They hope that in Trastad, she will find a husband, whom they can deal with. When she comes home the first year, with no husband, they send her back the second year. But to make sure she can never claim the throne, they first rape her, hoping that a pregnancy will be enough to discredit her with the people. After this, they must journey back to the Kingdom, where Beriel can face her enemies and re-claim her throne. Voigt pulls no punches in describing the barbaric behavior of the Wolfers who are careless of human life.
Political intrigue includes wars, deceptions, rape and more.
Boldly depicted is the plight of women in a time of male-domination and how some women are able to create their own destiny in spite of the obstacles. The other books in the Kingdom series likewise cover difficult ground. Voigt lived through the strong leadership of John F. Kennedy, only to have her hopes and dreams for the country dashed when he was assassinated. This latest installment in the Kingdom series easily matches the level of excellence established by the first three. It s not a book for younger readers, but older teens will find it a fascinating story.