Format: Paperback, 351 pages
Release Date: December 2, 2025
Publisher: Montlake
Source: NetGalley
Genre: Fantasy / Romance / New Adult
When Arden Roosa returns to Fort Bala Royal Academy, nothing is as it was. No longer just a lady-in-training, she’s now the infamous girlfriend of High Prince Cyrus Dolion—and the woman who brought down a king. Her reward? Round-the-clock guards and the attention of a royal executioner with secrets. But Arden has secrets too. As a double agent slipping between worlds to decode forbidden prophecy, she knows what’s coming. Sleeping gods are stirring, and a war igniting. With only a spark, everyone will burn.
But nothing goes according to plan. Grueling trials consume her days, and dangerous questions stalk her nights. Worse, Cyrus—the fierce, unshakable warrior she might love—is unraveling, losing pieces of himself, becoming a stranger right before her eyes. Desperate to save him, Arden strikes a life-altering alliance…and everything spirals. Now the gods are no longer dreaming. They’re hunting. Time is running out, the end closer than anyone dares to admit. Unless Arden can stop what’s coming, Cyrus will open the door to true evil—and she’ll lose him forever.
Kingdom of Today is the second installment in author Gena Showalter's Book of Arden series. The story resumes shortly after the explosive events of Kingdom of Tomorrow, with protagonist Arden Roosa returning to the fortified enclave of Fort Bala. This sprawling, high-tech bastion hides a labyrinth of arcane secrets beneath its gleaming surface. Arden, the "sunshine girl with anxiety" who stole hearts in book one, is no longer the wide-eyed newcomer navigating combat trials and forbidden attractions.
Now, she's a reluctant key to an ancient power awakening across fractured kingdoms, where souls can be bartered like currency and wars are waged not just with swords, but with the very essence of one's being. The central conflict revolves around Arden's deepening entanglement with the enigmatic High Prince Cyrus. Their grumpy-sunshine dynamic, which crackled with tension in the opener, evolves here into something rawer and more volatile, complicated by political machinations, betrayals within the secret society of soul-weavers, and a prophecy that positions Arden as both savior and sacrifice.
As ancient powers stir—manifesting in vivid, otherworldly visions and trials that test the boundaries of reality—Arden must uncover a shocking enemy lurking in the shadows of her own alliances. The author also adds a bit of what one could call a triangle aspect to the series when she gives Domino Crane, a member of the Thune Society and a Librarian who seems to believe that Arden is the person who has the most chance to turn the page on out-of-control Gods who are waking up.
What elevates this sequel is how Kingdom of Today expands the lore: We delve deeper into the kingdoms' interconnected histories, revealing how "today's" fragile peace stems from yesterday's wars—and tomorrow's potential apocalypse. The invisible library, a standout from book one, returns with mind-bending puzzles that blend riddle-solving with heart-stopping revelations. A few subplots feel rushed, potentially setting up future payoffs but leaving book two's emotional resolution slightly uneven.
The prophecy-heavy plot can border on convoluted for newcomers (definitely read book one first), though Showalter's recaps help. We also delve deeper into the kingdoms' interconnected histories, revealing how "today's" fragile peace stems from yesterday's wars—and tomorrow's potential apocalypse. As I said, this book ends with a wild, action-packed finale as Arden gets closer to having to fight powerful enemies. I am kind of eager to see how the author answers the unopened storylines.
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