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Krevax
Where dreams come at a price, and every step is a fight for freedom.
In the heart of Krevax, a subterranean metropolis steeped in corruption and despair, Vice Detective Charlie Blackwell navigates the murky depths of a city that thrives on deception and decay. In a world where community and family are distant memories, and advertisements cling to every surface, Blackwell is a mere cog in a soulless machine.
But when a powerful politician extends an unexpected lifeline, Blackwell seizes the chance to escape the suffocating grip of Krevax. Tasked with infiltrating the criminal underbelly to uncover the source of a mysterious and potent drug known as nostaliem, Blackwell embarks on a perilous journey. This elusive substance promises a life in a dream, but its connection to a string of high-profile deaths poses a dark and dangerous puzzle.
Teaming up with Tinik, a resilient member of the Zorax gang with her own motives, Blackwell finds himself entangled with a motley crew of companions. Each harbors secrets and suspicions, as they delve into the shadows of Krevax's history and its omnipotent rulers.
As Blackwell and Tinik close in on the truth behind nostaliem, they unravel the city's sinister past, exposing a web of power and manipulation. Together, they confront the oppressive system that has kept the citizens of Krevax in perpetual darkness. In this gripping tale of intrigue, betrayal, and redemption, Blackwell must navigate a treacherous path to not only survive but to uncover the secrets that could reshape the destiny of the last remaining city on Earth.
In the heart of Krevax, a subterranean metropolis steeped in corruption and despair, Vice Detective Charlie Blackwell navigates the murky depths of a city that thrives on deception and decay. In a world where community and family are distant memories, and advertisements cling to every surface, Blackwell is a mere cog in a soulless machine.
But when a powerful politician extends an unexpected lifeline, Blackwell seizes the chance to escape the suffocating grip of Krevax. Tasked with infiltrating the criminal underbelly to uncover the source of a mysterious and potent drug known as nostaliem, Blackwell embarks on a perilous journey. This elusive substance promises a life in a dream, but its connection to a string of high-profile deaths poses a dark and dangerous puzzle.
Teaming up with Tinik, a resilient member of the Zorax gang with her own motives, Blackwell finds himself entangled with a motley crew of companions. Each harbors secrets and suspicions, as they delve into the shadows of Krevax's history and its omnipotent rulers.
As Blackwell and Tinik close in on the truth behind nostaliem, they unravel the city's sinister past, exposing a web of power and manipulation. Together, they confront the oppressive system that has kept the citizens of Krevax in perpetual darkness. In this gripping tale of intrigue, betrayal, and redemption, Blackwell must navigate a treacherous path to not only survive but to uncover the secrets that could reshape the destiny of the last remaining city on Earth.
566 pages, Paperback
Published July 15, 2025
1 person is currently reading
7 people want to read
About the author
L.C. Walters
1 book1 followerL. C. Walters holds a communications diploma and a degree in media arts. During her university years, she developed a deep passion for art history, a field that now informs her writing by providing a historical context for human experiences and a broader perspective on the complexities of identity and society.
Her work, largely rooted in science fiction, delves into the darker aspects of civilization, exploring the tensions between individual identity and societal constraints. L. C. Walters is particularly interested in contemporary myths and the ways in which they shape our understanding within society. With a belief in the capacity for empathy within us all, she seeks to reveal the depths of each person’s experience, unflinching in her portrayal of both the light and shadow within humanity.
Her work, largely rooted in science fiction, delves into the darker aspects of civilization, exploring the tensions between individual identity and societal constraints. L. C. Walters is particularly interested in contemporary myths and the ways in which they shape our understanding within society. With a belief in the capacity for empathy within us all, she seeks to reveal the depths of each person’s experience, unflinching in her portrayal of both the light and shadow within humanity.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
December 18, 2025
As this is not a genre I typically reach for, Krevax started out as a slow burn for me. It took me a minute to get into the characters and figured out who was who, and what the heck was going on.
