Crocodile Tears

Dark Water #1

by Xanthe Walter

Heart-pounding MM romantic suspense thriller set in a dystopian near future where love and loss collide.

Dark water. Deadly secrets. Dangerous love.

Top homicide detective Josiah Raine hasn't touched another man since his husband's brutal murder seven years ago. Notorious bad boy Alexander Lytton hasn't known peace since he destroyed his privileged life to become Britain's most hated man. When Josiah arrests Alex for murder, the last thing he expects is to fall in love…

'A masterpiece of romantic suspense that will leave you breathless' - Reader Review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Dark Water series is a must-read for fans of MM romance, dystopian fiction, and riveting mysteries alike.
______________________________________________________________________

London, 2095. Sixty years after rising seas drowned the old world, a corrupt system of servitude keeps the new one afloat.

Josiah leads a double life. At work, he tracks down killers with ruthless efficiency. At home, he's falling apart as he holds conversations with his dead husband.
His frozen existence is turned upside down when a celebrity holophotographer is murdered, and all evidence points to the victim's servant—the beautiful but enigmatic Alexander Lytton.

Everyone is convinced of Alex's guilt except Josiah, who finds himself drawn to the sharp-witted young man. He knows Alex is hiding something, but is it murder or an even darker secret?

Haunted by memories of his husband's last moments, Josiah is running on empty as he tries to solve the case. As he slowly unravels, he finds an unlikely source of comfort—in the arms of his prime suspect.

But in a drowned world where servants are property, falling for Alex could cost him everything. Can he trust instincts numbed by grief, or is he being seduced by a master manipulator?

Immerse yourself in Crocodile Tears, the enthralling first novel in the Dark Water series by MM romantic suspense author Xanthe Walter.

Tropes:
• Enemies to Lovers
• Slow Burn
• Hurt/Comfort
• Forced Proximity
• Touch-Starved/Emotional Awakening
• Damaged/Traumatized Hero
• Forbidden Romance
• Second Chance
• Detective and Suspect Romance
• Murder Mystery/Criminal Investigation
• Dystopian/Climate Fiction

"Dark Water is a masterful blend of rich world-building, a captivating mystery, and deeply compelling characterisation. Set in a vividly imagined near-future, Walter crafts a world that feels both familiar and hauntingly plausible. The intricate plot keeps readers guessing, while the characters—complex, flawed, and achingly real—drive the story's emotional heart. With its gripping narrative and immersive setting, Dark Water is a must-read for fans of MM romance, dystopian fiction, and riveting mysteries alike." Reader Review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Genres: M M Romance, Mystery, Dystopia, Romance, Science Fiction, Audiobook, Crime

428 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 3, 2025

About the author

Xanthe has been writing for most of her life, creating hundreds of short stories, novellas, and novels. Born in London, England, she puts her drama degree to good use by creating dramatic adventures about gorgeous men!

She had a day job for many moons, but when she discovered the wonderful world of MM fanfiction, she knew she'd found her tribe!

She wrote in fandom for over a decade, winning many awards, before transitioning to professional writing in 2012 with the BDSM romp, Ricochet.

Xanthe writes genre-defying MM romances, skilfully weaving murder mysteries, sci-fi, and fantasy into compelling love stories. Her books often contain plenty of spice, as well as the occasional sprinkling of BDSM.

If you enjoy MM romance and relish engaging novels with well-written characters, then jump on board her emotional rollercoaster!

Sometimes she goes to dark places, but you're guaranteed payoffs that hit the sweet spot and make the journey truly memorable.

When she's not writing, Xanthe is a musical theatre fan, geeks out on Tudor history, and never says no to a proper cream tea! She splits her time between London and Somerset with her two beautiful cats.

Come and join her on her friendly Facebook group Xanthology.

Reviews

[Sully Smutty · Rating 1 out of 5]

Do you want some AI translation to go with your AI t-shirts and AI posters?! Xanthe Walter has all your AI needs covered.

Xanthe Walter is now using Amazon's nifty AI translation service for the Spanish version of Ricochet, you can see here that right under the language section underneath the book, it says: ✨ Translated with Kindle Translate.

💩What is Kindle Translate?🗑️

Kindle Translate is Amazon's AI-powered translation service for books. Publishers and authors can choose to use Kindle Translate to make their books available to more readers in more languages. Books translated this way go through a multi-step translation and quality check process before publishing.

And to all the AI super fans in the comment section, no one's stopping you from buying and supporting AI shit, so what is your problem? Also, if you support AI unfucking follow me please. Thanks.


(Original review posted: 4 July 2025)
Mad RTC. (Or according to the author, a "special bullying" review.)

Just keep in mind Walter used AI for all of this series' book covers, has a pro-AI policy,
used AI for marketing/advertising/whatever videos and faux art on IG, and sells AI merchandise.

If you're an author that wants to use AI, can you please put that where the ARTIST is credited, on the first page? That way readers have the ability to choose what they are reading and who they are supporting. What is so difficult about that?

If you have a pro-AI policy, then why not put that in your book, instead of making people scour the internet?!

So thrilled I wasted my time reading, highlighting, taking notes, and drafting a review, before discovering the AI usage. 😵‍💫

[Sussu {Romance Obsessed}]

I was enjoying the story and was around the 20% mark, but then found out that the author supports the use of AI.
it's not in their writing, but it's in their social media promotion and research, which leaves me with no other decision than to dnf, because there is no ethical use of AI.
I will not only not finish this book, I will avoid all works from them going forward.

[Kathleen in Oslo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was motivated to check this out by Caz's insightful and informative review, and I'm glad I did: some clunky writing aside, this was just the page-turner I needed right now. This is an intricately plotted story operating in two timelines, distinguished by their different POVs. The book's present day, October 2095, opens with a murder scene and unfolds from investigator Josiah's point of view, interspersed with flashbacks to Josiah's relationship with his late husband; the other timeline gives us Alexander's story from 2083 to 2088, and what a depressing story it is. Great worldbuilding, complex characters, and a meaty mystery equals excellent summer read.

Clunky writing-wise, I was struck by a slight but consistent difference between the two timelines (including Josiah's flashbacks as part of the earlier rather than present-day timeline, even though they were not presented that way). While the murder investigation stuff was crisp and effective, Alex's backstory and Josiah's flashbacks generally weren't as well-written, the dialogue more stagey and the whole thing flowing less naturally than we get in Josiah's POV or Josiah and Alex's interactions. Don't get me wrong, the content is compelling: the author does a great job of painting Alex as simultaneously sympathetic and unsympathetic, and in showing us the depth and love in Josiah and Peter's relationship. The story of how Alex ended up an IS was, on the one hand, not surprising -- it's obvious pretty early on who orchestrates his downfall (besides Alex himself; and I appreciate how Alex does not deny his own complicity, even if the fate that befalls him is much crueler than deserved) -- but the details were a kick in the ass, and there was definitely one part I didn't see coming. I just wish those sections were a bit better written, as the backstories comprise the heart of the story.

The various ruminations on IS's and the way the system functions were interesting, with different characters coming at it from different angles and experiences, all of which the author plays off Josiah's indiehunter reputation. I'm curious to see how this develops in the next three books.

Quibbles aside, the takeaway is that I blasted through those 400+ pages in just over a day, I immediately bought book 2, and I'm guessing the short wait for book 3 will be a wrench. What can I say, I'm invested!

ETA: It's come to my attention that the author uses AI for her covers and social media marketing. I stand by the review in terms of the reading experience, but wanted to flag this for other readers.

[Kelsey H · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Book Sirens and author Xanthe Walter for the opportunity to read this ARC 💕

MMC - Josiah: 5 🌟
MMC - Alexander: 5 🌟
SPICE: 🌶 🌶 🌶

LIKES: When I read the blurb for this book, I had a feeling I was going to enjoy it, but also it was different from the books I've read recently, so I wanted to change it up a little. And man was I floored by how much this book sucked me in!!

