In McPherson’s speculative novel, two teenage boys struggle with romantic feelings while living under a repressive regime.
McPherson’s detailed characterization and a distinct lack of melodrama enhance this story of two boys learning what it means to be human in inhuman conditions. Jace is a wonderfully nuanced character; like Steerforth in Charles Dickens’ David Copperfield, his brashness, casual disregard for rules, and devotion make him ambiguous, unpredictable, and compelling. McPherson wisely foregrounds the central relationship, revealing enough about the dystopian regime and its history to underscore its danger to the boys, but refusing to let it eclipse the romantic drama. The author’s meticulous attention to character development is rewarded in the poignant final chapters.
A skillfully constructed and refreshingly grounded coming-of-age story.
–Kirkus Reviews
From the Back Cover
Logan technically doesn’t exist. He is terrified of the Black Lapels and their Swordsman church, who imprisoned his parents for bearing an unlicensed, “unnatural” child. When he’s taken to a home for unwanted boys, he meets Jace—a master liar who isn’t afraid of anything. Their world wants them to become Swordsmen and soldiers. All they want is a life together where neither has to hide.
About the Author
S.E. McPherson has been a writer of fantasy and speculative fiction since they were eight years old, binding books with a hole punch and tied yarn. Their debut novel A KING’S TRUST was named to Kirkus Reviews’ Top 100 Best Indie Books of 2025 and Best LGBTQ+ Indies of 2025.
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