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The General’s Captive
A blink of an eye.
That was all it took for my world to end. For it to literally crumble beneath my feet.
The Rift that tore through the land and opened it up to unearthly danger.
After that, everything changed, and I had to change with it. Any hopes for the future I may
have had, now lost and a new me forced to be reborn.
Each day in this brutal new world was a fight for survival. One filled with living nightmares
and all those myths and monsters I had once read about as a kid. But there was one
important thing I had never learned about in school…
Him.
The General.
The leader of them all.
Now, the biggest question was…
What did he want with me?
That penetrating stare, those dark depths searching out my soul.
That frighteningly handsome face that consumed my dreams.
Those strong hands reaching out for me. Enticing me.
His deep voice luring me closer and closer to the danger within.
Until suddenly, I wake to find myself…
The General’s Captive.
That was all it took for my world to end. For it to literally crumble beneath my feet.
The Rift that tore through the land and opened it up to unearthly danger.
After that, everything changed, and I had to change with it. Any hopes for the future I may
have had, now lost and a new me forced to be reborn.
Each day in this brutal new world was a fight for survival. One filled with living nightmares
and all those myths and monsters I had once read about as a kid. But there was one
important thing I had never learned about in school…
Him.
The General.
The leader of them all.
Now, the biggest question was…
What did he want with me?
That penetrating stare, those dark depths searching out my soul.
That frighteningly handsome face that consumed my dreams.
Those strong hands reaching out for me. Enticing me.
His deep voice luring me closer and closer to the danger within.
Until suddenly, I wake to find myself…
The General’s Captive.
284 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 31, 2025
476 people are currently reading
172 people want to read
About the author
Stephanie Hudson
205 books2,325 followersStephanie Hudson is a #1 Amazon bestselling Author. She had dreamed of being a writer ever since her obsession with reading books at an early age. What first became a quest to overcome the boundaries set against her in the form of dyslexia, has turned into a life's dream.
Afterlife is the first book in the series of 12 books, with the story of Keira and Draven becoming ever more complicated in a world that sets them miles apart. The Transfusion Saga will also be a 12 book series once book 12 is released in May 2021. Other spin -off books and series are also available with lots more planned.
When not writing, Stephanie enjoys chatting with her fans and spending time with her friends. Being with her loving family as much as she can including her wonderful daughter Ava, sons Jack and Halen and supportive husband and personal muse Blake, who is there for her no matter what.
Afterlife is the first book in the series of 12 books, with the story of Keira and Draven becoming ever more complicated in a world that sets them miles apart. The Transfusion Saga will also be a 12 book series once book 12 is released in May 2021. Other spin -off books and series are also available with lots more planned.
When not writing, Stephanie enjoys chatting with her fans and spending time with her friends. Being with her loving family as much as she can including her wonderful daughter Ava, sons Jack and Halen and supportive husband and personal muse Blake, who is there for her no matter what.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
December 30, 2025
addictive
This is the first book that I’ve read by the amazing Stephanie Hudson & E.M.Ritchie, and it won't be the last. I'm in hook line and sinker—addicted. This is a brilliant story its well written, flows perfectly and grips you from the start. Fast paced and intriguing there is no putting it down. The collaboration of these two authors has truly penned something fantastic. Loved it. And the ending... Knew there would be more to the General, but the ending! Or not lol I must go grab the next book. I have an urgent need to know what comes next... Exactly what a book should do to us. One I would thoroughly recommend. Amazing!
This is the first book that I’ve read by the amazing Stephanie Hudson & E.M.Ritchie, and it won't be the last. I'm in hook line and sinker—addicted. This is a brilliant story its well written, flows perfectly and grips you from the start. Fast paced and intriguing there is no putting it down. The collaboration of these two authors has truly penned something fantastic. Loved it. And the ending... Knew there would be more to the General, but the ending! Or not lol I must go grab the next book. I have an urgent need to know what comes next... Exactly what a book should do to us. One I would thoroughly recommend. Amazing!
October 26, 2025
A fabulous start!!! 🩷
I was pleasantly surprised. The story is original, intriguing and super captivating. The FMC Alex finds herself in a crazy situation when close to her the earth starts to open up and strange creatures start to emerge. From then on it is a wild ride of survival for her and all the people living in the surrounding areas of the “rift”. There is plenty of action, mystery and so much more. I will say though, that it needed a bit more world building and character depth. Overall, this is super intriguing story that will keep you on your toes until the very last page. I really hope the next book will be as good or better than this one. It ends on a cliffhanger. Enjoy!
I was pleasantly surprised. The story is original, intriguing and super captivating. The FMC Alex finds herself in a crazy situation when close to her the earth starts to open up and strange creatures start to emerge. From then on it is a wild ride of survival for her and all the people living in the surrounding areas of the “rift”. There is plenty of action, mystery and so much more. I will say though, that it needed a bit more world building and character depth. Overall, this is super intriguing story that will keep you on your toes until the very last page. I really hope the next book will be as good or better than this one. It ends on a cliffhanger. Enjoy!
October 20, 2025
Good story, too many editing errors
I enjoyed the story, but the errors are distracting. The writing in general sometimes felt too simple. Overall, it's an entertaining read and an imaginative setting.
I enjoyed the story, but the errors are distracting. The writing in general sometimes felt too simple. Overall, it's an entertaining read and an imaginative setting.
October 5, 2025
be patient
Not at all what I expected. I definitely wouldn’t label this a “captive” book more like how to survive the apocalypse with a God hunting you. Slow start especially if you’re thinking of mf interactions that doesn’t happen till way later and definitely zero spice. Not what I expected but turned out ok
Not at all what I expected. I definitely wouldn’t label this a “captive” book more like how to survive the apocalypse with a God hunting you. Slow start especially if you’re thinking of mf interactions that doesn’t happen till way later and definitely zero spice. Not what I expected but turned out ok
September 17, 2025
So good!
I can't wait to sink my teeth into the next two books of this series. The mystery of who & what Alex is has my brain going to all different places. And the General... who is he, what's his part in the Rift, who is he to Alex.... and the ending....wow!
I need book #2 now! Lol
I can't wait to sink my teeth into the next two books of this series. The mystery of who & what Alex is has my brain going to all different places. And the General... who is he, what's his part in the Rift, who is he to Alex.... and the ending....wow!
I need book #2 now! Lol
September 9, 2025
I always enjoy Stephanie Hudson’s books despite spelling, grammatical and punctuation mistakes! Drives me nuts.
September 3, 2025
I’ve been looking forward to reading The General’s Captive for a while. The book description drew me in though I’m not a big fan of urban fantasy. This book changed my mind. Of course I wasn’t sure what to expect, but after the first chapter, I was fully invested. It took me an afternoon and a half to finish the book, it was that good.
I loved Alex as an FMC. She was spunky without being too foul mouthed and annoying. She did not do stupid things just to advance the plot which I was grateful for. Riley as an MMC was swoon worthy, noble and chivalrous, but WOW! The General was superb. I loved his morally gray mystery and dark deliciousness. He really kept me guessing. The mythical characters drew me in because I do love mythology, so seeing them come alive in this urban fantasy was great. They were added in seamlessly throughout the book without overwhelming the story with too many monsters of every kind thrown in.
As for the writing, it was done well. I did not spot a whole lot of grammar and spelling errors or anything that gave me pause. I’ve read some other urban fantasies, and this one was unique, and action packed. I felt if I was stuck in a post-apocalyptic type of world that this is how it would play out. I loved the real-world problems, and the romance was believable and not overdone. However, I was left with a lot of questions.
I can’t wait for book two to come out as this ended on a cliffhanger. I am totally invested in Alex and Riley’s relationship and am willing to bet the next book is just as good! I do highly recommend this as an urban fantasy, mystery with great mythical characters and tons of action that keep you reading. It’s a 5-Star read without question.
I loved Alex as an FMC. She was spunky without being too foul mouthed and annoying. She did not do stupid things just to advance the plot which I was grateful for. Riley as an MMC was swoon worthy, noble and chivalrous, but WOW! The General was superb. I loved his morally gray mystery and dark deliciousness. He really kept me guessing. The mythical characters drew me in because I do love mythology, so seeing them come alive in this urban fantasy was great. They were added in seamlessly throughout the book without overwhelming the story with too many monsters of every kind thrown in.
As for the writing, it was done well. I did not spot a whole lot of grammar and spelling errors or anything that gave me pause. I’ve read some other urban fantasies, and this one was unique, and action packed. I felt if I was stuck in a post-apocalyptic type of world that this is how it would play out. I loved the real-world problems, and the romance was believable and not overdone. However, I was left with a lot of questions.
I can’t wait for book two to come out as this ended on a cliffhanger. I am totally invested in Alex and Riley’s relationship and am willing to bet the next book is just as good! I do highly recommend this as an urban fantasy, mystery with great mythical characters and tons of action that keep you reading. It’s a 5-Star read without question.
September 1, 2025
It's so very disappointing when an author has such an extensive catalog and they are still making basic editorial and formatting errors.
The first 50% of the book, there's a couple of grammar and spelling issues, but after the 50% the errors become troublesome and numerous. There's also an issue with odd sentence structures and wrong word choices.
