What do you think?
Rate this book
Barricade
The Barricade is all that separates the Northern Russian Empire from what remains of the world’s plague-decimated population. Snaking 8921 kilometres across Eurasia, the Barricade is crafted from the New World’s nanotechnologies. Breathing, thinking, constantly regenerating, it sustains those charged with defending its districts from those desperate to find refuge in the north.
Atop the battlements of District 666, Sasha Stepanova and his team ruthlessly suppress heavy insurgencies, but at a cost. With the loss of one of his men, Sasha feels isolated and adrift. The bitter snows are a harbinger of winter’s early arrival and the town on his southern perimeter is swelling with foreboding shadows.
Transferred from a black operations testing facility, Jett Ioane is not the replacement Sasha is expecting. He’s short, sheltered and untested in battle—a poor replacement for the friend Sasha has lost. But Sasha finds him impossibly alluring. A lifetime of alienation and scrutiny has hardened Jett to the friendship and camaraderie necessary for survival. Struggling to find his feet while Sasha sweeps them out from under him, Jett hesitates to entrust the team with his truth.
Will Jett’s secrets be the key to their salvation, or annihilation?
Atop the battlements of District 666, Sasha Stepanova and his team ruthlessly suppress heavy insurgencies, but at a cost. With the loss of one of his men, Sasha feels isolated and adrift. The bitter snows are a harbinger of winter’s early arrival and the town on his southern perimeter is swelling with foreboding shadows.
Transferred from a black operations testing facility, Jett Ioane is not the replacement Sasha is expecting. He’s short, sheltered and untested in battle—a poor replacement for the friend Sasha has lost. But Sasha finds him impossibly alluring. A lifetime of alienation and scrutiny has hardened Jett to the friendship and camaraderie necessary for survival. Struggling to find his feet while Sasha sweeps them out from under him, Jett hesitates to entrust the team with his truth.
Will Jett’s secrets be the key to their salvation, or annihilation?
342 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 28, 2017
6 people are currently reading
106 people want to read
About the author
Lindsey Black
8 books33 followersLINDSEY BLACK lives in Darwin, Australia, where the weather report permanently reads ‘humidity at 100%, only going to get worse’ for ten months of the year and ‘monsoon at 4:00 p.m. for exactly fifteen minutes’ for the remaining two. Between teaching and studying full-time, she escapes this oppressive environment to bushwalk for weeks on end wherever the mobile phone reception has zero bars for as long as possible and the weather report reads something along the lines of ‘blizzard likely.’ She enjoys martial arts, music, and mayhem, which explains the untidy state of her home where she attempts to write while splitting her minimal amounts of spare time between her incredulous husband, lazy Chinchilla cat, and crazed Siberian husky. If you expect her to sit and have a chat, it’s best to have a matcha green tea latte with almond milk on hand and your hiking boots within reach. Oh, and be sure to bring a guitar for impromptu jam sessions.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
Read
June 26, 2018I have NO clue, how to rate this book.
Some parts were fantastic, some parts were fun, some parts were sad and then some parts went against my moral convictions bringing the story down for me.
So, I think, I will need to leave the rating clear, simply because some segments were 4-5 stars and some segments were ridiculous and barely reached 1 star.
First of all: it took me a few tries to get into this story. Every chapter starts with a flashback (or something similar) and some cyrillic script and not all of it made sense in relation to my understanding of the MCs and their story.
There are a LOT of people and we get more than two POVs, though they all have their own chapters, so you're never in doubt who's 'speaking'.
But as I've mentioned in other reviews, I'm sort of name-blind when it comes to names of Asian or Eastern descent, making it a wee bit hard for me to follow, but let's be honest that is my issue and not the book's.
One of the MCs is Jett and I liked him a lot, but at the end of the story I still didn't know him completely. I felt there was a missed opportunity here, to really dive into his story and character, and then maybe leave the other POVs for another story.
On the other hand it is quite clear that Jett has been abused horribly and I'm normally not that great at dark reads, so maybe it's good that we only have glimpses of his life before 'The Barricade'.
I don't know... As I said I'm quite conflicted about this one, and on the one hand I liked Jett and Sasha, individually and as a couple, BUT since this is not only a romance, I think the rest has to be up to par on its premises as well, and now I will dive into my 'moral issues' with this one.
I think this might be spoiler-y in regards to the plot, so I will put it in tags and... Yeah...
*deep sigh* I don't know... I did not agree with any of these actions (rebels or soldiers alike) and what could have been an amazing fantasy/sci-fi-lite thing, ended up being too rushed where the author could have dived in big time -IMO.
I really liked the humour, and Jett, as a MC, had so much potential for being this amazing 3D character with lots of grit and determination.
There were SO. MANY. OPPORTUNITIES. not taken where his innocence and his observational skills could have been used (or simply explored further), but this was skipped, which was a major bummer in my book.
I don't know... Some fantastic elements combined with some 'glossed over' elements together with some truly weird decisions, gave us this book.
I didn't hate it (all the time), but I didn't love it (all the time) either, so yeah... That totally clears that up!
Some parts were fantastic, some parts were fun, some parts were sad and then some parts went against my moral convictions bringing the story down for me.
So, I think, I will need to leave the rating clear, simply because some segments were 4-5 stars and some segments were ridiculous and barely reached 1 star.
First of all: it took me a few tries to get into this story. Every chapter starts with a flashback (or something similar) and some cyrillic script and not all of it made sense in relation to my understanding of the MCs and their story.
There are a LOT of people and we get more than two POVs, though they all have their own chapters, so you're never in doubt who's 'speaking'.
But as I've mentioned in other reviews, I'm sort of name-blind when it comes to names of Asian or Eastern descent, making it a wee bit hard for me to follow, but let's be honest that is my issue and not the book's.
One of the MCs is Jett and I liked him a lot, but at the end of the story I still didn't know him completely. I felt there was a missed opportunity here, to really dive into his story and character, and then maybe leave the other POVs for another story.
On the other hand it is quite clear that Jett has been abused horribly and I'm normally not that great at dark reads, so maybe it's good that we only have glimpses of his life before 'The Barricade'.
I don't know... As I said I'm quite conflicted about this one, and on the one hand I liked Jett and Sasha, individually and as a couple, BUT since this is not only a romance, I think the rest has to be up to par on its premises as well, and now I will dive into my 'moral issues' with this one.
I think this might be spoiler-y in regards to the plot, so I will put it in tags and... Yeah...
*deep sigh* I don't know... I did not agree with any of these actions (rebels or soldiers alike) and what could have been an amazing fantasy/sci-fi-lite thing, ended up being too rushed where the author could have dived in big time -IMO.
I really liked the humour, and Jett, as a MC, had so much potential for being this amazing 3D character with lots of grit and determination.
There were SO. MANY. OPPORTUNITIES. not taken where his innocence and his observational skills could have been used (or simply explored further), but this was skipped, which was a major bummer in my book.
I don't know... Some fantastic elements combined with some 'glossed over' elements together with some truly weird decisions, gave us this book.
I didn't hate it (all the time), but I didn't love it (all the time) either, so yeah... That totally clears that up!
February 26, 2019
2.5 stars rounded down for too much wasted potential
This was a tough one to rate. Some things I loved, some things I disliked and some were treated in such an amateurish way that they pulled me out of the story, with none of the three being mutually exclusive.
I really wanted to round it up to 3 stars, but the more potential a book shows the less I’m inclined to be generous when it doesn’t live up to it. Because I’m nice that way.
I really liked the setting and the premise. The Barricade was a truly fascinating setting, I loved the descriptions of the harsh, frozen world these men moved in and the contrast with the warmth found only inside their towers, much like the only human feelings they had in their life came from the bond they shared with their brothers in arms.
These men come from different backgrounds, none of them on the Barricade by choice, but they’re not bitter, even if the life they lead has necessarily shaped their reactions to death, suffering and moral choices. They’re utterly accepting when it comes to their own and they maintain a healthy sense of humor.
And here comes the first problem.
There’s a fine line between a realistic representation of the ribbing and acceptance between what’s essentially still a bunch of military men and a cartoonish representation of the same.
This book walks a little too close to that line for my taste, the way the characters talked and acted wasn’t always compatible with who and what these men were supposed to be and the life they live.
It wasn’t just the things they said, more their thought process and reactions and above all certain decisions they took that were completely at odds with what you can reasonably expect from a trained soldier. They acted competent one moment and then stupid without any good reason the next.
Just to give an example,
The story structure was a little confusing at first, there are many different POVs (more than just the two MCs’ ones) and at the beginning of each chapter there’s a short paragraph or a report transcript. It’s always clear in whose POV the story is told at any given moment, but it still took me a while to put all the pieces together and understand what was going on. Not long, but enough to bother me.
Although the plot wasn’t particularly original in the end and some things could have been handled better or been given more room for development, coupled with the characters and setting it was more than enough to keep my interest, despite some issues with the writing and the plot itself.
The writing was good, good enough that the issues I spotted annoyed me more than they would have otherwise.
The worst thing was how sometimes things were explained. Characters talked and acted and then the POV character would run a commentary in his head, explaining motivations and thought process behind the words and actions of other characters.
It’s the author’s responsibility to write the story in such a way that I can deduce a character’s personality and his thought process by his words and actions, but I want the author to make me see and understand things with her words, not by having a character spelling it out for me. That’s just plain annoying and it makes me wonder if the author thinks her writing isn’t good enough or her readers are idiots.
There were also some typos and missing words (not many given the length of the book) and at least one occasion of a character pulling off his coat and leaving it somewhere only to be still wearing a coat a couple of minutes later in another part of the tower, without ever putting it on again.
It would have been less glaringly obvious if the author hadn’t spent an unnecessary amount of time telling me over and over again when they were opening and closing doors, pulling on and off coats and boots and making cups of coffee or tea.
I honestly could’ve done with a little less repeating of everyday details. I love everyday details in my stories, probably more than the average reader (I still can’t get over the fact that nobody in the Harry Potter books seems to ever have a shower or go to the bathroom for normal bathroom-related activities), but especially in the first half it was a little too much while the story didn’t progress much.
There was a general pacing problem throughout the book, in some places the story seemed to stall and in others a lot of things happened all at once. It was the same for the relationship between Sasha and Jett. They almost went from zero to ten in an instant and, while I liked how sweet and dedicated they were to one another, I didn’t feel like the progression of their feelings was even and realistic.
Another thing I can’t get over with is that one of the MCs is called Sasha Stepanova.
Now, I’m not Russian, I don’t speak Russian, all I know about Russian names comes from general culture, not first-hand experience. And yet, I’ve always understood that a Russian surname only ends in “-ova” when the person is female, so in this case I’m pretty sure the correct surname should’ve been Stepanov.
Also, Sasha is a diminutive, as far as I know it’s the diminutive of Aleksandr, and Russians diminutives are used only by close friends and family. Instead, Sasha is referred as and introduces himself only and always as Sasha, even while he’s speaking in an official capacity. Even assuming in this alternate reality Russians have dropped the use of patronymics, why should’ve they started using diminutives as official names?
Speaking of names, Ukraine is referred to almost exclusively as “the Ukraine”.
It might be possible that it was intentional, given the setting of the book. In a world where the only country left standing, after an incurable infection killed millions of people, is a new communist Northern Russian Empire, it’s entirely possible that that expression was used to emphasize that reality.
Still, I didn’t appreciate it. At first I thought it was a blatant oversight but once I went looking and realized it wasn’t a repeated typo, the cultural and political implications really bothered me. I obviously don’t know what the author’s intent was, if it was a conscious stylistic choice or if she has no idea of the implications behind choosing one form over the other, which only brings me to one of the biggest issues I have with this book.
Premise: I loved the fact that for a change the story was set in a super-country other than the U.S.. I mean, the whole world fallen under a terrible virus and the one country left standing is Russia instead of the U.S., what are the odds? It was such an unusual choice, at least by my reading experience, and I loved it.
I loved it...until I didn’t. In retrospect, I should’ve seen it coming from the Moon, but apparently I was loving it a little too much and I got distracted.
It was such a huge disappointment when I realized that the promising plot was
So utterly original. Not.
The only thing missing was and then the whole array of clichès would have been complete.
I’ve no real right to be pissed, It was a cheap shot at best.
This was a tough one to rate. Some things I loved, some things I disliked and some were treated in such an amateurish way that they pulled me out of the story, with none of the three being mutually exclusive.
I really wanted to round it up to 3 stars, but the more potential a book shows the less I’m inclined to be generous when it doesn’t live up to it. Because I’m nice that way.
I really liked the setting and the premise. The Barricade was a truly fascinating setting, I loved the descriptions of the harsh, frozen world these men moved in and the contrast with the warmth found only inside their towers, much like the only human feelings they had in their life came from the bond they shared with their brothers in arms.
These men come from different backgrounds, none of them on the Barricade by choice, but they’re not bitter, even if the life they lead has necessarily shaped their reactions to death, suffering and moral choices. They’re utterly accepting when it comes to their own and they maintain a healthy sense of humor.
And here comes the first problem.
There’s a fine line between a realistic representation of the ribbing and acceptance between what’s essentially still a bunch of military men and a cartoonish representation of the same.
This book walks a little too close to that line for my taste, the way the characters talked and acted wasn’t always compatible with who and what these men were supposed to be and the life they live.
It wasn’t just the things they said, more their thought process and reactions and above all certain decisions they took that were completely at odds with what you can reasonably expect from a trained soldier. They acted competent one moment and then stupid without any good reason the next.
Just to give an example,
The story structure was a little confusing at first, there are many different POVs (more than just the two MCs’ ones) and at the beginning of each chapter there’s a short paragraph or a report transcript. It’s always clear in whose POV the story is told at any given moment, but it still took me a while to put all the pieces together and understand what was going on. Not long, but enough to bother me.
Although the plot wasn’t particularly original in the end and some things could have been handled better or been given more room for development, coupled with the characters and setting it was more than enough to keep my interest, despite some issues with the writing and the plot itself.
The writing was good, good enough that the issues I spotted annoyed me more than they would have otherwise.
The worst thing was how sometimes things were explained. Characters talked and acted and then the POV character would run a commentary in his head, explaining motivations and thought process behind the words and actions of other characters.
It’s the author’s responsibility to write the story in such a way that I can deduce a character’s personality and his thought process by his words and actions, but I want the author to make me see and understand things with her words, not by having a character spelling it out for me. That’s just plain annoying and it makes me wonder if the author thinks her writing isn’t good enough or her readers are idiots.
There were also some typos and missing words (not many given the length of the book) and at least one occasion of a character pulling off his coat and leaving it somewhere only to be still wearing a coat a couple of minutes later in another part of the tower, without ever putting it on again.
It would have been less glaringly obvious if the author hadn’t spent an unnecessary amount of time telling me over and over again when they were opening and closing doors, pulling on and off coats and boots and making cups of coffee or tea.
I honestly could’ve done with a little less repeating of everyday details. I love everyday details in my stories, probably more than the average reader (I still can’t get over the fact that nobody in the Harry Potter books seems to ever have a shower or go to the bathroom for normal bathroom-related activities), but especially in the first half it was a little too much while the story didn’t progress much.
There was a general pacing problem throughout the book, in some places the story seemed to stall and in others a lot of things happened all at once. It was the same for the relationship between Sasha and Jett. They almost went from zero to ten in an instant and, while I liked how sweet and dedicated they were to one another, I didn’t feel like the progression of their feelings was even and realistic.
Another thing I can’t get over with is that one of the MCs is called Sasha Stepanova.
Now, I’m not Russian, I don’t speak Russian, all I know about Russian names comes from general culture, not first-hand experience. And yet, I’ve always understood that a Russian surname only ends in “-ova” when the person is female, so in this case I’m pretty sure the correct surname should’ve been Stepanov.
Also, Sasha is a diminutive, as far as I know it’s the diminutive of Aleksandr, and Russians diminutives are used only by close friends and family. Instead, Sasha is referred as and introduces himself only and always as Sasha, even while he’s speaking in an official capacity. Even assuming in this alternate reality Russians have dropped the use of patronymics, why should’ve they started using diminutives as official names?
Speaking of names, Ukraine is referred to almost exclusively as “the Ukraine”.
It might be possible that it was intentional, given the setting of the book. In a world where the only country left standing, after an incurable infection killed millions of people, is a new communist Northern Russian Empire, it’s entirely possible that that expression was used to emphasize that reality.
Still, I didn’t appreciate it. At first I thought it was a blatant oversight but once I went looking and realized it wasn’t a repeated typo, the cultural and political implications really bothered me. I obviously don’t know what the author’s intent was, if it was a conscious stylistic choice or if she has no idea of the implications behind choosing one form over the other, which only brings me to one of the biggest issues I have with this book.
Premise: I loved the fact that for a change the story was set in a super-country other than the U.S.. I mean, the whole world fallen under a terrible virus and the one country left standing is Russia instead of the U.S., what are the odds? It was such an unusual choice, at least by my reading experience, and I loved it.
I loved it...until I didn’t. In retrospect, I should’ve seen it coming from the Moon, but apparently I was loving it a little too much and I got distracted.
It was such a huge disappointment when I realized that the promising plot was
So utterly original. Not.
The only thing missing was and then the whole array of clichès would have been complete.
I’ve no real right to be pissed, It was a cheap shot at best.
Want to read
June 11, 2018I really really
really
hope that Stepanova is a simple typo in the blurb, otherwise it's a truly bad mistake. All Russian last names ending with -ova are female.
Sloppy. Unless, of course, Sasha is transgender.
Sloppy. Unless, of course, Sasha is transgender.
January 22, 2018
Review @Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words
It’s no big secret that I love Science Fiction and Post Apocalyptic books. But I usually also avoid books that are set somewhere really cold. However, the blurb for “Barricade” just sounded too good to ignore. And I’m glad I decided to read this unusual book.
I’ve read countless books that are set in a post apocalyptic world and almost all of them are set in the United States or whatever’s left of them. It seems you need to live in North America to have any chance at surviving the apocalypse. So “Barricade” was a very interesting change of the usual setting. This time, the Russians are the survivors. They built this ginarmous wall, called the Barricade, to keep out all those people who suffer from the plague. I really enjoyed the setting, even though it’s not what I usually prefer. I could easily imagine the cold and wet and general nastiness of it. It was very well written and diverse, even though we don’t see much of the world other than the Barricade.
I really liked both Sasha and Jett. I liked their relationship and how they behaved around each other. Every character has their own, distinctive voice, even the minor characters. I loved the whole team of District 666 and their interactions. It was also really interesting to see how each tower’s team worked and how different they all were, even though they all lived basically the same life.
The romance and non-romance parts of the plot very well balanced. The love story worked really well with the rest of the plot.
There were quite a few surprises and unexpected plot twists that made it nearly impossible for me to put the book down. I finished it within a couple of days. I would’ve finished it in a single sitting, if not for work interfering. It was all so fascinating and addicting and I really loved the whole story.
As much as I enjoyed the story itself, I was really annoyed with the editing. There were so many spelling mistakes and it was really distracting. I absolutely hate sloppy editing and there just is no excuse for it. If an author expects me to pay money for their book, then I expect them to the very best to make it perfect. I can forgive the occasional typo, but I have a very low tolerance for bad spelling. The author kept switching between “Sasha” and “Sacha”. Spelling your protagonist’s name wrong is a huge no go and it made me really mad. If not for the sloppy editing, I would’ve happily given this book 4.5 or maybe even 5 stars. But this really took away from my reading experience.
The ending was a bit sudden and kind of left me with the hope for a sequel.
If you’re into post-apocalyptic stories with some romance to spice things up, I think you will enjoy this book. As long as you don’t let yourself get distracted by the sloppy editing.
Cover art by Natasha Snow: The cover looks a little bit generic. I don’t think it really fits the story. The naked guy makes you expect a way steamier story, with a lot less plot. It just doesn’t do this book justice.
It’s no big secret that I love Science Fiction and Post Apocalyptic books. But I usually also avoid books that are set somewhere really cold. However, the blurb for “Barricade” just sounded too good to ignore. And I’m glad I decided to read this unusual book.
I’ve read countless books that are set in a post apocalyptic world and almost all of them are set in the United States or whatever’s left of them. It seems you need to live in North America to have any chance at surviving the apocalypse. So “Barricade” was a very interesting change of the usual setting. This time, the Russians are the survivors. They built this ginarmous wall, called the Barricade, to keep out all those people who suffer from the plague. I really enjoyed the setting, even though it’s not what I usually prefer. I could easily imagine the cold and wet and general nastiness of it. It was very well written and diverse, even though we don’t see much of the world other than the Barricade.
I really liked both Sasha and Jett. I liked their relationship and how they behaved around each other. Every character has their own, distinctive voice, even the minor characters. I loved the whole team of District 666 and their interactions. It was also really interesting to see how each tower’s team worked and how different they all were, even though they all lived basically the same life.
The romance and non-romance parts of the plot very well balanced. The love story worked really well with the rest of the plot.
There were quite a few surprises and unexpected plot twists that made it nearly impossible for me to put the book down. I finished it within a couple of days. I would’ve finished it in a single sitting, if not for work interfering. It was all so fascinating and addicting and I really loved the whole story.
As much as I enjoyed the story itself, I was really annoyed with the editing. There were so many spelling mistakes and it was really distracting. I absolutely hate sloppy editing and there just is no excuse for it. If an author expects me to pay money for their book, then I expect them to the very best to make it perfect. I can forgive the occasional typo, but I have a very low tolerance for bad spelling. The author kept switching between “Sasha” and “Sacha”. Spelling your protagonist’s name wrong is a huge no go and it made me really mad. If not for the sloppy editing, I would’ve happily given this book 4.5 or maybe even 5 stars. But this really took away from my reading experience.
The ending was a bit sudden and kind of left me with the hope for a sequel.
If you’re into post-apocalyptic stories with some romance to spice things up, I think you will enjoy this book. As long as you don’t let yourself get distracted by the sloppy editing.
Cover art by Natasha Snow: The cover looks a little bit generic. I don’t think it really fits the story. The naked guy makes you expect a way steamier story, with a lot less plot. It just doesn’t do this book justice.
January 23, 2018
I absolutely loved this! It ticked a lot of my boxes. lol This was one of those books that I just never wanted to end. The characters and the setting were amazing and I would happily read more if the author put it out there.
May 18, 2019
4.0 Stars
I was in the mood for something different and this definitely hit the spot.
(RTC)
I was in the mood for something different and this definitely hit the spot.
(RTC)
February 6, 2018
I have no idea where to begin with this review, because I have a strong feeling that whatever I say isn’t going to do this book justice. I really enjoyed the first two books that Lindsey Black released (Fishy Riot and Rhino Ash), but I think I’d quickly pigeonholed her into that type of story. Entertaining and humorous with a few political jabs thrown in to show the author’s stance on certain current affairs. Barricade is something completely different, and I’m going to say better, than what this author has previously produced.
Firstly, the setting. Ms. Black has created a world (not too distant from now) where the population has been all but wiped out by the Infection. Only the Northern Russian Empire remains unaffected, protected from the rest of the world by the Barricade – a wall they constructed to isolate their “Communist Utopia” after expanding their borders through the decimation of several surrounding countries. The author did such a brilliant job of describing the harsh bleakness of life in a militarized Russian winter wasteland that I actually took my Kindle to sit outside in the sun. Life on the Barricade for these soldiers is lonely and colorless and miserable. Actually, life on either side of the Barricade is just as desolate, as one of the soldiers says – Communist Russia ensures that everyone is equally miserable. So on one side there is safety in a regime that requires parents to surrender their children to harsh military service, and on the other side hundreds of millions of people have died, are still dying, from the Infection. The Barricade is what separates them.
The characters force you to question where your loyalties, as a reader, lie. It’s a battle of the Russian military versus the rest of the world. And when I say the rest of the world, I mean the men, women and children of multiple other nations who gather at the southern side of the Barricade like refugees, denied access to the one place left that is reputed to be safe. Meanwhile the soldiers who guard the wall use their weapons to pick off the refugees as they succumb to the Infection. And these are our main characters. These soldiers who stand between the desperate, dwindling survivors and the so called safety of the Northern Russian Empire. It seems like a no brainer. You support the underdog, the children, the people fighting for their lives. But we get to know the soldiers – the conscripted men, the brainwashed men, the men that wholeheartedly believe they are fighting on the side of good. We see them mourning the loss of one of their own, and we witness them make horrible, hard choices as they do what they believe is right.
This is a story of people at war, with a few bright bursts of happiness thrown in. And those moments of colour (literally, in the case of the paintball attack) mean so much more because a dismal sort of existence surrounds them. It was ridiculous how happy I felt each time the superfluous puffball of a dog made an appearance. I could feel the joy of the soldiers as they playfully launched a paintball attack on the washed out buildings below them. And while the romance between Jett and Sasha wasn’t really the focus of the story, I clung to those moments – as did all the soldiers on the Barricade once they found out.
I truly hope that the author chooses to continue writing stories in this world. While this isn’t unfinished, there are still questions that I want answered about the Barricade itself. Not to mention that we still have no idea what is really going on in the rest of the world. Whether Ms. Black’s next book continues this story, or her first series, or is something entirely new, I’m excited to see what she comes up with next.
Reviewed for Love Bytes Reviews
http://lovebytesreviews.com/2018/02/0...
Firstly, the setting. Ms. Black has created a world (not too distant from now) where the population has been all but wiped out by the Infection. Only the Northern Russian Empire remains unaffected, protected from the rest of the world by the Barricade – a wall they constructed to isolate their “Communist Utopia” after expanding their borders through the decimation of several surrounding countries. The author did such a brilliant job of describing the harsh bleakness of life in a militarized Russian winter wasteland that I actually took my Kindle to sit outside in the sun. Life on the Barricade for these soldiers is lonely and colorless and miserable. Actually, life on either side of the Barricade is just as desolate, as one of the soldiers says – Communist Russia ensures that everyone is equally miserable. So on one side there is safety in a regime that requires parents to surrender their children to harsh military service, and on the other side hundreds of millions of people have died, are still dying, from the Infection. The Barricade is what separates them.
The characters force you to question where your loyalties, as a reader, lie. It’s a battle of the Russian military versus the rest of the world. And when I say the rest of the world, I mean the men, women and children of multiple other nations who gather at the southern side of the Barricade like refugees, denied access to the one place left that is reputed to be safe. Meanwhile the soldiers who guard the wall use their weapons to pick off the refugees as they succumb to the Infection. And these are our main characters. These soldiers who stand between the desperate, dwindling survivors and the so called safety of the Northern Russian Empire. It seems like a no brainer. You support the underdog, the children, the people fighting for their lives. But we get to know the soldiers – the conscripted men, the brainwashed men, the men that wholeheartedly believe they are fighting on the side of good. We see them mourning the loss of one of their own, and we witness them make horrible, hard choices as they do what they believe is right.
This is a story of people at war, with a few bright bursts of happiness thrown in. And those moments of colour (literally, in the case of the paintball attack) mean so much more because a dismal sort of existence surrounds them. It was ridiculous how happy I felt each time the superfluous puffball of a dog made an appearance. I could feel the joy of the soldiers as they playfully launched a paintball attack on the washed out buildings below them. And while the romance between Jett and Sasha wasn’t really the focus of the story, I clung to those moments – as did all the soldiers on the Barricade once they found out.
I truly hope that the author chooses to continue writing stories in this world. While this isn’t unfinished, there are still questions that I want answered about the Barricade itself. Not to mention that we still have no idea what is really going on in the rest of the world. Whether Ms. Black’s next book continues this story, or her first series, or is something entirely new, I’m excited to see what she comes up with next.
Reviewed for Love Bytes Reviews
http://lovebytesreviews.com/2018/02/0...
January 15, 2018
Enthralling
Wow this was such an unexpected, epic journey. I loved this book and every one of it's characters. I have found a new favorite author. The author so poignantly draws you into this world of devastation, destruction and despair with her glorious description. Then she brings to life each and every character in a way that you not only feel as if you are there with them, but you know them so intimately you cannot wait to see what happens to them. Jett and Sacha evolve through their bond and infect all those around them in such a positive way even though the darkness. Love this.
Wow this was such an unexpected, epic journey. I loved this book and every one of it's characters. I have found a new favorite author. The author so poignantly draws you into this world of devastation, destruction and despair with her glorious description. Then she brings to life each and every character in a way that you not only feel as if you are there with them, but you know them so intimately you cannot wait to see what happens to them. Jett and Sacha evolve through their bond and infect all those around them in such a positive way even though the darkness. Love this.
March 5, 2018
Barricade offers a unique twist to a post-apocalyptic/dystopian world, keeping me engaged throughout.
