I am so incredibly grateful to have received this arc, this book was AMAZING. 

The perfect blend of post-apocalyptic survival story (featuring motorcycle gangs) with a bleak dystopian society hovering menacingly around the edges— or rather right over everyone’s heads!

Diren is the leader the Resistant, one of a few gangs that struggle to live in the waste land of Las Vegas after a virus wiped out most of the population and the rich fled to biodomes suspended above the city. The land is destroyed, resources are dwindling, but humanity is still finding a way as Diren’s close-knit group of friends build a life for themselves and the hundreds of people that rely on them in Headquarters. But the delicate balance of his life is thrown out of wack when he shoots down a dome pilot dropping bombs too close to home, only for that pilot to show up right on his door step. Kazbiel is an abrasive mystery and Diren doesn’t know whether to trust him or fight him (or a secret third thing 🩷), but he might be the key to the Resistant’s survival. 

Everything about this book was amazing. The characters were delightfully queer and felt so life like I couldn’t help falling in love with them all immediately. There’s nothing I love more than being able to feel the depth of love characters have for each other, and it was clear on every page just how much Diren and his friends cared for each other. And we was plenty of time to get to know them as they try to keep their people alive, struggle against other gangs, and find moments of peace and happiness together.  It was a delight to meet these characters, even thought I was afraid for them CONSTANTLY.

While we don’t learn much about the virus that took everyone out in this book (as I doubt Diren and company know much to begin with), the slow dawning horror of the environmental disaster they live in so perfectly done. There are descriptions in here that made me shiver from how horrible— and believe— they were just to imagine. THE SERRIA NEVADAS?!?! Pure tragedy.

There are some elements of romance in here, specifically the enemies to lovers type. Diren is certainly very gay and crushing on Kaz, whether he wants to admit it or not. And Kaz is— fighting for his life as a untrusted stranger in a strange land. So they’re not really in the right place or time for anything to happen, but the ground work is there and oh boy am I more than ready to see it get built up 😌

I’m so excited to see where the rest of this series goes, especially because THIS BOOK ENDED ON A CLIFFHANGER?? HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO LIVE LIKE THIS?! HELP!!!!!!