This is a Handmaid’s Tale meets Mad Max meets The Matrix meets 1984 dystopian tale that takes the reader through the gradual awakening of a society.
The story unveils a large cast (and caste) of characters with multi-level view points. Just when I thought I had everyone sorted out, a turn of the page revealed yet another figure with an entirely different point of view. As I progressed through the book, I learnt how these characters are connected and the significance of their relationship to one another.
I found this book to be incredibly descriptive, immersing the reader into an environment which is not for the faint of heart. The chapters are short and titled by number, theme description and character name which gives you an insight into the point of view you will be reading.
I won’t lie, there were times when I would finish a chapter only to flip through the remainder of the book to ensure that character’s point of view had not “ended”, shall we say.
There is a glossary of terms at the end of the book (which I wish I had found earlier) that helps with the nuances of the story. Honestly while reading this book, I couldn’t help but imagine it on the big screen and I hope to see an adaptation of it in the future.
This is a Handmaid’s Tale meets Mad Max meets The Matrix meets 1984 dystopian tale that takes the reader through the gradual awakening of a society.
The story unveils a large cast (and caste) of characters with multi-level view points. Just when I thought I had everyone sorted out, a turn of the page revealed yet another figure with an entirely different point of view. As I progressed through the book, I learnt how these characters are connected and the significance of their relationship to one another.
I found this book to be incredibly descriptive, immersing the reader into an environment which is not for the faint of heart. The chapters are short and titled by number, theme description and character name which gives you an insight into the point of view you will be reading.
I won’t lie, there were times when I would finish a chapter only to flip through the remainder of the book to ensure that character’s point of view had not “ended”, shall we say.
There is a glossary of terms at the end of the book (which I wish I had found earlier) that helps with the nuances of the story. Honestly while reading this book, I couldn’t help but imagine it on the big screen and I hope to see an adaptation of it in the future.
July 5, 2025
This is an ARC review. Thank you to Wicked Ink for giving me a free e-book copy in exchange for an honest review!
Krevax combines a gritty police drama like The Wire or Law and Order with dark sci-fi, like Blade Runner or The Matrix. The commentary on commercialism and Anthropocene destruction reminds me of The Fifth Element, in a good way. The world the characters live in is so convincingly terrible that the fatal drug, nostaliem, is actually perfectly understandable. The characters themselves are so rubbed raw by their environment that the stress they experience is on par with V for Vendetta. Also, like V for Vendetta, I have to give a content warning for prostitution. That was one angle of the dystopia I wasn’t expecting from the summary of the book, and it did impact my experience. So that’s the one caveat I want to give other readers. The descriptions are vivid and the constant exhaustion the characters feel is relatable. I appreciated that nothing in the novel is glorified. It’s very clear that the author is not perversely getting off on all of the dystopian suffering. Unfortunately, this being Earth’s future feels all too realistic.
I did find the darkness and grittiness a little overwhelming at times, but I am also not a hardcore fan of grittiness. If this were a TV show it would have to be TV-MA.
Krevax combines a gritty police drama like The Wire or Law and Order with dark sci-fi, like Blade Runner or The Matrix. The commentary on commercialism and Anthropocene destruction reminds me of The Fifth Element, in a good way. The world the characters live in is so convincingly terrible that the fatal drug, nostaliem, is actually perfectly understandable. The characters themselves are so rubbed raw by their environment that the stress they experience is on par with V for Vendetta. Also, like V for Vendetta, I have to give a content warning for prostitution. That was one angle of the dystopia I wasn’t expecting from the summary of the book, and it did impact my experience. So that’s the one caveat I want to give other readers. The descriptions are vivid and the constant exhaustion the characters feel is relatable. I appreciated that nothing in the novel is glorified. It’s very clear that the author is not perversely getting off on all of the dystopian suffering. Unfortunately, this being Earth’s future feels all too realistic.
