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4.12 AVERAGE
4.12 AVERAGE
What an absolute mindfuck of a book!
Winding through multiple alternate realities and tackling identity shifts with a narrative structure that jumps forwards and backwards in time and space, The Kingdoms is truly a unique read that brilliantly tells the story it sets out to.
It's one of those books where the more you think about it, the tighter it winds around you, tangling you in a knot that tightens the more you try to unravel it. It’s a book that feels like it can be read forwards and backwards, or started at any point in the middle and still make complete sense. The story loops into itself repeatedly with the end feeding back into the beginning. It’s truly mind boggling and there's just no way to summarize the plot without giving something important away. All I can say is just read this book and let it blow your mind.
The strength of this book lies in the characters. Kite and Agatha...WOW. They are multilayered - vulnerable yet ruthless. These are complicated people you want to hate, and yet, the numerous jumps in time humanize them, giving you a glimpse of who they were before they lost their soft innocence. I'm usually not a fan of amnesia stories because I find amnesiac characters empty and uncompelling (if they don't know who they are, how are we supposed to?) While Joe was hard to place at first, the nonlinear plot really fills in his character even if he hadn't yet unraveled it himself.
The settings are well-imagined and this book has all the atmospheric winter ~vibes~ (think howling arctic, not cozy Christmas). It really captures the sense of feeling untethered in the world, grasping at the life you can just barely feel behind the veil. There are moments of aching loneliness, suspenseful battles at sea, and tension-filled scenes that made me want to yell "just kiss already!" The romance simmers, bubbling just under the surface, until it boils over into an epic love story that spans time and space.
My only complaint was that the answer for the mystery was obvious from really early on in the book, which made Joe's continued ignorance frustrating. I also wish the world was explored in greater depth - I could read a whole other book about the French colony England and the resistance movement! However, the way this book all ties together in the end is masterful. The story shines in the details and I found myself flipping back to reread sections repeatedly to make astounding connections as the story unfolded. It’s slow at the start, but really takes off to the races after the first 100 pages and the last 100 pages will destroy you (in the best possible way!).
Winding through multiple alternate realities and tackling identity shifts with a narrative structure that jumps forwards and backwards in time and space, The Kingdoms is truly a unique read that brilliantly tells the story it sets out to.
It's one of those books where the more you think about it, the tighter it winds around you, tangling you in a knot that tightens the more you try to unravel it. It’s a book that feels like it can be read forwards and backwards, or started at any point in the middle and still make complete sense. The story loops into itself repeatedly with the end feeding back into the beginning. It’s truly mind boggling and there's just no way to summarize the plot without giving something important away. All I can say is just read this book and let it blow your mind.
The strength of this book lies in the characters. Kite and Agatha...WOW. They are multilayered - vulnerable yet ruthless. These are complicated people you want to hate, and yet, the numerous jumps in time humanize them, giving you a glimpse of who they were before they lost their soft innocence. I'm usually not a fan of amnesia stories because I find amnesiac characters empty and uncompelling (if they don't know who they are, how are we supposed to?) While Joe was hard to place at first, the nonlinear plot really fills in his character even if he hadn't yet unraveled it himself.
The settings are well-imagined and this book has all the atmospheric winter ~vibes~ (think howling arctic, not cozy Christmas). It really captures the sense of feeling untethered in the world, grasping at the life you can just barely feel behind the veil. There are moments of aching loneliness, suspenseful battles at sea, and tension-filled scenes that made me want to yell "just kiss already!" The romance simmers, bubbling just under the surface, until it boils over into an epic love story that spans time and space.
My only complaint was that the answer for the mystery was obvious from really early on in the book, which made Joe's continued ignorance frustrating. I also wish the world was explored in greater depth - I could read a whole other book about the French colony England and the resistance movement! However, the way this book all ties together in the end is masterful. The story shines in the details and I found myself flipping back to reread sections repeatedly to make astounding connections as the story unfolded. It’s slow at the start, but really takes off to the races after the first 100 pages and the last 100 pages will destroy you (in the best possible way!).
adventurous
challenging
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Come home, if you remember.
