When You Had Power: Nothing is Promised Book 1

This is the first novel in the Nothing Is Promised tetralogy by Susan Kaye Quinn, which should be read in order. I dislike the grimdark trend in speculative fiction, so I was excited to try this series of hopepunk, speculative fiction that focuses on connection, kindness, and optimism as resources in the fight for positive change. These four closely interconnected stories have an interesting dystopian setting in a future where our world has been ravaged by climate change and viruses. I enjoyed the author’s writing style and characterization. I also liked seeing the social and technological changes she envisions. The only thing that frustrated me was that the story felt too rushed. I love stories of found/chosen family, but the relationships developed very quickly when the characters didn’t actually have very much time to get to know each other. And while we get a partial answer to the mystery of the unscheduled power outages, you’ll have to keep reading the subsequent books to get the full answer. I enjoyed the narration by Maria Victoria Martinez. Her performance was well paced and easy to understand, and I liked how she conveyed personality and emotions with her character voices. If you enjoy tales of found family and engineers as heroes, or you’re interested in the hopepunk genre, then I would recommend this series. Also, I love how the gorgeous covers fit together. I purchased this ebook but was given a free copy of the audiobook by the author and volunteered to provide an honest review.