The Ginecean Chronicles: Books 1 - 4
(2016)(A book in the Ginecean Chronicles series)
An omnibus of novels by Monica La Porta
In a dystopian world where women hold all the power and men are slaves, a few courageous individuals fight for the rights of many.
Mauricio is a slave. Like any man born on Ginecea, he is but a number to the pure breed women who rule over him with cruel hands. Imprisoned inside the Temple since birth, Mauricio has never been outside, never felt the warmth of the sun on his skin. He lives a life devoid of hopes and desires. Then one day, he hears Rosie sing. He risks everything for one look at her and his life is changed forever. An impossible friendship blossoms into affection deemed sinful and perverted in a society where the only rightful union is between women. Love is born where only hate has roots and leads Mauricio to uncover a truth that could destroy Ginecea.
Marie just turned fifteen and can't wait to leave the Institute where she has been raised with thirty girls, all unwanted like herself. As a fathered woman, she is set to make the best she can with what she was given and dreams of when she will start training as a nurse at Redfarm, her new home. But Redfarm is far from the nurturing environment Marie had envisioned. She meets Grant and, through him, is exposed to the race of men - the workers whose lives are worth even less than hers - and discovers they aren't as despicable as she had been taught to believe. Before she can understand her own feelings, the longing for hugs she can't share with Grant takes hold in her heart and she soon wishes they could be anywhere else but there. Her desire is granted, but once again, reality is harsher than her dreams.
Love doesn't obey preordained rules. Sometimes, social status and gender mean nothing. The purest of affections can be born between two people living in different worlds. In a society where women rule over an enslaved race of men and love between a woman and man is considered a perversion, Pax's and Prince's union is destined for a tragic end. Coming from an existence of privilege, Pax has never endured harshness. She has never had any reason to doubt the rules Ginecea was built on. Everything changes when she is sent to spend her summer on a desolate farm and is exposed to the ongoing brutalities against defenseless men. A wrong turn leads her to witness Prince's thrashing at the hands of the guards. One look from him and Pax's perfect life is shattered, the memory of his dark eyes haunting her night and day. As a pure breed, born to one of the most prestigious family in Ginecea, she would have never thought it possible to fall in love with a man. Marked as a sinner, Pax abjures her ancestry to save Prince's life. She hopes they can disappear into the desert, but social prejudice and political schemes give them no respite. The Priestess, the ruler of all Ginecea, has other plans for Pax Layan and her family.
The City of Men has been destroyed.
The pure breeds want him dead.
Prince is still running for his life. This time, he's not alone. Pax and the rest of the survivors count on him to keep them alive in the unforgiving desert. Pursued by the heartless Priestess and the President of Ginecea, Prince and Pax fight to find a haven for their unborn child. He knows the two women won't stop at anything to achieve their goal. But he can't fathom the true reasons behind their motives.
Ginecea wants the heads of anyone who helped the fugitive men and nobody is safe. Not even the fathered women, slaughtered by a Priestess crazed by hate. The world is in an uproar and Pax and Prince stand in the eye of the storm.
Genre: Science Fiction
The Priest
Mauricio is a slave. Like any man born on Ginecea, he is but a number to the pure breed women who rule over him with cruel hands. Imprisoned inside the Temple since birth, Mauricio has never been outside, never felt the warmth of the sun on his skin. He lives a life devoid of hopes and desires. Then one day, he hears Rosie sing. He risks everything for one look at her and his life is changed forever. An impossible friendship blossoms into affection deemed sinful and perverted in a society where the only rightful union is between women. Love is born where only hate has roots and leads Mauricio to uncover a truth that could destroy Ginecea.
Marie's Journey
Marie just turned fifteen and can't wait to leave the Institute where she has been raised with thirty girls, all unwanted like herself. As a fathered woman, she is set to make the best she can with what she was given and dreams of when she will start training as a nurse at Redfarm, her new home. But Redfarm is far from the nurturing environment Marie had envisioned. She meets Grant and, through him, is exposed to the race of men - the workers whose lives are worth even less than hers - and discovers they aren't as despicable as she had been taught to believe. Before she can understand her own feelings, the longing for hugs she can't share with Grant takes hold in her heart and she soon wishes they could be anywhere else but there. Her desire is granted, but once again, reality is harsher than her dreams.
Pax in the Land of Women
Love doesn't obey preordained rules. Sometimes, social status and gender mean nothing. The purest of affections can be born between two people living in different worlds. In a society where women rule over an enslaved race of men and love between a woman and man is considered a perversion, Pax's and Prince's union is destined for a tragic end. Coming from an existence of privilege, Pax has never endured harshness. She has never had any reason to doubt the rules Ginecea was built on. Everything changes when she is sent to spend her summer on a desolate farm and is exposed to the ongoing brutalities against defenseless men. A wrong turn leads her to witness Prince's thrashing at the hands of the guards. One look from him and Pax's perfect life is shattered, the memory of his dark eyes haunting her night and day. As a pure breed, born to one of the most prestigious family in Ginecea, she would have never thought it possible to fall in love with a man. Marked as a sinner, Pax abjures her ancestry to save Prince's life. She hopes they can disappear into the desert, but social prejudice and political schemes give them no respite. The Priestess, the ruler of all Ginecea, has other plans for Pax Layan and her family.
Prince at War
The City of Men has been destroyed.
The pure breeds want him dead.
Prince is still running for his life. This time, he's not alone. Pax and the rest of the survivors count on him to keep them alive in the unforgiving desert. Pursued by the heartless Priestess and the President of Ginecea, Prince and Pax fight to find a haven for their unborn child. He knows the two women won't stop at anything to achieve their goal. But he can't fathom the true reasons behind their motives.
Ginecea wants the heads of anyone who helped the fugitive men and nobody is safe. Not even the fathered women, slaughtered by a Priestess crazed by hate. The world is in an uproar and Pax and Prince stand in the eye of the storm.
Genre: Science Fiction
Used availability for Monica La Porta's The Ginecean Chronicles: Books 1 - 4