ALL WE HUNGER FOR

Two star-crossed teenagers become embroiled in a political conspiracy.

Eighteen-year-old Elara Rousseau, who comes from the disadvantaged Restes Quarter, possesses special culinary magie. She’s been on her own since her mother, a gifted baker, was executed as a rebel four years ago. Restes residents, even those who are magie-abled, are largely relegated to “undesirable work—sewage, laundry, garbage.” The Objet d’Art Contest to find a successor to the Souverain des Arts Culinaires offers the chance of a seat on the ruling Counseil des Sept. Nikolas Dupont, son of Counseil member Lafontaine, the Souverain des Arts Humains, grew up in the Restes but was taken in by his father after his mother died—though he won’t officially acknowledge their relationship. Lafontaine, who disdains those from the Restes, sets a test: Nik must pose as a Patron to a contestant, “a gullible, willing pawn” Lafontaine can manipulate once they obtain a spot on the Counseil. Nik zeroes in on Elara, who enters under an assumed name; with help from her ex, Fernand Travers, she’s in possession of an invitation to be one of the 20 Favored entrants. The romantic tension between Elara and Nik unfolds against extensive worldbuilding that evokes 19th-century France and a highly unequal, magic-ruled society. The book presents an interesting and complex premise with inventive magic, but the characters’ motives often overshadow their human connections. Main characters present white.

Romance and political drama shape this elaborate and inventive debut.