The time called the Before is gone.  Residual radiation has left devastation in its wake resulting in disease and mutation, poverty and hardship, elitism and cruelty.  The Maniots are the ruling class. Squatters are crushed daily under their oppression.  Some like Islet, barter and steal whatever they can to survive.  Islet dreams of escape from the City until she’s captured and caught by rad mutant Maniot rebel, Darrid.  She’s forced to submit to his demands for the moment.  

Darrid’s aim is to use Islet to bring down Commander Tenjor’s regime.  First, he trains her as a Maniot submissive to prepare her for a sex auction frequented by the Commander.  Darrid gets caught up in his own game, and Islet schemes to regain her freedom by getting under the rad mutant’s tough skin.

If you’re looking for candlelight, wine and roses, then it’s time to take a detour.  Islet Abandoned is a post-apocalyptic tale in all its harsh, well-written brutality.  This novel is heavily padded with BDSM themes that include everything from nipple clamps to voyeurism.  Love and loss are romantic elements glimpsed in the protagonists’ pasts. 

The hero, Darrid, woos and wins you over throughout the plot as he’s revealed to be a man of integrity, refinement and suffering.  Islet’s sassy street cred and dirty mouth are at odds with her Mariah Carey looks and need to nurture Squatter children.  You applaud her intelligence and resilience, which later make it possible for her stand toe-to-toe against adversity and degradation. 

I hung on looking forward to finding out if these two people, who deserved to find true happiness, would be able to seize a life together.  I’m pleased to say Ms. Trent didn’t disappoint.  She offers some great twists with Islet breaking down the victim barrier, and afterwards, turns the tables by using Darrid at odd times. The ending had a satisfyingly realistic ring that proved how well Ms. Trent created her characters and their world.