The Pledge
Kimberly DertingIn the violent country of Ludania, the classes are strictly divided by the language they speak. The smallest transgression, like looking a member of a higher class in the eye while they are speaking their native tongue, results in immediate execution. Seventeen-year-old Charlaina has always been able to understand the languages of all classes, and she's spent her life trying to hide her secret. The only place she can really be free is the drug-fueled underground clubs where people go to shake off the oppressive rules of the world they live in. It's there that she meets a beautiful and mysterious boy named Max who speaks a language she's never heard before . . . and her secret is almost exposed.
Charlie is intensely attracted to Max, even though she can't be sure where his real loyalties lie. As the emergency drills give way to real crisis and the violence escalates, it becomes clear that Charlie is the key to something much bigger: her country's only chance for freedom from the terrible power of a deadly regime.
”My breath is my pledge to worship my queen about all others.
My breath is my pledge to obey the laws of my country.
My breath is my pledge to respect my superiors.
My breath is my pledge to contribute to the progress of my class.
My breath is my pledge to report all who would do harm to my queen and country.
As I breathe, I pledge.”
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The aging Queen of Ludania has no heir and unless she can find a female that can replace her, her soul will die and the country will be in danger. In order to keep control, every established class had their own language that only they could speak.
Charlie has a secret that her parents told her to never share.. with anyone. She could understand every single language out there which can get her killed. When she meets Max at one of the underground clubs, she is intrigued by him. Every time he is near, she can sense his presence and cannot get enough of it no matter how hard she tries to ignore it. But there is more secret to Ludania that she could have ever imagine beyond the City Walls.
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Seeing everyone’s reviews on Goodreads, I wasn’t sure what to think of this book. It was a fast read for me but the story was very captivating. Connection between Charlie and Max was memorizing and I enjoy reading about their progressed friendship. I can’t wait to start reading the second book in this series.
