitching programming. His interviews were very repetitive. A few times, a major twist was given in the trial reports - one that came much earlier than Ana discovered it. This meant her reaction (which was probably supposed to be very emotional) came across as flat because I'd know about X for chapters.

I really enjoyed this creative look into the future which has strong strains of Westworld. The Kingdom is a fantastical theme park world where they promise to cater for every dream. Helping to make those dreams come true are 7 gorgeous female fantasists, which I interpreted to be part organic and part robotic, We meet Ana via the transcripts of a murder trial, so we are aware early on that something terrible will happen. We also learn that there is a pattern of non-regular behaviour within many of the parks different species. This unpredictability is even more concerning since there should be no deviation from their programming.
While the concept doesn't feel completely new due to the overlaps with Westworld, I love how the author created the world and all the many tiny details required to make this believable. The characters are full and satisfying and the story unfolds at the perfect pace. The transcripts and story meld seamlessly and I couldn't put the book down. Overall, highly recommended and enjoyable.

I’ve seen lots of rave reviews about this book and was thrilled to receive a review copy. Unfortunately I didn’t live it as much as other have. It wasn’t a bad book, it just didn’t quite hit the spot for me. I struggled to get into the story and almost DNF’d it at one point.

I found Ana a hard character to get to like, she didn’t really have much personality of her own. Which I understand as she’s AI but it’s hard to get behind someone when you can’t understand what motivates them.

I was expecting Ana to be more rounded than she was, stronger maybe. Instead for a large part of the story she seemed to turn into a simpering ‘fairytale princess’ pining after a pretty boy. I want my heroines to have more get up and go than that.

The plot itself felt both rather thin and rather confused at times, characters who had previously been acting one way did sudden 360 turns and things that could have been explored more fell untouched by the wayside.

If the author was aiming for a Westworld type story I don’t think this quite made it.

The end also felt quite sudden, again without motivations being fully explored.

Overall not a book I was terribly keen on, although from what I’ve seen so far I may be in the minority with that opinion.

I raced through this and couldn't wait to return to it. Another brilliant YA title from Macmillan Children's Books. The premise is an interesting take on and development of things that have gone before - I hope the film or TV rights are snapped up if they haven't been already. The world of The Kingdom and the twists within it worked really well, given the ambitious set up and point of view, and I would love to follow these characters and read another installment of this story.

The Kingdom is a fabulous novel which mixes up Westworld and Disney World. All the way through the novel I couldn’t help but think of Disney! The Kingdom follows protagonist Ana, a fantasist (aka Hybrid A.I Princess) who has been created to make park guests dreams a reality. Mostly this is meeting and greeting, walking in parades, attending tea parties etc but as expected, there is a sinister and dark institute working in the background so everything isn’t quite as rosy as it seems in the park and Ana quickly becomes entangled in the not so perfect reality of The Kingdom and its creators and investors.

I really enjoyed this book as an introduction – it has set a good scene that I want to know more about and introduced characters I can root for in novels to come (hopefully). The Kingdom is the setting and designed as a theme park created to satisfy guests desires for experiences including being able to see animals that are now extinct. The narrative itself is told through story interactions between characters from Ana’s point of view as well as transcripts of interviews with Ana (and others) when she is in custody and on trial. Through this the story enfolds through the interview process and Ana’s memories of what actually happened and delivers all of the detail with a fresh outlook. I like the use of transcripts in the novel and find that it makes the book easy and quick to read!

The draw back for me was the lack of detail in the other fantasists but I understand it wasn’t really needed for the storyline in this novel. I would have enjoyed more interaction between Ana and Owen and I would have liked some more time with Eve & Pania – other ‘princesses’ especially these as they are mentioned the most. But this doesn’t detract from the quality of the writing, which is superb. The language flows quickly – I barely realised how much I had read until I was halfway through and although there are instances where sexual harassment/assault is hinted at, there is nothing explicit and it is handled with a gentle respect, not as a main plot point.

Overall I feel really positive about this book and I will definitely be looking at more of Jess Rothenberg’s writing from now on. If you’re looking at something to dip your toes into for Sci-Fi fantasy novels this will do the trick nicely!

I was intrigued by this book with it being described as a Westworld-esque story. The story follows Ana, both from her first hand account and then further accounts in the form of court transcripts. It seems scattered at first but it’s easy to follow.


Ana is one of seven (Ana, Kaia, Yumi, Eve, Zara, Pania, and Zel) fantasy princesses called Fantasists. They are built ‘human hybrids’ who are there to entertain the park guests. They are realistic, clever and each princess has their own style/theme to keep the guests happy, they get rated and have to keep up their visitor scores.


The sisters have a secret language to communicate, they know things aren’t quite what they seem but have always been told that they are safe in their ‘home’. While it’s not only princesses that live in the Kingdom, it’s animal hybrids too. Scientists have brought back to life previously extinct animals as well as creating new fantastical animals such as a horse that as butterfly wings.


We know there has been a murder but it’s not alluded as to who has been killed, we follow Ana’s story as we try to unravel the secrets of the Kingdom and solve a murder.


