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A review by karentje
Mad Cruel World by Caitlyn Fournier, Amanda Cuff, D.S. Wrights, Amanda Richardson, Kim Deister, Cady Verdiramo, J.R. Rogue, Katia Rose, T.L. Anderson, A.M. Johnson, K. Leigh, Victoria Ellis
4.0
Into Elysium
Great short story! It is set in a bleak, dystopian world after a virus more or less destroyed humanity, leaving two factions to fight for dominance and survival. When Eben and Cale first meet, one’s a guard and the other a prisoner—how wonderfully impossible!—yet they have both known great loss and seemingly have little left to live for. I really liked how subtle their attraction builds and the way they slowly learn to trust each other and find hope again, even in their dire circumstances. The worldbuilding is quite detailed for such a short story, and the characters well-rounded and intriguing.
A pretty, quiet rebellion
The worldbuilding is dark and gritty, and misogynistic. I wish we could have had more origin story details or insight into what drives the different established groups. The female lead character is strong, in that she endures horrible things and still manages to stay sane, but she is a little too passive for me. There’s very little focus on building the relationship between Freya and Abel, and it did not entirely convince me. I felt more interest in Kova, Freya’s friend, than I did in Abel. I didn’t care for his treatment of Freya.
Great short story! It is set in a bleak, dystopian world after a virus more or less destroyed humanity, leaving two factions to fight for dominance and survival. When Eben and Cale first meet, one’s a guard and the other a prisoner—how wonderfully impossible!—yet they have both known great loss and seemingly have little left to live for. I really liked how subtle their attraction builds and the way they slowly learn to trust each other and find hope again, even in their dire circumstances. The worldbuilding is quite detailed for such a short story, and the characters well-rounded and intriguing.
A pretty, quiet rebellion
The worldbuilding is dark and gritty, and misogynistic. I wish we could have had more origin story details or insight into what drives the different established groups. The female lead character is strong, in that she endures horrible things and still manages to stay sane, but she is a little too passive for me. There’s very little focus on building the relationship between Freya and Abel, and it did not entirely convince me. I felt more interest in Kova, Freya’s friend, than I did in Abel. I didn’t care for his treatment of Freya.