A post-apocalyptic Los Angeles. After „The Glitch“ the city lies in ruins, with charred remains. 30 years later the sky is still covered and there is no sun. Vampires have always been under us and can now roam free. Mutants threaten from outside the city, from a potentially radioactive wasteland. The last remaining humans shelter in „The Zone“, a protected enclave.

Main characters are a pair of siblings that venture into the city to scavenge whatever they can find. And there is Eric and his partner Bombshell. He is an ex-LAPD officer, turned vampire shortly before the Glitch. Bombshell is an ex-bomb squad expert, now cyborg after an almost fatal (bomb-related?) accident.

The siblings find a naked man without memories, naming him Colton, after the street where they found him on one of their scavenging trips. And there is Vincent, a cop working with Eric and Bombshell, who is inhabited by a mysterious entity. Maybe an alien? Or an angel?

So much for the first chapter and the setting of the scene.

I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher or author through NetGalley. All opinions are my own and I was not required to give a positive review. I received this ARC in 2019, so it‘s been on my shelf for almost 5 years. Mea Culpa!

The first chapter was rough. The writing was not great and the grammar full of mistakes. Strange sentence structures, incorrect word order and word choices, tenses changing in the same sentence or paragraph, correct use of adjectives was missing entirely. Maybe my ARC was an unedited first draft? It definitely needed editing by a natural English speaker.

I read chapter two as well, which brought me to 22%. About 60 to 70 pages, depending on edition. I am not terribly interested anymore in UF/horror in a post-apocalyptic setting with goth vampires and (probably) demons. Sorry, combined with the less than stellar writing: DNF.

This was an amazing read! It is so well written and it has some amazing and engaging characters.
I'm not usually one to read books other than romance but I wanted to try something different and this book did not disappoint at all! The setting up of the story and the way the author describes is such detail keeps me engaged the whole time.

I really wanted to like this novel especially due to the eye catching cover and the plot synopsis but....

Too many times I was taken out of the story by awkward phrasing and incorrect word choices that would make the plot stutter and falter for me.

The premise of a Glitch was promising. The various characters and types of characters were interesting choices ranging from humans, vampires, cyborgs, mechs, demons and zombies.

The novel read like someone whose first language is not English or as a poor translated version from ? to English. That's not a knock just an observation.

I believe this novel was self published and probably could have benefited with a copy editor's polish.

Story is promising; execution could have been better.

This started out pretty strong, and I was enjoying the world building. I wondered about Colton's past and eagerly read as I hoped everything would unfold.

Unfortunately, enter the "sexy" cyborg and I just was a bit too turned off by the character to continue for more than maybe 4 more chapters (I tried!). This just wasn't really for me, I guess.

I enjoyed this book was a good sci-fi thriller lots going on easy to get into. I look forward to the next book.
I received this book from netgallery in exchange for a honest review.

I received this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange of an honest review.


This was a well written sci-fi cyborg, post-apocalyptic story.

A great apocalyptic book that anyone would enjoy reading, I could not put the book down, I haven't read a good apocalyptic book like this in years, I would highly recommend the read.

It starts off slow and kind of dense, but once the action begins, it's hard to resist the story as it drives forward. It reads as a true epic, one that makes you feel the world really has been reshaped as you read it. Would recommend.

*I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*

How do I even describe this book?

At 13% my note to myself was as follows, “Not sure where this is going. But I’m intrigued. Post-apocalyptic – vampire – somethin somethin”

And then...

And then 50% through my note to myself was as follows, “Still very unsure of what to think about this. So many characters, themes, plots.”

So let’s unpack that, shall we? Please keep in mind that even though this book was definitely not for me, there are still a lot of really great reviews for it!

This book just felt like the author had an idea for 6 books, and instead of writing 6 books, decided to write one with all 6 ideas. There was just too much. There were too many characters, too many themes, and far too many plots and subplots. I thought it was neat and interesting and the fact that the author tried. The fact that there is an apocalypse, a secret high tech society, vampires, cyborgs, beings from another… universe?... all thrown into one book, is a very cool idea. But in this case, just way too much.

