Braedan Lalor

Survival of the ruthless is the norm, but it’s the will of the Legend that’s the new rule.

Three young souls are locked into a life and death struggle inside a bloodthirsty youth culture.

Covert elements seek to undermine Alastar, Sophia, and Demsie’s alliance — and an occult sect known as the Wandandans have entered into the fray having an effect on Alastar’s well being that only people with Sophia and Demsie’s unique skills, can detect.

There is friction in the group but choice remains. Heists and conflicts, stealth and tactical assaults reveal a white-knuckle mystery of human will and resilience — even though the scenario is gamed against them.This book tips its hat to classics such Ender’s Game and the Hunger Games and the urban war continues in a soldier spy masterpiece that has garnered fans from around the globe. An urban dystopia young adult war that will introduce you to characters made real by a struggle so immediate — that spirit, resolve, and the choice to survive will speak to deeper truths.

Interview with the author:

Q: Why the different spin on espionage novels by involving soldier class youths fighting for survival?

A:My goal was to create an urban survival thriller series free of the cumbersome and everchanging global politics, to focus on two things – the characters of the urban war, and the ideologies that make the politics in the first place (giving readers front row seats to the PR info wars that have likely always been fought)

Q: Sounds serious – but are spy mystery books usually into that?

A: Well, no – and yes. Many dystopian novels present the ideological backdrops that produce dystopias in the first place – think Hunger Games. In that sense my books fit the category. For a soldier and spy thriller youth series like mine, I go deeper into the inner motivations (for example visionary and lucid dreams) but not necessarily all the methodologies (It’s like Brad Thor actually trained as a spy super soldier, right?) of conspiracies and organized power. I keep some details light so the story reads like an action novel rather than a history text because action-packed story and deep characters are paramount

Q: Your books are said to have heart, like The Outsiders. How do you inject heart into your dystopia wars?

A: It’s true that thrillers with urban war and youth soldiers could get grim, but S.E. Hinton understood that hard circumstances reveal what’s inside a person’s soul. I don’t gravitate to dark survival literature in itself, but it is through fighting for survival and revealing the depth of that struggle that my urban street novel can achieve the emotional impact my readers expect. If life is conflict then struggle to overcome is what reveals our character

Q: How do your books make your readers feel?

A: Ah, the most important question – how do readers feel and have I made them think? Parts of my book feel dark and disturbing, or vengeful with all the Station’s vigilante justice. But deeper into the struggle what my readers truly feel is sentiment, admiration and even joy when they see examples of sacrifice, teamwork and valor. I strive for thriller pacing like the Bourne Identity, the intellect of Enders Game and the heart of the Outsiders

Q: How should readers tackle your thriller series?

A: I recommend people start with The Fatherless: Alastar’s Urban war.Then the Resilient: Resisting Urban Dystopia. These are true survival novels and the first two books of the series. Following that is the Breakable and the Defiant – but you’ll find another book that is related but not exactly in the series. Dystopia Now is a bit of a trippy MK Ultra rock and roll meets lucid dreams novel. You can read that one at any time