What do you think?
Rate this book
Cyberpunk City #2
Anarchy Boyz
Framed for a gruesome crime, Maddox finds himself at the top of the City’s most-wanted list, hunted twenty-four-seven by every cop in town. With the police closing in fast and nowhere to hide, there’s only one place left he might find help…and it’s the last place in the world he wants to go.
242 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 1, 2020
51 people are currently reading
50 people want to read
About the author
D.L. Young
24 books187 followersD.L. Young is a Pushcart Prize nominee and winner of the Independent Press Award.
EMPIRE AND ASHES SERIES
War is coming...interstellar civil war
A conflict of unimaginable scale threatens to end ten thousand years of Realm primacy.
Desperate to avoid bloodshed across the Great Arm, the empire's top spymaster takes matters into his own hands, undertaking a secret high-risk gambit to save the peace.
Jeryn Lorsi, the spymaster's apprentice, is hardly ready for an operation of this importance. An ex-black marketeer turned spy, Jeryn's no hero.
But when tragedy strikes their peacekeeping mission, that's exactly what he'll have to become.
CYBERPUNK CITY SERIES
Sprawling megacities, rogue AIs, black market tech, modded mercenaries, and pulse-pounding stories filled with unexpected twists. If you love action-packed near-future thrillers, you won't want to miss this series!
DARK REPUBLIC SERIES
For fans of Mad Max-style futuristic thrillers. In the wastelands of the near-future, rival factions wage battles over territory and precious resources, killer drones fly overhead in search of prey, and everyday life is a desperate scramble for survival.
EMPIRE AND ASHES SERIES
War is coming...interstellar civil war
A conflict of unimaginable scale threatens to end ten thousand years of Realm primacy.
Desperate to avoid bloodshed across the Great Arm, the empire's top spymaster takes matters into his own hands, undertaking a secret high-risk gambit to save the peace.
Jeryn Lorsi, the spymaster's apprentice, is hardly ready for an operation of this importance. An ex-black marketeer turned spy, Jeryn's no hero.
But when tragedy strikes their peacekeeping mission, that's exactly what he'll have to become.
CYBERPUNK CITY SERIES
Sprawling megacities, rogue AIs, black market tech, modded mercenaries, and pulse-pounding stories filled with unexpected twists. If you love action-packed near-future thrillers, you won't want to miss this series!
DARK REPUBLIC SERIES
For fans of Mad Max-style futuristic thrillers. In the wastelands of the near-future, rival factions wage battles over territory and precious resources, killer drones fly overhead in search of prey, and everyday life is a desperate scramble for survival.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
December 9, 2021
ANARCHY BOYZ is the second volume of the CYBERPUNK CITY series by D.L. Young. I really liked the first book and eagerly picked up the second despite thinking the series was a little too bright and cheerful to be "proper" cyberpunk. I changed my mind with this book and think it was a really effective escalation in the book's grit. A dirty police officer frames Maddox for a terrorist bombing and proving his innocence isn't an option. Worse, his former associates are going to take the heat for it. Maddox is personally willing to let them all hang but it becomes personal when a friend of his gets caught in the crossfire. That and the realization there's nowhere on Earth he can hide.
Good book and I will be buying the next one.
Good book and I will be buying the next one.
February 21, 2023
Yet another series I start from the middle (thankfully just second book in series :))
It is a relatively short story but set in a very interesting futuristic US East Coat [I guess] now amalgamated into one huge City (very much like recent Judge Dredd like mega-city like demos from certain high level gathering in the world - looks like somebody on decision making levels should stop reading dark SF :))
Story on its own is pretty straight forward, maybe a little bit too straight forward. I wont go into details because I do not want to spoil anything but while first third was very intriguing, second third was way too much revealing (and gotta admit that bad guys motive was a little bit..... weird..... I mean if antagonist was carry over from previous novel and this was continuation of the elaborate plot I would say Okkkkk, but with this I just cannot understand the motivation and I know people who get angry and hold grudges :)). I mean finale was so quick that only thing that could rival it was Jango Fett's fate on Geonosis (oh, kewl here it goes ............ [zap][zapppp] [zzzzzzzzzzzzzzt] [tump] ...... hah!?).
