Us Defiant Few
My pen won't remember you.
But my blade certainly will.
All Khalani Kanes has ever known is survival. She escaped the world's deadliest prison and is one of the few people alive to have ever walked beneath the sun. But now, death has her in his grasp, and her luck has finally run out.
The man she loves no longer remembers her, and he's intent on one thing. Killing her.
To live another day, Khalani will need more than sharpened knives and sheer willpower. She must get close to her brutal enemy and find a way to save him before he destroys them both. But as dark forces close in and impossible truths come to light, Khalani begins to question whether she can even trust her own mind.
Their path will lead them back to where everything began. Apollo. To face what's coming, she must create brutal alliances, undergo ruthless training, and hold onto a love forged through both blood and pain. But even if she reaches the underground city with her throat unscathed, Khalani will be left with one agonizing question.
After learning the truth... will she still want to survive?
Beneath the sun, only those ablaze will remain.
Alexis Patton
Alexis Patton, emerging from DeLand, Florida, brings a fresh, introspective voice to speculative fiction. Her journey began in childhood, devouring books in every spare moment, even when it meant getting in trouble at school for reading too much. That early curiosity evolved into a love for complex worlds and layered characters, shaping the way she crafts stories today.
With a background in Biology from Stetson University and a Master’s in Public Health from the University of Florida, Patton blends analytical precision with imaginative storytelling. This unique perspective informs her debut novel, Us Dark Few, which plunges readers into the subterranean city of Apollo and the perilous Braderhelm Prison. Through the eyes of Khalani Kanes, wrongfully imprisoned yet determined to survive, Patton explores themes of resilience, identity, and the human capacity to defy oppressive systems. Her world-building is meticulous, her characters deeply human, making each narrative both thrilling and emotionally resonant.
Us Dark Few
Beneath the city of Apollo, a world of shadows and secrets awaits in Us Dark Few. In this darkly imagined speculative fiction series, survival is never guaranteed, and freedom is a dangerous luxury. The story follows Khalani Kanes, a young woman condemned to life in Braderhelm Prison for a crime she did not commit, as she navigates a labyrinth of oppression, hidden alliances, and the raw edges of human resilience.
Us Dark Few consists of three books and considered as a complete series. The current recommended reading order for the series is provided below.
