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A review by kfriend
Savages by Natalie Bennett
4.0
Natalie is the queen of the macabre.
Unlike many others, I didn't start with the Badlands, but I enjoyed Natalie's other stories (esp the Dahlia ones), that I ended up here. I'm not surprised to know why this is the flagship for her and for so many fans- this book is the perfect manifestation of everything we love about Natalie books.
We have a dark, alpha, aggressive and violent lead in Romero- someone who will do anything, no matter how dark and depraved, to orchestrate the reality for himself and those important to him. We have a heroine who has experienced dark and depraved things- who has been physically and emotionally traumatized, a victim of this post-apocalyptic word over and over again...yet, she's a survivor, and devious and twisted, herself. And, we have an intriguing alternate reality- a world that's bones isn't that radically different from our own but represents what COULD become as the result of both the changes in environment and the dominance of the darker, baser, depraved aspects of humanity taking the reigns.
I loved this story, and I loved this couple. We've got much still to learn about what Romero's master plan is and we have a slew of other interesting characters who clearly need their own stories, but I am HERE FOR IT.
Like all of Natalie's books- this is not your feel good romance. We have characters who love each other and care for each other- but they do very bad things, mostly to others, but sometimes to each other. Darkness and triggers abound!
Unlike many others, I didn't start with the Badlands, but I enjoyed Natalie's other stories (esp the Dahlia ones), that I ended up here. I'm not surprised to know why this is the flagship for her and for so many fans- this book is the perfect manifestation of everything we love about Natalie books.
We have a dark, alpha, aggressive and violent lead in Romero- someone who will do anything, no matter how dark and depraved, to orchestrate the reality for himself and those important to him. We have a heroine who has experienced dark and depraved things- who has been physically and emotionally traumatized, a victim of this post-apocalyptic word over and over again...yet, she's a survivor, and devious and twisted, herself. And, we have an intriguing alternate reality- a world that's bones isn't that radically different from our own but represents what COULD become as the result of both the changes in environment and the dominance of the darker, baser, depraved aspects of humanity taking the reigns.
I loved this story, and I loved this couple. We've got much still to learn about what Romero's master plan is and we have a slew of other interesting characters who clearly need their own stories, but I am HERE FOR IT.
Like all of Natalie's books- this is not your feel good romance. We have characters who love each other and care for each other- but they do very bad things, mostly to others, but sometimes to each other. Darkness and triggers abound!