Name: Us Dark Few
Series: Us Dark Few #1
Author: Alexis Patton
Publisher: Self Published
Format: Kindle (through Kindle Unlimited)
Genres: Young Adult, Dystopia, Fantasy, Romance, Science-Fiction
Noted Tropes: Enemies to Lovers, Found Family, Forbidden Romance, One Bed, Touch Her and Die
Spice Rating: Glimpses & Kisses 🌶️
Rating:
Synopsis: Goodreads
Khalani is a Prisoner.
Takeshi is a Guard.
Both are slaves to the Underground.
Khalani Kanes has never stood on the surface of the earth. In the underground city of Apollo, faith and dreams are as absent as the sun. She longed to visit Genesis, the infamous Domed City and the final place where humanity lives aboveground. But when Khalani is given a life sentence and thrown into prison for a theft she didn’t commit, those wishes shatter into oblivion.
In Braderhelm Prison, murderers are neighbors, ruthless and cold-blooded guards live to punish, and every second is a battle to survive. She thought the danger lay in befriending criminals and avoiding Takeshi Steele, the nefarious Captain who runs her cell block. But darker traps and secrets await her within the shadows of imprisonment. Khalani’s blood will coat the walls in flaming silk before her enemies let her escape to the surface, a feat no one has successfully achieved. If the reclusive and callous Takeshi Steele won’t kill Khalani, then the merciless prisoners and her fractured mind will.
Enter Braderhelm Prison, where only the Wicked remain.
Review:
Alexis Patton got me with her Instagram posts about Us Dark Few! And I’d seen maybe two slides before I knew I had to read her book. I devoured it. Her FMC and MMC were inspired by some characters that she loved (and I loved!) and that alongside the fact that it was set in an underground prison drew me in and I loved it. You can click HERE for a link to one of the instagram posts by the author that got me.
Khalani is our FMC, and she’s being sentenced to a life sentence in Braderhelm Prison, for a crime she didn’t commit (I’m already on board). Braderhelm is not a great place, prisoners are dying and the guards are ruthless – and that’s where we meet our MMC, Takeshi who is Captain of the Guard. And whilst they don’t exactly get on – prisoner x guard prevails! When the burn started burning, but you do have to wait for it, I was here for it.
For the majority of the book Takeshi gives very specific vibes. I got Levi (Attack on Titan) vibes from Takeshi and I loved that (with a bit of Four (Divergent) thrown in). He has an attitude that say I won’t care about any of you, do your job and live (until he doesn’t of course – insert giggles here). And from Khalani I got Eve (The Mummy) and Tris (Divergent) vibes – both interlectual, but unwilling to be defenseless and useless – and so I’d say Alexis did that pretty well considering that was what she was aiming for!
I really liked not only our main characters, but our found family that Khalani gets too. I did find myself very suspicious of like every single character she came into contact with which made it hard to like the side characters in the moment… but by the time everything is kicking off, I was pretty happy with who I had decided to trust.
Unfortunately, I did try and pick up the sequel, but my slump had truly hit and this was at the same time as my Nan passed away and so I decided to put the sequel down and pick it up at a later date when I’ve got my game back! But I absolutely do recommend Us Dark Few if you want a fun, easy read – because based on that ending… I have a feeling that the sequel will be darker!
“I’m sorry they got to you. Made you forget that surviving is not living,”
Reading With Tyler 
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