The Barricade is a wall which stretches from ocean to ocean separating the Northern Russian Empire from the rest of the world. On the north side are the Russian’s, who have not been infected by the population-decimating virus; the south side is filled with devastation, where the virus eradicated billions of people and toppled every other county. Towers guard the Barricade all the way across, and Tower 666 is in the unique location of what is formally known as the Russian-Ukrainian border. Sasha and his team, along with the other units assigned to the Barricade, are to keep people from the south from infiltrating the north and keep the infection out of Russia.
The weather along with the Barricade was like a living, breathing character, showing the colorless and bleak life for those living there, giving the story an overall eerie quality, the weather often mirroring the days or at times being an omen of things to come. Even the characters themselves speak and think of the Barricade as a person, an individual with a mind of its own. Despair dripped from the pages of this story, from both the characters and the setting, drawing me in completely.
Unlike many other stories in this genre, the pacing was more measured and focused on the intellectual side. It worked, never weighing down the progression, adding just enough action to move forward without it being bogged down with violence and fighting and allowing the pieces of the intricate puzzle to reveal itself though conversation and observations.
The worst of the wars had already passed, leaving the residents of the Barricade on watch, day in and day out, with little to occupy their time. An infected stumbles to the Barricade, periodically, requiring attention, but enough time has passed that there isn’t much civilization left on the south side. As the story develops, more movement and activity begin in the town on the south, and gradually things start to fall into place. The action is sporadic there, though, and is interspersed with dialogue and brain-storming. There are hints specifically placed throughout, often at the beginning of each chapter, giving clues that something is brewing but taking its time to reveal it all.
Each character was well defined and distinctive, adding value to the story. Enzo and his emotions as well as his ability to grab onto moments of fun was probably my favorite. I also enjoyed Matti and his overall contribution, with his observational skill and logic and being the voice of reason. Then there are the two protagonists, Sasha and Jett. Sasha is an interesting mix of dominant and gentle. He has a reputation for strategy and appears to be the model Sergeant, garnering respect from everyone around him. Jett arrives and there is an immediate attraction for Sasha. Jett’s distinctive appearance and naiveté call to Sasha and his team, even if they weren’t ready to replace their lost brother. Jett may have been small and slight, but there is more to Jett that meets the eye, which the guys at Tower 666 start to uncover. Their growing relationship on the surface appeared to take a while to develop because time stretched out, the setting making things appear to happen at a slower pace than they were. But when I sit back and think on it, the reality is the romance built rapidly. It just didn’t feel like it while reading.
Though I truly did enjoy most of this story, it’s not without its flaws. When a story takes place in another country, I always try to take into account there may be differences in spelling and grammar. However, in this book inconsistent spelling was everywhere, a variety of spellings of specific names and words sprinkled throughout: Sasha and Sacha, Anishin and Anishen, as well as defense and defence are all used. These are just some immediate examples that come to mind, but they were abundant. Though it was annoying, I was able to put most of it aside and appreciate everything else going on.
The ending was abrupt compared to the rest of the story but left on a note where more could be explored in this unique world Lindsey Black has created. I for one would be all for that, especially because I really want more Enzo. Just saying.
Though this post-apocalyptic tale was surprising and not at all what I am used to in many ways, and was not without its faults, I’m so glad I gave it a try, and recommend it for others who delight in this particular genre.
Reviewed by Lindsey for The Novel Approach
The Barricade is a wall which stretches from ocean to ocean separating the Northern Russian Empire from the rest of the world. On the north side are the Russian’s, who have not been infected by the population-decimating virus; the south side is filled with devastation, where the virus eradicated billions of people and toppled every other county. Towers guard the Barricade all the way across, and Tower 666 is in the unique location of what is formally known as the Russian-Ukrainian border. Sasha and his team, along with the other units assigned to the Barricade, are to keep people from the south from infiltrating the north and keep the infection out of Russia.
The weather along with the Barricade was like a living, breathing character, showing the colorless and bleak life for those living there, giving the story an overall eerie quality, the weather often mirroring the days or at times being an omen of things to come. Even the characters themselves speak and think of the Barricade as a person, an individual with a mind of its own. Despair dripped from the pages of this story, from both the characters and the setting, drawing me in completely.
Unlike many other stories in this genre, the pacing was more measured and focused on the intellectual side. It worked, never weighing down the progression, adding just enough action to move forward without it being bogged down with violence and fighting and allowing the pieces of the intricate puzzle to reveal itself though conversation and observations.
The worst of the wars had already passed, leaving the residents of the Barricade on watch, day in and day out, with little to occupy their time. An infected stumbles to the Barricade, periodically, requiring attention, but enough time has passed that there isn’t much civilization left on the south side. As the story develops, more movement and activity begin in the town on the south, and gradually things start to fall into place. The action is sporadic there, though, and is interspersed with dialogue and brain-storming. There are hints specifically placed throughout, often at the beginning of each chapter, giving clues that something is brewing but taking its time to reveal it all.
Each character was well defined and distinctive, adding value to the story. Enzo and his emotions as well as his ability to grab onto moments of fun was probably my favorite. I also enjoyed Matti and his overall contribution, with his observational skill and logic and being the voice of reason. Then there are the two protagonists, Sasha and Jett. Sasha is an interesting mix of dominant and gentle. He has a reputation for strategy and appears to be the model Sergeant, garnering respect from everyone around him. Jett arrives and there is an immediate attraction for Sasha. Jett’s distinctive appearance and naiveté call to Sasha and his team, even if they weren’t ready to replace their lost brother. Jett may have been small and slight, but there is more to Jett that meets the eye, which the guys at Tower 666 start to uncover. Their growing relationship on the surface appeared to take a while to develop because time stretched out, the setting making things appear to happen at a slower pace than they were. But when I sit back and think on it, the reality is the romance built rapidly. It just didn’t feel like it while reading.
Though I truly did enjoy most of this story, it’s not without its flaws. When a story takes place in another country, I always try to take into account there may be differences in spelling and grammar. However, in this book inconsistent spelling was everywhere, a variety of spellings of specific names and words sprinkled throughout: Sasha and Sacha, Anishin and Anishen, as well as defense and defence are all used. These are just some immediate examples that come to mind, but they were abundant. Though it was annoying, I was able to put most of it aside and appreciate everything else going on.
The ending was abrupt compared to the rest of the story but left on a note where more could be explored in this unique world Lindsey Black has created. I for one would be all for that, especially because I really want more Enzo. Just saying.
Though this post-apocalyptic tale was surprising and not at all what I am used to in many ways, and was not without its faults, I’m so glad I gave it a try, and recommend it for others who delight in this particular genre.
Reviewed by Lindsey for The Novel Approach
January 12, 2018
An enjoyable read
A great addition to the dystopian genre. The storyline of a world after a viral infection kills off the majority of the human race really drew me in. Once I started reading it I kept on until the last page.
A great addition to the dystopian genre. The storyline of a world after a viral infection kills off the majority of the human race really drew me in. Once I started reading it I kept on until the last page.
January 26, 2018
4.5 Review Upcoming.
December 17, 2025
I absolutely loved this. I've read through some of the reviews that definitely didn't, and to each their own, but wowwwwwwww. I am so, so sad that this author hasn't had a new release in a few years, and really hope she decides to publish again. 🤩 Even though I've tagged this book as m/m romance and usually want my romance front, center, and hella sweet, I wouldn't actually classify this story as a romance and consider Jett and Sasha's relationship secondary to the plot... or not so much secondary as deeply woven into it, but still not told in the style I consider romance-genre. And let's be real, it has been years - okay, DECADES - since I've really spent much reading time with anything outside of the romance genre (barring non-fic, which I don't track here). But man, this one really reminds me why I used to love other genres, and this author deserves ALL the praise for her creativity and storytelling skill IMHO, for both this one and the first book of hers I found, North. I'm definitely a fan!
March 29, 2018
An experiment. A Soldier. A Cure.
Not the tagline for this book – but it does sum it up nicely.
This is the Maze Runner Meets Game of Thrones Mash Up set in a dystopian Russia.
Sasha is in charge of the District Tower 666 of The Wall that keeps the infected out. Jett is the new recruit who was raised in a ‘Testing Facility’. He’s short and spunky and quickly nicknamed Pavlova (after the ballerina and not the dessert) and fits my little.angry.bunny trope so well.
There’s infected people – Not zombies – who have just ‘gone’ and immunes ( à la TMR) and the wall/area is a snowy whiteout in sub zero temperatures (à la GOT).
Despite the obvious comparisons this was a thoroughly good read and engaging throughout. The dynamics between the team were great and a good amount of action. Hello men with guns and wounded boys.
Not the tagline for this book – but it does sum it up nicely.
This is the Maze Runner Meets Game of Thrones Mash Up set in a dystopian Russia.
Sasha is in charge of the District Tower 666 of The Wall that keeps the infected out. Jett is the new recruit who was raised in a ‘Testing Facility’. He’s short and spunky and quickly nicknamed Pavlova (after the ballerina and not the dessert) and fits my little.angry.bunny trope so well.
There’s infected people – Not zombies – who have just ‘gone’ and immunes ( à la TMR) and the wall/area is a snowy whiteout in sub zero temperatures (à la GOT).
Despite the obvious comparisons this was a thoroughly good read and engaging throughout. The dynamics between the team were great and a good amount of action. Hello men with guns and wounded boys.
February 16, 2018
Ahhhh, loved the ending. This was fab, a great concept and I loved the characters. Sometimes I got a bit confused with who each character was- forenames and surnames were difficult to keep up with and the little pre-teasers before each chapter pissed me off, I didn't know what they were for ages.
Overall though it was really original and I enjoyed it lots and lots!!
Overall though it was really original and I enjoyed it lots and lots!!
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews