Hunger Games meets Gladiator, unputdownable post-apocalyptic delight, loved it!
A savage post-apocalyptic dystopian fantasy where money, houses & families are a thing of the past and life is about survival
It’s a collection of the first 3/9 books in the series.
The year is 2270. 208 years since the War of 2062 and 1yr after being orphaned, 17yo Avery lives in a cave with her 8yo sister June and hasn’t seen another human for years. Humans have mutated to simpler Urthmen & want to unalive any humans left, animals have mutated and then there are Lurkers who inhabit the forests & come out at night. Fate throws her together with 18yo Will and his family and together they trek through dangerous woods to find a better future. Good to know that human nature hasn’t changed that much - there are still some that take delight in seeing the sky and some who’d do atorcious things to other humans for survival of the species. Survival of the smartest was chilling to read about, especially when it’s an 8yo kid who has to grow up fast & parentless.
I read the entire set of 3 books in one go - unputdownable! Loved the post-apocalyptic Earth, loved the realism of a world without gadgets where survival is key, loved the story, the oace, the characters. The way Avery looked after June was sweet & fierce. Will’s and Avery’s awkward first attempts at romance were awww, but I liked Sully way more - the winking, the maturity, the being in sync with Avery who was a cross of Sarah Connor and Katniss Everdeen.
If you like hero stories where a human girl turns everyone to her belief that monsters and himans alike “we can all be friends” - this one is not for you. This girl was built for murder - a natural-born leader with a killer instinct - and there is no cumbaya between humans and the Urthmen. None.
Going to get the next set with books 1-5 now.
Recommended for lovers of YA dystopian epic tales the likes of Hunger Games (and/or Mad Max) and lovers of headstrong no-nonsense heroines.
Trigger warnings: parts of the 2nd book will be difficult to read for those who have seen death of a loved one & for women with PTSD after human trafficking and breeding slavery experiences.