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Population #1
Population
Turns out that my alien overlord may be my only shot in this post-apocalyptic nightmare. Figures.
Abel
Eleven years after the sky opened up and aliens descended to ravage the world, Abel thought she had seen and experienced everything that this savage new land – Population – had to offer. Almost...
Shock is what she feels when the alien she robbed hunts her down. His corpse, though huge and glowing, had been mangled and left for the scavengers. She thought he was dead, but now he's back to recover what she's stolen and maybe take her life. Abel won't give up either so easily, because these are the only clues she has to where aliens have taken her little sister.
What she doesn't expect is to survive her encounter with this brutish, cocky alien, or that she might just have to band together with him to fight against even more dangerous predators. In doing so, Abel unlocks forgotten emotions of a world long past – things she never thought to experience.
Desire. Trust. Hope.
Kane
When the little human female attempts to save his life, he doesn't think much of it. But when she makes off with his sword and the key he has been searching for she demands his attention.
He hunts her, not expecting that one so small could be so hard to kill. And in dueling with her, and seeing her own determination to save her family, Kane finds it harder to want to push her away and too easy to want to keep her close and under his protection. But the new world that his kind has claimed for their own is harsh and relentless. In order to survive it and complete their parallel missions, they'll need to defy the prejudices of his superior race and work together as equals.
Set in a post-apocalyptic Pacific Northwest, Population is an alien invasion, post-apocalyptic, SciFi romance with a strong black female lead kicking ass alongside a possessive, warrior Alpha. This full-length novel contains steamy sex and some violent elements and finds its HEA in book #2, Saltlands. Additional books are planned in the same universe from other characters' perspectives, including Generation 1 in 2020.
Abel
Eleven years after the sky opened up and aliens descended to ravage the world, Abel thought she had seen and experienced everything that this savage new land – Population – had to offer. Almost...
Shock is what she feels when the alien she robbed hunts her down. His corpse, though huge and glowing, had been mangled and left for the scavengers. She thought he was dead, but now he's back to recover what she's stolen and maybe take her life. Abel won't give up either so easily, because these are the only clues she has to where aliens have taken her little sister.
What she doesn't expect is to survive her encounter with this brutish, cocky alien, or that she might just have to band together with him to fight against even more dangerous predators. In doing so, Abel unlocks forgotten emotions of a world long past – things she never thought to experience.
Desire. Trust. Hope.
Kane
When the little human female attempts to save his life, he doesn't think much of it. But when she makes off with his sword and the key he has been searching for she demands his attention.
He hunts her, not expecting that one so small could be so hard to kill. And in dueling with her, and seeing her own determination to save her family, Kane finds it harder to want to push her away and too easy to want to keep her close and under his protection. But the new world that his kind has claimed for their own is harsh and relentless. In order to survive it and complete their parallel missions, they'll need to defy the prejudices of his superior race and work together as equals.
Set in a post-apocalyptic Pacific Northwest, Population is an alien invasion, post-apocalyptic, SciFi romance with a strong black female lead kicking ass alongside a possessive, warrior Alpha. This full-length novel contains steamy sex and some violent elements and finds its HEA in book #2, Saltlands. Additional books are planned in the same universe from other characters' perspectives, including Generation 1 in 2020.
251 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 15, 2015
741 people are currently reading
4930 people want to read
About the author
Elizabeth Stephens
76 books1,398 followersTop 10 USA Today Bestselling author Elizabeth Stephens writes books where beastly men—or sometimes just beasts—always get the girl.
A full-time hybrid indie and traditionally published author, Elizabeth is best known for her Supers in the City series (Montlake) and her indie works like The Bone King and the Starling and Dark City Omega. In all of her books, readers can expect diverse casts, epic world-building, quests with unexpected twists, and women of color being celebrated loudly, Black and biracial women in particular.
When she isn’t writing, you might find Elizabeth enjoying the outdoors of the Pacific Northwest or traveling and making adventures of her own with her husband, tiny humans, and doggo, King Louis.
A full-time hybrid indie and traditionally published author, Elizabeth is best known for her Supers in the City series (Montlake) and her indie works like The Bone King and the Starling and Dark City Omega. In all of her books, readers can expect diverse casts, epic world-building, quests with unexpected twists, and women of color being celebrated loudly, Black and biracial women in particular.
When she isn’t writing, you might find Elizabeth enjoying the outdoors of the Pacific Northwest or traveling and making adventures of her own with her husband, tiny humans, and doggo, King Louis.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 443 reviews
March 22, 2022
Laura Thalassa meets Sarah J. Maas in a horrible and disorganized way.
YEP... If you follow me or are my friend, you're probably asking where the story that I was feeling to be better than the Laura Thalassa ones goes.
My answer is: I DON'T KNOW WHAT HAD HAPPENED!!!!
What I actually know is that this book started very well and after the main characters enter what I consider to be the second part of this book, the story becomes more and more worse.
➛ 2,9 stars
YEP... If you follow me or are my friend, you're probably asking where the story that I was feeling to be better than the Laura Thalassa ones goes.
My answer is: I DON'T KNOW WHAT HAD HAPPENED!!!!
What I actually know is that this book started very well and after the main characters enter what I consider to be the second part of this book, the story becomes more and more worse.
➛ 2,9 stars
March 18, 2022
Woo...
Man...
What a crazy ride this was!!
This was one deathmatch, fight for your life, action packed thrill ride with every turn of the page. With the mantra to fight until your dying breath. Never give up when you've found something to live for.
This new Kane and Abel didn't fight each other they fought to have a future with each other.
This was suspenseful and gripping all the way until the end. There were heart wrenching twists and turns that had me ripping through the pages as fast as I could go. Everytime I thought I knew how something was gonna go I was slapped around into another direction.
Wow....just wow!
Man...
What a crazy ride this was!!
This was one deathmatch, fight for your life, action packed thrill ride with every turn of the page. With the mantra to fight until your dying breath. Never give up when you've found something to live for.
This new Kane and Abel didn't fight each other they fought to have a future with each other.
This was suspenseful and gripping all the way until the end. There were heart wrenching twists and turns that had me ripping through the pages as fast as I could go. Everytime I thought I knew how something was gonna go I was slapped around into another direction.
Wow....just wow!
March 8, 2022
I received a free ARC copy of this book from the author (thank you!); however, this has not affected my rating or review.
The good:
The first half of Lord of Population was very intriguing to me, with a strong premise (post-apocalyptic world ravaged by an alien invasion and societal collapse), decent tension between the romantic leads, and a fair balance between sensitive/characterizing moments and grisly action scenes. This is a mature book with both bloody violence and some… ahem… steamy scenes, which I’m not the best person to judge. It plays on popular romantic tropes of a possessive/protective hero who plays a savior role in the heroine’s life, and it also inverts that narrative a bit at points.
Abel and Kane make a great team, and I love the moments when they’re fighting side-by-side because it showcases the best part of their dynamic. The Hetzoichen (alien) culture was also interesting, and I would’ve loved to have read more about their customs and society, especially regarding the Notare and how they come to be. The initial characterization (before , which is a gripe I’ll talk about below) of Mikey was also well-done to me. His bitterness and spite were shown very well, and Abel walks a fine line well between helping him grow and deliberately pissing him off.
