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Us Dark Few #1
Us Dark Few
Khalani is a Prisoner.
Takeshi is a Guard.
Both are slaves to the Underground.
Khalani Kanes has never stood on the surface of the earth. In the underground city of Apollo, faith and dreams are as absent as the sun. She longed to visit Genesis, the infamous Domed City and the final place where humanity lives aboveground. But when Khalani is given a life sentence and thrown into prison for a theft she didn't commit, those wishes shatter into oblivion.
In Braderhelm Prison, murderers are neighbors, ruthless and cold-blooded guards live to punish, and every second is a battle to survive. She thought the danger lay in befriending criminals and avoiding Takeshi Steele, the nefarious Captain who runs her cell block. But darker traps and secrets await her within the shadows of imprisonment. Khalani's blood will coat the walls in flaming silk before her enemies let her escape to the surface, a feat no one has successfully achieved. If the reclusive and callous Takeshi Steele won't kill Khalani, then the merciless prisoners and her fractured mind will.
Enter Braderhelm Prison, where only the Wicked remain.
Takeshi is a Guard.
Both are slaves to the Underground.
Khalani Kanes has never stood on the surface of the earth. In the underground city of Apollo, faith and dreams are as absent as the sun. She longed to visit Genesis, the infamous Domed City and the final place where humanity lives aboveground. But when Khalani is given a life sentence and thrown into prison for a theft she didn't commit, those wishes shatter into oblivion.
In Braderhelm Prison, murderers are neighbors, ruthless and cold-blooded guards live to punish, and every second is a battle to survive. She thought the danger lay in befriending criminals and avoiding Takeshi Steele, the nefarious Captain who runs her cell block. But darker traps and secrets await her within the shadows of imprisonment. Khalani's blood will coat the walls in flaming silk before her enemies let her escape to the surface, a feat no one has successfully achieved. If the reclusive and callous Takeshi Steele won't kill Khalani, then the merciless prisoners and her fractured mind will.
Enter Braderhelm Prison, where only the Wicked remain.
321 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 28, 2023
5675 people are currently reading
101828 people want to read
About the author
Alexis Patton
10 books1,275 followersAlexis Patton is an emerging talent in the literary world, poised to captivate readers with her debut novel, Us Dark Few. Born with an insatiable curiosity and a passion for literature, Alexis Patton brings a refreshing perspective to the literary landscape, pushing the boundaries of conventional storytelling. Her writing embraces the human experience, exploring themes of love, loss, self-discovery, and the triumph of the human spirit.
Raised in DeLand, Florida, Alexis is a Florida girl by heart. From a young age, she developed an avid love for reading and was one of those kids who got in trouble for reading too much during class. With a voracious appetite for learning, she earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Biology from Stetson University and a Master’s Degree in Public Health from the University of Florida. Through her life experiences and undeniable passion for literature, Alexis Patton honed her skills to craft stories that resonate long after the final page is turned.
Alexis Patton eagerly anticipates connecting with readers and building a community of like-minded individuals who appreciate the power of literature. Stay connected with Alexis Patton for updates on her upcoming projects and to join her on an exciting literary journey!
Instagram: @alexispattonauthor
Twitter: @alexxis_patton
TikTok: @alexis-patton.author
Raised in DeLand, Florida, Alexis is a Florida girl by heart. From a young age, she developed an avid love for reading and was one of those kids who got in trouble for reading too much during class. With a voracious appetite for learning, she earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Biology from Stetson University and a Master’s Degree in Public Health from the University of Florida. Through her life experiences and undeniable passion for literature, Alexis Patton honed her skills to craft stories that resonate long after the final page is turned.
Alexis Patton eagerly anticipates connecting with readers and building a community of like-minded individuals who appreciate the power of literature. Stay connected with Alexis Patton for updates on her upcoming projects and to join her on an exciting literary journey!
Instagram: @alexispattonauthor
Twitter: @alexxis_patton
TikTok: @alexis-patton.author
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 3,738 reviews
August 30, 2024
DNF @51%
Promising idea but unfortunately it wasn't for me. The sci-fi elements had me a bit lost and maybe it was a mood thing but the pacing didn't help. I also had some issues with the character dynamics that could have been played out better, it needed a stronger build up. I would have preferred if the book was NA rather than YA as the themes are quite dark, imo that would have done wonders for this book, or at least for me. I recommend people interested in it to check out trigger warnings. The writing is quite poetic and there is immense potential for the author's writing, others may enjoy it more. Some of the quotes and metaphors hit deep but it wasn't enough for me to rate it any higher.
Promising idea but unfortunately it wasn't for me. The sci-fi elements had me a bit lost and maybe it was a mood thing but the pacing didn't help. I also had some issues with the character dynamics that could have been played out better, it needed a stronger build up. I would have preferred if the book was NA rather than YA as the themes are quite dark, imo that would have done wonders for this book, or at least for me. I recommend people interested in it to check out trigger warnings. The writing is quite poetic and there is immense potential for the author's writing, others may enjoy it more. Some of the quotes and metaphors hit deep but it wasn't enough for me to rate it any higher.
May 28, 2025
4 stars
THIS is how you do dystopian romance!!!! The pages wouldn’t stop turning, I’m sat for this series.
THIS is how you do dystopian romance!!!! The pages wouldn’t stop turning, I’m sat for this series.
February 21, 2024
Didn’t love. Didn’t hate. Very predictable. The way the development between the MMC and FMC happened was very middle school & unbelievable. You’re telling me our MMC is a captain of the guards of this prison, where all the other guards literally hit prisoners for speaking to them, and the captain is supposed to be the biggest and baddest of them all, but let’s this new girl just run her mouth at him?? And not only that, Khalani feels comfortable enough for some reason to do so, even though he literally threatened to break her arm at one point? But apparently he doesn’t follow through and really isn’t good at pretending. Also their only connection is liking each other because they’re both pretty but for some reason that means they can almost instantly trust each other and act like high schoolers even though they’re in a life threatening situation. The supposed tension was non existent. I don’t care enough about any of them to read book 2. Also FMC gives major Mary Sue vibes.
April 12, 2026
2.75 🌟 rounded up. Well this started out pretty strong and has an interesting premise. However around 40% in the pace really started to meander and with that, so did my interest. The beginning was a solid 3/3.5 but sadly we ended up drifting into 2/2.5 star territory. I mean, this definitely wasn’t a bad read, but my lack of connection to the characters really started to affect my experience as the pacing started to drop off.
Khalani is a prisoner in a brutal underground prison (her crimes aren’t actually crimes, as with most of the prisoners, which fits the dystopian aspect of this book) & Takeshi is the captain of the guards. He’s broody and ruthless & agrees to train Khalani when she looses a fight amongst prisoners. Her character is likeable & both of them have depth to their back stories but unfortunately they didn’t stand out to me. I didn’t feel a pull to them, I think mostly due to the amount of time it took for developments to happen in the plot in general.
This is slow burn in terms of when Takeshi and Khalani admitted they liked each other/wanted each other & had a moment but for me they didn’t really have any on page tension or chemistry. For example, I wanted to feel the slow burn during their training sessions but instead it just felt like an average training session. So when Takeshi was saying all the lines, I was like, meh.
I also wished we’d got a bit more information upfront. For example some history and explanation on the great collapse - which caused them to live underground as basically slaves to the rich up above. Giving some context around this at the start of the book would have definitely helped set the scene more.
Overall I really did enjoy the start of the book & was interested to see where it went, but in the end I was getting bored. I think the concept is really good though but the lack of depth I felt and the pacing ultimately made this fall kinda flat for me. The ending was decent and I definitely didn’t clock the twist, but unfortunately it didn’t do enough for me to want to read book 2. I’ll probably forget about it tomorrow 🥲
Thank you to sourcebooks/bloom books for the e-arc via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.
Khalani is a prisoner in a brutal underground prison (her crimes aren’t actually crimes, as with most of the prisoners, which fits the dystopian aspect of this book) & Takeshi is the captain of the guards. He’s broody and ruthless & agrees to train Khalani when she looses a fight amongst prisoners. Her character is likeable & both of them have depth to their back stories but unfortunately they didn’t stand out to me. I didn’t feel a pull to them, I think mostly due to the amount of time it took for developments to happen in the plot in general.
This is slow burn in terms of when Takeshi and Khalani admitted they liked each other/wanted each other & had a moment but for me they didn’t really have any on page tension or chemistry. For example, I wanted to feel the slow burn during their training sessions but instead it just felt like an average training session. So when Takeshi was saying all the lines, I was like, meh.
I also wished we’d got a bit more information upfront. For example some history and explanation on the great collapse - which caused them to live underground as basically slaves to the rich up above. Giving some context around this at the start of the book would have definitely helped set the scene more.
