From the Recesses of the Dark

by R.L. Parker

Imagine a perfect London; a place with no lawbreakers, no criminals, and no dangers to a peaceful society.

A perfect city that keeps only the most perfect of citizens and throws the rest away behind an unscalable wall into a wasteland known only as Exile. Lewis, an ordinary university student, somehow finds himself cast away with the other dregs of society into this anarchistic land.

Along with the help of a convicted murderer and an unlikely friendship with a possessive sociopath, he soon loses his sense of morality and becomes lost in a dark and villainous version of himself whilst struggling to survive in a land where he must learn to either kill or die.  

300 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 27, 2023

Reviews

[Rose Brownley · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Receasse of the Dark grabbed me from its opening pages and refused to let go. The premise alone is haunting, an outwardly perfect London that maintains its “purity” by discarding anyone deemed unfit into Exile, a wasteland of criminals, anarchists, and broken souls. What starts as a utopian dream quickly unravels into a nightmarish exploration of morality, survival, and the dark depths of human nature.

Lewis’s descent is particularly compelling. At first, he is just an ordinary university student, painfully out of place in this brutal landscape. But as he adapts, and compromises more of himself to survive, we witness the slow corrosion of his innocence. The relationships he forms, especially with a convicted murderer and a dangerously magnetic sociopath, are complex and unsettling, blurring the line between ally and enemy. The psychological tension here is incredible; it’s less about whether Lewis will survive and more about what will be left of him if he does.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

My only complaint about this book is that it left me wanting more. As soon as I finished it I messaged the author asking about a sequel.

Set in a dystopian future London, this book really showcases how despite the best efforts, bad people will still find a way to work around the system.

I loved the characters and the unlikely friendships that were forged. The pacing was good and the author did a great job as keeping just enough mystery to keep you going without making it seem unbelievable.

Definitely give this one a try!

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are a fan of dystopian thrillers then this is definitely worth a read. It was described to me as a mixture of the hunger games and The Purge which I agree with. It follows the story of Lewis who is exiled 5 years after being told he was safe , only to find himself in a fight for survival. Along the way he meets some interesting if not disturbing characters and finds out the real reason why he ends up where he does. I would definitely give any sequels a read.

[ALLAN BROWN · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is Rebecca’s first novel and had me rivetted all the way through. She took me on a journey into a dark, troubling dystopian society where the drive to survive means that anything goes and pushed my boundaries of comfort. Her characters are deep, compelling and are superbly narrated throughout with eloquent description. The ending left me eager to read her sequel.
Highly recommend. Allan

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely loved the concept and plot of this book! Things happened so quickly in the first few chapters that I felt like I HAD to keep reading just to know how everything works out. There are definitely parts of the book that made me uncomfortable but I believe that was the authors intention. This book had me trying to figure how things would end up the entire time and did not disappoint.

[Kay Ni C · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an amazing read.
I felt myself drawn into this dystopian dark story with Lewis as his world is shattered to pieces. I connected with the characters and found myself wanting to shout advise to them in their trials.
It gives Maze runner, Divergent vibes.
Deep and dark. Something you could imagine happening in the future, hopefully not though!
I can't wait for the next one.

[Mihaela Mărculescu · Rating 5 out of 5]

I haven't read a book like this since teenage years and I loved every word of it. It combines multiple elements that will leave you to want more of this.
If you are interested in reading about a world that could become reality, this is the book for you.

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved it!!

This book got me out of a reading slump. Really well written and had me hooked from start to finish. It leaves you wanting more and I’d of gladly bought the next book straight away after finishing it.

[Kerry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my cup of tea but a well written debut story.

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gripping from start to finish!