For a long time, we've known the end of the world is coming. The rate at which humanity has used Earth's resources means relocation. Specifically, to space. Enter the Apocalypse Five (or A5). They are an elite group of soldiers trained to deal with any and all apocalypse scenarios. Every day, they're put into a different mission that will help them to better save humanity when that day eventually comes.

However, things aren't quite what they seem. When Detroit, the team leader, is sent on a mission that exposes the reality of the people of Earth, she wants to do something about it. Instead, they're framed for a crime and sentenced to death. Now, they find themselves on the run from the government. To escape, they have to expose the truth. But will they be able to do it in time?

I received a copy of this book to review from Net Galley and Black Spot Books. Obviously, my interest was peaked because it's a dystopia. It feels like it's a been a while since I read one of those. The premise peaked my interest too; I am happy to say that I definitely wasn't disappointed in this book.

At first, it takes a bit to acclimate to the world that Rourke built for the A5. We get a little bit of info in the prologue, but then we jump to the future. While I was a bit confused in the beginning, more information was given the further you got into the book, so at about halfway, I felt that I had a good grip on this new, futuristic world.

The best thing about this book was probably the concept. I liked the idea that we're training this group of people to help fight off the impending apocalypse. It takes the age old concept of "the chosen one" to a whole new level. Where people like Katniss are kind of chosen by circumstance, the A5 are literally hand-picked to be the ones that fight whatever disaster comes next. And I want to see more from them!

One of the themes in the book is about exposing truth and that things are often not what they seem. I don't want to give too much away, but the theme encourages readers to think critically about what those in power are telling you. And what an important time in history to promote those ideals (here's a list for more books like this!).

Like the blurb for this book says, if you're a fan of The Hunger Games, you'll definitely enjoy this book.

4/5 stars

The Apocalypse Five have but one mission, to save the human race who, well, any one of a number of things could lead to its demise. What is interesting about this premise, is that they are fighting in virtual reality and if they die in the game they die, thus being that they have pretty high turnover. However, the current Apocalypse Five is on an awesome bloody good run, surviving longer than any other previous team. They come across some strange information, and pretty much everything they think they believe isn't quite as straight forward as it seems.
I don't usually read science fiction, but this cover was amazing, and the plot drew me in. I don't do spoilers, but I have to say even though this was promoted as young adult, I would think that anyone who likes this type of adventure would love it. The action never lets you go, and it was suspenseful from beginning to end. A good read and from what I've seen, there is more to this series to come! Sign me up for the next book!

This story reminds me of Orson Scott Card's 'Ender's Game'. While there are vague similarities there is enough different to make it an enjoyable read. Some of the characters and situations are hard to follow. The subtle humor is a welcome diversion to the horrid situations A5 found themselves in. A warning to some readers: the sexual tension and situations encountered by pre-/early teens can be disconcerting.

Packed with action, intrigue and mounds of tension, this is an exciting mix of spaceship science fiction and a brutal dystopian.

The A5 consists of the most amazing heroes the starship has to offer. They are specially trained and ready to meet any obstacle that comes at them—all to ensure the survival of the human race. The extremely vivid and realistic training missions are viewed by everyone on board, making this group stars in their own right. The catch, however, is deadly. If they die on the virtual missions, they die in real life. This makes for quite the turnover in team members. Until the most recent group is formed. These five survive much longer than any others before. When they run across a strange scene in their mission, they realize that these virtual missions are more than they seem. And the truth will change existence as everyone knows it.

Tension and the brutality of the situation hit full force from the first chapter on. The author makes the circumstances these characters face clear, and this impact causes the story to grab right away. The characters are sympathetic, and it's hard not to feel for their situations even with their obvious personality flaws. Each one is very distinct, making it easy to keep them apart. Their interactions are believable, and their decisions are understandable. It's easy to cheer for them the entire way through.

While the story kept me in the pages until the very end, the first chapter or so did stumble. The author makes it clear from the beginning how harsh and dangerous the life of the A5s is, and the first round of characters is immediately hit hard. This caused for a little confusion as time jumped forward in the next chapter, and the empathy for characters had to be rebuilt. The world itself is well done, although there are more than a few holes in the background. Much of this seems to be waiting for resolution in the rest of the series, while some simply is a little light. Still, it's a fun read.

This is an exciting world to jump into, especially for fans of action, adventure, intrigue and simply harsh, violent moments. It grabs, it sits, and it ends on a cliffhanger. This book sets the stage for the rest of the series, one which promises to be exciting and full of surprises.

I received a complimentary copy and enjoyed the story enough to want to leave my honest thoughts.

Humanity has been preparing for the apocalypse for decades, sending groups of five young soldiers at time to battle simulated end of the world scenarios. The missions are broadcast for everyone on the AT-1-NS Space Station to watch. The current Apocalypse Five group has set a record. No deaths in 18 months. No group has survived that long without at least one (or all five in some cases) member being killed. This group is special. When they discover information they weren't supposed to ever know, suddenly the group goes from being heroes to wanted fugitives. Can they survive....and reveal the corruption and lies perpetrated by the Chancellor?

This book got right down to business at page one with great action and storytelling. It's typical space adventure sci-fi with a little hint of romance thrown in here and there. The story is definitely geared to YA, but interesting to adults as well. There is a little bit of cursing and some hints at sex...but nothing inappropriate for a YA audience. The plot is a bit reminiscent of The Hunger Games or Ender's Game, but different enough to not seem too trope-y.

The cover art is really eye-catching. The first thing I noticed about this book is the cover. Great art!

All in all, an enjoyable space adventure story. Apocalypse Five is the first book in the Archive of the Fives series. I will definitely be reading more of this series. The characters are engaging and the story is good. I want to know what happens next! :) Can't wait for the next book!

**I voluntarily read an advance readers copy of this book from Black Spot Books via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**

Meet the Apocalypse Five, a band of rockstar status soldiers going into deadly battles whilst living a big brother house existence. In a Buffy esque “when one slayer dies another is chosen” world, cadets are nothing but numbers until a calling into the A5 grants them a name, for Detroit and her team, they are the longest running A5 group and have garnered far higher celebrity status than most. The idea that this team are being watched both privately and on the field for the enjoyment of the masses is pretty tough to swallow, and sets the tone that the world we’re seeing has almost forgotten that children as young as 13 are being put in deadly scenarios. What makes that society worse for me is the ghoulish product placement that the team need to find time for whilst fighting for their lives. Yet this is normal and had the impact that for me as a reader, I often had to remind myself of just how young they are. There is a clear influence from the Hunger Games in the early stages of the book and I felt at times that it was struggling to form it’s own identity, but when the tables turn about 1/3 a way in it very much comes into its own.

As far as world building goes, much is left to the imagination as Apocalypse Five is very much story driven. The pace is pretty relentless, so pages about the space station would have detracted from that. Whilst I’m usually a world building girl, I can appreciate why the author chose not to go down that route this time. One thing that this book has is a HUGE twist, you can kind of see it coming not long before the team do, but it turns the entire story on it’s head. It’s a real mic drop moment as the enormity settles. Interestingly the story moves into 2 parallel paths as we also come to understand how the children became part of the space station crew, it’s a point which slowly burns alongside adding some anxiety to the pace.

I found the characters pretty interesting, It could be easy to be flippant about their depth, but these are children who have grown with very little nurturing and ability to explore their emotions. Their days are spent watching others die and waiting to hear if it would be their turn next, that’s going to stunt anyone. I think it was a brave move to have these characters very shut down, with only false bravado for the camera’s where they know they are wanted. Their use of different coping strategies is actually a little heartbreaking when you have a 17 year old alcoholic and a 13 year old obsessed with old movies of a happier time. I realise that I am painting them as a sad bunch – but their friendship is rock solid and that’s what makes them endearing and a formidable team.

Unfortunately the author painted herself into a difficult corner, in that the premise and the twist are so intrinsically linked that for the first 3rd of the book, I’m sorry to say, I was pretty baffled by what the wider arc was. I don’t mind books that hit the ground running but it needs to be quickly backed up with context, otherwise the narrative stutters. It becomes clear why it had to be that way as the story continues, but it did mean that I struggled to get into an early flow. At one point I thought my ebook had started beyond a prologue so I stopped and went back… this was quick a big issue for me so I’ve reduced the rating down accordingly.

Apocalypse Five is a fast paced read with a real cinematic feel, Detroit walking along a rocket launcher decimated beach described as looking like a goddess of chaos and war, was one of my favourite lines – and gives you an idea of the scale. It has plenty of feels without being sappy and is thought provoking without even realising. I initially thought this was a standalone but those last lines will want you clamouring for book 2!

4*

Apocalypse Five is the first installment in a new young adult science fiction series that follows a team of space cadets forced to participate in simulations in preparation for saving the Earth in the event of an impending apocalypse. If you fail to survive these simulations, you die in the real world. If you die, you are replaced with another candidate. The team of superstars representing the most promising candidates is known as the A-5 team. The story is told from the point of view of Detroit, a strong willed, independent, kick ass young lady who leads the latest version of the elite A-5 team. This team consists of ginger twins Juneau and Reno, the love interest Houston, and the party boy riddled with teenage angst, Augusta. The simulations the team participates in provide a platform for describing the conditions of the Earth, which is essentially portrayed as a riddled wasteland populated with humanoids. Little does the team know how much the truth has been stretched. Detroit goes on a solo simulation and is given a glimpse of reality. In response, she gathers her team and heads for Earth. The trip to Earth just opened up a whole can of worms for the A-5 team. Questions are answered, conspiracies are uncovered, and new questions arise.

This was Ms. Rourke's first foray into the science fiction genre and I think she absolutely nailed it. There was the classic elements of science fiction with the advanced technology (androids, laser weapons, holograms) and evil sci fi villain. The concepts behind the technology weren't too over the top as can be found in some other books in this genre. Parts of it made think of the show The 100. Aside from the great homage to science fiction Ms. Rourke provided, I was also impressed with how she treated her characters. This wasn't one of those typical sci fi books with factions trying to blow each other up with space weapons chasing each other across the galaxy. There are layers to this story. Each A-5 team member brings their own unique personality traits and skillsets. While this book focused predominantly on Detroit, Ms. Rourke took the time to provide glimpses for the types of characters the other team members are intended to be. This should lay the groundwork for future installments in the series, which I am very much looking forward to.

What a great, young adult, sci-fy read! Think mixture of Ender's Game and Hunger Games and even a little bit of Divergent thrown in. Readers are thrown into a world of space launches, teen heroes, lavish leaders, deadly missions and truths. This book was well written and packed with twists, some of which my background with other books helped me to predict, but still enticing and satisfying. Watching Detroit and her team fight for each other and the world while they faced the brutal truths of their lives was heart racing. I highly recommend this book and look forward to finding out what happens next!

*** A huge thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. ***

Although it sounded like fun, Apocalypse Five fell short of the mark. I was just confused most of the time, so I didn't connect with this book. It's not for me.

This novel plummets us right into the action of a video-game type simulation where a group of five soldiers are fighting for their real and virtual survival against a horde of monsters. While the premise of an elite group fighting to become the soldiers who will potentially save the world is interesting, the writing is clunky and bloated, and the characters are not well-developed.

"Apocalypse Five" is filled with beautiful characters and wonderful imagery.

One fear I had when reading this (as I do with most dystopia) is that it would be so action-driven that characterization would suffer and that I wouldn't be able to really feel as though I was a part of the plot. After reading it however, I realize I had no need to worry. Rourke effortlessly gives us insight into the minds of her characters as we see a young team of "heroes" are discarded by those they trusted, as they are forced to fight against what they knew and come to terms with their new reality.

The team, A5, thought they were working to prevent doomsday but then they discover that what they were working toward is all a lie and that they were never meant to discover the truth. These characters are young, still children, and yet they have to deal with deadly simulations and later proving their innocence and righting the wrongs they had no idea they were committing.

I truly could not put this novel down.

This book is a bit along the lines of Firefly. The Apocalypse Five is a group of young adults that are trained to prevent disasters of all types. Detroit, Houston, Reno, Jupiter and Auggie are very likable and each one has their own areas of expertise. The story is well paced and full of action. There are a few twists that are a plus to the story. It did end on a bit of a cliffhanger but nothing drastic. Will quickly pick up the next book in this series.

Rourke catapults the reader into action right from the first chapter and maintains a fast pace throughout the book; treating the readers to firefights, betrayal, and heroism. The Apocalypse Five unit is made up of top soldiers that train to aid the homeworld in the event of an apocalypse. A public blunder by one of the teammates serves as a catalyst for the end. Detroit and her team are forced to flee the ship and discover that everything they thought they knew is a lie and find their enemy has a familiar face.

The characters were enjoyable even if I didn’t feel attached to any of them like some of the other books I read. I enjoy flawed characters that allow growth throughout a story, though I was disappointed by the lack of growth and character depth in this book. Augusta seemed to be the only character with any real growth, though it was limited to his relationship with alcohol. Houston’s reaction to his own crisis confused and frustrated me. When you are in the midst of running for your life from a seemingly all-powerful evil, you don’t get the luxury of not using a weapon.

Dystopian worlds require a significant effort on the author's part to create a world that translates to the reader. I felt like the world creation was well done while Apocalypse Five operated on the ship but as the storyline progressed, it felt like the world building took second to action. The background regarding the clans and the general status of the planet as a whole needs a more thorough set up. That said, I’m confident that the issues I’ve noticed can, and will be, addressed in the rest of the books in the series. There were some minor spelling/grammar issues that I'm sure will be caught before the final copy is released, though overall they weren't too distracting.