World and characters are great but there is too much detail on technology here. I like specs (I mean Tom Clancy and Larry Bond books are my favorites) but when too much specification is provided it sometimes drowns the story. Not everything needs explaining, let me build [usually completely wrong :)] picture in my mind and then hit me with tadaaaaa! moment or leave me in my ignorance.
But even with that, this is very interesting story that reminded me of Parker crime novels (although our protagonist is not that coldhearted and has strong team of friends to help him when needed (that mercenary woman ...... oh, I so want to read more about her :))).
Short intro to the next book in series shows that what bugged me here definitely evolved into more intriguing story-telling so ..... gotta say I cannot wait :)
Highly recommended to fans of cyberpunk and technological dystopia.
It is a relatively short story but set in a very interesting futuristic US East Coat [I guess] now amalgamated into one huge City (very much like recent Judge Dredd like mega-city like demos from certain high level gathering in the world - looks like somebody on decision making levels should stop reading dark SF :))
Story on its own is pretty straight forward, maybe a little bit too straight forward. I wont go into details because I do not want to spoil anything but while first third was very intriguing, second third was way too much revealing (and gotta admit that bad guys motive was a little bit..... weird..... I mean if antagonist was carry over from previous novel and this was continuation of the elaborate plot I would say Okkkkk, but with this I just cannot understand the motivation and I know people who get angry and hold grudges :)). I mean finale was so quick that only thing that could rival it was Jango Fett's fate on Geonosis (oh, kewl here it goes ............ [zap][zapppp] [zzzzzzzzzzzzzzt] [tump] ...... hah!?).
World and characters are great but there is too much detail on technology here. I like specs (I mean Tom Clancy and Larry Bond books are my favorites) but when too much specification is provided it sometimes drowns the story. Not everything needs explaining, let me build [usually completely wrong :)] picture in my mind and then hit me with tadaaaaa! moment or leave me in my ignorance.
But even with that, this is very interesting story that reminded me of Parker crime novels (although our protagonist is not that coldhearted and has strong team of friends to help him when needed (that mercenary woman ...... oh, I so want to read more about her :))).
Short intro to the next book in series shows that what bugged me here definitely evolved into more intriguing story-telling so ..... gotta say I cannot wait :)
Highly recommended to fans of cyberpunk and technological dystopia.
July 11, 2020
Well written and fun!
My only complaint is that the stories are too short- and if that is my only complaint, it's a great novel!
My only complaint is that the stories are too short- and if that is my only complaint, it's a great novel!
July 18, 2023
Cyberpunk books are my weakness, and my current obsession. Let's pretend it has nothing to do with the Cyberpunk 2077 game, which is completely unrelated to these books and probably bugs everyone because "Other Cyberpunk things exist too!" Anyway, I loved this book. I read the first Cyberpunk City book a few months back, and I made a vow to myself that I wouldn't sit on the rest of this series. I'd actually planned to jump right in to book two, but stopped myself because I was having financial burdens and didn't want to blow through books two and three (which were and still are the only others I have besides the first book) and then not be left on an eternal cliff hanger for book four because I didn't have the money to buy it. But eventually I decided to bite the bullet, and financial burdens have eased, so I think I can more comfortably continue reading this series and not have to worry about not being able to afford the next book. A blessing, truly.
All that aside, Anarchy Boyz had me excited from the start. We were already introduced to the Anarchy Boyz in the previous installment, so this one definitely had me wondering what to expect moving forward and how this had anything to do with them. I was also curious because the last book wrapped up pretty neatly, though it still had room for more, obviously. Needless to say, since I've given this book five stars, I was not disappointed.
I won't hash out the plot, especially as doing so would contain a lot of spoilers, and for some reason I hate marking my reviews with spoilers. But I will say that it didn't lack the complexities from the first book. I admire Young's ability to write about something this complex in a way that was fairly easy for my brain to break down and understand. I didn't have to play too much catch up, or reread passages to understand how the technology worked the way that it did. Maybe it's because I already had the foundation from the first book, but I should have forgotten most of that in the months that spanned between reading book one and two, so I commend the author for being able to write convincingly and in a way that doesn't take a degree in rocket science to understand. Writing things like this can be difficult because the author might understand it in their head, but the reader might not have the same amount of knowledge to make it make sense to them, so a lot of pieces are usually missing. There weren't any glaring holes here though. Everything pretty much made sense. So A+ for that.
And once again, all of our characters were engaging and familiar, even though I expected to meet some of them earlier on than I did. I was actually a bit surprised how they all split up, but by some twist of horrible fate, they all found each other again, for better or for worse. It's like the found family trope, but with a lot of dysfunction. I was a bit saddened by Maddox's choice at the end, but of course, this kind of a series doesn't imply happy endings. Certainly not for book two, at least. There are still so many more that come after this. But I'm sure our trio will find a way to come back together again...
Speaking of sadness, amidst all the fast-paced action (this book is seriously all go go go go GO), there were some scenes that ripped at my heart. Even the characters we don't know for very long grow on you in a way that makes their loss feel permanent and unsettling. You feel their loss just as much as the character's do. I'd say that makes for some convincing storytelling. And I love that just because these characters live in a fairly ruthless, vile world, they don't ALL lack humanity. They feel things too, and I, as the reader, feel it with them. I can appreciate that. I'm a sucker for character's that feel things, especially the ones that aren't used to feeling things, what can I say?
This book was a rollercoaster in the best possible way. I loved the mystery. I loved the suspense. I loved how things just kept GOING, rarely slowing down, pausing just briefly for you to catch your breath and make sense of what you just read before ramping things back up to eleven again. THIS is how an action book is supposed to be. A lot of people feel these sorts of things are better suited for movies, where the visuals can suck you in. But Young does a great job of describing what's happening without going overboard or slowing/taking away from the plot. That's pretty impressive, if you ask me. Now, this series could easily make an incredible action series, don't get me wrong. But it's also incredible as a novel. If this is my standard, and I think that it is, then it's a tough one for other books to beat.
I really don't have any criticism for the book. I'm honestly just excited to read the third one.
Also, on a random note, I love that there are chapter titles in these books. That's a lost art, these days, but they're always so much fun. Small details, but they make a difference to me.
Anyway. 10/10 recommend.
All that aside, Anarchy Boyz had me excited from the start. We were already introduced to the Anarchy Boyz in the previous installment, so this one definitely had me wondering what to expect moving forward and how this had anything to do with them. I was also curious because the last book wrapped up pretty neatly, though it still had room for more, obviously. Needless to say, since I've given this book five stars, I was not disappointed.
I won't hash out the plot, especially as doing so would contain a lot of spoilers, and for some reason I hate marking my reviews with spoilers. But I will say that it didn't lack the complexities from the first book. I admire Young's ability to write about something this complex in a way that was fairly easy for my brain to break down and understand. I didn't have to play too much catch up, or reread passages to understand how the technology worked the way that it did. Maybe it's because I already had the foundation from the first book, but I should have forgotten most of that in the months that spanned between reading book one and two, so I commend the author for being able to write convincingly and in a way that doesn't take a degree in rocket science to understand. Writing things like this can be difficult because the author might understand it in their head, but the reader might not have the same amount of knowledge to make it make sense to them, so a lot of pieces are usually missing. There weren't any glaring holes here though. Everything pretty much made sense. So A+ for that.
And once again, all of our characters were engaging and familiar, even though I expected to meet some of them earlier on than I did. I was actually a bit surprised how they all split up, but by some twist of horrible fate, they all found each other again, for better or for worse. It's like the found family trope, but with a lot of dysfunction. I was a bit saddened by Maddox's choice at the end, but of course, this kind of a series doesn't imply happy endings. Certainly not for book two, at least. There are still so many more that come after this. But I'm sure our trio will find a way to come back together again...
Speaking of sadness, amidst all the fast-paced action (this book is seriously all go go go go GO), there were some scenes that ripped at my heart. Even the characters we don't know for very long grow on you in a way that makes their loss feel permanent and unsettling. You feel their loss just as much as the character's do. I'd say that makes for some convincing storytelling. And I love that just because these characters live in a fairly ruthless, vile world, they don't ALL lack humanity. They feel things too, and I, as the reader, feel it with them. I can appreciate that. I'm a sucker for character's that feel things, especially the ones that aren't used to feeling things, what can I say?
