Jade, Daughter of the Wasteland

They called it the Twitch. It decimated the world's adult population and forced survivors to endure the savage dangers it left behind. But that was fifteen years ago...

Headstrong, sword-wielding survivor, Jade, wanders The Wasteland in search of her kidnapped brother. Her quest pits her against feral children, diseased Twitchers, and plague-mask wearing warlords bent on reclaiming their rule, all for the sake of reuniting her family.

With the aid of The Librarian, the de facto ruler of the Wasteland, Jade uncovers the truth about her brother. She must confront her past and face hard choices about those she loves and those who demand her loyalty. When new violence and bloodshed threaten to destroy The Wasteland, Jade must choose her side wisely. Will she die in battle when the war comes to the Library? Or will she overcome her past and seize her role in rebuilding humanity's future to rise as a daughter of the wasteland.

JADE, Daughter of the Wasteland is a coming-of-age story about a strong female protagonist with a sword and a mission in a post-apocalyptic wasteland full of zombie-like Twitchers and other horrors in the Louisiana swamps, action-packed and full of suspense.

◆◆◆

Early Reviews:

"With Jade, Daughter of the Wasteland, Stephen Andes taps into our post-apocalyptic fears, while also providing empowering characters and hope for a better future."

Desirée Proctor & Erica Harrell, authors of the graphic novel, Nuclear Power, and writers at Disney

"Andes, an acclaimed Latin American historian, makes a meaningful splash with this action-packed and heartfelt debut. Jade, Daughter of the Wasteland moves swiftly and powerfully, like its heroine. Check it out."

Alex Segura, acclaimed author of Secret Identity and Star Wars Poe Dameron: Free Fall

"Jade, Daughter of the Wasteland provides a speculative story set in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Stephen J. C. Andes does a fine job of creating powerful characters who move through this revised environment surveying different options for survival. Jade is not the only main character making decisions about how to control it. A lesbian Librarian central to the developing plot presents an alternate set of experiences, motivations, and choices that contrast well with Jade's evolution. As betrayal, nightmares, and violence threaten both of their dreams, Andes creates a vivid story of a future world that's falling apart in different ways. Jade is building a reputation for herself in The Wasteland. The Librarian is rebuilding her Library. Both are on similar trajectories that cause them to rely on one another to bring their families together and build new safety into the world, post-virus. Given COVID-19's presence today, there is no better time for choosing the evolutionary adventure that is Jade, Daughter of the Wasteland. It's a hard-hitting story of survival and transformation that traverses different cultures and social elements in a vivid manner that keeps readers guessing about the nature of survival and that new world vision until the end. It is highly recommended reading for anyone interested in dystopian survival tales."

D. Donovan, Senior Reviewer, Midwest Book Review