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Geniverd is a land where the gap between the nobility and the common folk grows every day. It is a realm where technology has displaced primary jobs and human behaviors, and an uprising may be coming. Kaelyn, a member of the nobility, is being pushed by her family to marry another nobleman for eligibility for the Crown of Crowns. This ceremony selects the new king and queen to rule over the six clans and all the citizens. Yet Kaelyn is in love with a commoner, her dear friend Roki, and has no interest in ruling as queen. When tragedy befalls her family, Kaelyn's life trajectory changes as she finds herself vying for societal change, the crown, and love.
In this young adult novel, Geniverd is presented as a society that is far from utopian but still alleged to be an improvement over years of human conflict and war. Kaelyn, although a little naïve, has a genuine concern for the less fortunate and wants to make Geniverd a better place, inspired by the wisdom and teachings from her childhood love, Roki. Kaelyn believes she can do this as queen, with the appropriate guidance, but soon realizes that true structural change is much harder to enact. While much of the novel focuses on Kaelyn's torn loyalty between her love for Roki and her love for Zwane, themes of revolution and self-sacrifice are also present in the book, echoing ideas about "the greater good," and what it means to be a good leader. Kaelyn's journey to become a wiser, more aware leader somewhat mimics the underlying tension of the city, which boils over once she finally accepts her role. The author succeeds in telling a story of a young woman's path to free her people from their shackles.