Reviewed by Asher Syed for Readers' Favorite

There Are No Stars Here by J.S. Thompson follows Solanis Tailor, a communications manager in a post-apocalyptic future where Earth is ravaged by the toxic “Haze.” After a life-altering accident exposes her brother Greg to the Haze, triggering disturbing mutations and his eventual death, Solanis escapes a collapsing Boston and enters Shamut, one of several high-tech Domes. Over time, she builds a life inside this synthetic city, raising her daughter Gabby while contending with state control, surveillance, and her growing doubts about the Domes’ true purpose. Solanis discovers signs that the Domes are failing and that Greg may still be alive beyond their borders. Pressured by underground factions, government agendas, and revelations about Gabby’s paternity, Solanis is forced to choose between staying loyal to the Dome system or exposing its fatal flaws, with an escalating fight to rescue her daughter and dismantle the Dome system by deactivating the BlackBox that sustains it.

There Are No Stars Here by J.S. Thompson is a tightly controlled, fast-moving story that is a spectacular and incredibly imaginative dive into a dystopian future. The writing is well executed, with enough descriptive elements to depict time and space while still keeping each scene focused. Thompson builds a world where technology has become a form of confinement, a phenomenon that is believable, and with a government, rules, and customs that are fully realized. I like Solanis Tailor and the situations that Thompson puts her through, from the outside world and within, moving through flooded tunnels, or being placed in a quasi-luxurious cell. There are quite a few twists and shocking betrayals, all of which are well-timed reveals that are a testament to Thompson's skill as a writer. Despite the scale of the setting, its size, and the nod to this turning into a series, the story never loses track of the large cast of characters. Overall, this is a welcome addition to the post-apocalyptic genre and will be embraced by readers who enjoy the likes of DuPrau's The City of Ember and Howey's Wool.