Kingdom of Without is pitched as a crossover of Full Metal Alchemist and Les Misérables for fans of Six of Crows which are all immediate buzzwords that piqued my interest. Set in a futuristic Beijing where society is divided into class rings, we follow Zhong Ning'er, a Sixth-Ring thief, who takes a job that sets her in the heart of a revolution that stems on freeing a former rebel leader inside a secret lab. 

isbn: 978-1665901444 | pages: 288
       publication date: November 28th, 2023 | source: physical / tour
      genre: young adult, asian, science fiction
     rating: 6.7/10

     A M A Z O N    |    G O O D R E A D S    
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I received a physical and digital arc from the publisher for the purposes of this book tour -  I was not compensated for this review and all thoughts are my own honest opinion.

For a novel that's just shy of 300 pages, Kingdom of Without utilizes every single page to deliver a high-stakes story that doesn't pause to catch its breath. From the start, we are exposed to the clear divides of societal class wealth as Ning'er sells her artificial limbs to make her next month's rent. When she's introduced to a job with the notorious Red Yaksha, Beijing's vigilante hero, she finds herself working with a crew of young rebels bent on exposing the corruption of Beijing. Kingdom of Without tackles the tensions of political corruption with the hopes of a better future through rebellion and at its heart brings to life a group of characters that quickly come to feel like family.

The heist plot doesn't occur till the later half of the novel and gets less page time than I had originally anticipated. This contributes to the fast-paced nature because once the main plan took off there was no going back. I appreciated the author's dedication to not only the heist itself but to spending time developing each character's motive. Ning'er spends the first part of the story torn between not wanting to involve herself and growing to realize the possibilities of a better future if their plan succeeds. The Red Yaksha himself represents the juxtaposition of wealth and a bright future with a passion for the people. The rest of crew with Zhenyi, Zian, Feifei, and even Ge Rong all join the Red Yaksha because they believe a better future is possible - and it's impossible not to root for them.

The world of Kingdom of Without has so many intricacies and opens up so many questions for the future of this alternate Beijing. On its own, this novel perfectly captures the hope of a younger generation bent on overthrowing political corruption, a theme that is timeless and constantly reflected in our modern society today.

I received a physical and digital arc from the publisher for the purposes of this book tour -  I was not compensated for this review and all thoughts are my own honest opinion.

huge thanks to Colored Pages Book Tours, Andrea Tang, and Simon & Schuster for the opportunity to participate in this book tour! be sure to check out all the other stops by clicking the banner above!