Overall I really did enjoy the start of the book & was interested to see where it went, but in the end I was getting bored. I think the concept is really good though but the lack of depth I felt and the pacing ultimately made this fall kinda flat for me. The ending was decent and I definitely didn’t clock the twist, but unfortunately it didn’t do enough for me to want to read book 2. I’ll probably forget about it tomorrow 🥲
Thank you to sourcebooks/bloom books for the e-arc via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.
on-hold
March 26, 2026tw: violence, suicide, mass murder, attempted sexual assault
━━━━━━━━━━━
❀ reading progress ❀~
━━━━━━━━━━━
---"If life was measured by the lessons I’ve learned, I would be immortal."
---"You are no longer Khalani Kanes. Khalani Kanes disappeared the moment you stepped foot in our walls. She doesn’t exist anymore. You are Prisoner 317"
---on hold for now (@ ch 6)
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
side note
started- march 26
finished-
━━━━━
❀pre-read❀
━━━━━
a mmc inspired by levi ackerman? say lesss🫡😝
━━━━━━━━━━━
❀ reading progress ❀~
━━━━━━━━━━━
---"If life was measured by the lessons I’ve learned, I would be immortal."
---"You are no longer Khalani Kanes. Khalani Kanes disappeared the moment you stepped foot in our walls. She doesn’t exist anymore. You are Prisoner 317"
---on hold for now (@ ch 6)
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
side note
started- march 26
finished-
━━━━━
❀pre-read❀
━━━━━
a mmc inspired by levi ackerman? say lesss🫡😝
March 24, 2025
I just read this in less than 24 hours.
BLOWN AWAY.
I can’t even comprehend how good this was.
Speechless is the proper word for how I’m feeling right now.
BLOWN AWAY.
I can’t even comprehend how good this was.
Speechless is the proper word for how I’m feeling right now.
March 27, 2025
Honestly this will probably be one of my favorite reads this year! It was fast paced and fun!
Read
May 4, 2026Us Dark Few had a lot of things I usually enjoy: a dark dystopian world, survival tension, a controlled society, and a setup that made me want to know what was really going on.
I immersive read this with audio and text, and that format worked well for me. The story was fast-paced, super easy to follow, and gave me similar vibes as, To Cage a Wild Bird, with the whole broken system, trapped society, and romance tangled up in survival and control.
This was a solid read. Khalani took me a little while to get used to. Found her somewhat annoying, and most of it felt too familiar instead of fully fresh, but once I got past that, I was interested in the bigger picture.
The narration was strong overall and kept the story moving. It is single narration, and while the narrator handled it well, there were some of the male dialogue moments that felt less natural and pulled me out of the flow a bit.
I’d recommend this to readers who like dark dystopian romance, survival settings, controlled societies, and stories that feel bleak but easy to stay with.
I immersive read this with audio and text, and that format worked well for me. The story was fast-paced, super easy to follow, and gave me similar vibes as, To Cage a Wild Bird, with the whole broken system, trapped society, and romance tangled up in survival and control.
This was a solid read. Khalani took me a little while to get used to. Found her somewhat annoying, and most of it felt too familiar instead of fully fresh, but once I got past that, I was interested in the bigger picture.
The narration was strong overall and kept the story moving. It is single narration, and while the narrator handled it well, there were some of the male dialogue moments that felt less natural and pulled me out of the flow a bit.
I’d recommend this to readers who like dark dystopian romance, survival settings, controlled societies, and stories that feel bleak but easy to stay with.
August 17, 2023
I can't reiterate enough how GOOD this book was!
What surprised me most about this story was the sheer
critical consciousness within the storyline. One thing
about me is that I will ALWAYS appreciate authors who
write political commentary into their work. Themes of
censorship, the prison industrial complex, and the
overall effects of fascism are present in Us
Dark Few.
Khalani is such a reliable MC. Her character arc was
beautiful with a perfect pace but I really enjoyed
watching her fight her inner demons. Takeshi's
character is menacing and brooding and I loved the
slow burn between the two. I also loved that the focus
of the story was not on the romance, but Khalani and
Takeshi's interactions still gave me butterflies!
I recommend this book to anyone who loves the
political undertones of The Hunger Games, folks who
enjoy intimacy between characters, and lovers of
dystopian sci-fi!
What surprised me most about this story was the sheer
critical consciousness within the storyline. One thing
about me is that I will ALWAYS appreciate authors who
write political commentary into their work. Themes of
censorship, the prison industrial complex, and the
overall effects of fascism are present in Us
Dark Few.
Khalani is such a reliable MC. Her character arc was
beautiful with a perfect pace but I really enjoyed
watching her fight her inner demons. Takeshi's
character is menacing and brooding and I loved the
slow burn between the two. I also loved that the focus
of the story was not on the romance, but Khalani and
Takeshi's interactions still gave me butterflies!
I recommend this book to anyone who loves the
political undertones of The Hunger Games, folks who
enjoy intimacy between characters, and lovers of
dystopian sci-fi!
February 7, 2024
✩ ✩
𝖨 𝗐𝖺𝗇𝗍𝖾𝖽 𝗍𝗈 𝗅𝗂𝗄𝖾 𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗌 𝗌𝗈 𝖻𝖺𝖽𝗅𝗒. 𝖳𝗁𝖾𝗋𝖾 𝗐𝖾𝗋𝖾 𝖻𝗂𝗍𝗌 𝗈𝖿 𝗉𝗈𝖾𝗍𝗋𝗒 𝗍𝗁𝗋𝗈𝗎𝗀𝗁𝗈𝗎𝗍 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗌𝗈𝗆𝖾 𝖻𝖾𝖺𝗎𝗍𝗂𝖿𝗎𝗅 𝗉𝗋𝗈𝗌𝖾, 𝖻𝗎𝗍 𝗆𝖺𝗇𝗒 𝗈𝖿 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖼𝗈𝗇𝗏𝖾𝗋𝗌𝖺𝗍𝗂𝗈𝗇𝗌 𝖿𝖾𝗅𝗍 𝗎𝗇𝗇𝖺𝗍𝗎𝗋𝖺𝗅 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗋𝗂𝗀𝗂𝖽. 𝖥𝗈𝗋 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖿𝗂𝗋𝗌𝗍 40% 𝗈𝖿 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖻𝗈𝗈𝗄, 𝖨 𝗌𝗍𝗋𝗎𝗀𝗀𝗅𝖾𝖽 𝗍𝗈 𝗌𝗍𝖺𝗒 𝗂𝗇𝗍𝖾𝗋𝖾𝗌𝗍𝖾𝖽. 𝖨 𝖽𝗈𝗇’𝗍 𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗇𝗄 𝖨 𝖾𝗏𝖾𝗋 𝖿𝗎𝗅𝗅𝗒 𝗂𝗇𝗏𝖾𝗌𝗍𝖾𝖽 𝗂𝗇 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗉𝗅𝗈𝗍 𝗈𝗋 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖼𝗁𝖺𝗋𝖺𝖼𝗍𝖾𝗋𝗌. 𝖲𝗈 𝗆𝗎𝖼𝗁 𝗈𝖿 𝗂𝗍 𝖽𝗂𝖽𝗇’𝗍 𝗆𝖺𝗄𝖾 𝗌𝖾𝗇𝗌𝖾 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗋𝖾 𝗐𝖾𝗋𝖾 𝗃𝗎𝗌𝗍 𝖺 𝗅𝗈𝗍 𝗈𝖿 𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗇𝗀𝗌 𝗍𝗁𝖺𝗍 𝖽𝗂𝖽𝗇’𝗍 𝗋𝖾𝖺𝗅𝗅𝗒 𝖺𝖽𝖽 𝗎𝗉. 𝖨 𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗇𝗄 𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗌 𝗁𝖺𝖽 𝖺 𝗅𝗈𝗍 𝗈𝖿 𝗉𝗈𝗍𝖾𝗇𝗍𝗂𝖺𝗅. 𝖳𝗁𝖾 𝗉𝗋𝖾𝗆𝗂𝗌𝖾 𝗐𝖺𝗌 𝖼𝗈𝗈𝗅, 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗋𝗈𝗆𝖺𝗇𝖼𝖾 𝗁𝖺𝖽 𝖺 𝗎𝗇𝗂𝗊𝗎𝖾 𝖿𝗈𝗎𝗇𝖽𝖺𝗍𝗂𝗈𝗇, 𝖻𝗎𝗍 𝗈𝗏𝖾𝗋𝖺𝗅𝗅, 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖾𝗑𝖾𝖼𝗎𝗍𝗂𝗈𝗇 𝖿𝖾𝗅𝗅 𝗌𝗁𝗈𝗋𝗍 𝖿𝗈𝗋 𝗆𝖾.
𝖨 𝗐𝖺𝗇𝗍𝖾𝖽 𝗍𝗈 𝗅𝗂𝗄𝖾 𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗌 𝗌𝗈 𝖻𝖺𝖽𝗅𝗒. 𝖳𝗁𝖾𝗋𝖾 𝗐𝖾𝗋𝖾 𝖻𝗂𝗍𝗌 𝗈𝖿 𝗉𝗈𝖾𝗍𝗋𝗒 𝗍𝗁𝗋𝗈𝗎𝗀𝗁𝗈𝗎𝗍 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗌𝗈𝗆𝖾 𝖻𝖾𝖺𝗎𝗍𝗂𝖿𝗎𝗅 𝗉𝗋𝗈𝗌𝖾, 𝖻𝗎𝗍 𝗆𝖺𝗇𝗒 𝗈𝖿 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖼𝗈𝗇𝗏𝖾𝗋𝗌𝖺𝗍𝗂𝗈𝗇𝗌 𝖿𝖾𝗅𝗍 𝗎𝗇𝗇𝖺𝗍𝗎𝗋𝖺𝗅 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗋𝗂𝗀𝗂𝖽. 𝖥𝗈𝗋 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖿𝗂𝗋𝗌𝗍 40% 𝗈𝖿 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖻𝗈𝗈𝗄, 𝖨 𝗌𝗍𝗋𝗎𝗀𝗀𝗅𝖾𝖽 𝗍𝗈 𝗌𝗍𝖺𝗒 𝗂𝗇𝗍𝖾𝗋𝖾𝗌𝗍𝖾𝖽. 𝖨 𝖽𝗈𝗇’𝗍 𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗇𝗄 𝖨 𝖾𝗏𝖾𝗋 𝖿𝗎𝗅𝗅𝗒 𝗂𝗇𝗏𝖾𝗌𝗍𝖾𝖽 𝗂𝗇 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗉𝗅𝗈𝗍 𝗈𝗋 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖼𝗁𝖺𝗋𝖺𝖼𝗍𝖾𝗋𝗌. 𝖲𝗈 𝗆𝗎𝖼𝗁 𝗈𝖿 𝗂𝗍 𝖽𝗂𝖽𝗇’𝗍 𝗆𝖺𝗄𝖾 𝗌𝖾𝗇𝗌𝖾 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗋𝖾 𝗐𝖾𝗋𝖾 𝗃𝗎𝗌𝗍 𝖺 𝗅𝗈𝗍 𝗈𝖿 𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗇𝗀𝗌 𝗍𝗁𝖺𝗍 𝖽𝗂𝖽𝗇’𝗍 𝗋𝖾𝖺𝗅𝗅𝗒 𝖺𝖽𝖽 𝗎𝗉. 𝖨 𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗇𝗄 𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗌 𝗁𝖺𝖽 𝖺 𝗅𝗈𝗍 𝗈𝖿 𝗉𝗈𝗍𝖾𝗇𝗍𝗂𝖺𝗅. 𝖳𝗁𝖾 𝗉𝗋𝖾𝗆𝗂𝗌𝖾 𝗐𝖺𝗌 𝖼𝗈𝗈𝗅, 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗋𝗈𝗆𝖺𝗇𝖼𝖾 𝗁𝖺𝖽 𝖺 𝗎𝗇𝗂𝗊𝗎𝖾 𝖿𝗈𝗎𝗇𝖽𝖺𝗍𝗂𝗈𝗇, 𝖻𝗎𝗍 𝗈𝗏𝖾𝗋𝖺𝗅𝗅, 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖾𝗑𝖾𝖼𝗎𝗍𝗂𝗈𝗇 𝖿𝖾𝗅𝗅 𝗌𝗁𝗈𝗋𝗍 𝖿𝗈𝗋 𝗆𝖾.
April 3, 2026
I loved it ! Didn’t know I would but it gave me Prison Break vibes and I am living for it!
Give me the next book !!!!
Give me the next book !!!!
October 21, 2025
Us Dark Few
MINI REVIEW
Dystopia has never been so addictive! Takeshi Steel's banter and snark will have you drooling, while Khalani's heartfelt thirst for beauty and knowledge and her quest to find them in unexpected places makes her a truly unique FMC.
Three hundred years in the future, humans live underground…except for spoiled elite who reside in a domed city of luxury and excess, hardly retaining humanity at all. Khalani grew up in the subterranean city of Apollo, but when she’s sentenced to life in prison for daring to read a book, that’s when things get interesting.
This book was a fast paced page turner and I absolutely loved it! Post-apocalyptic settings are my weakness, as I’m a huge RPG’er and love games like Fall Out and Horizon Zero Dawn. Us Dark Few takes elements from dystopian mythos and adds an enemies to lovers romantasy spin with an MMC whose banter and snark alone will have you drooling. (And that’s before he “trains” her! *fans self) But there’s a depth to this book that goes beyond it’s compelling setting or characters, and at times had me thinking of Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451, set in a world where books are burned and knowledge is taboo.
TROPES LIST
Dystopian / post-apocalyptic
Enemies to lovers
He’s her prison guard
Fall Out / Fahrenheit 451 vibes
POC MMC & FMC (he’s coded Japanese, she’s Hispanic—confirmed with author)
He trains her!
He tends to her wounds!
Top tier banter
FAVORITE SIDE CHARACTER: Winnie has my whole heart ♥️
FAVORITE QUOTES
“I’m not saying the pain will get easier,” his voice rose, as if he could sense the ruin within her. “But you don’t realize how tough you are until you need all your strength.”
The intricacy and shape of every story, as potent as the blood flowing through her veins, set her mind ablaze, and she relished the burn. Reading was like sucking in a gulp of air after holding your breath for a lifetime. Or falling in love. Khalani had never been in love, but she imagined that that’s what it felt like. An emotion that gave your soul wings.
“But,” Winnie continued, “someone else at the Archives saw Winnie taking the books and ratted her out. That’s how Winnie ended up here. But the damage was already done. That’s the beauty of knowledge. If it’s remembered, the meaning can’t be fully erased.”
His expression was unreadable as she hobbled toward him. “You should prepare yourself for disappointment because I’m going to prove you wrong at every turn,” she panted. “Good.” His eyes lit with molten fire. “I haven’t even tried making you beg yet.” His words did strange things to her body. Khalani’s chest tightened as his dominating energy pressed in around her. “You better start praying now, or you’ll be waiting a long time for that to happen.” She lifted her chin, ignoring every flight instinct telling her not to piss him off. Because screw him. That’s why. “Do you pray often, Kanes?” She reeled back from the bizarre question. “No.”
A slight but dangerous smirk appeared on his face. “Keep pushing me, and you’ll need to. If I want something,” he lowered his head, an inch separating them, “only God will prevent it.”
“I was right. You would make a better council member than those simpletons. In many ways, the focus on art and foolish fantasies in human culture led to the Great Collapse. They weren’t focused on the real problems. People were more inclined to sit at home and live in a screen versus worrying about climate change, declining resources, and mass extinction across different animal and plant lifeforms. The warning signs were all there. But they knew they wouldn’t be alive when the destruction they sowed came about. They waited for someone else to fix their problems, but it never happened. And here we are.” Alexander held out his hands.
Did the cloned turkey know his purpose was to die and be eaten for tonight’s feast? Or was he blissfully ignorant of his upcoming demise? Maybe that was sexist. It could’ve been a girl turkey.
“I even did the squishy eye finger trick you taught me,” she added. “Freaking gross. You’re the only one who could convince me to do that.” “I noticed. But you sound less badass when you call it the squishy eye finger trick, you know that, right?”
He pierced through her armored heart and never patched the hole. Why was life always like that? The ones who inflicted the most damage never thought to repair it. They just left you broken for the next person to deal with those twisted scars.
MINI REVIEW
Dystopia has never been so addictive! Takeshi Steel's banter and snark will have you drooling, while Khalani's heartfelt thirst for beauty and knowledge and her quest to find them in unexpected places makes her a truly unique FMC.
Three hundred years in the future, humans live underground…except for spoiled elite who reside in a domed city of luxury and excess, hardly retaining humanity at all. Khalani grew up in the subterranean city of Apollo, but when she’s sentenced to life in prison for daring to read a book, that’s when things get interesting.
This book was a fast paced page turner and I absolutely loved it! Post-apocalyptic settings are my weakness, as I’m a huge RPG’er and love games like Fall Out and Horizon Zero Dawn. Us Dark Few takes elements from dystopian mythos and adds an enemies to lovers romantasy spin with an MMC whose banter and snark alone will have you drooling. (And that’s before he “trains” her! *fans self) But there’s a depth to this book that goes beyond it’s compelling setting or characters, and at times had me thinking of Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451, set in a world where books are burned and knowledge is taboo.
TROPES LIST
Dystopian / post-apocalyptic
Enemies to lovers
He’s her prison guard
Fall Out / Fahrenheit 451 vibes
POC MMC & FMC (he’s coded Japanese, she’s Hispanic—confirmed with author)
He trains her!
He tends to her wounds!
Top tier banter
FAVORITE SIDE CHARACTER: Winnie has my whole heart ♥️
FAVORITE QUOTES
“I’m not saying the pain will get easier,” his voice rose, as if he could sense the ruin within her. “But you don’t realize how tough you are until you need all your strength.”
The intricacy and shape of every story, as potent as the blood flowing through her veins, set her mind ablaze, and she relished the burn. Reading was like sucking in a gulp of air after holding your breath for a lifetime. Or falling in love. Khalani had never been in love, but she imagined that that’s what it felt like. An emotion that gave your soul wings.
“But,” Winnie continued, “someone else at the Archives saw Winnie taking the books and ratted her out. That’s how Winnie ended up here. But the damage was already done. That’s the beauty of knowledge. If it’s remembered, the meaning can’t be fully erased.”
His expression was unreadable as she hobbled toward him. “You should prepare yourself for disappointment because I’m going to prove you wrong at every turn,” she panted. “Good.” His eyes lit with molten fire. “I haven’t even tried making you beg yet.” His words did strange things to her body. Khalani’s chest tightened as his dominating energy pressed in around her. “You better start praying now, or you’ll be waiting a long time for that to happen.” She lifted her chin, ignoring every flight instinct telling her not to piss him off. Because screw him. That’s why. “Do you pray often, Kanes?” She reeled back from the bizarre question. “No.”
A slight but dangerous smirk appeared on his face. “Keep pushing me, and you’ll need to. If I want something,” he lowered his head, an inch separating them, “only God will prevent it.”
“I was right. You would make a better council member than those simpletons. In many ways, the focus on art and foolish fantasies in human culture led to the Great Collapse. They weren’t focused on the real problems. People were more inclined to sit at home and live in a screen versus worrying about climate change, declining resources, and mass extinction across different animal and plant lifeforms. The warning signs were all there. But they knew they wouldn’t be alive when the destruction they sowed came about. They waited for someone else to fix their problems, but it never happened. And here we are.” Alexander held out his hands.
Did the cloned turkey know his purpose was to die and be eaten for tonight’s feast? Or was he blissfully ignorant of his upcoming demise? Maybe that was sexist. It could’ve been a girl turkey.
“I even did the squishy eye finger trick you taught me,” she added. “Freaking gross. You’re the only one who could convince me to do that.” “I noticed. But you sound less badass when you call it the squishy eye finger trick, you know that, right?”
He pierced through her armored heart and never patched the hole. Why was life always like that? The ones who inflicted the most damage never thought to repair it. They just left you broken for the next person to deal with those twisted scars.
February 11, 2026
─── 1,5 stars ★ˎˊ˗
⤷started: 16 december┊finished: 9 February
ꗃ ︴immediate mini review
yes you read that right. this book took me almost 2 months to read. If that’s not a testament to how bad this book is, I honestly don’t know what is. I mean the concept was really promising, and reading it together with my queen maryam (who has vanished off the face of earth btw, pls come back😣) has def made it better of an experience. but the writing style in this was just not for me, the writing errors, the fact that our fmc Khalani keeps STUTTERING. (I HATE STUTTERING) Khalani was honestly so hard to relate to. this girl was a mess, she couldn’t seem to settle on anything. maybe it was part of her character or something, but it just didn't feel right to me. the only thing that kept me going was her romance with Takeshi which in the end turned out to last only about 10 pages (not kidding) and the only scene where they get together was honestly such an anticlimax. That brings me to Takeshi. He was such an empty character, nothing about him was really unique and we never really got any explanation to why he was soooooooooo dark, mysterious, gloomy etc. (insufferable). I mean you'd probably find out in the second book, but idk if I can bring myself to read it. okay im done being a hater now😙
⌗ ᵎᵎ⌇Pre read .ᐟ
I recently added this book to my tbr after seeing it on my fyp, and it just kept showing up so can’t resist it any longer.. Apparently it’s prison x prisoner and that sounds TEAA!
I’m buddy-reading this with the sweetest Maryam!! im so lucky to be doing my first ever buddy-read with you.🥹 (help me come up with nicknames for her guys, cause I can’t think of one and I am currently being called rocking robin??) anyways! I hope we both love this book!!🫂 MWAH
⤷started: 16 december┊finished: 9 February
“The kind of alone no one desires. The kind where you think you want to drown, but in reality, all you want is to be saved”
ꗃ ︴immediate mini review
yes you read that right. this book took me almost 2 months to read. If that’s not a testament to how bad this book is, I honestly don’t know what is. I mean the concept was really promising, and reading it together with my queen maryam (who has vanished off the face of earth btw, pls come back😣) has def made it better of an experience. but the writing style in this was just not for me, the writing errors, the fact that our fmc Khalani keeps STUTTERING. (I HATE STUTTERING) Khalani was honestly so hard to relate to. this girl was a mess, she couldn’t seem to settle on anything. maybe it was part of her character or something, but it just didn't feel right to me. the only thing that kept me going was her romance with Takeshi which in the end turned out to last only about 10 pages (not kidding) and the only scene where they get together was honestly such an anticlimax. That brings me to Takeshi. He was such an empty character, nothing about him was really unique and we never really got any explanation to why he was soooooooooo dark, mysterious, gloomy etc. (insufferable). I mean you'd probably find out in the second book, but idk if I can bring myself to read it. okay im done being a hater now😙
⌗ ᵎᵎ⌇Pre read .ᐟ
I recently added this book to my tbr after seeing it on my fyp, and it just kept showing up so can’t resist it any longer.. Apparently it’s prison x prisoner and that sounds TEAA!
I’m buddy-reading this with the sweetest Maryam!! im so lucky to be doing my first ever buddy-read with you.🥹 (help me come up with nicknames for her guys, cause I can’t think of one and I am currently being called rocking robin??) anyways! I hope we both love this book!!🫂 MWAH
January 4, 2025
“Sweet girl, the purpose is about life.” Winnie’s raised her hands in emphasis. “These books aren’t meant to train or give a history lesson. They are meant to stir the mind and the soul. To immerse you in the wonders and hardships of love, the most powerful force in the universe,” Winnie concluded with a smile.
This is my first read of 2025 and oh god, it is a fucking five star read.
Khalani Kanes, has never seen the earth’s surface and dreams of visiting Genesis, the last aboveground city.
In this world, art and anything related to it is strictly forbidden and hidden from society, so when Khalank is caught in possession of a book—an object considered illegal—she is accused of treason and sentenced to life in the brutal Braderhelm Prison. There, she must endure harsh conditions and encounters Takeshi Steele, the captain of her cell block, a man both feared and mysterious.
Khalani must learn to survive in this dark world while holding onto dreams of freedom she has never experienced.
𐙚 Dystopian world
𐙚 Post-Apocalyptic
𐙚 Forbidden romance
𐙚 Forced proximity
𐙚 Guard x Prisoner
𐙚 One bed
𐙚 Slow Burn
𐙚 Touch her and die
𐙚 Love/Hate relationship
𐙚 Found family
I fell in love with this book. Everything was just so perfect to me ? I've read it in on sitting.
There was nothing excessive or lacking. Everything was just enough and so well written. There were enough elements of fiction to make it feel like a dystopia, and enough elements of romance/tension to make it feel like a romance.
I’m quite in awe right now. I don’t really know what to say except that I loved this book and devoured it.
𐙚 Khalani Kanes
If life was measured by the lessons I’ve learned, I would be immortal.
– Khalani Kanes
Khalani arrives in prison defenseless, ready to give up. At that point, she doesn’t really want to live. Her character is just amazing! She’s not the type of girl who constantly cries and feels sorry for herself, who’s pathetic, and she doesn’t magically become strong in an instant. Khalani is strong-minded, bold, stubborn, and never backs down from anything. I especially loved her witty comebacks. I loved discovering her and watching her evolve as I read. One of the best parts was reading the poems she wrote—I thought they were beautiful.
𐙚 Takeshi Steele
“Takeshi Steele. He’s the Captain and runs your block. His aggressive temper precedes him. He’s even murdered some of his own guards. My best advice would be to keep your head down and stay away from him.”
He’s the captain of the block, the man everyone fears and should avoid. His role demands it—he’s cold, tough, and cruel. But deep down, he’s a good man, and he opens up through his connection with Khalani. I loved seeing their interactions, their exchanges, and how their relationship evolved. I loved seeing Takeshi open up a bit more to her and show his interest in her. He was even ready to find her flowers just because she told him she wanted to be a gardener ?????????
