The Culling

The Slave Girl Chronicles #1

by J.C. Andrijeski

Alternate cover edition of ASIN B005KJ4BEC


Jet is a 19-year-old skag, one of the humans still living free on Earth following an invasion of creatures called the Nirreth. Squatting in the ruins of Vancouver, Canada, Jet and her family eke out an existence underground, hiding from the culler ships. No one knows where the ships take the people they take, but they never return. When a culler finds Jet, she may discover the truth the hard way.

Genres: Science Fiction, Aliens, Dystopia, Fantasy, New Adult, Apocalyptic, Paranormal

156 pages, ebook

First published August 31, 2011

About the author

Also publishes under the name Julie Light


JC Andrijeski is a USA TODAY bestselling author who writes sexy, apocalyptic and cyberpunk-y science fiction romance and mystery books, often with a metaphysical bent. Current works include the gritty, epic, psychic warfare romance, ALLIE'S WAR, which follows Allie Taylor and her antihero partner, Revik, in their attempts to save the world from a dark, psychic force. Her dystopian science fiction romance series, ALIEN APOCALYPSE, features Jet Tetsuo, survivor and slave under alien conquerors, and her GATE SHIFTER series is about a shape-shifting alien and a tough-girl PI from Seattle. Her newest launch is QUENTIN BLACK, a science fiction romance and mystery series that’s a spin-off from Allie’s War but set in our own version of Earth.

JC has a background in journalism, history and politics, travels extensively and has lived abroad in Europe, Australia and Asia, and from coast to coast in the continental United States. She currently lives in Bangkok, Thailand.

To learn more about me and my writing, please visit http://jcandrijeski.com. For more about the Allie's War series, visit http://allieswarseries.com

If you want to get an automatic email when JC's next book is released, join THE REBEL ARMY at tinyurl.com/JCAndrijeski.

Reviews

[Angela · Rating 1 out of 5]

22 June 2015: $0.00 FREE on Kindle

This was the longest short book I've read in a long, long time. It felt like one long set-up and everything took F....O...R...E...V...E...R.... to happen or explain.

I spent so much time in Jet's head, with her musings, that you'd think I had a good idea of who she is, as a person; you'd be wrong. I spent so much time in Jet's head, with her musings, about the world at large that you'd think I would have a clear idea of what's happening...wrong again.

Jet is a carbon copy of every other prickly heroine in the YA world. Thrust into circumstances beyond her control, she's trained with a sword - why I'm not entirely sure - and suddenly she's likely going to end up as the spark of the rebellion against their alien overlords. I honestly can't say much more about her than that, because even though I've just finished I don't remember anything else about her.

I'm still not sure what's happening in the world. At one point she mentions that it's warming the whole world over - that the Nirreth (the aliens that invaded several (how many? Not sure) years ago) ruined our world because they like it warmer so they're making it warmer. But then she talks about wearing a "winter coat," which threw me. Then there's the poisoned water, poisoned earth, poisoned air, meat, food. I have no idea how that happened.

Apparently the aliens are keeping the humans as pets, or something, and they've created domed (maybe) cities where they have fake skies, have bred T-Rex, and have decided they like watching humans fight. I don't even pretend to understand.

I skimmed a good portion from the 30% mark on, because it just didn't make sense, and it was rambling.

Additionally there were just too many inaccuracies that made me unable to suspend my disbelief for the rest of the story.
**140 square miles is not a large city by "old Earth" standards
**Doing what is expected of you, what you're told and what you're directed to do is passive.
**I still don't know how a bow (and arrows) can fit in a "tube," in a backpack.
**If aliens can catch your "bio-readings" without you actually being visible, and they have "heat sensors" to find you - isn't it probably likely that hiding is a bad idea?
**Your spine is in the middle of your back - no need to clarify that.

Needless to say, I hope, I won't be continuing this.

[Dana · Rating 2 out of 5]

I cannot remember the last time that I have read a novel that was not only super short but also super slow. This book wasn't terrible but I had a hard time staying focused while reading this. There just wasn't enough action to hold my interest.

Another thing that bothered me about this novel was the lack of back story. This novel takes place in a post apocalyptic world but we learn very little about this world, past or present.

There was so little going on in this novel that I can't really think of anything else to ramble on about. Overall mediocre post apocalyptic YA novel, would not recommend.


Note: I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.

[Viking Jam · Rating 1 out of 5]

http://koeur.wordpress.com/2014/05/19...


