Khalani is a Prisoner. Takeshi is a Guard. Both are slaves to the Underground.
Khalani Kanes has never stood on the surface of the earth. In the underground city of Apollo, faith and dreams are as absent as the sun. She longed to visit Genesis, the infamous Domed City and the final place where humanity lives aboveground. But when Khalani is given a life sentence and thrown into prison for a theft she didn't commit, those wishes shatter into oblivion.
In Braderhelm Prison, murderers are neighbors, ruthless and cold-blooded guards live to punish, and every second is a battle to survive. She thought the danger lay in befriending criminals and avoiding Takeshi Steele, the nefarious Captain who runs her cell block. But darker traps and secrets await her within the shadows of imprisonment. Khalani's blood will coat the walls in flaming silk before her enemies let her escape to the surface, a feat no one has successfully achieved. If the reclusive and callous Takeshi Steele won't kill Khalani, then the merciless prisoners and her fractured mind will.
Enter Braderhelm Prison, where only the Wicked remain.
Well, it seems dystopia is making a comeback and I'm here for it.
First of all, the enemies to lovers romance is everything you could ask for ✨️ They truly start as enemies since she is a prisoner and he is a guard. The romance is a slow-burn which I loved and bonus points for it not being the main focus of the story.
Most of the plot is focused on Khalani surviving the prison and trying to find some hope in this dark world. Afterwords, as the summary says, she is also trying to find a way to escape which is not a very easy thing to do.
One of the best parts of this book, for me at least, were the friendships. Being in prison is hard, but it's even harder if you're alone and that's why it was amazing seeing Khalani bond with these people and them being there for each other. Each character had a unique personality and the author did a wonderful job giving everyone "enough screentime" so they are all equally important to the story.
Takeshi is...an interesting character 😏 Let's just say that he fits the "tall, dark, broody enemy turned boyfriend" really REALLY well. Even though he fits these basic tropes, he is much more than that. His backstory makes sense and he isn't one dimensional. His feelings toward Khalani develop gradually and he lets her win her own battles, in fact, he even encourages her to fight for herself. I loved how he didn't protect her from all the "dark things" but instead, helped her get through them by making her physically and mentally stronger.
After watching The Acolyte I kinda started imagining Takeshi as Manny Jacinto 😂
Honestly, this debut was amazing and had a well developed dystopian world. Not to mention, a crazy plot twist at the end
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