While I haven’t bonded to any of the characters yet, I’m hopeful that Rourke will be able to incorporate some of the character depth that I was missing in the next book. Ultimately though, I really enjoyed Apocalypse Five and plan on reading the next book.

This book was a DNF for me.

Apocalypse 5 sounded like an amazing book,filled with adventure,and,albeit,it was full of adventure, the only problem was that I had no idea what was going on! All the writing,as beautiful as it was, didn’t make much sense.

I never felt as if I was attached to any of the characters as a high percentage of this book was fighting. I do think a good novel needs good fight scenes,but there were so many they seemed to blend toghether.

Aside from this books lack of sense and deep characters,the authors writing style is quite amazing,the way she describes things is so beautiful.

If you’re looking for a new young adult sci-fi adventure to fall in love with this Valentine’s Day, might I suggest Apocalypse Five—the first in the Archive of the Fives series, upcoming from author Stacey Rourke [Black Spot Books, February 12, 2019].

Like a swift punch to the gut, Apocalypse Five starts off with the sudden burst of energy of a rocket ship—literally—as readers are plunged headfirst into the jarring and unpredictable reality of Earth’s future (spoiler alert: don’t get too attached to anyone you meet in the first chapter).

Stationed aboard the AT-1-NS space station, the A-5—highly trained and deadly—are little more than children forced into a militarized combat life. Per 17-year old team-leader Detroit, nameless cadets begin their training as soon as they’re old enough to “stand without wobbling,” foregoing (unwittingly) a life of human emotion and connection and instead forced into virtual simulations to practice saving Earth—which is now populated with humanoid things while what’s left of humanity’s chosen people live a glamorous, synthetic existence in space. Only the best soldiers are chosen to become part of the mock-celebrity elite A-5 team, but it’s not all pomp and circumstance here; it’s a high-stakes game where a game over on the grid is a brutal death sentence with all the gore and pain you’d expect in a proper sci-fi combat scenario.

When team-leader Detroit—a kickass, sharp-tongued, and totally self-aware lady of color—is sent on a solo mission that’s a little too real to be a simulation, she finds all she has come to believe—or, rather, has been brainwashed into believing—might not be true after all. Of course, as these things go, when she and the rest of her team—including love-interest Houston, ginger twins Juneau and Reno, and probably the most teenage-angsty, dread/mohawked dude ever, Augusta—take their concerns to the political and military leader of their universe, Chancellor Washington, he does what a classic sci-fi villain always does: prove them correct. The A-5 find themselves in a run-or-die situation as they head back to Earth—only this time it’s not the simulated one that they’ve been training to “protect”, but the real one, and they’re not there to protect Earth, they’re there to save it…from them. With their feet firmly on the scorched and battle-drained dirt of the real world, the A-5 quickly discover the depth of the lies programmed into their psyche and the consequences of what their specialized “training” has done to the very actually-human people of Earth, who are now little more than resource mills—from foodstuffs to children—for the AT-1-NS regime. It’s impossible to tell the rest of the plot without spoilers, so you’re going to have to check this one out for yourself. (There are androids, and really cool bracelet weapons, and some rather chuckle-worthy nods to current pop culture, too.)

There are some tropey genre-mainstays in this new series that fit it firmly within the ranks of a typical YA SFF—a good bit of eye-batting between Detroit and Houston, fashionable spacesuits and an obsession with fancy outfits, laser guns with dubious technology, and a head-honcho bad guy(s)—but Apocalypse Five also includes unexpected and refreshing elements that make it a breath of fresh air in genre saturated with cheesy love triangles and fickle white girls trying to play badass (yeah, I said it, fight me).

This isn’t just a story about kids who fight back against a power-hungry regime, but one that embeds a critical social message at its heart. While Detroit and her team are busy fighting Washington and the fury released from the Fortress at their insurgency while trying to save the people of earth—including a newborn baby who is, like all cadets, intended to be fed to the ranks of the soldiers-to-come aboard the AT-1-NS—what Rourke is really writing is so much more than just another dystopian book. With a cast of strong, empowered women—from Olympia (the ill-fated original leader of the A5), Detroit and Juneau; to the leaders of the Air Walkers and the Floaters (two of the three tribes of Earth introduced in the first book); to new mother Remi and enduring baby Adalyn, this story is a call for women to stand up against oppression, to find our own power, and for everyone to take up arms and fight to save what’s left of our humanity in a world that would sooner see us turn on each other rather than unite as one.

Apocalypse Five is a fresh breath into a genre thick with same-as-always stories with a tale ripe with classic dystopian elements and soft science fiction, as well as a healthy dose of female empowerment, diversity, and the social critique that we’ve been waiting for.

(Review Posted on The Nerd Daily 12/11/18)