The dynamic of these two characters is compelling from the start, and they never seem to stop developing, reflecting, or growing. The hunter and the hunted soon become unexpected allies in the face of more dangerous foes in the rotting post-war world. Tracking her isn’t a problem for Gennero, particularly from inside a trunk, but deciding whether to leave his life behind and follow her on a fool’s dream is a much deeper dilemma. Bearing north, towards a fabled metropolis that may still somehow be functioning in a shattered world, the road begins to change both of them. Gennero, the right-hand enforcer of Mayor Church, the most powerful man in the ramshackle town of survivors, is captivated by such a unique warrior – a title she quickly earns.Īrmed with powerful pre-war tech, Delia manages to escape a surprise attack, but Church’s man is hot on her heels, launching this fast-paced road novel into a higher gear. When Delia arrives at the walls of Churchill, she makes it clear that she’s only passing through, and looking for a safe place to sleep until she can continue on her journey north. Three decades after a war devastated the natural world and reduced civilization to scrabbling ruins, a mysterious woman on an impossible quest manages to keep hope alive. Beier paints a grim and brutal American landscape in What Branches Grow, depicting a dystopian world where books are sacred, humans are a commodity, and trust is perhaps the most elusive resource.

Escaping First Contact by T.S. Beier