I'm thrilled to share the first of an exciting new dystopian novel by J.F. Johns, called

After Darkness

Read on for an exclusive excerpt, book details, and a chance to win a print copy of Eternal Darkness, the first book in her exciting dystiopian series of the same name!

After Darkness

Publication Date: April 14th, 2020

Genre: YA Dystopian

Year 2160

RULE #.1

Humans AND Cyborgs are prohibited from communicating in any shape or form with each other.

RULE #.2

Curfew is from 12 p.m until 7.30 a.m

Applicable to ALL citizens, humans AND cyborgs.

RULE #.3

All propaganda against the government, written or verbal is a crime.

RULE #.4

All the above laws if broken are punishable by death.

WELCOME TO THE NATION

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Available now!

Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon ES

Excerpt

'My name is Terra Underwood, by the way.'

'Didn't ask.'

I know, thought you should know anyway.'

She heard him sigh.

'I'm Kalem.' A few seconds passed and then, 'Kalem Akuma.'

Akuma? Seriously?'

'It means demon.'

She couldn't help but think it was rather fitting.

'Well, Underwood means 'wood that is under.' What exactly it's under we'll never know.'

'Is that meant to be a joke?'

'Everything I say is meant as a joke.'

She could almost hear him smile, and that brought her own lips to twist upwards. She closed her eyes, feeling suddenly at ease and comfortable.

'Good night, wood that is under.'

Terra's smile deepened.

'Good nigh, demon.'

My Review

This is a nice little techno YA read in a futuristic setting where humans live alongside Cyborgs, but any interaction with between is forbidden. Seven different districts are ranging from the capital of the rich to cities and farmland strictly governed in this world. From what I gather, it is helpful to read the first three books to understand how these districts have developed, but it wasn’t an issue for me at all. I took it as is and the story worked just fine.

The main protagonist, Terra, lives is in the capital city and besides drawing, really enjoys fighting in the Pits, underground, secretly. Lately, she’s been plagued by nightmares and finds herself drawing about these terrible dreams with the recurring theme of a boy in it.

Terra is a tough one. She is half blind and does not shy away from trouble. When she meets the boy from those nightmares, it turns out, he is a Cyborg and a nice one at that! However, there are monsters in the darkness and together, they are thrust into a whirlwind of trouble and a journey across landscapes and personal growth. She finds out about some missing elements of her past, government experiments, and a cyborg rebellion.

Intertwined are their worlds and Terra is about to cross into the forbidden territory of love, secrets, and revenge.

***

This was a nice and easy-going read with an interesting backstory. Everything flowed well and made for a great YA dystopian read. I can definitely see someone jumping into this series and really devouring it. When I signed up for this review, I wasn’t aware that this is book four in the Eternal Darkness series (according to Goodreads), but it was just fine to understand and read as a stand-alone.

If Cyborgs are your thing in YA novels, you may want to give this one a try!

About the author

J.F.Johns is 27 years old and was born and raised in Spain. She studied English Literature and Creative Writing at ARU in Cambridge, UK.

She won the Indie Book Awards 2017 for best book written by an author under the age of 25, and was a finalist for best book cover with her novel Eternal Darkness.

She’s an animal lover, and spends her free time playing with her adopted dog and rescued cat, drinking too much coffee and posting book photos on her Instagram.

She believes in the art of dramatic sighing and eye rolling. She works as a ninja, but has been told several times that she’s not very good at her job.

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For a chance to win a paperback copy of Eternal Darkness by J.F. Johns, click the link below!

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Eternal Darkness

The world is divided between humans and cyborgs.
Scarlet Lock is neither.
She is a soldier created to kill on command. But her memory has been erased and when she awakens in a government facility she soon discovers that this new world is a dangerous place, full of government secrets and cruel experiments performed in the name of progress.
With the help of a group of cyborgs, Scarlet will fight to uncover the truth and transform the future of the new world she now lives in.
Eternal Darkness is full of suspense, action and romance and will make readers question what it means to be human.