--an ambitious dystopian thriller that tackles gender politics with unflinching boldness. Set four centuries after "The Last War," the novel presents a totalitarian underground society where women hold all political power, men are relegated to dangerous lower levels, and laboratory breeding has replaced traditional families.
In some ways, it's like a mirror inversion of The Handmaid's Tale. Where Atwood's Gilead reduced women to reproductive vessels under male theocratic control, Shane's Underground City reduces men to DNA donors while women wield absolute political power.
Julia Harrow, Book-Shelfie.com

In the Underground City, humans are engineered in laboratories and raised by the State. Intimacy is forbidden. Love is a defect to be eliminated.
Spark enters the city in search of her missing brother and finds a society built on oppression of the weak -- and a ragtag band of rebels willing to risk annihilation for the idea of family.
As she moves deeper into the regime's machinery, Spark confronts a dangerous question: in a world that has outlawed human attachment, what does it mean to love? An android programmed to protect her offers unwavering loyalty. The human man who loves her offers something far more complicated.
When Spark uncovers the city's most guarded secret, she comes face to face with the immortal dictator who designed the brutal system. To save her brother, she may have to destroy the world that made him.
Summary by author

I'm absolutely keeping tabs on T.L. Shane. I look forward to reading more of their work. Bold, alluring, and thought-provoking... a chilling and relevant commentary on technology, power, and the policing of bodies, perfect for readers who enjoy classic dystopias like Brave New World and 1984. The cautionary elements surrounding AI, sex, youth obsession, and authoritarian rules feel incredibly relevant to current changes experienced in society. Lau, goodreads

This creative, vivid, unexpected story is packed with action and twists readers won't see coming. It's a spark of light in the wealth of sci-fi writing that lends high drama and interest to the urban dystopian future.
D. Donovan, Sr. Reviewer, Midwest Book Review

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• Science Fiction & FantasyScience FictionDystopian

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• Print Length: 293 Pages
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