In a world plagued by constant earthquakes and volcanic debris, people in the valley struggle to survive while those on top of the hill want for nothing.This is where I come in.I spend my nights plundering supplies in the walled city of Hilltop, and I trade them to the valley people below. I’m not a thief. I prefer to be known as the head of Lost and Found.When I discover a beautiful but … a beautiful but dangerous competitor in my territory, I also learn she knows more about me than she should. Is she a spy sent by my father, or is she a rebel like me? I don’t trust her, but together we’ll discover secrets that may destroy what’s left of our world.
There have always been those with wealth and those without.
My name is Talen, and I’m here to even the score.
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TALEN by Shay Savage is a post –apocalyptic, dystopian romance story line focusing on twenty-seven year olds Talen and Aerin, survivors in a world gone to h*ll.
Told from first person perspective (Talen) TALEN follows a hundred plus years after the ‘Great Eruption’ in which most of North America fell prey to earthquakes, floods, viruses and death, leaving the survivors divided into two warring camps-the Thaves (the haves), and the Naughts (have nots). Talen lives amongst the Naughts and ‘procures’ the necessities of survival for the people he has learned to call family and friends. Segregated in a valley, in a small encampment known as ‘Plastictown, the Naughts battle the elements, the environment and one another in order to survive. As the resident ‘thief’ and ‘lost and found’ expert, Talen ventures into a world many will never experience, in the hopes of finding the tools and necessary implements in order to survive. Enter Aerin, a young woman whose own adventures find her ‘hunting’ in the land of the Thaves, where upon she will come face to face with her future. What ensues is the building relationship between Talen and Aerin, and the potential fall-out as the Thaves descend upon the remaining survivors in an attempt to take everything and more.
TALEN is a story of betrayal, vengeance, survival and loss; power and contol. Talen and Aerin both have secrets that if revealed would deeply affect their precarious friendships with the remaining Naughts. As the government and Thaves put their plans into action, Talen and Aerin must face a possible future alone or not at all. Working together, Talen and Aerin ensure that the people in power pay for the current situation, and the death of their friends.
There is a large ensemble cast of colorful, energetic and broken characters. We are up close and personal with the people who struggle one day at a time-people who never knew the comforts of living a life without the daily battle to survive. The requisite evil has many faces.
TALEN is a thought-provoking and cautionary tale of what if; what if the world as we know it was destroyed by climate change and the fall-out of man’s destruction of the environment? The premise is imaginative; the characters are eclectic and spirited; the romance is passionate and emotional, without the use of over the top,sexually graphic language and text.
I am not sure if the author has plans for a series but there are a large number of characters and open ended plot points that could use some resolution.
I never read science fiction, future kinds of stories. But come on this a Shay Savage book. I basically devoured this 5 star story.
Talen is the finder of lost items. He helps the people of Plastictown. He’s well loved and respected until someone comes in his territory, Aerin. Both will embark on a journey to save people.
This was an amazing story, an adventure that kept me on the edge of my seat. It was well written and thought out. I admire this author very much because she switches genre of stories she writes. I’m always amazed with what she comes up with. Bottomline this is a must read.
Standalone told in Talen’s POV only. It comes with an amazing HEA. I strongly recommend this story.
What an awesome read! I’ve only read a handful or less of post-apocalyptic books and I’ve enjoyed each of them but this one was incredible!
Talen is the sweetest, kindest hero I think I’ve ever read. He does have a dark streak that runs through him but he struggles against it to the point that you know that isn’t his heart. His soul survival is to provide for the people he’s adopted into his life and the community that he calls home. On one hand he was a bit naïve and on the other he’s fierce and determined. I’ve never met another hero like him and I loved him completely!
Aerin is his perfect companion when it comes to executing a plan. She has the capacity to think things through and make a plan that works. The fact that she tended to take the lead was a novelty to me but it didn’t hinder my enjoyment at all. In fact, I adored the way they complemented each other and worked together.
While this one didn’t have a mind boggling twist to it, it did have enough surprises and action to keep me turning the pages as quickly as I could. The world Ms. Savage created felt very real and it wasn’t too difficult to imagine myself in it. I wouldn’t do well. This does have a political bent to it and I know some readers are going to take exception to it, but I understood the “moral of the story” and accepted it for what it was and will keep my own opinions to myself.
This isn’t a short book, and there’s a lot of information and introspection, but I found it to be evenly paced and never felt bogged down and I never skimmed. I didn’t want to miss a minute of what was going on with this couple. Secondary characters were just as well developed as the hero and heroine but never took over the story. While I didn’t necessarily feel a lot of chemistry between this couple due to having only Talen’s point of view, I was convinced of Talen’s desire and his feelings towards Aerin. And the steam during the smexy times was pretty intense.
Overall, this was a great read that I would highly recommend to anyone who enjoys post-apocalyptic romances.