Kings of This World

by Elizabeth Knox

When Vex and her friends are kidnapped and held to ransom it sets off a terrifying chain of twists and turns as they struggle to survive and try to find a way to escape.

Vex is used to people being afraid of her special power, the ability to persuade others to do what she wants.

But when she arrives at a new school, Tiebold Academy, it is packed with people who have the same special power as her, and who might even like her.

There is her roommate Ronnie, a coolheaded high achiever; and Ronnie's friend Taye, who is recovering from a brain injury. There is witty, lordly Hannu, whose father happens to be a billionaire. And then there's troubled, blessed, honourable, terrifying Ari.

Vex is enchanted by her new friends when, five weeks into term one, they are kidnapped.

They find themselves chained in the basement of an abandoned factory, trying to figure out how to escape, all the while tormented by questions Why were they taken? Why do the kidnappers seem to hate Vex, and at the same time want to recruit her?

Can Vex and her friends save themselves? And if they do, will they ever feel safe again? What kind of reckoning will they face afterwards? And will Vex again feel responsible for all the bad things that happened?

Genres: Fantasy, Mystery, Friendship

336 pages, Paperback

First published September 9, 2025

About the author

Elizabeth Knox was born in Wellington‚ New Zealand‚ and is the author of eleven novels and three novella and a book of essays.

Reviews

[Trisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Strangely compelling. But also a bit dark and gritty.

Also weird. But in a good way. I think.

Hmm.

[Clare Snow · Rating 4 out of 5]

"That is the accepted wisdom. My general unsuitability for human company."

[Lucy · Rating 2 out of 5]

As someone who hasn't read the previous Dreamhunter books, I was coming to the world fresh. Unfortunately, I feel this may have hampered my enjoyment because I spent much of the book confused and at a loss to what was going on.
I did like the characters. Ari and Vex especially shine from the page. I enjoyed and wanted more of 'Bold', the school they inhabit. My favourite chapter detailed a long and complex game of midnight laser tag the seniors played and I would have liked more of this. I loved the descriptions of Southland, it felt magical and just the right amount of odd.
I didn't enjoy the amount of characters, I couldn't hold them all in my head at once. Also the narrative jumps around A LOT, from the past to the present, to the kidnapping, to what happens after. There's some romance, some intrigue, some danger. And a lot of teens being teens. But not much of it felt cohesive and I got a bit bored.
I am a bit Elizabeth Knox fan but this one didn't do it for me.

[Tanya · Rating 5 out of 5]

'In the 1980s we coined the term P, for Persuasion, which turned into P for Push when people stopped being so polite about it.' He paused a moment and pursed his lips, as if pleased with himself. [loc. 178]

Knox's latest YA novel is set in her fictional island nation of Southland, and references both Mortal Fire and the Dreamhunter Duet. Unlike the earlier books, it's set in more or less the present day: there are cellphones, EVs, the internet. And there is P (for Persuasion): a coercive / perceptual ability possessed by the Percentage, 1% of the population -- and a divisive issue in Southland society.

Vex Magdolen, sole survivor of a massacre at an 'intentional community' known as the Crucible, has strong P. After a childhood in the fosterage and state care system, she enters Tiebold Academy, where 75% of the students (though not Vex's roommate Ronnie) have P. Within a few weeks she's made friends and found her people ... but after a disturbance at the Compulsory Senior Year Morgue Visit, Vex and four of her classmates -- plus an adult assistant -- are kidnapped and imprisoned by mysterious masked captors. Was the original target Hanno, son of the richest man in Southland? Or was it one of the others -- Vex, Ari the senator's son, Taye who seems immune to Pushing?

The story alternates between the teens' captivity and Vex's first weeks at Tiebold Academy: and it doesn't end with the kidnapping, but with a confrontation that also reveals unexpected truths about Vex's past. There's love, zealotry, loss, treachery, and politics, and adults who think they know what's best for the young people under their care.

But most of all there is Knox's refulgent prose, vivid and simple (the promise of which was why I went to considerable lengths to acquire a copy of this book, not yet available in the US or UK). I loved the additional details of Southland's history and culture -- 'plague, the Place, and P' -- and am now eager to reread the other Southland novels: and Knox has said she intends to write another two novels set in Southland. Hurrah!

