Well, this is something I have thought about before. I have not written my novel yet, but I hae clear idea about it. How do I explain it to someone? No idea! Generally speaking it is about narratives and mythos. It is going to be steeped with questions of cultural identity and views about economics and information. That is the "theme". The characters are caught up in a search for meaning and self discovery. The MC plays the part of a narrator I guess? Hard to explain. The other characters are either hunting, being hunted or trying to hold things together. Over all it is a mystery novel, a commentary on society in general and the function and role of language. The actual World is meant to create a feeling of epic proportions into which the reader will be enticed - hence the mythos theme. There will be twists and turns, deception and trauma. I guess at its heart it is about the psychological effect of language. I guess if I had to write a blurb for it now it would read something like this: "Upon the death of her father Teresi discovers something of her secret ancestory. Follow her on a journey across a nation steeped in legend and held under the rule of a partly hidden artistry. A nation built upon the remains of a cataclysm that that still echoes across time to this day. Follow her journey through memories and messages from her dead parents as a greater narrative unfolds around her, and her place within a new coming era reveals itself."
I always have two answers to the standard "what's the story about?" My first response is always what it's about on a literal level. For example, what I'm working on now is literally about two long lost family members who never saw eye to eye finally beginning to repair their damaged relationship. But under the surface, the story's about what nature of family truly means, and if we can consider non-blood-relatives family at all.