The bad:
The second half of Lord of Population, somewhere after or during is where I felt things started to drop off. One of the main issues, for me, is the pacing. While there were a few easy moments in the second half, it definitely felt more like a constant barrage of Abel getting beaten to a pulp and then immediately recovering enough to barely avoid getting killed, to the point where it stretched the limits of believability and my attention span.
About that one scene (): this was not handled maturely from a characterization perspective, in my view. Because of the weight of this scene and the trauma of it, especially followed by and , it should’ve affected Mikey’s and Abel’s future interactions much more than it did. It was essentially brushed off, except for any resulting punishment or how it affected Kane (which seemed to diminish some of Abel’s narrative agency for me), ignoring what is becoming a pattern of trauma for Abel.
Maybe reading on in the series would clarify the unbelievability of the ending of Lord of Population for me, but, as it stands, it’s almost wrapped up too cutesily to fit with the darker themes and content of the rest of the book (violence, assault, survival, cannibalism, loss of innocence in a changing world). It felt like a fairytale ending on a horror novel and was a bit jarringly saccharine to me.
Finally, I felt Elise’s plotline did too much heavy lifting for the plot, for a character introduced only halfway through Lord of Population. Memnoch was a sick and evil antagonist (in a good way!), and his abduction of Ashlyn would’ve been enough to carry the story. Elise, again, is really only introduced halfway through, and her evil-ness is never really built up enough for her to read true to me. If we’d heard snippets of fearful gossip about her interwoven into the story and had more one-on-one time with her as a character, I think she could’ve fit better into the book.
Overall, Lord of Population was an alright book, but I think the quality took a dip halfway, which is frustrating to see as a reader.
The good:
The first half of Lord of Population was very intriguing to me, with a strong premise (post-apocalyptic world ravaged by an alien invasion and societal collapse), decent tension between the romantic leads, and a fair balance between sensitive/characterizing moments and grisly action scenes. This is a mature book with both bloody violence and some… ahem… steamy scenes, which I’m not the best person to judge. It plays on popular romantic tropes of a possessive/protective hero who plays a savior role in the heroine’s life, and it also inverts that narrative a bit at points.
Abel and Kane make a great team, and I love the moments when they’re fighting side-by-side because it showcases the best part of their dynamic. The Hetzoichen (alien) culture was also interesting, and I would’ve loved to have read more about their customs and society, especially regarding the Notare and how they come to be. The initial characterization (before , which is a gripe I’ll talk about below) of Mikey was also well-done to me. His bitterness and spite were shown very well, and Abel walks a fine line well between helping him grow and deliberately pissing him off.
The bad:
The second half of Lord of Population, somewhere after or during is where I felt things started to drop off. One of the main issues, for me, is the pacing. While there were a few easy moments in the second half, it definitely felt more like a constant barrage of Abel getting beaten to a pulp and then immediately recovering enough to barely avoid getting killed, to the point where it stretched the limits of believability and my attention span.
About that one scene (): this was not handled maturely from a characterization perspective, in my view. Because of the weight of this scene and the trauma of it, especially followed by and , it should’ve affected Mikey’s and Abel’s future interactions much more than it did. It was essentially brushed off, except for any resulting punishment or how it affected Kane (which seemed to diminish some of Abel’s narrative agency for me), ignoring what is becoming a pattern of trauma for Abel.
Maybe reading on in the series would clarify the unbelievability of the ending of Lord of Population for me, but, as it stands, it’s almost wrapped up too cutesily to fit with the darker themes and content of the rest of the book (violence, assault, survival, cannibalism, loss of innocence in a changing world). It felt like a fairytale ending on a horror novel and was a bit jarringly saccharine to me.
Finally, I felt Elise’s plotline did too much heavy lifting for the plot, for a character introduced only halfway through Lord of Population. Memnoch was a sick and evil antagonist (in a good way!), and his abduction of Ashlyn would’ve been enough to carry the story. Elise, again, is really only introduced halfway through, and her evil-ness is never really built up enough for her to read true to me. If we’d heard snippets of fearful gossip about her interwoven into the story and had more one-on-one time with her as a character, I think she could’ve fit better into the book.
Overall, Lord of Population was an alright book, but I think the quality took a dip halfway, which is frustrating to see as a reader.
Read
July 6, 2025This was a WILD ride ya'll! Read it for a video project and I'm still processing my thoughts, but dark romance/romantasy readers should definitely check it out. Dystopian setting where humanoid aliens that feel like a cross between vampires and fae have taken over the planet. Our heroine is a Black woman just trying to survive who ends up entranced with one of the alien overlords while trying to rescue a little girl from having been kidnapped by an alien pedophile. It's sexy, dark, and very action-packed.
Content warnings include consumption of blood including menstrual blood (that part was wild), fuzzy consent, references to child sexual abuse (not shown on page), sexual assault and attempted sexual assault (graphic on page), cannibalism
Content warnings include consumption of blood including menstrual blood (that part was wild), fuzzy consent, references to child sexual abuse (not shown on page), sexual assault and attempted sexual assault (graphic on page), cannibalism
January 7, 2022
I really enjoyed this and this author always delivers consistently for me. This is a post-apocalyptic alien romance. It’s set on Earth in a decimated world where the aliens the Heztoichen are now the masters. Years ago when they arrived they swiftly managed to take over for themselves. Called the others by the remaining scattered humans these huge humanoid aliens heal from their wounds and survive on blood.
Abel as she’s now calling herself is a human girl travelling with her friend and her daughter Ashlyn. All her family are dead and her group has dwindled. They are now travelling in what’s called the grey away from the alien's strongholds. Population is a dangerous place where only the strong and ruthless survive. The aliens are the least of their problems as gangs and scavengers also roam the area looking for easy pickings. Other humans are vicious as Abel has learned repeatedly. Witnessing an altercation between a group of others the target is left greatly incapacitated. The remaining others then kidnap Ashlyn and In the aftermath, tragedy occurs.
These events cause A chain reaction that will see Abel join forces with Kane as he pledges his assistance in locating Ashlyn. The two find themselves strangely drawn to one another and as much as Abel tries to fight her growing feelings she can’t help but fall deeper under Kane’s spell.
This was well written and an easy page-turner and loved the developing bond between Kane and Abel and these two definitely had plenty of chemistry together. This then ended in a cliffhanger so I’ll be diving into the next book straight away. This was highly imaginative with some great world-building but be aware it does deal with some dark subject matter I did like it a lot though and most definitely recommend.
Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm
https://www.facebook.com/beckiebookworm/
www.beckiebookworm.com
April 1, 2022
Well this was a rollercoaster😭
The first half of the book had amazing tropes and started off beautifully
The second half of the book was a mess to me and had THAT scene. It threw me off and left me disinterested in the rest of the book just waiting for it to end
I hated Mikey🥰
The first half of the book had amazing tropes and started off beautifully
The second half of the book was a mess to me and had THAT scene. It threw me off and left me disinterested in the rest of the book just waiting for it to end
I hated Mikey🥰
October 2, 2021
The path to trust is forged in faith.I absolutely LOVED reading this story! If I had to pick something similar, I’d say it’s a cross between Beauty and the Beast, Twilight, mixed with Angelfall.
Aliens have invaded Earth over twelve years ago.
“You are aliens to us.”They look like humans, but most of the elite are over seven feet fall. The ruling class have these glowing orbs inside their chests which made me think of Iron Man. The world is set up almost like old-England feudalism. The poorest of the humans live in a place called Population, where they fight for their very existence. As with other books by this author, the world building is excellent.
“We were here first”
“I’m sure your indigenous communities said the same to their invaders.”
“That doesn’t make it right.”
“No. It makes history.”
Able is of mixed race, half black and half Cherokee heritage. I loved her strength! Just when you think she’s done for, she’ll surprise you and kick some more ass. Kane is ridiculously swoony for an alien dude.
“If I ever attempt to take from you that which you do not freely give, I give you every permission in this world to take may sword and gut me with it.”I do wish that there had been more of a build-up from them being enemies, to friends, to lovers. This part bothered me the most There were a few inconsistencies throughout the story but the core of Stephens writing is so damn good that those things didn’t bother me too much.
This is a slow burn of sorts, however, when things get hot, they get HOT. I’m still thinking about that kitchen scene.
I do wish the aliens in this story were more alien and less human-like. But then again, I loved stories like Cottonwood and The E.T. Guy and not everyone enjoys their insect/aliens. There is a crazy cliffhanger at the end of this book, so be prepared!
August 17, 2023
This was essentially adult Angelfall.
The beginning in particular is so close to the first Penryn book I genuinely think this might have started out as a fanfic. No shade though! God knows I have wanted to rewrite Angelfall before, because the resolution of the trilogy sucks donkey balls.
Lord of Population starts with a single inhuman stranger with a glowing chest surrounded by a whole group of Others intent on obliterating him. The scene features a Thor's Hammer that crushes all of his ribs. Yey! The brawl is bloody and gorey, and while our stranger survives, he is pulp by the end of it. And just like Angelfall, his enemies take off with the heroine's baby sister. Oopsie doopsie.
It's not Angels, but blood-drinking aliens from space. They didn't bring much technology though. Just a thirst for human blood lulz. And horniness. Yup.
And by now, you think you might have a pretty good idea where this is going. You might think: well that sounds really good, and I'll have a great time reading this–––– WRONG.
The first half of this book (or the first book of the two books that were republished as this one) is a pretty streamlined, post-apocalyptic enemies to lovers romance. I'll be honest, the first half was a solid 5 star romance for me. It all played out pretty much the way I wanted it to, and then I reached 48% or so and I thought, like a clown, that the second half would be a boring resolution.
Ha! The second half is actually what will make this novel memorable, because it was a HOT FRICKING MESS.
I cannot begin to tell you how messy, gorey, campy, nightmarish and downright excruciating the second half was. It was basically 250 pages of torture and survival and the heroine earned all her gold stars there. Damn, she gave resilience a run for her name. There was just rabid pitbull fight in her and no giving up anywhere to be seen and it genuinely impressed me.
She made enemies (she calls them "friends", lol) left, right and center. She gets crushed to pieces and has to recover from certain death so many times it was nearly comical.
And I think that's where the novel really shines: not because it's a stellar enemies to lovers romance (by the end of the novel, the hero managed to no longer deserve her), which it could have been, half-way-through, but because from the beginning till the end we got to see the growth and development of probably the most outclassed action-movie heroine ever. You think this is one book? Nah, this is easily Rambo I, II and III.
But of course, character development isn't everything. I also loved every second of gore (and there was a lot). This book is a slaughterhouse and I hope you're not scared of brains splattering because ... it happens a lot. The whole story is also incredibly unsafe: CWs include past rape, on page sexual assault, off page child sexual abuse, on page graphic torture (the really graphic, face melting kind), cannibalism etc etc etc
Basically all the themes that Angelfall carefully navigated around because it was YA? This has it, but loud & proud. But startlingly, because the violence was so ridiculously horrible, like a Tarantino movie, it was more bearable than other novels that were more understated and less graphic about it. Because the heroine never gave up (and she held the reader's hand the entire way through), I was never particularly cowed. It was - dare I say so - fun.
For all those looking to re-experience Angelfall in all its glory, but this time with mindless fucking and way more splatter, this is it. Don't read it for the best romance of the year though. While the first half delivers all of that, the second really ruins that through a long and arduous separation.
Recommended. 4 stars for this messy novel + 1 bonus star for the pure fun I had
The beginning in particular is so close to the first Penryn book I genuinely think this might have started out as a fanfic. No shade though! God knows I have wanted to rewrite Angelfall before, because the resolution of the trilogy sucks donkey balls.
Lord of Population starts with a single inhuman stranger with a glowing chest surrounded by a whole group of Others intent on obliterating him. The scene features a Thor's Hammer that crushes all of his ribs. Yey! The brawl is bloody and gorey, and while our stranger survives, he is pulp by the end of it. And just like Angelfall, his enemies take off with the heroine's baby sister. Oopsie doopsie.
It's not Angels, but blood-drinking aliens from space. They didn't bring much technology though. Just a thirst for human blood lulz. And horniness. Yup.
And by now, you think you might have a pretty good idea where this is going. You might think: well that sounds really good, and I'll have a great time reading this–––– WRONG.
The first half of this book (or the first book of the two books that were republished as this one) is a pretty streamlined, post-apocalyptic enemies to lovers romance. I'll be honest, the first half was a solid 5 star romance for me. It all played out pretty much the way I wanted it to, and then I reached 48% or so and I thought, like a clown, that the second half would be a boring resolution.
Ha! The second half is actually what will make this novel memorable, because it was a HOT FRICKING MESS.
I cannot begin to tell you how messy, gorey, campy, nightmarish and downright excruciating the second half was. It was basically 250 pages of torture and survival and the heroine earned all her gold stars there. Damn, she gave resilience a run for her name. There was just rabid pitbull fight in her and no giving up anywhere to be seen and it genuinely impressed me.
She made enemies (she calls them "friends", lol) left, right and center. She gets crushed to pieces and has to recover from certain death so many times it was nearly comical.
And I think that's where the novel really shines: not because it's a stellar enemies to lovers romance (by the end of the novel, the hero managed to no longer deserve her), which it could have been, half-way-through, but because from the beginning till the end we got to see the growth and development of probably the most outclassed action-movie heroine ever. You think this is one book? Nah, this is easily Rambo I, II and III.
But of course, character development isn't everything. I also loved every second of gore (and there was a lot). This book is a slaughterhouse and I hope you're not scared of brains splattering because ... it happens a lot. The whole story is also incredibly unsafe: CWs include past rape, on page sexual assault, off page child sexual abuse, on page graphic torture (the really graphic, face melting kind), cannibalism etc etc etc
Basically all the themes that Angelfall carefully navigated around because it was YA? This has it, but loud & proud. But startlingly, because the violence was so ridiculously horrible, like a Tarantino movie, it was more bearable than other novels that were more understated and less graphic about it. Because the heroine never gave up (and she held the reader's hand the entire way through), I was never particularly cowed. It was - dare I say so - fun.
For all those looking to re-experience Angelfall in all its glory, but this time with mindless fucking and way more splatter, this is it. Don't read it for the best romance of the year though. While the first half delivers all of that, the second really ruins that through a long and arduous separation.
