Kingdom (Shana Galen) Books in Order

The Kingdom series takes Shana Galen into romantic fantasy. The world was once divided among five kingdoms, but the red vein virus changed everything. Those infected become Hollows, monstrous undead creatures that hunt humans, and the surviving kingdoms live under constant threat.

At the center of Hollow Kingdom is Mara, a twenty-two-year-old princess of Earsleh. She has been trained since childhood to fight Hollows and protect her people. Her life has been shaped by duty, danger, and the belief that the neighboring kingdom of Zulen was destroyed long ago.

Then a prince arrives from Zulen.

Taio's appearance overturns what Mara thinks she knows. He comes to claim a princess under an old rite, one based on combat and royal obligation. Mara does not expect to be chosen, but her connection with Taio becomes impossible to ignore, even as their first encounters are filled with tension and mistrust.

The romance develops alongside a larger mystery about the world itself. Mara begins to learn that the history she was taught may not be complete, and that the threat of the Hollows is tied to secrets with consequences far beyond one royal marriage. Her choices affect not only her own future but the survival of the people around her.

This series has a higher-stakes, more fantastical feel than Galen's historical romances. There are warrior princesses, rival kingdoms, undead enemies, old traditions, and political alliances that can break as quickly as they are made. Still, the relationship between Mara and Taio remains the heart of the story. Both have been shaped by responsibility, and both have reasons to keep their guard up.

The setting matters because safety is never guaranteed. Characters must cross dangerous ground, question the stories handed down by their families, and decide whether strangers can become allies. The world-building includes royal families, long-standing prejudice, survival training, and the frightening reality of a disease that transformed the dead into predators.

Start with Hollow Kingdom, which introduces Mara, Taio, the five-kingdom history, and the central threat. It is the essential entry point for readers who want romance mixed with monsters, secrets, and a heroine learning how much power she truly has.