I did find the darkness and grittiness a little overwhelming at times, but I am also not a hardcore fan of grittiness. If this were a TV show it would have to be TV-MA.
September 5, 2025
This is an ARC review. Wicked Ink was kind enough to give me a free e-book copy in exchange for an honest review!
Krevax is the kind of exists in a sci-fi world that feels very dystopian cyberpunk. Gritty, dirty, under constant surveillance and highly connected. Not just to the system, but corporations also feel like big brother.
At times it almost hits too close to home with how the world is today. And sometimes feels like it could be a cautionary tale to what we could become. Everything feels so immediate and real.
It starts as a bit of a gritty futuristic procedural. Blackwell is investigating deaths in the wake of a drug crisis. But as more of Krevax is revealed through the eyes of different characters, the world starts to open up and the story becomes so much more.
Blackwell is introduced to a mysterious Tsar and is given the opportunity to blow the whole Nostalem Crisis wide open. The more he investigates, the more he sees behind the curtain. The more you as the reader see what’s really going on as explosive revaluations rock everyone’s future and change life in not just Krevax, but the Orbs.
Warning/possible spoiler:
Krevax exists in a severe caste system with violence and subjection, of women, that could be hard for some folks to read.
Krevax is the kind of exists in a sci-fi world that feels very dystopian cyberpunk. Gritty, dirty, under constant surveillance and highly connected. Not just to the system, but corporations also feel like big brother.
At times it almost hits too close to home with how the world is today. And sometimes feels like it could be a cautionary tale to what we could become. Everything feels so immediate and real.
It starts as a bit of a gritty futuristic procedural. Blackwell is investigating deaths in the wake of a drug crisis. But as more of Krevax is revealed through the eyes of different characters, the world starts to open up and the story becomes so much more.
Blackwell is introduced to a mysterious Tsar and is given the opportunity to blow the whole Nostalem Crisis wide open. The more he investigates, the more he sees behind the curtain. The more you as the reader see what’s really going on as explosive revaluations rock everyone’s future and change life in not just Krevax, but the Orbs.
Warning/possible spoiler:
Krevax exists in a severe caste system with violence and subjection, of women, that could be hard for some folks to read.
September 15, 2025
The blueberiest scifi I have ever read. A dystopian world where a miserable society thrives on people being lonely and where having a moment of peace is considered a luxury. A surveillance state, a non-stop exposure to publicity and most of all a cast system that erases any concept of family. But behind this “cyberpunk city” (because it's much more than that) lies many secrets where not everything is as it seems and events take a much darker turn.
I absolutely loved this super well written multi-layered story that became more and more complex with every chapter. I also loved the deep dives into the human psyche where love and unity is the essence that makes us human and that we can never totally remove this need for warmth and proximity. All of this made possible thanks to the good drug aka Nostaliem that sadly doesn't exist in this iteration of Earth.
The city and the world as a whole felt like the main character and may have taken so much space from the story that it left little left for the generous cast of at least a dozen POVs.
Nonetheless Krevax was a page-turner that left me wanting to know more and where the stakes are endworlding high for volume 2.
I absolutely loved this super well written multi-layered story that became more and more complex with every chapter. I also loved the deep dives into the human psyche where love and unity is the essence that makes us human and that we can never totally remove this need for warmth and proximity. All of this made possible thanks to the good drug aka Nostaliem that sadly doesn't exist in this iteration of Earth.
The city and the world as a whole felt like the main character and may have taken so much space from the story that it left little left for the generous cast of at least a dozen POVs.
Nonetheless Krevax was a page-turner that left me wanting to know more and where the stakes are endworlding high for volume 2.
September 18, 2025
Krevax is a dark and thrilling journey into a chilling future. This dystopian cyberpunk brings together elements of noir and sci-fi to tell an incredible story that grabs you by the wrist and refuses to let go. A prescient novel that is a must read in times such as these.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews