REVIEW: Kingdom of Tomorrow by Gena Showalter

I first came across Kingdom of Tomorrow via an ad on Instagram. At first I wasn’t persuaded by the “Fourth Wing” similarities that Amazon Publishing had advertised. After a couple days of seeing it again on my Instagram story feed, I thought, “let’s download it and see if it lives up to the hype”. It took me a couple days to get into it (I had to start over twice), but once I got into it, I couldn’t stop reading. Authored by New York Times Bestselling Author, Gena Showalter, Kingdom of Tomorrow was published on September 1, 2025. As of Sunday September 7, the book already has 1,100+ reviews and is the #1 Bestselling book in the Magic Romance E-books category on Amazon.

Quick Take

Kingdom of Tomorrow is a fast-paced modern fantasy where a dangerous nightfall, a book that knows you, and a sharp-tongued prince crashes into a heroine who is determined to choose her own destiny. It took me about three sittings to get through and let’s just say, I cannot wait for book two, Kingdom of Today, to come out this December.

What Hooked Me

Arden is Human - Many of the fantasy books I have read this year, the female main character (FMC) is witty, strong-willed, and not afraid to stand up to her enemies. Arden is the opposite of this. She experiences anxiety and panic attacks which exacerbates her fear. Throughout her arc, Arden works through the anxiety and fear with the help of fellow trainees and the High Prince at the Fort Bala Royal Academy.

High Prince Cyrus Dolion - Cyrus is a main male character (MMC) that I didn’t expect to end up liking. He comes off as a stone-faced High Prince, but as his character arc develops, everything about why he is the way he is comes to light. His banter with Arden alone makes the book worth reading.

The Tome Society - The Tome Society is a secret society that is seen as the enemy. Without giving spoilers away, this society plays a pivotal role in the second part of the book. Secret societies tend to have ulterior motives that have negative consequences, but this one seems to be on the right side of history.

Love Interests that Aren’t Expected - Of all the books I’ve read this year, some of the FMC and MMC pairs were extremely predictable. Throughout this book, I wasn’t sure who she was going to end up with and I was pretty surprised at the end.

The World-Building - This book was a breath of fresh air from the traditional romantasy involving faerie lands with no electricity or forms of transportation other than horses or teleporting. There were no magical beings like faeries, werewolves, vampires, etc. Everyone seems human in the book, however, the “fantasy” part was very obvious. The setting is dystopian and seems to take place in the future after a major outbreak of the “Madness” happened. There is medieval appeal to this book, as there are emperors, kings, lords, ladies, and princes.

Where It Struggles

Throughout the book, we get to know fellow Lords- and Ladies -in-training, however, the second half of the book seems to completely ignore these characters until the very end.

If you’re experiencing fatigue from secret society story plots or rivalries, this book may exacerbate that fatigue.

Spice Level: 1/5

There is slow-burn romance and a few kisses, but no on-page explicit scenes.

Romance

Reluctant Partners: Rivals to Friends to Lovers; Banter-First, Kiss Later

Tropes

Royal Academy | Secret Library | Reluctant Partners to Enemies to Lovers | Forced Proximity | Found Purpose | Book Prophecy

Content Notes:

Anxiety and Panic attacks are portrayed on paper; Fantasy violence with firearms; Moral fallout when nightfall comes.

Verdict: 4.5/5 Stars

The character development is top-tier compared to other books in the magic romance/romantasy genres. The tension is palpable between rivals and it pays off in the end. The psychological and emotional growth of Arden is inspiring. Sub-characters could have used a bit more exploration in the second half of the book. The blend of training, real world missions, and face-offs with supposed enemies, provided the perfect amount of action to tie everything together. Pacing was slow in the beginning but picked up in the second part of book. Overall, highly recommend to those who enjoy modern romantasy and slowburn romance.

If interested in reading, this book is on Kindle Unlimited and you can purchase a hardcopy of the book via Amazon.