Ana was a very captivating character. This book is definitely more than it appears non the surface. The past and present tenses are a wonderful storytelling element that add to the layers of thrills and mind bending twists.

Set in a Disney World-esque fantasy land in the near future, The Kingdom goes full on Westworld with its robotic Fantasists (read: beautiful women engineered to play the part of the park's princesses). With a hint of Jurassic Park thrown in for good measure, the corporate owned Kingdom appears altruistic to the outside world, resurrecting extinct species and providing children and adults with an immersive escape from the reality of global warming. However, not everything is as it seems, especially when Fantasist Ana is arrested and put on trial for the murder of park employee Owen. Compulsively readable, The Kingdom is a fast-paced thrill ride that bounces back and forth from present day (told through court transcripts and police interviews) to the months before Owen's demise.

This is a YA version of Westworld, where Ana, a hybrid (part human-part machine) princess in a Disney-esque fantasy land, slowly learns that not all is well in The Kingdom. In this gripping mystery/thriller/courtroom drama,, Ana uncovers a dark secret with the help of her sister princesses and intriguing maintenance worker, that eventually leads to betrayal and violence.

A very interesting and worthwhile read with great twists.

Ana is a princess living in a perfect world and she exists only to serve and make others happy.

Except Ana is really a Fantasist, one of seven androids designed to act as a princesses in an immersive, fantasyland theme park called The Kingdom. The Kingdom is the demented lovechild of Westworld, Disneyland and SeaWorld - the outside world has gone to shit so The Kingdom has perfect recreations of the world as it once was (like a domed Arctic area, a Savanna area, etc.) populated by resurrected android versions of now-extinct species. It’s all done for people’s entertainment, though The Kingdom seems to be more accessible, like Disneyland or Sea World, than Westworld’s $40,000-per-day price tag.

Park guests are absolutely free to leer at the Princesses, touch them inappropriately and say nasty things to them, but only the wealthy park investors or scumbag park employees get to go full-Westworld with them. Gross.

Only, like with the hosts of Westworld and their reveries, the Fantasists seem to be evolving. Developing new things like emotions. Thinking things for themselves. Ana starts noticing some troubling changes in some of her sisters, and herself. Then she meets a cute park maintenance worker named Owen Chen, who seems to think of her like she’s a real person, rather than a mindless machine. She start experiencing new emotions, re: Owen Chen. Only Fantasists can’t do that...right?

Fantasists also shouldn’t be able to commit murder. And yet, when the novel opens, Ana is on trial for, you guessed it! Murder.

Yeah, we know where this is going.

And yes, though you may be able to tell where The Kingdom is going from the very beginning, it’s still fun as hell. The Kingdom theme park itself is literally Westworld’s Disneyworld with some SeaWorld thrown in. In fact, there are a ton of Westworld-type references in this book. Rothenberg even includes the “these violent delights have violent ends” quote. Straight from Westworld. Well, more like straight from Romeo & Juliet, but still. So while the story may be familiar, Rothenberg tells it in a way that does keep you on your toes - she mixes Ana’s 3rd person narration with court transcripts, transcripts of surveillance footage and bits of park ad copy. Plus, the whole concept of Disneyland going full Westworld is pretty great. So if you like the sound of that and are in the mood for a highly entertaining YA sci-fi story, then this book is for you.

I have one complaint, though. At one point, Rothenberg refers to Icelandic horses as “Icelandic ponies.”

This is not so. Icelandic horses are horses, damn it, they’re not ponies! Seriously, they are NOT PONIES. Do not call an Icelandic horse a pony in front of an Icelander, especially an Icelander who owns horses, because they will cut you.

This book is insane and I could hardly put it down! It keeps so many secrets from the reader that you can’t help but keep reading.

Disney World meets WestWorld. That's all I could think in this novel. I absolutely loved the worldbuilding and I could picture every scene and every exhibit perfectly as if I was there in the room. The story was absolutely fascinating, fast paced and I loved that I didn't know what would happen next. The only negative thing I could find about this novel was that it was just a little too short and rushed. I wish there was a little more buildup. Other than that, it was an amazing read!

I would highly recommend this novel to readers who enjoy YA fantasy. It was a lot of fun and kept me on my toes from the very first page to the last. I loved the futuristic feel and it made me really think about what is morally right when it comes to artificial intelligence in the future. Thank you so much to NetGalley and Fierce Reads for sending this novel in exchange for an honest review.


Rating 4/5

Posted to Goodreads: Ana is a Fantasist at The Kingdom. She is one of the park's beautiful, engineered princesses. Ana has always lived her life in a peaceful ignorance. However, when things start to change at the park Ana beings to become aware of the problems in her existence. She helped on her journey by Owen, a boy that works at the park who she is beginning to have real feelings for...feeling that she is not programed to have.

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. It had a cheesy, fun, sci-fi soap opera feeling to it which I enjoyed. My only issue with it was Rothenberg spent a lot of time world building around what the park looked like but she never explained what the Fantasist were or how they came to be. The entire book felt brief especial Ana and Owen's relationship. This book will work for young readers who are looking for an easy sci-fi read but hard core sci-fi fans will probably be disappointed.

This was such a unique story. 

We follow the main character who is a Fantasist, one of the many female robots used to create the perfect experience. But when she begins to question the park's tactics, a whole new light is shined down. 

The story is told in two parts. The past POV includes the main character's rendition on what took place in the park, while the present POV includes interviews and documents featuring how the park's reputation plummeted. 

I think with this story, it's best to not know too much going into it. It allows the reader to really be surprised with how the events take place. 

I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars. The setting is completely unique from any book I've read in YA. It's full of enticing twists, fun exhibits, and creative world-building. I highly recommend this one to any YA Fantasy-lover who wants a story they've never read before.

Trigger Warning: Sexual Assault (implied, off page), Child Abuse, Animal Abuse

A dream is a wish your heart makes.

Ana works in The Kingdom, ensuring that each guest feels special. Recognized. That they forget the horrors of the outside world and escape the poverty and gangs and sadness for a world of pure fantasy and delight. Because that is what Ana is programmed to do. As one of seven Fantasists, her life is making people happy.

Until she's accused of murdering a park employee after stalking him for months.

description

Holy forking shirtballs.

This was nothing at all like I expected. I walked into this one with very, very low expectations, having grown increasingly jaded with YA SFF lately. So although I was intrigued by people saying it was like Disney World meeting Westworld, cue my skepticism.

Skepticism overruled.

This was intense and it kept me so engaged that I read it in one sitting.

It is also unexpectedly dark (minus the YA-typical romance, which, though a huge part of the plot was...surprisingly not overwhelming?).

There's even an entire trial with a back-and-forth timeline that'll give you so much whiplash that you'll wonder if you just got off the Mad Teacup Ride.

It is exactly like what if Disney acquired the ability to create artificial intelligence and began to play around with bringing back extinct species in cyborg form? What if they decided that their real life princesses weren't perfect enough, so they created the perfect robot girl? Modest. Submissive. Docile. Grateful. Pleasant. The ultimate fantasy—yet tame enough so the kiddies love them and the wives don't feel jealous.

And just like with Westworld, there is a dark undercurrent to the happiness portrayed in the park. While it's never actually shown on page, there are many, many allusions to sexual assault and the exploitation of women (the fantasists) who are utterly helpless to stop their attackers—who must obey and be happy for their assaults because that is how they are programmed.

And when it is over, their minds are erased...but just like the robots in Westworld, there's the lingering sense of unease, that something isn't right, that they are acting out of protocol with their feelings.

So in essence, this entire book plays on one of my favorite tropes: what determines humanity?

With the questioning of humanity, there're heavy themes of control, dominance and abuse of power, not just with the fantasists but with every hybrid creation in the park.

Along with the unsettling feeling that something is just not well within the Kingdom are the unnerving parallels to Disney World aka The Happiest Place on Earth (and to a lesser extent, Sea World and their unethical use of animals—psssst, Disney does this too).

Rothenberg does just a fantastic job taking all of those disturbing underground stories of Disney parks, and Disney's fantastic job of maintaining the illusion of perfection with cover-ups, money and propaganda, in a dystopian tale that's unsettling because this is our reality now. Because no one ever dies on a Disney Park. Ever.

Sure we don't have fantasists, but aren't we all trying to escape to a fantasy illusion of happiness and perfection when we go to theme parks?

And we all know that nothing can ever be perfect.

Because everything has a dark side.

I received this ARC from NetGalley for an honest review.

"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."

Yes, this Westworld for YA is one of the most anticipated books this Spring!

In the description of The Kingdom on Amazon, it said this book is perfect for fans of Westworld and The Lunar Chronicles. While I haven't read The Lunar Chronicles, I have watched Westworld. I will say this book definitely gave me the Westworld vibes. I really enjoyed this book. It kind of reminded me of what Disney World would be like in the future if there were robot/human hybrids. The plot was fascinating and kept me intrigued the whole time. It was definitely a page turner. I also enjoyed the way they went back and forth between the trial and what happened before the trial. I thought it was a really good way to break up the book. The only thing I think that would've made it even better was a little more character development. I'm hoping there will be a sequel in the future and we'll get to learn more about the characters. This was a quick fun read that I really enjoyed and would give four stars.

*An ARC of this book was provided to me by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest opinion.*

This was pretty good! It's very Blade Runner meets Westworld meets Dollhouse meets Disney - I can't say the premise is super original (androids becoming sentient is pretty well-trod ground) but I liked the inclusion of trial transcripts and that it was told from the android Ana's perspective as she tries to figure out what all of her new thoughts, feeling, and experiences mean. While there is a lot of focus on the fact that she develops feelings for a human, the romance is minimal which was fine with me. There is some implied abuse/rape that gets the point across without being graphic or intense. I would have liked a map of The Kingdom included in the book and perhaps there will be in the final version. The ending appears to set this up as a series although I don't see mention of that anywhere else. Overall, an enjoyable YA sci-fi about Disney Princess automatons that are sick of all the stupid rules.

In my Kingdom, Happily Ever After is not just a promise: it's a rule.

Android Disney Princesses. A theme park of illusions. A sci-fi thriller.
The Kingdom by Jess Rothenberg was everything. What a brilliant and unique story that takes on questions of morals, objectification, evolution, humanity, and so much more.

The story is captivating and told through multiple formats. The main perspective is told by Ana, a human hybrid, she is one of seven Fantasists. The Fantasists are essentially Disney princesses. They are permanent fixtures of this futuristic theme park and their main motivation is to make “dreams come true.”

“In the Kingdom--my Kingdom--happily ever after is the only ending there is.”

The rest of the story is told through video logs, interview records, and trial dialogue. The story unfolds in a way that kept me guessing and the pages turning. I could NOT put this book down. Ana is accused of murdering a Kingdom employee and the trial that ensues is debating the idea of humanity versus programming. Android versus human.

“Human beings are not infallible, and neither is our technology. Mistakes happen. Errors occur. Rides break down. And if we were fooled by the Kingdom’s illusions well… it was because we wanted to be.”

As the reader, I began to question what is real? Is Ana glitching and malfunctioning or is she making her own independent choices? Did she kill Owen? What is moral and how human are Ana and the Fantasists?

The ending was perfect and allowed for the closure the story needed while leaving the larger picture open-ended for future books. Although I have to say I was shocked to see how everything played out in the end. I cannot express enough how fantastic this story is. It’s dark and sinister, touches on many important issues, and the pacing is perfection. This is a must-read. I personally will be purchasing and rereading this upon release. I also think it would make an incredible audio book.

“Happy endings are only stories. And stories are lies.”

ARC provided by Henry and Holt and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This story blew my mind!! It was so unique and I could not put it down. I loved it was from Ana’s point of view.
The murder mystery plot in The Kingdom was so well done and it had me guessing right till the end!
10/10 would recommend!

An interesting take on AI when used for entertainment and what happens when AI goes "wrong" and how society creates these changes in AI.

A fun read that was full of twists and turns! Perfect red for theme park enthusiasts. A must read! I am rating The Kingdom 4 out of 5 stars.

First I would like to thank NetGalley and Macmillan Children's for allowing me to read a copy of this ARC.

I really enjoyed this distopian story! I enjoyed learning about the Fantasists and the technology the park had, as well as the relationships that formed. It was a little predictable though, which was disappointing for me.

I loved the ending and thought it was perfect. I am curious if there will be a sequel, since it wasn't so much left in a cliff-hanger, but it had enough of an open ending that I'd like to see what happens next!

Sci-Fi has been taking the backseat to the Fantasy freight train in high profile stories, but I KNOW that The Kingdom by Jess Rothenberg is going to be that flag planted in the ground that will turn the tide.

Unique storytelling, with a smart intricately woven plot, Rothenberg introduces readers to a new book best friend: Ana, and a world you do not want to actually live in. Happily Ever After sounds good, until you scratch the surface.

A fascinating idea, something like The Giver meets Disney. The reveal of the facade was particularly interesting in its gendered aspects. I do wish the characters had been a bit better-rounded, and I found some of the flashbacks a little unnecessary and the eventual unraveling of the "mystery" somewhat underwhelming - had the momentum of the first part of the book kept up, I think this would have been a solid four stars for me. I was, however, caught up the whole time in the cloying creepiness and the increasing franticness with which the story was told.

I absolutely LOVED reading this book! It checked off so much of my "interests" lists: Disneyland, tech, futuristic, solving crime, and a strong female protagonist with several wonderful twists!!
There were so many times while reading that I felt like I was in Disneyland. Jess Rothernberg did an amazing job with describing the world in vivid detail to the point I could smell the churros and hear the background music.
This is great for fans of Marissa Meyer, Disneyland, princesses, and techie crime solvers! I can't recommend this book enough. It has earned a permanent place on my bookshelf!