Axiom II

Axiom #2

by Madison Rose

Amrey survived Dane’s torture, and saved the subversives. It should have been the end, but it was just the beginning.

When the bullet rang out and her mother fell, Amrey was whisked away from Axiom, leaving Dane with the key to his ultimate weapon—her DNA. Now, with the power to mass-produce his mind-control serum, Dane’s army is growing, and Amrey is forced to watch. Confined by the strict rules of the Defiance, she struggles to move on. With Kale firmly by her side and Jaxon grappling with his new identity, tensions rise within their ranks. Especially as new faces join the Defiance, bringing buried secrets to light. Meanwhile, Dane’s reach is expanding, more people are dying, and stopping him may cost Amrey everything.

The sequel to Axiom is packed with tension-filled romance and gripping fight scenes. Axiom II is a must-read for fans of dystopian thrillers like Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi and Divergent by Veronica Roth.

Genres: Fantasy, Dystopia, Romance

324 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 22, 2024

About the author

An Aussie author who loves everything dystopian and romance and can always be found writing with a glass of wine or a cup of coffee in her hand. That is when she's not teaching English to kids. Her love for books is second only to her family, and on the rare occasions she’s not writing, she’s likely book shopping or hosting game nights with friends.

Connect with her on Instagram and TikTok as @madisonrosebooks or at https://madisonrosebooks.com

Reviews

[Madison Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought I’d just hop on here to say a little something before I go hide away. While AXIOM was a fever dream to write—I was only 15, just having fun with it and somehow it turned into a real book. AXIOM II, however, was the complete opposite. I had no idea where this story was going to take me, and it took me years to get it right, but because of that, I learned a lot, grew as a writer, and, honestly, I’m so proud of how it turned out.

One of the main things people said about AXIOM was that they wanted more time with the characters and more depth in the world. So, I really kept that in mind with the sequel. I hope you all love AXIOM II and stick around for what’s next! ❤️

[Victoria Werngreen · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️ I have to start out by saying that I haven’t read the first book! I got a copy from the author of this book in exchange for a review. she gave me a recap of book one though.

this was very much giving divergent dystopian vibes! I loved the dystopian setting/world - it took me back to my reading roots - but it also had quite a few similarities to Divergent. that can be annoying for some but maybe a bonus for others ✨

because I haven’t read the first book, I had a bit of a hard time connecting with the characters because I didn’t really know their backstories. I haven’t gotten to know them through the first book so I felt like something was missing - like the making of friendships, relationsships and characters evolving😞

it’s a fast paced read, but not too fast paced. but when something tragic happened I didn’t really feel an impact… I don’t know if that’s because we moved on too fast or because I haven’t read the first book so I didn’t really know the characters.

I’m not the biggest fan of love triangles - sorry for the spoiler - but I felt like it was kinda obvi who she would end up with, so it wasn’t that bad🙈

I missed reading dystopian books, so I’ll overlook some of the ‘that-doesn’t-make-sense’ moments, but yeah, I think I would have rated this a bit higher if I’d read the first book🤗

thank you Madison Rose for the e-ARC of AXIOM II 🙏🏼

[Émily Desjardins · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐️ 3,5
Meeeh

[Inge Korporaal · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little slow at the beginning but still liked it!! The ending was good! Up until the last few pages until the plot i didn’t suspect what was going to happen!

[tay🖤 · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was written a lot better than the first one, but the plot was still so boring. Everything was surface level, nothing was deep or inspiring. I really wanted to like this, but it just fell short. I think if you’re going to write something so close in plot to something as great as the Divergent series, it has to be amazing in comparison and this just isn’t.

[Ellie Collins · Rating 3 out of 5]

Binged this in one sitting of course. Such a quick easy fast pace dystopian series!!

I have 100% enjoyed this series but I guessed what was coming plot wise🥲 & it just didn’t give me the wow factor feels. The last 40% was so action packed & good tho.

I deffo think I preferred book one. I feel like this one has a lot of back & forth for what???

I loved how the author closes the story/end of the book. BEAUTIFUL. Although, not sure how I felt about the extended epilogue.

[Menna · Rating 2 out of 5]

No. I want my time back - thats harsh but fair.

The writing was better in this one than book 1 - but the characters were INSUFFERABLE in this one. The FMC was unbelievably annoying and she was making irritatingly selfish and stupid decisions that made me dislike the book even more.
The plot was OK- more high stakes than book 1 but still very average.