This book was a rollercoaster in the best possible way. I loved the mystery. I loved the suspense. I loved how things just kept GOING, rarely slowing down, pausing just briefly for you to catch your breath and make sense of what you just read before ramping things back up to eleven again. THIS is how an action book is supposed to be. A lot of people feel these sorts of things are better suited for movies, where the visuals can suck you in. But Young does a great job of describing what's happening without going overboard or slowing/taking away from the plot. That's pretty impressive, if you ask me. Now, this series could easily make an incredible action series, don't get me wrong. But it's also incredible as a novel. If this is my standard, and I think that it is, then it's a tough one for other books to beat.
I really don't have any criticism for the book. I'm honestly just excited to read the third one.
Also, on a random note, I love that there are chapter titles in these books. That's a lost art, these days, but they're always so much fun. Small details, but they make a difference to me.
Anyway. 10/10 recommend.
October 26, 2025
This was another enjoyable read from Young.
A bit shorter than the first book, I basically read it over a weekend. I think I enjoyed the first book in the series a bit more story wise, but am still really enjoying the series and main character.
Trying to stay spoiler free, so far this series seems to be loosely connected, with each book having its own A plot, and a looser background plot possibly building to something for the end of the series?
I'm curious to see how the series continues, and what other characters we get introduced to later.
In a good way, this reminds me of a Cyberpunk version of the Garrett P.I. books (which I love), with the possibility that it is building to something more at the end of the series.
A bit shorter than the first book, I basically read it over a weekend. I think I enjoyed the first book in the series a bit more story wise, but am still really enjoying the series and main character.
Trying to stay spoiler free, so far this series seems to be loosely connected, with each book having its own A plot, and a looser background plot possibly building to something for the end of the series?
I'm curious to see how the series continues, and what other characters we get introduced to later.
In a good way, this reminds me of a Cyberpunk version of the Garrett P.I. books (which I love), with the possibility that it is building to something more at the end of the series.
January 2, 2023
Easy-to-read second book in the Cyberpunk City series. Nothing in the story from the first book spilled over so I guess the series will consist of separate storys in the "Maddox Blackburn universe". The world-building was as good in this book as the previous, and I liked it, but I thought the ending was a bit too quick/easy.
January 20, 2021
Another head spinning really fast read of action and excitement in technicolor! Maddox does his Maddoxy things, taking big risks, showing growth, but never quite becoming the good guy entirely (what would be the fun in that?). I loved meeting Jack, and it was great to see some familiar faces too.
December 24, 2020
Audacious
A good addition to the series. Additional development of key characters added richness to the story. A plan that caught everyone by surprise! An interesting ending.
A good addition to the series. Additional development of key characters added richness to the story. A plan that caught everyone by surprise! An interesting ending.
May 13, 2021
Whoa!
I am definitely digging this series. It's a wild ride, but it's easy to keep up with. I shall be starting book three very soon.
I am definitely digging this series. It's a wild ride, but it's easy to keep up with. I shall be starting book three very soon.
May 11, 2023
Enjoyed the story. Great characters and an intriguing world.
June 7, 2023
Absolutely loved Book Two of this series! Looking forward to reading the next.
October 20, 2023
A nice continuation of the protagonist's story. Some new characters, since old favorites and a relatively swift plot. Just wish there was some more meat on these bones.
November 21, 2025
Exciting follow-up punch with some grit
An exciting follow up to the opening salvo of Cyberpunk City with more grit than the first, Anarchy Boyz puts Maddox in the middle of a manhunt.
I enjoyed how Young makes us question the “hero”’s morality, testing what it means to be the protagonist.
An exciting follow up to the opening salvo of Cyberpunk City with more grit than the first, Anarchy Boyz puts Maddox in the middle of a manhunt.
I enjoyed how Young makes us question the “hero”’s morality, testing what it means to be the protagonist.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews