Battle Ground

Battle Ground #1

by Rachel Churcher

Readers' Favorite Book Awards 2021 BRONZE MEDAL winner
Wishing Shelf Book Award 2019 BRONZE MEDAL winner
Readers' Favorite FIVE STAR book

Looking for an award-winning dystopia? Prefer die-for-each-other friendships to romance? Like your YA with a relevant political twist? Battle Ground is a friendship-based found-family survival story with a strong female lead, and book one of a gripping near-future dystopian series.

Sixteen-year-old Bex Ellman has been drafted into an army she doesn't support and a cause she doesn't believe in. Her plan is to keep her head down, and keep herself and her friends safe – until she witnesses an atrocity she can't ignore, and a government conspiracy that threatens lives all over the UK. With her loyalties challenged, Bex must decide who to fight for – and who to leave behind.

The Battle Ground series is set in a dystopian near-future UK, after Brexit and Scottish independence.

…..

Silence. Darkness. My pulse, loud in my ears.

We're under attack. We need to move. We need to get out. Three floors underground in a nuclear bunker – we're safe while no one knows we’re here, but if they’ve found us, we're trapped. One way in, and one way out.

Voices. Sounds. Hammer blows, slamming through the silence.

I force myself to wake up. Open my eyes, push back the blanket, crawl out of bed.

I need to wake the others.

Boots. Armour. Gun.

Time to be brave.

Genres: Young Adult, Dystopia, Science Fiction

258 pages, ebook

First published July 25, 2019

About the author

My new standalone UKYA novel is here, and gathering five-star reviews and award nominations! Angels is the LGBTQ+ YA story you've been waiting for: friendship, identity, attraction, disasters ... and finding your wings.

Available now!

All seven books of my near-future #UKYA dystopia series are available now on Amazon! Download Book One, Battle Ground , Book Two, False Flag , Book Three, Darkest Hour , Book Four, Fighting Back , Book Five, Victory Day , Book Six, Balancing Act , and Book Seven, Finding Fire and Other Stories for Kindle. Paperbacks are also available, and you'll find all seven books on Kindle Unlimited. For help with international downloads, visit the Taller Books website.

For a FREE tie-in novella, Making Trouble, and bonus short story, Lost Cause , visit freebook.tallerbooks.com.

Award-winning YA author and passionate YA reader. Always looking for the next great YA novel, whether it's a dystopia with an awesome female lead, a historical adventure, or a contemporary High School drama.

SF and dystopia are my comfort zones, but I'll step outside my happy place in pursuit of a good story. I have a book-buying habit, and a large library at home (I think of it as a portal to other worlds). I love physical books, and curling up in front of the fire to read. I firmly believe that there is no such thing as too many books - just not enough book shelves.

Reviews

[K.S. Marsden]

Bex is drafted in, to protect people from the terrorists. Surely the government wouldn't lie about what is best for the country, and their agenda.

I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Bex and her best-friend Dan are drafted into the army, to help battle against terrorists. They are pulled away from college and marched to a training camp. Despite the intense work, they are proud to be doing their part for their country.

Coincidentally, their close friend (and stirrer of trouble) Margie, left before they did, to join the terrorists. They will soon be fighting on opposite sides.

I liked how this near-future dystopian story felt like it could be the next step for the UK. In the face of so much unrest and uncertainty, the government have imposed a military presence, to help calm the populace and bring peace.
All the while, there are little niggles that things are not as they appear. They are not allowed to call this a civil war, they have to vilify their enemy and call them terrorists.
Media portrays the army recruits as heroes, good people doing their duty; but they are rounded-up, herded into training camps and hammered into tools for the government.

I really wanted to love this, and it is well-written, with a great idea, but I just didn't connect with it.
The beginning was too slow, focussing on Bex's training. It was interesting enough, and helped to add to the layers of distrust, but it was bogged down in the minutiae.

I think my main problem was Bex herself. She is a tool.
In the description it says she has "been drafted into an army she doesn't support and a cause she doesn't believe in". This didn't really ring true for the first half of the book. I got the feeling that Bex was a mind-washed girl, with a vague happiness, content to be pushed into the role of soldier.

In contrast to the flashbacks with Margie, Bex is bland and disconnected from everything happening around her. And some of the flashbacks made me question Bex's attitude at the beginning.
She gets much better in the second half, but it was too late for me to be invested.

I won't be continuing with this series, but I would be open to reading more of Churcher's work.

[Alan]

A great debut novel from Rachel Churcher
Set against a backdrop of a near-future UK in turmoil, the book follows Bex and her group of friends as they struggle to come to terms with their situation. As events unfold, Bex is forced to choose sides as she tries to differentiate right from wrong.
Morally complicated and thought-provoking, the book is aimed at a Young Adult audience, but is equally gripping for an older audience and challenges your thinking throughout.

[M.T. McGuire]

I bought this book from the author at a book fair. I'm not normally a huge fan of dystopian stuff because it can get a bit depressing but I loved the fact that it was inspired by the debate over Brexit. Not the issues so much as the inability of either side to listen to the other. I also loved the idea of a dystopian novel set in the UK with British characters.

I'm going to review the whole series here rather than just the first book because you'll be pretty much hooked when you've read the first one. We start off and our heroine, Bex has been hauled out of school, with her friends, and drummed into the army to 'keep Britain safe' from terrorists. The training regime is brutal and when Bex stands up for her friends she soon puts herself at loggerheads with the officer in charge, Ketty.

The first book follows Bex as she adjusts unwillingly to military life. This story is first and foremost about friendship, and how Bex and her friends support one another. The second book tells the events in the first book from the point of view of Bex's apparent nemesis, Ketty. Despite her enmity with Bex, Ketty has more in common with her than you might think. She also relies on her close friend, Jackson and the two of them support each other through thick and thin.

The third fourth and fifth books condinue the story and the points of view alternate between Ketty and Bex.

The story is written in the first person, in the present tense and it works extremely well to bring immediacy to what is already compelling action. I loved that the protagonists are flawed and human and in a lot of cases are just doing their best to get by and get ahead with what they have. Over the course of the story I particularly began to empathise with Ketty, her background, the difficult realationship she navigates with her employer and her efforts to keep him on the straight and narrow and also to keep him (and therefore her) out of trouble. It's extremely readable, and fast-paced, and once I started I ripped through the whole lot in a very short time.

This story is about more than an exciting near future that still looks disconcertingly likely from time-to-time. It goes so much deeper than that. It is about human nature and the good and bad sides of politics; what governments will or will not stoop to. It's about being a pawn in a political game. It's about the nature of friendship, loyalty and loss played out against a the shifting sands of a politics. It's about characters who are just trying to do the right thing, or keep their heads above water in an enviroment where nobody can be trusted, the world is opaque and it's almost impossible to know who's playing who.

The characters in this story endure tough times, for sure, but it is their reactions and actions that make it so compelling, and in many parts, uplifting.

Great stuff. Highly recommended.

[Yvonne]

4.5 Stars rounded up.
This is a dystopian story that is aimed at Young Readers, and I have to say this Older Reader really enjoyed it as well. Living in the UK for Bex and her friends is different, there are tensions about which side should be supported. Misinformation and fake news make it difficult for the friends to know which is the right side to be on, or even if there is a right side.

There is the side of the Government, surely they have the nations best interests at heart. But then the terrorists are fighting for the people as well! Bex, Dan, Margie, Saunders and others have to decide who they will join up with. The weight of their decisions emerges throughout the story.

Some elements could be seen as relevant in today’s society. This for me is a good thing as it is something a YA reader can relate to. Fake new or propaganda as it used to be known is everywhere in society. Manipulation of the truth leaves you wondering who to trust. For Bex and her friends, it gives rise to discussions and arguments as they believe they support the better side. It leads to the friendship fracturing as they are taken from their school to a Training Camp.

This has been an enjoyable read with a well-paced flow to it. There is plenty of action to keep the pages turning. I like a good amount of conspiracy in my reads and this has a level that felt right for the intended audience. I think YA Readers would really enjoy Battleground, I certainly did.

It is one I would recommend.

[Joe]

Set in a near future Britain where teenagers are conscripted into the government’s front-line against terrorism, Battle Ground is a compelling read that feels like it’s not too far off from current events. Bex Ellman is a believable hero and her antagonists equally so. It looks like this is going to be a series and it’s off to a great start. (My review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher.)