I loved the futuristic dystopian setting, for starters. I could so clearly visualize it all as I was reading. The murder mystery aspect of the story, along with all the twists, kept me on my toes from the very beginning. The time jumps were written well and added great backstories to coincide with the current timeline, so nothing felt confusing or out of place. And I am so intrigued by Alex and Josiah, and I can't wait to unravel more in the following books!!

DISLIKES: I have no critiques!

[Caz · Rating 4 out of 5]

B+ / 4.5 stars

Crocodile Tears is one of those books I picked up on a whim because the synopsis intrigued me and which I started reading with no expectations. That I read almost 500 pages in one sitting should tell you something. It has a few pacing issues and is slightly repetitive at times, but on the whole, it’s an engrossing read with rich worldbuilding, intriguing characters and a compelling plot told across multiple timelines, and I honestly couldn’t put it down.

Xanthe Walter’s four book Dark Waters series is set in a dystopian not-too distant future in which a series of massive underwater earthquakes caused the sea levels to rise, the ice caps to melt and saw entire countries (such as the Netherlands) and cities (New York, Venice, most of central London) submerged. With millions of people displaced and in desperate need of shelter and basic necessities, a refugee crisis the like of which the world has never seen quickly ensued, and the scarcity of resources led to the development of a system of Indentured Servitude where people would sell themselves and their services in exchange for better living conditions or money for their families for a set length of time.

Around sixty years later, in October 2095, Josiah Raine, one of the country’s top investigators, is having a very rare day off. He works for one of the private companies that now the detective work formerly the purview of the police (the police service having been considerably reduced), and on this day every year for the past seven years, he’s commemorated the death of his beloved husband, Peter, by giving some TLC to the vintage car Peter loved, listening to some of Peter’s favourite Pre-R(ising) music and indulging, just a little bit, in his own love of fine chocolate. His boss at Inquisitus knows better than to disturb him on this day – so when she does, he knows it must be for something important. She wants him to lead the investigation into the murder of a celebrity photographer and holographer, which is likely to be a high-profile case, and she doesn’t trust anyone else to handle it.

Josiah agrees and makes his way to the address he’s been given in one of the most expensive areas of New London, where the body of Elliot Dacre is still lying in the middle of the now blood-soaked carpet in the luxurious living room. The room itself is rather disconcerting, covered as the walls are in holopics, most of them displaying the image of a beautiful and intense young man whose face vaguely rings a bell, but whom Josiah can’t place. He learns the man is Alexander Lytton – a convicted criminal sold into Indentured Servitude by the courts for an eyewatering sum of money. Indies killing their houder (owner) is not an uncommon crime and Lytton’s association with Dacre (for whom he was clearly more than a servant) makes him a definite person of interest – if not the prime suspect.

The present day storyline focuses on the murder investigation and the uneasy relationship developing between Josiah and Alex. They don’t trust each other – with good reason – and although Josiah finds it increasingly difficult to believe in Alex’s guilt, he knows the massive amount of circumstantial evidence stacked against him would convict him in any court. But he’s not interested in a speedy conviction of the wrong man; he wants to find the real killer – and to find the truth of the infuriating, enigmatic Alexander Lytton, to discover what lies behind the blank façade of the perfect, dutiful IS he presents to the world.

There are two other storylines in the book, one that tells the story of how Alex, spoilt rich kid and son of a wealthy industrialist became an Indentured Servant (IS or indie), the other following the younger Josiah in his army days, and showing how he met and fell in love with Peter.

In 2082, aged seventeen, Alex caused the car crash that killed his mother and severely injured his brother. Unable to escape the constant media attention and online hatred spewed at him, his father’s resentment and his own, crushing guilt, he’s in a bad place and getting worse. He’s created a don’t-give-a-shit persona and is locked in a self-destructive spiral, figuring that as everyone in the country thinks he’s a villain, he might as well be one. Witnessing Alex’s race towards rock-bottom is heartbreaking – he’s badly damaged and deeply flawed and he screws up repeatedly but he doesn’t deserve the horrible betrayal that sets him onto the path towards becoming the subdued, broken and subservient young man he has become by the time we meet at the beginning of the book.

Also in 2082, Josiah, one of a very few non-indies allowed to join the army, has taken a new posting with a peacekeeping force in France, and from the very first is just the teeniest bit smitten with his rather eccentric CO, Captain Peter Hunt. Peter may not be an Adonis, but he’s intensely charismatic; he’s kind and warm and funny and cares deeply about the job he’s there to do. Josiah and Peter’s love story is sweet and charming and provides some much needed lightness and humour in what is, overall, a pretty dark story. I liked that we actually get to see how their relationship developed and to see them happy together – it makes it easier to understand Josiah’s grief and inability to move on.

The world the author has created is fascinating – and more than a little disturbing - with information imparted as appropriate to the story rather than in info dumps. While there are, as I said at the beginning, some pacing issues (I got a bit frustrated with the interruptions to the murder investigation until I realised the stories in the other timelines are just as compelling) once the story really got going, I was utterly engrossed by it and felt like I was holding my breath until I reached the end!

As this is the first in a four book series, don’t go in expecting a speedy or simple resolution or an HEA because you won’t find either of those things. The good news is that the remaining three books in the Dark Waters series are scheduled for release between now and September, so there isn’t too long to wait if, like me, you’re hooked on the story and characters and can’t wait to find out what happens next.

[Julia (bookish.jka) · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Josiah could understand why the murdered photographer had been so obsessed with this particular model. He was physically arresting, with his pale skin, angular cheekbones, and full lips, but it was his eyes that fascinated; they invited the viewer in while giving nothing away. Even in those holopics where he was smiling, his eyes were blank and unreadable."

Crocodile Tears was my first book by Xanthe Walter but it won't be my last - particularly given this was the first book in a series, which I was unaware of when I started it, so the cliffhanger ending was excruciating! That said, I was totally enamoured and invested in the book, which was unlike any thriller I'd read recently - a dystopian London setting in 2095, a haunted homicide detective, an enigmatic murder suspect, a forbidden attraction - totally delicious!

What To Expect:

🖤Enemies to Lovers
🖤The Slowest of Slow Burn
🖤Hurt/Comfort
🖤Forced Proximity
🖤Touch-Starved/Emotional Awakening
🖤Damaged/Traumatised Hero
🖤Forbidden Romance
🖤Cliffhanger

Can't wait to dive into book 2, Ghost Eye!

5 stars

[Cinnamon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, this book... I was halfway through, and already I didn't want it to end.

It is, on the surface, a simple murder mystery. But it goes so much deeper than that.

Crocodile Tears is beautiful and sad; full of love, pain, grief, guilt, hopelessness, and loneliness.

It's a tale of two lost souls, each treading the violent waters of guilt and grief in their own way for their own reasons.

When I signed up for the ARC read, I had no idea who the author was and had zero expectations from the book. But I wasn't just surprised by how amazing this book is; I fell in love with it.

I fell in love with Josiah, trapped by grief and loneliness.

I fell in love with Alex, the tortured soul, the tragic prince.

Xanthe Walter sucks you into the mystery--not just of the murder being investigated, but also the mystery of everything that happened that led Josiah and Alex to the moment the story starts.

Anyone looking for smut, you won't find it here.

Anyone looking for a book that'll mess with your feelings and stick with you for long after you read it, please, give this one a try.

I received an ARC copy of this book in exchange for this review, but I promise, this is an honest and heartfelt review.

A warning: While the book does not end in a cliffhanger, there's no conclusion to the story here. Keep that in mind so you won't be disappointed, but don't let this keep you from reading it.

Last but not least, I'd like to thank the author for trusting me to read her book and provide the honest review she expected. Then thank her a second time for writing such a good and solid story that deeply touched my heart.

Anyone who disagrees with me, please, leave a comment and tell me why. I love reading different takes on books.

Anyone who loved this book, leave a comment, too, so I know I'm not alone.

[Sarah Meerkat · Rating 2 out of 5]

I will preface this by saying I have been following Xanthe for two decades from Stargate and NCIS fanfic and I just could not with this book. Their is no forward plot progression this is no where close to actually being a thriller you'd have to actually get somewhere in a murder investigations for that to happen. This entire first book spends more time going over past events than present events in the most maddening nonlinear format. flashbacks within flashbacks backs. flashbacks within the present day chapters. And all it really does is showcase how just boring and uninteresting our two mcs are.

Also I still can't get over the fact that Alex is the heir to post apocalyptic duck boats. That's what the Avs are duck boats like the ones in Boston.

If you want fucked up complex power dynamics between two leads your certainly not going to find them in this book.

[Es Gee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good plot and well executed. This book ends on a cliffhanger but I anticipated that. I think all the books were released together as one batch?

The book isn't happy. In fact, it gave me a lot of anxiety and turmoil. I would have DNF if the plot and mystery of it didn't keep pulling me in. That said, some of the "mystery" isn't all that unknown. Very little of the final "reveals" were surprising. On the one hand that's good because you don't feel you have to read the book again a second time, on the other hand you know what's broken and what's coming which is why I was feeling anxiety.

[ElizaMac · Rating 1 out of 5]

ETA: I managed to finish this atrociously long book only to realize it was the first in a series of four. You have GOT to be kidding me. You write a 419 page book that is all over the place and one of the MC’s is not endearing at all and you don’t further anything between MC’s before it’s over… in 419 pages… and expect me to read more? The only reason I kept reading this after learning about this author’s love of AI was the best characters in the book… the dead ones… and learning who the killer was. And guess what? We don’t learn it. And I am absolutely not going to find out by reading another book. Massive waste of time and brain cells.

———————————
Original review:

Unfortunately I got this book for free and got invested before I found out this author supports and defends the use of AI.

I don’t give a crap if it’s just for the cover. You defend any use of AI, what’s to say you aren’t using it in the writing? How do we know the author didn’t use AI writing this? Just because they said so? Sorry. I’m not one of your writer/reviewer butt buddies who come on here to attack honest reviews calling this author out.

Using AI takes away from artists.

F*ck you people for defending it. Saying “it’s inevitable” is a cop out.

You will be the death of art.

[|Stephanie|]

DNF 53%

When you loathe one of the main characters and they just keep getting worse & worse, its time to throw in the towel. Hey, we tried.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Crocodile Tears, Dark Water, Book 1, by Xanthe Walter, is a great story. It will pull you in and grip you tightly, even as you fail to notice it happening. Then, you come to the end of the book and… More, there must be more! So many stories, so tightly interconnected with wonderful twists and turns along the way. Can’t wait for the next installment, Ghost Eye, to come out. Great characters that are real, with depth and flexibility. If you love a good mystery with dystopian overtones, this is worth reading. DISCLAIMER: I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

[Kirsten · Rating 2 out of 5]

Two boring timelines,
written poorly, with dull men,
make it long, not good.

Oy. This is a nearly 450-page novel, the first of 4 books. 1700 pages of Alex's POV, moving forward from 2083 to converge with Josiah's POV starting in 2095 (but with flashbacks!) to tell an incredibly boring story of a rich boy who does drugs, is forced to sell himself into indentured servitude (which equals prostitution), can't feel, and maybe murdered his latest master (called houder... because though the Netherlands are submerged underwater, the refugees who became indentured servants got to keep a few words for local color?) meets a dull, pious, grieving detective with hidden secrets (aren't all secrets hidden?) and they... start to solve the crime? in close proximity? so they can eventually bang? even though they don't trust each other?

The prose is TERRIBLE. The sex is unsexy (and I'm not talking about the prostitution sex, I'm talking about the sex between people who love or at least like and want each other.) Seriously, the first time the soulmate MCs have sex, it's like this:

"How shall we…?” he murmured, nuzzling Peter’s ear. Peter grabbed hold of his buttocks and pulled him in close. “I want you in me, soldier – now!” he ordered.

"Yes, sir!" Josiah snapped off a smart salute. [nice alliteration] "Uh..." He glanced around, wondering how best to improvise.

"My pack.” Peter rummaged in his knapsack and pulled out some Vaseline. Josiah remembered him using it to soothe his chapped hands after working on the convoy’s engines.

They made love slowly, under the moon and stars, on Rosengarten’s parched earth.

If I had realized that Xanthe Walter was the Xanthe of BDSM AU McShep fame, I wouldn't have bothered. I ADORE McShep and tried twice to read her work, but the clunky writing noped me out of it twice. When you've got the GOAT Helenish, why in god's name would you read Xanthe.

@kathleeninoslo, I blame you.

[Sam Reads Books *Just the Highlights* · Rating 1 out of 5]

Damn I missed this was an AI author. I listened to about 2.5 minutes and was coming to mark this as reading when I saw the review notes
Bummer.

[Cheeks · Rating 4 out of 5]

solid 4/5
It took me a bit to get into this book, but I am so glad I stuck it out. The world-building is incredible and rich with well-developed characters and a plot that had me hooked. I am very much looking forward to book 2!

[Dana | Rainbow Romance Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book had me hooked from start to finish. It’s a clever mix of romantic suspense, murder mystery, thriller, and a touch of sci-fi, and this is just the first in a series, with a cliffhanger that promises much more to come.

I really liked the dual timeline, jumping back and forward between the present, as Josiah investigates Elliot Dacre’s murder and confronts his own demons, and the past, as we see the slow downfall of his main suspect, Alexander, leading to his arrest and indenture. The contrast between past and present Alex is so well done, it honestly feels like two different people, with only small glimmers of his former self shining through. As much as he can be a bit of a dick, I felt sorry for him, and I sympathised with his situation. He’s a complex, flawed character, and I’m intrigued by the hints of a developing romance between him and Josiah, and all the hidden layers we are yet to uncover.

The futuristic world building is so creative and immersive, adding a really interesting layer to the story. If this is just book one, I can’t wait to see where the author will take it next. There are a lot more questions than answers by the last page and I’m excited to find out more in book two!

[Caz · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars for the narration, 4.5 stars for the story.

My review of the ebook edition is HERE so I won't rehash it; I'll just add this about the narration:

Matt Addis' narration is outstanding. His pacing is spot on and he does an amazing job of finding different characer voices for the large cast - all are expertly characterised and differentiated from each other so there's never any confusion as to who is speaking in conversations. His portrayals of Josiah and Alex are perfect - Josiah's confidence and authority oozes from him, and I especially liked the differences in the way MA voices Josiah the soldier and Josiah the investigator, who is a more polished individual when it comes to matters of dress and speech and has lost his rougher accent. His Alex is alternately sweet, petulant, charming and frustrated; here is a deeply damaged young man who has lost his way.

It's a superb performance all-round, and I'm eagerly looking forward to listening to the rest of the series.

[Dasco · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had the honour and pleasure to be part of the ARC team for Crocodile tears by Xanthe Walter.

What a journey it was for me.

I litterally devoured the book and on the other hand I read it carefully and over the span of a week, because I was scared it would be over too soon.

The moment Alexander and Josiah met I was hooked with both their characteres, but what really took me in was the world building. The way Xanthe took a very current, relevant and important topic and made it her own to an extreme that the reading has to think about "Can this really happen?" blew me away and I can't wait to read the next book.

Thanks you for writing something so breathtaking.

[Valeria CN · Rating 5 out of 5]

Achei que seria um romancezinho numa distopia, mas a parada é muito maior. Adorei também que os protagonistas erram e ninguém passa a mão na cabeça. O lance de alternar passado e futuro me irritou um pouco mas acho que é aquele lance de leitor querer apressar a historia "vamo vamo, segue logo com a história" quando o autor só queria montar o background pra gente entender quem são os protagonistas agora. Com certeza vou continuar a série.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this book! I can’t wait to read the rest of the series - luckily it is ALL written & coming out in the next couple of months. It’s dystopic, murder mystery, & MM romance all in one. I’m shipping Joe & Alex hard! I need more now! I was lucky enough to get an ARC, but it’ll be on KU soon. Get it!

[Amaryllis · Rating 5 out of 5]

[ I was lucky enough to get an early access to this book, it's coming out May 10! ]

First of all, I'm completely transfixed by that world?
Dark Water is set in a futuristic world and I loved to see how, in that particular universe, our world has evolved. It's flawed and raw and wild, the social status matter more than ever and I just? Yes. So relevant in our day and age.

