3.5 stars!

I didn't really know anything about this book going in and was pleasantly surprised to find a certain trope that I usually enjoy. The Kingdoms turned out to be a very atmospheric read with an intriguing albeit slower-paced plot.

There was a twist that was rather obvious early on, not sure if that's intentional, but I liked the characters (for the most part) and especially the alternate history aspect of the story. Parts of the plot seemed a bit convoluted here and there, however, the interesting ideas and the need to know how it ends kept me reading and ultimately led to a satisfying conclusion.