The author has an unhealthy relationship with italics, feeling the need to end each chapter with a sentence, separated from the rest of the paragraph and then in italics. That horror show doesn't include all of the other random sentences in italics throughout the book.
The book often switches tenses and can be difficult to keep up with the timeline the authors wanted to stay within.
The plot itself was okay. It moved quickly and there was a lot of action, but not a lot happened. It didn't get interesting until the last 25%.
Let's not even talk about the NUMEROUS nicknames the FMC has, which are not creative and annoying.
Little Warrior, Little Bird, babe, Little Human, little survivor, baby, Honey, little bird, Cute Girl.
As with most KU authors, this author doesn't know how to format terms of endearment correctly. PSA to the author: terms of endearment are not capitalized unless their placement in a sentence warrants it.
Correct: "Here, drink this princess."
Not correct: "Here, drink this Princess."
The first 50% of the book, there's a couple of grammar and spelling issues, but after the 50% the errors become troublesome and numerous. There's also an issue with odd sentence structures and wrong word choices.
The author has an unhealthy relationship with italics, feeling the need to end each chapter with a sentence, separated from the rest of the paragraph and then in italics. That horror show doesn't include all of the other random sentences in italics throughout the book.
The book often switches tenses and can be difficult to keep up with the timeline the authors wanted to stay within.
The plot itself was okay. It moved quickly and there was a lot of action, but not a lot happened. It didn't get interesting until the last 25%.
Let's not even talk about the NUMEROUS nicknames the FMC has, which are not creative and annoying.
Little Warrior, Little Bird, babe, Little Human, little survivor, baby, Honey, little bird, Cute Girl.
As with most KU authors, this author doesn't know how to format terms of endearment correctly. PSA to the author: terms of endearment are not capitalized unless their placement in a sentence warrants it.
Correct: "Here, drink this princess."
Not correct: "Here, drink this Princess."
Read
November 19, 2025Fantastic storytelling by this duo though some of the delivery is off. It could use so much proofreading and disappointed that the authors decided on an American setting but failed to match the way Americans speak or do the slightest bit of research linguistically. There is a reference to distance in meters by an American woman and a strange line about a woman with a shrill “California accent”. Wtf? Also a lot of the dialogue is unnatural, too formal for end of the world days, and has a strange order of words.
My other beef is with the title being misleading and inaccurate and I don’t feel it truly meets dark romance trope standards. It plays as YA for me with the slow burn and total lack of sex. Only kisses in this first book, which makes me nervous there might be a fade to black when/if things finally heat up.
All that aside, the storytelling and creativity really shine in this story. All the fantastical mythical creatures, the dynamics of the survivors, the slow unraveling of mysteries and easy resonance with the protagonist, Alexandra. The romance and slow burn makes this addictive and I’d say this book really got me out of my book slump, woo hoo! I immediately started reading the second one.
My other beef is with the title being misleading and inaccurate and I don’t feel it truly meets dark romance trope standards. It plays as YA for me with the slow burn and total lack of sex. Only kisses in this first book, which makes me nervous there might be a fade to black when/if things finally heat up.
All that aside, the storytelling and creativity really shine in this story. All the fantastical mythical creatures, the dynamics of the survivors, the slow unraveling of mysteries and easy resonance with the protagonist, Alexandra. The romance and slow burn makes this addictive and I’d say this book really got me out of my book slump, woo hoo! I immediately started reading the second one.
September 7, 2025
Fab post-apocalyptic action story
I loved this post-apocalyptic action adventure full of monsters. She lives on a base and keeps a journal about the classes of 'Myth' monsters which have been around since the rift. It's helped her and her colleagues to identify and learn how to kill the monsters. But there is another in play; The General. Is he the controller of the dar Myths or is he a helper?
I loved this post-apocalyptic action adventure full of monsters. She lives on a base and keeps a journal about the classes of 'Myth' monsters which have been around since the rift. It's helped her and her colleagues to identify and learn how to kill the monsters. But there is another in play; The General. Is he the controller of the dar Myths or is he a helper?
October 29, 2025
Good start to a post apocalyptic war as a rift is opened from another realm which greatly affects our FMC Alex and Earth. Especially once the General enters her life which leads her to endless questions about the monsters that are escaping from the rift. These monsters seem to be all based on ancient mythological creatures that are devasting USA. There are quite a few twists to this and it kept me interested. I hope the questions are answered in book 2
September 16, 2025
The book started out well. There is not much in the book about the "general" as the name indicates. We don't really learn anything in the first book except our heroine running away and scrapping to survive. A lot of things are left unexplained and it got to the point where it was annoying. For ex: we don't know what the heroine's mark was for and why it burns sometimes.
