Review: Enclave (Razorland #1) by Ann Aguirre

Enclave by Ann Aguirre

ARC borrowed from Debbie of Debbie's World of Books
Release: April 12, 2011

Summary
The world as we know it has ended. Deuce, who is now old enough to have a name, has become a Huntress to protect and feed her Enclave in the vast underground system which is just barely surviving. After her naming ceremony, she is partnered with Fade, a mysterious outsider to the Enclave and they are tasked with finding out why the Freaks (mutated mindless humanoids who eat any and all meat) are showing signs of intelligence.

Commentary
The story is not really a new one although Ann pulls off some interesting and mostly likable characters in Deuce and Fade. I enjoyed reading about Deuce in particular as she faces internal struggles between being a warrior who accepts losses and the human being who wants to save those she knows. Also, three cheers for a romance that grows rather than appears out of nowhere.

As for the world, we know that there was an apocalypse, but we are never told the details of how things came to be. A lot of the world is portrayed in broad stereotypes rather than delving into intricacies although we do meet several types of people along the way. In general there is an oversimplification of what could be a very complex landscapes. For example we have creatures who are likely mutations of human beings called Freaks of which there are really only 2 kinds, the new smart ones and the regular dumb ones.

Basically, I want more depth to the world that can support the depth found in the characters, more explanations of why things are the way they are, more evidence besides the changes in society that the world is different, and perhaps some of that will be found in the next novel. This was an interesting beginning, but it would not stand well on its own.

Star Rating: 3.0/5.0

For an explanation of the Star Rating go here.

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