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After the End: A Dystopian Romance Collection Volumes 1-4
FIRST by Ali Hazelwood
A general plans to use a nobleman's bride to teach him a lesson. After meeting her, he decides to keep her for himself.
Content notes/ ableism, blood, death of secondary characters, dubious consent, infertility, violence
BAIT by Adriana Herrera
Alma Corvado has spent all her twenty-nine years believing there was no world beyond the bunker she’d always called home. Bound by duty and the fickle whims of the council she has only ever indulged in one simple rebellion.
When her act of defiance finds her being pushed out into the dangers of the outside, she discovers that the world never ended.
When she’s rescued from the clutches of dangerous raiders by the two people she thought were lost to her forever, Alma must confront the truth. Everything she thought she knew about the end of the world was a lie.
Content notes/ death of a parent, death of a secondary character, gun violence, physical violence
SKYN by Nikki Payne
When Fawl's ex dumps her for her stepsister, she takes the messiest deal dig up dirt on an Elite family for a golden ticket out of the Underground. Simple, right? No. Now she's somehow *Checks Notes* married to an emotionless machine who's weirdly obsessed with her skin.
Content notes/ extreme body modification, hints of cannibalism, intercourse in an altered state
M.A.Y.A. by Nina Saxena
In an effort to escape a war-torn dystopian planet where she would be used as a weapon to hurt innocent people, MAYA searches for a way to stop her captors by fleeing through one of six dimensions in a hidden bunker. There, she meets a pack of shifters and an alpha determined to claim her as his fated mate.
Content notes/ medical PTSD, torture
A general plans to use a nobleman's bride to teach him a lesson. After meeting her, he decides to keep her for himself.
Content notes/ ableism, blood, death of secondary characters, dubious consent, infertility, violence
BAIT by Adriana Herrera
Alma Corvado has spent all her twenty-nine years believing there was no world beyond the bunker she’d always called home. Bound by duty and the fickle whims of the council she has only ever indulged in one simple rebellion.
When her act of defiance finds her being pushed out into the dangers of the outside, she discovers that the world never ended.
When she’s rescued from the clutches of dangerous raiders by the two people she thought were lost to her forever, Alma must confront the truth. Everything she thought she knew about the end of the world was a lie.
Content notes/ death of a parent, death of a secondary character, gun violence, physical violence
SKYN by Nikki Payne
When Fawl's ex dumps her for her stepsister, she takes the messiest deal dig up dirt on an Elite family for a golden ticket out of the Underground. Simple, right? No. Now she's somehow *Checks Notes* married to an emotionless machine who's weirdly obsessed with her skin.
Content notes/ extreme body modification, hints of cannibalism, intercourse in an altered state
M.A.Y.A. by Nina Saxena
In an effort to escape a war-torn dystopian planet where she would be used as a weapon to hurt innocent people, MAYA searches for a way to stop her captors by fleeing through one of six dimensions in a hidden bunker. There, she meets a pack of shifters and an alpha determined to claim her as his fated mate.
Content notes/ medical PTSD, torture
663 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 28, 2026
About the author
Ali Hazelwood
32 books187k followersI'm Ali, and I write contemporary romcom novels about women in STEM and academia. I love cats, Nutella, and side ponytails. I'm also currently learning to crochet, so as you can tell I'm a super busy gal with an intense and exciting life!
I only use Goodreads as a reader, to review and hype books that I've loved (many of these book are ARCs received from fellow authors).
I only use Goodreads as a reader, to review and hype books that I've loved (many of these book are ARCs received from fellow authors).
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
May 2, 2026
This is what I imagine a teenage boy to write
May 24, 2026
The first book by Hazelwood was brilliant, as hers often are. 4*
The second book I abandoned 5 chapters in. 1*.
The third book I dragged myself to complete with frustration - between an MC who doesn’t understand when the vibe in a room changes and an author who doesn’t properly describe/explain scenes/lore/subtext so you’re never quite sure what is going on, it wasn’t worth the energy of trying to figure out what’s happening in order to enjoy finish the story. I don’t think I’ll read anymore by Payne. 2*.
The fourth book I abandoned on chapter two. It had serious fanfic-written-by-a-teenager-vibes, with cliche dialogue that was ridiculous unrealistic, aimed at giving information to the reader (“No leader, even though you’re the youngest and stronger leader we’ve ever seen, it doesn’t mean you can defeat the thing that no one else has ever defeated in our entire history!” And that’s not a direct quote but really fucking close). 1*
Only thing worth reading was Hazelwood.
The second book I abandoned 5 chapters in. 1*.
The third book I dragged myself to complete with frustration - between an MC who doesn’t understand when the vibe in a room changes and an author who doesn’t properly describe/explain scenes/lore/subtext so you’re never quite sure what is going on, it wasn’t worth the energy of trying to figure out what’s happening in order to enjoy finish the story. I don’t think I’ll read anymore by Payne. 2*.
The fourth book I abandoned on chapter two. It had serious fanfic-written-by-a-teenager-vibes, with cliche dialogue that was ridiculous unrealistic, aimed at giving information to the reader (“No leader, even though you’re the youngest and stronger leader we’ve ever seen, it doesn’t mean you can defeat the thing that no one else has ever defeated in our entire history!” And that’s not a direct quote but really fucking close). 1*
Only thing worth reading was Hazelwood.
May 17, 2026
A bit slow reading, as most of these a *really* dystopian.
Still, these books have more substance than 4 novellas.
I would happily read more of the world Ali Hazelwood created in First. IMO, that was the strongest book, but it was also the least futuristic, so that may have played a role in my enjoyment of it.
Still, these books have more substance than 4 novellas.
I would happily read more of the world Ali Hazelwood created in First. IMO, that was the strongest book, but it was also the least futuristic, so that may have played a role in my enjoyment of it.
May 12, 2026
Interesting concept, but I think I would have preferred if these were all four separate complete books. Given how much each of the authors was trying to accomplish it would have benefited from being longer and more detailed as some of the actions/plot felt unmotivated.
May 5, 2026
First - Ali Hazelwood: Meh - I love an omegaverse but for some reason dystopian omega short story didn’t work for me. Needed to be longer.
May 16, 2026
Only managed one of these, DNFd 2 of them and didn’t bother with the last
May 31, 2026
average of 3.75⭐️
each one was good, hot, and dystopian so what more could i ask for
each one was good, hot, and dystopian so what more could i ask for
May 31, 2026
First book is least shit
May 6, 2026
The middle two were B A D. The concept of the last was so so crazy it was camp.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews