The Kingdom of Almonds

The Mirror Realm Cycle #3

by Ariel Kaplan

In the enchanting conclusion to the Mirror Realm Cycle, the fate of all three realms hangs in the balance as Toba, Naftaly, and their companions must settle the question of Luz once and for all. . .

Toba and Naftaly have stepped through the Gate of Luz into the mythic world of Aravoth, home to the Ziz, the bird of legend capable of raising the sea. Aravoth—the fabled third realm—is more dizzying and terrifying than Toba or Naftaly could have imagined. Nor had they expected to find someone already there, waiting for them.

After barely escaping the burning city of Zayit, Elena and the old woman have a new problem: Barsilay, heir of Luz, is being held for an exorbitant ransom by the paranoid Queen of P'ri Hadar. As Barsilay sits in his dark, demon-inhabited prison cell, he begins to realize the queen is guarding an ancient secret that might be the key to his release.

And the tyrant Tarses continues to close in on P’ri Hadar, wielding an army that spans the Mazik and mortal worlds and newly-powerful visions that reveal his most longed-for future—visions that he and Naftaly seem to share.

In this triumphant finale, the mirror realms must find their balance, or risk being lost altogether.

Genres: Fantasy, Jewish, LGBT, Adult, Historical Fiction, Historical, Historical Fantasy

496 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication March 31, 2026

Reviews

[Maven_Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Kingdom of Almonds by Ariel Kaplan is the final volume in the “Mirror Realm Cycle.” The story sends protagonists Toba and Naftaly (along with other characters) through the Gate of Luz into the mythic world of Aravoth, home to legendary beings and the final confrontation that will determine the fate of all three realms.

I absolutely hope that Kaplan will deliver in this finale. Looking forward to the book's release!

[Mimi Schweid]

Making a note, this book comes out at the end of March, 2026 so Sarah (@Cheesecat777) and I have a bit more time to read book 2!

[Suzanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an absolute perfect end to the Mirror Realm Cycle. The whole gang is back, Toba, Tsifra, Elena, Barsilay, Naftaly, the old woman and the Tarses.
I really enjoyed the demons in this book, the old woman and them add some delightful levity to a tense and very adventurous tale.
The stakes are so high, and I was very curious to see what would happen and if Tarses would succeed.
The Mazik, Aravoth, human world and the dream world are so well fleshed out.
I also really enjoyed the character development in the whole trilogy. Everyone is so well rounded.
The Ziz was delightful as were the newer characters. It’s like a beautiful 3D puzzle that all came together. I laughed, I cried. I highly recommend this Jewish fantasy novel. The entire trilogy is one of the best and well crafted trilogies I have ever read. I would give this 5.5 stars if I could.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the third and final installment of the fantasy series based on Jewish mythology, the Mirror Realm Cycle, which begins with the Pomegranate Gate. I felt that this was a really nice conclusion overall to the three books - we revisit the always likeable characters of Toba, Naftaly, Barsilay and their by now large group of friends, as they battle to restore equilibrium to the mirror realm - which has been in an environmental crisis since one of the magical gates connecting mortal and mazik realms was torn from the firmament centuries previously, by the ancestors of Toba and Naftaly. They inherited the task of putting the realms back in balance before terrible consequences ensue. I liked the use of the different versions of Toba and their names with the two great beasts, the Leviathan of the sea and the Ziz of the sky, coming together to play a role in the return of the gate. I did however feel like there were small plot holes or unresolved storylines occasionally, though - for example Tarses is meant to be pursuing his agenda to avoid some terrible future he has forseen - but this terrible future is never really explained. There were a couple of other small niggles but these were small things in the grand scheme of a well crafted plot - the revelations surrounding Ayleth for example were well done. Other things I really enjoyed in this one were the addition of Nehama, who was a really interesting character, and the demons, who are originally thought of as ‘evil’ and in this book morph into fickle but helpful aids, often in the guise of cats.

My thanks to #NetGalley and the publisher, Rebellion, for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Svea · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really really enjoyed this trilogy. It's very unique, I love the writing style and the characters truly stole my heart. The Kingdom of Almonds is a worthy conclusion to the series that surprised me many times again.
I loved following Toba, Naftaly, Barsilay and the rest of them to the big finale. It was at times beautifully weird, the plot progression made sense, the pacing kept me on my toes and I did enjoy where everyone ended up. The writing is, no surprise there, once again superb and I will absolutely devour anything Ariel Kaplan releases from this day on. Also, would I read an entire book about the old woman and her shenanigans? Yeah, yes I would.
The first book in the trilogy is still my favourite and neither sequel did quite manage to achieve that perfect balance of humour and serious thematic depth, but it fit with the story told in them. I also sadly felt that Naftaly as a character grew more and more passive through his journey and was losing his voice, and while he has some stuff to do in this final book, that feeling never quite left me. He sometimes reacts to reveals that should absolutely shatter him in a weirdly detached way that doesn't work with what we've learned about him, but maybe I'm too critical because I absolutely adore that little man. The romances were wonderful, though Naftaly and Barsilay were much more prominent and kind of overshadowing. My surprise favourite romance was a side character one.
I also think that some ideas weren't brought to their conclusion in a wholly satisfying way and we didn't get answers to some questions that were built up before, but not in a way that made this book any less enjoyable.

So yes, wonderful conclusion to a wonderful trilogy and everyone who loves fantasy should pick this one up.

Many thanks to Solaris and Netgalley for the arc!

[Annabelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Historical fiction, myths, and mysticism blend together in the final entry of The Mirror Realm Cycle. The last book of this intriguing trilogy starts with the central characters, Toba and Naftaly, going through the Gate of Luz into the mythic world of Aravoth, the fabled third realm. Everyone that we have encountered in the prior books, and even a new character or two has a part to play in the finale and in finding the balance to the realms. The world building and character development have only gotten stronger through this story and this last book leaves us with a fitting conclusion. For readers who enjoy mysticism and magic with a touch of history and are looking for a completed series, The Mirror Realm Cycle is an excellent adventure.
I received advanced access to this book thru NetGalley (for which I want to thank NetGalley and the publisher, Kensington Publishing -Erewhon Books) for an honest review. The opinion expressed here is my own.