[G.R. Thomas]

A brilliantly paced dystopian read. I love the main character Bex. She's kind of no-nonsense, she makes a decision and gets things done. She's loyal and likeable, she's tough and determined. The story of an England that is removed from the world, ever more ruled by the ,military where people's rights are taken away by stealth, is a frighteningly real scenario of what actually goes on in the world today. Love a military novel here and there and this wasn't too bogged down with terminology. I could clearly picture the activity and environment of Camp Bishop. Looking forward to book 2, False Flag

[Bookaholic F]

What an action driven thought-provoking dystopian young adult

OH, this is a book I almost read in one time. The story about Bex and Dan is so thrilling that I can’t put it down.
Bex and Dan are schoolmates and both have big plans to do with their life. In the dystopian UK everything changes when the government is deciding to protect the citizens against the terrorists. When I saw this situation I know this could be today a realistic event. Our society is afraid of the bad terrorists and is taking actions to maintain peace and save the good ones. Those actions are not always as clear and just as in the book we do have fake news and propaganda is off all times.
I got the terrible feeling we could end like in this future country where youngsters are taken to be the public relations off the army. When Bex and her friends come into the battlefield they have to make incredibly tough choices and they learn to choice for themselves. Bex is different and by trying to do the right thing she even has more trouble.

Battle Ground is a very good written dystopian novel and I am a big fan of those books. It is intelligent and in an easy way told, but with a good plot and many moral questions and intriguing characters. The tale was addressed to the young adult public and I think they are going to read this one with much pleasure.

Nevertheless I am an adult and I loved this story because it is an exciting view at what could happen to us when we don’t think before we act.
Yes, I am very happy to discover this is just book one in a lot off books about this dystopian society.
I can’t wait to see what themes then are woven into the book.
https://indeboekenkast.com/?s=Battle+...+

[Lorraine]

I enjoyed this first book of this new series. A dystopian story set in the not too distant future of the UK. It's aimed at Young Adults, but perfectly suitable for older readers too.

Bex Ellman and her friend, Dan are conscripted into the army, while their other friend Margie has disappeared along with a teacher to join the 'terrorists'. As recruits Bex, Dan and other teens are put through a harrowing training regime, merely to be shown off to the public to prove that they are safe from attack.

With propaganda, misinformation and rumour it's difficult for the teens to decide what the truth is and whos side they should be on.

The characters are well-rounded and most have a back story which helps you get to know them. They're not perfect, they're flawed and make mistakes like all teenagers.

The story moved along at a good pace and in today's climate the plotline was plausible and believable! I look forward to reading the second book of the series.

[Anselm Patey]

I'm giving this book some benefit of the doubt as I don't usually read YA - otherwise my 3 star review would have been a 2 star. But I was sold this book as a SciFi adventure that hinges on friendships rather than romance, which was appealing to me. Now, in truth, this book is BARELY SciFi because the world hasn't really changed that much, and the changes there are do not relate to technology or nature, but rather a dystopian political landscape.

Considering the book centres around young people getting involved in the military, I didn't get the impression the author understood a great deal about military organisations, operations or equipment. A lot of things really didn't make much sense. Why design a gun-holstering system that takes days to get used to using? Why design armour that restricts movement as much as the protagonist claims? And what is a "training bullet" that is still lethal? And yes, again, I appreciate this is YA so I wasn't expecting the author to talk about gun calibres, picatiny rails or advanced operational tactics. But I would have liked their situation to feel somewhat authentic.

I also really struggled to understand the conflicting views on what the recruits were supposed to be. One minute, they are being told that they won't actually be allowed near any of the real action, and that they are just for show. At other times, the protagonist complains that they are "disposable" cannon fodder. And throughout the book, the term "front-line dolls" is used, but I never really understood what is meant by this. It's a strange epithet, since a "doll" is usually a plaything, and the author seems to be trying to wrench it into a different use meaning something for presentation rather than function. But then in the second half of the book, Bex feels like she's a "front-line doll" for only being allowed to train people rather than fight...except now she is fulfilling a function and she's nowhere near the 'front-line'.

The redeeming elements are that it's a very easy read, and, as promised, the characters are a friendship group with no attempts to shoe-horn in a romance.

Another issue that that Battle Ground is not a complete story in its own right, and the author seems to even acknowledge this on their website when bemoaning how a publisher would not have published it because it was already a complete series: "Battle Ground is a complete story, beginning in Battle Ground (Battle Ground #1) and ending in Victory Day (Battle Ground #5). Plot points in Book 5 required changes to Book 1, so writing it book by book would have been impossible."

Fair enough if there is an overarching or continuing adventure across a series, but each book also has to have a self-contained narrative. If a first book in a series can't be sold as a stand-alone, then the author hasn't really done their job right.

I'm sure young adult readers would be a lot more forgiving, but for me personally, I won't be proceeding with the rest of the series.

[Paperbacks]

Battle Ground is a story that immediately resonated with me as a huge fan of Dystopia and especially to have one in an UK, near future setting ticked so many boxes. To start with I was so happy that the Author had put a pronunciation guide at the FRONT of the book, so often these are at the end and then I find out I've been saying something wrong in my head for hundreds of pages!  With the UK on the verge of martial law everything feels very bleak, empty and cold. The very stark "them and us" feel apparent from the opening pages as we get drips and drops of information which starts to paint a picture of where we are at and with a bombshell that the UK has returned to the death penalty the reader is under no illusion that things are far from well.

Bex is a great protagonist and ticks very few of the YA heroine tick boxes, she not all about running into danger without a backward glance for others, she seldom if ever mentions her appearance, if only to lament her "front line barbie" moniker, and it's not about catching the eye of a cute boy. Bex has a strong morality and a curiosity about what is going on and it's amazing to have a book where a romantic element isn't the ultimate goal. She questions and is open to suggestion that there has to be some way of making things better.

With chapters heavy on military training, I liked how the author took the time to remind us that Bex is still very much a child underneath. The passages where we return to the school setting and her finding joy in the simpler things, the mundane such as homework really brought home her plight and those of the others. It's one of many frightening near life scenarios that we are shown in this tale, children "enlisted" giving them little to no choice or say in the matter, made horribly parallel scenario to the drafting of the first and second world wars. The whole training camp had an uncomfortable feel with very little sympathy, but plenty of brainwashing and propaganda feeding. The concept of forcing the humanity out of the children, encouraging them to abandon anyone other than themselves, is a distressing idea. The indication that caring for someone is somehow obtuse in an environment that breeds disassociation from what they may have to do as part of the "greater good" all whilst putting on a good show for the camera's, is one of many difficult topics the author covers and it is done incredibly well.

Whilst the start is a teeny tiny bit slow with the recruitment and training aspect, it's still captivating and knowing that these are rapid release books means that there will be pay off from establishing the world building in this book. I did find that I struggled with how quickly Bex gained the military prowess displayed towards the closing chapters but then adrenaline probably speaks for a lot, but it was the only time that I felt the story stepped outside of what could actually happen.

There are obvious connotations with the current political climate, which is clear when reading the blurb - whichever side of the fence you are on, this book isn't preaching about that, it's putting across a scenario and a pretty great one at that. The story contains enough of current and recent affairs to give it a realistic turn without specifying enough to date it in future, especially with the imaginative combination of guns and armour which had an almost sci-fi feel at times. This coupled with the weaponry makes it feel like it might not be quite just around the corner, but in these uncertain times, who knows.

I'm very much looking forward to book 2 and give book one a very strong 4*

[Lucy-May]

I was obsessed with this story from the outset & am completely taken with the plot & characters; this isn’t necessarily the type of book I would normally read, but I’m so glad I have done & I wish I could read all the books back-to-back starting now. I love Our Girl & the start of the book started off feeling quite similar to the show... but after a short while this book became incredibly unique & I can’t believe I have to wait until September (which may not seem like a long time) to read the next book. This is yet another book published by an indie author that should be a high profile mainstream read, Rachel Churcher is awesome.

⚠️ This book contains violence, death & scenes containing gun shooting & killing ⚠️

I was sent a copy of this book to review as part of a blog tour organised by Rachel’s Random Resources.

Extended Review: https://wp.me/p8MbIo-2Rm

[Erin Swan]

I haven't read a dystopian novel in a long time, and this was a good reintroduction to the genre. Based in the near future, it's almost frightening to see the parallels between our own society and this world where people sign over their freedoms to feel safer, and where the people meant to protect us are the greatest threat. The author did a good job of making a believable world and shocking you with some of the things happening.

My only complaint is that it got off to a slow start. I would have liked to get more insight into the terrorists and the attacks as we watched Bex and her friends train. More growing tension in those chapters would have been nice. But once the action officially kicked off, it was really interesting and exciting.

[Archie]

I found this book to have an interesting premise but lacking depth. Too much of the story is telling the feelings of the characters instead of showing their actions and reactions and letting the reader perceive the character. In many places this description went on too long and caused me to skip a lot.
I kept wanting to know more of the political background but only got generalizations about what was going on. The government is bad, wants power and is taking away the freedoms of the people. Reality is a lot more complex.
About half way I put it down but being on a long flight I didn't have much else to read so I finished it. The plot was predictable, from recruit to rebel.

[Ursula Visser]

I guess this book wasn't for me.

I could not connect with the characters as much as I would have liked to. Perhaps it was the setting of the book... Military, training, training, training and that all with 16-year-old kids... It felt like Bex is not actually there, she absentmindedly does what she is told (after a brief period of questioning the camp leaders).
At the end of the books the story picks up speed, but by then it was too late for me.

The story itself is a good idea, and I am sure lots of readers will love it.

[Joyce Van noten]

This was an amazing book. Warning: this is part of a series so even though the book is great, it does built a picture for all the coming books. Just for those people who are difficult about those kind of things. Give it a chance and it will definitely surprise you in a positive way.

[Fran Clarke]

Super quick read, very fast paced and action packed.

[James]

Exciting and pacy, this first novel vividly describes a dystopian future that seems all too plausible. The first person narrative is compelling and the story is engaging.

[Billy Buttons]

This book was entered in The Wishing Shelf Book Awards. This is what our readers thought:
Title: Battle Ground
Author: Rachel Churcher

Star Rating: 5 Stars
Number of Readers: 17
Stats
Editing: 9/10
Writing Style: 10/10
Content: 10/10
Cover: 10/10
Of the 17 readers:
17 would read another book by this author.
16 thought the cover was good or excellent.
17 felt it was easy to follow.
17 would recommend this story to another reader to try.
Of all the readers, 11 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘plotting a story’.
Of all the readers, 6 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘developing the characters’.
15 felt the pacing was good or excellent.
17 thought the author understood the readership and what they wanted.

Readers’ Comments
‘Cool book. Exciting and fast paced. I loved it!’ Girl, aged 15
‘The UK setting was perfect for this book. I loved all the dilemmas the girl faced in the story. Bex is a fantastic hero, always inquisitive with a strong moral code. The writing style is sort of sparce, which I also liked. A bit like The Hunger Games and not at all flowery.’ Girl, aged 15
‘I liked all the twists in the plot. I could never work out what was going to happen next. The soldier training was interesting for me and I liked the post-Brexit setting. Dark, gritty, sort of scary.’ Boy, aged 14
‘Slow to start but then gets much better. I think boys will like all the military stuff and girls will enjoy following a strong female hero.’ Boy, aged 14
‘I will read the next book when I can find it. This is an amazing start to this set of books. Talented author who knows what teenagers like to read.’ Girl, aged 14

To Sum It Up:
‘A complex, highly original YA dystopian thriller. A BRONZE MEDAL WINNER and highly recommended for YA.’ The Wishing Shelf Book Awards

[Jessica Juby | jesshidesinbooks]

I was struggling to sleep Thursday night and my current read was a 500 page tome so it wasn't what I felt like reaching for. Instead, this jumped out at me. It's on my 24 in '24 list after picking up a copy from Rachel at Nor-Con last year.

Nothing like a dystopian YA about a 16 y/o female that's been conscripted to keep you up 🤪

I was hooked. Post Brexit and post Scottish independence, this world has no social media and no mobile phones. Teens are forcibly taken from school to fight in the name of the government against terrorists. They lose their unique identity and become just another uniform. The government fight to retain ultimate power to protect the UK population.

I loved how this book touched on a lot of interesting things without giving you a lot of detail or presenting things in a certain way. It touched on a subject, then gave you room to ruminate and consider the implications. It let you form your own thoughts and gave a lot to think about.

However, when it came to smaller parts of worldbuilding, like the City Killers and showing how the armour fit together, the detail was there to build immersion.

The chapters end well, with high tension, gripping you and holding on tight into the next chapter. There was huge intrigue that kept the pages quickly turning.

I thought this was overall a sneakily smart read that served plenty to think about, including with regards to authority and the misplacement of power. The themes are scarily relevant for today's world.

[Ian Hornett]

My appetite had been whetted to the Battleground series by Rachel Churcher’s novella ‘Making Trouble’. I had been so drawn into the dystopian world the author built up, even in the shortened format, that I had to explore further a society that was similar to my own on the one hand, yet scarily different (and realistic) on the other. Battle Ground (book 1 in the series) develops the themes so well.

Bex – a feisty teenager thrown into a world of military training with her friends – is left dumbfounded both by the harsh regime they are all forced to follow and, increasingly, by the motivations of the people that run it. What transpires is an insight into how people can be manipulated by messaging, particularly when they are scared, as well as the extremes they might go to in order to protect what they believe in (or are forced to believe in). Bex’s strong character is to the fore as she seeks to protects those around her, but she is danger of being pushed and pushed almost to breaking point. This is where the author cleverly combines her world building skills and character development with a fast-paced plot which kept me hooked right the way through. I enjoyed every page, and am delighted to know there are so many more in the series to read.

My kind of book – a YA dystopian survival story which, much like The Hunger Games, will be enjoyed by adults, young or old.

[Marie]

Honestly, this was quite refreshing.

I'm often cautious when reading books that have a teenage girl as the main character but Bex is far better than others I've read. Instead of being a sulky brat that has to do everything by herself (as if to prove something) and act stoic all the time, Bex immediately shows compassion and isn't afraid to cry when she needs to. She's a team player! She listens to others, another trait I don't often see. And it's also another pleasant relief to have a female lead who isn't making googly eyes at every single male she encounters. In fact, there's no romance in this which makes me love this book even more.

I really like Bex, and I'm looking forward to seeing where her story goes.

It's also refreshing to have a dystopian setting in a place I'm familiar with! Having characters talk about people/places I actually know makes me feel more connected to the story.

It's an easy read as well. I read this in one day and didn't feel the need to have a break once. Just the kind of book I needed right now.

I picked this up during a convention in my local area last year where several local authors were selling their books. I have no regrets in buying it! And a big thank you to the author for signing it for me :) This is one I will be keeping on my bookshelf.

[Gary]

This is a bang up to date dystopian vision of a future that almost appears to be here right now. It’s a nightmare post Brexit Britain that feels tantalisingly real. In fact, the reality of the setting is incredibly convincing. For me, the book it most brings to mind is Malorie Blackman’s Noughts & Crosses.

The main character, Bex, is a girl plucked from a private school to be a soldier; one of a new force established to protect the public from “terrorists”. But who exactly are the terrorists and how much “soldiering” her squad will get to do? These are just two of the issues Bex is forced to confront in a world filled with propaganda and differing versions of the truth.

Bex is an engaging lead and a fine example for readers to follow. She’s strong, brave, loyal and self-reliant, but we never lose sight of the fact that Bex is a child — a young person forced into an impossible position and made to grow up, literally overnight.

Don’t let the subjects covered fool you. Yes, there’s politics, militarism, how “facts” can be twisted by the powers that be, the nature of childhood, the power of friendship — but nothing here is preachy. Battle Ground is an exciting, pacy adventure. Best of all, it’s just the first book in an impressive YA series. Thoroughly recommended!

[Shel Calopa]

I should say upfront that first-person YA fiction is not my preferred writing style, but I’d heard many good things about this series and thought I’d give it a go. Happy to discover the hype was well deserved. Churcher’s style is clear and easy to read.

Battle Ground moves swiftly through Bex’ experience of being conscripted into a war in near-future UK and leaves one wondering about our own modern-day governments. A good book for a quick weekend read or lovers of military training.

[Mel]

Rachel Churcher came to the library where I work to give a talk about her books which is why I read the book. This was the first teenager novel that I had read. I loved that the book is a dystopian genre and wanted to try that out. I thought it was fab. I hope to read False Flag to see what happens next. It’s really is a thoroughly enjoyable read and I look forward to the next by Ms Churcher.

[Veronika]

I read this a while back so excuse any mistake I make with the details.

Although it has been some time since I've read it - it left an impression on me - so much so that I came to find it after a year.

The story itself was something so fresh and it was something I had never read in any other book!

[Sally Warrell]

It’s a dystopia, post Brexit and Scotland has attained its independence. Bex, a sixteen-year-old school girl at the beginning of the story, is a heroine for the times. She’s not perfect. She makes mistake after mistake; but she is honest, trustworthy. Most of all she stands by her friends and she is a leader. An action novel. Breath-taking suspense. Highly recommend.

[Ally Aldridge]

This was a brilliant read. The main character has been enlisted into the army. Through her eyes you discover how all is not as it seems, once she knows this she has to take action. The character goes through quite a development from someone who follows order and takes a beating, to someone that can lead others to fight for the truth.

[Violeta Bagia]

Loved the story, loved the action. Really well developed characters.

[Cabra]

Reading this series to have something to talk about with my friend's 13 year old son who really likes this series.

[Madison S]

This book had me so hooked with its great concept and action, especially building towards the end. Made me so excited to read the next one!!