Mary Pearson (2018)

Synopsis:

A stunning new adventure set in the kingdoms of the Remnant.

A formidable outlaw family that claims to be the first among nations.

A son destined to lead, thrust suddenly into power.

Three fierce young women of the Rahtan, the queen’s premier guard.

A legendary street thief leading a mission, determined to prove herself.

A dark secret that is a threat to the entire continent.

When outlaw leader meets reformed thief, a cat-and-mouse game of false moves ensues, bringing them intimately together in a battle that may cost them their lives–and their hearts.

Synopsis from Penguin Random House Website

Review: Morally Offensive (O)

I had mixed feelings about this book. It teeters on the edge of limited audience and morally offensive, but when in doubt, always give a higher rating. Kazi is a thief and has earned herself the nickname "Ten" because she is so good at her job that she has kept all of ten of her fingertips. On the streets from the age of 6, she has had to fight to survive. She is now a rahtan, a member of the Queen's elite guard, and Kazi is sent on a mission to Tor's Watch to steal someone back from the Ballenger stronghold.

Jase Ballenger is thrust into the role of patrei when his father dies rather suddenly. He is now in charge of Tor's Watch and all of Hell's Mouth. The Ballenger's are survivors and will only give you one chance, after that, no mercy.

First off, the main character is a thief. She initially steals to survive, but it evolves to vigilante justice when she no longer has to worry about where her next meal is coming from. For example, in the book a merchant is unfairly overcharging Vendan immigrants for supplies, so Kazi steals oranges from him in retribution. If that was the only issue, I would have given the book a pass for general audiences. Alas, it is not. Secondly, Jase and his family utilize violence and mild torture in order to extort answers from people who are trying to harm their family. They also overlook a lot of black market dealings in order to get a cut of the profits including from labor hunters (a nicer way to say people who force others into slavery). They remind me of a mafia family, but they claim to have been around since "after the stars fell" (a reference to some kind of nuclear war in the United States, I am guessing since their family crest is the eagle). Lastly, this book normalizes premarital sex. There is one scene in particular where it is implied that two side characters are having sex, but it is not explicit. For all of these reasons together, I decided to give it a morally offensive rating. A well-formed adult could probably read this, but it is not for teens.