I’m very much a hopeless romantic, a people pleaser, and an animal lover of epic proportions, and so the idea of a perfect and beautiful fantasy world is admittedly very appealing to me.

In some ways, I suppose I’m a little like Ana, the main protagonist of the story. What character do you most relate to and why? I’m proud of where Ana’s story ended up and hope it’ll both entertain and spark more of the big picture conversations we should all be having.

And initially, that’s what THE KINGDOM was: a more grounded story about love and murder at a theme park.īut then so much has happened over the last few years, from the election, to the Me Too Movement, to the USA Women’s Gymnastics abuse scandal, to the US pulling out of the Paris climate agreement, to our complete addiction to and reliance upon technology, and the book started to evolve into something more complex-a chance for me to delve into deeper issues I care a lot about. I loved hearing what went on behind the scenes at the most magical place on earth-the wild cast parties, the divas, the drama-and found the idea of all these darker secrets lurking beneath the surface of a perfect-seeming fantasy world to be so fascinating. Jess: The inspiration for The Kingdom initially came from the stories my mom used to tell me about the summer in college she spent working at Disney World. 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.Aurora: What was your inspiration behind The Kingdom? When she meets park employee Owen, Ana begins to experience emotions beyond her programming including, for the first time.love.īut the fairy tale becomes a nightmare when Ana is accused of murdering Owen, igniting the trial of the century. 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.Īna is one of seven Fantasists, beautiful “princesses” engineered to make dreams come true. Welcome to the Kingdom…where 'happily ever after' isn’t just a promise but a rule. Readers will leave this glittering theme park forgetting what is real and what is fairy tale.' (Dhonielle Clayton, New York Times-bestselling author of The Belles) 'Wildly addictive and beautifully terrifying. A half-android, half-human girl is accused of murder in Jess Rothenberg's tautly paced YA thriller, The Kingdom, perfect for fans of Westworld and The Lunar Chronicles.

The kingdom by jess rothenberg