Recommended. 4 stars for this messy novel + 1 bonus star for the pure fun I had
April 8, 2022
I was so excited to read this book as it was highly reviewed and recommended by a Tiktok account. The first 50% of this book was fantastic. Then it took a hard left turn and felt like it was written by a totally different person. I know it used to be two books and is now combined into one. Not sure what happened and why the author threw certain aspects into the plot, but I respect her right to make those choices. As a reader it made the book unenjoyable and it felt unexpected. I couldn’t continue because it was just too weird and cringy at that point.
May 9, 2024
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐
Genre: Post-apocalyptic/Alien
Plot: ★★/5
World-building: ★★★/5
Angst: ★★/5
Spice: 🌶️🌶️/5
This book was a solid 5 star read until I hit the 55% mark.
Lord of Population started out like an adult version of Angel Fall by Susan Ee (like other reviews have mentioned). I immediately went onto KU and grabbed this, it ticked all my boxes:
✅ Post-apocalyptic world
✅ Alien invaders
✅ Strong female lead
✅ Hot, OTTJP Alien male
✅ Graphic depictions of the breakdown of human society
✅ Spice
What I liked:
❥ The writing in the first half was top-notch - Stephens did a good job of illustrating the gritty, violent nature of human society in a post-apocalyptic setting; I felt like I was in 28 days later reading it.
❥ Kane was everything I wanted in an Alien invader love interest - he was savage in his protection of Able, he was gentle, caring and loving when it came to her, he was interested in her life and her thoughts and was constantly curious about her; their banter was also top notch.
❥ Able was a very strong FMC; perseverance was this girl's middle fucking name. She was loyal to a fault when it came to those she considered family. She did not cower in the face of her own mortality. She was constantly fighting, whether that was for Ashlyn, Kane or Mickey - the woman never stopped to draw breath.
Where the book fell down:
❌ The book is littered with mistakes - whether that be grammar, spelling or syntax - it was all over the place.
❌ Mickey.
The introduction of him threw a huge spanner in the works to the point that, the plot lost "the plot" completely and it became the Able and Mickey show and at one point I thought this was gonna turn into an MFM situation.
I am not sure why the MCs had to be separated for so long in this book (150-180 pages thereabouts); or why Mickey had to sexually assault the FMC who had already been brutally assaulted years before - it was just wholly unnecessary imo.
The FMC does not really register this event as anything bad, she is more embarrassed that it took place. The author does not delve into how it affected the FMC's psyche, considering her last assault. And when they do go to save Kane, it is a fairly simple, non-high stakes rescue, which bugged me a lot - like what was the point?
And just when you think things cane go back to normal with the MCs, Mickey throws another spanner in the works and challenges his brother to a dual for the mate bond with Able!
Mickey was a scumbag who had a massive chip on his shoulder. He physically and verbally hurt and abused Able throughout their time together and she just took it and accepted it, which annoyed me.
The author put so much effort into Mickey that they forgot who the antagonist was in this book. When Elise is finally dealt with, it felt very anti-climatic and in the end, after everything Mickey has done, Able gives Mickey a pass for everything he put her through.
And then the book ends abruptly with no epilogue.
So, yeah, I think me giving this 3 ⭐ is generous.
Genre: Post-apocalyptic/Alien
Plot: ★★/5
World-building: ★★★/5
Angst: ★★/5
Spice: 🌶️🌶️/5
This book was a solid 5 star read until I hit the 55% mark.
Lord of Population started out like an adult version of Angel Fall by Susan Ee (like other reviews have mentioned). I immediately went onto KU and grabbed this, it ticked all my boxes:
✅ Post-apocalyptic world
✅ Alien invaders
✅ Strong female lead
✅ Hot, OTTJP Alien male
✅ Graphic depictions of the breakdown of human society
✅ Spice
What I liked:
❥ The writing in the first half was top-notch - Stephens did a good job of illustrating the gritty, violent nature of human society in a post-apocalyptic setting; I felt like I was in 28 days later reading it.
❥ Kane was everything I wanted in an Alien invader love interest - he was savage in his protection of Able, he was gentle, caring and loving when it came to her, he was interested in her life and her thoughts and was constantly curious about her; their banter was also top notch.
❥ Able was a very strong FMC; perseverance was this girl's middle fucking name. She was loyal to a fault when it came to those she considered family. She did not cower in the face of her own mortality. She was constantly fighting, whether that was for Ashlyn, Kane or Mickey - the woman never stopped to draw breath.
Where the book fell down:
❌ The book is littered with mistakes - whether that be grammar, spelling or syntax - it was all over the place.
❌ Mickey.
The introduction of him threw a huge spanner in the works to the point that, the plot lost "the plot" completely and it became the Able and Mickey show and at one point I thought this was gonna turn into an MFM situation.
I am not sure why the MCs had to be separated for so long in this book (150-180 pages thereabouts); or why Mickey had to sexually assault the FMC who had already been brutally assaulted years before - it was just wholly unnecessary imo.
The FMC does not really register this event as anything bad, she is more embarrassed that it took place. The author does not delve into how it affected the FMC's psyche, considering her last assault. And when they do go to save Kane, it is a fairly simple, non-high stakes rescue, which bugged me a lot - like what was the point?
And just when you think things cane go back to normal with the MCs, Mickey throws another spanner in the works and challenges his brother to a dual for the mate bond with Able!
Mickey was a scumbag who had a massive chip on his shoulder. He physically and verbally hurt and abused Able throughout their time together and she just took it and accepted it, which annoyed me.
The author put so much effort into Mickey that they forgot who the antagonist was in this book. When Elise is finally dealt with, it felt very anti-climatic and in the end, after everything Mickey has done, Able gives Mickey a pass for everything he put her through.
And then the book ends abruptly with no epilogue.
So, yeah, I think me giving this 3 ⭐ is generous.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 19, 2015
Passionate and invigorating! Population had me hanging on for dear life until the very last word. Definitely one of those books that you hate to put down. The imagery was impeccable, and the story kept me guessing. I always love a story that will surprise me, and this book did not let me down in that department. I name Population a MUST READ! Can't wait for the next book. Get to work Ms. Stephens.
April 13, 2017
3.5 stars
I really liked the world setting, the 'Other' race, the story behind what happened and the author really instilled a sense of desperation and hopelessness which set the atmosphere well. Having said that there were a few parts where the story dragged and I wanted to skim forward to find some action again past the underlying romance.
The end picked back up well and left me needing, not just wanting, to know what happens next.
May 5, 2024
May 5, 2024
I still absolutely love this book! It is such a wild ride. I love Big Daddy Kane, but Able is really the star if this show. The audiobook is great!! Happy reading!!
May 4, 2022
5 "Never give up." Stars!
Wow, wow, wow! This book was phenomenal. It was brutal and dark and surprising. Completely unexpected at times. I could not predict what would happen from one scene to the next. This story gave me heart palpations, made my knees bounce with nerves, had my anxiety on high. My eyes practically bulged right out of my head at one point. I didn't know what I was getting into when I started this book. I suggest you strap in and go in the same way.
There are trigger warnings at the beginning (that can be accessed with the ebook sample) you should check out before jumping on this crazy train. This book was not perfectly written, but it was a practically perfect story for me. I absolutely loved Able. I absolutely loved Kane. All the side characters. Yes, yes, yes. This one did it for me!
Happy reading!
I still absolutely love this book! It is such a wild ride. I love Big Daddy Kane, but Able is really the star if this show. The audiobook is great!! Happy reading!!
May 4, 2022
5 "Never give up." Stars!
Wow, wow, wow! This book was phenomenal. It was brutal and dark and surprising. Completely unexpected at times. I could not predict what would happen from one scene to the next. This story gave me heart palpations, made my knees bounce with nerves, had my anxiety on high. My eyes practically bulged right out of my head at one point. I didn't know what I was getting into when I started this book. I suggest you strap in and go in the same way.
There are trigger warnings at the beginning (that can be accessed with the ebook sample) you should check out before jumping on this crazy train. This book was not perfectly written, but it was a practically perfect story for me. I absolutely loved Able. I absolutely loved Kane. All the side characters. Yes, yes, yes. This one did it for me!
Happy reading!
November 8, 2015
The two stars is because the writing wasn't terrible (despite truly awful copy editing - this author needs a new copy editor!), and I liked the heroine, a strong woman of color. But I was disappointed in this book overall. While the author is a great storyteller, I thought it would be more apocalyptic/sci-fi, less alien romance and True Blood/Twilight fanfic. I would not have checked this out from the library had I known. The book's description on the back cover does not adequately describe this book.
May 8, 2022
This book was really good and overall story great. But….it really needs editing. I have read one other book from this author and thought the same thing. There was far to many fight scenes , involving our human heroine and super strong aliens, that was unrealistic that she won. The fight scenes were wayyyy too many for my taste and then there were some cringe scenes involving the hero’s brother and our heroine that caused this to lose a star from me. I’ll read the next book for sure though.
July 1, 2015
I could not put this book down! This was recommended by a friend at work and did not disappoint. I can't believe that this is Ms. Stephens first book. The characters and story were well developed. I started this on a beach vacation and finished in about two days. Great book for adventure and romance. I can't wait to read the next chapter of Kane and Abel's story.
March 4, 2022
Her relationship with his brother was🤮🤮🤮
September 18, 2025
So, okay... You would either love this book or hate it. Despite it's problems, it was action packed, dark, and violent as a dystopian story should be. Some VERY questionable parts though that gave me the major ick... the violent parts were graphic and many, which doesn't bother me at all. The sexy scenes were okay I guess...??? And I completely devoured this book... just needed to know how it ends... onto book two!
August 6, 2021
Really Good Dystopian Romance
I’d probably give this book 4.5 ⭐️ if I could.
This is the first book in a continuing series. There is a hideous cliffhanger but the next book is already available.
I really love a good dystopian story and this one is really good. It starts with Abel, Beck and Beck’s daughter Ashlynn running, hiding and scavenging, right on the limit of survival as they hunt for food and shelter whilst avoiding the gangs. Every moment brings danger and the possibility of death. The end of life as we know it happened when aliens came to Earth. The Others brought the end of civilisation and the beginning of war and suffering.
Abel’s sole purpose is to keep Beck and Ashlynn safe, she is the strong and brutal member of their party, Beck is the brains and little Ashlynn is the heart. When Ashlynn is stolen by the victor in a fight between Others, Abel vows to get her back. The defeated Other, Kane, lies dying so she steals his sword and, in an unusual moment of sympathy, hides him somewhere he can die in peace, never realising that Others don’t die so easily as humans.
This is the start of a strange partnership with Abel and Kane, as she tries to find Ashlynn, even if Abel doesn’t trust Kane as far as she can throw him, she finds that she needs him to survive.
I really liked the world-building in this book. It starts off so confused like the world in which they live. It’s a very slow journey to understanding the state of the world and how it got there, for both us and Abel. The author conveys the sense of hopelessness and fear really well.
Abel is a really interesting character. She’s came into adulthood after The Others arrived and has learnt that from hope and emotional connections comes nothing but pain and suffering so she tries to stay hard and emotionless, but often fails. She’s lost everyone she’s ever loved and is severely traumatised by her existence. She’s used to living life on a hair-trigger where violence can erupt at any second and nowhere is safe. Despite all of that she has moment of ‘weakness’ where she is kind, even knowing it could be the end of her life.
Kane is an enigma. He is one of The Others and as such is unknowable to Abel. He is a literal alien species and nothing was really told to the outside world before government and media disappeared. Despite his circumstances when Abel meets him, he has a sense of humour and is gentle with her. He is also protective. It is only when we are in the latter stages of the book do we start to really see Kane as he is and not just through Abel’s traumatised eyes. We only see him clearly when she does.
The plot is cleverly built. It starts with the hunt for Ashlynn and slowly evolves in other directions. The romance sneaks up on us as much as it does Abel. The pacing is excellent and kept me reading faster and faster as I worked my way through the chapters.
I really want to read the second book in the series now. I’d better download it immediately so I can find out what happens to them all!
I’d probably give this book 4.5 ⭐️ if I could.
This is the first book in a continuing series. There is a hideous cliffhanger but the next book is already available.
I really love a good dystopian story and this one is really good. It starts with Abel, Beck and Beck’s daughter Ashlynn running, hiding and scavenging, right on the limit of survival as they hunt for food and shelter whilst avoiding the gangs. Every moment brings danger and the possibility of death. The end of life as we know it happened when aliens came to Earth. The Others brought the end of civilisation and the beginning of war and suffering.
Abel’s sole purpose is to keep Beck and Ashlynn safe, she is the strong and brutal member of their party, Beck is the brains and little Ashlynn is the heart. When Ashlynn is stolen by the victor in a fight between Others, Abel vows to get her back. The defeated Other, Kane, lies dying so she steals his sword and, in an unusual moment of sympathy, hides him somewhere he can die in peace, never realising that Others don’t die so easily as humans.
This is the start of a strange partnership with Abel and Kane, as she tries to find Ashlynn, even if Abel doesn’t trust Kane as far as she can throw him, she finds that she needs him to survive.
I really liked the world-building in this book. It starts off so confused like the world in which they live. It’s a very slow journey to understanding the state of the world and how it got there, for both us and Abel. The author conveys the sense of hopelessness and fear really well.
Abel is a really interesting character. She’s came into adulthood after The Others arrived and has learnt that from hope and emotional connections comes nothing but pain and suffering so she tries to stay hard and emotionless, but often fails. She’s lost everyone she’s ever loved and is severely traumatised by her existence. She’s used to living life on a hair-trigger where violence can erupt at any second and nowhere is safe. Despite all of that she has moment of ‘weakness’ where she is kind, even knowing it could be the end of her life.
Kane is an enigma. He is one of The Others and as such is unknowable to Abel. He is a literal alien species and nothing was really told to the outside world before government and media disappeared. Despite his circumstances when Abel meets him, he has a sense of humour and is gentle with her. He is also protective. It is only when we are in the latter stages of the book do we start to really see Kane as he is and not just through Abel’s traumatised eyes. We only see him clearly when she does.
The plot is cleverly built. It starts with the hunt for Ashlynn and slowly evolves in other directions. The romance sneaks up on us as much as it does Abel. The pacing is excellent and kept me reading faster and faster as I worked my way through the chapters.
I really want to read the second book in the series now. I’d better download it immediately so I can find out what happens to them all!
April 27, 2022
Lordy Lordy. Where do I start?
This book had an identity crisis.