October 29, 2025
I really dislike how the chapter ends with the one line in italics for dramatic effect. It comes across as so juvenile and like the reader is so dumb they need something important pointed out to them.
I did not enjoy this book, I didn't check but I assume it's for teenagers? There's nothing special here that hasn't been written before.
I did not enjoy this book, I didn't check but I assume it's for teenagers? There's nothing special here that hasn't been written before.
November 18, 2025
I thoroughly enjoyed this first book in a new series from one of my favorite authors. Her female characters are always so believable and strong, it's not hard to follow their thought processes. This story has that "apocalyptic" flavor to it, but don't let that steer you from enjoying this entertaining story. IMO, another five star rating is well deserved.
September 7, 2025
captivating!!
Didn’t want to stop reading this. I have read ALL
Of Steph Hudson’s books and whilst there are traits of her other (fantastic) books; this felt so different! Still
A super read- hurry up for book 2!!
Didn’t want to stop reading this. I have read ALL
Of Steph Hudson’s books and whilst there are traits of her other (fantastic) books; this felt so different! Still
A super read- hurry up for book 2!!
September 11, 2025
I absolutely love all the mythical creatures!
Wow it was a hell of a read! Ups and downs, hold your breath, cry, laugh and read as fast as you can to see what happens next! Can’t wait for the next book!
Wow it was a hell of a read! Ups and downs, hold your breath, cry, laugh and read as fast as you can to see what happens next! Can’t wait for the next book!
October 14, 2025
Exciting new series
An interesting start with an apocalyptic event. Always an interesting idea, how would we cope if our normal life ceased. Nice characters with a plucky heroine and a mysterious powerful, handsome non- human anti-hero
An interesting start with an apocalyptic event. Always an interesting idea, how would we cope if our normal life ceased. Nice characters with a plucky heroine and a mysterious powerful, handsome non- human anti-hero
October 26, 2025
Absolutely the best fantasy.
I so Enjoyed reading this book the characters came to Enjoyed reading this book the characters came to life on the page I cannot wait to read the rest this book Series
I so Enjoyed reading this book the characters came to Enjoyed reading this book the characters came to life on the page I cannot wait to read the rest this book Series
November 27, 2025
yay! I love Stephanie Hudson!
When I saw her name I immediately downloaded it! She never fails for me as an author!!! I love how it was two authors as well. I enjoyed it and will now be reading the next one!!
When I saw her name I immediately downloaded it! She never fails for me as an author!!! I love how it was two authors as well. I enjoyed it and will now be reading the next one!!
January 13, 2026
Very Interesting Story!
It took me awhile to get into this book, but once I did I enjoyed it. You can see Stephanie Hudson's touches to the story. Looking forward to starting book 2.
It took me awhile to get into this book, but once I did I enjoyed it. You can see Stephanie Hudson's touches to the story. Looking forward to starting book 2.
September 8, 2025
Loved this book!
This book was so captivating and showed thd resilience of humans. I couldn't put it down! Can't wait for book number two!
This book was so captivating and showed thd resilience of humans. I couldn't put it down! Can't wait for book number two!
September 11, 2025
Another Hudson Hit!!
Absolutely loved the book, looking forward to the next one. The collaboration with Ms. Ritchie was wonderful!! Kept me on the edge of my seat the whole book!!
Absolutely loved the book, looking forward to the next one. The collaboration with Ms. Ritchie was wonderful!! Kept me on the edge of my seat the whole book!!
September 12, 2025
Another amazing story
Oh my Stephanie, you and Liz have created a wonderful world to get lost in . I can't wait to read book two!
Oh my Stephanie, you and Liz have created a wonderful world to get lost in . I can't wait to read book two!
September 15, 2025
Gripping, pacey, end of the world fantasy adventure story. Great world building and realisitic charcters. Can't wait to read more in the next installment
September 18, 2025
Wow
I almost have no words for your talent in storytelling how you spin an adventure with characters that capture your heart. Wow lady you've done it again
I almost have no words for your talent in storytelling how you spin an adventure with characters that capture your heart. Wow lady you've done it again
Read
September 18, 2025dnf
October 28, 2025
amazing as always
Stephanie Hudson has done it again with a captivating plot twist I didn’t see coming! Can wait to see what happens next!
Stephanie Hudson has done it again with a captivating plot twist I didn’t see coming! Can wait to see what happens next!
November 3, 2025
Terrible writing. Have absolutely no idea who could be writing these 5 star reviews.
November 26, 2025
Into it. Like a darker version of zombie land but with more creatures.
Going straight into book 2 because we are going to have a switcheroo.
Going straight into book 2 because we are going to have a switcheroo.
December 3, 2025
I didn't get past the first few chapters; not interested in the characters and therefore the story.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews