Review - The Price of Paradise by Meraki P. Dark

Please note: this is one of those stories that's hard to review without giving away a few (hopefully minor) spoilers about the plot.

On a future planet Earth ravaged by climate change and solar storms, most of what's left of humanity lives in purpose-built "hives" that protect them from the toxic atmosphere. Everyone works for the good of the hive. Around their twentieth birthday, everyone is tested for their genetic desirability. Those deemed to have especially useful traits are sent to another hive to add to the genetic diversity of the small human population. Axel is one of the few selected from his group, but when he arrives at his new hive, he finds that he has been lied to his entire life.

“The Price of Paradise” paints a rather depressing picture of the future. Through greed and shortsightedness, humanity has nearly destroyed its only home. As Axel soon discovers, their survival now rests mostly on a new emerging species that needs humans to help reproduce. It turns out to be quite a frightening prospect, but first, Axel has to survive long enough to get there. There are some parallels between this plot and Hybrid Incubator by the same author. However, this tale feels quite a bit darker. It's quite bleak, especially for Axel.

Axel is a true hero. Although only twenty, he has the maturity to understand the need to make sacrifices. It's a very hard decision, but he is even willing to sacrifice his own comfort to help other humans at risk. Axel represents the very best of humanity at a time when the entire race is struggling with the results of their own tendency towards greed and self-interest.

This isn't an easy read, with many scenes of brutal non-consensual sexual encounters. You are advised to read the content warnings before taking it on.

“The Price of Paradise” is available from Smashwords.