The main character is Avery. She has had to move a lot throughout her whole life because of her mom's job. Whenever her mom gets a mandate, they move on to the next location. In the current place they're living, Avery has tried to make friends and join in, and has even found a cute guy that is newer than she is, Jack, who might be interested in her as well. But when she sees a paper drop from his stuff, and she picks it up to find a picture of herself, she wonders what is going on. She then hears him on a phone call, but he has an English accent. Her mom gets a mandate, which means they have to move right away, but Avery wants to go to prom with Jack, so she sneaks out to go. At prom another very attractive guy, but also new to the area, shows up. This guy, Stellan, tells Avery she has to go with him, and he even pulls out a knife to threaten her. Jack tries to get her away and explain that he might know who her father is, but then he gets a text, and tells her to go ahead with Stellan, and he'll catch up later. She goes with Stellan, still with the chance to meet her father. But this takes her on a private plane to Paris. Stellan is one of those attractive guys, who knows he is, and is smug, even while being flirtatious. Oh, and he is Russian.
Once in Paris, Avery gets a room in the Louvre, and finds out that this family she's been brought to join is part of "The Circle" which is made up of many politicians, movie stars, sports stars, etc. But after being out shopping at a designer store, shut down just for her to pick a ball gown for an event coming up with all the families, she is attacked, and learns about a group called The Order. The Order is out to kill "The One," a male from one of the 12 families in the Circle. She learns that the mandate means something to them, it is a prophecy that tells them The One, must have a union with the girl with the purple eyes. Well, the family that Stellan works for is expecting twin babies, one a girl, that should have purple eyes. But, Avery has purple eyes. And she knows that if anyone else knows, they will think the prophecy is about her, and she will be married off. So she escapes, first to Istanbul, where she is able to get to Jack again, and they now are on the run, trying to solve the clues left by an old neighbor of Avery's, who turns out to be Jack's mentor, and hoping to solve the clues, and get him back from the Order, who is going to kill him.
So many secrets, so many layers to the whole story. I loved the whole Alexander the Great back story. And how Napoleon tied into it. And the ending, wow, left with a big cliffhanger. I need to know what will happen with Stellan, how his part in the mandate will affect Avery's part. And can she be with Jack, even though it is against all of the rules of The Circle. I really had no complaints about the story whatsoever. Other than there were a few times when something dangerous was going on, and Avery was calling Jack's name, and on the recording it began to remind me of Rose calling Jack in the Titanic movie. I now cannot wait until the 2nd book comes out. Which, hey, now I'm wondering if the egalley is available anywhere? Guess I'll finish this review and go out to check on that!