Publisher: White sun press
Publishing Date: April 2014
ISBN: 9781499306743
Genre: SciFi
Rating: 1.5/5

Publisher Description: Jet is a 19-year-old skag, one of the humans still living free on Earth following an invasion of creatures called the Nirreth. Squatting in the ruins of Vancouver, Jet and her family eke out an existence underground, hiding from culler ships and fighting off raiding humans.

Review: There are a couple of covers out there. This one is perplexing. Why is the hot bad ass chick always have her back to you while looking over her shoulder? Not a real good self-defense tactic.

Ah, dystopia where is thy sting? Oh shjt, I said I would never read another novel by this author after “Rook”. Oh well. The general plot has a pretty weak premise as far a science fiction goes. Why would an alien species, capable of inter-stellar travel, come to a back water planet in a back water galaxy to take up residence and enslave the human race? Earth chicks are hot? They lost their lease on planet X? And how in the fug did they find us? Are they like a spacefaring plague that spreads galactic tentacles, ensnaring populated worlds? Why no, they are here to subjugate, enslave and place human combatants in a fighting arena against themselves. Make sense? No? Tough shjt.

Jet and her sword, Black (get it?) fight in order to survive. And did you know that her sword maker Mishimo, told her that “Jet”, in Latin means black. In case you were unaware about black, jet and the Latin connection…….So she gets captured, cause, well, we need a fugging story-line and meets the Captain of some hovering ship that turns out to be, Richter!!! DUN! DUN! DUN!. Some human sleeze-ball colluding with the aliens. But he’s hot and is just trying to survive and has mischief and steel in his eyes and a smirk or a smile about his lips 24/7. Fug.

The dialogue, much like “Rook” is endlessessesssessss. Every scene is fraught with an over abundance of needless detail and internalization. “Should I run here, go there, (ruminates on past life while fleeing)”. And then boom-splat, she is having a face to face with the Captain and getting all hot an bothered while freshly captured and stung with poison from the tail of an alien. In one scene where she first meets Richter, Jet “folded” or was “folding” her arms at least four times. Did the author forget that she had folded her arms already, or had she dropped her arms, only to fold them again to purvey an emotional tense? Who knows. Throughout this conversation the author takes not so subtle pains to describe Richter. “Meeting her gaze with those coffee colored eyes…..smiled at her with those perfect white teeth…..laid his thick arms on the table……patted her shoulder with his big hands…” blah blah blah. Jets jaw either “hardened”, got “hard” or was “hardening” at least 24 times throughout this novella, which I must say, is quite a bit grindage.

This novel has scant action, even less story-line appeal and a never ending spew of dialogue of the internal kind. Not to mention the constant yapping between the characters and Jet’s ever present frumpy indignation over EVERYTHING. Just be a mean slave girl. Why the air of humanity and false bravado when there is no hope? This novel could of had a great character in Jet. Make her a self-reliant bad-ass of the future whom survived underground, was captured and now fights in the ring. There would be no love interest, no arguing politics about rebels or aliens. Just a chick with a sword with an attitude to kill.

[Damali · Rating 5 out of 5]

Earth is overrun by creepy aliens who use humans for food, sex, slavery, or all three. The remaining humans are struggling to survive underground with limited resources. 19-year-old Jet is on her way to trade goods with another settlement when she’s captured, and taken to an alien settlement. She’s tough without being overly boyish, and not annoying at all. Excellent characterization and worldbuilding, and the best aliens I’ve encountered in a long time. Isn't the cover bad ass? On to book 2! I wonder if there are any explosions forthcoming…

[[ J o ] · Rating 1 out of 5]

Read as part of the Get Through The Crap On Your Kindle You Stubborn Eejit reading challenge.

Written with the perspective of a 19 year old with a mental age of 12, apparently written by a 12 year old as well. Far too many metaphors, relentless use of adjectives (put the thesaurus down), so many info-dumps and just honestly terrible.

Even when running away (when speed is of the utmost importance) the main character can think 42 pages of nothing. Slow, slow, slow.

[mad mags · Rating 3 out of 5]

A dystopian alien abduction story - WITH DINOSAURS!

(Full disclosure: I received a free electronic copy of this book for review through Library Thing's Member Giveaway program. Also, vague spoilers in the last few paragraphs.)

