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Escaping Ishtar
COLOR DIVIDES. POINTS DECAY. REBELLION UNITES.
Seventeen-year-old Ayris has never set foot beyond the domes of Ishtar. In this city, life isn’t measured in years — it’s measured in Points.
You’re born with one hundred. You lose one every birthday. Break one of the City’s laws, and you’ll lose more.
There is no way to earn them back.
Ayris is about to find out what happens when the last point falls, and what’s been waiting beyond the domes all along.
Seventeen-year-old Ayris has never set foot beyond the domes of Ishtar. In this city, life isn’t measured in years — it’s measured in Points.
You’re born with one hundred. You lose one every birthday. Break one of the City’s laws, and you’ll lose more.
There is no way to earn them back.
Ayris is about to find out what happens when the last point falls, and what’s been waiting beyond the domes all along.
397 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 1, 2025
3 people want to read
About the author
Shaun Strydom
3 books3 followersI write with a clear, immersive style that invites readers into my worlds from the very first page. My stories are rooted in hope, following men and women who often feel unprepared for the challenges ahead—yet, through different forms of strength, they rise to meet their destinies.
A lifelong storyteller at heart, I’ve drawn inspiration from a rich mix of books across countless genres, the emotional pull of films and series, the worlds of video games, and the cultures I’ve experienced through travel. With my debut novel Amber Glow, I realised a dream I’d carried for years—to build my own universe, create unforgettable characters, and follow their journeys from first breath to final chapter.
I have a deep love for all things science fiction, post‑apocalyptic, and fantasy, and I pour cinematic atmosphere and emotional depth into every story I tell. Born in 1986 in South Africa, I live in Randfontein near Johannesburg, where I continue to craft stories that invite readers to get lost—and perhaps find a spark of hope—between the lines
A lifelong storyteller at heart, I’ve drawn inspiration from a rich mix of books across countless genres, the emotional pull of films and series, the worlds of video games, and the cultures I’ve experienced through travel. With my debut novel Amber Glow, I realised a dream I’d carried for years—to build my own universe, create unforgettable characters, and follow their journeys from first breath to final chapter.
I have a deep love for all things science fiction, post‑apocalyptic, and fantasy, and I pour cinematic atmosphere and emotional depth into every story I tell. Born in 1986 in South Africa, I live in Randfontein near Johannesburg, where I continue to craft stories that invite readers to get lost—and perhaps find a spark of hope—between the lines
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
October 18, 2025
I read the book as an ARC reader.
Ayris, small and underfed, is sensitive but only up to a point! Ayris is a girl who grows and rises against her “enemy.” She gets stronger, and people follow her.
I like escape stories and adventure. You will know instantly where a scene takes place and what's happening; it's described really well.
The point system was something I enjoyed very much, and the fact that you can't increase the points at all makes it even more interesting. There is enough action and violence, but not too much. I loved the main characters (Ayris and the people around her). This is an excellent novel for young adults (some small curse words in the beginning, but the rest of the book uses ‘frack’ as a replacement, with some lore in the book about the word's origin).
Ayris, small and underfed, is sensitive but only up to a point! Ayris is a girl who grows and rises against her “enemy.” She gets stronger, and people follow her.
I like escape stories and adventure. You will know instantly where a scene takes place and what's happening; it's described really well.
The point system was something I enjoyed very much, and the fact that you can't increase the points at all makes it even more interesting. There is enough action and violence, but not too much. I loved the main characters (Ayris and the people around her). This is an excellent novel for young adults (some small curse words in the beginning, but the rest of the book uses ‘frack’ as a replacement, with some lore in the book about the word's origin).
October 2, 2025
I absolutely loved this book—I couldn’t put it down. Escaping Ishtar has everything I look for in a great read: a fascinating world, characters that feel real and layered, and a plot that keeps you on edge from start to finish. The pacing is perfect, making it easy to fall into the story and hard to step away.
The writing is vivid without being overdone, so it’s easy to visualize the world and get fully immersed. The characters are so well written that you feel connected to their struggles and triumphs, and the tension and stakes only make you want to turn the pages faster. This is one of those books that’s completely binge-worthy and leaves you desperate for the next in the series.
If you enjoy dystopian sci-fi with depth, emotion, and a plot that hooks you right away, this is definitely one to pick up. Highly recommended!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
The writing is vivid without being overdone, so it’s easy to visualize the world and get fully immersed. The characters are so well written that you feel connected to their struggles and triumphs, and the tension and stakes only make you want to turn the pages faster. This is one of those books that’s completely binge-worthy and leaves you desperate for the next in the series.
If you enjoy dystopian sci-fi with depth, emotion, and a plot that hooks you right away, this is definitely one to pick up. Highly recommended!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
October 18, 2025
Thank you! The imagination behind this post-apocalyptic dystopian YA novel is immense and detailed, stretching across planets.
The focus and theme is very much on man-made ways of grouping people arbitrarily based on seemingly random reasons, such as colours. 3 societies are developed in this story, and one is accepting of differences. - and suffers as a result.
Action driven rather than character development.
The tone and writing style gives it the 3 stars for me - the best bit is Augustin’s speech before Astarte’s launch - now it is possible the style of writing is meant to reflect the educational level of the female protagonist but it leaves me just a little irritated. I had to take breaks during the reading of this. However, I did finish it.
Thank you BookSirens for the opportunity to read this book.
The focus and theme is very much on man-made ways of grouping people arbitrarily based on seemingly random reasons, such as colours. 3 societies are developed in this story, and one is accepting of differences. - and suffers as a result.
Action driven rather than character development.
