Darkest Worlds: A Dystopian Anthology
Katie French (Author), S.K. Falls (Author), Zoe Cannon (Author), A.G. Henley (Author), Kate Avery Ellison (Author), Megan Thomason (Author)
- File Size: 409 KB
- Print Length: 237 pages
- Publisher: A.G. Henley (September 2, 2013)
- Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
- ASIN: B00EYMO344
My Rating:4.25 of 5.0
Book Description
Publication Date: September 2, 2013
An anthology that explores what humans are made of when society falls to its knees. Darkest Worlds includes six original novellas by award-winning authors and best sellers of Young Adult and New Adult Dystopia
All proceeds go to Girls Write Now, a charity that promotes literacy of inner-city girls.
Nessa: A Breeders Story by Katie French.
MOON by S.K. Falls.
The First Unforgivable Thing by Zoe Cannon.
The Keeper by A.G. Henley.
Survival Lessons by Kate Avery Ellison.
clean slate complex by Megan Thomason.
Nessa: A Breeders Story by Katie French, author of The Breeders: Eighteen-year-old Nessa knows what it’s like to be an endangered species. Growing up in a dying world where nine out of ten babies are born male, she survives by trusting no one. When Marlin, the nineteen-year-old gunslinger, kills the man who has been keeping her enslaved, Nessa decides he might be her meal ticket. What she doesn’t realize is love is still possible, even in their decimated world.
4.25 I liked Nessa tough personality and Marlin’s caring. There are sacrifices and twists in this story. I just wished it had more history and explanation of the breeder program but that might be part of the first book in the series.
MOON by S.K. Falls, author of World of Shell and Bone: Loyalty. Obedience. Patriotism. Moon Stewart has no doubt that the New Amanian way of life is the right way. The only way. But was there ever a time when she felt differently? In this companion novella to the dystopian bestseller World of Shell and Bone, the secrets of Moon's past are revealed, giving readers a glimpse into the mind of their favorite antagonist.
4.0 Although I found the story interesting the characters are not warm fuzzy but rather cutthroat. Moon lives in a society where “good citizens strive to do what’s best for the collective, not the individual.” But everyone wears masks. Moon was only 13 trying to survive the harangues of her obsessed mother who is convinced that Moon’s older sister, Neptune, needs to be turned in to the enforcement as a dissident radical. Now Moon is older and has a government job like her mother always wanted. Has Moon learned the hard lessons to balance the appearance with the ability to do what it takes to beat out her competitors?
The First Unforgivable Thing by Zoe Cannon, author of The Torturer’s Daughter: When a dissident working undercover as an interrogator is ordered to torture a confession from the only girl he’s ever loved, he chooses to defy both the totalitarian regime and the resistance by helping her escape—but she has an agenda of her own...
4.25+ This is a world where it is not always clear who is the real enemy – the authority or the resistance? I liked both Lucas, who was starting his career as an interrogator, and Simone, who was about to be interrogated as a member of the resistance. There were good twists and irony in this story and the ending left me interested in what would happen.
The Keeper by A.G. Henley, author of The Scourge: a finalist for the Next Generation Indie Book Award. Peree knows his duty as the new Keeper of the Water Bearer, Fennel, is to make sure his people get every drop of their share of the water she collects when the flesh-eating Scourge roam the forest. He will motivate her, distract her, do anything he can to keep her working. He knows his duty is to his people and his people alone. What he doesn’t know is that he's falling in love with her.
4.5 This story had unique characters and society system. I was engaged by Peree (short for Peregrine), the new Lofty Keeper, and Fennel, the sightless Groundling who is the new Water Bearer. It is the Keeper’s job to protect the Water Bearer and make sure that a fair portion of water gets distributed to the Loftys. I liked how their growing friendship is going to challenge the societal boundaries. I was saddened when the novella abruptly ended leaving me wanting more.
Survival Lessons by Kate Avery Ellison, author of Frost: A young Farther prisoner named Eva escapes into the monster-filled wilderness of the Frost with a band of fellow inmates, all of whom are harboring secrets...but little do they know that Eva has secrets of her own. Set in the world of The Frost Chronicles.
4.5 This story includes a touch of steampunk-type elements and I think this was my favorite of the collection. As the author says “survival in a time of great danger is like a dance.” Eva gets the chance to escape with several prisoners into the Frost wilderness. She has managed to get tangled with three conspirators who are intent on finding a “treasure” - a special devise. This story is a dance of danger, thieves, rivals and betrayal. I was drawn in and intrigued by the secrets and definitely interested in reading more of the Frost Chronicles.
clean slate complex by Megan Thomason, author of the daynight series: Homeless Alexa Knight agrees to help the do-gooder non-profit The Second Chance Institute in return for medical care for her sick mother. The SCI is wooing the poor and downtrodden into their Clean Slate Complexes--where "everything is provided" from jobs to food, shelter, clothing, and education. Unfortunately, as with all things that sound too good to be true, there's a catch...
4.25 Having read the first book in the daynight series I was curious what this novella would cover. I wasn’t disappointed. This gives a scary look at The Second Chance Institute system and how it is enticing people for its goals. A young homeless girl, Alexa, meets up with Joshua, the rapper song artist son of the SCI leaders. Although she at first thinks he is very strange she is soon drawn to his buoyant personality. But can she trust him when she begins to think that things are not as good asthey appear? There is intrigue, danger, excitement and a bit of young romance. I liked the easy writing and the strength of the characters. I could see this novella pulling a reader into the series.
I purchased this book as I like Dystopia and as I was participating in BookBlast Feature and Giveaway.
Katie French
S.K. Falls
Zoe Cannon
A.G. Henley
Kate Avery Ellison
Megan Thomason
Girls Write Now--charity
See the previous post for BookBlast Giveaway
$50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash
This looks like an interesting and fun way to taste the authors' worlds before reading the full length novels. All the stories sound good.
ReplyDeleteYes Sarah - you are so right. Wish I had said that in my review. :-)
DeleteThis sounds very interesting and I think I will get a copy of this Anthology.
ReplyDelete