Palmares Tres

Palmares Tres is a magnificent, massive, pyramid-shaped city composed of steel and glass with ten levels, or tiers, numbered from one to ten located on the coastline of Brazil. Palmares Tres is so named for the synthesis of Candomble, Catholicism, and the history of the first city of Palmares. It is ruled by a Queen selected by an elected King in ritualistic sacrifice, and by a mostly-female Parliament popularly elected. Palmares Tres serves as home to June and is the primary setting for the novel.

The City of Palmares Tres is a dystopian society where the government is all-powerful, men are second-class citizens, and the lower classes of people who live on the lower tiers of the city (especially tier one) are largely ignored and forced to live in deplorable conditions. The lowest level of the city is referred to as “The Stink” or “The Verde” for...