The Last Place on Earth

The Devil at the End #2

by Bex Benjamin

The good news is, thanks to Nicky, everyone knows who started the apocalypse. The bad news is, she’s being hunted by a person who neither forgives nor forgets. And then there’s Meredith.

Meredith deceived and used Nicky – and seduced her at the same time. If Nicky had any choice, she’d stay far away from her. But Meredith’s the only one with the power to keep her safe, and Nicky’s been forced to live beneath her roof and under her thumb.

And that’s not the only problem. The phages are changing, growing even more dangerous. It seems the architect of the apocalypse has a new plan. To stop it, Nicky will have to solve a mystery that’s eluded everyone: why someone would choose to end the world.

She’s going to need Meredith’s help, and that never comes for free. Because Nicky might think she’s finished with Meredith, but Meredith is far from finished with her.

The Last Place on Earth is the second book in a trilogy about post-apocalyptic monsters, deep platonic friendships and a very complicated romantic one.

Genres: Lesbian

406 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 14, 2026

Reviews

[K.J. Charles]

Second instalment in the sapphic post-zombie-apocalypse trilogy. I absolutely love these books: tense, dark, funny and hot. Meredith is icy, deceptive and ruthless as before, but with the cracks starting to show; Nicky remains deeply relatable as she fumbles her way to understanding her own sexuality, Meredith's motivations, and the malign conspiracy that ended the world. Which is a lot. 

Compelling storytelling with a great narrative voice, excellently paced, a really strong set up, and an intense romance at its heart. I can't wait for book 3. You do want to start at the beginning, it's a closely linked ongoing story.

I had an ARC from the author.

[Aunt Missa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one was just as fun as the first one. A little less smut, but still so much action, advancing the plot and relationship building. Nicky and Meredith are still chasing the bad guy, Barnaby Cade, and figuring out the mystery of why he started the apocalypse. There are a zillion twists and turns, but the funnest part is watching Nicky trying to figure out her relationship with Meredith and her place in the community.

As in book 1, Nicky has no poker face, she’s a trouble magnet, but she’s so good. She’s accepted her sexuality in this one, but now she’s having the internal battle of being with someone who is so completely different from herself. The pacing was magnificent. The plot has thickened and my only choice at this point is to stalk Bex Benjamin’s webpage for news of the release of book 3.

[KJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh em gee!

I once again am here, and super grateful to have been given an advanced copy for free for the second book in one of my fav series!

So, this book like the first, was top tier. I’m always obsessed with any kind of post apocalyptic stories, and when you throw a lesbian romance into the mix, I practically go feral. Especially when Bex Benjamin writes such strong and believably stubborn female characters so well.

I absolutely adore Meredith. Nicky too, but I absolutely obsess over morally grey, woman in charge, characters. As always, her character doesn’t disappoint!

The pacing was fabulous. Bex did a really great job of balancing all of the plot threads, making it high stakes, AND giving us some sweet relief from the insanity at all of the perfect moments.

The revelations through this one had my jaw on the floor. Did it make sense? Yep. Was I expecting it either way? NOPE.

So far this series has just been a complete master class of how to balance a great plot, world and character building, with a delicious tension filled romance that gives and takes away hope in dark times. Truly excellent novel, and this one will also be featured on my bookshelf when it hits the market.

Kudos for days, and a huge thank you to Bex Benjamin for totally ruining me for all other sapphic dystopian romances. 😂

Don’t sleep on this series!

[wouldratherbereading · Rating 5 out of 5]

This remains one of my favourite series of the last year or so. It’s so well written, it’s funny, arch, knowing and the story really rattles along together with an omg plot twist in this one. Then we have Meredith and Nicky who are just wonderful - I could read an entire book of their snarky banter/verbal foreplay. Their relationship becomes more established in this but Nicky is still holding back and I cannot wait for her realisation that she (along with all of us) is actually head over heels for Meredith and has been all along.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. I am so thankful to have found this author and these books!! Absolutely hooked.

I am enamored with both Nicky and Meredith. Love me a morally gray sapphic age gap with the most relatable MC that makes it impossible to put the story down.

So well written and paced with delicious sprinkles of steam and romance that flowed perfectly.

Highly, highly recommend these books (this is book two of a trilogy) !!!

[Nicci Roedel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bex Benjamin who the heck are you and where did you come from? This author is an absolute dark horse!! I was skeptical to read about an apocalyptic plot (not usually my thing), but I was hooked immediately- especially with a total badass (Meredith) running the show. My wife and I (especially her) read ALL the sapphic books and this series is definitely top 5. You will not be disappointed. I am shocked she doesn’t have more reviews (YET) and am genuinely excited to see where she goes from here. I am already looking forward to the third book!

[TJ Phillips · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a case where the second is better than the first. That doesn’t happen often. It’s still the end of the world but the stakes are higher, there’s more tense action, and the romance is in proper romance territory and is indeed, hotter. Nicky is still a trouble magnet with some heavy plot armor but I find her tenacity more enduring this time around. Meredith remains ruthlessly competent and exhibits true morally grey characteristics; you actually are able to get more of a read on her this go round. This is book 2 of a trilogy and I’m waiting impatiently for the 3rd installment. Time to re-read book 1 again.

[Andrea (looseleftlesbian) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to the author for the ARC! As soon as I finished the first book, I knew I had to read the second one as soon as possible!

Oh wow! I knew I would love the second book in this trilogy, but damn, this was better than the first. That is such a hard thing for an author to do. To follow up the first book with an even better one?? GENIUS. STUNNING. I reached out to Bex and asked about themes and tropes of the book. She talked about the complexities of humans, “that people aren’t what you initially assume and that everyone is more than one thing.” She did an amazing job at capturing this with many of the characters in the book. Whether that be Meredith(which is the obvious choice) or a character that felt insignificant(who of course later turned out not to be).

She also talked about being in a relationship with someone that is fundamentally different from you. Nicky struggles with this throughout the book. I was glad to see that it wasn’t brushed under the rug by the author or the characters. There were many hard and unpleasant conversations that Meredith and Nicky had. They were real and raw. I found myself agreeing with both MCs on their points. Thus, proving that we as humans are more than just one thing. While this seems obvious, I think I and many others are guilty of not always acknowledging that. Nicky’s character development was shown through these conversations as well. She really found her voice.

The action in The Last Place On Earth is crazy. There is definitely more in this book than in the first. It was wonderfully written. A lot of times in scenes where a lot is going on I feel like I have to reread it to grasp what is going on, but this wasn’t the case with The Last Place on Earth. Bex was able to create a vivid picture my mind of what was going on without making it too complicated.

Along with the complexities of us as humans being shown, we saw the evolution in another way of the phages. I won’t give away any spoilers but they have evolved and not for the better. I thought the theory that Nicky had towards the end of the book was a little crazy at first, not that it was unrealistic because let’s be real, we are talking about the end of the world and phages are a thing. But I don’t know what it was, I was afraid the revelation/theory would take away from the authenticity of the story? I don’t know how to explain it. But it didn’t. The ending in the epilogue proved that and actually made me even more interested in where the author was going to take the story in the final book.

We are introduced to several more characters in the second book. I particularly loved Niamh. I hope to see more of her in the next book and to see more of her backstory as well.

We also get to revisit our old friends from The Last Woman on Earth. Ollie will always have a special place in my heart. That man is a good one. He is such a wonderful friend to Nicky and vice versa. Their friendship means a lot to me. Even though Nicky is a lesbian, so there is no possibility of them ever being an item, I liked seeing a male/female friendship that wasn’t tainted by one of them pining over the other. It is truly platonic love between them. We need more representation when it comes to that.

I cannot praise this series enough. I hope that more people are able to read it. I am certainly going to recommend to anyone who likes post apocalyptic novels. The Last Place on Earth and the The Devil in the End series has the perfect amount of action, humor, and romance. The romance doesn’t take over the plot/action. It’s a great balance. I will be impatiently waiting for the final installment.

Bonus points for the Animorphs reference! I’m not sure why but I smiled so big when Nicky talked about bringing back her Animorphs’ books for Sophia to read.

