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Welcome to the Damned
Dyvris is a city of survivors. With the end of the world nearing, fires burn down schools, hurricanes devastate small towns, and rising oceans swallow up the coasts. Those without money to fall back on look to the sinister city that lies between the searing desert and the crumbling mountains, where a man named the Scavenger will make a deal with them. A place to stay and a new business to run, in exchange for any information that he asks for.
Dyvris is a city ruled by criminals. The Scavenger, a notorious killer and thief, runs an organization called the Aconites, which has power over every business in the city and its suburbs. The Scavenger has an equally deadly partner, whose metal claws never hesitate to break a neck or rip out an organ. The Scavenger also has a little spy, whose black heart will infect anyone that gets close to it.
They’ve been sinners since the first crimes they committed; they’ve been damned since the moment they were born. When the people in power made survival a game, the Aconites decided to win, starting with their monopoly on poison weaponry. They live in a secure mansion hidden in the mountains, never short on money or any luxuries they desire.
Until they discover that the government has been secretly experimenting on working class neighborhoods with the intention of developing mind-control drugs. Their failed attempts slaughter innocents all over the country with no warning or pattern.
It’s only a matter of time before the experiments creep into the mountains and find the Aconites.
Dyvris is a city ruled by criminals. The Scavenger, a notorious killer and thief, runs an organization called the Aconites, which has power over every business in the city and its suburbs. The Scavenger has an equally deadly partner, whose metal claws never hesitate to break a neck or rip out an organ. The Scavenger also has a little spy, whose black heart will infect anyone that gets close to it.
They’ve been sinners since the first crimes they committed; they’ve been damned since the moment they were born. When the people in power made survival a game, the Aconites decided to win, starting with their monopoly on poison weaponry. They live in a secure mansion hidden in the mountains, never short on money or any luxuries they desire.
Until they discover that the government has been secretly experimenting on working class neighborhoods with the intention of developing mind-control drugs. Their failed attempts slaughter innocents all over the country with no warning or pattern.
It’s only a matter of time before the experiments creep into the mountains and find the Aconites.
- GenresScience Fiction
312 pages, Paperback
Published March 24, 2024
About the author
Astraea Long
2 books20 followersAstraea Long is a young adult author from Boston, Massachusetts. She's lived in the states of Oklahoma, Oregon, and Texas, as well as four years spent in school in Sichuan, China. She currently studies astrophysics in college, and she's taking up new language sequences such as Italian and German, rather than focusing on a minor.
She is an avid reader of science fiction and fantasy, and her future works will include a variety of urban fantasy, dark academia, and queer themes. As an aromantic asexual, she intends to focus on sibling and platonic relationships in her writing, and to challenge the popular trends of sex and romance.
Outside of writing and reading, she's a devoted dancer who previously trained as a pre-professional and now spends many late nights choreographing for her college dance groups. Her other hobbies include painting, scrolling through Asian streetwear fashion websites, watching cooking videos of things she probably can't make, and spending too much money on boba.
She is an avid reader of science fiction and fantasy, and her future works will include a variety of urban fantasy, dark academia, and queer themes. As an aromantic asexual, she intends to focus on sibling and platonic relationships in her writing, and to challenge the popular trends of sex and romance.
Outside of writing and reading, she's a devoted dancer who previously trained as a pre-professional and now spends many late nights choreographing for her college dance groups. Her other hobbies include painting, scrolling through Asian streetwear fashion websites, watching cooking videos of things she probably can't make, and spending too much money on boba.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
March 18, 2024
Welcome to the dammed is an incredible book who left me handing for what would happen next.
Some chapters seem bigger than others but it’s really fast pasted so it compensates.
This book is a good fit for those seeking a gritty, intense, and immersive dystopian experience, with the focus on the struggles of survival, the consequences of power imbalance, and the blurred lines of right or wrong in a world gone wrong.
I recommend this book to everyone, especially those who like things along this lines.
It has a big queer rep of aroace mc, gay mc, and others mixed in the middle.
The story is a bit confusing at times but once you connect the characters with the plot and the backstory of some, you’ll understand this book is none other than amazing.
Can’t wait to buy the physical copy when it comes out later this month.
Some chapters seem bigger than others but it’s really fast pasted so it compensates.
This book is a good fit for those seeking a gritty, intense, and immersive dystopian experience, with the focus on the struggles of survival, the consequences of power imbalance, and the blurred lines of right or wrong in a world gone wrong.
I recommend this book to everyone, especially those who like things along this lines.
It has a big queer rep of aroace mc, gay mc, and others mixed in the middle.
The story is a bit confusing at times but once you connect the characters with the plot and the backstory of some, you’ll understand this book is none other than amazing.
Can’t wait to buy the physical copy when it comes out later this month.
June 13, 2025
Absolutely phenomenal. This is everything you can ask for in a cyberpunk fantasy world. High tech, crime bosses, trauma, friendship, love. It’s all such a good balance and I absolutely cannot wait to see what happens in the sequel. The characters truly have their own lives that come alive in this book. I almost see too much of myself and the people I know in this. Astraea deserves nothing but praise for taking her life experiences and cultivating them into this masterpiece, even if those experiences have been shattering. Definitely give this one a read, maybe it’ll even get you out of that reading slump!
July 3, 2026
The first paragraph of this book's blurb is a little bit deceiving. While that's the background of the book's world, the book's not about any of that. This is very character-driven book. The book is about Zero, a spy/seductress/manipulator, Rovis (the Scavenger) the leader of the criminal gang the Aconites, and Tal, a genius inventor/brutal enforcer, and the three's complicated relationships and histories. I think this book is YA (at least, the author calls herself a YA author), and, as is sometimes the case in similar books, it requires a little suspension of disbelief that these characters are what the book tells you they are. Zero is an excellent spy, who can successfully infiltrate top secret government branches in under a year, and also a top-tier hand-to-hand combatant, who's able to read people like a book and seduce anyone, and speaks 5 languages; Tal is a genius inventor, designing multiple devices for his gang including never-before seen things like multidirectional energy shields, as well as an incredibly strong, fast enforcer who can scare people with just a smile... All at the ages of 17-20.
Some of these things feel a little silly, and the book is very melodramatic and edgy... and yet it works. I think because it's earnest about it. There's no ironic winks to the audience or jokes about it. Though I haven't read them myself, it reminds me of how I hear people talk about Jay Kristoff's works. The closest comparison I can make from things I know is Repo! The Genetic Opera. That same way in which it's objectively a little silly and melodramatic and edgy... and yet it works. And though these characters are unrealistically skilled badasses at a lot of things, they're not flawless self-inserts. The characters each have a lot of trauma in their backstories, and the book doesn't shy away from addressing it. In fact, arguably one of the main thrusts of the story is addressing how their traumas and backgrounds have led them down their current paths and how it continues to mess up their current interpersonal relationships. Similarly, things don't always go our characters' ways; though they're skilled, they mess up, and there are significant consequences.
And relationships is the main appeal of the novel. While the promised evil government experiments are there, they almost feel like a background element; they take a background seat compared to the character drama. Each of these characters have complicated, usually traumatic backstories, and each often take a part in the others' stories. But they also have secrets they've hidden from one another; sometimes to protect the others, sometimes to protect themselves, sometimes because they can't bring themself to express it. And while the story revolves around these main three characters, there are also lots of other interesting side characters, each of which is less detailed but also interesting in their own right. Of things I've read, it's most similar to The Atlas Six by Olivia Blake. It hits a lot of similar notes, while being quite different in the framing.
One other detail I really appreciated was the queerness of it. It's never the focus of any character's characterization, but most of the cast are some flavour of queer. Zero, for instance, is an asexual aromantic; which is why she's such a good spy and seductress. She flirts and uses her charms and body to manipulate people into leaving themselves vulnerable, and then is able to discard them with no qualms when she gets what she wants. But neither is she a sociopath; she has very dear, important friendships with a lot of characters. A lot of the other queer details are in the background. When it comes up, it often comes up casually. It's off-handedly mentioned that a male character used to date a man, or the characters used for one character are xe/xem/xir. Some of the identities are ones you don't get to see as often too; it has aromantic characters who aren't asexual, as well as asexuals who aren't aromantic, as well as characters who's sexuality is ambiguously queer.
This being a self-published book, though, there were a definitely a few flaws. The one which was most apparent to me were occasionally a few quirks with the grammar. The book is written in third person present tense. Present tense already isn't my favourite, and it's even odder in third person. It is consistent with its use of the tense, only ever going to past tense for long ago flashbacks, but it does lead to some awkward phrasings sometimes. I remember one sentence very early on that jarred me: "They just got out of the shuttle after work, and now Caitlyn is dragging her along at a faster pace." There were few enough I'm tempted to call them lack of a professional editor though, rather than a feature of the writing. And as I've mentioned, some things just feel a little silly- the expert thieves are called "Sleightists," the xenophobic country is called "Pureland," people have nicknames like "The Ace of Crowns," "Lithium," and "The Scavenger."
All in all, I found this a rather good read. It was very fast-paced, and even if sometimes I felt the melodrama or edginess toeing my tolerance threshold, I always wanted to continue. The book does make you care about these characters, which is one the better things a book can do, and it was very good at ending chapters in a way which made me want to start the next. And I'm not a very character-driven reader, they're usually one of the least important things in a book for me. So I could see this working very well for those who are. I'm settling on a somewhat generous 4/5.
Some of these things feel a little silly, and the book is very melodramatic and edgy... and yet it works. I think because it's earnest about it. There's no ironic winks to the audience or jokes about it. Though I haven't read them myself, it reminds me of how I hear people talk about Jay Kristoff's works. The closest comparison I can make from things I know is Repo! The Genetic Opera. That same way in which it's objectively a little silly and melodramatic and edgy... and yet it works. And though these characters are unrealistically skilled badasses at a lot of things, they're not flawless self-inserts. The characters each have a lot of trauma in their backstories, and the book doesn't shy away from addressing it. In fact, arguably one of the main thrusts of the story is addressing how their traumas and backgrounds have led them down their current paths and how it continues to mess up their current interpersonal relationships. Similarly, things don't always go our characters' ways; though they're skilled, they mess up, and there are significant consequences.
And relationships is the main appeal of the novel. While the promised evil government experiments are there, they almost feel like a background element; they take a background seat compared to the character drama. Each of these characters have complicated, usually traumatic backstories, and each often take a part in the others' stories. But they also have secrets they've hidden from one another; sometimes to protect the others, sometimes to protect themselves, sometimes because they can't bring themself to express it. And while the story revolves around these main three characters, there are also lots of other interesting side characters, each of which is less detailed but also interesting in their own right. Of things I've read, it's most similar to The Atlas Six by Olivia Blake. It hits a lot of similar notes, while being quite different in the framing.
One other detail I really appreciated was the queerness of it. It's never the focus of any character's characterization, but most of the cast are some flavour of queer. Zero, for instance, is an asexual aromantic; which is why she's such a good spy and seductress. She flirts and uses her charms and body to manipulate people into leaving themselves vulnerable, and then is able to discard them with no qualms when she gets what she wants. But neither is she a sociopath; she has very dear, important friendships with a lot of characters. A lot of the other queer details are in the background. When it comes up, it often comes up casually. It's off-handedly mentioned that a male character used to date a man, or the characters used for one character are xe/xem/xir. Some of the identities are ones you don't get to see as often too; it has aromantic characters who aren't asexual, as well as asexuals who aren't aromantic, as well as characters who's sexuality is ambiguously queer.
This being a self-published book, though, there were a definitely a few flaws. The one which was most apparent to me were occasionally a few quirks with the grammar. The book is written in third person present tense. Present tense already isn't my favourite, and it's even odder in third person. It is consistent with its use of the tense, only ever going to past tense for long ago flashbacks, but it does lead to some awkward phrasings sometimes. I remember one sentence very early on that jarred me: "They just got out of the shuttle after work, and now Caitlyn is dragging her along at a faster pace." There were few enough I'm tempted to call them lack of a professional editor though, rather than a feature of the writing. And as I've mentioned, some things just feel a little silly- the expert thieves are called "Sleightists," the xenophobic country is called "Pureland," people have nicknames like "The Ace of Crowns," "Lithium," and "The Scavenger."
All in all, I found this a rather good read. It was very fast-paced, and even if sometimes I felt the melodrama or edginess toeing my tolerance threshold, I always wanted to continue. The book does make you care about these characters, which is one the better things a book can do, and it was very good at ending chapters in a way which made me want to start the next. And I'm not a very character-driven reader, they're usually one of the least important things in a book for me. So I could see this working very well for those who are. I'm settling on a somewhat generous 4/5.
March 27, 2024
this made me feel every single emotion known to man wtf 😵💫
September 9, 2024
Welcome to the Damned, by Astraea Long, is a chaotic and dark dive into a dystopian world filled with mind control, broken characters, and violence. The story follows Tal and Rovis, two members of a group known as the Aconites, as they navigate a crumbling society, fighting both external enemies and their own demons. The plot is layered with betrayal, revenge, and a pervasive sense of despair as Tal and Rovis confront forces that threaten their existence and sanity. At its core, this is a story about survival and the blurred lines between good and evil in a world that offers no redemption.
What immediately struck me about the book is its raw, unfiltered tone. From the start, the prose grabs you with a visceral intensity. The opening chapter, where Zero flushes a bottle of pills in an attempt to break free from her own suicidal thoughts, sets the stage for the emotional turmoil that carries through the book. The writing is brutally honest, almost harsh in its depiction of mental health struggles, and yet it feels deeply human. There’s something refreshing about the way Long allows her characters to wallow in their flaws without forcing a neat resolution. It’s gritty and a bit heartbreaking to read, but it gives the book a powerful emotional core. There are moments of pure brilliance that are haunting and beautifully tragic, and the fast-paced action keeps the story exciting and full of energy.
The world-building is rich and intriguing, and it's introduced in such a dynamic way that it invites you to dive deeper, rewarding readers who enjoy revisiting key details to fully immerse themselves in the complexity of the setting. Tal and Rovis aren’t just antiheroes; they’re messy, morally ambiguous, and sometimes downright unlikable. Yet, it’s impossible not to root for them as they fight for a place in a world that has tried to crush them. The relationship between the two is complicated and layered with tension. Their banter and interactions often serve as brief moments of levity in an otherwise heavy narrative.
Welcome to the Damned is the perfect read for those who enjoy dark, complex stories with characters that linger long after the final page. I highly recommend this book to readers who appreciate dystopian settings with a psychological twist and aren’t afraid of confronting difficult themes like mental illness and violence head-on.
What immediately struck me about the book is its raw, unfiltered tone. From the start, the prose grabs you with a visceral intensity. The opening chapter, where Zero flushes a bottle of pills in an attempt to break free from her own suicidal thoughts, sets the stage for the emotional turmoil that carries through the book. The writing is brutally honest, almost harsh in its depiction of mental health struggles, and yet it feels deeply human. There’s something refreshing about the way Long allows her characters to wallow in their flaws without forcing a neat resolution. It’s gritty and a bit heartbreaking to read, but it gives the book a powerful emotional core. There are moments of pure brilliance that are haunting and beautifully tragic, and the fast-paced action keeps the story exciting and full of energy.
The world-building is rich and intriguing, and it's introduced in such a dynamic way that it invites you to dive deeper, rewarding readers who enjoy revisiting key details to fully immerse themselves in the complexity of the setting. Tal and Rovis aren’t just antiheroes; they’re messy, morally ambiguous, and sometimes downright unlikable. Yet, it’s impossible not to root for them as they fight for a place in a world that has tried to crush them. The relationship between the two is complicated and layered with tension. Their banter and interactions often serve as brief moments of levity in an otherwise heavy narrative.
Welcome to the Damned is the perfect read for those who enjoy dark, complex stories with characters that linger long after the final page. I highly recommend this book to readers who appreciate dystopian settings with a psychological twist and aren’t afraid of confronting difficult themes like mental illness and violence head-on.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews