More often than not, the world building receives minor attention, taking a backseat to either mindless action or star-crossed romance. However, I go into this endeavor well-aware of the weaknesses of such novels. Obviously, I really, really love dystopian and post-apocalyptic fiction, otherwise I wouldn't read as much of it as I do. Where the most popular of this sub-genre these days focus more on romance, Orleans pays attention to world building above all else. Smith has most definitely not written this book in a bid to earn more readers by writing for a popular genre. They've all got, more or less, visually arresting covers and a whole lot of marketing to convince you that this one will be the real deal. Given the onslaught of dystopian and post-apocalyptic fiction, knowing which authors have simply hopped the trend bandwagon heading to Fametown and which just had a story to tell that happened to fall into the genre can be incredibly difficult. Mini review: Excellent world building and no romance. Smith delivers an expertly crafted story about a fierce heroine whose powerful voice and firm determination will stay with you long after you’ve turned the last page. In the end, they are each other’s last hope for survival. Brought together by chance, kept together by danger, Fen and Daniel navigate the wasteland of Orleans.

Fen meets Daniel, a scientist from the Outer States who has snuck into the Delta illegally. Left with her tribe leader’s newborn, Fen is determined to get the baby to a better life over the wall before her blood becomes tainted. Years later, residents of the Outer States are under the assumption that life in the Delta is all but extinct… but in reality, a new primitive society has been born.įen de la Guerre is living with the O-Positive blood tribe in the Delta when they are ambushed. After a string of devastating hurricanes and a severe outbreak of Delta Fever, the Gulf Coast has been quarantined.

The library book orlean review