[Vėjūnė · Rating 3 out of 5]

So much better than the first book! You can really tell the writing improved, and I was super into the mystery/thriller vibe, and not knowing who to trust

[Bernice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tropes:
💉Dystopian
💉Gender segregation
💉Truth serum
💉Rebels
💉Action
💉Romance
💉Love triangle

This was one of those books for me, which I put off reading because I knew it would be too good; aaand I was right. It got me hooked right from the first chapter.

The story is set in "Axiom" a dystopian world, where the citizens are ranked, genders are segregated until marriage and truthfulness is highly valued and ensured with the help of the Animus serum. 💉

The entire duology is narrated from Amrey's POV, who is graduating and about to start her life as an adult in the society. During her final assessments, a series of events begin that changes the course of her future.

The author has done an excellent job with the world building, it was straightforward yet delivered the otherworldly feeling. And each character was unique and enigmatic that will constantly keep you wondering how they fit in the big picture. The high stakes moments, action packed chapters and angsty romance were an addictive mix that glued me to my Kindle. Throughout the two books, I felt various emotions Amrey was going through, which was a bonus, making this duology one of my favorite in the dystopian genre. 💥

I would definitely recommend this all the dystopian genre lovers and specially to the fans of the Divergent series. 🏃🏻‍♀️‍➡️💫

[Destiny Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review:

This is book two of the axiom series.

This book had me well and truly hooked from the start to the end.

There is so many unexpected twists and turns, so many people to be suspicious off and so many things that go wrong.

Just when you think you’ve figured out this book of what’s going to happen next, it puts you in a choke hold. This book ends on a cliff hanger so there is room for more books in this series and I hope they are sooner rather than later.

I would definitely recommend giving this book a go, but make sure you don’t get too attached to the characters as you never know which one of them is going to be taken away.

Characters. 7/10
Atmosphere. 7/10
Writing 7/10
Plot. 8/10
Intrigue 10/10
Logic/relationship. 7/10
Enjoyment 9/10

Cawpile Rating 7.8 = 4 stars

[Laureninpink · Rating 4 out of 5]

First book was good but THIS was 🫶🏻✨ I devoured this duology in a week! It could have been a 4.5 but ultimately is a 3.5 ⭐️ The grammar mistakes towards the end lost a star, as well as an ending I truly cannot stand authors using.

But I loved the plot & characters in this book, I was on the edge of my seat with deep frown lines for the last 10 chapters!



✨ Who’s on your team ? Better yet, who’s the one by your side ? ✨

✨I want more than just a means to an end✨

✨When everyone’s made to tell the truth, no one questions whether you really are✨

[Scarlett Bozzelli · Rating 3 out of 5]

A LOT of mistakes I found and there were a lot of stuff that just sounded like it was AI. not saying that it was written with AI but it lacked a lot of emotion, I did love the overall plot, although it focused more on the love triangle than the actual dystopian genre

[Lily · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG! for me Axiom II was even better than Axiom I. I literally have no words to explain how much I enjoyed it. One of the best reads of 2024!! Thank you so much Madison for writing such an insane book. The ending has left me with so many questions. A certain death made me bawl my eyes out (I won’t spoil dw) and the dynamics between the characters and the found family was so sweet and my favourite part about this series. Amery’s character development from the start of the book where she is wallowing in sadness to then becoming the leader she needed to be was so impactful and inspiring. I fear I also cried hearing Kale’s backstory (i won’t give anymore spoilers i promise). Dane’s character was also written so well, making me hate him even more after every word he says. I’m taking the biggest Dane hater award!!!!! But overall Axiom II was so so so so good and I highly highly recommend reading it!!!!

[Antonia Wassilieff · Rating 3 out of 5]

The vibes died out, and the additional epilogue felt awfully familiar… still dystopian novels are some of my faves so I’ll overlook it.

[lily mae hull · Rating 3 out of 5]

…i feel a little silly now for loving kale so much.