There’s also this mysterious boy. Who is he? No idea. Where is he from? No idea. Is he human? He past our test with our amazing sniffing dogs, he must be fine. This was just weird to me. A naked boy turns up out of nowhere, with no memory and has this ridiculous speed and strength that isn’t normal for any normal human being and is actually leaning more toward vampire. BUT everyone is just going to trust the guy. It all seemed so far-fetched and unrealistic, and this is just one example.

There was a romance, or a hint to a romance. It went nowhere, and then BAM! They're basically together. The flow and conversations with all the character involved in this book were so hectic, rushed and almost seemed forced. This also made it extremely difficult to care about any of the characters. At one point, a character were supposed to like and be invested in gets kidnapped by one of the 6 warring parties, and I just didn’t care in the least.

This book took me so long to get through, that when I finally did get through it I thought it was a good 400+ page book. As it turns out it’s only about 250 pages. I literally felt exhausted after I finished this book. That being said, it definitely wasn’t for me.

I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Not going to lie, when I first saw this on the NetGalley website, I was intrigued. From the title and the cover, I wanted to know more about this book and the world within it. Yet, after a couple of pages into the Shadow City I was bored. The characters were okay but none were my favorite or held my attention span for long. Then the world itself was okay but I just wasn't hooked on anything that was happening.

That being said, this book had a ton of action. A lot more than I though it would but I figured since this takes place decades after the Big Glitch.. there was bound to be some action. It kind of reminded me of the movie 'I Am Legend' in a way. Ya know, the one with Will Smith.

The one thing I did like was getting pov's from both sides of the rivalry. It was interesting to see everything from both sides during this post-apocalyptic time. I just wished it was a bit more interesting for me.

From the back cover
Los Angeles is an apocalyptic wasteland.

In the ruins of the former metropolis, what is left of humanity has to take a stand against creatures from another dimension entering our world through a rift created by the global disaster which destroyed our world as we knew it. These so-called Dark Ones feed on suffering and violence and aim for nothing less but the extermination of the human race.

A team of unusual defenders lines up to protect the only left habitable zone set up in former Hollywood: ex-cop Eric, female cyborg Bombshell, Colton, a young man without memory but unique powers, and finally Vincent, any entity from another world, who has inhabited the body of a fallen soldier.

And then there’s the mysterious Eurydice, a traitor working for the enemy. On his first day in our world, Vincent stumbles across her and sets a dramatic chain of events in motion which will change the fate of humanity.

Fast-paced, action-driven, and cinematic – the eternal fight good versus evil told in a way as never before.
There is no light, and there is no dark, only shadows


My review of Shadow City
Shadow City is a gripping story set in post-apocalyptic Los Angeles, several decades after the Glitch. No one truly knows what the Glitch was, but due to a cataclysm that released toxic radiation, the world was damaged beyond repair. The dystopian world Anna created gives off a mixture of Mad Max and Resident Evil vibes.

“We don’t know exactly. We can only speculate. It came out of the blue, surprised us in our sleep. Probably a nuclear disaster that started a chain reaction... but as I said, it’s unclear. All government and communications structures were gone, there was no one to tell us what had happened, and there was no help. We were left on our own.”

After the Glitch, “endless thick clouds” hid the sun from the world and life went on in the shadow. That allowed vampires to come out once daylight was no longer a deterrent. Hard to believe but they’re the good guys in this story; most of them anyway. The few humans who survived the Glitch made a pact with the vampires. They live together in a protected area they call The Zone and have a blood bank set up where every healthy person above 12 years old has to donate blood for vampires.

In exchange, the vampires protect the Zone from monsters: radioactive mutants, gangs of raiders, and Dark Ones - mysterious beings that feed on human pain and agony and got here through a crack in the earth at LA s City Hall.

We experience the story from multiple POVs. Eric, the brooding vampire leader, Bombshell the cyborg (that Eric affectionately calls Bombie or tin can), Colton who has no memory of his past or his name (he was named Colton after the street he was found on) and Vincent who is possessed by another being and falls for a rogue vampire. That’s quite a team!

You’re thrown into the action from the get-go when a couple of teenagers fight mutants to save a stranger. Little by little, we get to meet the other characters and see them in action.
What I loved most in this book, aside from the action and quirky characters, was the relationship between the vampire and the cyborg and their constant banter:

“That’ s Bombshell,” Eric lifted his glass towards her. “We couldn’t manage without her.” “I know,” she said with a grin. “But it’s always a pleasure to hear it from your lips, vamp.”


When they’re under attack and need reinforcements, we learn that vampires can contact one another telepathically.

“He’ s calling for reinforcements,” Bombshell explained. “Don’ t look at me like that. I have no clue how this hocus-pocus works, but all vamps seem to be mentally connected somehow. One of the reasons we have so many of them in the HF. They’re like undead walkie-talkies.”

I loved Shadow City and I can’t wait for the sequel! I think Anna Mocikat did a great job creating a gripping dystopian world, well-developed characters, relatable villains and an action-packed plot.
Another thing that got my attention were all the music references throughout the story. The fact that I have them on my playlist made me appreciate Anna even more (Metallica, Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins and Nine Inch Nails are the first that come to mind). Reading Shadow City was like watching an action movie with an awesome soundtrack. It was a good story with unexpected twists and a few emotional moments. You know it’s a good book when even after you finished the story you still think about it.

I received an ARC on NetGalley in exchange for the honest review.

The blurb of this book was kind of leading to a disaster. It was one of those books that I thought I will not finish. But Anna Mocikat turned this into more than enjoyable read.

I loved how little information we were given in the first chapter. I really enjoyed discovering who really the people from the first chapter were as the book progressed. If I was told one of them was a vampire at the beginning I would probably roll my eyes and stop reading. In the end the vampires were partially a reason why I love the book so much. My second favorite was Bombshell! Loved her sarcastic and silly nature.
Colton felt too perfect. He feels like the Gary-Stu type of character. He is handsome, smart, and powerful; there is no flaw to his character. It makes him almost as God. This was something that made me annoyed especially at the end with all of his heroic actions. I would like to see some flaws in his actions and features in the future books so he feels more reliable and human. (Unless he is not a human?)
The main evil female protagonist; Eurydice was reminding me too much of Underworld, but this was not necessarily a bad thing. I really enjoyed her point of view and most of all I really like the growth of her character.

The writing style of the author seems very simple. A lot of information repeats itself which is not necessary. The foreshadowing can be also improved. Some info was just explained few lines before it was applicable. While it could have been done at the beginning of the book when we are getting to know the setting of the story.

Despite these few flaws I really enjoyed the story! I really was involved in the happenings and every moment of the day when I was not able to read I kept thinking about the book and the story. What will happen next? I really want to know!

I really wanted to love this book, I did!
But, it just fell short. I got about halfway through and had to stop.
The plot was very confusing and choppy. There were too many character POV’s, and I just couldn’t get into it.
From what I’ve read, it could be really good if the author would focus more one a certain character and their POV and possibly have a few less things thrown their way.
I wish I loved it! I just didn’t..

This book just wan't for me personally and was a DNF. I normally love post-apocalyptic fiction and the blurb got me interested, as did the first chapter with Louis and Jean wandering through the derelict city and encountering a strange naked man and a dead freak .
However, my kindle tells me I got to the 31% mark and didn't go any further. I found that there were too many points-of-views of new characters introduced too early on, and I didn't really connect with any apart from Jean and the naked man we eventually got to know as Colton. It was also the fact that a chapter could switch between multiple characters POVs and thus the chapters didn't really flow and read easily.

Shadow City gives us a dark post apocalyptic future, where humans are in short supply, vampires are out of the woodwork, cyborgs exist and there is a dark terror hiding in the shadows feeding on their fear, ready to take them all.
Shadow City has you asking plenty of questions and dripping the answers out slowly which is cool. It lets you come up with your own ideas instead of feeding you the information. The vagueness adds to the eerie vibe. The characters for the most part where okay, the vampires came off as cartoonish though.
I enjoyed parts of the story, but I felt like the book didn't know where it was heading so it kind of just had every idea thrown in with the hopes it would all come together in the end, which didn't work for me..

The first in a trilogy and I will definitely keep my eye out for the following books. A very well described post-apocalyptic world with interesting characters and background lore. The story was fast-paced, nice action and also good character development. Definitely one to pick up if you like this genre!

Shadow City was given to me by Netgalley in exchange of an honest review.

Los Angeles is a city that now has humans, mutants, vampires and the dark ones living in its postapocalyptic ruins. The destruction has been caused by “the rift.” Jean and Louis are going through houses looking for canned foods and whatever they can use. There is no electricity. They come upon a naked male human who is about to be attack by a mutant. Jean saves him by shooting the mutant with an arrow. Jean and Louis question him about his nakedness and name. He doesn’t know or remember. It is the beginning of an important friendship. They name him Colton and take him to there home where their father waits. Colton will join the Human Force formed to protect and fight mutants, gangs and the dark ones. The small group of humans have made a deal with the vampires so that they will also help the humans — fighting or medical. The humans must donate blood for the vampires. There is a blood bank which the vampires will use for their food. There is also a vampire who is a doctor who will treat humans. The Human force have in their group a man named Vincent who supposedly died. However a mysterious being enter Vincent’s body and brings it back to life. He must get use to living in a human body. As he is doing this he meets a rogue vampire named Eurydice. They have sex. Eurydice leaves. Vincent travels to get back to the group of humans. Eric, a vampire and Bombshell, a cyborg are glad to see Vincent back. Eric follows the director’s orders for the city. The human force does more than just fight, they also will help with making repairs and settling disputes. The dark ones have plans to conquer the humans. They have Eurydice spy for them. Will the dark ones win?

There are many plots in this novel going on throughout the novel that made the story fascinating for me. I thought about the story when I wasn’t reading it wondering what was going to happen next. It is an exciting action adventure horror and science fiction novel. It ends on a cliff hanger. This is the first novel of a trilogy.

Post-apocalyptic world, with dark ones, vampires, mutants (the ugly kind not the X-Men kind) , mysterious men, killing and lust. Um, what more can you really ask for. You get SEVERAL different characters through out the book ...in one chapter. While I got it I wished the chapters were maybe a little more spaced out, But you get to follow all of them through our world after what they call the glitch that was destroyed pretty much everything, but the vampires, some humans, and brought the dark ones upon us. which obviously means we're gonna see some impending Doom from someone. BUT WHO WILL IT BE?!! I absolutely LOVE bombshell. Why the name? Because she's a bombshell duh;) you can tell she's from before the glitch and I just love her attitude. Along with Eurydice. She's a bad little vampire with just so much ......charm. we'll go with charm.

I've always enjoyed a good post-apocalyptic romp, the blurb sounded promising, figured it couldn't hurt to give it a shot.

I did finish the book, and I am slightly curious about what happens next so the premise/plot was decent, but I had some trouble with the writing and/or editing. There were quite a few grammatical things that I stumbled over that I had to re-read to make sure I understood what was intended, and some of the prose seemed overly simplistic like it was written in a language the author isn't fluent in.

I think there is some potential here, but I would want to see more polish before I would make this a book I would recommend to friends.

This story is billed as a post-apocalyptic dystopian novel, but it certainly isn't by the numbers. In short order, elements of science fiction and horror are blended in, which create an interesting mix. At first I was skeptical about how all this was going to work, but somehow it did, and I really enjoyed the novel. I did wish for a bit more backstory, but I'm sure that will be revealed in a subsequent novel. There was some awkward sentence structure and phrasing throughout, which might be due to English being a second language, but some additional proofreading would fix that, and overall I found the writing style to be engaging and easy to follow. Some colorful characters as well in this story. It was a page-turner, and I can't say that about too many of the books I've read. I would definitely read the sequel.