[Aldi · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Still rollicking good fun, with pacey plot, smart dialogue, great side characters and high stakes. The zombie apocalypse origin plot went some truly bonkers places in this one, but in a good way. These books are genuinely so entertaining, and I love this take on a sort-of-post-dystopian society.

Highlights:
-Not gonna spoiler, but certain phage revelations had me genuinely going ARGH. Love how punches are not being pulled.

-The worldbuilding continues to be so vivid and engaging. I love tearing all over the place with these crazy kids; there’s such a strong sense of place about every location, and I enjoyed how that’s reflected in Nicky’s shifting sense of where home is.

-Love that Nicky's mental health issues are not being conveniently glossed over.

-Ollie <333

Lowlights:
-Someone please take away Nicky’s three cats that apparently live in her room all abandoned while she spends all her time at Meredith’s or on various risky missions.

-And someone hire Meredith a stylist who is able to convince her that she can still look sexy and powerful and in control in a cashmere jumper, skintight leather pants and square-heeled boots that allow her to run. Because when you’re heading into potential enemy territory in Cumbria in the middle of winter and you STILL insist on wearing a minidress, a thin fashion coat and mile-high stilettos, that’s no longer a power move, that’s just wilfully suicidal.

-Also I need everyone to be even slightly less ok with living under a dictatorship, no matter how benevolent.

I will say that now that we’re well past the point of initial extreme sexual compatibility, the smut is not enough to keep my interest in the relationship when there are such fundamental issues between them, so the sex scenes have lost their spark a bit for me. I need them to TALK (and by talk I don’t mean Nicky to prevaricate and sulk and Meredith to sigh and dismiss). I love that these books don’t just gloss over the issues of being extremely attracted to someone who is fundamentally different from you, including when it comes to ethics. We’re seeing some fledgling readiness to compromise in this book but in a way these two are really just starting out, and considering there’s still a HUGE power imbalance in the relationship, I’m really looking forward to seeing how that will ultimately be resolved.

I may adjust this rating later because I find it quite tricky to assess relationship development mid-trilogy and I suspect there’s a good chance that some of the things I’m wrinkling my nose at a bit (the fact that Meredith is still so miserly with info about herself now that she’s supposedly in a relationship; the fact that Nicky is – self-admittedly – so weak-willed as to keep falling back into bed with someone that she has genuine dealbreaker issues with) are just problems that are exactly where they should be in the overall arc, and that the third book will bring it all into balance. Looking forward to how it all comes together!

Disclaimer: I had an ARC from the author. All review opinions are my own.

[Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Last Woman on Earth was about Nicky finding out who caused the apocalypse and this new dystopian world they now are all living in with feral nocturnal phages and 6.5 billion people being killed by a virus intentionally spread. The Last Place on Earth is about Nicky digging into why Barnaby Cade decided to cause all these horrible events. As a bonus we also get a lot of focus on the tension between Nicky and the love of her life, the morally grey but also awesome Meredith, the one she tries so hard to stop wanting. I loved that part of the story just as much as the dystopian action and plot line. After finishing this book, I can just say wow, I did not see the answer to the why coming until Nicky reveals it. This book series is heading towards being my all-time favourite dystopian book series, this 2nd book was even better that the 1st one, how is that even possible? I need the 3rd and final book, The Last Chance on Earth, as soon as possible to make sure Cade and the phages are stopped once and for all.

Nicky is starting off feeling so betrayed by Meredith, she was played by her to try to take down Cade as well as for sex. She is doing everything she can to stay away from her for months, she even starts training to become an electrician instead of a journalist, something she is spectacularly bad at. Meredith always in her mind though, she misses her so much and she hates herself for that. Her best friend Ollie cannot understand her thinking and I loved this quote from him:
‘How did you manage to resist the urge to kill her long enough to have sex with her?’ ‘It’s a mystery.’
Of course Nicky cannot resist Meredith in the long run, their chemistry is off the charts, Nicky calls it hate fucking, but it is so much more than that. Meredith is such a complex character, she has her faults, she is terrible, but perhaps that is exactly what the world needs (and of course Nicky).