This water-y, green, world submerged atmosphere gave me such a Ghibli vibe? I kept picturing those big areas of old cities under water, the sky reflecting in them. Loved it. So beautiful.

The story in itself was not what I was expecting and it surprised me in a good way. You can't just not want to know, every chapter brings another piece to the puzzle and it's so intriguing.
I loved Josaiah and Alexander so much. Their story is starting slow but their chemistry is there 100%. I can't wait for more, I need them in my life starting now.

Honestly, such a nice read, I devoured it.
Thriller/suspens meets futuristic meets love (between the mmc but not only).
Easy five stars.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantastic world building, mediocre mystery that doesn't get resolved in book one. It's murder mystery - this should not take more than one book. Had this just been a dystopian, I would have loved it.

[UnderCoverBookAddict · Rating 4 out of 5]

More than a decade ago I read a book from this author. A book that left its mark on me and I will never forget.

This author has a way of building a new universe. I must say that two stars were just for the world building. One star was for Peter and Josiah’s story; which was definitely a love story. I cannot imagine liking Peter and Josiah’s story more.

I am still unable to bond with Alexander. I cannot sympathize with his selfish ways.

[Amanda]

DNF @52%

The cover is pretty
I enjoyed Josiah
Alex was gross and he ruined the book for Steph and I 😑

[Zuli · Rating 4 out of 5]

My fav part was definitely this world. Amazing. I especially loved the timeline, since we’re 60 years after the apocalypse and, even though there are still many signs and remains of what happened, the world is in a relatively stable phase and its inhabitants can live their common lives for the most part. Besides, I think the Rising, the indentured servant system, the new technologies and all the author’s creations were so good and accurate. This is one of my fav post-apocalyptic worlds so far.

Then we meet Josiah and his team. The first chapter had me right away. Not only was the mystery of who killed this popular man intriguing, but we also got to find out along with a guy who always follows the rules and is famous for hating indies, his sorta friend who’s a great technician, and the new member, an indie who trusts the system and knows Joe’s reputation. I usually don’t like security agents that much, but this was presented as something so entangled I wanted to start investigating immediately.

And then something better happens: we meet Peter and Hattie 🥹. We learn about how Joe met his now dead husband, and that was lovely. Those two were made for each other, they had similar values from totally different perspectives. Joe was not a bad man, he knew that killing people wasn’t heroic, but having been lucky enough to get out of the ugly place he was born in, he couldn’t see the other side, the less lucky ones. Peter was privileged growing up but understood that saving everyone was impossible because he’d seen the other side through all the people he’s helped. They’re one of those folks that change your life forever once you meet them, which made their relationship beautiful ♥︎

Now we have Alex… and that’s when this goes south. The past timeline was a completely different book. It was 12 years closer to the Rising and yet, apart from the indies and technology, we could’ve been in any other setting and nothing would’ve changed. We follow the tragic but uninteresting, dragging life of a rich guy who made a fatal mistake and is paying the consequences. It had its originality, not gonna lie, but 1) the time jumps ruined the moment, and 2) that ending… So you’re telling me Alex went from making one terrible decision after another to being the innocent victim of a caricature-like childish man? And that the inspiration of this whole vengeance is… a hetero rivalry. Over Alex’s mom… 🤦🏽‍♀️

What made the past stand out for me was that all the (male) characters felt balanced. Noah was a bad father, but he tried to make it up to Alex in his own way. Charles was a good brother, but he still acted selfishly and always thought of himself first. Neil was a shit, but he was introduced that way, not justified. George liked pissing people off and thought himself better than others, but was mature enough to walk away and seek his own destiny. Until he became a villainous villain, that is. (I’m not gonna talk about Solange because one of this book’s main flaws is how it treats female characters. And how white = beautiful. And… well, let’s just say it shows this was written in 2013).

Finally, my last but not least complaint is the narration. One chapter in the present with Josiah, one in the past with Alex, throughout the whole book. As I said, it ruined both moments, but it was also a pain to focus on either the past or the present (or the other past within the present). I have no idea how I managed, but I promise next time I’ll just read chronologically. This is one of the worst narrations I’ve ever read. My brain!

And then the cherry on the cake (I hate cherries, so this analogy works): the most forced beginning of a romance in the last chapter. I wondered how the author could replicate Josiah and Peter’s chemistry with Alex, a man who supposedly can’t fall in love, and the answer is she won’t.

Sigh. Anyway, of course I’ll read the next book. This story is too well developed and intriguing for me to stop here. Fingers crossed it keeps the good parts and leaves the bad ones behind.

PS. I just knew I wouldn’t be able to keep this review short hahaha.

[Adelaide Blaike · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you're reading this and wondering whether you should start the series OR continue on after book one, my answer is a resounding YES.

These books have genuinely changed me. As a writer, but also as a human being, and I'm still processing it days later. They make you think and question and ponder. Reflect on yourself.

There's little in the way of romance - the romantic relationship doesn't take up any more page time than any other - and it's not really a mystery either. It's a suspenseful drill-down into the hardest and darkest parts of life, seeped in clever commentary on human nature, societal compromise, and the complexity of grief.

There is nothing light or easy about any of these books. They're hard-hitting and ruthless, and speak to aspects of the human soul in a way that has absolutely entranced me. Alex, for example, is such a complex character with immense growth, and a strength to him that is within the realms of realistic but also far beyond anything I could ever hope to reach. What he endures and how he survives, was mesmerising. He's so easy to dislike at the beginning, and you think nothing can change your mind...but he will.

And as for the author themself, I am in awe. The patience Walter put into this work, surely knowing that some people may not read on after book one because of its slower pacing and arguably less exciting Alex-plotline...and yet, that groundwork was so importantly pivotal. We needed it to get where we were going, as easy as it would have been for the author to merely skip or summarise, because it packed the larger emotional punch later down the line.

Whenever I read something as fantastic as this, I of course wish I'd written it myself...but in this case, I can't even begin to imagine that fantasy coming to life. I would not have had the patience, the endurance, the determination, that Walter needed to commit to the series to build the story up brick by careful brick like it was.

The end result was stunning. Where we started versus where we ended...the journey is unbelievable. Difficult to read at times, because of how heavy the themes were, but so very fucking worth it.

Just don't go into it expecting a romance. There's a HEA at the end of the fourth book, but for a long time it doesn't seem like you'll reach it. And that was kind of okay - if devastating - because the story was bigger than the romance. Go into it with your mind open and lots of spare hours to binge-read the series back-to-back, because trust me, you won't want to be doing anything else.

Amazing work, Walter. Kudos.

[Bkwrm24 · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars ⭐️


When I picked this read up, I was not expecting the depth of emotion that was in this story and I have to say...WOW! It's not often that I get sucked into the turmoil and grief on page but damn did I feel it in this one. I won't get into the detail of the read because I don't want to spoil, both characters were well written, likable and their story is captivating. This was a pleasant surprise and my first read from this author, I am looking forward to what's next because this story was something else, in a great way.

* I received an ARC from GRR, this is my open and honest review *

[Rhianna · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story is so well-written! I can’t say enough good things about it. You can tell how much time the author spent weaving the intricate details together. The characters are well developed, the story intriguing… I’m so excited to read the rest of it!

ETA: I’ve learned the author uses AI in her marketing and apparently to create these covers. I’m disappointed. I still love the writing and will finish the series in KU, but will not be buying it like I hoped to.

[ReadingRed125 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m really enjoying this dystopian detective murder-mystery story. The world building is different and I like how the timelines for the two characters are being slowly revealed showing their different life experiences. The plot has a very interesting web of mysteries going on in book 1 that I’m eager to get answers to. I’m also looking forward to seeing how the slow-burn plays out in the rest of the series.

[Jax · Rating 2 out of 5]

The time shifts were annoying. Chapters alternate between the past and present, but then the present day POV also has flashbacks. There was no momentum to the story. And the writing wasn’t good enough to put up with it. DNF 26%.