Darkness Eternal by Leslie Lee Sanders - 5/5
Summary from Goodreads:
As above, so below, except when referring to the underground Refuge Inc. compound. A century after an asteroid impact and merely fifteen years after a second collision that turned the world into a noxious wasteland, Cadet Connor Nichols and other Refuge facility residents are making the most of their spherical underground utopia they call home. But when a breach threatens to poison the occupants with toxic air, Connor is forced to make life-altering decisions in an attempt to save lives and his only home. With help from best friend and training partner, Vince Moore, he's reminded that good leadership requires responsibility. His struggle intensifies as everything he knows about the facility, the leaders, and himself becomes twisted, distorted, and turned into the unimaginable when his efforts exposes shocking secrets that threaten their future. *A standalone in the Refuge Inc. series
Review:
*** I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review. ***
*When I realized that this was the fifth book in the Refuge Inc. series, I was a little concerned, but Darkness Eternal does read well as a standalone.*
Years ago, after an asteroid collision made Earth’s topside unlivable, survivors moved underground into the Refuge Inc. safe houses and created their cities there. Darkness Eternal focuses on best friends Connor and Vince as they work their way through Cadet training as partners. Vince is an alpha, the brawn, and Connor a beta, the brains.
Connor, the younger of the two men, has looked up to his best friend and spent a long time loving him secretly. Unfortunately, homosexuality is against the law underground. It’s deemed promiscuous and therefore unsafe. Because Vince’s father holds a position of power over the peacekeepers, Vince continually pushes Connor away. Until he doesn’t anymore.
One level ten is breached and chaos ensues. The men are forced to make a harrowing decision between following orders or listening to their hearts.
Okay, so I’ve read a ton of books about post-apocalyptic underground cities, and while I love the idea, they always seem to fall short somehow. This book was the opposite. I fell instantly for Sander’s world and the characters she has created.
I loved the dichotomy between Connor and Vince and their longtime friendship. I loved the playful banter and the serious undertones to their relationship. Everything about it was great.
Sanders’ writing style is beautiful. She instantly sucked me into her writing and I found myself unable to put the book down. Once the action starts, it doesn’t stop, so readers are left on the edge of their seat, waiting eagerly to see what happens next.
I loved this book, and while I’m sad that I read it before the others, I’m definitely going to go back and read the previous four books. I would recommend this to anyone who is a fan of science fiction, dystopia, and post-apocalyptic genres.
