Kingdom of Masks, Part 1

In the Kingdom of Masks, every resident goes from birth with a closed face. Through the mask, the king and his loyal dogs control the poor—unlike the rich, for whom it delivers pleasure. Remove the mask or lose it, and you’ll face public cruel punishment; and if it is destroyed, the executioner will end your life. Bри doesn’t like this fate. She became a participant in an unfair public punishment of a girl who was beaten with a whip in front of everyone until she nearly died. Bri dreams of escaping with her beloved to the east of the kingdom, where there are no such strict rules, and she can’t wait to leave her home settlement, Sonneilya. But all her plans collapse after she meets a wealthy lady from the capital with a message to take part in the Selection—and then in the fight for the main prize: the masks worn by noble ladies, unimaginable wealth, homes for herself and her family, and a life in the capital, which the poor, including Bri, could never even dream of.

From the author: This is the first part of the duology «Kingdom of Masks».