“Kingdom of Tomorrow” by Gena Showalter is the kind of YA fantasy that makes you cancel your plans and whisper just one more chapter until 3 a.m. Throwing us headfirst into a universe of manipulation and power games, Showalter balances political intrigue with a slow-burn tension that’s as addictive as it is infuriating (in the best way).
Arden Roosa isn’t your typical fearless heroine— she’s imperfect, ruled by her feelings, and prone to spiraling thoughts, she’s raw and vulnerable, impulsive, and endlessly caught in her own head. Which makes her clash with High Prince Cyrus Dolion all the juicier. Cyrus is that maddeningly confident bad boy who knows exactly how to push every button, and honestly? I swooned the second he walked on page. Then there’s Shiloh the quiet anchor of the narrative—warm, dependable, and heart-meltingly sweet. The literary equivalent of a warm blanket. Sweet, yes. But my heart still belongs to the prince who can ruin me with a smirk.
The twists? Oh, there are plenty—and several genuine wait, what?! moments that had me flipping back pages to make sure I didn’t miss something. The world-building is rich without being overwhelming, and the relationships are slow-burn perfection (no spice here, but the tension is delicious). By the final chapter, Showalter had left enough threads dangling that I’m already impatient for book two.
So, in summary: complex characters, layered plot, a love triangle with bite, and the kind of world you want to get lost in. My verdict? Grab this one if you’re ready to suffer in the best possible way while waiting for the sequel.

Oh wow, Kingdom of Tomorrow is such a enchanting read! 📚✨ From the very first page, I was completely hooked by Arden’s world—this intriguing blend of two split worlds, filled with broken gods, fallen statues, and heavenly artifacts that are either worshipped or feared. It’s like stepping into a dream that’s both beautiful and a little bit dangerous. 😍🌙

Arden Roosa is such a relatable character; she’s brave but also vulnerable, battling panic attacks and trying to stay safe in a world full of chaos. Her journey of self-discovery is so inspiring, and I loved watching her grow stronger with each challenge she faced. 💪💖 The story beautifully captures her inner struggles and her desire to understand her place in this mysterious universe. The way her character evolves is truly empowering! 🌸✨

And then there's High Prince Cyrus Dolion—oh my goodness, he’s both ruthless and charming! 💖🔥 Their chemistry is so intense, and I loved how their relationship develops amidst all the chaos and danger. The sparks between them really add a layer of depth to the story, making it both exciting and romantic. The tension and chemistry kept me turning pages late into the night! 🌟💕

The plot is jam-packed with twists and turns, from mystical adversaries to secret societies like the Tome Society, who guard an invisible library that seems to hold all the secrets of the future. 🕮🔮 The idea of books that foretell what’s to come is so fascinating, and it made me think about fate, destiny, and how much we really know about the world around us. The more Arden learns about the society, the more mysterious everything becomes, and I loved trying to piece it all together along with her. The story keeps you guessing and wanting more! 😱✨

What I also appreciated was how the author weaves themes of faith, fear, and hope throughout the story. The gods and artifacts add a divine touch, and the way Arden questions what she believes in makes her journey even more compelling. The book’s atmosphere is both lush and tense, with moments of quiet introspection and explosive action, perfectly balanced. 🌸🔥

Overall, this book is a magical blend of fantasy, mystery, and romance—perfect for anyone who loves stories about worlds that are as beautiful as they are dangerous. Whether you're into epic battles, mystical artifacts, or swoon-worthy romance, Kingdom of Tomorrow has it all! I honestly couldn’t recommend it more. It’s a captivating escape that left me dreaming about Arden’s world long after I closed the last page. 💕📖✨

Happy reading, everyone! Get ready for an adventure filled with magic, mystery, and a little bit of romance—you won’t want to miss this one! 🌟😊

Kingdom of Tomorrow took me by surprise! This book consumed my thoughts for the past four days. It hit all the right notes for me -- genuine character and emotional growth, the perfect amount of world-building, and a swoonworthy slow-burn romance.