Takeshi is a more complex character—he does what he must, shows very little of what he feels or thinks, but he burns for Khalani.
𐙚 Their relationship
I won’t say much because the quotes will speak for me. But I fucking loved their dynamic. I was just smiling like an idiot when they were being sarcastic, when they showed some semblance of affection, when they started training together, when they were in Takeshi’s room, when they cracked and kissed each other.
Everything was perfect—the tension, the interactions, the moments when they happened. I just absolutely loved it and can’t wait to read more.
For a brief moment in time, they were the sole occupants of the earth, without fear, without thoughts of right or wrong.
She was clearly imagining things, because describing Takeshi as warm was like describing the grim reaper as sweet. He was more likely to cuddle in a blanket of blades and give a baby a taser as their first toy.
You almost proved me wrong.”
The words caught her off guard, and she found the energy to turn her head. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I knew you couldn’t last a whole session with me. I can spot quitters from a mile away. You’re no different.”
She. Hated. Takeshi. Steele.
“Kanes, you better not die tomorrow. I’ll only allow it when you can beat me in a fight.”
The intensity in his expression stole her breath. “I doubt that would happen anytime soon,” she joked. “Possibly never.”
“Exactly.”
“The truth can’t be taken back, Kanes. It had to be done. And if you think watching your face that morning didn’t make me want to destroy something, you’re wrong. But the idea of not having one more moment where I’m just your trainer, and you aren’t my prisoner, makes me want to kill someone.”
“I feel so damn much that at any moment, it could all come blurting out and I’d make myself look like the world’s biggest idiot. So, there it is, Takeshi! I like you. And my deepest secret doesn’t mean anything because you don’t feel the same about me. We are worlds apart. And that’s where we’ll always stand.”
“Yeah?”
“Shut up,” he rasped. “We were never worlds apart. If we were, you wouldn’t be everywhere inside of me. When I look at you, my chest feels like it’s about to crack open, and all the emotions I’ve beaten down to submission come roaring back with a fucking vengeance.” The power beneath his voice shook her. “For every scar visible on your body, I have to prevent myself from seeking out your assailants and slashing each one of their throats. I’ve watched you fight through every battle, despite the trials and tragedies you’ve faced, and it never ceases to astound me. Just staring at you right now makes me want to take you every way imaginable, and nothing about it is innocent.”
𐙚 The Writing
I honestly have nothing to say except that I loved this book and the way it was written. I also really appreciated the quotes at the beginning of each chapter.
PS : I really enjoyed Khalani’s interactions with Winnie; it was very touching !!
𐙚 The ending
I still can’t get over it. It was so unexpected ????? I can’t wait to find out what happens next. Honestly, I loved that little twist that turned everything upside down.
𐙚 some words to end this review
I truly loved everything about this book, and I’m happy it’s my first read of 2025.
I’m off to devour the second book now !!!!
- My review of Us Deadly Few : https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
This is my first read of 2025 and oh god, it is a fucking five star read.
Khalani Kanes, has never seen the earth’s surface and dreams of visiting Genesis, the last aboveground city.
In this world, art and anything related to it is strictly forbidden and hidden from society, so when Khalank is caught in possession of a book—an object considered illegal—she is accused of treason and sentenced to life in the brutal Braderhelm Prison. There, she must endure harsh conditions and encounters Takeshi Steele, the captain of her cell block, a man both feared and mysterious.
Khalani must learn to survive in this dark world while holding onto dreams of freedom she has never experienced.
𐙚 Dystopian world
𐙚 Post-Apocalyptic
𐙚 Forbidden romance
𐙚 Forced proximity
𐙚 Guard x Prisoner
𐙚 One bed
𐙚 Slow Burn
𐙚 Touch her and die
𐙚 Love/Hate relationship
𐙚 Found family
I fell in love with this book. Everything was just so perfect to me ? I've read it in on sitting.
There was nothing excessive or lacking. Everything was just enough and so well written. There were enough elements of fiction to make it feel like a dystopia, and enough elements of romance/tension to make it feel like a romance.
I’m quite in awe right now. I don’t really know what to say except that I loved this book and devoured it.
𐙚 Khalani Kanes
If life was measured by the lessons I’ve learned, I would be immortal.
– Khalani Kanes
Khalani arrives in prison defenseless, ready to give up. At that point, she doesn’t really want to live. Her character is just amazing! She’s not the type of girl who constantly cries and feels sorry for herself, who’s pathetic, and she doesn’t magically become strong in an instant. Khalani is strong-minded, bold, stubborn, and never backs down from anything. I especially loved her witty comebacks. I loved discovering her and watching her evolve as I read. One of the best parts was reading the poems she wrote—I thought they were beautiful.
𐙚 Takeshi Steele
“Takeshi Steele. He’s the Captain and runs your block. His aggressive temper precedes him. He’s even murdered some of his own guards. My best advice would be to keep your head down and stay away from him.”
He’s the captain of the block, the man everyone fears and should avoid. His role demands it—he’s cold, tough, and cruel. But deep down, he’s a good man, and he opens up through his connection with Khalani. I loved seeing their interactions, their exchanges, and how their relationship evolved. I loved seeing Takeshi open up a bit more to her and show his interest in her. He was even ready to find her flowers just because she told him she wanted to be a gardener ?????????
Takeshi is a more complex character—he does what he must, shows very little of what he feels or thinks, but he burns for Khalani.
𐙚 Their relationship
I won’t say much because the quotes will speak for me. But I fucking loved their dynamic. I was just smiling like an idiot when they were being sarcastic, when they showed some semblance of affection, when they started training together, when they were in Takeshi’s room, when they cracked and kissed each other.
Everything was perfect—the tension, the interactions, the moments when they happened. I just absolutely loved it and can’t wait to read more.
For a brief moment in time, they were the sole occupants of the earth, without fear, without thoughts of right or wrong.
She was clearly imagining things, because describing Takeshi as warm was like describing the grim reaper as sweet. He was more likely to cuddle in a blanket of blades and give a baby a taser as their first toy.
You almost proved me wrong.”
The words caught her off guard, and she found the energy to turn her head. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I knew you couldn’t last a whole session with me. I can spot quitters from a mile away. You’re no different.”
She. Hated. Takeshi. Steele.
“Kanes, you better not die tomorrow. I’ll only allow it when you can beat me in a fight.”
The intensity in his expression stole her breath. “I doubt that would happen anytime soon,” she joked. “Possibly never.”
“Exactly.”
“The truth can’t be taken back, Kanes. It had to be done. And if you think watching your face that morning didn’t make me want to destroy something, you’re wrong. But the idea of not having one more moment where I’m just your trainer, and you aren’t my prisoner, makes me want to kill someone.”
“I feel so damn much that at any moment, it could all come blurting out and I’d make myself look like the world’s biggest idiot. So, there it is, Takeshi! I like you. And my deepest secret doesn’t mean anything because you don’t feel the same about me. We are worlds apart. And that’s where we’ll always stand.”
“Yeah?”
“Shut up,” he rasped. “We were never worlds apart. If we were, you wouldn’t be everywhere inside of me. When I look at you, my chest feels like it’s about to crack open, and all the emotions I’ve beaten down to submission come roaring back with a fucking vengeance.” The power beneath his voice shook her. “For every scar visible on your body, I have to prevent myself from seeking out your assailants and slashing each one of their throats. I’ve watched you fight through every battle, despite the trials and tragedies you’ve faced, and it never ceases to astound me. Just staring at you right now makes me want to take you every way imaginable, and nothing about it is innocent.”
𐙚 The Writing
I honestly have nothing to say except that I loved this book and the way it was written. I also really appreciated the quotes at the beginning of each chapter.
PS : I really enjoyed Khalani’s interactions with Winnie; it was very touching !!
𐙚 The ending
I still can’t get over it. It was so unexpected ????? I can’t wait to find out what happens next. Honestly, I loved that little twist that turned everything upside down.
𐙚 some words to end this review
I truly loved everything about this book, and I’m happy it’s my first read of 2025.
I’m off to devour the second book now !!!!
- My review of Us Deadly Few : https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
April 28, 2025
pago yo a una traductora si hace falta pero TENÉIS QUE LEERLO
January 22, 2026
1/5⭐️
I’m aware that this was a debut novel and I don’t mean to sound harsh but I’m surprised at how bad this was. If you’re sensitive to criticism, please be advised and stop reading.
My thoughts:
- it was littered with simple spelling errors🤦♀️ exhibit a: ”And seeing as I’m you’re only shot of making it out alive”
- she mentioned, during two separate occasions, the state of her… bodily function which releases urine😭 one time she peed herself because she was scared and the other, she mentioned she wanted to pee for no reason at all.
- you don’t have to make metaphors out of everything!!!!!!! please! ”In a way, she was jealous of the tiny dancer (a ballerina in a music box) who lived on a steady foundation. Unchanging. Safe. Only needing to turn when the dark doors of her life unraveled.” Literally every. single. thing. At some point, it’s just cringe.
-And speaking of cringe. The entire book was so wannabe poetic that it just became laughable. It was partly because of the overuse of metaphors and wanting to find a deep meaning in every single thing. Then it was partly because of the poetry. I get that writers are always trying to create new beautiful sentences to describe the complexity that is life. But at one point, we’ve heard it all before, and it’s almost as if stories become more poetic and passionate and more probable to leave a lasting impression if you don’t try to be poetic at all and just write a good story. I don’t need you to describe the Mona Lisa to me for an entire page!!!
- Which brings me to my next point. This is a very good example of why you should be weary of using modern day references in dystopian books, or in any books at all (at least in my opinion). It is so unfitting and it makes me cringe!!!!!!!!
”would you be shocked to know that this used to be the most famous painting in the world? They called it the Mona Lisa,” yes, we know.
”The melody started out slow and intensified in a show of raw passion and fervor.
(Insert lyrics of “hopelessly devoted to you” from Grease)
She stood motionless as if the women’s voice cast an enchantment on her, leaving her in a dazed trance. Khalani had never heard anything so beautiful, heartbreaking, and utterly captivating.”
As you can see, this was a regular occurrence throughout the book. And it makes me feel like the author thinks I’m stupid.
- the romance was sub par and very cringe at best, horrendous at worst. Here is one example: ”not wanting to be a burden, and tried to circle out of his arms weakly, mumbling that she could walk.
Takeshi would have none of it.
“Be still, Kanes. Nothing in this world would make me put you down right now,” he declared in a guttural voice.”
🫣🤮😵🤢 none of the scenes which would have made me giggle in any other book quite hit the spot and instead fell flat (down to hell, where you will find the person who convinced me to read this book) . And of course, of course everything has to be said in a guttural voice or with a whimper or with dark glinting eyes 👀 too many adjectives is not good either…
- the writing, as briefly mentioned, is quite terrible. It just goes to show that some people have it while others don’t. This isn’t to say you can’t practice and develop “it”. But this was not… it. I think another review mentioned that it seemed like the author had just browsed through a thesaurus and picked out whatever difficult words words seemed fitting. The entire book was littered with words that I never heard before, and the text in between was just regular words. here’s a PSA for you, including difficult words doesn’t automatically make your writing good.
- Not once during the entire book do I remember her mention actually having a shower. So all the time I was imagining her with black smudges of dirt all over her face and body and greasy hair. Blackheads the size of a football. And then all of a sudden she was wearing a black mini dress to a ball as a servant……..
(According to several comments on my review, this is not true. I guess I missed it.😱)
- last but not least of this long, hateful rant, the plot. Sure, there were some plot holes, but my main issue was that there wasn’t any flow (which if you know me is one of the most important parts) and it was cliché. I felt like I’d read it several times before.. and I don’t think I’ve ever fallen asleep as many times as I did during this book, like literally 15 minutes after having started reading I fell asleep every single time even if I wasn’t tired before😭😭😭😭😭😭😭
so that’s about it
I’m aware that this was a debut novel and I don’t mean to sound harsh but I’m surprised at how bad this was. If you’re sensitive to criticism, please be advised and stop reading.
My thoughts:
- it was littered with simple spelling errors🤦♀️ exhibit a: ”And seeing as I’m you’re only shot of making it out alive”
- she mentioned, during two separate occasions, the state of her… bodily function which releases urine😭 one time she peed herself because she was scared and the other, she mentioned she wanted to pee for no reason at all.
- you don’t have to make metaphors out of everything!!!!!!! please! ”In a way, she was jealous of the tiny dancer (a ballerina in a music box) who lived on a steady foundation. Unchanging. Safe. Only needing to turn when the dark doors of her life unraveled.” Literally every. single. thing. At some point, it’s just cringe.
-And speaking of cringe. The entire book was so wannabe poetic that it just became laughable. It was partly because of the overuse of metaphors and wanting to find a deep meaning in every single thing. Then it was partly because of the poetry. I get that writers are always trying to create new beautiful sentences to describe the complexity that is life. But at one point, we’ve heard it all before, and it’s almost as if stories become more poetic and passionate and more probable to leave a lasting impression if you don’t try to be poetic at all and just write a good story. I don’t need you to describe the Mona Lisa to me for an entire page!!!
- Which brings me to my next point. This is a very good example of why you should be weary of using modern day references in dystopian books, or in any books at all (at least in my opinion). It is so unfitting and it makes me cringe!!!!!!!!
”would you be shocked to know that this used to be the most famous painting in the world? They called it the Mona Lisa,” yes, we know.
”The melody started out slow and intensified in a show of raw passion and fervor.
(Insert lyrics of “hopelessly devoted to you” from Grease)
She stood motionless as if the women’s voice cast an enchantment on her, leaving her in a dazed trance. Khalani had never heard anything so beautiful, heartbreaking, and utterly captivating.”
As you can see, this was a regular occurrence throughout the book. And it makes me feel like the author thinks I’m stupid.
- the romance was sub par and very cringe at best, horrendous at worst. Here is one example: ”not wanting to be a burden, and tried to circle out of his arms weakly, mumbling that she could walk.
Takeshi would have none of it.
“Be still, Kanes. Nothing in this world would make me put you down right now,” he declared in a guttural voice.”
🫣🤮😵🤢 none of the scenes which would have made me giggle in any other book quite hit the spot and instead fell flat (down to hell, where you will find the person who convinced me to read this book) . And of course, of course everything has to be said in a guttural voice or with a whimper or with dark glinting eyes 👀 too many adjectives is not good either…
- the writing, as briefly mentioned, is quite terrible. It just goes to show that some people have it while others don’t. This isn’t to say you can’t practice and develop “it”. But this was not… it. I think another review mentioned that it seemed like the author had just browsed through a thesaurus and picked out whatever difficult words words seemed fitting. The entire book was littered with words that I never heard before, and the text in between was just regular words. here’s a PSA for you, including difficult words doesn’t automatically make your writing good.
- Not once during the entire book do I remember her mention actually having a shower. So all the time I was imagining her with black smudges of dirt all over her face and body and greasy hair. Blackheads the size of a football. And then all of a sudden she was wearing a black mini dress to a ball as a servant……..
(According to several comments on my review, this is not true. I guess I missed it.😱)
- last but not least of this long, hateful rant, the plot. Sure, there were some plot holes, but my main issue was that there wasn’t any flow (which if you know me is one of the most important parts) and it was cliché. I felt like I’d read it several times before.. and I don’t think I’ve ever fallen asleep as many times as I did during this book, like literally 15 minutes after having started reading I fell asleep every single time even if I wasn’t tired before😭😭😭😭😭😭😭
so that’s about it
April 7, 2026
2.5 ⭐️
A dystopian jailbreak story with mystery, tension, a touch of forbidden romance, and some banter. The premise was genuinely intriguing, but I never fully connected with the characters, which made it hard to stay invested.
That said, the writing had its moments there were lines and metaphors that really stood out and felt genuinely poetic. I just wish the story had more depth more personality, stronger character development, a more engaging plot, maybe even a few twists. As it stands, it just didn’t hold my interest, and I didn’t feel compelled to continue the series.
As for the characters… Khalani was a difficult FMC for me to connect with. I couldn’t quite pin down her personality or what drove her. And then there’s Takeshi I don’t know. I usually love a good forbidden romance, but this just didn’t land. He felt pretty hollow, and I didn’t get that dark, mysterious energy the author seemed to be going for. I didn’t feel the yearning or the tension between them, and when they finally got together, I honestly rolled my eyes and just wanted the story to end. So yeah… there’s that.
No I dont think I will continue with the series.. even though I heard great reviews for book 2!
A dystopian jailbreak story with mystery, tension, a touch of forbidden romance, and some banter. The premise was genuinely intriguing, but I never fully connected with the characters, which made it hard to stay invested.
That said, the writing had its moments there were lines and metaphors that really stood out and felt genuinely poetic. I just wish the story had more depth more personality, stronger character development, a more engaging plot, maybe even a few twists. As it stands, it just didn’t hold my interest, and I didn’t feel compelled to continue the series.
As for the characters… Khalani was a difficult FMC for me to connect with. I couldn’t quite pin down her personality or what drove her. And then there’s Takeshi I don’t know. I usually love a good forbidden romance, but this just didn’t land. He felt pretty hollow, and I didn’t get that dark, mysterious energy the author seemed to be going for. I didn’t feel the yearning or the tension between them, and when they finally got together, I honestly rolled my eyes and just wanted the story to end. So yeah… there’s that.
No I dont think I will continue with the series.. even though I heard great reviews for book 2!
