Now in paperback, The Handmaid’s Tale meets The Selection in this darkly riveting tale that BCCB said “Will have fans of Oliver’s Delirium, Cass’s The Selection, and DeStefano’s Wither breathless.”

Violet, born and raised in the Marsh, is destined for the Jewel. Trained as a surrogate for the royalty, Violet (now known only as #197) is bought by the Duchess of the Lake at auction. And she quickly learns the brutal truths that lie beneath the Jewel’s glittering facade: the cruelty, backstabbing, and hidden violence that have become the royal way of life.

Violet must accept the fact that she will bear a child for the Duchess—and all the ugly realities of her existence...while trying to stay alive. But then a forbidden romance erupts between Violet and the handsome boy who is also under the Duchess’s control. Though his presence makes life in the Jewel a bit brighter, the consequences of their illicit relationship will cost them both more than they bargained for.