Nineteen-year-old Jet Tetsuo is a skag. Along with thousands of other human refugees, Jet spends most of her time underground, eking out the barest existence beneath the ruins of what once was Vancouver. It's this, or risk capture by the Nirreth: a race of blue, bipedal, lizard-like aliens that invaded Earth several generations before. Rumor has it that the Nirreth vivisect humans, keep them as slaves, and even cook and eat them. To be picked up by a Nirreth culling ship means certain death. Or at least that's the word in the skag pits that Jet calls home.

A fierce fighter who's skilled with the blade, Jet saves most of her worries for her younger brother, Biggs, who's been spending a dangerous amount of time hanging around the rebel fighters. It's him she's thinking of when, out on a trading errand overworld, she's spotted and captured by a Nirreth culling ship. In time, she learns that she's a "special commission": the ship's captain, Eamon Richter, former leader of the resistance in Vancouver, abducted Jet for sale to the Nirreth High Command for the Pacific Region - "The Royals" for short. Like many humans kidnapped to the Green Zones (park-like cities constructed by the Nirreth), Jet is to be a pet for her Nirreth owner's amusement. In addition to providing protection to Ogli, the young heir to the throne, Jet is slated to fight in the Rings for the amusement of Nirreth crowds. But only if she can pass the demonstration.

The first installment in The Slave Chronicles, The Culling is an enjoyable and fast-paced read. It's got everything a YA (NA?) scifi fan could want: A kick-ass heroine. Sword play. Space ships and intergalactic travel. Environmental collapse. A burgeoning rebellion. Alien colonizers. Dinosaurs, even!

Especially captivating are the Nirreth and their artificial cities. I don't know whether JC Andrijeski is a fan of Octavia Butler or not, but the Nirreth share many similarities with the Oankali from Lilith's Brood . In both cases, the aliens visited Earth only when it was on the brink of environmental ruin (or just after, in the Oankali's case). Whereas the Nirreth colonized Earth and kept humans as pets, the Oankali rescued the human survivors of a global nuclear war, keeping them alive and in stasis on their ships while they repaired Earth - all with the eventual goal of settling Earth and interbreeding with humans. (A "trading" species, the Oankali's currency is their superior DNA.) Both species of aliens control humans through the use of organic chemicals: Nirreth inject humans with their stingers, while Oankali emit chemicals through their skin. Either way, the result is the same: these substances make humans more pliant and encourage positive feelings towards their captors. Eventually, often without even realizing it, humans come to enjoy their enslavement and non-consensual relationships with the Nirreth/Oankali. Despite these rights violations, the aliens see themselves as "benign dictators" - an advanced species that knows what's best for all of humanity.

While The Culling is happily absent any rape scenes, it's heavily implied - if not outright stated - that the Nirreth commonly take their human pets as "lovers." Of course, this raises all sorts of issues regarding consent; I'm curious to see how Andrijeski will handle this in upcoming installments.

* spoiler alert! *

I was going to give The Culling four stars...until the last few pages. While I saw the first plot twist coming from a mile away (suggesting that it wasn't much of a twist at all), the second was more of a shock. Given the ending, I really, really, really hope that the author isn't planning a romance between Jet and Anaze. Whether he was correct in thinking that she'd want to take on this role within the resistance or not, Anaze had no right to recruit Jet without her consent or knowledge. Worse still, she's not some random stranger, but his best friend and a would-be partner. You simply cannot profess to love someone - and then sell her into slavery and enlist her in a war without her permission. It's the ultimate betrayal, and whatever happens to Jet while in Nirreth custody ultimately falls at Anaze's feet. This might very well include rape. Already she's been stripped naked and subjected to a medical exam in front of Richter's leering eyes; that's a form of sexual assault right there.

Anaze set her up, full stop. If things work out the way he planned, perhaps Jet will be able to forgive him some day. But to be more than friends - or even just passing acquaintances - requires trust and intimacy, neither of which Anaze has earned. I will throw my Kindle if these two end up together, is what I'm saying. (Onto a generously padded mattress, but still. I WILL THROW IT AT SOMETHING.)

3.5 stars, rounded down to 3 on Amazon. I'm curious to see how this plays out - and will probably download the next installment on Amazon - but also more than a little apprehensive about the pending (maybe?) romance.

http://www.easyvegan.info/2014/02/21/...

[Anissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this quite a lot and can only say that I wish it had been longer. It's more like a novella length read and while that makes me want to get on to the second part soon, I was a little disappointed that it ended so abruptly. The end though was on a story high note, to its credit. Beginning to end, this only took a couple of hours to read.

