Dust is the first installment in a new YA post-apocalyptic fairy-tale series by J.R. Devoe. I really love genre-bending stories, and this is one of the better YA versions that I’ve read. It’s fantasy and dystopian and science fiction all wrapped up with a lovely fairy-tale bow.
Dust is billed as a story about what happens in a near-future Earth when intergalactic pixies come to the planet. In this world, the alien pixies plan to destroy everything humans have built in order to make way for new life. When one of these fae-like pixies, Nya, finds a group of humans still alive on Earth, she reports back so that the destruction can stop. Only, her superiors don’t care about the humans remaining on Earth. Instead, the pixies gear up for battle and plan to kill off the remainder of humanity. Nya and Deka, a human boy she meets, must work together and learn to trust each other through their differences in order to protect the humans left on Earth.
I really enjoyed Dust as a YA novel. To me, the story read much like how YA novels read in the 2010s, and I loved that about it. The focus of the story is on the characters and the battles, and there is very little angst or drama interrupting the plot. There is the smallest hint of romance, but it doesn’t take over the story. Dust exceeds at world-building and plot, and that’s what I love in Young Adult literature.
Dust was released yesterday, April 4th, and is available in paperback and ebook on Amazon. It looks like it’s currently available on Kindle Unlimited, so it’s a great time to check it out if you use that service!
Bottom line: I give this 3.5 stars. I really enjoyed the story and characters, and I think it’s a really good YA novel. I will definitely pick up the next installment in story.
Thanks to the author for reaching out and providing me a review copy! I love reading Indie works, and this was an awesome experience!
backshelfbooks.com 