Queen & Commander by Janine A. Southard
Rhiannon is a Perceiver who is set on choosing her own future. She knows what she wants to be in society, and that is a Queen. Queens are revered, they are highly regarded, and they have opportunities that she would probably not have otherwise. So when she gets the amazing news that she indeed has succeeded in choosing her future, Rhiannon is ecstatic. Her life is officially set. Or is it?
Rhiannon will be confronted by her best friend Gwyn and Gwyn's boyfriend Victor with a plan to keep the two lovebirds together. They will ask her to sacrifice her future for their happiness. Choosing to do this, to go against the system, could possibly put them on a path of no return. They might not ever be able to come back.
Along with Gwyn, Rhiannon, and Victor, this story also focuses on three other characters. Luciano, a hard worker who supports his family and is trying to give his sister the best chance in life she can get; Alan, an inventor of sorts who just wants a Queen who can respect him and the potential of his work; and Gavin, a dreamer and actress' son who wants to leave the Dyfed system. This story is a journey of self-discovery for all of them, and they will have to rely on each other if they want to survive.
I can very honestly say that I have not read a book quite like this one before, and I will probably not read a book quite like it again. It was actually quite phenomenal in the story aspect and the characters were all so different. They all want to respect the Hive, but they each have their own personalities, which at times do clash. They have their own ideals for how Rhiannon herself should act as a Queen, and sometimes I felt for her because most of the pressure was on her. I think they sometimes forgot that she was learning to be a Queen just as they too were learning their own roles. This story also allows us to see a crack in their society. Someone is starting to kidnap Queens, but we do not yet know their intentions or even who they are. What are they trying to start? A war? Well, they could very well succeed.
This was a wonderful, wonderful read, and I am definitely a fan. This first book was a great start to a saga that I cannot wait to finish.