I note that I haven't said much about the plot of Kings of this World. The aspect that most intrigued me was Vex's childhood storytelling, which reminded me of the Game that Knox has mentioned in various contexts. I was also prompted to read Vonnegut's story 'Harrison Bergeron', about handicapping the gifted. And I am still thinking about Vex's family's reputation for foresight.

[Brody Hitchcock · Rating 4 out of 5]

​Elizabeth Knox's Kings of the World is a captivating and unique read. The books core concept, blending magical realism and psychic abilities with a modern-day kidnapping thriller, is executed well and stands out from anything I've read before. Her writing creates an enchanting yet tense atmosphere, pulling you into a world where the fantastical feels grounded and real. The imaginative premise of a boarding school for students with "P" (the ability to Persuade) was a highlight for me and made it a refreshing change of pace from my usual reads.

​While I was hooked by the initial concept, the sheer number of characters eventually made me feel a bit lost. As the narrative introduced more and more people, I found it challenging to keep track of everyone's connections and motivations within the high-stakes plot. This personal preference kept me from fully immersing myself in the later parts of the book. Despite this, I would highly recommend Kings of the World to anyone looking for a cool story that dares to be different.

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to like this more than I did and I know there will be other people out there who loved it. But something just didn't sit quite right. And should I like this because it is Elizabeth Knox? That’s what I’m struggling with as despite it being a return to the Dreamhunter world (which I really liked), this novel about Vex, a teenage girl (the only survivor of a mass murder situation in a commune when she was young and protected ever since), sallying forth into a boarding school of teens most with special powers of Push (to make others do what they want them to). While it was an ok story, It felt a bit disjointed to me and it was interesting to read that it has been in work for some time with the initial draft originally being rewritten into two books and then edited down into one novel. It almost felt like it would have been better if it had not kept dropping in snippets from the Dreamhunter world.

[Anne Carty · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am a lover of books with an academic setting. Throw in some paranormal or fantastical stuff, and I am ready to go. I was highly anticipating this book, but unfortunately, it felt really flat for me. The prologue of this story was so strong, and I was so keen to keep on reading and find out everything about this book, but it fell short very quickly. From the beginning, we are thrown into this world with no real world-building or understanding of how things work. I was very confused. I felt no true connection to the characters, and even though they were kidnapped, I felt nothing for them. I felt disappointed with this book and very confused, so when I read some reviews and realised this was part of an already established world, I felt annoyed because that wasn’t made clear in any way.

[Josie Laird · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now I want a sequel!
Not only did it keep me awake to finish, but then I lay awake thinking it all over. I really liked the premise, and the underlying complications.
I haven't read the previous Dreamhunter books, so I had to work a little to understand this world. And I was surprised with the false ending 2/3 through, but pleased to continue and have my questions answered.

[Sophie Rattanong · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars. Great synopsis, but poor execution. The first half of the book dragged, and was very confusing. There was no exposition, which made the story hard to follow (this book straddles the line between magical realism and fantasy, I think it needed exposition). It picked up in the second half and all came together, but it was too little too late for me.

[Lucy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A strong return to the world Knox started with the Dreamhunter series. I enjoyed this. It was a fun wee jaunt, if sometimes a little fast-paced. I did like the schoolyard/kidnapping gritty juxtaposition!

[Anna KW · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think you need to be a certain kind of person to 'get' Knox books. I don't think I'm one of those people. Loved the Dream hunter duology and enjoyed how this novel fit into that world, but overall the plot and failed to entertain me.

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wild ride!

[Kirstin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nowhere near as good as her Dream hunters series.

[Hannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

When Vex and her friends are kidnapped and held to ransom, it sets off a terrifying chain of twists and turns as they struggle to survive and to work out how to escape.

This is a slightly dark YA campus thriller that combines fantasy elements to enhance the psychological intrigue. Vex has a really interesting, but tragic, background, which left me drawn to her as a character.

I really enjoyed the fantasy/sci-fi element of this one. “Pushing” is something that a selection of the population can do, allowing them to impress their will onto others. There’s also different forms of pushing, and I would have loved to know more about these in detail.

I found the book a little confusing at the start because there’s a lot of time jumps. Once I settled into the story I got used to it, but you’re trying to garner information around the world design while keeping up with what’s happening in the plot. I think a little more info-dumping at the start would’ve helped.

Thanks so much to Allen and Unwin NZ for sending me this one to review!