When rebellion destroys the underground world in which Thimble and Stone have grown up, they take Stone's son and try to escape the chaos. Along the way, they must evade the Freaks, beings who feed on human flesh. Leaving behind the roles of Builder and Breeder which they were assigned at birth, they wander the underground tunnels, looking for safety yet afraid to go "topside" where legend has it that the light and water will burn their skin from their bones.

Their journey takes them upward to an unimagined world of tinned food, comfortable furniture, and books. Away from their regimented society for the first time, and still facing imminent danger, Thimble and Stone acknowledge the forbidden attraction which both have denied for years.

Deuce's whole world has changed. Down below, she was considered an adult. Now, topside in a town called Salvation, she's a brat in need of training in the eyes of the townsfolk. She doesn't fit in with the other girls: Deuce only knows how to fight.

To make matters worse, her Hunter partner, Fade, keeps Deuce at a distance. Her feelings for Fade haven't changed, but he seems not to want her around anymore. Confused and lonely, she starts looking for a way out.

Deuce signs up to serve in the summer patrols―those who make sure the planters can work the fields without danger. It should be routine, but things have been changing on the surface, just as they did below ground. The Freaks have grown smarter. They're watching. Waiting. Planning. The monsters don't intend to let Salvation survive, and it may take a girl like Deuce to turn back the tide.

Outpost is the second book in Ann Aguirre's page-turning The Razorland Trilogy.

**

From School Library Journal

Gr 8 Up-In this sequel to Enclave (Feiwel & Friends, 2011), Aguirre uses dreams and conversations to supply information for readers unfamiliar with that volume and to add background about the major characters. Having reached the fortress community of Salvation after a terrifying trek through a postapocalyptic world populated by voracious Freaks (mutants), Deuce, Fade, Stalker, and Tegan try to adapt. Trained as a Huntress, Deuce chafes at expectations about how to dress and act because she is female. She also cannot understand why Fade avoids her after she practices fighting skills with Stalker. Salvation's citizens lead simple, prosperous lives, and Deuce's unconventional behavior troubles some who fear violating rules will lead to everyone's doom. In the forest, Freaks gather in colonies, and some have evolved enough to develop strategies beyond mindless feeding; summer patrols must be stationed outside Salvation's walls. Deuce volunteers and is joined by Fade, Stalker, and 17 others. By season's end, many have died. Salvation's only chance for survival lies in summoning allies. Armed with trade maps and survival gear, Deuce, Fade, Stalker, and Tegan set out for an uncertain destination. Deuce's growing awareness of her capacity to love, including her romance with Fade, has a prominent place in the story. However, there are plenty of bloody encounters with Freaks to satisfy readers more interested in combat. The Stalker-Deuce-Fade triangle remains unresolved while Tegan develops more complexity. Aguirre's success lies in generating page-turning action more than in developing characters. It is enough to recommend the book, especially where Enclave is popular, and readers will demand the final volume.-Kathy Piehl, Minnesota State University, Mankatoα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

From Booklist

In this sequel to Enclave (2011), months have passed since Deuce and her band of survivors joined Salvation, a fortified settlement in the middle of Freak-infested land. While Tegan, Fade, and Stalker find helpful community roles, Deuce struggles to adjust to life where, as a female, she is forbidden from fighting. When the Freaks evolve into more cunning foes, however, Deuce’s superior combat skills are instrumental in establishing an outpost to protect the town. Despite its heavy focus on Deuce’s emotional development, including the love triangle of which she is unwittingly the center, this postapocalyptic thriller also delivers gripping suspense and bloody violence. A must-read for fans. Grades 9-12. --Krista Hutley 

New York City has been decimated by war and plague, and most of civilization has migrated to underground enclaves, where life expectancy is no more than the early 20's. When Deuce turns 15, she takes on her role as a Huntress, and is paired with Fade, a teenage Hunter who lived Topside as a young boy. When she and Fade discover that the neighboring enclave has been decimated by the tunnel monsters--or Freaks--who seem to be growing more organized, the elders refuse to listen to warnings. And when Deuce and Fade are exiled from the enclave, the girl born in darkness must survive in daylight--guided by Fade's long-ago memories--in the ruins of a city whose population has dwindled to a few dangerous gangs.