The tone and writing style gives it the 3 stars for me - the best bit is Augustin’s speech before Astarte’s launch - now it is possible the style of writing is meant to reflect the educational level of the female protagonist but it leaves me just a little irritated. I had to take breaks during the reading of this. However, I did finish it.
Thank you BookSirens for the opportunity to read this book.
November 26, 2025
I liked this YA dystopian book. From the start, I got a feel of what it was like to live in Ayris' world. In addition to the vivid descriptions of the environment, the characters are well written. With such engaging characters, one can't help but root for them. This is an imaginative story and I look forward to reading more from this author.
I received an advance review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
October 2, 2025
A fast-paced, engaging read that gets to the point quickly. I was very fascinated with the story, but I would have loved to see more of the city and experience the world through other characters eyes across different zones.
November 1, 2025
I really enjoyed this book. I highly recommend reading. I thought the society they live in was interesting and the twist halfway through was great.
October 29, 2025
I like the premise, and it felt like it could have been really good, but I felt like I had to work hard to get to the end.
The development arc – rebellion in Zones 1-4; inclusion of Zone 5; trip to Earth; Earth.
To be honest, I can’t say that I enjoyed this as much as I hoped to.
Ultimately, it felt like everything evolved too quickly and too conveniently. I was left constantly unclear why Ayris was the sparking point for this rebellion.
Personally, the part where they met up with Zone 5 was the most interesting part for me in terms of the story.
I don’t know if it was too YA for me, or just not as developed as I like. I’m sure it will be loved by others!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
The development arc – rebellion in Zones 1-4; inclusion of Zone 5; trip to Earth; Earth.
To be honest, I can’t say that I enjoyed this as much as I hoped to.
Ultimately, it felt like everything evolved too quickly and too conveniently. I was left constantly unclear why Ayris was the sparking point for this rebellion.
Personally, the part where they met up with Zone 5 was the most interesting part for me in terms of the story.
I don’t know if it was too YA for me, or just not as developed as I like. I’m sure it will be loved by others!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
October 13, 2025
This book had so much potential to be a great book, but it just didn't work for me. In general, I don't read a lot of sci-fi, but I do have a huge soft spot for dystopian novels, even obscure ones. About 95% of my sci-fi reading is Young Adult dystopian novels.
I would say that there were four main reasons I didn't love this novel. First, the dialogue needed some work. It just didn't feel real. At times, it felt emotionless when I felt like the characters should have felt stronger about an issue.
The second thing, and probably the even bigger issue, was that people were really quick to change how they felt about things. Because I know that there are people who don't want the story ruined, I can't go into a lot of details about that. I guess the best way to explain it is to say that people suddenly changed alliances with no real explanation why they suddenly trusted someone that they really didn't trust before. I felt like the people needed to do more to gain the characters' trust.
The third thing, and this might be a bit of a spoiler (skip ahead if you don't want even a "sort of spoiler") was that the author used one of my biggest literary pet peeves.
My final complaint was that the author skipped ahead in parts. The biggest example that comes to mind is that at one point, our main character is doing some training for what she hopes will be her future job. She only goes once, and then it's never mentioned again. Did she really only go to training once, or did we just get to read about it the one time? This job training was actually one of the most interesting parts of the book, so I wanted to read more about it.
I wouldn't say that this book ends on a cliffhanger, but it definitely ends in such a way that there easily could be a sequel.
This book had some swearing, mostly the h-word. It also had a lot of replacement swearing, using the word "frack." While I was okay with this being a replacement swear word, especially since it was from a different world, it did feel overused. There is no sexual content. While there is a lot of fighting and killing, it never felt super graphic.
I got a free ARC from BookSirens, and I left a voluntary review.
I would say that there were four main reasons I didn't love this novel. First, the dialogue needed some work. It just didn't feel real. At times, it felt emotionless when I felt like the characters should have felt stronger about an issue.
The second thing, and probably the even bigger issue, was that people were really quick to change how they felt about things. Because I know that there are people who don't want the story ruined, I can't go into a lot of details about that. I guess the best way to explain it is to say that people suddenly changed alliances with no real explanation why they suddenly trusted someone that they really didn't trust before. I felt like the people needed to do more to gain the characters' trust.
The third thing, and this might be a bit of a spoiler (skip ahead if you don't want even a "sort of spoiler") was that the author used one of my biggest literary pet peeves.
My final complaint was that the author skipped ahead in parts. The biggest example that comes to mind is that at one point, our main character is doing some training for what she hopes will be her future job. She only goes once, and then it's never mentioned again. Did she really only go to training once, or did we just get to read about it the one time? This job training was actually one of the most interesting parts of the book, so I wanted to read more about it.
I wouldn't say that this book ends on a cliffhanger, but it definitely ends in such a way that there easily could be a sequel.
This book had some swearing, mostly the h-word. It also had a lot of replacement swearing, using the word "frack." While I was okay with this being a replacement swear word, especially since it was from a different world, it did feel overused. There is no sexual content. While there is a lot of fighting and killing, it never felt super graphic.
I got a free ARC from BookSirens, and I left a voluntary review.
November 4, 2025
Shaun Strydom’s Escaping Ishtar delivers a tense and imaginative YA dystopian adventure that blends a rigidly controlled society with a gripping coming-of-age story. The Points system is a clever metaphor for societal constraints, and Strydom skillfully explores themes of rebellion, personal agency, and the cost of conformity. Ayris is a compelling protagonist whose journey beyond the domes is both thrilling and thought-provoking. The pacing keeps readers engaged, and the world-building is immersive, making this a standout for fans of YA dystopia and thought-provoking speculative fiction.
October 20, 2025
Excellent read! I found the story to be very engaging from the first chapter right through till the end. I'm hoping for a sequel ;)
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews