This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Free Book Program, which is open to all readers and is completely free. The author will provide you with a free copy of their book in exchange for an honest review. You and the author will discuss what sites you will post your review to and what kind of copy of the book you would like to receive (eBook, PDF, Word, paperback, etc.). To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email.
This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Review Exchange Program, which is open to all authors and is completely free. Simply put, you agree to provide an honest review an author's book in exchange for the author doing the same for you. What sites your reviews are posted on (B&N, Amazon, etc.) and whether you send digital (eBook, PDF, Word, etc.) or hard copies of your books to each other for review is up to you. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email, and be sure to describe your book or include a link to your Readers' Favorite review page or Amazon page.
This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Donation Program, which was created to help nonprofit and charitable organizations (schools, libraries, convalescent homes, soldier donation programs, etc.) by providing them with free books and to help authors garner more exposure for their work. This author is willing to donate free copies of their book in exchange for reviews (if circumstances allow) and the knowledge that their book is being read and enjoyed. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email. Be sure to tell the author who you are, what organization you are with, how many books you need, how they will be used, and the number of reviews, if any, you would be able to provide.
Reviewed by K.C. Finn for Readers' Favorite
Havenhearth by Caleb Walters is a harrowing, atmospheric descent into a post-apocalyptic society clawing at survival underground. We find ourselves in a world where a nuclear disaster renders the surface uninhabitable, and what's left of humanity is sealed inside the three city-sectors of Havenhearth. These are bunkered societies that were once built to preserve civilization, but are now brittle with corruption and secrets. We meet Kaden Lockworth, who is drafted into the Aegis Corp, and his life collides with the brutal undercurrents of control, resistance, and vanishing freedom. Meanwhile, his best friend Ava is abducted by a cult determined to reclaim the surface at any cost, setting off a chilling subplot of scientific exploitation and psychological horror. As both teens fight their way through lies, losses, and dangerous allegiances, the story morphs into a gripping blend of dystopia, conspiracy, and emotional survival.
Author Caleb Walters has a sense of emotional reality that can bring even the strangest situations back to relatable, human terms, and he offers grit and heart in this bleak but richly imagined world. The alternating viewpoints between Kaden and Ava build emotional depth, making their experiences feel parallel but distinct. Walters excels in pacing, balancing world-building with bursts of high-stakes action and moral tension. I loved the description of the underground setting and how claustrophobic and immersive it felt, drawing clear lines between the oppressors and the desperate for a sense of tension and division everywhere you look. I found the romantic and philosophical elements well-integrated, heightening the stakes without undercutting the urgency. Overall, Havenhearth is a dark, thrilling dystopian novel that dares to ask who we become when survival means confronting both monsters and ourselves, and I would certainly recommend it.