Jet was a great character to follow (she was strong & sensible, a wonderful combination) and the state of Vancouver in her world post-Nerrith is fairly grim. I don't want to spoil main points but I quite enjoyed the Richter reveal and Anaze as well. I even got to like Laksri and found the terraformed environs in which the Nerrith live, their caste system and the planetary scope of their colonisation, fascinating. On balance, there was a lot to like here, though I did find that in the first chapter, I started to feel like the story was meandering a bit but this may be because it was so good that I'd got into it enough that I'd wanted to get on. Very good action sequences are to be found here as well.

I'd definitely recommend this especially to those looking for a New Adult title in the scifi genre. I find those & non-Contemporary Romance New Adult titles, in general, hard to come by. This one delivered & even had a hint of future romance for Jet which seemed appropriate for the character but in no way overshadowed the main story.

I received a copy of this title for free via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

[Montzalee Wittmann · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Culling (The Slave Girl Chronicles #1) by J.C. Andrijeski is a great book about humans as the underdog where the world has been taken over by aliens and they are far from friendly. It is a part 1 so it ends where you have to get the next book to continue and leaves the reader hanging a bit. ugh! The book is good up to that point. Our gal gets kidnapped and taken on board and the sh*t hits the fan and the reader learns quite a bit about life on Earth now and what it is like for humans. The ending has lots of surprises and twists that makes you eager to read the next part. Nice job!

[Marianne · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75 stars

I've had this series on my kindle for years. I've started, stopped, started, then dropped it. It's such a slow moving story for a short book. Oh well, only 3 more books to go 😳

[Violet Stone · Rating 2 out of 5]

Eh, maybe 2.5.

[Masquerade Crew · Rating 5 out of 5]

REVIEWER: WALKI

4.5 ON THE MASQ SCALE

I chose to read 'The Culling' because the beginning of this novel was set in Vancouver, and because it featured a female main character. This book exceeded my expectations. Jet Tetsuo is a 19-year-old skag living with her family in a settlement located in the ruins of Vancouver. She has spent most of her life underground to avoid the Nirreth, the alien people who invaded Earth. That they contributed or not to the destruction of the human environment and the extinction of most animals is debatable. One can argue that humans don't need help when it comes to selfish destruction. The fact is that one day, while running an errand in the desolated streets of Vancouver, Jet Tetsuo is captured by a Nirreth culling ship. What do Nirreth do with the humans they captured? Do they experiment on them? Do they eat them? Jet is about to find out.

Jet is strong-willed and well trained in the art of sword-fighting. Jet is also loyal to humanity, contrary to the irritating Richter, the pirate who captains the Nirreth culling ship, which takes Jet to the Green Zone (where the Nirreth live), along with her best friend Anaze, who followed her and got captured when trying to help her. He is the leverage Richter can use to control Jet. Thus, our heroin is now responsible not just for her own survival, but also for his.

The characters are three-dimensional and alive in the readers' mind. The action is fast-paced and detailed, while peppered with Jet's thoughts and info on her life and our planet's fate. The writing is bold and entertaining, always keeping the readers captivated. The novel is written from Jet's point of view, and the readers discover truths about the alien invaders as soon as she does. And there is so much more to meet the eyes wherever she looks.

The Culling' is the first installment in the Alien Apocalypse series, a dystopian saga for new adults, that will capture the readers' imagination regardless of age. A must-read for sci-fi enthusiasts.

[Mathew Walls · Rating 1 out of 5]

Badly written and creepy. The version I have says it's part one of the Alien Apocalypse series, but I probably would have been more prepared for the sort of book it is if I'd known it's also known as the Slave Girl Chronicles.

I'll start with the plain bad before I move on to the creepy. For one thing, the book repeatedly contradicts itself, sometimes in ways that indicate that the author was using words she didn't know the meaning of, and other times in ways that suggest the author just forgot what she'd written earlier - for example, the protagonist recalls the time her younger brother was almost attacked by a wolf, but later on its revealed that wolves have been extinct since before she was born.

On top of that, the backstory is deliberately withheld to create a sort of false mystery - the characters know what's going on, but we're not told, which means you're constantly confused and frustrated by not knowing what anything means or why it's happening.

And the protagonist has essentially no agency in the plot. For most of it she's a prisoner, able only to observe what's going on around her, but even when she has opportunities to act she doesn't take them. She's supposed to be tough and headstrong, but she never actually does anything.

But all that is nothing compared with the creepiness of the setting. Earth has been taken over by blue-skinned mind-controlling lizard aliens who keep humans as pets - and have sex with them. The protagonist is constantly menaced by the possibility of being raped (by humans and aliens alike) and much is made of her attractiveness (apparently to lizard aliens as much as humans). The aliens are also known to eat humans, and make humans fight to the death for their entertainment. The only thing separating this from weird self-published Kindle porn is that there's no actual sex in it, but I get the impression the author probably has a second version rectifying that.

[Jackie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not sure how many people are going to read this when they do like me and get it free during the Indie freebie blowout for Amazon Kindle. I do know that I enjoyed reading this strong start to the authors dystopian based series, enjoyed it so much that read more than half on my smart phone while waiting for my Kindle DX to charge so could finish on my eReader.
There is something about fantasy that really draws me in, this world and these characters were tailor made for my reading enjoyment. The entire setup to the plot, the characters and the world built by the author just drew me in and kept me fascinated from beginning to end. Especiallythe last part of the book which hinted at what to expect when the series continues with book 2 The Green Zone which promises to be every bit as good as this one!

[D.A. Graystone · Rating 5 out of 5]

J.C. Andrijeski has hit the mark with “The Culling”, the first book in the Slave Girl Chronicles. Her strong female lead character, Jet, is tough, intelligent, capable and very sympathetic. And, she has a kick-ass sword! Painting a dystopian landscape is always a challenge but J.C. is up for that challenge and more. The author keeps the action moving, engaging the reader in the conflict, while painting that detailed and complicated landscape. You won’t just read the novel, you'll find yourself breathless, running beside Jet through the choked, ruined streets that were Vancouver. I can’t wait to read the next installment of the Slave Girl Chronicles as well as J.C.’s other novels -- I’ve already bought Rook, the first book in the Allie’s War series. Grab yourself a copy of the Slave Girl Chronicles as soon as you can...you are going to be hooked from the beginning!

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars for me; good sci-fi - ...basically this was an alien abduction; with a human rebellion in the background. I like Jet. However, not enough information was given about any of the other characters; or...Jet found out on the very last pages that everything she thought about those characters was false. So, no true info about the other characters. I am on the fence about every other character. Jet has joined the rebellion. I wish it would have ended with a fight or something. The writing is very good. Descript. I was never bored; favorite part was Jet's fight with the TRex. No real memorable quotes. In the end - it was better than decent. I will read the rest of the series someday.

[A.B. Shepherd · Rating 4 out of 5]

This first book in the Slave Girl Chronicles series is really more of a novella than a full length book.

Jet is a young human woman living in a future world in which we have destroyed the planet and been invaded by a race of aliens who now control everything. She's been hiding out with her mother and younger brother along with some others who are simply trying to survive and not be captured and sold into slavery. This is where the story begins.

I really liked this first book in the series, although I didn't quite like where the author chose to end it. But there is lots of action, suspense and intrigue. I can't wait to read the next book.

[Thomas Carpenter · Rating 5 out of 5]

The novel is set in a dystopian future in which alien overlords have taken over our planet after we left it in shambles. That's the short and sweet summary of the novel, but really it doesn't quite describe it.

Another way might be to say that the novel is a fast-paced action thriller that slowly builds an interesting and believable world along the journey. There are plenty of twists and turns, especially during the later half of the novel, to keep it interesting. I'd recommend this novel for fans of sci-fi action thrillers, dystopias, or anyone who likes kick-butt sword wielding heroines.

[M.E. Lorde · Rating 5 out of 5]

"If you read no other fantasy books this year, I would highly suggest this one. Smooth writing, great dialog and a plot that will linger in your mind even after you've finished. This is one I've just recently read and it's outstanding. The main character is a strong female character and the descriptions will pull you into the pages. J.C. Andrijeski has published a number of other books and I will be reading all of them. I've had a taste, and now I want more. "

[Suz · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars

It's an interesting premise that limps a bit in the delivery. Things like using ellipsis in the middle of sentences where commas were more appropriate were frustrating, in addition to some copy editing issues. Had I not been able to move into part 2 (book 2?) the ending would have upset me. Also there were a couple of plot points that really had me working to suspend disbelief. It's a short book, novella length.

Interesting enough to see how the next book does, though.

[-Edamommie- · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 I really enjoyed this! Jet is a bad ass chick but gets caught by the aliens that invaded earth..the aliens sound like a cross between avatar and jar jar binks. Lots of action a teeny tiny bit predictable(it is fictional aliens)!

[Vivian · Rating 4 out of 5]

A girl, a sword, and a rebellion in some dystopian future. Toss in some murky allegiances and what more could one want? Definitely ready for part two.

[Cath · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is book one of the Alien Apocalypse series and the main character is Jet Tetsuo, a nineteen year old skag, one of the few humans still alive on earth, after it was invaded by creatures called Nirreth. People are constantly being taken away on alien ships, never to return, so nobody knows what happens to any of them. She lives in the ruins of Vancouver with her family, hiding underground from the culler ships and fighting off other human raiding groups. Earth had been destroyed by humans long before the Nirreth arrived and killed off large swathes of mankind. Most animals are extinct, the atmosphere has been ruined by pollution and radiation, and things like food and especially water are in short supply. It is a struggle to survive and Jet is on her way to make a trade for much needed supplies. She is in a part of town she is unfamiliar with and is above ground, which is far more dangerous. She is also alone, refusing to allow her best friend Anaze come with her. She is distracted thinking about her young brother Biggs, and him possible joining up with the rebels near the docks. A culler hovercraft is above her, almost before she even realises and she ends up captured and believes she will either be eaten or killed by these alien creatures, from the stories she was told growing up.
She is taken by a human captain called Richter, who she thought was the leader of the rebellion against the Nirreth, and his crew of Nirreth, to the infamous Green Zone, to be sold off to the highest bidder. Richter is holding out, to sell her to the Royal family as a personal guard for their children, as well as a fighter in the Rings! She has a sword made for her by an expert, that she calls Black, and has been taught how to use it. The Nirreth are too big and have a stinger on their tails, which can inject some sort of substance into her bloodstream, which allows them to control her easily. She tries to fight, but is quickly overwhelmed. She is now nothing more than a slave and a plaything for the Nirreth Royal family, given the role of protecting their eldest son, along with Richter’s right hand man or should I say Nirreth, Laksri. She is now in a more brutal environment, where refusal to do as ordered could mean her immediate death, but someone has specifically picked her for this role. She is now living in a world she had only ever seen in books or old movies, with no end of food, water, plants and even animals everywhere. The Nirreth are repairing parts of the planet, wanting to inhabit it for themselves, after the death of their own, but not all apparently are happy with the way the Royal family rules! Now Jet is being used as a pawn by humans and as a pet by aliens, where she still needs to fight for her very survival. Who the real enemy is, is not as clear as first thought and there is so much more to come for Jet. I received an ARC copy of this book from BookSprout and I have freely given my own opinion of the book above.

[Mutated Reviewer · Rating 4 out of 5]

In a post alien takeover world, Earth is left an apocalyptic ruin. Humans are forced to hide out underground, starved and wild, or face the surface and the culling ships, huge hovercrafts who snatch people up and never bring them back. And Jet is one of the few survivors on the planet, not herded like cattle into the alien made settlements for humans.

A strong female lead, Jet survives with her mother and younger brother, though we aren't able to meet them in this book. She's trained with a sword, and she's known for her bravery and violent nature. This book isn't about living in the wasteland though, because Jet, at the beginning of the book, is being hunted down by a culling ship.

Get ready for a shocker. Despite what the cover implies, this book is actually about Jet being kidnapped and forced into slavery by the aliens who took over the planet, the big blue lizards as they're referred to many times in the story. And if you don't like it, they'll sting you with their tails and render you conscious but completely submissive and drugged.

Though there's another series with the same name and a similar cover, I can't see them being very similar otherwise. This book was a very intense but powerful read. It's about fighting back, even when all hope is lost. It's about staying strong and doing what's right even when what you're facing is terrifying and strange.

If you're a fan of books like the hunger games, but want something a little more mature and science fiction based, you should check this book out. It's intense, it's scary, and it has a lot of twists I never expected. It's also very well written, and I couldn't put it down once I picked it up. I can't wait to check out the next one.

[Regina · Rating 1 out of 5]

Have no idea why Amazon has such high ratings . The writer tried to world build and I felt like I was in a science class watching the teacher drone on about the color white .....sleepy.
At 59 % I was still living in her head . Literally. If you put actual conversation together there MIGHT be a chapter of actual conversation. Maybe.
I was bored and a little disgusted.
Human pet ,not aliens fault our world is poison ,we did it then blamed invaders...yes got that right invaders who I was told how nice slave masters they are and we are really trained monkeys or dogs for domestic pettage. Oh and as sex whores . Big market for that but hey! Look! We saving your planet and ...you know..owning you . I could Care why ,how or when or actually even what the human man in this thought did or felt much less the aliens that brought destruction no mater what they say and the slave owning n, don't mention they eat or ate humans as food .Plane fact is they aliens are evil and invade ,destroy and own others .... Not beneficial,no morality or any other loving being at all hinted at.
This was bad ,boring and I could barely keep my eyes open to get to those good parts all the 5 stars said .
I never found the 5 stars just inner thinking ,description of our own world ,alien benevolent beings saving planet ,being a pets is better that being actually in control of what happened to u body in any way shape or form , the fragile smuggler smirks and his self righteousness is wanted and we as humans deserve everything we get for destroying the planet but look at us we are pointing at the lovely alien .Shame on us bad humans .
That's what I got when I could pry my eyes open .
Yep you guessed it . leaving this series ...no where near me .

[Ravencrantz · Rating 1 out of 5]

If I had sat myself down and plowed through it, this book would have taken me about two hours. It's a very short book. Still, it was so slow. The beginning was interesting and fast paced, with Jet being chased and abducted, but the rest was so slow and boring I wanted it to be over. There were a few twists at the end, some predictable but reasonable, others so out there they're ridiculous and I can't believe they were included a dinosaur?? Really???? She has to fight a dinosaur????.

The writing shows promise, if the author continues with this career and takes note of shortcomings, but that's the only positive thing I can say about this book. I don't care about any of the characters. Jet is pretty bland, Richter is a creepy asshole, and Anaze is hardly worth mentioning yet, but I'm also leaning towards asshole, but a different type of asshole it must be genetic. For a book about aliens, they weren't very prominent. Sure they were there but they weren't the focus. We have little to no world building here and I have no reason not to cheer for the Nirreth.

I can't say this book wasted my time because it took up so little of it, but I would have been just as happy skipping over this one.

[The Mysterious Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ok, quite frankly I’m not a big fan of apocalypse themed stories, but I’ve read and very much enjoyed other books by JC Andrijeski so I figured it was worth trying her new series as it’s on KU so was low risk. I’m really glad I did as this was fantastically addictive wonderful stuff. Now available in a single bookset, The Complete Alien Apocalypse Series (Parts I-IV Plus Bonus Novella), and I’d highly recommend that as, please trust me, you’ll not be able to stop until reaching the end. This crazy mashup “Apocalyptic, Romantic, Science Fiction, Alien Invasion Adventure” somehow works perfectly. I loved the plot line in each darn book, all of which flowed into a great story line filled with a perfectly crafted cast of lead and supporting characters, and all tied up with a bow of superb writing. Really fantastic stuff and I very much highly recommend each book and (for anyone coming to this fir the first time) the boxset.

[Deb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great series

Great series. This is book 1, there are 4 of them total. This is a series about earth after it's been polluted beyond repair but people still fight to be free even though they rarely find food and much is unhealthy. They have heard may story's about the aliens who have come to earth and have taken over. They are terrified by them. In book 1 Jen gets captured by them and that starts the whole series off with what continues on with her life and other humans and aliens. A fun book to read and Jen is a major fighter. Love reading about her fights. Get the books and enjoy the whole series.

[Anna · Rating 2 out of 5]

Anticlimactic

I read the book to completion. However, there was no real problem solving, just one problem on top of another another. The ending of this book was rather anti climatic, and then it was over. Buy the next I the series at 3.99, I think not it wasn't that good. If I hadn't gotten this one for free I wouldn't have read this first book.

[Kay Mack · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant plot!

Take one Earth. Destroy its soil, water and air. People have to live underground. Bring in reptilian aliens, before, during, after the destruction. Humanity is enslaved. Written with clear, concise penmanship and an understanding of behaviour and dialogue and you have this book! I look forward to reading the next one with excitement.

[Julie Witt · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very short book, only 158 pages, which made it a very quick, but enjoyable, read. The pace was very swift, so it made it easy to read, but it didn't skimp on action. The characters were varied and interesting, and the world building was done very well.

All in all, I enjoyed this sci-fi/dystopian story and give it my recommendation.

4/5 stars.