Pitfall

by Ross Hughes

The Pit … a toxic mist that embroils the world, mutating people into the Fallen, radioactive mutants with powers beyond man’s wildest dreams

The Peaks … Home of the Peakers. Five mountaintops where the last scraps of humanity eke out a living like cavemen among the dinosaurs

Unable to conceive children of their own, they rely on the Cradle of Life, a mysterious structure from a long-lost time before the Cataclysm that destroyed the planet …

Technology is forbidden

The moon is wrecked

And dragons terrorise the Peaks every summer when they emerge from hibernation

The only defence against them is the noble pterodactyl-riders

With her apprentice ceremony coming up, Erris longs to be one of the legendary pterodactyl-riders

But what her apprenticeship will set in motion is a chain of events that no one could have predicted, unlocking the secrets of the Pit’s depths

Unveiling the enigmatic schemes of mad scientists, cunning mutants and a ruthless AI in a sinister plot against the Peakers themselves

An action-packed, fast-paced, post-apocalyptic sci-fantasy thrill ride of a story about the lengths to which some will go for the greater good, and how far one young woman will go to stop them

373 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 15, 2025

Reviews

[MGB · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author has a tale to tell. This is one of those fantasies where you suspend all disbelief and just let yourself be drawn into the story. This is a story about our world after we almost completely destroyed it. What would life be like after humans reeked havoc to the maximum extent possible? What could survive and how would it survive?

There are more creatures wandering this new earth than you can imagine. Each is interesting and unique in its own way. Some benevolent, so not so much. It you want to just get away from the world around us, take this trip with the author through amazing adventures, lots of action and the requisite seriously evil character.

[Christinaraven · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story was quite the journey and imagination of what an apocalypse could lead to in a crazy way. I loved the mystery and suspense feel with a fantasy feel and wild mutations and crazy crazy people. Factions, drama, people, creatures and so much more deliver a fun read that had me glued to the end to see what else poor Erris must face in this story. But great characters, crazy situations, even crazier people and creatures and so much more. Loved the drama, action, and not knowing what might happen next.

[Doreen Fernandes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Erris is a child of the post apocalyptic world of the Peakers who have survived a cataclysm. Their leader is the Risen who they must obey or be thrown into the Pit with its toxic fumes and terrifying mutant creatures. Then there are dragons and dinosaurs who are dealt with by pterodactyl riders. Erris fulfills her dream of becoming a rider but she has to deal with a tyrant ruling them and killing people who oppose him. Will she be able to survive and get freedom for the Peakers? A captivating sci-fi fantasy with excellent world building and a variety of interesting characters. I liked the engaging and well crafted plot.

[Laurie Robertson · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great novel this is. Dystopian and Post-Apocalyptic it has it all. Great characters engaging narrative and excellent descriptive locations which are easy to picture in your mind. Ross knows how to put together a storyline which is both compelling and engaging. If you enjoy fantasy this is for you.