November 24, 2024
DNF'ed at about 60%, I just couldn't get into this book. The concept was good, but it felt so much like a fever dream, as though this was supposed to be fast-paced, but it just wasn't. It doesn't get fast at all. There's all this who-did-this-to-you and taking care of her when she's hurt, but there's no transition between his bad and good side. It seemed so random, like one minute he was threatening to kill her, the next he's opening up and sharing sob stories with her?? Make it make sense, man!
I will still say that as a debut novel, it was pretty good, and that maybe it was me that didn't vibe with this book. Since I didn't finish it, I rate it 2.5 stars (because even though I think it's unlikely, maybe the book gets better 🤷🏻♀️)
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| pre-read | dystopian... romance? | prisoner-guard |
So I spent way too much time on insta and I found this I'm really hoping I'll like it because this concept is wonderful
but the names... khalani reminds me of khaleesi
and takeshi of takeshi's castle
that's no reason to dislike a book but it certainly takes some getting used to
I will still say that as a debut novel, it was pretty good, and that maybe it was me that didn't vibe with this book. Since I didn't finish it, I rate it 2.5 stars (because even though I think it's unlikely, maybe the book gets better 🤷🏻♀️)
────────────────
| pre-read | dystopian... romance? | prisoner-guard |
So I spent way too much time on insta and I found this I'm really hoping I'll like it because this concept is wonderful
but the names... khalani reminds me of khaleesi
and takeshi of takeshi's castle
that's no reason to dislike a book but it certainly takes some getting used to
May 14, 2024
Oof.
**2.5**
This book is like Hunger Games and City of Ember had a baby, but left the good writing back at the bar.
It has potential but desperately needs a good editor. Not for grammar, but developmental and structural editing. It edges into bad purple prose and way too many metaphors.
It definitely has major pacing issues. What should be happening around the 80% mark occurs at about 95%. Act 2 is very slow and lacks any real meaningful content.
*SPOILER*
I never did connect with either the FMC or the MMC. They're both very one-dimensional. The FMC also reads very juvenile.
When the prisoners are culled, she straight up blames Takeshi as if he had a choice. Remember, he's just as much a prisoner as she is. What he did was smart. And she's out here acting all outraged.
So we have the oh-so-common meek-turned-magically-bloodthirsty airhead FMC and the dark, brooding *but secretly so sensitive* MMC.
It's not the worst thing I've ever read, but it's a far cry from the worst. The idea is there. The writing just needs help.
**2.5**
This book is like Hunger Games and City of Ember had a baby, but left the good writing back at the bar.
It has potential but desperately needs a good editor. Not for grammar, but developmental and structural editing. It edges into bad purple prose and way too many metaphors.
It definitely has major pacing issues. What should be happening around the 80% mark occurs at about 95%. Act 2 is very slow and lacks any real meaningful content.
*SPOILER*
I never did connect with either the FMC or the MMC. They're both very one-dimensional. The FMC also reads very juvenile.
When the prisoners are culled, she straight up blames Takeshi as if he had a choice. Remember, he's just as much a prisoner as she is. What he did was smart. And she's out here acting all outraged.
So we have the oh-so-common meek-turned-magically-bloodthirsty airhead FMC and the dark, brooding *but secretly so sensitive* MMC.
It's not the worst thing I've ever read, but it's a far cry from the worst. The idea is there. The writing just needs help.
December 31, 2023
Have you ever read a book slower to prolong the story? That was me with this book.
If life was measured by the lessons I’ve learned, I would be immortal.
RTC - I need time to digest everything that happened. This book has woven itself into every fiber of my being. I am unwell but I would reread this book for the first time again if I could.
If life was measured by the lessons I’ve learned, I would be immortal.
RTC - I need time to digest everything that happened. This book has woven itself into every fiber of my being. I am unwell but I would reread this book for the first time again if I could.
July 29, 2024
UPDATE: sooo I finished The Acolyte and now I kinda imagine Takeshi looking like this 😂
He was a Guard
She was in Jail
Can I make it any more obvious?
on a serious note, this was a wonderful debut - a carefully crafted dystopian novel with a crazy ending and a hate-to-love romance we all wanted😂
He was a Guard
She was in Jail
Can I make it any more obvious?
on a serious note, this was a wonderful debut - a carefully crafted dystopian novel with a crazy ending and a hate-to-love romance we all wanted😂
November 28, 2025
Really impressed with this being a debut novel!
The story line was there and it was a fun premise! Fallout meets the 100!
I really think if an editor got their hands on it, it could be really great.
The story line was there and it was a fun premise! Fallout meets the 100!
I really think if an editor got their hands on it, it could be really great.
May 26, 2024
3 star🌟🌟🌟 read for me.
The world and characters felt a bit flat. I’d say I was really only here for the relationship between Khalani and Takeshi. I wish there was more depth.
Overall meh 🫤 but a good time?
The world and characters felt a bit flat. I’d say I was really only here for the relationship between Khalani and Takeshi. I wish there was more depth.
Overall meh 🫤 but a good time?
July 24, 2025
FMC - Khalani: 5 🌟
MMC - Takeshi: 5 🌟
SPICE: 🫑
O.M.G. I did not know that I was going to become so consumed by this book when I started it, yet here I am!
The writing is poetic and haunting at times. The entire plot and setting of the story is captivating from beginning to end. I loved every single character, and the chemistry between Takeshi and Khalani is so palpable. I can't wait to move on to the next book!
MMC - Takeshi: 5 🌟
SPICE: 🫑
O.M.G. I did not know that I was going to become so consumed by this book when I started it, yet here I am!
The writing is poetic and haunting at times. The entire plot and setting of the story is captivating from beginning to end. I loved every single character, and the chemistry between Takeshi and Khalani is so palpable. I can't wait to move on to the next book!
April 14, 2025
lo leí por un tiktok? sí.
Y ME RECORDÓ CUANTO AMO LAS DISTOPÍAS.
estupendo servicio.
Y ME RECORDÓ CUANTO AMO LAS DISTOPÍAS.
estupendo servicio.
November 30, 2025
Obsessed 🤯💜 I grew up reading divergent and watching all the movies and Four is by far my favourite character. With Us Dark Few dystopian is well and truly back this is the true definition of a slow burn and yearning (one of my fav tropes)😍😍
Khalani (FMC) is a reliable, has the best comebacks, strong, stubborn, friendly & a kind hearted character that’ll do anything to protect those she cares about she’s strong willed and when she’s determined to do something she’ll do it as an example when an inmate picks on her and her friends she stood in the pit and took her on knowing she’ll most likely lose it was a risk she was willing to take I adore her 💜
Takeshi (MMC) is my new favourite MMC 😍😍 he is hot, mysterious, tough, cold, & mean (not a bully) just has a serious look on his face and doesn’t act the nicest in the beginning but I could tell there was a nice side to him especially when it becomes more obvious he cares for FMC as he protects her from disgusting creepy guards and agrees to train her 🥹💜 he also says “who did this to you?” a few times in this book and won’t let it drop until FMC tells him if she doesn’t tell him you bet he’ll definitely find out 🥹💜
The training scenes are cute and are my favourites they grow closer and FMC becomes even stronger mentally and physically. In this book MMC is very hot and cold when he lets his guard down the next day he’ll put it up again making him a hard character to read an example of this is when FMC was injured and he took her to his room there he opened up and she opened up to him but next morning he said some hurtful things and it’s like whyyyy 😭 just when they’re getting closer lol I was telling him at my kindle “just admit you like her” 😂
This was such a well written book the romance, backstory of characters, side character relationships and story of the book in general was very fascinating, unique and page turning it was medium to fast paced with political aspects to the story a new favourite series of mine. Winnie, Brock, Adan & Serene quickly became other favourite characters of mine. The story takes place in a future where most of humanity lives in underground cities after the surface becomes uninhabitable where it’s impossible to live as they are told. I was sus on the on a few characters their words and actions made me suspicious as I could tell they had other intentions. Towards the end of the book my heart was racing as a lot happens and I was also surprised as I didn’t see something happen there were hints throughout the book but I never guessed it. I would recommend reading trigger warnings of this book as there is a almost 🍇 scene (not by MMC) I can’t wait to read book 2 as I love this book 💜💜 I’m also always keen for more dystopian book recs I love them 😍📖
Khalani (FMC) is a reliable, has the best comebacks, strong, stubborn, friendly & a kind hearted character that’ll do anything to protect those she cares about she’s strong willed and when she’s determined to do something she’ll do it as an example when an inmate picks on her and her friends she stood in the pit and took her on knowing she’ll most likely lose it was a risk she was willing to take I adore her 💜
Takeshi (MMC) is my new favourite MMC 😍😍 he is hot, mysterious, tough, cold, & mean (not a bully) just has a serious look on his face and doesn’t act the nicest in the beginning but I could tell there was a nice side to him especially when it becomes more obvious he cares for FMC as he protects her from disgusting creepy guards and agrees to train her 🥹💜 he also says “who did this to you?” a few times in this book and won’t let it drop until FMC tells him if she doesn’t tell him you bet he’ll definitely find out 🥹💜
The training scenes are cute and are my favourites they grow closer and FMC becomes even stronger mentally and physically. In this book MMC is very hot and cold when he lets his guard down the next day he’ll put it up again making him a hard character to read an example of this is when FMC was injured and he took her to his room there he opened up and she opened up to him but next morning he said some hurtful things and it’s like whyyyy 😭 just when they’re getting closer lol I was telling him at my kindle “just admit you like her” 😂
This was such a well written book the romance, backstory of characters, side character relationships and story of the book in general was very fascinating, unique and page turning it was medium to fast paced with political aspects to the story a new favourite series of mine. Winnie, Brock, Adan & Serene quickly became other favourite characters of mine. The story takes place in a future where most of humanity lives in underground cities after the surface becomes uninhabitable where it’s impossible to live as they are told. I was sus on the on a few characters their words and actions made me suspicious as I could tell they had other intentions. Towards the end of the book my heart was racing as a lot happens and I was also surprised as I didn’t see something happen there were hints throughout the book but I never guessed it. I would recommend reading trigger warnings of this book as there is a almost 🍇 scene (not by MMC) I can’t wait to read book 2 as I love this book 💜💜 I’m also always keen for more dystopian book recs I love them 😍📖
August 5, 2025
"You’ve taken all my nothings and fashioned them into somethings."
It's been ages since I read a dystopia. And I think I should have left it in the past. I don't think I have the affinity for it as I once did.
This was also very YA, and yet had like one/two scenes that might have alluded to more? Just an FYI.
If I were still into Dystopia and actually a teen, this would have been awesome.
Although I don't like that statement as I still read, and ENJOY, YA books...
idk, maybe the better way is to say it was inconsistent and a little too cringy for me.
I would be interested in reading something else by AP, if she ever writes something that won't be a dystopian/YA book.
I do have to say that I loved the chapter headers and poems.
--------
Curiosity got me here?
It's been ages since I read a dystopia. And I think I should have left it in the past. I don't think I have the affinity for it as I once did.
This was also very YA, and yet had like one/two scenes that might have alluded to more? Just an FYI.
If I were still into Dystopia and actually a teen, this would have been awesome.
Although I don't like that statement as I still read, and ENJOY, YA books...
idk, maybe the better way is to say it was inconsistent and a little too cringy for me.
I would be interested in reading something else by AP, if she ever writes something that won't be a dystopian/YA book.
I do have to say that I loved the chapter headers and poems.
--------
Curiosity got me here?
July 24, 2023
Wow! I cannot wait for the next book in this series. Us Dark Few is out of my usual genre but I'm so hooked to the story and characters.
February 3, 2026
meh… 1 star
➜ the characters were rather shallow and the plot was banal. there was a major lack of originality which kind of threw me off. we get it. it’s a thousand years later. the planet is ruined. the government is hiding the truth. just meh.
🌱| ”i may be the captain of braderhelm, kanes, but i am not a monster.”
➜ but you certainly are a dull character.
➜also, this may be a me problem, but can we please get past the prison storylines… it’s always this innocent girl who somehow gets sentenced to life in this maximum security prison for no reason whatsoever.
September 12, 2025
0 stars, but my heart says 5 lmao.
This review will be as unserious as this book is so be warned.
Soooooo... this was fantastic. In a different way than the author intended I am sure - it was SO atrociously bad it was actually good.
So good stuff first:
- it was a quick read
- I didn't have to use a single braincell when reading which for me is a huge plus at this point in my life ok
- hilarious (unintentionally)
Bad stuff
- hoo boy where do I start
- in desperate need of editor, and I'm not talking grammar/spelling errors (which there were many) but pacing and actual writing and also THE PLOT
- PURPLE PROSE lmao, trying to be deep when it's not really;
EXAMPLE (and it'sa mild one tbh): Derek lifted his head, the weight of a thousand suns dripping from his eyes.
- the female main character is a grown ass woman who behaves like a dramatic middle school girl. Also: writes mediocre poetry. Is, of course, petite, frail and beautiful. Despite being boring, bland and not the brightest crayon in the box, she is special enough to get everyone's attention for NO REASON.
- the male main character is tall, has deep voice and is very muscley (I did not come up with that description, see quote below). There's not much more to him. Oh and his name is Takeshi which I find hilarious.
Fav quote:
“Life is nothing but a game consisting of winners and losers,” Takeshi replied in all his muscley wisdom."
- other characters: mostly NPCs
- Winnie - random old lady who is weird but lovable, does and wears whatever she wants despite being in prison, only there to further the questionable plot
- speaking of doing whatever one might want in prison - the prisoners are surprisingly free to whatever the hell they want
- worldbuilding - calling it flimsy would be a compliment; it's non-existent, nothing makes sense, sometimes a character says something that supposedly explains a plothole but it's mostly just silly
- the plot - please what plot
- the enemies to lovers advertised heavily on tiktok - nah bro they weren't enemies to begin with, and then the progression of their "relationship" didn't make much sense either
- I could go on about godawful dialogues and plotholes the size of China but we don't have all day here folks
- you could say hey, all that judging and snark from you, but bet you couldn't write a book like this - of course I WOULDN'T because prison/guard dynamic is like the grossest base for romance ever so why would i even
And look, I could maybe overlook it if it was a spicy romance written for the sole purpose of cimcirimci (for non-Poles reading this: sexy times). Spicy romances can have worldbuilding and plot that are essentially excuses for the spice. A gross dynamic (like prisoner/guard) could work in that setting.
But here we don't even have spice (most they do is kiss), while the rest is pretty YA-ish with some random gore thrown here and there that doesn't really fit because the entire thing reads pretty juvenile.
So. To sum up. Have I enjoyed reading this one? Immensely, but again, not in the way it was intended.
Am I enough of a masochist to try the second book? I don't think so.
This review will be as unserious as this book is so be warned.
Soooooo... this was fantastic. In a different way than the author intended I am sure - it was SO atrociously bad it was actually good.
So good stuff first:
- it was a quick read
- I didn't have to use a single braincell when reading which for me is a huge plus at this point in my life ok
- hilarious (unintentionally)
Bad stuff
- hoo boy where do I start
- in desperate need of editor, and I'm not talking grammar/spelling errors (which there were many) but pacing and actual writing and also THE PLOT
- PURPLE PROSE lmao, trying to be deep when it's not really;
EXAMPLE (and it'sa mild one tbh): Derek lifted his head, the weight of a thousand suns dripping from his eyes.
- the female main character is a grown ass woman who behaves like a dramatic middle school girl. Also: writes mediocre poetry. Is, of course, petite, frail and beautiful. Despite being boring, bland and not the brightest crayon in the box, she is special enough to get everyone's attention for NO REASON.
- the male main character is tall, has deep voice and is very muscley (I did not come up with that description, see quote below). There's not much more to him. Oh and his name is Takeshi which I find hilarious.
Fav quote:
“Life is nothing but a game consisting of winners and losers,” Takeshi replied in all his muscley wisdom."
- other characters: mostly NPCs
- Winnie - random old lady who is weird but lovable, does and wears whatever she wants despite being in prison, only there to further the questionable plot
- speaking of doing whatever one might want in prison - the prisoners are surprisingly free to whatever the hell they want
- worldbuilding - calling it flimsy would be a compliment; it's non-existent, nothing makes sense, sometimes a character says something that supposedly explains a plothole but it's mostly just silly
- the plot - please what plot
- the enemies to lovers advertised heavily on tiktok - nah bro they weren't enemies to begin with, and then the progression of their "relationship" didn't make much sense either
- I could go on about godawful dialogues and plotholes the size of China but we don't have all day here folks
- you could say hey, all that judging and snark from you, but bet you couldn't write a book like this - of course I WOULDN'T because prison/guard dynamic is like the grossest base for romance ever so why would i even
And look, I could maybe overlook it if it was a spicy romance written for the sole purpose of cimcirimci (for non-Poles reading this: sexy times). Spicy romances can have worldbuilding and plot that are essentially excuses for the spice. A gross dynamic (like prisoner/guard) could work in that setting.
But here we don't even have spice (most they do is kiss), while the rest is pretty YA-ish with some random gore thrown here and there that doesn't really fit because the entire thing reads pretty juvenile.
So. To sum up. Have I enjoyed reading this one? Immensely, but again, not in the way it was intended.
Am I enough of a masochist to try the second book? I don't think so.
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