(this review definitely has spoilers, do not read if you intend to read the book)

luckily for me, i did manage to guess that the mole was kale all along, before his attack on jaxon & amrey. it felt like he was tempting her rather than being romantic or fun, and when she said she wanted more than a distraction he suddenly said he loves her, not to mention always disappearing/not being there at the most convenient times. as a wise person once said, i may be an idiot but i’m not stupid. and, anyway, kale’s personality took a plunge after the first book, it was like he was a completely different person; he was still under the serum in the first one, so that’s not a deciding factor. he just became totally different. i was only disappointed that the memories of when they first met are now tainted by his deception, until the end when we came to learn that the serum had worn off in the cell scene, which was my favorite part. i still love him.

i also have to say that in my review of axiom 1 i slandered jaxon’s name 😔. his personality became way better in the second book, i really really liked him. i was also mad at amrey for hurting him (so, so many times.) all the other characters i continued to love, especially owen (💔💔💔💔💔,) emeric, and mags.

one aspect i continued to dislike was amrey. once again, her reckless abandon continued to cost everyone around her more than she initially even considered—because she didn’t consider anything at all. she didn’t stop to think about how her staying behind would affect jaxon, or how cynthia trying to revive her would affect literally everybody else. she was also so, so mean. saying you don’t even care about me to jaxon after literally beating him up was beyond me. furthermore, not going back to help in the battle where owen died after a full hour of feeling sorry for yourself, cuz you killed one person—i’m sorry, what? she was definitely not worth staying back for. there were no noticeable character arcs in this book either, other than her giving up drinking. not even her daddy issues got resolved.

i didn’t particularly care for this one as much as the first. her family drama seemed very drawn out and redundant, with the same interactions happening over and over again, and pretty much the same exact dynamic as hers for jaxon. archer, mags, owen and emeric continued to not get enough page time, while i felt like elle got too much, and everything up until the battle of lost owen could’ve been summed up with maybe two paragraphs and a flashback. we didn’t get any worldbuilding or explanation as to the establishment of axiom until the very end, and even that was exceptionally rushed and abrupt. jaxon, my darling, and kale, run for your lives.

someone else may have liked this better than i did, so if you liked the first one be my guest, and having any current read to discuss is fun. however, in my opinion, it didn’t live up to its initial counterpart.

[tan [lana’s version] · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars ⭐

It was an overall nice continuation to axiom i and I like that even though she said there was going to be another book after this one, she still gave us a bit of closure to what happened to the characters.
The romance was mostly YA. There is a scene where the characters take off their clothes together but it's interrupted/cut off.
I am not a huge fan of the Amrey-the main character. I feel like she deals with excessive guilt regarding things that were not even her fault and she's trying to be the hero. I did kinda like that about her at first but then it just became annoying. She kept making decisions that set the plot back and compromised their missions. But I get that this is a different kind of personality from what we usually see in dystopian. I mean the MC have to deal with the guilt of some of the decisions they make later but it doesn't stop them from making the decisions first.
This MC - Amrey - was born in a relatively safe environment with both parents so it kinda makes sense of her reaction to violence. maybe it's even a more realistic reaction for a teenager.

SPOILER ALERT

Okay the love triangle was resolved with a plot twist that made it impossible to fall for Kale - one of the love interests. And yeah I appreciate that he was Dane's son and there was some foreshadowing when Amrey was always sick and Kale was always giving her cider to drink so it's a well-executed plot twist. But I hate that it removed the choice fom Amrey and made her just have to choose Jaxon like I wanted it to be more complicated than that.
The ending where they discover that there were just one of the axioms - axiom 7. It honestly did not shock me at all after reading maze runner and divergent.
In my review of book 1, I did say that this book was not exactly like divergent for people that were acting like the author plagiarised divergent. The books have their similarities - i mean every book ever written has to have an inspiration right?

EXTRA SPOILER ALERT IF YOU HAVEN'T FINISHED READING DIVERGENT SERIES
The ending of axiom ii where Amrey nearly gives up her life to 'keep the ones she loves safe' was actually so divergent coded and I'm happy that unlike Tris she didn't actually die.


Overall this series was okay. Just another dystopian fiction I enjoyed!

[Bree savage · Rating 2 out of 5]

All I have to say is that if she ended the first book how she did, not originally planning to write a second one, then I would have to give the first book an even lower rating, because it left so many questions unanswered. Since I got the first and second at the same time though, I won’t be too harsh in that aspect. Ok so this book did keep my interest, which is why it got 2 stars, but it was still just a bit cringy. I think it didn’t feel as 100% copied from divergent and hunger games as the first did, but the unoriginality was still very much there. At one point there was a character named Tobias and I just laughed at that because I think she meant it as a little divergent reference, but that would on,y work if 90% of the book wasn’t already a divergent reference. ALSO CAN I JUST SAY I ACTUALLY REALLY DON’T LIKE AMERY! she was so hard on her dad when she did the same thing to Henry, and not even just that… she was all around just annoying. One thing I will say with the plot twist is that it felt as if she wasn’t planning on writing the plot twist till she got to it, so it definitely didn’t seem like it fit. Then the explanation for it seemed bad also, it was like she wasn’t planning saying yea this doesn’t make sense with the first book but that’s just because everything was actually a lie! Girl it was not a lie and you know it😭. I tried to write this as vague as possible but it might be a little spoiler… anyways. So with the spelling errors, usage of wrong words, and poorly written dialogue, it was a hard read… but again, the plot isn’t bad at all. I just wish it was inspired by divergent instead of just divergent rewritten.

[Aya Khamkham · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW. Just… wow. Madison Rose really did not hold back in this sequel. From the first page i was getting heart attacks left and right — the twists, the reveals, the heartbreak, the hope. I had to pause more than once just to breathe (and sometimes to pray characters would survive 👀).

I went into this book thinking I knew where my loyalties were, but Madison completely flipped my expectations. The romance had me screaming, the betrayals had me gasping, and the emotional moments had me in tears. Let’s just say there were some very Harry Potter-level heartbreaks in here.

Amrey’s character especially stood out to me. She’s so selfless, so willing to sacrifice for the people she loves, and that made me connect with her on such a deep level. I love how Madison balances her strength with her vulnerability. It makes her feel real and unforgettable.

The pacing is nonstop, the world-building keeps expanding in ways I didn’t see coming, and the ending left me both satisfied and still wanting more. (That epilogue gave me Maze Runner vibes Madison, if you’re reading this, please tell me there’s a spin-off coming because I am READY.)

This duology has officially taken a place in my heart. I laughed, I cried, I yelled at the book, and I’ll be thinking about these characters for a long time. Madison Rose, you ATE with these books. Thank you for giving us such an emotional, thrilling, romantic, unforgettable story.

💖 5/5. It's absolutely worth the read if you want a dystopian series that will wreck you in the best way.

[Annie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Axiom II picks up Amrey's story following the ending of Axiom I. When Axiom II begins, there is a significant chunk of details that happened between the end of Axiom I to the start of Axiom II, which is explained later in the book. For this reason, the actions of Amrey X in the beginning of this book should seem uncharacteristic, and her relationships with Jaxon and Kale will be a bit confusing. People will more than likely be shocked by her relationship with Jaxon at the beginning of Axiom II since at the end of Axiom I, Amrey and Jaxon are somewhat together and kissed vs. the beginning of Axiom II, where they are ignoring each other. Again, this will be explained later in the book.

Just like Axiom I, this book has a great dystopian storyline full of action, romance, a love-triangle, friendship, mystery, and betrayal. You never know what to expect or who to trust. This particular book leans into the love-triangle more than book I since Kale is now at the Defiance with Amrey and Jaxon. This book also turns up the spice more than book I, but is still mild and appropriate for younger audiences.

Axiom II has many twists and a major betrayal. Although the book has a happy ending, be prepared for heartbreak. Overall, Axiom II is fantastic, just like Axiom I, but it intensifies the mystery, romance, action, and heartbreak.

[aims · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finished both books within the past week, so lucky that the second book just came out recently and didn’t have to wait. Really loved the drama, the action, the fights. I felt like I could play out the book like a movie in my head which I love. I have such a good picture of what the training arena looks like too. Was devastated about Owen… I think my only thing about the book that I didn’t enjoy that much was the love triangle, I feel like it could have been done better. I don’t know if anyone agrees, but I feel like when Amrey kept mindlessly going back and forth between Jaxon and Kale like minutes apart really painted her in a dodgy light. I understand that this is her first time interacting with boys, but when she literally was literally about to yk with Kale and then 2 mins later making out with Jaxon, it’s just a bit unrealistic and sometimes made me a bit frustrated with amrey. The plot twist with Kale tho, I was quite surprised and made me feel emotions bc of how we saw him in the first book, but what a good plot twist that was! I’m really excited for what Madison Rose comes up with next, I know she says that Amreys story is over, but I hope her and the gang I’ve grown to love will pop up at some point?? Asking for a friend :) xx

[Laibah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ugh okay. I liked this book slightly more than the first but not by much. The whole woe is me so let me get drunk thing? It was half assed. I’m sorry! It was!

I know I sound harsh but I just think if you’re going to send a character into a downward spiral where they drink themselves into oblivion, let me feel their pain you know? Instead I felt nothing other than annoyed at how easily influenced she was.