Was it dystopian? Was it sci-fi? Was it a regency era vampire romance? Was it a dark contemporary?
WHO KNOWS!? DEFINITELY NOT THE AUTHOR.
I liked the beginning and the end of this book.
Both were in line with the sci-fi dystopian novel the blurb promised. The middle- was a mess. Gone was the dystopian society, gone was the enemies to lovers, the aliens and sci-fi element was no where to be found and I was stuck reading about a girl being paraded around in stilettos and ball gowns. Never mind where they found the materials for such extravagance- considering the beginning of the book she was starving and eating dog food.
The middle of this novel made zero sense in regards to the plot that had already been written at the beginning and it was hardly tied to the ending. The ending that left the readers with a set up for a second book.
The characters were mated through a blood bond that was considered sacred but it was also super easy to do. Especially considering the author conveniently used a new blood bond or the threat of one occurring at every turn.
The main characters were likable on their own, but much like the middle of the plot not making sense- the changes to the characters personalities didn’t make sense either. Able changed so fundamentally by the second half of this book that she was unrecognizable.
Even though I really liked certain elements of this book, there was too much that was wrong with it for me to give it more than two stars.
The execution on this book was poorly done and that’s a real bummer. Because it had a lot of promise.
This book had an identity crisis.
Was it dystopian? Was it sci-fi? Was it a regency era vampire romance? Was it a dark contemporary?
WHO KNOWS!? DEFINITELY NOT THE AUTHOR.
I liked the beginning and the end of this book.
Both were in line with the sci-fi dystopian novel the blurb promised. The middle- was a mess. Gone was the dystopian society, gone was the enemies to lovers, the aliens and sci-fi element was no where to be found and I was stuck reading about a girl being paraded around in stilettos and ball gowns. Never mind where they found the materials for such extravagance- considering the beginning of the book she was starving and eating dog food.
The middle of this novel made zero sense in regards to the plot that had already been written at the beginning and it was hardly tied to the ending. The ending that left the readers with a set up for a second book.
The characters were mated through a blood bond that was considered sacred but it was also super easy to do. Especially considering the author conveniently used a new blood bond or the threat of one occurring at every turn.
The main characters were likable on their own, but much like the middle of the plot not making sense- the changes to the characters personalities didn’t make sense either. Able changed so fundamentally by the second half of this book that she was unrecognizable.
Even though I really liked certain elements of this book, there was too much that was wrong with it for me to give it more than two stars.
The execution on this book was poorly done and that’s a real bummer. Because it had a lot of promise.
October 24, 2017
4.5 Stars
I won this book through a Goodreads Giveaway
Heart pounding, gritty, diverse, and violent. This book is a wild ride. It does start off slow but once you get through the world building and all that jazz, the story picks up and it never stops. Not once does this book you a chance to breathe. It keeps you on the tip of your toes and the edge of your seat. I being the romance fan that I am, was happy that amid everything else, we get some of that too.
My biggest gripe with this book.... there is a cliff hanger!!! I need the next book right now. Do NOT start this book without the second one on your kindle, shelf, whatever. I mean it, you will hate yourself if you can't jump into the next one. I know I am.
The character development is great and the plot moves along greatly. Something I love that I have found some authors have a problem with is the balance of the romance and the actual plot. That wasn't a problem here. The romance never once took away from the plot but instead it added to it wonderfully.
Overall, get this book and get through the first 25-30 pages and then it will suck you in and refuse to let you go.
I won this book through a Goodreads Giveaway
Heart pounding, gritty, diverse, and violent. This book is a wild ride. It does start off slow but once you get through the world building and all that jazz, the story picks up and it never stops. Not once does this book you a chance to breathe. It keeps you on the tip of your toes and the edge of your seat. I being the romance fan that I am, was happy that amid everything else, we get some of that too.
My biggest gripe with this book.... there is a cliff hanger!!! I need the next book right now. Do NOT start this book without the second one on your kindle, shelf, whatever. I mean it, you will hate yourself if you can't jump into the next one. I know I am.
The character development is great and the plot moves along greatly. Something I love that I have found some authors have a problem with is the balance of the romance and the actual plot. That wasn't a problem here. The romance never once took away from the plot but instead it added to it wonderfully.
Overall, get this book and get through the first 25-30 pages and then it will suck you in and refuse to let you go.
June 23, 2015
I have to admit, I LOVE this story. I also think I have a new book boyfriend. Kane, oh Kane, he is brilliant. And alien. But who cares. And Abel, what a heroine. She is feisty, fierce, loves her family and will fight to the death. Not a simpering, needy girl. There is so much action, fighting, romance and love in here that it is easy to stay up way to late reading. ( Yes I am guilty of it ). I will tell you it ends on a cliffhanger. But it is okay. Just means there will be more. All I can say is, buy it, get a beer ( or beverage of choice. It is hot here so cold beer worked for me ) snuggle down and begin.
March 12, 2022
Liked the story struggled with the editing SPOILER at end.
Overall it was a good story. It definitely kept me on my toes. Although I highly recommend reading the trigger warning. One thing that bothered me was some of the transitions in the book and general editing. The errors brought me out of the experience. SPOILERS I hated how the author handled the issue between Abel and Mikey, that was assault and there should have been greater consequences than just myrth. Just my opinion.
Overall it was a good story. It definitely kept me on my toes. Although I highly recommend reading the trigger warning. One thing that bothered me was some of the transitions in the book and general editing. The errors brought me out of the experience. SPOILERS I hated how the author handled the issue between Abel and Mikey, that was assault and there should have been greater consequences than just myrth. Just my opinion.
October 19, 2015
Amazing. The writing style is phenomenal, descriptive, and honestly a work of art. The plot completely sucked me in and I couldn't put it down. This is definitely a must read. If you have any literary taste at all, read this book. Period.
May 20, 2024
4.75 ⭐️ 3 🌶️
This is a brutal dystopian world now overrun with (humanoid) aliens.
Check your CWs before going into this one. It’s very violent but was absolutely gripping.
I loved it. Not something I would read every day…But I will definitely continue the series once they are available on audio.
I loved the narration & the world the author created. She’s spicy but it is a book with plot & spice. Overall if you like your books dark this book is a good one
This is a brutal dystopian world now overrun with (humanoid) aliens.
Check your CWs before going into this one. It’s very violent but was absolutely gripping.
I loved it. Not something I would read every day…But I will definitely continue the series once they are available on audio.
I loved the narration & the world the author created. She’s spicy but it is a book with plot & spice. Overall if you like your books dark this book is a good one
May 4, 2024
Someday I’m going to talk to a psychologist and figure out why I like the violent stories best. But for now, I’ll just roll with it and enjoy these books when I find them!
This was my second time “reading” this book. First time, I read it. This time I got the audiobook. The narrator was fantastic! She did a really good job with this dark, post apocalyptic romance.
There was a bunch of story here. It isn’t your usual quick and easy alien romance. In fact, it didn’t feel very alien at all to me. The aliens in this story lost their home world and came to ours through portals, since our world was the best fit for their species. They didn’t come with any malice. Once here, they didn’t have much of their own tech, so besides being stronger and older than us, they could have easily just been vampires for all their similarities.
The aliens aren’t bad guys. Though, like humans, there are some truly rotten apples in the bunch. Only, these rotten apples are also a foot taller than most humans and way stronger and hard to kill. And they drink human blood.
In our fear of the bigger, badder species “invading” earth, we attacked them and they retaliated to save themselves. They put us down hard in the beginning and the war ravaged the planet. Eventually, they set up their own kingdoms and mostly left us alone to do what we wanted with the rest of the land (one area of which came to be known as Population). But, by then the world had fallen apart and most of America is now a post-apocalyptic zone filled with lawless gangs and the occasional evil “Other” (what humans called the aliens).
The romance in this book grows fairly naturally. I love Kane’s protectiveness of her, yet he trusts her ability to take care of herself since she’s very good at fighting. The side characters are nice, though they don’t really get flushed out much. Some of them will get more time to shine in later books though.
The story does get rather violent at times. The heroine takes one HELL of a beating, repeatedly. So if you’re not cool with that, you might want to pass this up. If you’re a sick bitch like me who revels in it, then full speed ahead! I think it adds more gravitas to the story. I mean, some books paint the bad guys as sooo evil and vile, yet all they do is tie the heroine up and maybe smack her once. But real bad guys aren’t going to treat their worst enemy’s lover with kid gloves. The big evil brute of an alien is going to be a big evil brute! He’s going to break her wrist and punch her and kick her and drag her by her ankle. That’s what bad guys do!! .... Plus, the scene when the hero finds her all beat up, but struggling to escape or survive, and he gets so choked up in regret, grief, rage, and love is always so damn heart wrenching! Gah!!! I love that shit. 🥰
Kane is one of my favorite MMCs. He’s sooo protective of her, so possessive, so sexual, very violent (to the bad guys), and very sweet and kind (to her). I initially read this book, then a few years later I listened to the audiobook. I think I like Kane even more now thanks to the narrators wonderful portrayal of him. She did the growly, possessive voice so damn well!! 🥵😍
The FMC is a great tough character. Some people might find her to be a big too abrasive and violent, but she’s the result of her upbringing trying to survive in a lawless, violent post apocalyptic world. When she’s taken to Kane’s home and meets humans there who’ve never lived outside that protected community, it takes a few days/weeks for her to lose her understandably scared and suspicious nature. And Kane is very understanding any time she reacts differently than a coddled human would have. He’s the bestest.
*Content warning for physical assault, violence, threats of rape, trauma from a past rape, implied sexual assault of minors, and a borderline non consensual oral sex scene.
This was my second time “reading” this book. First time, I read it. This time I got the audiobook. The narrator was fantastic! She did a really good job with this dark, post apocalyptic romance.
There was a bunch of story here. It isn’t your usual quick and easy alien romance. In fact, it didn’t feel very alien at all to me. The aliens in this story lost their home world and came to ours through portals, since our world was the best fit for their species. They didn’t come with any malice. Once here, they didn’t have much of their own tech, so besides being stronger and older than us, they could have easily just been vampires for all their similarities.
The aliens aren’t bad guys. Though, like humans, there are some truly rotten apples in the bunch. Only, these rotten apples are also a foot taller than most humans and way stronger and hard to kill. And they drink human blood.
In our fear of the bigger, badder species “invading” earth, we attacked them and they retaliated to save themselves. They put us down hard in the beginning and the war ravaged the planet. Eventually, they set up their own kingdoms and mostly left us alone to do what we wanted with the rest of the land (one area of which came to be known as Population). But, by then the world had fallen apart and most of America is now a post-apocalyptic zone filled with lawless gangs and the occasional evil “Other” (what humans called the aliens).
The romance in this book grows fairly naturally. I love Kane’s protectiveness of her, yet he trusts her ability to take care of herself since she’s very good at fighting. The side characters are nice, though they don’t really get flushed out much. Some of them will get more time to shine in later books though.
The story does get rather violent at times. The heroine takes one HELL of a beating, repeatedly. So if you’re not cool with that, you might want to pass this up. If you’re a sick bitch like me who revels in it, then full speed ahead! I think it adds more gravitas to the story. I mean, some books paint the bad guys as sooo evil and vile, yet all they do is tie the heroine up and maybe smack her once. But real bad guys aren’t going to treat their worst enemy’s lover with kid gloves. The big evil brute of an alien is going to be a big evil brute! He’s going to break her wrist and punch her and kick her and drag her by her ankle. That’s what bad guys do!! .... Plus, the scene when the hero finds her all beat up, but struggling to escape or survive, and he gets so choked up in regret, grief, rage, and love is always so damn heart wrenching! Gah!!! I love that shit. 🥰
Kane is one of my favorite MMCs. He’s sooo protective of her, so possessive, so sexual, very violent (to the bad guys), and very sweet and kind (to her). I initially read this book, then a few years later I listened to the audiobook. I think I like Kane even more now thanks to the narrators wonderful portrayal of him. She did the growly, possessive voice so damn well!! 🥵😍
The FMC is a great tough character. Some people might find her to be a big too abrasive and violent, but she’s the result of her upbringing trying to survive in a lawless, violent post apocalyptic world. When she’s taken to Kane’s home and meets humans there who’ve never lived outside that protected community, it takes a few days/weeks for her to lose her understandably scared and suspicious nature. And Kane is very understanding any time she reacts differently than a coddled human would have. He’s the bestest.
*Content warning for physical assault, violence, threats of rape, trauma from a past rape, implied sexual assault of minors, and a borderline non consensual oral sex scene.
August 18, 2015
Title: Population
Author: Elizabeth Stephens
Cover Artist: Amygdala Art
Publisher: Vantage Point Books
Reviewer: Sean
Genre: Fantasy & Sci-Fi
Type: Romance
Pairing: Heterosexual
Length: Novel
Heat Rating: 2 Stars
Book Rating: 5 Stars (5 / 5)
This book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review
Blurb:
Lawlessness, violence and desperation are all that is left of the world following the coming of the Others. Abel exists only within the boundaries that her rules allow — rules that she created to keep her alive. But when her best friend’s daughter is taken by the Others, she can’t keep playing by the rule book. Instead, she must begin a life defining journey that will test her survival techniques and challenge her ability to find what she has always feared: hope.
Review:
Population was an amazing read! So many things had happen from the beginning to the very cliff-hanging ending. I loved it. Of course I was being a baby brat when I reached to the end of the book. I wasn’t a huge fan of cliff-hanging type of book, but hey, the sequel will be out in April 2016. I guess I will have to be very patient and wait for it to be released. I really want to know what happened to all characters! Abel was a strong woman in the novel. She was a true survivor. She had gone through hell since the world went insane.
The novel was original as well. Sure, there were plenty of stories that had a similar concept of how the world went apocalyptical. But the creatures the author created was more than original. The life style people had to survive was not what I had seen in a book or a film in the past so this novel scored an A plus when it came to originality.
There were plenty of actions that kept me on a tip of the cliff. I just had to keep on reading and reading until I reached the end. Of course I was being a baby brat when I read the last page. I so didn’t see it coming, but it made me even more excite to read when the second book come out. I probably will end up re-reading it before starting second book.
I really dig Kane out of all characters. Kane was different from his own people and he was just awesome. I couldn’t explain why because I would spoil the novel for you. You just had to grab a copy and read Population. It was that good! It had horror, action/adventure, romance, and a mix of sci-fi and fantasy thrown in for a good measure. This was a type of book I’d easily pick up and fell in love with the world the author created easily. I can’t wait to find out more about Abel and Kane in second novel!
