The Forged Empire (The Kingdom Within, #3) by Samantha Gillespie

She married a prince. She loved a soldier.⁣ Now she must decide what she’s willing to sacrifice to save them all.⁣ ⁣The 3rd book in The Kingdom Within series by Samatha Gillespie is finally here + enter the giveaway!

Title: The Forged Empire
Book Series: The Kingdom Within #3
Author: Samantha Gillespie
Genre: Historical Romance, Young Adult
Release Date: July 15th 2025

About The Book:

She married a prince. She loved a soldier.
Now she must decide what she’s willing to sacrifice to save them all.

As the specter of war looms, Meredith Ethan, and Connor are thrust into a final, desperate struggle for freedom. With Stonefall reclaimed and the plague’s grip finally broken, they must now race to forge new alliances before Theros-the ruthless King of Talos-brings his twisted vision of an empire to life.

But Theros’s ambitions run deeper than conquest-and Meredith is at the heart of his plans.

As betrayals mount and loyalties are tested, she finds herself caught between the prince she married and the soldier she never forgot.

And beneath the weight of destiny, Meredith must decide who she truly is:
a queen who must learn to believe in her own strength… or a pawn in a game she can no longer control.

In a war where survival means sacrifice, the price of freedom may be everything.

The final battle is here. And only one legacy will endure.

Purchase: Amazon | B&N | iBooks | Kobo

Excerpt:

The rain pours harder, soaking through our cloaks and clothes as Heloise draws her sword, prompting Krea to unsheathe her cutlass. Beth clutches Pip tighter on the saddle, both of them trembling as they peer at the shadowy figures across the clearing. It’s hard to tell how many there are—but they’re watching us, silent and still, and that’s enough.

“Wait,” I caution. “We don’t know if they’re dangerous.”

Hel’s eyes sharpen on the men. “They need to know we are.”

“Careful with that,” Krea says to Hel. “Might cut your pretty face.” It’s not the first time Krea has doubted Heloise’s abilities, and I doubt it will be the last.

Heloise responds with a bemused frown. “Pretty? I should be insulted. This face is ravishing.” Under different circumstances, we might be laughing, but the tension strips the mirth from her words.

An arrow lands nearby, drawing our eyes to it. It’s far enough away to be no more than a warning, but the rain makes it hard for an archer to aim accurately, so it could be a threat. Either way, I don’t want to linger to find out.

“That is why you don’t show your weapon until you’re ready to use it,” Krea says.

“We have to turn back,” I warn. “We’re not equipped to block arrows.”

Beth, clearly frightened, reminds us that she’s not ready to take off on a galloping horse again.

I quickly say, “Give Pip to Heloise, and you ride back with me. We’ll worry about your horse later. But right now, we need to leave.”

Krea stirs in her saddle. “No. The boy comes with me. Can’t trust any of you to keep him out of harm’s way.”

“You don’t have to block them up close,” Heloise comments, her sword arm still poised and ready for the charge.

Another arrow lands, this time closer. Definitely a threat. And that’s all the prompting Heloise needs. She rears her horse and charges the aggressors head-on, sword raised in a show of attack. “Come on, we take them!”

“Stop!” I scream at her galloping back, but the sound is drowned out by the rumbling thunder above us. In the heightened seconds that follow, I don’t know what else to do but join in Heloise’s recklessness. I yell at Krea to get help before I signal Daisy to sprint after Heloise, terrified that an arrow will stop either of us at any moment, and equally scared of what will happen if we make it across the clearing. However superior Heloise’s fighting prowess may be, it does not make her unstoppable. A fact she should be well aware of herself. But she must have known I would follow, just as I should have known Krea would do the same. Riding hard behind me, it only takes her seconds to catch up.

“She’s going to get you both killed!” Krea shouts angrily at me.

“I told you to get help!” I shout back over my shoulder.

“There’s no time for that. We’re on our own!”

Half of me wishes Krea would turn around. I’d rather she whisk Pip and Beth away back to safety. The last thing I want is to be responsible for any more deaths. I know there are too many skeletons in that closet of mine. But the other half knows Heloise will die if we don’t stay and fight with her.

With one hand on the reins, I use my free hand to rip my sword free from its sheath. “Then we fight like hell!”

“Only way I know how,” Krea says, giving me the smallest of smiles. She raises her cutlass, ready to cut into her first victim.

About The Author:

Samantha Gillespie writes the kind of romantasy novels she loves to read: stories packed with forbidden love, slow-burn tension, and just enough angst to keep you up way past your bedtime.

She lives in Houston with her husband and their ever-expanding menagerie—cats who’ve crowned themselves royalty, a dog with strong opinions about the weather, and chickens whose sole mission is acquiring treats and destroying the yard. When she’s not breaking hearts through fiction, she thrives on copious amounts of coffee, sharp wit, and the delicious tears of her devoted readers.

Connect With Samantha: Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Instagram