In a post-alien-invasion USA, Amarylla, her father (the Chief Civil Engineer of the Federated Republic of New York), and her father's guards set out to find a man who says he knows how to get electricity to work again.  In the weeks that follow Amarylla goes through a lifetime of adventure, growing up quicker and far more brusquely than if she had stayed in New York with her operas, riding lessons, and an education that taught more about how to behave at a state dinner than surviving the "post-bug" world outside the walls of the city.

What I liked:
It's Science Fiction meets Western - what's not to like?  The world could use more stories like this :)  I really enjoyed the character development of the 4 main characters - I was rooting for them almost from the beginning.  I also loved the descriptions of everything - I could close my eyes and see what Amarylla was seeing.  Also, for the most part, the plot moved along at a brisk pace.  I finished reading the book in a day since I couldn't bare to put it down.

What could be improved:
While some grammar issues detracted from the story, the biggest problems I had with the book were the sudden shifts in point of view, and the awkward romance scenes toward the end of the book.  In general the ending was weak, almost as if the author was getting tired of the book and just wanted it to end.  The question of why Macauley wrote to Amarylla's father is never answered, leaving a big hole in the plot.  Also, just a pet peeve of mine, but if there's a web address of your publishing company, it needs to be a page worth going to.

My assesment:
I wanted to love the book from the moment I read the description.  I ended up liking it.  With a bit of cleaning up, and a few additions, this could be a great start to what could be a great trilogy.  All in all, it's worth reading if you have some time to kill.

I received a complimentary copy of this book for review purposes.
In a post-alien-invasion USA, Amarylla, her father (the Chief Civil Engineer of the Federated Republic of New York), and her father's guards set out to find a man who says he knows how to get electricity to work again. In the weeks that follow Amarylla goes through a lifetime of adventure, growing up quicker and far more brusquely than if she had stayed in New York with her operas, riding lessons, and an education that taught more about how to behave at a state dinner than surviving the "post-bug" world outside the walls of the city. What I liked:
It's Science Fiction meets Western - what's not to like? The world could use more stories like this :)  I really enjoyed the character development of the 4 main characters - I was rooting for them almost from the beginning. I also loved the descriptions of everything - I could close my eyes and see what Amarylla was seeing. Also, for the most part, the plot moved along at a brisk pace. I finished reading the book in a day since I couldn't bare to put it down. What could be improved:
While some grammar issues detracted from the story, the biggest problems I had with the book were the sudden shifts in point of view, and the awkward romance scenes toward the end of the book. In general the ending was weak, almost as if the author was getting tired of the book and just wanted it to end. The question of why Macauley wrote to Amarylla's father is never answered, leaving a big hole in the plot. Also, just a pet peeve of mine, but if there's a web address of your publishing company, it needs to be a page worth going to. My assesment:
I wanted to love the book from the moment I read the description. I ended up liking it. With a bit of cleaning up, and a few additions, this could be a great start to what could be a great trilogy. All in all, it's worth reading if you have some time to kill. I received a complimentary copy of this book for review purposes.