The beginning of the series started with a novella that was so well written and interesting I could not wait to delve deeper. In the first book of the series, time has passed and the writing is also extremely different. We meet Hazel, our female protagonist, and learn about her post apocalyptic world. From the town she calls home, her sheltered upbringing, and the fact that her family are the ones who govern. There is also the extreme hatred and prejudice against those who were (against their will) changed by bio weaponry. Humans who look different, live and act different, and are reviled as The Tainted. I’m just going to mention the first books showed how easily we can be led astray in our belief of others who are different from ourselves by family, friends, and the society around us.
The Fallout is to be the conclusion of the narrative of Hazel and Noah. It is billed as an enemies to lovers dystopian novel. Now I am going to do a tiny bit of spoiling so that my rating of only three stars is understood.
Hazel is an ungrateful brat. At least half of this book has her being unkind, ungrateful, violent and rude. Yes, there is trauma and we all react with trauma. I applaud the author in not stepping away from the after effects. But. This is supposed to be a conclusion, the enemies become lovers, instead Hazel is still calling every single kind person caring for her “monsters”. Her own family wouldn’t let her return because she had been outside of the gates too long. She was welcomed by those changed humans and yes, some bad things happened, because what is a book without drama?
I felt like I did when reading the POV of Jane Austen‘s Emma. My most disliked book by this vaunted author because the character is such a spoiled, ungrateful, little brat. So Hazel is not really high on my list right now of protagonists I enjoy reading.
I did enjoy having so much of Noah‘s point of view throughout the novel. I got to know him better and understand his motivations. He is not a monster, but a man fighting against instinct and growing feelings for someone who is supposed to be his enemy. Someone who keeps treating him terribly despite all of his kindness and character growth. Yes, he is kind of an ass, but what can you do? Boys in these sort of novels are stereotypically written to have the jerk gene.
Cliffhangers are not my thing. Now I’m not saying this has the Standard cliffhanger that leaves you upset and the book thrown across the room. But as this is the conclusion of these characters, there is no resolution of their feelings for each other. It is one of those cases of the last 10 pages the heroine decides to be nicer and then the book ends with no HEA.
Hopefully, since the author has said there is to be perhaps nine books in the series, we will see Hazel grow and accept who is she now is. I would have to say I am begging the author to write a proper happily ever after for Hazel and Noah because they deserve it. I am interested in finding out about the new big-bad in the Dominion of Ash universe and what Adventures await around the corner.
Thank you to the author for this advanced readers copy and you have my honest review.