Three hundred years in the future, mankind still is trying to survive the Great Collision that changed the earth forever. People live in pockets of civilization called compounds, battling the elements and the mutations which have developed over the centuries, trying to live and survive day by day.Yulen D’Jacques is the Battle Lord of Alta Novis. His duty is to keep his compound and his people … people safe, which means yearly sweeps of the area to remove any mutated men and animals from encroaching.
Atrilan Ferran is Mutah, a mutant warrior and huntress trained to protect and defend her home from Cleaners, the “normals” who invade the forests to slaughter everything and everyone who gets in their way.
They never anticipated the day when their hearts would collide, challenging and changing everything they thought was the truth. Leading them to the day they would have to prove their love for each other to man and mutant alike.
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I adore this book and this must have been at least my third time rereading. It holds such a special place in my heart and I enjoy myself just as much each time I pick it up. I’m actually planning on doing a reread and finishing the whole series.
This story is so imaginative it’s set in a dystopian future after a meteor field left the earth devastated causing mutations in humans and animals and throwing the earth back into bygone days. Gone are the cars and electricity and even modern weapons. Humans now live in settlements and compounds under the leadership of battle lords fighting with weapons of old so think horses swords and bows. I really loved the whole historical feel of it all and despite being set in a future Earth three hundred years from now this is now a very different place to what we are used to.
Atrilian Ferran is a Mutah a human affected by the mutations her mark is her blue hair and her amazing marksmanship she lives in a Mutah compound a member of the hunter’s Caste. When her home is attacked by the battle lord and his men so-called cleaners or normals as the Mutah’s call them Atty has no choice but to put her skills into practice taking down sixteen of the invaders singlehanded this feat brings her directly to the attention of the battle lord himself.
Yulen D’Jacques the battle lord of Alta Novis doesn’t know quite what to make of the young woman who has killed so many of his men. Her skills with a bow and arrow are exceptional deciding to take her with him to train his men he strikes a deal to spare her compound if she complies with his wishes.
He’s also conflicted by what he discovers in the Mutah compound. Rather than the lack of soul and inhuman ways he has been taught to expect the Mutah seem no different to his own people they have families and loved ones and whole lives. He also finds himself growing more fascinated by the day with Atty and in turn she starts to feel the same way. A lifetime of indoctrination is a big hurdle to overcome but meeting Atty is the catalyst that swiftly opens Yulen’s eyes to the truth that he’s been wrong and their people are actually not so different.
Yes this one is quite instalove in as much that Atty and Yulen very swiftly form an intense bond but it didn’t bother me one bit this had so much going on here and such a love against all odds vibe that it just worked. The chemistry and connection these two shared was intense and they had such mountains to overcome I wasn’t going to begrudge them their moment.
And there was so much trying to separate these lovers the odds were really stacked against them. Not only did Atty need to win over Yulen’s people changing their ingrained perception over her Mutah heritage she also had hidden enemies just waiting to strike her down there was also her own people’s prejudices to overcome because of their unwarranted persecution at the hands of the normals.
There were times where my heart nearly broke for both Atty and Yulen’s tragic circumstances they were definitely put through many trials which only made their love grow stronger.
Such a beautiful love story where two opposing factions that should have been instant enemies manage to bridge the gap through the power of their love. There love the hope that will eventually unite Normals and Mutahs.
Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm
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