PositiveThe Nerd Daily\"To be perfectly honest, this is not the usual preferred genre for the author of this article, however, it was an enjoyable read nonetheless. Hammer skilfully portrays the plight of a scorned reporter without making it feel too much like a pity party when literally no one likes him on his presentation to town ... From the very beginning, the story has enough punch to captivate the reader and continues to do so throughout ... Twists in the plot await the reader at every turn and allow the story to feel fully thought out. I would like to say however that it could have probably been just as effective in 100 or so fewer pages. Overall, Scrublands is a novel which really fulfils the brief as a well written piece of literature. Full of rich imagery, it really gets to the heart of the Australian battler while remaining true to the roots of a good crime fiction.\
Destiny Soria
MixedThe Nerd DailyThe story starts out with four teenagers—Cassa, Evander, Alys and Newt—going before the council to have their fate determined; they have been caught breaking into the Citadel (the seat of power of the Council), an offense punishable by death. Each of them had their own role to play and will be punished accordingly ... At times, this novel was a struggle to finish as the narrative seemed to hit regular lulls—these were quickly forgotten once the story hit a point of action ... Overall, Beneath the Citadel is a well written entry into the world of YA fantasy. The character development, relationships, and fast pacing throughout the majority make it an enjoyable read with the worldbuilding greatly influencing potential enjoyment of the tale. While the sexual orientation of at least two major players may be seen as unacceptable within mainstream fiction by some, I would strongly recommend at least giving it a go.
