Gilded Cage by Vic James

A well thought out fantasy world that reads like "Downton Abbey" meets "The Magicians". We find ourselves in a world that is very much like Victorian England with one huge exception - the gentry with "skill" or magic are exempt from doing their slave time but the middle and lower class must donate 10 years of their lives to slave labor. One family thinks to do their time together as a family but that plan goes awry when the boy in the family is sent to the worst work camp while the rest of the family goes to a country manor to work for the Jardines. Luke finds himself in a hellhole while Mom, Dad and the two girls are in a kinder environment but one with hidden dangers. Luke meets a young woman who introduces him to a group of people who are working the underground trying to help others survive Millmoor which puts him at risk but gives his life meaning. There is an air of a Regency romance working with the magic and political intrigue of fantasy worlds such as "The Tearling books". This debut keeps readers engaged at a fast pace and is the perfect blend of politics, mystery and magic that will leave readers waiting eagerly for book two.