Aftermath: Loyalty

by Serenity Bea

403 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 23, 2026

About the author

Serenity Bea writes emotionally charged, psychologically rich stories that explore the quiet complexities of human connection. Her characters are flawed and painfully real, often grappling with identity, morality, and the invisible forces that shape their lives.

Serenity’s writing is intended to spark conversations, question assumptions and to provide the reader with the opportunity for meaningful reflection that can shift perspectives.

Her debut novel Aftermath made the Top 15 in the 2025 international New2theScene writing competition, marking her as a fresh voice to watch in literary fiction. Her work blends immersive storytelling with thoughtful social commentary, creating narratives that not only resonate, but challenge.

Drawing on her degree in Applied Psychology, she brings sharp, compassionate insight to her writing—unearthing the hidden fears, longings, and misbeliefs that drive her characters’ decisions.

When she’s not torturing fictional characters in emotionally complex ways, she’s likely listening to Hans Zimmer and sipping a margarita.

She has incurable insomnia, a cat who thinks he's her co-writer, and a dog who's convinced he should be.

Reviews

[RebeccaReadsTooMuch 💁‍♀️ · Rating 5 out of 5]

A veterinarian and two marines fighting to survive in a post-pandemic world that’s fallen into complete chaos. Against odds, they made it through the infection. Now all they have are their professional skills, whatever tools and food they can scavenge, their instincts, and each other.

Will that be enough?

Well, I don’t know because this isn’t a complete series 😭 and omg do I wish I could read book two 👏 NOW 👏

This is a book for lovers of The Walking Dead who could do without the zombie gore (👋 me!). There is an extremely slow burn maybe-love triangle and I’m afraid however it resolves might destroy me 💔

There’s a big mental health focus as our characters grapple with serious Trauma. Every time there was even a hint of healing or connection for them I was seriously so emotional 🥺❤️‍🩹. I feel that the author handled everything quite realistically and with care, but you may want to check TWs.

4.5 stars, rounded. Bring on the next.

Many thanks to Nitewright Press and Serenity Bea for the digital copy.

[Christie Stoneback · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ellen, Daryl and Cole captured me from the start! The new world that they are living in is a selfish reality and survival is hard! As they journey across America, their lives come together and the awareness of their need for each other grows.

I loved this book and highly recommend it! Can’t wait for the next one as the journey continues!

Thank you NetGalley, Serenity Bea, and Nirewright Press for the ARC.

[Amanda Howell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very well written! I did have a slow start but after a few chapters it sucked me in. The constant back and forth between the characters, slowly learning their back stories and how they have developed throughout the books is great. The ending left so much to the imagination and i cannot wait for the second one to come out so that I can see which direction the story goes.

[Caroline Hurry · Rating 5 out of 5]

An Emotional Apocalypse That Lingers
Serenity Bea’s refreshing take on the post-apocalyptic genre trades relentless action for emotional intensity and psychological depth in three compelling figures: Ellen, a veterinarian with hard-earned resilience; Daryl, guided by military instinct; and Cole, a man unraveling under the weight of trauma and memory.
The tension between Daryl’s rigid logic and Cole’s emotional fragility creates a constant push-and-pull, while Ellen becomes the reluctant center as caregiver and catalyst.
Loyalty is portrayed as a force that can bind, burden, and even break people. Trust is earned in fragments, often under pressure, and sometimes at a price.
The pacing leans into a slow-burn style, allowing relationships to develop with nuance. While there are moments of sharp, visceral survival—scavenging, injury, and the harsh realities of a lawless world—the story never loses sight of its emotional core. The layered unfolding romance adds to the authenticity of the characters’ connections.
There’s also a rawness to the writing. You can almost feel the grime, tension, and exhaustion as the prose draws you deeper into a world in which the real challenge is deciding who to trust when everything else has fallen apart.
Ultimately, Aftermath: Loyalty is a thoughtful start to a series that promises more emotionally complex, character-driven depth ahead. I look forward to the next installment.

[Vickie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very good book that develops the characters well. After a pandemic strike, the world is in chaos. Society has broken down, people that have survived turn violent and it is everyman for himself. Ellen is a veterinarian that has suffered personal loss. She survives getting the virus, and learns how to manage for herself, but needs to get out of Baltimore. Cole and Daryl are brothers that are serving in the military. When Cole refuses to take a child from its mother, he is shot as he is not obeying commands. His brother, Daryl, takes matters into his own hands and finds Cole a safe place to be. When Daryl sees Ellen and finds that she has medical skills, he decides to kidnap her to tend to Cole. Cole was a SEAL and Daryl a sniper in the military, so their skills with weaponry are excellent. Cole has problems dealing with the orders he completed and suffers from PTSD which causes him to have flashbacks and nightmares. There is mistrust between the three characters at different points throughout the book which is interesting. By the end of the book trust is starting to form between the three, but outsiders want to impose their will on them but need their protection.

[Diane Marx · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was very conflicted in the beginning. This story is intensely emotional, gut-wrenching at times. I had to put it down to clear my mind multiple times at the start. References to the pandemic brought back anxious feelings. But after I got to know the characters, I couldn’t put the book aside. I was pulling for them and had to know how their story would end.

The journey of survival these three characters withstand is beyond physically endurance. Just as much of the story is dedicated to portraying the mental anguish that haunts them. It’s a story of connection in the darkest of times. It’s speaks to the strength of mankind when bonds are formed through trust and interdependence.

Well written.

[Kelsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was fortunate to have been a beta reader for this project and I absolutely loved being a part of the journey. Seeing the story come together and be published was absolutely amazing. I really enjoyed the mental health representation in this book because I feel that some dystopian/post-apocalyptic books these days do not really focus on the mental repercussions that having the world you know and love be torn apart I absolutely loved the character growth between Ellen, Daryl, and Cole and I look forward to seeing what's in the store for them in book 2.

[Jeannie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aftermath: Loyalty

With the state of the world being what it is, I’m not interested in reading anything dystopian. Yet the cover with its possibility of romance drew me in.

Without giving anything away, this story is dystopian, yet it kept me turning pages chapter after chapter. The dynamic of Ellen, Daryl, and Cole is in turns gut wrenching and tender.

This story is beautifully written and so well crafted that I couldn’t stop reading it. I’m very interested in the sequel.

[Karina Rook · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a page turner! I was immediately drawn into this survival story, set in a familiar world, with a kick-ass heroine. The writing was funny as well as heartfelt, and I thoroughly enjoyed the group’s dramatic journey across the US. The characters are all complex and believable, and I was intrigued about how they would all get along and work together. A very satisfying story and I highly recommend it.

I received a free copy of this book.

[Fynn Perry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not my usual read but I loved it.

This isn’t my usual genre, but Aftermath: Loyalty really surprised me.
I got hooked quickly and ended up loving the emotional side of it.
The characters feel real and the tension builds so well.
Didn’t expect to enjoy it this much!
Definitely recommend giving it a try

[Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

I did really enjoy this book! It was a really good read & I found I was hooked pretty much, right from the start. I did also finish in no time at all! I did find the last quarter of the book needed a little tightening up, but overall a really good read & I will look for more in this series.

[Debbie Pyette · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an outstanding and gripping novel. The characters are understandably flawed but their humanity and loyalty shone through despite the devastating situation. This is a tremendously talented author.

[Kris Dickinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked it. Good pacing and just enough details without over explaining everything. Its definitely hard to choose between the brothers though. Thanks to the author for giving me the chance to read this :)

[Shelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Scary. The 3 main characters are extremely traumatized and not open to letting anyone or anything in.
This book made me cry and shudder. It made me inspired and devastated.