I did really enjoy this story, it makes you question the definition of humanity and morality. These Fantasists, while they aren’t human technically but hybrids are still objectified and treated as such. They are sexually harassed and often treated appallingly, there are no objections to it as they aren’t ‘human’. As you read though, you discover that each of the sisters are more than the sum of their parts so to speak.


Overall, The Kingdom is extremely well written in a refreshing way. The timeline is easy to follow and you really root for these characters. They are smart and I am so intrigued to see where this story goes. I did guess the ending as I was reading, more so for the fact that it was how I wanted the book to end and I was thrilled it went that way.

If you’re a fan of Westworld, The Illuminae Files or just want something super refreshing to read, get this book.

It’s a fast-pace, page-turning sci-fi fantasy that takes you along for a thrilling ride.

Westworld meets Disney World in The Kingdom , a YA Sci-fi book set in the future. The titular Kingdom is an attraction park like no other. After humans ruined the planet and certain species of animals became extinct, the park was built as a fantasy away from reality, with android animals redesigned and created for the park. But it wasn't just android animals The Kingdom has to offer, they also have Fantastists: robotic princesses that look just like young women, designed to help make visitors' wishes come true.

Meet Ana, our protagonist and one of the seven Fantastists. Everything seems to be going great for her up until she meets Owen, a new maintenance worker. Suddenly, everything she thought she knew about The Kingdom and herself is thrown into the air. Then things take a turn for the worse when she is accused of brutally murdering Owen. Told through multi-media such as interviews, first person narration, court documents and more, we explore Ana's story and just what happened to Owen..

So the concept of this book is not exactly original. As I've said, it's heavily inspired by Westworld and Disney world, and you could tell what parts of each the author wanted to include. That being said, I loved the premise. The world was interesting and I loved the mix of multi-media to tell the story. So I was fully into this book up until maybe 80-85% in. Then the reveal happened.. It felt a bit cheap and expected.. Urgh, boring, yawn.

Either way, I did somewhat enjoy it up until the part I mentioned. If there is a sequel, probably won't be reading it though

I can sum up this book in two words: Dystopian Disneyland.
Intrigued?
You should be because this is one hell of a ride.
Not quite sure?
Here are three more for you: tragic robot romance.
How about now?



Welcome to the Kingdom… where ‘Happily Ever After’ isn’t just a promise, but a rule.

Glimmering like a jewel behind its gateway, The Kingdom™ is an immersive fantasy theme park where guests soar on virtual dragons, castles loom like giants, and bioengineered species―formerly extinct―roam free.

Ana is one of seven Fantasists, beautiful “princesses” engineered to make dreams come true. When she meets park employee Owen, Ana begins to experience emotions beyond her programming including, for the first time… love.

But the fairytale becomes a nightmare when Ana is accused of murdering Owen, igniting the trial of the century. Through courtroom testimony, interviews, and Ana’s memories of Owen, emerges a tale of love, lies, and cruelty―and what it truly means to be human.

When I picked this on Netgalley, I was intrigued by the description – who wouldn’t be? An extreme virtual reality style theme park? Genetically modified princesses? A murder trial? I’ve never read anything quite like this before and I can guarantee you won’t have either.

The Kingdom is told via court transcripts, Ana’s narration, interview transcripts, news reports, and video footage, all intertwined and slowly unraveling what happened and why. Aside from being a dystopian, Disney style theme park, this book also poses a lot of questions about genetic modification and how real robots can be. It’s fast-paced and utterly engrossing. The romance element was really well done and there was so much I didn’t see coming.
The Kingdom is such a unique read and really well written, it was so refreshing to see this take on sci-fi/dystopia and how the world building was done made it so fantastical it was almost real!

On a side note, I do always try to include trigger warnings when I write reviews, so I will say that there are moments of animal cruelty, sexual assault (both implied and shown), attempted suicide and of course, murder.
All you need to know is that this is a brilliantly written, unique take on robots, if you’re a fan of Westworld, Black Mirror or just dystopia in general, make sure to pick up a copy of this the first chance you get.

This is definitely a mix of Westworld and Disney! I absolutely loved it, the concept was so interesting to me. If the fantasists and hybrids were created in a lab, not fully human then does that mean that they cannot feel?
The plot was fab and it was so fast-paced! I loved the little twist at the end. A really fab book that will stay with me for a long time.

I loved this Westworld meets Disney YA novel. The characters were well drawn and the growing intrigue was beautifully paced.

Sooo is this what happens when Disneyworld goes bad? Probably. The Kingdom provides entertainment with tea parties and animal shows and princesses to meet and greet. But the animals and princesses are all hybrids. Created in labs to appear realistic but powered by technology.

Ana is one of the princesses and she likes learning languages and reading. She follows her routine and welcomes guests to the kingdom. The perfect image of a princess. She also is on trial for murder. Has Ana learnt to have feelings and become autonomous? Or is she malfunctioning and headed for shutdown?

This is a really interesting concept and the questions of AI or hybrid development are intriguing. But there is a lot that's left unexplained or undeveloped, you are left to fill in the blanks and you tend to fill them in with Disneyworld and theme parks. It's such a strong brand idea that it covers up some gaps in the writing. It's still a really enjoyable novel and the use of trial transcripts and security documents adds to the tension of the whole is Ana guilty question.