The Kingdoms

By: Natasha Pulley

Narrated by: Theo Solomon

Bloomsbury presents The Kingdoms by Natasha Pulley, read by Theo Solomon.

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. Swept out to sea with a hardened British sea captain named Kite, who might know more about Joe’s past than he’s willing to let on, Joe will remake history, and himself.

From bestselling author Natasha Pulley, The Kingdoms is an epic, romantic, wildly original novel that bends genre as easily as it twists time.©2021 Natasha Pulley (P)2021 Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

Critic reviews

"Pulley’s latest genre-bending feat (after The Lost Future of Pepperharrow) masterfully combines history, speculative fiction, queer romance and more into an unputdownable whole.... This is a stunner." (Publishers Weekly, starred review)

"Natasha Pulley’s The Kingdoms is an intricate plot, for sure, but you get swept up in the narrative. If this sounds like the type of book you’re drawn to - epic! time travel! history! - you know who you are." (Alma)

Edge of my seat

this is a very satisfying wonderfully written book. it kept me often on the edge of my seat and I was resentful of the many interruptions that took me away from my reading. I highly recommend this book. and I'm pleased to have read this as my second sample from this author.

A Beautiful

A masterpiece of a novel: genre-blending, thought provoking, socially and psychologically insightful, beautifully written and masterfully read!

No spoilers is best!

Fantastic narration. Loved the setting.
Love Pulley’s books, though I’d slot this one below the rest. Mainly because with this one there was a mystery that was so obvious to solve and the main character couldn’t solve it (without me as a reader having good reasons why he wouldn’t put the pieces together). Likely not something that would bother everyone though!

Another fantastic novel from Natasha Pulley

Another fantastic book from Natasha Pulley!

I’d been looking forward to its release ever since I finished her last novel “The Lost Future of Pepperharrow”.

I highly recommend you listen to all her 4 novels starting with “Bedlam Stacks” - the narrator is fantastic as well.

I wish I read it rather than listened

I am not sure my problem was with the narrator or the book in general. It was very difficult to follow the timeline via audio. I also found it very hard to differentiate between some of the characters. I liked Theo Solomon as a narrator but it was hard to tell at times just which character was speaking. Ultimately, I wish I had read the book.