Deadworld

Chronicles of Deadworld #1

by Debbie Cassidy

Humans weren’t meant to live underground, but then artificial intelligences weren’t meant to feed off souls. Shit happens.

Being a Potential is an honor. It qualifies me for the mandatory Run, the chance to become a Guardian and wield one of the only weapons that can disable a Genesis scout. It also means I’ll have to leave the safety of my underground home and go topside, where the possibility of death goes up by eighty percent.

Badges of honor mean nothing if you’re dead.

I’d rather steer clear of any place where soul sucking AI roam. I’d rather stay safe in the Hive and hangout with my wolf-shifter co-worker. I’d rather work on the mechanical heart that keeps the Hive running and spend time with my enigmatic nephilim mentor. Heck, I’d rather be doing anything else. But I’ve made a promise to my best friend, a promise to get her to the finish line in time to win a spot as Guardian. How hard can it be, right? We have a plan. So why do I feel as if something is about to go seriously wrong?

It’s a game. Just a game.

Or is it?

First came Chronicles of Midnight, then came Chronicles of Arcana, and now we have Chronicles of Deadworld. Set a hundred years after the events of its predecessors Deadworld takes you into a Post-Apocalyptic Urban fantasy world with a slow burn Whychoose Romance.

You don’t have to read the previous series, but man, if you do the thrill ride will be unlike any other.

Genres: Fantasy, Vampires, Magic, Urban Fantasy, Paranormal, Dragons, Dystopia

226 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 8, 2019

About the author

Debbie Cassidy lives in England, Bedfordshire, with her three kids and very supportive husband. Coffee and chocolate biscuits are her writing fuels of choice, and she is still working on getting that perfect tower of solitude built in her back garden. Obsessed with building new worlds and reading about them, she spends her spare time daydreaming and conversing with the characters in her head. She writes Urban Fantasy, Romance, Fantasy and Reverse Harem Fantasy. All her books contain plenty of action, romance and twisty plots.

Connect with Debbie via her website at https://debbiecassidyauthor.com, email her at debbiecassidyauthor@gmail.com or check her out on twitter https://twitter.com/authordcassidy Sign up to her newsletter to grab a free short story, and stay up to date on new releases: http://www.subscribepage.com/f6u2k8 Or join her reader group on Facebook to stay in the know: https://www.facebook.com/groups/17595...

Reviews

[★Me Myshelf and I★ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Midnight was good
Arcana was better
This is better again and crosses over between the 3.

I don't think you need to have read the other 2 to enjoy this, or that you need to read them first. But I would say you can't go backward and read them after unless you want a few spoilers. If you have read the other 2 then this a little geek fest and full of little name drops and Easter eggs for those that know the characters.


I focuses on a whole new set of characters in the future where humans and supernaturals have been forced underground by the AI who have taken over the surface level of the world this is based in.
Which is a pretty cool set up. The FMC Echo is a mechanic who works with the artifact that keeps their underground world running. She is also marked to be a "guardian" the humans who have a little magic making them able to fight the machines above ground and keep everyone else safe.
There is a trial for all marked humans and only the winners will become the new guardians. Oldly Echo doesn't want to become a guardian but would rather stay with her mentor and smexy boss Emory, and her werewolf BFF Finn. In true Debbie Cassidy style this is a slow burn and the harem members are left a little uncertain, even though you will have 3 or 4 favourites in the running. She is so good at writing Alpha males and makes them interesting right off the bat. All I need to read is the guys wears gloves all the time and I'm like

Give me more of him please!
And we also have the customary unknown who is kinda attached to her from the beginning but you have no idea who or what he is. Those usually turn out to be my favourites There is alot of mystery surrounding the guys and that's the main reason I'm exited for book 2.



Its almost split into two parts, the first world/character building part and then into the action of the trails in part 2. Both equally as good but I enjoy the relationship building the most.

It felt quite short and that's partly why I'm only giving 4 stars, I was just getting into it and it was over. Not a bad reason to complain, but it made it seem more like a starter than a full course.
I have no doubt this is gonna be amazing and I really can't wait. I went in a direction I didn't expect at the end and I fully trust Debbie to take me on this rollercoaster

[Denisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, this was disappointing... But let's see how it goes on.

[Amara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Post Apocalyptic RH with potential!

A great first book with so much potential. But I am left with so many questions!

Spoilers and speculation below...





So, that tech guy who got away in the other Chronicles series...The one who was going to use the little girl key with the dragon queen... He's the bad guy here right?

Echo - reluctant tragic hero extraordinaire, able to heal, has no soul?, photographic memory or some savant like ability to recall info, the girl all the guys are drawn to

Hunter- the voice... is he a shade? Or a ghost of the arcana power crystal? Or is he trapped in it somehow? Harem member...probably?

Emory - what is this beast that craves her? And now that he knows she isn't quite human, how long until he's in the harem? What's up with his hands?

Fin - set to be mated to three females he doesn't want because he wants her, best friend, lupinata, will somehow end up in harem

Deacon - sanguinata, councilman, older but how much older?, fed on her blood and felt energized by it because it was delicious (haha), gonna end up in harem?

Micha - councilman, son of Wila? Or Serenity?, gonna end up in harem?, not sure what he is or of it was mentioned yet

So far, I have more questions than answers but I am loving the direction and how descriptive things have been so far.

[Soph · Rating 5 out of 5]

This ... 100 years after all the other Debbie Cassidy books ... I am hooked !!!
It’s a post apocalyptic RH slow burn. echo thinks she is a human living underground in a settlement after the world has been ravaged by the robotic genesis (terminator much), she lives in a legacy left by her dad to be a guardian above ground against genesis but doesn’t want to leave all that she has now- which is a sexy untouchable mysterious boss and a shifter who has his own secrets to hide ... discover how echo navigates herself in this world where the author drops other characters in from previous books. *squeeeee so excitement * read the other Debbie Cassidy chronicles A because it will help make sense of this one, and B because Debbie Cassidy is an RH queen!!!

[Jeanny · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love playing in this world 🌎 5 this has EPIC potential ⭐️

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75

There is a lot of world building, a bit of secrets and intrigue, and a lot of fun fantasy creature and hybrids going on in this story.

Also a lot of potential guys for this harem going on- I was getting a bit of whiplash from being constantly introduce to hunky guy # ___(5? 6? 7?) So many.




But also Finn...nah man. What is you doing baby? You're lying because you know your wrong.

"The wolf understands this, but the man … The man feels sick to his stomach. The man feels like a liar and a cheat."

Multiple mates aren't uncommon in this world, but if he's keeping such a big thing from her then yeah he is a liar and a cheat.

[Saint Fitz · Rating 4 out of 5]

OOOOooOoOoOh who’s in the harem?!? WHO?

WHO!?!

This is a delicious, peppy little read and I am here for it. Really hoping it doesn’t slump in the second book, but the fact that there’s only 3 makes me hopeful.

It’s missing the humor/snark present in the Arcana chronicles ... but the cameos from the DC universe (👈see what I did there?) make up for it. I’m not even that crazy about Echo so far (for example, the author skipped over a lot with Emery and her—we just gotta take her word for it that Echo + Emery have bonded off the page, in the past), but I think the plot as a whole has its hooks in me, and I can’t wait to see what happens next (and with whooooo wink wink). I’m loving all the guys so far (except maybe Finn...).

Micha > Finn. LOVE Deacon. Curious about the disembodied voice (very similar to Arcana)...

Bleep bloop onto book 2!

[Rhiannon Chillingworth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Debbie Cassidy has done it again!

Set 100 years after the Chronicles of Arcana, human and nephilim are close to extinction, through battling against Arcana created AI called Genesis.

More detailed review to nearer release, as I have read a beta copy, but this book is seriously awesome.

I squeed like a fan girl every time a character from Midnight or Arcana popped up!

[Tiera McMillian · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars... almost rounded it up. Maybe 4 stars?

First came Chronicles of Midnight, then came Chronicles of Arcana, and now we have Chronicles of Deadworld. Set a hundred years after the events of its predecessors

Sooooo, I started this after some proper research having found that I have actually read the 2 series listed above that are like prequels for this one. This will probably be the only time that I actually came into one of Debbie Cassidy's omniverse series with my crap together. The problem was that I spent the whole first book here in this series, not remembering how we got here.. I should have went back and done a reread of the previous series'. Either way I totally agree that you don't "necessarily" need the previous series to enjoy this one, but you get a whole wealth of "extra" that is just hard to pass up. Lucky for me I had some reviews and stuff I could cut away to in order to kind of refresh myself.. Still think I should have done the reread.

Either way, this series was thoroughly entrancing with its dystopian/apocalyptic feel. Also having a tiny bit of background did help me sink into the characters and their roles so much better. I, however, was constantly looking for characters that may have appeared in the previous series and with my lack of remembrance came up short. I do love our FMC, despite the fact that she gets dropped up shit creek without a paddle... or a boat and all her dreams for her life get tossed to the side for destiny.. she isn't a whiner and so that totally endeared her to me. I'm having a hard time pinpointed all our romantic interests at this time.. I mean of course some are quite obvious but the circumstances surrounding some of them seem a little insurmountable.

FMC, Echo is chosen for her unique genetic makeup at a young age. Apparently she has some Arcana genes and will need to participate in a challenge that comes every 10 years. The underground society Echo lives in needs people with the Arcana gene to protect them since they are the only ones that can channel the remnants of Arcana and fight Genesis an AI that took over the world years and years ago. Echo is only participating to help out her BF get to the end of the race, however everything goes awry almost instantly and Echo ends up the last participant and the only one standing between the people and Genesis so its up to her to step up. There seems to be a lot of secrets the council is keeping from the people and Echo is just now getting wind of it.

I can tell this is going to be a super interesting series with its paranormal/supernatural and even a flair of scifi happening. Can't wait to see what else is in store for Echo.. it looks like its going to be a rough ride.

[Heather Gilbert · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 rounded up

While reading chronicles of midnight is not a prerequisite for this series, it does help set the stage and explain much of the fascinating world building Cassidy has going on here. This series is set 100 years after the events in that saga, throwing humans into the deep end of survival, surrounded by wolves, vampires and even nephilim... though there are different names used. It’s complex, rather emotional and seriously action packed.

[Victoria (nocturnalintimacy) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kindle Unlimited.

I struggled with the world building on this. I kept getting flashbacks from other series, but I couldn't remember enough to make the references stick. I was sucked in, regardless of my confusion, but I wish there had been a little more development from the start.

[Denise H · Rating 5 out of 5]

Debbie Cassidy will astound you yet again with her masterfully written words in her bold new series, Chronicles of Deadworld.

This new world emerges in a post-apocalyptic setting 100 years into the future after the earth is decimated by the wars and life is forced underground. Only the chosen few known as Guardians brave the ground above scouting, harvesting crops and fighting Genesis, the artificial intelligence that has taken over, leaving death and destruction in its’ wake, to keep those who have survived below safe.

Branded at birth, because of her bloodline, Echo has known from childhood that she will be one of the few ‘potentials’ chosen to compete for the honor of becoming a Guardian, following in her father’s footsteps. A destiny she has no desire to claim. She desperately wants to stay in the Hive, her haven, in safety away from the metal monsters and AI that now roam the earth. She wants to cling to the normalcy of her family and friends and the job she loves and let the rest slip away. But fate has a way of being a constant presence that will not be ignored and Echo is about to find out exactly what that means and what she is made of.

“One thing I’ve learned from being fate’s bitch is to never take no for an answer and be prepared to slap fate in the face whenever you get a chance. She likes it rough.”

Chronicles of Midnight and Chronicles of Arcana both set the background foundation for this new series. You do not have to read either of these in order to enjoy this new world; however, the children of the heroes/heroines in those series are the new generation of heroes/heroines in this one. And heck, why would you not? They are both fantastic in their own right and they will give you the added background for history. I love when authors toss in tidbits showing connections to other stories.

Deadworld is setting the stage showing Echo as a strong young woman with buried fears of the unknown, the burden of family obligations and responsibilities, who is struggling to find her place in the world and do what is right for herself, her family and the Hive. Her journey will be a long road full of challenges, despair, joy and triumph (and let us not forget the romance) as she discovers what she is truly capable of. It is going to be a wonderful adventure watching her mature, grow more confident and take her rightful place. This story will be a reverse harem and we get to meet some potential love interests who already have an invested interest in her. It is going to be fun to see how things progress for Echo and these men as they each learn their place in this new world.

[Missy Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have said it before and I will say it again. I love this author. What she can come up with in creating these worlds that draw you in, she is one of my favorite authors that I love everything she creates. And Deadworld is no different.

She has created in the Chronicles of Deadworld a post apocalyptic scene 100 years into the future. In this future, life has been forced to live underground. But if you are brave enough, strong enough you can be known as a Guardian. Who watch over from above those below. Here we have Echo, who has known since birth that she is a potential. She can follow in her father's footsteps too because he is a Guardian. But she does not want this, she wants to stay underground, in her hive. Where it is safe, and she can stay around her family and friends. Her job she loves. Upside is danger with monsters and the AI. But fate is a fickle little thing, and Echo is about to find out what she has in store for her.

I absolutely loved this. The Chronicles of Midnight and the Chronicles of Arcana set the back drop for this world. You do not have to have read these, although I highly recommend, to understand this new series. I love it when series connect, and this one does it perfectly. The main character Echo is awesome as a lead. She has a lot of struggles to work through, a lot of fears. I cannot wait to see her grow as a character. We get to meet her future love interests, and I approve. Having said that I enjoyed this beginning of this series and I cannot wait for more! An extra bonus is that they will be coming not far from now.

[Natalie H · Rating 4 out of 5]

As nice as it is to see some of the characters from the other two series and their offspring, this one didn’t grip me as much as COA and it took a while to get into. Multiple POV starting in the first book this time which was good. Curious about Echo’s power and Hunter. A little disappointed in Finn. I hope Deacon is in the harem. Harker has changed a lot. Looking forward to reading the next one.

[Exiguous · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hmmm

The story is decent but I have to be honest since I’ve read everything else... meh. Echo just doesn’t do it for me and maybe that’s partly because the pattern is too much the same. Finn I can tell is going to annoy me like Tay. The having multiple partners thing that’s she’s not comfortable with to start is the same. She can’t imagine loving more than one person “oh my” now she’s attracted to three but loves only one.. for now.

Admittedly if a person hasn’t read the chronicles that proceed this story then perhaps they won’t notice how much the story is just the same with a different heroine. Though I feel Echo is lacking compared to Harker and Bastion. Maybe because of this “I don’t want to be a guardian” b.s. that’s going on. She starts out just lacking that element that represents strength.

I am going to continue the series but I do wish there had at least been a short story to bridge the gap between the series. I’m gonna guess the bad guy based on the books before. Since honestly it seems he’d planned a mechanical world. There’s nothing I like more than a little resolution! Hah

[Ines · Rating 5 out of 5]

Echo is happy with her life, but she can't escape destiny. From the day she was born, she was destined to fight for her place as a Guardian; a faith she no longer wants. All she wants is to look after her brother and sister, live in the safety of the Hive and have a romantic future with her best friend... and maybe her mentor... But what happens when life becomes a lot more complicated, secrets are revealed, and connections are being formed with more men than she ever could imagine?

I love dystopian RH series and I always keep some of those on my TBR so I can read at least one every few months. At the moment I am kicking myself for keeping this series on there for such a long time. It has everything I love and crave in a good book/series: a dystopian scene, secrets, mysterie, a kick-ass fmc, a lot of hot men, fated mates, a friends-to-lovers trope, and a scorching hot slow-burn development. I am absolutely hooked, and dying to read the rest of this series asap.

[Tracy Hoyt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another fantastic series start, another need begins

Man, I know better. This crazy lady always sucks me in with her stories! I hold off on reading because I hate the wait in between, or I know the series is ending, so I don't read because I don't want to say goodbye. She has an amazing knack for storytelling and endearing her characters to her readers. I get invested so quickly then I'm so cold and lonely when it's over! My addiction couldn't wait any longer, so, I did it. I started a new series by Debbie Cassidy, aaah! Okay, fine, fine, you have me right where you want me. Don't mind me, I'll just be over here. Waiting for the story and the characters to burn me so good. Tease! Once again, well done! I love it, can't get enough of it! Bring me more. More Echo, more everything. Is it hot in here? Well, it's about to be!

[Nerdy Housewifey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Seriously Awesome

Deadworld features the kids of the characters from Chronicles of Midnight and Chronicles of Arcana. It is not necessary to read the other two series as this is a new world and characters, but it does let you have the ‘squee’ moment every time you see someone familiar.

Echo like all Debbie’s female leads is pretty bad ass, she’s hella fierce and I can’t wait to see what happens in book 2. This book was full of characters and setting, it’ll be fun to see what happens next.

[T · Rating 5 out of 5]

The world building in this book is so good, I got confused by some of the details but I’m still impressed by it nonetheless.

So it’s the year 20-something, the world and most of its population has been destroyed by an intelligent machine called Genesis. The remaining surviving species are living underground in a bunker called the Hive. Most people living in the Hive have never seen the surface before. However for Guardians, going to the surface is a common but extremely dangerous event. Echo is a Potential; a group of people who’s genetic markers indicate that they could become Guardians. Echo has no plans of ever joining the Guardian rank. She’s also convinced that she’s the type of person to love only one man at a time. In this book, we get to see if Echo’s plans have a chance against fate.

[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dont expect a happy ending

Deadworld, as you might predict from the title, is about a dystopian world in which humanity is barely clinging to survival. The story grabs and holds your attention, but don't expect a happy ending as it's a tough world. While I wouldn't say the book ends on a cliffhanger, the story is definitely unfinished so I look forward to reading what happens next in book 2.

[Andi · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Deadworld was a page-turner, but I was a little annoyed with the amount of pining and ogling between Echo and several male characters that went on throughout this book. The sexual references were a bit too much for my taste. But…I loved the plot, world-building, and this series’ connection with Cassidy’s other series. The competition was an exhilarating and twisty ending to the novel.

I’ll definitely keep reading!

[Taylor Loewe · Rating 4 out of 5]

cross over characters!

No spice

Be prepared to strap yourself in for a freaking roller coaster. This book has started the series off with so many ups and downs I’m motion sick. I don’t know who to trust, who I like, even cross over characters I loved have me feeling not great. I’m wanting to cry and demand justice but I can’t stop reading long enough to do anything. Great start to this series!

[Kelly Wheeler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic start to a new series

I absolutely loved this ! Debbie Cassidy starts her new series with a bang and it just keeps getting better , we get some cameos from some of our fave past characters and the action , romance, and intrigue remind us why we love this author so much ! Always worth the read and can’t wait for the next book :)

[Melissa Hickman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow!!!

Another awesome story by Debbie Cassidy!!! I can’t get enough of the Arcana worlds!!! Echo is such a fantastic addition to the wonderful heroines that came before and as always Ms Cassidy excels in world building. The guys are sexy beast(literally) as usual and I will enjoy guessing who will be in the harem!!

[April · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding read!

Honestly I don't know how Cassidy does it. With each new series that comes out the plots get better. The characters more interesting and the storytelling more fantastic. I love that the characters and their children from the other Chronicle books have popped up in this one. I can't wait to see what happens next.

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exciting new characters I want to sink my teeth into.

I liked this book alot, loved the POV FROM the male characters, excited to learn more about them. All the characters have their own stuff going on and in excited if and how it's going to bring them together and work out. I loved the world Debbie has created, cannot wait to read more.

[Susan Smead · Rating 5 out of 5]

For The Blood - What would you do to protect your family and friends?

Great story about adventure, destiny, desire, and the conflicts along the way. Wonderful read. I couldn’t put it down. The characters are complex with a lot of hidden secrets and outside demands in a world created to survive the apocalypse. Highly recommend!

[Paranormal Kiss · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have really enjoyed the previous series that I've read by this author but, I had the hardest time getting into this book. I started and stopped it so many times before I read the whole thing. It just wasn't capturing my attention and it didn't do so until around halfway through the book. Once things stared to progress I enjoyed it, however, I am undecided if I will continue the series.

[Marien · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun read. The story has wizards, ghosts, wolf shifters, demons, soul eaters, machines with artificial intelligence, flesh eating monsters, dragons... you name it! Somehow the author makes it work.
There's very little romance but it is alright because it is only book one and the males are already crazy about the heroine so adding more romance to it would've been a disaster.

[Johnnie yslas · Rating 5 out of 5]

So in love

This is my new favorite book and I'm super excited for book 2. The writing and storyline all flowed so EFFORTLESSLY. The story itself is AMAZING. I think I want to re-read it because I read it so fast the first time!