When they one day kill a phage and realizes she was pregnant things escalate. If they phages have evolved, can procreate everything is moving towards something way worse than they ever could imagine. Baby phages and the fact that some phages no longer seem to be nocturnal is beyond scary. They start to investigate how it is all connected, why has Cade started all this, and the answer is mind-blowing. Our people are now under attack both by phages and Cade’s people and must act, they must fight back all this evil in the world. The action in this book is a real nailbiter and described in such a vivid way and I just know this will get even more dramatic in the final book.

I received a free ARC from the author and leave an honest review voluntarily.

[M.M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC provided by the author

I was both a bit cautious and excited for this book. I enjoyed the first book a lot and hoped this trilogy won’t disappoint like many others when you read later parts.

Well, this is one of the cases where second parts is way better than the first and it exceeded expectations in all aspects.

Bex Benjamin outdid herself! Where “Last woman on earth” read more like a blueprint for the whole story this one got more meat. It’s still fast paced like the previous but definitely gives you more of the world, characters and events.
Benjamin’s description of some scenes and environments are quite simple but on the other hand it’s so fantastically satisfying visually.

Main storyline got so evolved that at some point I thought “now this is just ridiculous”, but it actually works. It was fairly easy to get into the plot twist. That surprised me.

I’ll be forever grateful to the author for not trivialising Nicky’s mental health. I feel it was something that could be easily done with this sort of book theme. Where it would be good to give a main character in a post apocalyptic novel a mental struggle just for the sake of it. Here, even though it’s not discussed at length or no one is diving into massive discussions about it, it’s handled with care and depth. It gives you a step forward into Meredith and Nicky’s relationship. Rocky as it is, but it somehow smooths out some of the rocks.

The relationship itself is frustrating but let’s face it they both are frustrating and infuriating… in the best way. There are small, tiny steps in it that make them move forward. Even though it’s not visible at first and you actually think Nicky might be super blind when it comes to Meredith and Meredith ignores and downplays some of Nicky’s comments and feelings they actually make progress. They learn small things about each other and try to understand each other. I call it a successful character development even though the characters are oblivious to each other.

I’m very excited for the third book. Cannot wait.

[The Wild Weary Cow Reads Sapphic · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Last Woman on Earth & The Last Place on Earth by Bex Benjamin

These books are foocking brilliant!

The amount of times I smirked and laughed at the banter between the two MC was off the charts 😆

The build up is the type I absolutely love, One aka Nicky, “Clutching her pearls” at the absurdity of the other thinking she’s attracted to her!  She’s “straight” for one thing and absolutely NOT in a fluster anytime they're around each

The other, aka Meredith, sexy & ruthless

She knows her own power, she's incredibly smart and will do whatever is needed to get the communities back up and running.

With a wealth of knowledge and background as a mercenary she's the best person for the job, even making those tough discussions

She also knows how her body turns Nicky into a horny teenager! 😂

Nicky, has managed to survive an apocalypse, found her people, and been able to put her journalistic skills to good use via the local newsletter she runs with her best friend Ollie

When Meredith Hind, an absolute nightmare in heels & tight dresses, turns up at Nicky community with her army of loyal soldiers’ things take a turn

Meredith is manipulative and an absolute monster! but in such a way you can’t help but laugh and understand WHY Nicky can’t keep her hands to herself lol

Through all this we’re taken on a journey of intrigue, adventure, suspense, villains, zombies and some seriously hot moments between Nicky and Meredith

 

We get:

Woman of Mystery

Found Family

Enemies to Lovers

Investigative journalism  

Accident Prone MC

SHAGGING!

Secrets

Arch-Nemesis

I cannot rave enough about these two books and hope to hell we get book 3 sooner rather than later!!!

Favourite books of 2026!!! Added to my Top 10 MC list 2026 and I Know I’ll be reading them again.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

[Nate Elune · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was given an ARC against an honest review.

I was very excited about this book, since I enjoyed the first one in the series so much, and I was not disappointed.

