“You already know the story of the American Revolution, and the birth of the American monarchy.”

At the beginning of American Royals, McGee grabs the reader’s attention by mentioning the “American monarchy.” This mention of a monarchy in America at the end of the American Revolution is jarring and indicative of an alternate timeline, which bears an uncanny resemblance to the modern world we know. In McGee’s world, America might still have Wawa convenience stores, King’s College, and towns like Telluride and Montrose, but one family has possessed most of the power in the country for the last few hundred years.

“Long ago, monarchs existed so that the people could serve the monarch. Now the monarch must serve the people. Remember that it is an honor and a privilege to be a Washington and devote your life to this nation.”

Since childhood, Beatrice is taught that she will be the Queen of America one day. Before Beatrice’s grandfather dies, he warns her that her future as queen is a heavy burden, but a noble one. If Beatrice ever starts to question her role as queen or her resolve to always do what is best for the American people, she is urged to remember all the Washingtons who have come before her and allow her sense of familial duty to win out against the passions of her heart.

“A psychologist might assume that Daphne had inherited her ambitions from her parents, but it would be more accurate to say that her parents’ ambitions were magnified and concentrated in her, the way a curved glass lens can focus scattered beams of heat.”

Early on, McGee establishes Daphne Deighton as a force of nature. She is beautiful, intelligent, highly-driven, and willing to do anything to get what she wants.