The Kingdom Within

By: Samantha Gillespie

Narrated by: Lauren B. Leigh

Length: 6 hrs and 26 mins

Publisher's summary

Princess Meredith’s 18th birthday is fast approaching, but unlike other girls, she is not looking forward to it. Upon her coming of age, she is to marry the prince of Alder, the most powerful kingdom in the world. Though the idea of marriage to a complete stranger is appalling, she knows she has no choice. Without the marriage contract, Stonefall’s alliance with Alder will be lost, and her people will be safe no longer; Theros, King of Talos, has set his eyes of conquest on Stonefall and he wants Meredith dead.

Connor, an elite soldier entrusted with Meredith’s safety, arrives at the palace just as things begin to take a turn for the worst. Together, they will embark on a journey of survival, in which Meredith will find that the only thing she never prepared for was falling in love.

©2014 Mystic Harbor Press, LLC (P)2020 Mystic Harbor Press, LLC

Excellent

I throughly enjoyed this story it was nice to listen to on a whim. The narrator was great as well. I really loved the princess's character👸

cant wait for part 2!!!

Spellbinding

An amazing performance, coupled with a fantastic story. Beautifully woven tale that has left me at the edge of my seat, faithfully and anxiously waiting for book 2. That ending!!!

Great Narrator, Interesting Story

Lauren B. Leigh is great at telling this interesting story. She performs both the male and female voices incredibly well. This story is compelling and I hope there will be more in the series.

A Familiar Story Told Well

Let me say first that fantasy is not my genre of choice. Tales centered around royalty specifically.

However- I greatly enjoyed “The Kingdom Within”. Although it treads familiar territory, the story Ms. Gillespie tells is exciting, emotional, and easy-to-follow, with strong characterization and dialogue throughout. I was along for the ride the entire time, swooning over Connor and rooting for the growth of Princess Meredith all the same.

What really made this such a fantastic listen was the performance by Lauren B. Leigh. A soothing voice during narration, she manages to inhabit every character with great spirit, really keeping the listen hooked on every word.

I can’t wait to hear the next chapter in this series.

Captivating Story

I was excited to listen to this new YA/teen series. The story was interesting and kept my attention from beginning to conclusion. The author did an excellent job creating unique characters that kept me captivated and wondering what would happen next.

Narration was well done and brought the story to life.

I enjoyed the twists and turns but the conclusion left me wanting much more. I can barely wait for the next book to see how things will turn out. Please hurry! :)

“I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review”

Great listen!

What a wonderful read! I really enjoyed a lot of things about this book. The characters were definitely thought out and each had a lot of unique characteristics to relate to. I especially liked Connor and how adorable he is! The plot was fast moving and had a lot of twists and turns that will keep you on your toes. The writing was really well done and beautiful. I never felt like the story lulled or slowed down. Overall it was really engaging and entertaining and I would definitely recommend!

Good book

Good story for when you want to get lost in a fantasy for a while.

Okay for YA

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

Every now and then I like to add a YA novel into my library for an easy listen. I'm indifferent towards this one.

I wanted to like Meredith as she was the MC, but her actions were oftentimes led by inconsistent, reckless, and martyr-esque decisions. She did have some redeeming qualities, so she wasn't unbearable. Connor was likable, nothing to set him apart from the typical romantic interests in other bokks, but he got way too attached way too quickly for me. I prefer a slow burn romance as opposed to an eye-rolling one. By then, I was more into this book for the plot and story rather than the relationships, but there didn't seem to be an overall plot. There were quite a few smaller subplots, but the main, overarching one that was hinted at in the beginning wasn't such a looming threat as it should have been. It was a frustrating, sometimes dull book to listen to, but still could be entertaining for the younger end of YA readers.