I have yet to be disappointed with a Immortal Ink book. They publish some pretty great books. With that being said, After the Fear was no different. It's got action, love, and survival.

I'm not going to lie, this book reminded me a lot of the Hunger Games. But that's not a bad thing at all. It takes it to a completely new level. Each month there is a tryout in certain cities for new Demonstrators, who are chosen to pay back their city's debt. England, and many of the countries nearby, owe other nations a massive amount of money. They came up with the Demonstrations in order to help pay back some of that debt. If you survive the tryout, you are then sent to a camp to train for more Demonstrations. In order for you to become free, and return home, you must win all 25. I'm pretty sure I would hate to live in this world. Anything could get you picked as a criminal.

Sola is a great main character. She knows she must survive, but she's compassionate, and doesn't want to become a cold-hearted killer in order to pay her debt. Although she's sent to this fate, she manages to try to make the best of it, and ends up with some pretty awesome friends. She tries to be strong all of the time, but let's face it, she's still a teenager. Sola has all of those confused feelings when it comes to boys, and now you've added having to fight for your life as the entertainment for others. Alixis becomes her best friend. She's funny and a likeable character. Alixis has a way of brightening Sola's days and making her feel almost normal. She shows Sola that she can be more than just a killer. Alixis also has a secret that can end pretty badly for her. Then there's Dylan. He's dreamy, even though there are moments you want to smack the mess out of him. He's loyal, even when you think he doesn't care. He does what he can to make sure Sola has a chance to go home.

There's never a slow spot. There is always tension, and you're left wondering what's going to happen next. The Demonstrations are gruesome. There's so much bloodshed and pain. I don't see the point in it, but it works in this world. The pacing of the story is spot on. You're always engaged. I couldn't put the book down. I was on the edge of my seat wanting to see how Sola reacts to situations.

I can't wait to read more of Rivers' writing. She has a way with words that keeps you in the story. It's simple and beautifully written. Definitely pick this book if you're wanting a dystopian book filled with emotion and wonder. ( )

Once I read the blurb for this a few months ago, I knew I needed to read this book. I’m very glad that I followed my instinct on this one. It was such an enjoyable read.

For a debut release, Rivers proves that she’s taken the time to perfect here writing and knows what she’s doing. The society that’s in place for this future England is well put together. After only a few chapters, I felt like it was the real world and that it was possible this could be the reality of the near future. Her characters are great, as well. There’s no lack of depth to any character. With the struggles that take place, a lack of this character development would have made the story flat, boring, and easy to put down. After the Fear is anything but that.

How far would we allow social media to infiltrate our lives? The Debtbook in After the Fear blends the idea of Big Brother and the increasing intrusiveness of social media sites to the extreme. With the whole of this future England under a Mount Everest of national debt, control like this has become the way of life. Way to pay back the debt are set in place, and stepping out of line means your time might be cut short.

This is what happens to Sola, the main character. The reader follows her as she fights for her life, literally, as a demonstrator. While she’s training to be a killer and not to be killed, her humanity is put to the test as well as her ability to keep a level head, friendships, and do whatever it takes outside the stadium, to survive. Sola is a bad-ass female character and I loved every moment of it.

What I really enjoyed in this book is the idea of the demonstrators. As gruesome and barbaric as the gladiators of Rome seem, and how much blood must have flooded the sands of the Colosseum in its prime, what would happen if humans resorted to a similar form of punishment/entertainment? A demonstrator is similar to a modern-day gladiator. I found this such an interesting concept to throw into an (almost) modern civilized culture. Are humans really that separated from their past atrocities or is this not a far stretch of the imagination that we could bring back the concept of making prisoners fight, prized and trained warriors kill, and created deadly twists for the competitors just to make more money?

I found myself questioning just how much of a fiction this might be to a future world. It’s aspects of a dystopian novel, like this, that interest me the most. While After the Fear is a greatly entertaining novel, the way the reader is able to sit down and think about what they’d do if they we put in Sola’s position, or the position of a number of supporting characters, brought my level of enjoyment for this novel to the next level.

I have a feeling we’ll be seeing more great novels from Rivers. If this is only the beginning, I know she’ll blow me away with whatever she has next. ( )

A Gripping Read!



This story is fast paced and full of action and romance. It was written very well with beautiful imagery that really made you feel as if you were there with Sola. I also enjoyed how the story made you think and stayed with me long after I turned the last page.



The world building was excellent. I had a great time getting lost in this dystopian reality. I would love to see another book based on Sola’s world.



Sola’s is a strong willed girl that I really admired. She is put through a lot both physically and emotionally, but she never gives up. I liked that although she was strong she had a caring side and truly wished to help others. She was a fun character to get to know.



There were also a lot of memorable side characters as well including Dylan the demonstrator who Sola was intrigued by. He was an interesting character and I liked that he wasn’t necessarily bad or good.



The premise of the book was both intriguing and exciting I couldn’t get enough of it and Sola was and is one of my all time favorite heroines with her caring nature and strong heart she is a character you will never forget.



This is an exciting new novel that I highly recommend especially to those who love tons of action mixed with romance! ( )

A fantastic read that keeps you on the edge of your seat! Full of action and suspense I had a hard time putting this book down. The characters are full of depth, even the secondary characters. The romance between Sola and Dylan is believable and natural, which is not usually the case in most Young Adult novels. There were several occasions I caught myself laughing out loud at their playful interactions. I love a strong female heroine and it was easy to root for Sola from the very beginning and at the same time absolutely despising her enemy. I loved all of the twists and turns the book takes, especially the ending fight scene. I would definitely recommend this book and would love a sequel if the author decides to write one. The only thing lacking is a little more depth to the dystopian world but it really did not subtract from the main story. ( )

I really enjoyed this book. Every time I see a young adult dystopian novel I automatically think of The Hunger Games of course and it took me a little while to get into this book because of that. However, once I learned about the characters, the storyline just kind of took off and I found myself carrying my reader around with me everywhere so I could finish it and see where the plot is going to go. There is plenty of action and even though I predicted many of the plotlines, I really liked the way the writer presented each situation. Her descriptions make it to where it is easy to visualize the action as you are reading. I personally love when this happens because the book seems more real to me. Overall, it was a wonderful read and I look forward to reading more from this author in the future. ( )