A very incredible and solidly built nine. If I had to rank the 9 stars into my favourits this would sit at the top of the list just kissing into the tens category. I adored the world-building and the voices of the characters throughout the story. Every named character feels like they had a story, they were memorable and easy to empathise with despite the things they had done before they were imprisoned. It offers up genuinely thought-provoking concepts about the current prison systems for those who are willing to reflect and make the connections, and the action and weapons are beautiful. Don’t even get me started on the ending.

This won’t be a book for everyone, mind. At some points the politics can be a little heavy-handed, the ideas impactful but less interwoven in the world as most of the story and call-outs are. There’s a specific sub-plot that I wish we could have gotten more attached to, but is overshadowed by the deep connections presented in the all-star chain-gangs (Be it between the main cast Loretta Thurwar and Hamara “Hurricane Stax” Stacker, Randy Mac and Hamara, or The Scorpion and the Unkillable). Further still one or two of the revelations were a little predictable, and I wish the specific mystery in mind would have had more emotional consequences rather than it being so overtly for the plot. Still, aside from the nit-picks, this was an amazing read, and I would highly recommend it to anyone who likes dark themes, a spot of self-reflection and characters you can fall in love with. 

"Suck My Dick America"
"I love you"