Book Highlight: The Kingdoms by Natasha Pulley

Title: The Kingdoms

Author: Natasha Pulley

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Publication Date: May 25, 2021

Genre: Historical Fantasy

For fans of The 7 ½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle and David Mitchell, a genre bending, time twisting alternative history that asks whether it’s worth changing the past to save the future, even if it costs you everyone you’ve ever loved.

Joe Tournier has a bad case of amnesia. His first memory is of stepping off a train in the nineteenth-century French colony of England. The only clue Joe has about his identity is a century-old postcard of a Scottish lighthouse that arrives in London the same month he does. Written in illegal English-instead of French-the postcard is signed only with the letter “M,” but Joe is certain whoever wrote it knows him far better than he currently knows himself, and he’s determined to find the writer. The search for M, though, will drive Joe from French-ruled London to rebel-owned Scotland and finally onto the battle ships of a lost empire’s Royal Navy. In the process, Joe will remake history, and himself.

From bestselling author Natasha Pulley, The Kingdoms is an epic, wildly original novel that bends genre as easily as it twists time.

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Why This Book

The Kingdoms is a fantasy novel that features an alternate history for England and has the main character, Joe, traveling back and forth in time. As an historical fiction novel, especially one that involves time travel, it was a little confusing and a lot was left unexplained. But, as a male/male romance, it was clear this love story was meant to be the star carrying the weight of the story, though it was hard for me to see at the beginning.

So I’ve chosen this book definitely not because of the historical alternate time line and time travel, but for the romance that was really at the heart of the story the entire time. Joe and Kite were an interesting pair that I would not have put together, but their story and Kite’s work to bring them back together stole my heart. Just don’t go into this one expecting a time travel historical fiction novel that will actually make sense.

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Reviews

My review: “The Kingdoms leaves a lot unexplained and probably too many loose threads. It was frustrating, unless I switched my perspective and looked at this book has a love story instead of a time travel and alternate history novel”

Annie from A Bookish Type wrote “If anything lightens this book up, it’s the hints of love between Joe and Missouri that appear in the brief, quiet moments. The hope that Joe might finally recapture his lost memory and the hope that he and Missouri will be able to be together are what pulled me through this twisty, turn-y, exciting novel”

Becky from Becky’s Book Blog wrote “Pulley definitely pulls no punches with her storytelling. I went through a rigmarole of emotions whilst reading The Kingdoms, and there were definitely a few moments that had me shouting WTF. Her characters are incredibly complicated, but I can guarantee you will love them… even the more morally grey ones”

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Purchase Links

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Audible | Target | Bookshop | Waterstones (UK) | DreamHaven | Kobo | Scribd | Booktopia (Australia) | Book Depository | IndieBound | Lost City Books | ThriftBooks | Books A Million | Powell’s | Abe Books | Google

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