The Riven Kingdom

by Juliet E. McKenna

When King Venais is killed alongside the Earl Maren, the kingdom of Arafaze is thrown into uncertainty. The Princess Idelina too grief stricken to claim the throne, and soon, hunters for the crown begin circling: Princess Alriad, the dead King’s aunt, seeks endorsement from the Sun Goddess’ high temple. Padran, the Earl’s brother, wants the truth about what happened on the fatal hunting trip. King Tadiri of neighbouring Mervante, whose daughter was set to marry the King, senses an opportunity. As the kingdom descends into chaos, Jadewin, an experienced Moon Priestess, and Alory, a young Sun Priest, discover a terrifying truth. Evil spirits are working to escape the realm they’re trapped in. And a war of succession is exactly what they need to gain entry into the world… The Riven Kingdom is a high fantasy that illustrates the cruel reality of power within a supernatural world where ordinary folk can trust neither tradition nor belief.

Genres: Fantasy

400 pages, Paperback

Expected publication October 27, 2026

About the author

Juliet E McKenna is a British fantasy author living in the Cotswolds, UK. Loving history, myth and other worlds since she first learned to read, she has written fifteen epic fantasy novels so far. Her debut, The Thief’s Gamble, began The Tales of Einarinn in 1999, followed by The Aldabreshin Compass sequence, The Chronicles of the Lescari Revolution, and The Hadrumal Crisis trilogy. The Green Man’s Heir was her first modern fantasy inspired by British folklore in 2018. The Green Man’s Quarry in 2023 was the sixth title in this ongoing series and won the BSFA Award for Best Novel. The seventh book, in 2024, is The Green Man’s War.

Her 2023 novel The Cleaving is a female-centred retelling of the story of King Arthur, while her shorter fiction includes forays into dark fantasy, steampunk and science fiction. She promotes SF&Fantasy by reviewing, by blogging on book trade issues, attending conventions and teaching creative writing. She has served as a judge for the James White Award, the Aeon Award, the Arthur C Clarke Award and the World Fantasy Awards. In 2015 she received the British Fantasy Society’s Karl Edward Wagner Award. As J M Alvey, she has written historical murder mysteries set in ancient Greece.

Who’s to say what will come next?

Learn more about all of this at julietemckenna.com and on Twitter @JulietEMcKenna

Reviews

[Hamad Naif · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Riven Kingdom by Juliet E. McKenna

I love fantasy that feels genuinely lived in, where the world is bigger than the characters themselves and the political tensions, competing loyalties, and personal struggles all feel like they matter. The Riven Kingdom sounds like exactly the kind of story that draws me in, especially with its focus on a kingdom facing division and the difficult choices that come with trying to hold things together.

One of my favourite things about fantasy is seeing how characters respond when everything they believe in is challenged. I'm always here for complicated alliances, shifting power dynamics, and characters who have to make impossible decisions rather than simply follow a straightforward path. I also love when the worldbuilding feels rooted in the realities of its people, with the politics and conflicts shaping their lives in meaningful ways.

Juliet E. McKenna is an author I'm keen to explore more, and this sounds like a promising choice for anyone who enjoys thoughtful, character-driven fantasy with a strong political dimension. Give me a richly imagined world, plenty of intrigue, and characters whose choices have real consequences, and I'm happy!