Conform #9

Conform by Ariel Sullivan is the first in a dystopian romance trilogy set centuries after a catastrophic war that decimated humanity, in a towering city ruled by the elite Illum who monitor citizens' genes, health, and procreation via mandatory contracts, treating women primarily as vessels in a rigid hierarchy of Elites, Minors, and Majors. Lifelong outcast Emeline, marked by heterochromia and toiling to sort ancient art for destruction, feels alienated from this conformist society until she's unexpectedly chosen as Mate by enigmatic Illum member Collin, plunging her into the high-stakes Courting ritual where surveillance and elimination loom. Drawn to Collin's mix of coldness and protection yet tempted by Hal, a resistance leader sharing her love for forbidden art, Emeline uncovers the regime's brutal underbelly and a brewing rebellion, forcing her to navigate love triangles, secrets, and moral dilemmas about agency, class divides, and violent revolution.