Our story takes place in two different realms, Ourland and Theirland, where a madness turns people into killers. I'll be honest, I usually avoid stories with multiple realms because juggling the ins and outs of different worlds often gets confusing fast. But that was not the case here -- the author's world-building was well done and doesn't ever feel overwhelming. What I loved most is how naturally these details unfold throughout the story. It never felt info-dumpy or like I was being spoonfed exposition. Instead, the world reveals itself organically through Arden's experiences at the military academy, where the classes and training sequences give you something tangible to anchor all the concepts. It makes everything so much easier to process and visualize.

The characters were also layered, complicated, and perfectly flawed. Arden is the most relatable FMC I've encountered in a while and I loved that she doesn't fall into any generic romantasy archetype. She's dealing with panic attacks and feeling completely out of her depth, yet she's also bold and fearless when it comes to uncovering the truth about Ourland and The Tome Society. Watching her emotional growth unfold slowly throughout the story felt so earned and authentic.

The romance does take a while to get going, but once it did, I was glued to my Kindle. Cyrus, the mysterious High Prince overseeing Arden's training, has quickly become one of my new favorite book boyfriends. If "acts of service" is your love language, you'll be swooning.

Overall: If you are drawn to books with war college settings, themes of predetermined fate and prophecies, or stories that have an equal balance of romance and plot, Kingdom of Tomorrow should be on your TBR!

Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

3.5 Stars — Intriguing but Uneven

Kingdom of Tomorrow by Gena Showalter kicks off the Book of Arden series with a bold blend of fantasy, romance, and dystopian mystery. The premise is undeniably compelling — two fractured worlds stitched together, haunted nights that drive people to madness, and a secret society guarding prophetic books. Arden Roosa, the protagonist, is thrown into this chaos with panic attacks, combat training, and a reluctant partnership with the enigmatic High Prince Cyrus Dolion.

There’s a lot to admire here. Showalter’s imagination is vivid, and the concept of Ourland. With its fallen gods and eerie artifacts, it feels fresh and cinematic. The Tome Society and the invisible library add a layer of intrigue that fantasy lovers will appreciate. Arden’s emotional vulnerability and resilience make her a relatable lead, and the slow-burn tension with Cyrus delivers the kind of romantic angst fans expect.

That said, the pacing can be uneven. Some plot twists feel rushed while others linger too long. The worldbuilding, though rich, occasionally overwhelms the narrative, leaving key emotional beats underdeveloped. Dialogue sometimes leans into melodrama, and secondary characters could use more depth. With the uneven pace, my attention just wasn't riveted.

Still, for readers who enjoy romantasy with high-stakes secrets and morally gray royalty, this is a promising start. I’ll be watching to see how the series evolves. There’s real potential for greatness in future installments.

I received this ARC copy of Kingdom of Tomorrow from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a quick and easy read to turn your brain off and enjoy without having to remember huge worldbuilding

3 Stars.

First we want to thank Gena Showalter and Netgalley for allowing us to opportunity to read and review this ARC in exchange for our honest review. So we want to stay heavy on the honest. We never want to drag a book and we want everyone who reads this review to remember that all reviews are subjective and we do not want to discourage people from reading books becasuse what we may not like others will love.

This book fell flat. The character felt very one dimesional and what was supposed to be their main personality traits did not even shine throuhg. Arden is known at the panic girl and outside of her having very legitimate fear about what she was about to embark on, it felt like that nickname did not really fit her character. Truly I give her lots of credit for making the choice to leave her mom to join the Royal academy but as someone who is labeled as a person with panic, I failed to see the panic in her.

The prince, who was the main love interest, felt like a forced character with a forced relationship in the book. The chemistry attempt was there but the execution was not done very well. His personality felt very flat too and like there was not gradual feelings of love and interest in our FMC. Although there is a moment where you understand why he has a vested interst in Arden, the moments leading up to that knowledge feel unauthetic and as if there are ulterior motives lurking underneath.

The world building was clunky. The divide between both the lands felt very blurred. It was hard to really understand the main differences between Theriland and Ourland and the creatures that inhabit both sides. The hirearchy is not very clear in how people get to their positions as some sound like elected officials but others follow blood lines.

Again we wanted to love this book. But it was not for us.

Arden just wants to study agriculture and solve the food crisisin her world, which is ravaged by an infectious madness. Our heroine? An anxiety-prone, panic-attack-ridden recruit who enlists to pay off her mother’s debts—debts caused by the treatment costs for the aforementioned illness. Instead of accepting a cushy job as the fairydust-and-ambrosia-scented High Prince’s assistant (yes, really), she dives into grunt training to compete in some vaguely defined “top soldier” contest. With zero combat prep apart from long-distance running, it’s anyone’s guess why she thinks this will work.

World-building doesn’t help much: “Ourland” and “Theirland” feel like placeholders, and the contest rules are murky at best. The FMC stumbles through training, constantly losing out and needing extra coaching and preferred treatment by Cyrus, the High Prince, yet somehow still believes she can be the top fighter. I’ll give credit: at least she doesn’t transform into a Marvel superhero overnight. But her personality swings from terrified, angry, and awkward to giggly high-school-crush mode in record time.

The High Prince? Broody, princely, and actually interesting. His scent—sweet with a touch of ambrosia. Of course, his fixation on her is telegraphed from the prologue as “orders,” but why he falls for her for real remains a mystery to me.

The writing? Flawed but addictive. Despite cringing at nicknames like “pink” and “bubble gum,” and rolling my eyes at a supposedly camera-defying dress (that should still leave arms and legs flapping in plain sight), I couldn’t look away. The MMC caught my attention, and I will be reading the sequel.

⭐️⭐️⭐️— solid entertainment, but riddled with plot holes and an FMC who grated on my nerves.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-arc in exchange for an honest opinion.

I've really enjoyed watching Gena Showalters writing grow across her books, as someone who started with the Alice chronicles in my youth, this was really great.

3.5/5 rounded to 3.

There are elements to this story that I really enjoyed and other parts that made me go "huh?"

The concept of your life documented in a book is fascinating! A god with a library full of people's lives? Cool! So I wish we had more time with that concept then what we got.

The world building was interesting, but all I could think about was the similarities between the rock and Soal with HBO's hit TV show "Raised by Wolves," which also had a big ol rock and Sol. Just kidding, obviously that show was not a hit because it was canceled. BUT! That sci-fi show was wacky and compelling. Others could argue it was a slow car crash, so I would imagine that some could say the same with Kingdom of Tomorrow.

Arden was fine. You know, typical FMC who is just trying to survive in a dystopian world by growing plants. I appreciate that her passion for plants is different from typical romantasy FMC hobbies.

Cyrus was also fine. Except that he smells like fairy dust? What does that even mean? And he likes to be called HP? Huh? Okay. I guess it's understandable that one doesn't want to write or read "High Prince" 800 times. I just thought HP was funny. Also is he just into Arden because his book told him he would be? I think about it like a chicken and egg metaphor. To be honest, I wasn't entirely sold on his pursuit of Arden. However, it was refreshing that he could have just been into her because right time, right place, and she happens to be pretty and nice.

Overall, I was engrossed with the story even though the book didn't change my brain chemistry. It ended in an intriguing spot, so I will plan on reading the next one.

This is the kind of book that when you have plans, you are secretly hoping they get cancelled so you can stay in and read. This book takes you to a world that is shared with another, outland and their land, which is connected by a rift that took elements of both worlds when it opened and placed them in its counterpart.
The author has such amazing world building abilities, such great twists and turns, and i was completely emersed the whole way through. I simply cannot wait for the next book, which is unfortunate as I already got this one a month before the set release date. That being said, I am looking forward to discovering what else this author has to offer.

𝑅𝒶𝓉𝒾𝓃𝑔: 🥀🥀🥀🥀 ᴏᴜᴛ ᴏғ 𝟻 ᴇɴᴄʜᴀɴᴛᴇᴅ ʀᴏsᴇs

𝒪𝓅𝑒𝓃𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝐿𝒾𝓃𝑒: ᴛʜᴇ ᴡᴀɪᴛɪɴɢ ʀᴏᴏᴍ sᴍᴇʟʟᴇᴅ ᴏғ ᴄʟᴀsʜɪɴɢ ᴘᴇʀғᴜᴍᴇs, ɴᴇʀᴠᴏᴜs sᴡᴇᴀᴛ, ᴀɴᴅ ᴏʟᴅ sᴀɴᴅᴡɪᴄʜᴇs.

𝑅𝑒𝓋𝒾𝑒𝓌:

ʜᴜɢᴇ ᴛʜᴀɴᴋ ʏᴏᴜ ᴛᴏ ᴍᴏɴᴛʟᴀᴋᴇ ғᴏʀ ᴘʀᴏᴠɪᴅɪɴɢ ᴍᴇ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴛʜɪs ᴇ-ᴀʀᴄ!

ᴋɪɴɢᴅᴏᴍ ᴏғ ᴛᴏᴍᴏʀʀᴏᴡ sᴡᴇᴇᴘs ʏᴏᴜ ɪɴᴛᴏ ᴀ ᴡᴏʀʟᴅ ᴡʜᴇʀᴇ ᴀɴᴄɪᴇɴᴛ ɢᴏᴅs sᴛɪʀ, sᴇᴄʀᴇᴛ ʙᴏᴏᴋs ᴡʜɪsᴘᴇʀ, ᴀɴᴅ ᴏɴᴇ ɢɪʀʟ’s ᴅᴇsᴛɪɴʏ ᴄᴏʟʟɪᴅᴇs ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴅᴀɴɢᴇʀ. ᴀʀᴅᴇɴ ʀᴏᴏsᴀ’s ʟɪғᴇ ɪs ᴜᴘᴇɴᴅᴇᴅ ᴡʜᴇɴ ᴀ ʙᴏᴏᴋ ᴀᴛ ғᴏʀᴛ ʙᴀʟᴀ ʀᴏʏᴀʟ ᴀᴄᴀᴅᴇᴍʏ ʙᴇɢɪɴs ᴡʀɪᴛɪɴɢ ʜᴇʀ sᴛᴏʀʏ—ᴛʜʀᴜsᴛɪɴɢ ʜᴇʀ ɪɴᴛᴏ ᴄᴏɴsᴘɪʀᴀᴄɪᴇs, ᴄᴏᴍʙᴀᴛ ᴛʀᴀɪɴɪɴɢ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴛʜᴇ ʙʀᴏᴏᴅɪɴɢ ᴘʀɪɴᴄᴇ ᴄʏʀᴜs, ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ᴋɪɴᴅ ᴏғ ʀᴏᴍᴀɴᴄᴇ ᴛʜᴀᴛ sᴍᴏʟᴅᴇʀs ʙᴇɴᴇᴀᴛʜ sʜᴀᴅᴏᴡs. ɪғ ʏᴏᴜ ʟᴏᴠᴇ ʏᴏᴜʀ ғᴀɴᴛᴀsʏ ᴡɪᴛʜ sᴇᴄʀᴇᴛ ʟɪʙʀᴀʀɪᴇs, ᴘᴜʟsᴇ-ᴘᴏᴜɴᴅɪɴɢ ʀᴏᴍᴀɴᴄᴇ, ᴀɴᴅ ᴍɪɴᴅ-ʙᴇɴᴅɪɴɢ ᴄᴏɴsᴘɪʀᴀᴄɪᴇs, ᴛʜɪs sᴇʀɪᴇs sᴛᴀʀᴛᴇʀ ᴡɪʟʟ ᴇɴsɴᴀʀᴇ ʏᴏᴜ.

𝒯𝓇𝑜𝓅𝑒𝓈 & 𝐸𝓁𝑒𝓂𝑒𝓃𝓉𝓈:

✨ ᴍᴀɢɪᴄᴀʟ ᴀᴄᴀᴅᴇᴍʏ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴅᴇᴀᴅʟʏ sᴇᴄʀᴇᴛs
✨ ᴇɴᴇᴍɪᴇs-ᴛᴏ-ʟᴏᴠᴇʀs ᴛᴇɴsɪᴏɴ
✨ ᴀ ʙᴏᴏᴋ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴋɴᴏᴡs ᴛᴏᴏ ᴍᴜᴄʜ
✨ ᴅᴀʀᴋ ᴘʀɪɴᴄᴇ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴀ sᴏғᴛ sᴘᴏᴛ
✨ sᴇᴄʀᴇᴛ sᴏᴄɪᴇᴛɪᴇs & ᴀɴᴄɪᴇɴᴛ ᴘʀᴏᴘʜᴇᴄɪᴇs

𝐹𝒾𝓃𝒶𝓁 𝓋𝑒𝓇𝒹𝒾𝒸𝓉:
ᴅᴀʀᴋ, ʀᴏᴍᴀɴᴛɪᴄ, ᴀɴᴅ ᴜᴛᴛᴇʀʟʏ ᴜɴᴘᴜᴛᴅᴏᴡɴᴀʙʟᴇ—sʜᴏᴡᴀʟᴛᴇʀ sᴘɪɴs ᴀɴ ᴀᴅᴅɪᴄᴛɪᴠᴇ sᴛᴀʀᴛ ᴛᴏ ᴀ sᴇʀɪᴇs ᴛʜᴀᴛ ғᴇᴇʟs ʙᴏᴛʜ ᴄʟᴀssɪᴄ ᴀɴᴅ ғʀᴇsʜ.

ʜᴀᴘᴘʏ ʀᴇᴀᴅɪɴɢ!
𝒜𝓈𝒽𝓁𝑒𝓎
ʙᴏᴏᴋsᴛᴀɢʀᴀᴍ: @ᴛʜᴇᴛᴀᴛᴛᴇʀᴇᴅᴘᴀɢᴇ
ᴡᴡᴡ.ᴛʜᴇᴛᴀᴛᴛᴇʀᴇᴅᴘᴀɢᴇ.ᴄᴏᴍ

This book felt like adult Divergent mixed with a little bit of Maze Runner. Definitely not what I was expecting going in but I had a fun time with it. I enjoyed most of the characters and the bantering was good (for the most part lol). Sometimes the writing style took me out of the narrative a bit and I occasionally had a hard time visualizing some things. I also still find it a bit unclear why the MMC was SO into the FMC and I think there could’ve been some more relationship building there. But this book was fun and I would probably read a sequel!

Thanks to Gena Showalter, the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

*****Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of Kingdom of Tomorrow by Gena Showalter in exchange for an honest review.

I was really excited to dive into Kingdom of Tomorrow as a long-time fan of Gena Showalter. Unfortunately, this one didn’t work for me the way I had hoped. The worldbuilding felt a bit thin, especially the Ourland/Theirland divide, which came across as more distracting than immersive. I also wasn’t sure if the story was meant to lean more into dystopian vibes or a traditional fantasy setting, and that left me feeling a little disconnected.
That said, I know every book has its audience. Readers who love fast-paced young adult fantasy with romantic tension may find much to enjoy here. Personally, I still adore the Lords of the Underworld series and missed the mythological depth and atmosphere that made those books unforgettable for me.

I’ve had the opportunity to Review Read the new book by Gena Showalter; Kingdom of Tomorrow. It has been released on September the first of this year.

It’s been a while since I read anything by Gena, the last series I’ve read by her was Alice in Zombieland which I really enjoyed back when the books came out. I have lost touch with the author for a bit, being picky on what books I wanted to read and putting the fantasy genre on a backburner whilst devouring crime thrillers.

I have been getting back into the fantasy novels and other genres as well and when I saw Gena had a new book, I’ve marked it as a book I wanted to read when it came out, never imagining I would be able to review read it.

The beginning was a bit slow and some bits were a bit unbelievable but hey, it’s fantasy so… Arden is known as ‘Panic Girl’ in her hometown and has been called that since high school because whenever a challenge presents itself, fear takes over for Arden. So, when she goes from ‘Panic girl’ / wallflower and becomes this badass halfway through the book, it gets a bit unbelievable since fear isn’t something you overcome easily.

Two worlds that were split but are now stitched together; Theirland is home to the Cured and believers of Astan and Ourland is home to ‘The madness’ and believers of Soal, their people called Soalians. The cured has knight, lords and ladies to fight people overcome with madness, feeders and glowers.