Nicky keeps having to grapple with her feelings for Meredith, and how to navigate having such different moral compasses, amidst a thickening plot that is headed in a direction I am extremely enthusiastic about. Nicky's life is not made easier by the fact that the villain of the story has it in for her, big time.

The gallery of secondary characters remains wonderful, with lovely new additions, and none of them are safe. I remain wishfully thinking about a TV adaptation, so we could see more of all of them, and maybe also more of Meredith? Whom I love very intensely, because there aren't enough well-written ruthless/"overly" pragmatic female characters out there. Very curious to see how the overarching plot will resolve itself in an emotionally satisfying manner, but at this stage I truly trust Bex Benjamin to deliver.

All in all, a very strong second act, blending two of my favourite genres together, and two of my favourite subgenres together too! Plot twists abound! I cannot wait for the next book.

[Shannon Luchies · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nicky is still pissed after the events of the first novel, and is stuck on base with her sort-of-ex, Meredith. Ollie is encouraging her to get back to her normal life, but Nicky is still troubled.

To keep busy Nicky starts a new job as a electrician, while she and Ollie look into what Cade's motives are. After a month or so Meredith suggests they get back together, which Nicky goes 'oh hell no.'

Also, the zombies can reproduce.

Meredith wears Nicky down, and they start sleeping together, tho Nicky claims it's just hate fucking. On a expedition looking for a biologist who developed the zombie virus, the two have to go on the run.

The two escape, evading troops and zombies, and hook up with Meredith's mercs. Back at base Nicky finds new info in diaries belonging to Cade's insane daughter.

I don't like the zombie origin, but it's interesting at least.

3.5 stars out of 5. Decent read but suffers middle book syndrome. The heroes status quo basically stays the same beginning to end.

[Juliet Kemp · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable and page-turning continuation of the story. I was initially unsure about the major plot twist (which I won’t spoiler) but it worked well in the end and I’m willing to roll with it and see where it goes in the final book. And it was a genuine surprise which also fits with everything established so far!

I find Meredith and Nicky’s relationship fascinating mostly in a “I don’t get it” sense - but it’s clear that they *are* into each other (even if Nicky doesn’t get it either!) so it works. And they’ve started to take more steps into sorting themselves out which I hope to see pay off.

It’s fast-paced, the world-building is great, and the stakes are increasing - I’m keen to find out what happens in the final book!

[Hazel Douglas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read the first book and couldn't wait for the second! Very rare genre of post apocalyptic lesbian fiction. I've read lots of post apocalyptic fiction, so these books were a lovely surprise. Well drawn characters, good description of the new world and a great plot. Waiting for third book now.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series is just phenomenal. The dry, sarcastic humor is so good between Meredith- the greatest morally grey ice queen ever created and marshmallow Nicky. Can’t wait for the third book. Hoping they come out on audible.

[Tetra Lane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book 2 didn’t disappoint. Is it far-fetched? Sure. But is it fun and spicy? Yep. My one complaint? Having to wait until who knows when to read book 3. Again - lesbians and zombies - what’s not to enjoy?

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a fantastic follow up!!! More intrigue, more monsters, more romance!! I am so invested in every part of this world, I can't wait for the final part!!!

[Cristina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Both the first and second books are fantastic. It’s been a long time since I enjoyed a book this much. I’m really looking forward to the third one!

[Lara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Starting to like Meredith more and more and looking forward to the next book.

[Alex · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75 quick and enjoyable read

[Astrid · Rating 5 out of 5]

bravo

[Pauline Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic second book in this series. Meredith and Nicky are superb characters. So looking forward to the next one.

[sleepymaze · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5

I give this a 4.5/5 with a spice level of 4.2/5. Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I will say the emphasis on the phages weren’t my favorite part, but I understand why they were included for the story.

I’ve always loved the main characters, but Meredith did it for me she was not playing about her women that persistence I love. Her character growth was so clear, you could literally feel it while reading. And Nicky spinning the block so many times … yeah, I respect it — it’s Meredith, of course she had to 😌. It was a wonderful book overall, and if you haven’t read it yet, what are you waiting for? Go read this one, and go read the first book too. Just binge the whole series at this point. Excited for the next book to come out.