A review by storytimed
Apocalypse Alley by Don Allmon

4.0

This one is very much insta-love, but I almost didn't mind? Like, Allmon could have done with maybe extending the SIX HOURS it took for these two people to fall for each other into at least like, a week or so

But the characters are fun and he sets up very cool iddy scenarios, which is all I'm really looking for here

Comet Wu is a genetically engineered supersoldier who works for orc leader Duke! He's the best friend of JT from the previous novel, but had no idea about the whole heist backstory

Buzz is the guy who had kind of a thing with JT during the previous novel. He's a super-sweet hacker who yearns for adrenaline. I really wanted more fallout or at least like, an acknowledgement? of JT and Buzz's non-relationship, but, you know, when all you have is six hours...

Tbh Comet is way cooler and more interesting than Buzz, even though Buzz gets the bulk of the emotional arc (kind of makes sense that he'd fall in love in six hours. This guy's a black hole of neediness)

Like, Comet's relationship with his boss Duke is that he was super-loyal to Duke as a hired soldier, then one day he got into a fatal motorcycle accident where he actually died. Duke had him airlifted to his private doctor, revived and totally genetically rewritten to Duke's personal preferences. (Don Allmon considers this very kinky, which, like, I cannot disagree with, I guess.) They're not in a romantic relationship, but Duke really likes to watch him fuck and sets up meet cutes for Comet so this can happen

This is how Comet meets JT, his bff who's been hiding his past as part of the best heist crew in the world!

ALL THESE RELATIONSHIPS are way more interesting than Comet and Buzz, who have known each other for six hours.

I think Allmon agrees, because one of the climactic sex scenes between Comet and Buzz can't stop mentioning how, by the way, this body that Buzz is sleeping with was genetically redesigned by Comet's EMPLOYER, who made Comet's cum taste like apple pie. This is an insane detail that should have been further explored, but was not.

But, you know, it's fun to see them race across a post-apocalyptic cyberpunk United States. Arizona is now ruled by Orcs and called Greentown! The Midwest was taken over by druids who are healing it from nuclear fallout using the fun environmentalist trick of human sacrifice!
Allmon is actually quite good at melding the ridiculousness with actual emotion. There's this one scene..........

Comet's backstory is that he used to be in the military, where he studied under a beloved mentor who taught him how to use qigong. Then he was kicked out and lost his mentor, and when he had his fatal motorcycle accident, the cyborg modifications that saved his life made it impossible for him to use it anymore. But in his most dire moment, fueled by the need to keep Buzz safe, he takes his hand and together, they fly. It's genuinely lovely and there are explosions going off in the background.

Anyway, I'm very excited to read the conclusion of the trilogy, where all our protagonists pull off One Last Heist (for real this time) to free the AI version of JT's ex's sister. I am already low-key shipping the AI with JT's surly young protege, a teen girl with attitude who hates all of his boyfriends