Synopsis:
2213. After decades of war, the city of Promissa is under the rule of the New World Government, which controls every aspect of the citizens’ lives by restricting resource distribution.
Abigail is hurled into this world of brutality and despair and loses hope as loneliness and misery swallow her whole. Little does she know that her family searches for her to bring her into the rebellion against the tyrannical government.
Davon lives to make up for the sins of others. His sense of justice brought him into the People’s Revolutionary Front, a group of insurgents who resist the system and live off the grid with only one purpose in mind: to take back their city.
When Davon locates Abigail deep within the wasteland, they travel to the rebel base and develop a bond far deeper than either of them could have imagined. But as their pasts and worlds collide, an unavoidable threat seeks to destroy everything they have come to cherish.
An oppressive government.
A broken society.
An unknown enemy.
An impossible rescue.
A dangerous romance.
Determined to regain Promissa’s freedom, Abigail becomes a rebel unbound.
Review:
Dystopian novels have a way of disrupting our idea of the world. Our everyday routines and luxuries have become common normalities—expected. But the thought of a significant event or several societal upsets destroying what we take for granted gets the gears in the mind turning. This novel capitalizes on those fears.
Rebel Unbound is not a horror novel, though the circumstances that Phoenix presents in the world are frightening. We have a world torn apart because of war. The New World Government has taken control of the people. From assigning people careers to indoctrinating children, the NWG is reminiscent of the most dominating of governmental bodies.
Then we have the opposition. The People’s Revolutionary Front formed, and its sole purpose is to grow its numbers and take down the NWG. This rebel group, created by the main character’s sister, has set up safe houses and checkpoints surrounding the city of Promissa, where the NWG is headquartered.
The main character, Abi, runs away just before she turns eighteen to avoid entering the NWG’s system. She spends many years surviving on her own before being found by PRF soldiers Davon and Matt. The situations she endures are horrible and traumatic. She loses friends, hardly finds enough to eat, and suffers the abuse of NWG guards.
When Abi is rescued by Davon and Matt, she is brought into the underground compound that the PRF uses as their headquarters. This is a thriving community with people of various expertise ready to use their skills to combat the NWG.
So right from the start, Phoenix delivers a loveable cast of main characters that have suffered because of the state of the world. Abi has been through many relatable things. Davon is headstrong and determined to bring down the NWG. Matt is adorably funny and helps break up the tension when things look bleak.
Then, there is the fire that exists between Abi and Davon. From the moment they meet, there is attraction and chemistry that works so well. The book jumps back and forth between Abi and Davon’s points of view, offering different perspectives and experiences throughout the story.
As things heat up between Abi and Davon, the turmoil around them ramps up. The NWG is aware that rebels are trying to break down what they have built. Their soldiers are gaining intel and ground in finding where the PRF’s main building is. Abi’s family is in danger, and she is adamant about helping to take the NWG out.
The love story here is prominent and delicate. Abi’s past makes her hesitant to trust anyone. Davon’s present makes getting close to anyone dangerous. But this makes their romance powerful and hopeful. Phoenix creates moments of tension between them that are to die for.
Rebel Unbound takes a love story between people with difficult pasts and drops it into the carnage and chaos of political war. The action is tight. The characters are loveable. The romance is intense. The prose is to the point. The book does end on a huge cliffhanger, but lucky for readers, book two is out, and book three is in the works.
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