Book Review: Prophet of the Badlands by Matthew S Cox

Matthew S Cox may well have invented a new genre in this post apocalyptic blend of science fiction and fantasy.

Twelve year old Althea has known only capture and imprisonment. Because of her glowing eyes and magical healing abilities, she is famous throughout the Badlands as the Prophet, a very valuable commodity that is worth killing for. However, even in this lawless future world, not everyone is evil, and when Althea encounters kindness, she may have at last found something worth fighting for.

A sweeping epic, the world building of this future North America is fascinating and believable. The different tribes and technologies take a bit of time to get used to, but with a character as interesting as Althea leading the way, it’s a joy to dive into this world and learn its culture.

From the deeper theme of the importance of every life, to the surface story of the struggle of a little girl who has known nothing but abuse, yet refuses to be bowed, everything in this story appealed to me. As if the author had written this book especially for me, he continued to tick off my story element wishlist: animals, sharing of thoughts and emotions, complex magical healing, layered plots with unexpected turns, and richly detailed characters.

This is the first book in the Awakened series, and I look forward to reading about the other characters that each book explores in depth.