I first heard about this series from one of the book bloggers that I follow. However, it was not high on my priority list to read. I picked up the first book in the series last week when I was at my local library and decided to give it a try. The book totally surprised me. It definitely does not get the hype that it deserves. If you are looking for a good post-apocalyptic sci-fi/fantasy series, look no further. I just finished the first book this weekend and it was amazing. One of the best series beginnings I've ever read. The writing is superb, the characters are interesting and unique, the world building is very subtle and gradually occurs as the story moves along, so you don't get overwhelmed with pages of background information. The book is written from two different perspectives (a male and a female protagonists'), however, it is very well done. Unlike in some other books, each of the protagonists had a very unique voice and I was never confused which point of view I was reading.
Now a few words about the plot. The story occurs way in the future (no specific year is given), after the world has gone through a major atmospheric/environmental catastrophe. The population is roughly divided into three groups. On the one hand, technologically advanced groups of people survive in airtight pods which they never leave. These "dwellers" are able to produce everything they need inside the pods, they fear the diseases, weather conditions and "savages" of the outside. On the other hand, on the outside, people live in primitive conditions (hunting, gathering and cultivating land). The more civilized of them are organized into tribes that stake out their own lands and trade or war with others. Finally, there are the borderlands where the outcasts roam - the most dangerous and unpredictable places of the three. The people on the outside have developed some extraordinary abilities (perhaps due to the changing environmental conditions or biogenetics, it is not clear). Some of them have super hearing, scent or vision. Needless to say, those abilities are highly valued and people who have them end up being tribal leaders or sought after allies.
The two main characters are Aria and Perry who come from two different worlds (one is a dweller and the other one is a savage) and find themselves working together in pursuit of similar goals: reuniting with family members. Without giving too much away, I must say that I liked everything about this book. The narrative moves along at a nice pace, and the characters grow and learn more about themselves and the world they live in. The romance in this book is amazing. I was just completely wowed by this book. I also did not feel too rushed to get to the end (if you are a reader like me you'll know what I am talking about). I just found myself savoring the story. The ending of the first book was perfect. I've already checked out the rest of the series from the library and will be busy reading them for the next couple of weeks. There are three books in the series and two novellas which zero in on secondary characters in the story, so I am looking forward to staying in this world for a little while.
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