Kirkus Review, Leading U.S. book review magazine est. 1933

An epic satire, set between 1999 and 2023, aims at the British royal family and the entire Commonwealth.

Twenty-year-old Princess Divine Saxe-Coburg and Gotha of England, born in 2002, never intended to live up to her royal pedigree. In fact, after receiving the Royal Family Operations Manual on how to dress and act, she promptly put it in a drawer. She became an “obstreperous” young woman preoccupied with movies, sex, horse racing, and tacky clothes. Queen Liliana is troubled by her daughter’s behaviour—and its impact on her yearslong scheming to marry her off—so she ships her off to Proud (the new name for New Zealand).

The breadth of the characters, who each have their own unusual quirks and compelling personal histories, calls to mind David Foster Wallace’s mammoth 1996 novel Infinite Jest

There, Divine promptly falls in love with the handsome, rugged rugby player Joshua MacGregor. At the same time, powerful forces are converging to threaten Queen Liliana’s hold on the throne and the English Commonwealth.

Meanwhile, across Canada, Australia, and Proud, calls for a Brexit-like “Commexit” are growing. As Liliana watches monarchical disaster unfold, unlikely political players, including a Māori gang and a drunken French cafe owner, see opportunity in Divine’s love-driven rebellion, which leads to an epic tale of battles, intrigue, and royal weddings. New Zealand author Carthew has built an alternate fictional world with one foot in reality and with his tongue firmly in his cheek.

New Zealand author Carthew has built an alternate fictional world with one foot in reality and with his tongue firmly in his cheek.

The breadth of the characters, who each have their own unusual quirks and compelling personal histories, calls to mind David Foster Wallace’s mammoth 1996 novel Infinite Jest. Carthew would have done well to include footnotes as Wallace did, however, as it’s easy to get lost in his ever-expanding troupe of players, and some may find it difficult to decipher all how the story differs from our reality. However, once readers settle into the story’s rapid pace and upbeat tone, they’ll find many idiosyncratic, satirical moments that target politicians, racists, celebrity culture, and even Vikings—a royal farce with a great deal of eccentricity and wit.