Before Their After

State of the Union #0.5

by Nelle Nikole

Day 0 - Run. It’s the only thing you can do.

What makes a soldier? How does one become a monster? What turns a person into the villain from their darkest dreams?

Life. Death. Fear. Love. Desperation.

The unyielding desire to live.

Perhaps the answer lies in a fragile balance, a delicate dance of conflicting forces. So what happens when a general, a shadow, a healer, a cowboy, a seer, and a bloodhound walk into a compound?

They make it home.

Genres: Fantasy

233 pages, Paperback

Published October 10, 2024

About the author

Nelle Nikole, a California native now based in Atlanta, has been writing thrilling stories since her early days in elementary school. With a background in Anthropology, Nelle’s passion for understanding diverse cultures took her on research journeys to Rio de Janeiro and Cuba. Her love for knowledge didn’t stop there—she later earned a Master’s degree in Public Policy, which fuels the complex societal themes in her writing. Nelle is the author of two gripping series: the Kuxtal Academy series and a separate dystopian fantasy romance series, featuring Rising, Echoes of War, and Before Their After, Ashes of Honor. Through powerful themes of survival, morality, and human resilience, her work resonates deeply with readers from all walks of life. Nelle finds herself inspired by all things fantasy, apocalyptic and anything in between. When she’s not writing, Nelle enjoys life with her husband Ben.

Reviews

[Tai · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading Rising and Echoes of War, it was hard to read this knowing that I already know what happened in the After😭. But to know what happened Before each and everyone's After, struck something inside and I cannot explain it. I already had a glimpse of what Amaia went through, but to know what Seth and Reina went through, and especially Riley, Tomoe and Alexi, hurt me to the core. Reading this was like reading season 1 of Walking Dead but i wished we knew exactly what caused people to turn and what cause people to get elemental magic. I loved this little Novella. It was healing and opened my eyes to see what happened to everyone and what haunts each and everyone of them. They all deserve the world, except Seth. He broke my heart on a different level and it cannot be justified😕.
Another 5 star rating from me. I love Nelle's writing😊💕

[Annalise · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am very much a chronological reader, so as soon as I knew this book was coming out, I waited to start the series AND IM SO GLAD I DID! There’s so much raw emotion and change in all of the characters and it really sets the scene/background for what you’ll be going into with book 1. I kept a running list of characters (bc so many were mentioned and I wanted to keep track) and that list of characters has shrunk insanely😭 I’m so excited to see Amaia, Reina, and Tomoe together, as well as hopefully seeing my sweet baby boys Riley and Alexi get the love and care they deserve
(I’m terrified🥲🫶)

[Melo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting concept 2.5*

The writing style however let it down for me. I think it's fair to say I like my stories straight forward. I had to go back a few times wondering who I was reading about from the POVs at the beginning. The characters could have been more defined, detailed. At one point I even wondered if Amaia was a girl.

My DNF at 70% was because of my choppy reading as the story kept throwing me out. I had questions that needed answering and maybe I'd have soldiered on. Obviously it's book 1 but at 70% we've skipped all sorts of things and are building??

Why did everyone not seem too shocked about everything, the zombies, the supernatural powers, there being no help coming. None of the survivors even tried getting to a hospital. What caused the zombie outbreak, what did the zombies look like? How come some people turned when bitten, others just died?

Why was no one freaking out?

The more effort I had to put into reading this, the more stars lost and the less I cared.

[Courtney Strong · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am so happy to have been able to return to this dystopian world in this prequel novella! Having already read Rising and Echoes of War, it was so fun and emotional to go back to the beginning to see how everything came to be, especially knowing what happens to them.

I love Nelle’s writing and really enjoyed reading this! I need more!

Thank you Nelle for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

[betty · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was cool getting a more detailed background story for each individual, but you basically already knew them (if you read #1 and #2 first, then #0.5)... so not as sad and traumatic as I'd expected, but still nice

[Katell · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novella - which is a prequel that was published after the series was completed I believe - packs a punch. For being around 230 pages, this book cover a lot of character and time. It manages to have some intense action scenes and some emotional moments. From the beginning I was hooked and hit in he heart. I loved the perspective on zombies, mutations good and bad (was pleasantly surprised but the powers), post-apocalyptic dynamics... very cool concept.

I had a few issues with it however. I could tell this was written after the other books although chronologically it takes place before. Some of the POVs were confusing and I had to go back and refresh my memory on who they were about and where we last left them. I think that also affected the pacing negatively in the middle - being this short, pacing issues feel very noticeable. Overall, I enjoyed the book and it got me to want to read the rest of the series. 3.75 stars.

[Bianca Newby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to the author, Nelle Nikole, for an ARC of Before Their After.

I am and will always be a fan of the State of the Union series. The characters are one of the main reasons why I love this series so much, and reading this prequel novel is a perfect way to get to know them before the world ended. It's heartbreaking, of course, but gives the reader a lot of insight on each character. Where were they when people turned into "pansies" and other people received "gifts"? How did they decide what to do and where to go? Who were they before? I read this after reading Rising and Echoes of War; however, I think reading this before getting into the novels will still have the same emotional impact.

If you are a reader who enjoys zombies or any type of dystopian story with memorable characters, I highly suggest reading Before Their After and the whole State of the Union series.

[B.B. Jenn · Rating 5 out of 5]

📚BOOK REVIEW 📚

⭐️Goodread Rating: 4.67/5⭐️
💫My Rating: 4.5 /5 💫

*** Rounded Up For Goodreads***

⚠️Trigger Warnings ⚠️
some graphic language, death (on the page), grief, violence, signs of: PTSD, Anxiety, Depression


📝My Review📝

In The State of the Union series, the world is falling apart and people are fighting for their lives due to a tragic and life altering event.
While the first two novels of the series focuses on the characters “after” and eludes to their before, this novella will satisfy the reader’s curiosity with clear answers of what the “before” was like for each significant character.

Before Their After is a novella written in multiple POVs. Nelle Nikolas, the author, explores a diverse number of characters, but each section and chapter is clearly written and labeled that it’s easy to follow along. Each POV gives a great insight to the world before and glimpse into the beginning of their after. Out of all the POVs, my favorite to read was Riley’s POV. Riley was a favorite of mine in the prior books as his loyalty and sibling like relationship with the MFC was admirable and a trait that I’ve always related to and desired to have with others. After reading the POV of Riley’s before, I understand more of how that relationship developed, but therapeutically speaking it all clicked into place and added a depth to his character that I truly appreciated.

While this is a novella to The State of the Union series, I highly recommend adding this to your TBR especially if you have read the prior two books. If you have not read this series, you are missing out and it should have been on your TBR like yesterday. With that said, I do advise you to follow the author’s recommendation for the reading order. (Please see the author’s recommendation below.) If you’re looking for a book with a Hunger Games or Divergent essence to it, this series is the series for you and you will not be disappointed!

🤍Thanks to for trusting me with their novel in return for my personal review🤍

Author’s Reading Order Recommendation:

Option 1: The World Builder
1. Before Their After
2. Rising
3. Echoes of War
This is for you if you:
*Enjoy a good background on characters.
*Like easing into a new world.
*Hate going back in time.

Option 2: The Empath
1. Rising
2. Echoes of War
3. Before Their After
This if for you if you:
*Like tears.
*Need to feel something, good or bad.
*Like reading in publication order.

Option 3: The Mood Reader
1. Rising
2. Before Their After
3. Echoes of War
This if for you if you:
*Need a moment to process everything.

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[Bookish Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Forever is not infinite... Forever is practical... Forever has limitations, whereas infinite does not... Forever is foundational. You can build off it. Use it to power you. Infinite is limitless. Infinite love will have you burn the village down at the risk of your own safety."

Each novella in this collection is a set of stories from the points-of-view of our main cast of characters: the “Band of Misfits.” With these glimpses, we get to see what life was like before “Day 0” (i.e., the day the world ended). And we learn what each character dealt with leading up to the first time we meet them in Rising (book 1). Nelle previously gave us the stories of her leading ladies, but she’s added those of her leading men to give us a complete picture. These POVs provide insight to the establishment of The Compound in Monterey (which is constructed in the first book) and the development of powers amidst the undead “Pansies” roaming the US now. These stories are beautifully written, give us insight to characters we love (or allow you to learn who they are before the story takes off in book 1) & add rich detail to the world Nelle has created!

"Life doesn't stop the moment the worst thing in your life happens. It keeps moving and you mold yourself into the person you need to be in order to survive."

Will this story tug at your heartstrings? Yes. Are these novellas filled with devastating carnage? Also yes (I mean, it's a zombie apocalypse, duh.) But do these stories make the entire series sweeter because we're able to understand our favorite characters more? HECK YES!

I cannot recommend this collection more. I'd suggest reading it before diving into Rising & officially entering this world, because understanding the characters, where they come from, the grief & pain they're carrying when we meet them at The Compound, etc. makes the story richer. But no matter where you read this in your journey through this universe, you simply must add this to your collection!

"If all we did was kill each other, then the dead would win. We needed to work together, play to each other's strengths. A group with a survivor's mentality would be a force to be reckoned with."

[Sonya · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an emotional read. Rising and Echoes of War already tugged at the heartstrings, but this novella puts everything in perspective and answered the questions of how life was before the beginning of the end.

The decisions everyone had to make, and the dark journey ahead just made this book heart wrenching. The fact that Amaia, Reina, Thomoe, Seth, Prescott, Riley, Jax and Alexiares survived so long on their own before their paths crossed was nothing short of amazing. It was truly a testament of their resilience and strength. The loss these individuals experienced would have crippled an average person because I literally couldn't fathom all they went through during the first year of the bombing and radiation fall out.

This book showed just how desperate and dangerous humans can become in the face of uncertainty and perilous times. Everybody loss someone close to them: fiancé, parents, siblings, best friends, children. The author did a good job showing just how living in this dystopian society left little to be desired. How things like food, water, cellphone service, medicine are taken for granted every day.

If you haven't read Book 1 or Book 2 this novella may leave you hanging but for those who have read Rising and Echoes of War are in for a treat. Reading this novella makes the losses from Book 1 and Book 2 more emotional because this novella gives you a chance to get the back story of how the Monterey Compound came to be and whose vision was behind the idea.

I am ready to continue this journey with a remaining survives in book 3. Amaia and her new family been through so much and to read of the trauma they experienced at the very beginning just makes every other feeling heightened to the extreme.

[Mrs. Pendragon Pages · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Nelle Nikole for this ARC, I leave my review with all opinions being my own.

This book had so much to offer, I was hooked!
It’s packed with tension, action, and twists, filled with unpredictable moments that kept my adrenaline pumping right alongside the characters. From the very first chapters, I found myself screaming, “Okay, but seriously, what insane thing happened to bring the world down? Tell me, TELL ME NOW!” Thankfully, it didn’t take long to start getting answers.
One of the things I loved most was the depth of the characters. Each one brought a unique perspective to the story, and their diversity, in both background and language added a rich layer to the narrative. It made everything feel more realistic and connected, and honestly, it was part of why I couldn’t put the book down. The world-building is chef’s kiss. I became so invested in the series that I actually paused about 90% of the way through just to grab the next two books!
The whole idea of a dystopian apocalypse where survivors gain magical powers through mutations? So cool! Undead with fast abilities and who aren’t entirely mindless? Horrifying!
The vibe of this apocalyptic world reminded me of The Day the Earth Caught Fire (1960s film) mixed with The Walking Dead (TV show) and a bit of The Darkest Minds (magic dystopian movie). If you’re into any of those, this series is totally for you!

[Jenn Acidera · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my first dive into Nelle Nikole’s State of the Union series and I am hooked! I couldn’t put Before Their After down and finished it in one sitting. It was such a great introduction into the characters and world after Day 0. Such an interesting and unique take of a post-apocalyptic/dystopian world where the undead and elemental magic now exists. My heart broke for each of the characters and their back stories and I am looking forward to seeing where they are now in the Monterey Compound.

I absolutely loved Nelle’s writing and the way she brings this world to life. I cannot wait to jump into Rising and Echoes of War now! 100% recommend this series if you enjoy a dystopian/urban fantasy read with multiple POVs, elemental magic, zombies, morally grey characters and a BIPOC cast. Thank you Nelle for an e-arc of Before Their After!

“𝗟𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗽 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘀. 𝗜𝘁 𝗸𝗲𝗲𝗽𝘀 𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗺𝗼𝗹𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝘃𝗶𝘃𝗲.”

⭐️5

What to expect:
•Post-Apocalyptic/Dystopian
•Elemental Magic
•Found Family
•Diverse Characters

[Live2readbookluva · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a well written, dystopian, fantasy, prequel which hyped me up to dive into the State of the Union series! The book is told in multi pov and we get to meet the series characters. This was a great introduction to the setting, characters and their backgrounds. I loved the what if questions and scenarios that this book explores. I previously purchased the other 2 books a few months ago and haven’t had a chance to read them. This book came at perfect timing as I prefer to read the story chronologically.

Themes & Tropes:

🤍Dystopian Universe
🩶Suspense
🖤Mutations
🤍Fall of Humanity
🩶Quest for Survival
🖤Kill or Be Killed 🔪

This was a quick, entertaining, and insightful read. I enjoyed learning about the different characters and their backstories. Overall, liked this read and I look forward to continuing the series. This gave me walking dead vibes and seems perfect for fans of dystopian and post apocalyptic universes.

[Jessilyn King · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Nelle for allowing me to read! Let me just say WOW!!

Before Their After is a prequel novella to Rising and Echos of War, an apocalyptic story, and it is done perfectly! There is just enough information and backstory to each of the characters that I fell in love with all of them without feeling like the story was dragging.

This book is so well written I felt like I was walking beside them making their way to Monterey, and the cliff hangers at the end of each story made me want to continue the series as I didn’t want to say goodbye to these characters yet.

I loved that I could feel the emotions that the characters were feeling. The toll that surviving an apocalypse takes on a person, knowing what happened to the people you love and still continuing on.

There is also an element of magic, I know that Rising and Echos of War dives deeper into the elements, but the taster we get with this books is perfect. I have so many unanswered questions!

[Ashley (andtheniwasbookish) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my first exposure to this world. I Started this novella, and knew about halfway through I'd need to go and read the rest.

I love Nelle's writing style so much. She makes it easy to read while still getting absolutely as much out of the world building as possible.

The idea behind this plot is fascinating, and I love that this prequel novella gives insight and background to the characters you're going to meet later. I instantly started Rising after reading Before Their After, and I can say that knowing the background of the characters is making the reading journey super cool.

I'm so excited to get to know all of these characters better, there is an interesting dynamic being teased here l, and I know I'm in for a treat.

I can already tell that this series is going to rip my heart out if the prequel is any sort of indication. I can't wait!

Overall: highly recommend

[Lumie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to Nelle Nikole for the ARC.

Plot 3.5/5
Characters 4/5
Ending 3/5
Interest 3.5/5

Overall 3.5/5

-I don’t often read Novellas but sometimes I know that it can help a lot understanding characters or the world that books are set in. I didn’t really click with this particular book but it does make me intrigued for the rest of the series which I have not yet read. The short stories were short and interesting enough to make me read on.

-I like the little I saw of the characters from this series. I wouldn’t mind reading more of them and discovering their full stories, backgrounds and what’s to come in their futures.

-As it is a collection of short stories, I don’t really have much to say about an “ending” but the book itself does make me want to read the series attached to it. I still felt like I would have understood more if I read the first book of the series even though, it is said that this book can be read before.

[Charlotte · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars
I read this as my opening to the State of the Union series, it was really enjoyable and I'll be reaching for the next book soon. There are a lot of POVs in this which I personally didn't mind at all, it was so interesting seeing so many characters and how even though they started with completely different lives, they end up in the compound together, becoming somewhat of a family.
Since this is an option to open up the series with, there are bound to be unanswered questions to lead well into the next book but I wish there was a little more explanation to things about the world, diving deeper into the magic ect but that may come later in the series. I'm so so intrigued to learn more about the undead and what exactly happened on day 0 for all of this to start so jumping straight into the next book is the only option.

[Kerry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to the author for the ARC; this is my honest opinion.

Before Their After is a prequel novella, and I haven’t read the other books in this series, so I came in with no background. (Which is one of the suggested reading orders, so I figured it’d be okay.)

It was a lot to keep track of — the characters and the time jumps, since we have multiple POV and sections would skip months or even years ahead. I definitely liked the writing itself; I just struggled a little to connect with the characters within this story structure.

I have more questions than answers, which is understandable: this is a teaser for the other books! But I really, really wanted some more hints as to the WHY of it all, to help me connect with this dystopian setting.

[Gabriela Medina · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.75⭐️

A fantastic book to ease readers into the world Nelle Nikole has created in the “State of the Union” series.

The multiple POVs intimidated me at first but Nelle did such a wonderful job introducing these characters and to have you care for them with limited information. Each POV gave the reader new details about this world while giving them the opportunity to create a connection with the characters. I absolutely loved the themes in this book: found family, difficult family dynamics, survivors guilt, perseverance.

This book was emotional, tense and kept me at the edge of my seat. I can’t wait to continue this series!

Thank you Nelle for always giving me the opportunity to read your upcoming releases!

[Bee Doom · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a fantastic prequel to Rising and Echoes of War (if you haven’t read them, add them to your TBR also!). If you have read them, you know to expect heartbreak, and pain, and you know just which of our main characters will probably have it the hardest - but just as the next two books are both heart breaking and also heart filling so is our prequel. It’s amazing to get an insight into how these characters became who they are, and I can’t help but find myself wishing to turn back events I know are set in stone and already happened just to spare my favourite book people some heartbreak.
Highly recommend this apocalyptic telling of how it all happened and how we got to rising and echoes. If you’re like me, you’ll be yelling at your book but unable to put it down.

[Shelley · Rating 2 out of 5]

I struggled with this book, but I think that is mainly because it is a short prequel, and I have not read the other books. I love a good dystopian story, but I didn’t get enough detail about the world and what had happened to really feel invested. The characters seemed interesting, but I did struggle a few times to keep track of who was who as there are a lot of characters in such a short book. I would have liked a more fully fleshed story which is why I feel I just wasn’t the right audience for this book. It really felt like it was written for someone who had already read books 1 and 2.

[Rhi · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75⭐️
I enjoyed this book. I think the concept of this world is really interesting and I’ll definitely be picking up the rest of the series. I love the way that Nelle writes, I find it so captivating and intricate while also being easy to read. I like the variety of characters and how we already have an idea of what they’re like from this collection of novellas. I’m excited to pick up the rest of the series!

[Kayla Soffera · Rating 4 out of 5]

Before Their After is a combination of short stories that follow our characters from when the fallout happened to before we meet them in the first book; it covers where they were when the world changed, a bit about their time after the fallout, and eventually, what led them to Monterey.
I love these characters, and while we're given bits of their past throughout books one and two, I enjoyed this small insight into what happened to them before. It sheds some light on things that happen throughout the books, but most importantly, it builds a deeper connection and understanding of the State of the Union world.
There are three recommended reading orders for the State of the Union books. I followed Option 2: The Empath [Rising, Echoes of War then Before Their After]. If you like discovering things as they are happening versus knowing the past and history that led to them, this is your reading order.

[Melly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is setting the stage for the series. Day 0 thru the first part of post bomb drop. Unique effects from the bomb drop. People are either turned into zombie creatures or given elemental powers from the fallout. This book is a novella for how our main characters survive the initial stage and come together in the new world. How does society rebuild? Is there hope for society in the aftermath?

[ashley umoren · Rating 5 out of 5]

As with all of her books it is an emotional roller coaster that you are so happy to be on. I have read books one and two and this is the prequel. Knowing where the characters are headed when I started o think it destroyed me in The best way! I cannot wait and will forever be a fan of Nelle Nikole’s writing.

[Lucy Gould · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to the author for sending me a copy. The following review represents my honest opinion.

I really enjoyed this novella! It is a quick and fun read. I really appreciated how Nikole included a guide as to when to read this book based on what you’re looking to get from it/your preferences. The characters were really fun to revisit and I already miss them.

[DevBev · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️’s - This was the first book I read in the The State of the Union series, and it is a really interesting concept. Because I’m reading the prequel novellas first they feel a little confusing and choppy with all the different perspectives, but it’s a great and informational look into the characters backstories. I’m excited to read Rising!

[madison · Rating 4 out of 5]

wow.wow.wow

“We would never be who we were Before but it was who we were in The After that would make all the difference. “

*chuckles* I’m in danger

Idk what in me decided to start this, but I just know I will spend alot of my time stressed. And there’ll probably be tears along the way 😂

[Marquita · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5/5 ⭐️ I loved that we were able to get the backstory of all the main characters. It really made you understand why they moved & acted the way they did. A look into their lives in The Before & The After. This was probably my favorite of all the books because of how it made me feel emotionally toward the characters.

[Char · Rating 5 out of 5]

*ARC review*

Look, I've already read Rising and Echoes of War, so I knew this book would be heartbreaking... I wasn't expecting how heartbreaking it was, though. This is everything I could've wanted for a prequel for the State of The Union series.