Post-apocalyptic dystopian sci-fi at its finest. The outstanding first book in the Outlands Pentalogy by Rebecca Crunden.

After having utterly devoured Dr Crunden’s SFINCS semi-finalist novella, Dust & Lightning, I knew I had to read more of her work. The Outlands Pentalogy is, as the name suggests, a completed series of five novels set in a post-apocalyptic, dystopian future. Normally, my sci-fi tastes lean more heavily towards the kind set in and around space, like the aforementioned novella, so I’m not remarkably well-read when it comes to post-apocalyptic or dystopian stories—Neuromancer excepted. But I thoroughly enjoyed this first book and I’m absolutely continuing the series.

Blurb

A thousand years in the future, the last of humanity live inside the walls of the totalitarian Kingdom of Cutta. The rich live in Anais, the capital city of Cutta, sheltered from the famine and disease which ravage the rest of the Kingdom. Yet riches and power only go so far, and even Anaitians can be executed. It is only by the will of the King that Nate Anteros, son of the King’s favourite, is spared from the gallows after openly dissenting. But when he’s released from prison, Nate disappears.

A stark contrast, Catherine Taenia has spent her entire life comfortable and content. The daughter of the King’s Hangman and in love with Thom, Nate’s younger brother, her life has always been easy, ordered and comfortable. That is, where it doesn’t concern Nate. His actions sullied not only his future, but theirs. And unlike Thom, Catherine has never forgiven him.

Two years pass without a word, and then one night Nate returns. But things with Nate are never simple, and when one wrong move turns their lives upside down, the only thing left to do is run where the King’s guards cannot find them – the Outlands. Those wild, untamed lands which stretch around the great walls of the Kingdom, filled with mutants and rabids.

Review

Just like with Dust & Lightning, the opening to this book sets the vibe extraordinarily well. The prologue is absolutely brutal, and it gives us a great picture of what the Kingdom of Cutta is like. I was hooked right from the off, and I read a lot faster than I normally would for a novel of this length. The plot involves a mysterious illness which Catherine and Nate catch while taking a short-cut through the wilderness to avoid being spotted by imperial guards, and then their quest to find a cure before it’s too late. Their danger-filled journey takes them around most of the kingdom, and we get to see different towns with rich and diverse cultures as they travel. It was compelling, and I was right with them distrusting everyone they came across.

Nate and Catherine were both exceptionally well-realised characters. The dangers and pressures they’re put under help them to change and grow as they struggle for survival against a brutal, despotic kingdom. I really enjoyed the duality and hypocrisy of many of the family members of the main characters—no monolithic characters here. Generally the pacing was very good. Everything moved along nicely, although I felt there were some parts that could have been tighter. The conclusion to the illness plot-line I felt could have been a bit stronger—despite the immense difficulty of the journey, this part seemed to come more easily than I expected and it struck me as odd. However, what followed upended so much and set up the rest of the series in such a compelling way that I am very excited to continue reading.

Overall, A Touch of Death was an excellent read and I will definitely be continuing this series. I would recommend this highly to anyone who enjoys or is looking for a futuristic dystopian sci-fi.