(This is coming from a person who doesn’t know how to write for shit, I’m aware… Just one Girls opinion 😅)

I feel like the only reason I got emotional during this book was for Henry. Such an underrated character and his emotions were the only ones I truly felt because you know what buddy? YES YOUR SISTER IS ABSOULTELY USELESS.

That poor boy had been through the ringer and I didn’t see him rotting in bed doing nothing….. NOOOOO he was putting in a shift to train and the kid was eight!!!

Feel like the relationships could have been improved upon. I literally could not care less for who the traitor was. Their relation to Dane was interesting and caught me off guard but that was about it. Another Low rating from me… Sorry! 😭

[Swara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I AM NOT OKAY
WHAT DO YOU MEAN THERE WONT BE ANYMORE AMREY AND JAXON AND KALE AND EVERYONE ELSE
and the plot twist came out of nowhere i seriosly not expecting Kale to be evil but it all worked ojt in the end☺️
R.I.P Owen🦅😭 he was my favorite character😮‍💨
and I actually started crying, like ugly crying when amrey was on the verge of dying like my girl was not breathing for a few minutes, you got me scared to death there Madison.
and can we js apreciate that amrey's hands were TIED and she still managed to beat Kale in a fight.

but I honeslty need to know more, like is she pregnant in that last chapter?😭 and tje epiloge gosh dont even get me started on that. Like I NEED to know more about the other axioms'

but tbh this series might be my favorite series ive read all my life and ive read alooot of books, its also very fast paced like I finsihed both books in exactly one week.

to sum it all the series is a 11/10 for me🦬

[Sara Nix · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good but I wanted more. I needed more Amrey and Jaxon and more explanations. It feels like there could definitely be more to Amrey’s story and it felt a bit rushed at the end. And they were young kids and I feel like there could have been more about what it was like being in that situation and there could have been more characters and character depth and backstory. It just needed something a bit more but was really good and I read it in just a couple days. I liked how fast-paced it was and all the suspense and fighting scenes.

[Ari · Rating 1 out of 5]

Nothing happened this entire book. All this built up just for Dane to die so easily at the end?? The FMC is so clueless and reckless. She went from one man to another without even regarding anyone's feelings. Also, so hard to believe that she basically drank everyday, her muscles deteriorated, yet somehow she was still stronger than everyone? Make that make sense.

Tbh with how dumb everyone was acting, I was rooting for Dane to win.

[Sasha · Rating 3 out of 5]

The second book in a YA book series. I would probably class it as dystopian romance.

Perfect for lovers of 'Divergent'.

Personally, I didn't enjoy this as much as book one as I found Amrey annoying. The love triangle even more so, and it was a big focus of this book.

However, she's a teenage girl dealing with a lot, so it's potentially hugely accurate in terms of coping mechanisms.

This is plagued by a similar need for copyediting as the first book. There are LOTS of issues with homonyms sneaking in.

I received a free ARC of this book in exchange for a fair review.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Soo I liked this maybe more than the first book! I feel like it was more original. I didn’t predict the plot twist with that one person but I sorta known there was a weird vibe about them from the start like quite different. It made me upset like every moment with them was a lie though! I felt more connected to this book than the first I’d say!! Like when one of the characters died and that betrayal!! So yeah I gotta say well done girl!! She wrote it well. ALSO THE END WOAH. 🫶🏼

[Oksana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book

It starts off slow and kind of boring. But their are details to be paid attention as the plot unravels and gets more entertaining. Overall, it's a good read series. Clean for high-school and some mature middle school aged. Kissing, touching, blood, and death is mentioned.

[Hannah Martin · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. This book was pretty good, but it had some problems. For example amrey was making out with kale then 5 minutes later she was kissing jaxon. That be said a lot of the romance with jaxon was good, I especially liked the dancing scene. I’m definitely team jaxon. The book was kind of similar to Divergent especially the plot twist at the end, but it had its differences.

[Tess Blake · Rating 5 out of 5]

The sequel to Axiom, even better than the first! The things that I expected are not what happened. Amery learns that there is a spy, some traitor, and things are high stress in Defiance. The plot twists genuinely caught me off guard, and the character development is believable. This series is on par with the Hunger Games, truly good writing, I would read more.

[Robin Back · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would give this a solid 3.5 stars. It was an easy read. I enjoyed the story progression on this one, but the first few chapters were hard to read. It’s such a shift from where we ended book 1 that you feel like you’ve missed out on some important scenes. Once you get past that, there was a lot of action. Again, very young adult, but still was a good read.