I highly recommended if you enjoy a novel with a strong heroine. It had plenty of action and a good touch of romance so it would be a good fit for any readers. Don’t wait too long to check this one out!
Author: Elizabeth Stephens
Cover Artist: Amygdala Art
Publisher: Vantage Point Books
Reviewer: Sean
Genre: Fantasy & Sci-Fi
Type: Romance
Pairing: Heterosexual
Length: Novel
Heat Rating: 2 Stars
Book Rating: 5 Stars (5 / 5)
This book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review
Blurb:
Lawlessness, violence and desperation are all that is left of the world following the coming of the Others. Abel exists only within the boundaries that her rules allow — rules that she created to keep her alive. But when her best friend’s daughter is taken by the Others, she can’t keep playing by the rule book. Instead, she must begin a life defining journey that will test her survival techniques and challenge her ability to find what she has always feared: hope.
Review:
Population was an amazing read! So many things had happen from the beginning to the very cliff-hanging ending. I loved it. Of course I was being a baby brat when I reached to the end of the book. I wasn’t a huge fan of cliff-hanging type of book, but hey, the sequel will be out in April 2016. I guess I will have to be very patient and wait for it to be released. I really want to know what happened to all characters! Abel was a strong woman in the novel. She was a true survivor. She had gone through hell since the world went insane.
The novel was original as well. Sure, there were plenty of stories that had a similar concept of how the world went apocalyptical. But the creatures the author created was more than original. The life style people had to survive was not what I had seen in a book or a film in the past so this novel scored an A plus when it came to originality.
There were plenty of actions that kept me on a tip of the cliff. I just had to keep on reading and reading until I reached the end. Of course I was being a baby brat when I read the last page. I so didn’t see it coming, but it made me even more excite to read when the second book come out. I probably will end up re-reading it before starting second book.
I really dig Kane out of all characters. Kane was different from his own people and he was just awesome. I couldn’t explain why because I would spoil the novel for you. You just had to grab a copy and read Population. It was that good! It had horror, action/adventure, romance, and a mix of sci-fi and fantasy thrown in for a good measure. This was a type of book I’d easily pick up and fell in love with the world the author created easily. I can’t wait to find out more about Abel and Kane in second novel!
I highly recommended if you enjoy a novel with a strong heroine. It had plenty of action and a good touch of romance so it would be a good fit for any readers. Don’t wait too long to check this one out!
October 25, 2021
Population -
This book floored me and took me by surprise. I’m not usually a sci-fi romance reader. Alien and human love is not my thing. But this book right here opened up my eyes (not to mention the Heroine is a Women of Color 🤩).
This is a good September through October read. Loads of action, hella gory moments, and devastating heartbreaks. At first, I was a little unsure if the story would keep my interest but right when Kane came appeared in the story and looked at her Abel I literally swooned. And what happened to Becks!!! had my attention there too 😢. Author Stephens had me from there on and would not let me go. This book was action-packed and hot tamale spicy. I enjoyed this book so much. Best H&H of the year! All in all an exciting read. So now on to book two because yeah there is a hell of a cliffy, but no worries because the second book is out.
Happy Reading!
This book floored me and took me by surprise. I’m not usually a sci-fi romance reader. Alien and human love is not my thing. But this book right here opened up my eyes (not to mention the Heroine is a Women of Color 🤩).
This is a good September through October read. Loads of action, hella gory moments, and devastating heartbreaks. At first, I was a little unsure if the story would keep my interest but right when Kane came appeared in the story and looked at her Abel I literally swooned. And what happened to Becks!!! had my attention there too 😢. Author Stephens had me from there on and would not let me go. This book was action-packed and hot tamale spicy. I enjoyed this book so much. Best H&H of the year! All in all an exciting read. So now on to book two because yeah there is a hell of a cliffy, but no worries because the second book is out.
Happy Reading!
March 4, 2021
This book had the potential to be good, but it fell short in so many ways. In the first few chapters I was really interested to see where the story would go and I liked Abel as a strong female character. The decisions she made were usually well thought out, but once she met Kane I feel like everything just went downhill from there.
First of all, the aliens are basically just human vampires and its extremely unoriginal. I felt myself cringing reading these parts because its just been done so many times before. I was expecting the aliens to be something more...but they weren't. It was very disappointing.
The romance moved way too fast and did not fit Abel's character. She seemed to be written as a character who approached situations and relationships with other people tentatively. When she met Kane she just dived straight in, ignoring her rules for survival and I felt this was extremely out of character. I found Kane really annoying, his character was so flat and underdeveloped. There also could have been more elaboration on Abel's backstory, especially with Becks and Ashlyn.
First of all, the aliens are basically just human vampires and its extremely unoriginal. I felt myself cringing reading these parts because its just been done so many times before. I was expecting the aliens to be something more...but they weren't. It was very disappointing.
The romance moved way too fast and did not fit Abel's character. She seemed to be written as a character who approached situations and relationships with other people tentatively. When she met Kane she just dived straight in, ignoring her rules for survival and I felt this was extremely out of character. I found Kane really annoying, his character was so flat and underdeveloped. There also could have been more elaboration on Abel's backstory, especially with Becks and Ashlyn.
September 15, 2023
No, No, I want a refund!
This doesn't feel anything g like a Elizabeth Stephens book. It's Ridiculously Stupid. Harsh, I know but good lord!! So... Picture this ...Apocalyptic earth. Big handsome aliens that are carnivorous Vamps..hmmm , so our FMC 's BF's child gets grabbed By an alien that beat down another alien. Sooo our FMC helps the wounded alien, Ok and then she gets into trouble with another alien and the previously wounded one rescues her. Big fight ensues, she's wounded and when she wakes up..TADA!!! She's in a mansion, that he lives in and the humans who live there call him Master??? Really, And it turns out he is a king of the aliens...And ...this is where I decided to delete the Book from my kindle .He tells her to get her Friend's child back, She has to attend a gala and wear high heels ?!$#%@. She tells him she can't walk in them, so he insists that she wear them for the next 48 hours,,, It just went so far down dumbsville lane that I gave up. Wish I could get a refund. If you liked the Voraxia series, you will Hate this.
This doesn't feel anything g like a Elizabeth Stephens book. It's Ridiculously Stupid. Harsh, I know but good lord!! So... Picture this ...Apocalyptic earth. Big handsome aliens that are carnivorous Vamps..hmmm , so our FMC 's BF's child gets grabbed By an alien that beat down another alien. Sooo our FMC helps the wounded alien, Ok and then she gets into trouble with another alien and the previously wounded one rescues her. Big fight ensues, she's wounded and when she wakes up..TADA!!! She's in a mansion, that he lives in and the humans who live there call him Master??? Really, And it turns out he is a king of the aliens...And ...this is where I decided to delete the Book from my kindle .He tells her to get her Friend's child back, She has to attend a gala and wear high heels ?!$#%@. She tells him she can't walk in them, so he insists that she wear them for the next 48 hours,,, It just went so far down dumbsville lane that I gave up. Wish I could get a refund. If you liked the Voraxia series, you will Hate this.
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