The Kindred
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- £6.99
Publisher Description
“Utterly swoony…an endearing reminder that true love can change the world”
—J. Elle, New York Times bestselling author of Wings of Ebony
To save a galactic kingdom from revolution, Kindred mind-pairings were created to ensure each and every person would be seen and heard, no matter how rich or poor…
Joy Abara knows her place. A commoner from the lowly planet Hali, she lives a simple life—apart from the notoriety that being Kindred to the nobility’s most infamous playboy brings.
Duke Felix Hamdi has a plan. He will exasperate his noble family to the point that they agree to let him choose his own future and finally meet his Kindred face-to-face.
Then the royal family is assassinated, putting Felix next in line for the throne…and accused of the murders. Someone will stop at nothing until he’s dead, which means they’ll target Joy, too. Meeting in person for the first time as they steal a spacecraft and flee amid chaos might not be ideal…and neither is crash-landing on the strange backward planet called Earth. But hiding might just be the perfect way to discover the true strength of the Kindred bond and expose a scandal—and a love—that may decide the future of a galaxy.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
To quiet social upheaval following a past revolution, the conquering Qadin family conceived of the Monchuri system's Kindred Program, which telepathically links citizens—"one from the upper class, one from the lower"—at birth. Aspiring 17-year-old musician Felix Hamdi is a haughty duke from wealthy world Maru, where his royal Qadin cousins reign. He's linked to music-loving Joy Mirari Abara, hailing from impoverished Hali and born three minutes after Felix. Though it's common for Kindreds to marry, class differences keep Felix and Joy—who have "different kinds of brown" skin—apart, and Joy is by necessity engaged to a wealthy man she doesn't love. But Felix is implicated when the Qadin convoy is shot down over Hali, and Joy caught in the line of fire, forcing both on the run. Instead of the neutral planet they're aiming for, they land on Terra (Earth), upon a Florida island where they seek refuge. Though the combination of galactic intrigue, Earth-bound teenage antics, and frequent flashbacks result in a crowded, unevenly paced story, Dow (The Sound of Stars) capably executes the friends-to-lovers trope, combined with thoughtful explorations of colorism, body shaming, imperialism, and racism. Ages 13–up.
