* To read the reviews for each book in the series go here *
The Jewel (The Lone City #1)
Amy Ewing
YA - Dystopia
358 Pages
This book showed up in my Facebook and Instagram feeds as recommended for many weeks, months maybe, before I actually downloaded it. I read the entire book in two days. Now, granted, that is my normal reading speed... I've just been slacking lately... A lot. This book was in a way, wonderful. But it was also horrible as in it was very degrading towards women, but I will explain that.
This book is about a girl named Violet Lasting, aptly named for the vibrant violet color of hers eyes, in case you were wondering. Violet was born a surrogate. Not a surrogate as in a woman who volunteers to carry another woman's child... No, Violet was born the kind of surrogate who is forced to live in secluded "homes" and be raised to fulfill her duty to carry a royal child and keep the bloodline alive. The royal women in the Lone City cannot bear their own children, so they must have a surrogate. These surrogates aren't technically mortal, for lack of a better word. These women, the surrogates, have certain powers which they use to manipulate the genetics of the child, en utero, to determine how they will look and be. They manipulate the child's hair color, their skin color, and sometimes (as in Violet's case) they may even be able to manipulate the rate at which the child grows after conception.
This book ended on a cliff hanger and I almost bought the second book on Amazon, since I'm fourteenth in line on the e-library hold list, because I was so eager to find out what happens. I didn't though, because I honestly only ever read most books once and I'm not going to spend money on a book that I might never read again.
These women who are born surrogates do not know that they are surrogates until they are tested at age twelve, but once they find out, they are sent to live with other surrogates and taught to use their powers. These girls are literally sold at an auction and bought by royalty based on their looks and scores on their tests. How awful is that? Violet is bought by the Duchess of the Lake, who has waited nineteen years to purchase another surrogate because it had to be the perfect one.
The Duchess of the Lake is obviously bipolar. When Violet first meets her, she slaps her across the face to "warn her" to behave. A few days later, she buys Violet an extravagant cello only to smash it to pieces a week or so later as punishment. The reason the Duchess purchased her is because of Violets score in the growth section of her final tests, in which she scored a perfect 10. The Duchess of the Lake wants a daughter (Royalty is only allowed one son and one daughter) who is perfect in every way... and who will be birthed in only three months. Since Violet has such great powers in growth, she practices with the Doctor to make sure that she can make this child grow at three times the rate of a normal child. They practice on a tree out in the garden because I guess growing trees is the same as growing children? Anyway, the first attempt at impregnating Violet nearly causes her to die in front of hundreds of people while performing a cello concert for them, and the second time is unsuccessful as well, but not as dramatically.
Before Violet was sold to bear the Duchesses child, she was "prepped" by a man named Lucien, who is a Lady in waiting for the Electress (Basically the queen, who isn't really royal, of everyone including the duchesses who are actually royal). Lucien sees something in Violet that reminds him of his sister, who was also a surrogate, and he wants to save her from the horrible, short life that she would endure and promises to get her out. He gives her a key thing that is like a walkie talkie, but no one can eavesdrop on your conversation. An invention of Lucien himself. Violet ruins this plan when she and Ash, her lady's niece's boyfriend, get caught together.
Ash is a consort who was also purchased, but as a boyfriend for the Duchess's niece. At the end of the book, she and Ash are caught in bed together and Ash is beaten in front of her and dragged to the dungeon. Violet is dragged upstairs to her room to await punishment. At the last minute, her key/walkie talkie-like thing that no one can ease drop on "rings" and Garnet, the Duchess's son, says "We are going to get you out." That's it, that's how it ends. Can you see why I was so eager to read the rest of the series?
Overall, I give this book a 4/5 because I really hate that this book is about selling women for their bodies. Even if it isn't in a prostitutional way. Carrying a child is a blessing that not all women are able to enjoy, but I don't believe that women who can have children should be forced to carry for those who can't. If this book were about voluntary surrogacy, this book would get a 5/5. Get the book, read it, cry a little and maybe yell a bit. Read the whole series in two days, if you can manage that. Just don't spoil it for me.
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