Ann Aguirre's thrilling young adult novel is the story of two young people in an apocalyptic world--facing dangers, and feelings, unlike any they've ever known.

**

Review

“[Enclave] is a young adult dystopian novel and has been compared to the hit series The Hunger Games. To say we're excited is a major understatement.” ―ElleGirl.com

“In her first young adult novel, Aguirre (the Sirantha Jax series) has created a gritty and highly competent heroine, an equally deadly sidekick/love interest, and a fascinating if unpleasant civilization. This series is likely to hold considerable appeal for fans of The Hunger Games.” ―Publishers Weekly

“Enclave is dark and thrilling, fast-paced and intense. With some graphic and gross imagery and a hard look at a post-apocalyptic world, Aguirre has taken themes from Scott Westerfeld and an assortment of zombie literature and created something that is very much her own--and a very engaging read.” ―RT Book Reviews

“This well-paced zombie-esque adventure in an urban wasteland will keep fans happy.” ―Kirkus Reviews

“Aguirre's young adult debut is a gripping survival story set in an apocalyptic future. . . . This is a tense, action-packed dystopia with intriguingly gray characters.” ―Booklist

“Deuce's passion for life, even in her bleakest moments, is contagious, and that passion exemplifies the nebulous force that has driven all of these individuals to persist in the face of awful options.” ―The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

About the Author

Ann Aguirre is a USA Today bestselling author who lives in Mexico with her husband, children, two cats, and one very lazy dog. She writes SFF, romance, and YA. Visit her online at annaguirre.com.

The epic conclusion to Ann Aguirre's USA Today bestselling trilogy.

The horde is coming.

Salvation is surrounded, monsters at the gates, and this time, they're not going away. When Deuce, Fade, Stalker and Tegan set out, the odds are against them. But the odds have been stacked against Deuce from the moment she was born. She might not be a Huntress anymore, but she doesn't run. With her knives in hand and her companions at her side, she will not falter, whether fighting for her life or Fade's love.

Ahead, the battle of a lifetime awaits. Freaks are everywhere, attacking settlements, setting up scouts, perimeters, and patrols. There hasn't been a war like this in centuries, and humans have forgotten how to stand and fight. Unless Deuce can lead them.

This time, however, more than the fate of a single enclave or outpost hangs in the balance. This time, Deuce carries the banner for the survival of all humanity.

**

From Booklist

The settlements must unite to survive the newly cunning Freak horde in this concluding volume of the Razorland Trilogy (after Outpost, 2012). Deuce grows from fierce warrior to inspiring leader as she travels between settlements, recruiting fighters to join her war band. Though Fade is still traumatized from his time in captivity, Stalker is cold after Deuce’s rejection, and Tegan is more healer than hunter, they are with her until the end. Deuce’s Company D harries the enemy, but an overture from an evolved, self-aware tribe of Freaks changes everything. This is a suspenseful, romantic, and deeply satisfying finale, with heartbreak and happiness in equal measure. Aguirre’s fans will be pleased. Grades 9-12. --Krista Hutley

Review

“[Enclave] is a young adult dystopian novel and has been compared to the hit series The Hunger Games. To say we're excited is a major understatement…” ―ElleGirl.com

“In her first young adult novel, Aguirre (the Sirantha Jax series) has created a gritty and highly competent heroine, an equally deadly sidekick/love interest, and a fascinating if unpleasant civilization. This series is likely to hold considerable appeal for fans of The Hunger Games.” ―Publishers Weekly

“Enclave is dark and thrilling, fast-paced and intense. With some graphic and gross imagery and a hard look at a post-apocalyptic world, Aguirre has taken themes from Scott Westerfeld and an assortment of zombie literature and created something that is very much her own -- and a very engaging read.” ―RT Book Reviews

“This well-paced zombie-esque adventure in an urban wasteland will keep fans happy.” ―Kirkus Reviews

“Aguirre's young adult debut is a gripping survival story set in an apocalyptic future. . . This is a tense, action-packed dystopia with intriguingly gray characters. . . ” ―Booklist

“Deuce's passion for life, even in her bleakest moments, is contagious, and that passion exemplifies the nebulous force that has driven all of these individuals to persist in the face of awful options.” ―The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

As the carrier of a rare gene, Sirantha Jax has the ability to jump ships through grimspace-a talent which makes her a highly prized navigator for the Corp. Then a crash landing kills everyone on board, leaving Jax in a jail cell with no memory of the crash. But her fun's not over. A group of rogue fighters frees her...for a price: her help in overthrowing the established order.

**

All hell is breaking loose in the edge-of-your-seat follow-up to Havoc and Perdition from New York Times bestselling author Ann Aguirre…

The prison ship Perdition has become a post-battle charnel house with only a handful of Dred’s soldiers still standing and now being hunted by Silence’s trained tongueless assassins. Forging an uneasy alliance with mercenary commander Vost—who is their only chance at escape—the Dread Queen will do whatever it takes to end her life sentence on Perdition and keep the survivors alive long enough to cobble together a transport capable of getting them off station.

If Dred and her crew can win the deadly game of cat and mouse, the payoff is not only life but freedom—a prize sweeter than their wildest dreams. Yet the sadistic Silence would rather destroy Perdition than let a single soul slip from her grasp…

**

WELCOME TO HELL

The prison ship Perdition, a floating city where the Conglomerate’s most dangerous criminals are confined for life, orbits endlessly around a barren asteroid. 

Life inside is even more bleak. Hailed as the Dread Queen, inmate Dresdemona “Dred” Devos controls one of Perdition’s six territories, bordered on both sides by would-be kings eager to challenge her claim. Keeping them at bay requires constant vigilance, as well as a steady influx of new recruits to replace the fallen. Survival is a constant battle, and death is the only escape.

Of the newest convicts, only one is worth Dred’s attention. The mercenary Jael, with his deadly gaze and attitude, may be the most dangerous criminal onboard. His combat skill could give her the edge she needs, if he doesn't betray her first. Unfortunately, that's what he does best. Winning Jael’s allegiance will be a challenge, but failure could be worse than death…

FIRST IN A NEW SERIES!

**

From Publishers Weekly

Penitentiary ship Perdition orbits endlessly, filled with the criminal refuse of the Conglomerate. It is a prison of no return whose abandoned inhabitants are left to create whatever brutal societies they may. Dresdemona Dred Devos rules over one of the six regions within Perdition, her often-harsh commands leavened by unusual concern for her subordinates. Escape seems an impossible dream until the arrival of nigh-indestructible Jael, previously seen in Aguirre's Sirantha Jax series. Jael gives Dred and her faction the hope of survival and perhaps even freedom—but Jael has betrayed his closest allies before and may deliver only doom. Prolific science fiction, fantasy, romance, and YA author Aguirre revisits the classic idea of survival within an anarchic, violent society, offering protagonists whose moral gray contrasts with the stygian dark of those around them. Sirantha Jax fans may be intrigued to see what befell Jael after his ill-considered actions there, and new lead Dred is a strong linchpin for a promising new series. Agent: Laura Bradford, Bradford Literary Agency. (Sept.)

Review

Praise for the Sirantha Jax series

“Fast-paced and thrilling…pure adrenaline.”—New York Times Bestselling Author Christine Feehan

“An irresistible blend of action and attitude.”—National Bestselling Author Sharon Shinn 

The Conglomerate’s most dangerous convicts have made the prison ship Perdition their home. And they will defend it…

Perdition is under siege. Mercenaries have boarded the station with orders to take control of the facility—and execute the prisoners. Their commander is offering full pardons to the first five inmates willing to help the mercs complete their mission.

Dresdemona “Dred” Devos hasn’t survived hard time just to surrender to the Conglomerate’s armored thugs. Leading a ragtag army of inmates, Dred and her champion, Jael, wage a bloody guerilla war of chaos and carnage against impossible odds. But no matter how dire the outlook, the Dread Queen never backs down…