I never feel as tangibly transported as I do reading a Natasha Pulley novel, and The Kingdoms did not disappoint. The atmosphere tips and spins from dreamy melancholy to ferocious violence sometimes within the span of pages, but these dramatic swoops are consistently grounded by Pulley's dynamic characters and vivid, salt-soaked prose. I was delighted to learn that Pulley herself spent time sailing with the crew of a ship while writing this novel, and was even more thrilled to learn she took inspiration from my all-time favorite TV show, Starz' Black Sails. Both her lived experiences and excellent taste in television contribute to a highly believable environment, which seemed immediately familiar despite my utter lack of facility with the high seas. Once again, I applaud Pulley's skill as a researcher. In addition to the fascinating sci-fi twist she's pulled with the time travel aspect, Pulley is also a talented writer of historical fiction, educating me even as she twists the past to reflect the turned tides of the Napoleonic War.
Plot wise, this is a swirling Nautilus shell of a novel, curling in and around itself as it weaves together the past, the present, and the could-have-been. I admit to finding myself lost a few times along the way, but by the end of the story Pulley efficiently ties up all of the loose ends she's tugged open. Without giving any spoilers, I will say that this novel has one of my favorite bookends in history. Kite was easily the most compelling character of the lot (also, find me a cooler name for a character than Missouri Kite), and Joe was charming enough, if somewhat indistinguishable from Pulley's other fish out of water protagonists. My biggest issue with this novel was its relentlessly poor treatment of women: I fell in love with Agatha and her struggles as an 18th century female surgeon but.
I am also a HUGE sucker for the amnesia trope. Call me a sap but I adored Missouri and Kite's roundabout enemies to lovers romance, and their dedication to finding each other across oceans, continents, and even time. While I had a few issues with this book, it is overall a gorgeous tale of love, loss, and memory.
EDIT: The audiobook is also fabulous. Could not recommend listening highly enough on a chilly winter day, bonus points if you are by the ocean.
I never feel as tangibly transported as I do reading a Natasha Pulley novel, and The Kingdoms did not disappoint. The atmosphere tips and spins from dreamy melancholy to ferocious violence sometimes within the span of pages, but these dramatic swoops are consistently grounded by Pulley's dynamic characters and vivid, salt-soaked prose. I was delighted to learn that Pulley herself spent time sailing with the crew of a ship while writing this novel, and was even more thrilled to learn she took inspiration from my all-time favorite TV show, Starz' Black Sails. Both her lived experiences and excellent taste in television contribute to a highly believable environment, which seemed immediately familiar despite my utter lack of facility with the high seas. Once again, I applaud Pulley's skill as a researcher. In addition to the fascinating sci-fi twist she's pulled with the time travel aspect, Pulley is also a talented writer of historical fiction, educating me even as she twists the past to reflect the turned tides of the Napoleonic War.
Plot wise, this is a swirling Nautilus shell of a novel, curling in and around itself as it weaves together the past, the present, and the could-have-been. I admit to finding myself lost a few times along the way, but by the end of the story Pulley efficiently ties up all of the loose ends she's tugged open. Without giving any spoilers, I will say that this novel has one of my favorite bookends in history. Kite was easily the most compelling character of the lot (also, find me a cooler name for a character than Missouri Kite), and Joe was charming enough, if somewhat indistinguishable from Pulley's other fish out of water protagonists. My biggest issue with this novel was its relentlessly poor treatment of women: I fell in love with Agatha and her struggles as an 18th century female surgeon but
Spoiler
was enormously underwhelmed by her death as a plot point and felt that it was brought up far less than is should have been considering her, Joe, and Kite's relationship. Joe's other wife, Alice, is also conveniently fridged and not given much room to be her own character despite the interesting implications of both her livesI am also a HUGE sucker for the amnesia trope. Call me a sap but I adored Missouri and Kite's roundabout enemies to lovers romance, and their dedication to finding each other across oceans, continents, and even time. While I had a few issues with this book, it is overall a gorgeous tale of love, loss, and memory.
EDIT: The audiobook is also fabulous. Could not recommend listening highly enough on a chilly winter day, bonus points if you are by the ocean.
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
emotional
funny
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
brilliant writing and brilliant story. kite was absolutely lovely to read, Joe was also a delight.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
challenging
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes