WELCOME TO HELL The prison ship Perdition, a floating city where the Conglomerate’s most dangerous criminals are confined for life, orbits endlessly around a barren asteroid. Life inside is even more bleak. Hailed as the Dread Queen, inmate Dresdemona “Dred” Devos controls one of Perdition’s six territories, bordered on both sides by would-be kings eager to challenge her claim. Keeping them at … eager to challenge her claim. Keeping them at bay requires constant vigilance, as well as a steady influx of new recruits to replace the fallen. Survival is a constant battle, and death is the only escape.
Of the newest convicts, only one is worth Dred’s attention. The mercenary Jael, with his deadly gaze and attitude, may be the most dangerous criminal onboard. His combat skill could give her the edge she needs, if he doesn’t betray her first. Unfortunately, that’s what he does best. Winning Jael’s allegiance will be a challenge, but failure could be worse than death…
FIRST IN A NEW SERIES!
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A decent read, which held my attention. The plot was easy to follow, and enjoyable.
4.5 Stars
Perdition is an action-packed start to the Dred Chronicles sci-fi series with an intriguing premise and some fantastic characters.
The Conglomerate sends their most dangerous criminals to Perdition, a prison ship orbiting a barren asteroid. Divided into six territories, life inside Perdition is ruthless with inmates locked in a constant battle for survival. Dresdemona “Dred” Devos rules Queensland with an iron fist, always on the lookout for attacks from either side of her territory. With a constant need for men to replace the fallen, Dred scouts at the drop-offs for any convicts worth her attention. And when she spots Jael in the most recent batch of arrivals, she instantly recognizes how deadly he is and that his skills could mean the difference between winning or losing the battle for Queensland.
Perdition is the start of a spin-off series of the Sirantha Jax series however it works well as a standalone series. Having not read the previous series, the only information I felt was missing was some background on Jael which we ultimately get throughout the books. I’m sure if you read the previous series you would also have a better idea of how this world functions, but I felt I got enough in this series to not feel like I was missing out.
The setting for this book is incredibly interesting and I was immediately intrigued by the idea of a prison ship full of society’s worst criminals. The six territories within Perdition are all vastly different from one another to the point it was hard to believe they were right next to each other. From cannibals, to crazy religious folk, to silent deadly assassins, each territory has its own unique set up. Queensland, the main territory we see, is definitely the most tame of the six. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still quite deadly with a lot of violence, but there are actually rules and basic niceties that make it the best choice of the six.
This book is very much one where there are no innocent or good people. There are characters you’ll ultimately root for, but in the end no one is a good guy. Our main character Dred for instance is considered one of the most prolific serial killers in this world. Granted her motive and method of choosing victims have a way of making you want to be on her side, she’s still just as guilty as the others in Perdition. Jael is an interesting character and one I definitely want to learn more about. His background is quite unique and some of the things he’s able to do are extraordinary. Jael and Dred’s dynamics are fantastic and it definitely takes a while for the pair to trust one another. Trust in their situation isn’t easy which makes it all the better when the two finally do reach a place of understanding.
The plot of this book centers around Dred facing an attack from both of the territories that border hers. It’s a fast paced action-packed ride from start to finish full of violence and death. The fights against the other territories are brutal and there were definitely moments I wasn’t sure the characters would survive. Ultimately not all of the characters we meet do survive. The fact that the entire book is set on a spaceship only adds to the suspense as the characters constantly have to worry about how far they take any damage as one explosion in the wrong place and everyone aboard is dead.
Overall Perdition was an enjoyable read from start to finish and I will definitely be picking up the sequel, Havoc, soon.
This book is beautifully written! Loved it
Dred is the kick-ass queen who carved a queendom for herself on the prison spaceship Perdition. She has a cunning master of spies, a faithful bodyguard who’s in love with her, and the handsome yet deadly Jael, her love interest and newest recruit, who’s not quite human. The politics and warfare of this story were very interesting, and what Dred has to do to inspire awe in her fellow inmates and build up her legend to stay in power was quite fascinating. I really enjoyed this book, and I recommend it.