Rising From Dust by R.M. Grant
What's It About?
If Jane Austen had written fantasy science fiction, the result just might have been Rising from Dust by R.M. Grant, a “novel of sensibility” with hints of Fifty Shades of Gray thrown in for good measure.The story opens innocently enough as a young woman rouses from her London drawing room reverie to hear her mother say, “Annabeth, sit up straight.”
Annabeth has become a problem for her parents. At age 18, she’s nearly past her prime for making a marriage that will enhance her family’s social status and prosperity. She’s frittered away opportunities and never even flirted with someone, much less come close to an engagement. “It always comes back to this. Marriage,” opines Annabeth. “It is the one burden they have placed on my shoulders, but it is the one I can’t stand to fulfill.”
A CONSPIRACY KEPT SECRET
There are dress fittings and jewelry specifications, but all expectations of a historic romance fade as author Grant begins to drop in clues that shift the tale.
“The Masters, the unholy creators of our world held the power of creation in their hands,” reflects Annabeth. As the book veers into something different, you may begin to wonder what details you may have overlooked. But you will keep reading forward as the novel slowly sets its time and place, with each delicious breadcrumb leading to new questions.
Annabeth’s life is a privileged one; her home is filled with rich furnishings, and her mother is among the most well-connected of the city’s society. Afternoons are filled with tea and gossip; nights are filled with dances and more gossip. But what is this society that is so intent on status, luxury goods, and trade deals? And why is Annabeth’s father doing business with one of the Masters, the mysterious rulers who have controlled all for 300 years?
The Masters wear rings forged from the gold of the Ark of the Covenant, “the source of the Masters’ powers.” The Masters have banned modern technology, “the cause of the downfall of the previous era.” There are hints of a historic cataclysm, and a time that was much more modern.
“I curse the Masters for choosing such a time to reinvent petticoats, corsets and advantageous marriages,” thinks Annabeth. “I wish they would never have found the Ark of the Covenant in the first place.”
ESCAPE FROM A HATEFUL HUSBAND
Since Annabeth has failed to find a suitable match, a marriage is arranged for her, one sanctioned by the Masters themselves. Annabeth’s hopes for an independent life, with a husband she loves and a chance to express her creativity, take an even greater plunge into despair. Her intended, Lord Cain Winchester, heir to the Earldom of Huntingdon, is a dark sadist.
Annabeth’s father is a wealthy shipping tycoon with business ties to the Masters, ties that will be strengthened by Annabeth’s marriage. When she shows signs of rebellion, her father punishes her by whipping her hands until they bleed. He also overlooks the improprieties of Cain, who fondles Annabeth as if he already owned her. Cain revolts her, but she dare not complain, or refuse his touch.
Annabeth’s only friend, Fanny, “the least spoiled of the bunch,” begs her to escape before the wedding, but leaving Great Britain would be dangerous. The world beyond is a wilderness, and “only people with passes approved by the Masters can move from one empire to the next.”
Fanny also questions the status quo of the Masters, and Annabeth worries for her: “Be careful,” she warns Fanny.
Annabeth’s search for love, safety and happiness — and answers in this strange world — will keep readers turning pages, and waiting for more. Rising From Dust is the first book of a planned series, with more romance and adventure to come.
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