The Above and the Under have a tenuous truce that is shattered after the death of both their respective rulers. Gemma, the new queen of Under, must throw history aside and team up with Tollan, the heir to the Above throne, in order to take down a power that seeks to rule them all.
Their group of rebels is comprised of an assassin, a sex worker, and a palace servant from Above, and we follow their unique perspectives as they are forced to question previously held beliefs. But even with war looming, romance still grows. Challenging gender roles and the expectation that every prince must have a princess, Tollan discovers love with Elam—a young man, a sex worker, and one of Gemma’s closest friends.
Their group of rebels is comprised of an assassin, a sex worker, and a palace servant from Above, and we follow their unique perspectives as they are forced to question previously held beliefs. But even with war looming, romance still grows. Challenging gender roles and the expectation that every prince must have a princess, Tollan discovers love with Elam—a young man, a sex worker, and one of Gemma’s closest friends.
So... a little bit of everything. Looks like it pushes some boundaries with the backdrop and the cultural setting. I don't mind that, but the wobbly points are good to know about going in. I skipped your spoilers so I get the surprises. :)
ReplyDeleteI'm down with a M/F not-sexual/romantic-tension narrative, for sure! Same with open, sex-positive culture and diversity. Yay! It definitely sounds interesting...I like the conscious choice of not using the word fuck in a negative context (again with the sex positive). I love the Gentleman Bastard series, which involves a LOT of cursing, so I think I'll be fine with it.
ReplyDeleteSo *I* wouldn't make that choice of wanting to get my bone on when the world is falling apart. But psychologically, I know that's a normal human reaction to stress (and grief, too). It sounds erratic and erotic, but...in context of worldbuilding? Hrmmm...Every time you say something that makes me hesitate about it, you then hint at something that intrigues me about it.