Let’s start here: Christina C. Jones deserves a lot more credit for what she has done and continues to do for the black romance genre. Now, we can continue.

I have the utmost respect for authors that decide to step out of their comfort zone and push their pen. Christina stated that doing a book like this was an idea she played with for awhile. I’m elated that she followed through with it because this novel was an incredible journey from start to finish. 

This fast-paced, action packed, dystopian novel that has hints of Alice in Wonderland inspiration is a match made in heaven for 

sci-fi and black romance lovers. Reading a book like this that centers black characters in a post-apocalyptic world made me question, why are there not more like it? If there was a group of people that would know how to survive after catastrophic events, it would be us. 

The parallels Jones makes between the world Aly and her sister, Nadiah, live in is not a far cry from the one we wake up in everyday. This novel is a perfect example of how black culture does not have to be diluted or left out to fit in a certain genre. There is beauty in how Christina effortlessly does this and still manages to touch on loyalty, revolution, class, courage, and more while still doing what she does best; giving you a love story that warms you all the way through. Maddox and Aly’s connection may be a subplot, but it rivals that of any couple in your typical romance book. 

Christina, thank you for helping make this genre what it is. (It’s still not too late for Nadiah and Mosley to get their own book 🫶🏽)