BOOK DESCRIPTION
Welcome to the Kingdom, a dazzling fantasy theme park where ‘happily ever after’ is not just a promise, but a rule . . .
The Kingdom is a place where technology helps dreams come to life. Formerly extinct species roam the park, and seven beautiful ‘Fantasists’ – half-human, half-android princesses – entertain visitors and make wishes come true. But this fairytale ends in murder, and now Ana, one of the seven Fantasists, is in the dock after finding herself experiencing emotions and romantic feelings against all her programming . . .
Told through court testimony, interrogation records and fragmented flashbacks, The Kingdom by Jess Rothenberg has the futuristic appeal of Westworld and the twists and turns of a true-crime thriller.
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HERE ARE MY THOUGHTS AND REVIEW
The Kingdom is a place where little girls can meet their Princess idols and little boys can see dinosaurs fight to the death, a magical place where technology has made anything possible. Creatures that have been extinct for millions of years recreated perfectly while others are modified to bring the wildest of dreams into the real world to entertain a never waning public. The impossible has happened and now an android Princess is on trial for murder.
The story begins with the discovery of a murder victim and subsequent questioning of Ana, one of the Princesses of the Kingdom. Present day and how the events in the past came together are done as the trial takes place.
The androids and other creatures were programmed to perform certain routines while others were more advanced in their interaction with the clients and visitors of The Kingdom. Even backstage there was a hierarchy amongst the Princesses of age and popularity. There was an innocence about them all but could they think independently? Could an android plan a murder?
Ana is a brilliant character that I couldn’t help but love. She was sweet and beautiful but also had a bit of sassiness about her and an inquisitive mind. There was so much going on backstage where most of the story takes place, although a few of the chapters give an insight into what happens centre stage in different sections of The Kingdom.
The story began in the perfect place so that as I got to know Ana I could draw my own conclusions to her guilt of innocence. I knew what she had been accused of but did I think it was possible?
A brilliant YA novel, which I am sure will be a huge hit!
HERE IS A LITTLE ABOUT THE AUTHOR
JESS ROTHENBERG is a writer and freelance editor who grew up in Charleston, South Carolina. A former editor of books for young readers, including the #1 International Bestselling Vampire Academy series, Jess lives in New York City with her husband, son, and cat-who-thinks-he’s-a-dog, Charlie. Her debut novel for teens, The Catastrophic History of You & Me, has been translated into more than a dozen languages.
AUTHOR LINKS:
Twitter: @JessRothenberg