While Arden attends a very important appointment where she will hear if she’s accepted to the center to study agriculture which has been her dream for ages, the appointment takes another turn. Her mother had the madness and has been cured, not being able to work a debt has been building, a debt that will cost Arden dearly. She is assigned to Bala Royal Academy to become a lady which practically means she will be trained to fight those monsters.

High Prince Cyrus is one of the teachers at Bala’s and has taken a special interest in Arden, why is beyond her and she has a hard time trusting his intentions. Nothing is as it seems in this world and everything you believed has been a lie. To keep the ones you love save, big decisions have to be made and they won’t be made lightly because those decisions will alter the course of your life.

The lessons are grilling, the patrols the students need to attend to learn are dangerous but will give them a glimpse at how their future will look. The end will shock you; I know it will.

I’m giving this book ⭐⭐⭐,75 stars; it was good albeit the beginning was a bit slow and the transformation from Arden a bit too quick.

Arden is forced to join Fort Bala Royal Academy and paired with Prince Cyrus Dolion. She learns more her world about her life and everything changes...

Interesting world. I love the academy! I love the main characters too. Incredible chemistry. Love the fun and the romance.

Thanks to the publisher for the arc.

In Kingdom of Tomorrow, Gena Showalter crafts a richly imagined world where myth, madness, and destiny collide. The novel introduces readers to Arden Roosa, a twenty-year-old woman whose life in the fractured realm of Ourland is upended when she discovers a mysterious book—The Book of Arden—that seems to chronicle her own existence. What follows is a journey that is as emotionally resonant as it is fantastical.

Showalter’s prose is vivid and immersive, painting a landscape stitched together from broken gods and haunted nights. The concept of Ourland—a place where divine artifacts are feared and the darkness breeds gleeful violence—is both original and unsettling. Yet amid the chaos, Arden’s story remains deeply human. Her panic attacks, her reluctant enrolment at Fort Bala Royal Academy, and her reluctant partnership with the enigmatic High Prince Cyrus Dolion all ground the narrative in emotional truth.

The romantic tension between Arden and Cyrus simmers beneath the surface, never overshadowing the novel’s deeper themes of identity, legacy, and resistance. The inclusion of the Tome Society—a secretive group guarding prophetic books—adds a layer of intrigue that elevates the story beyond a typical fantasy arc.

Kingdom of Tomorrow is a compelling series opener that balances action, romance, and mystery with elegance and heart. Showalter’s storytelling is confident and layered, offering readers a world that feels both ancient and achingly new. It’s a tale of self-discovery wrapped in myth and magic—a promising beginning to what will surely be an unforgettable saga.

With thanks to Gena Showalter, the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

Kingdom of Tomorrow by Gena Showalter is full of action, intrigue and interesting characters.
A remarkable, compelling, and addictive story.
I was sucked into this story and held captive.
An absolute page-turner!

Yes, to action!

With a mysterious zombie-like virus threatening the world, a military organization has taken over. The rebel organization tries to persuade our FMC to their side for some reason and she ends up in a military academy instead of the botanical academy of her dreams.

I liked the dark world, the action, the romance, the characters and of course the military training. Definitely a book worth reading.

The reading experience makes me want to read Showalter's Alien Huntress series again. Thank you to Montlake and NetGalley for the ARC!

This was one of my most anticipated reads of September, so I was incredibly excited that I was able to receive a copy to review! I went into this ready to love it and shout about it from the rooftops. Unfortunately, I seem to have set my expectations a little too high and the payoff wasn’t what I was looking for.

I did not find myself particularly invested in the story. I think it might’ve been the writing style that threw me off. It felt almost like the narrative thoughts were a little too geared toward the reader. Instead of feeling like I was reading a book and entering the world, I almost felt like I got pushed out of the world and back into reality with the way the narrative was written.

I also felt like I was being told things rather than having them come up organically. It was a lot of telling rather than showing.

I definitely would’ve enjoyed the story more if these elements were different, but because they are the way they are, this was only a three star read for me.

I would consider reading other works by this author, but I think I would enjoy more of a contemporary work from them.

Thank you very much to Montlake and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This one started out pretty strong for me with an interesting, easy to follow plot but as I got further in I found I just wasn't connecting with the characters/their dialogue felt somehow in-genuine? May give this another try in the future but setting aside for now