Home Beyond Hell

The year is 2066. Twenty-two-year-old Vanessa is a resident at a compound in the Netherlands. With its current state, just like many of the nations surrounding the country, the people living on the compound are forced to live simply, much like in medieval times. Vanessa’s main job is in the garden, picking fruit and helping in the kitchen. Vanessa came to the compound when she was only six years old with her parents, who were killed. One day, there is a loud explosion at the compound. A group of marauders in search of a temporary place to stay and loot, led by Captain Ethan Evans, arrives. From this point on, the story gets very interesting.

I really enjoyed how the author described each character in such succinct detail. Many times, I felt as if I was right there listening to their conversations. I also really liked that several of the characters had accents in their native tongues since the group of marauders consisted of soldiers from all different countries the Captain had recruited. The diversity of each character, his/her education and skill level, and their personalities were all well-represented.

As I was reading Home Beyond Hell, I noticed that as the story progressed, there was a budding romantic relationship between Vanessa and Ethan. Throughout the story, the thoughts of these characters displayed how attracted they were toward one another, and there were so many instances the reader is teased, and nothing happens. There were also parts of the story where Vanessa was thinking about what it would be like to be with Morgan, Ethan’s right-hand man. I quite enjoyed this style of writing, especially since it broke up the storyline of the marauders taking over the compound and added some romance and emotion to the tale.

As Vanessa learns more and more about Ethan and the marauders, she learns to sympathize with their nomadic way of living. She ends up finding out why Ethan always wears a mask and why the group must keep moving. She also starts to understand why Ethan is so rigid in his ways-for the safety of his men and the people in the compound. Although the book is left with a bit of a cliffhanger, it only made me want to read the second book in the series to see what would happen next to both Vanessa and the other characters. Home Beyond Hell is a dark, suspenseful story full of action, violence, and romance with underlying themes of comradery, trust, loyalty, and love. I can’t wait to pick up the second book in the series.