Loveman’s fast-paced young adult fantasy series, collected in an edition containing the first novel and its sequel, tells of a privileged teen whose eyes are opened to how the rest of the world lives: mostly in poverty. In a futuristic world where robots have taken most jobs, and science has made most illnesses impossible, Kaelyn thinks everyone in the world is happy. She falls for Roki, who shows her it’s only the small handful of royal families that are truly happy. After her mother is murdered and Roki disappears, Kaelyn must turn heartbreak into determination, first starting a foundation in her mother’s name and then accepting that helping her people means marrying Prince Zawne and becoming king and queen.Then life gets complicated. (Readers eager to avoid spoiling the second book’s premise should skip to the next paragraph.) After she’s crowned, a deadly virus is released, and Kaelyn realizes that the only way to save her kingdom is to give up her own life and become a powerful spirit.

Balancing actions with consequences, Loveman makes this apocalyptic story complicated in the right way, reminding readers that people will be complex no matter how advanced the society. After making an epochal choice at the end of the first book, Kaelyn discovers that nothing will be as simple as she had hoped—her choices now ripple across her world and even her galaxy. Rather than clear good or bad guys, this series concerns shades of humanity, driven by love and desires.

Loveman creates an intriguing new world with varied continents, seasons, clans, social classes, and advancements in technology. As the story grows, it expands to an entire detailed and fascinating galaxy of different worlds, creatures, and the city at the center of it all, where spirits come together to influence–good or bad–the rest of us. The choices characters make in the final pages will stir reader debate, but the journey is certainly worth it.

Takeaway: A creative fantasy with a perfectly flawed heroine, the right amount of romance, and otherworldly surprises.

Great for fans of: Marie Rutkoski, Shveta Thakrar’s Star Daughter.

Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: C