Reviewing the Jewel, by Amy Ewing

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

"Today is my last day as Violet Lasting. Tomorrow I become Lot 197."

The Jewel is a shocking and compelling new YA series from debut author, Amy Ewing.

Sold for six million diamantes, Violet is now Surrogate of the House of the Lake in the centre of the Lone City, the Jewel. Her sole purpose is to produce a healthy heir for the Duchess – a woman Violet fears and despises. 

Violet is trapped in a living death, her name and body no longer her own. She fights to hold on to her own identity and sanity, uncertain of the fate of her friends, isolated and at the mercy of the Duchess.

The Handmaid's Tale meets The Other Boleyn Girl in a world where beauty and brutality collide.

My Review

I picked this book up because of its uniqueness; I have never come across a book about surrogacy before. I was completely amazed at how quickly I became drawn into this novel. It is about pampered slavery, about a young girl who has had her body and her name taken away from her.

It is an unusual hybrid of dystopia and fantasy; a genetic abnormality in Violet and other surrogates gives them the ability to perform Auguries, a potent and beautiful magic which allows them to change the appearance of things. The Royals need the surrogates because they can not give birth to babies without the baby having physical defect or dying.

This is an incredible novel. It is full of treachery, secrets, lies and fear. You meet the woman who buys Violet, the Duchess of the Lake. She is a very complex woman, very confusing and crazy, if I'm going to be honest here. The reader can't quite make up their mind about the Duchess, which is something which truly draws the reader in. 

Violet is a very strong, determined and independent young woman who is not afraid to share her opinions with even the Duchess. 

And, guess what? If you like a bit of star-crossed love, this is the book for you! 

I loved this book because it is really unique, incredible and very enthralling. I do not give 5 stars lightly, but I am awarding this book: