The Crimson Cage is the first book in The Deadwood Chronicles, co-written by a husband-and-wife team, and it makes for a strong, atmospheric opening to the series. Set in a world reshaped by The Great Shift, where women have been reduced to property to be bought and sold, it is at heart a boy-meets-girl story, but one with a decidedly dark edge.
The novel is told through alternating points of view. Ava and Leo are the main protagonists, with further chapters from secondary characters Damon and Cassie. These help keep the story moving, and there’s a sense that both may step further into the spotlight in later books. It’s a structure that works well, giving a fuller picture of events while hinting at stories still to come.
The premise is a real draw. Carnival Diablo, with its dark spectacle and its menacing Ringmaster, gives the book a distinctly unsettling atmosphere, and the wider dystopian world feels harsh and believable. Ava and her sisters have been held captive within the carnival, cowed by their imprisonment and longing for freedom. When they are rescued by Leo and his biker brothers, they finally escape, but freedom comes at a cost. Though the sisters were spared much of the Ringmaster’s cruelty while in his possession, they now find themselves on the wrong side of him as he pursues them across the country. The fear of how far he will go to reclaim his “property”, and how he might punish them, hangs over the story throughout.
The Ringmaster is a great antagonist, all the more effective because so little is known about him. He is cruel, sadistic and possessive, yet there’s a strong feeling that we haven’t seen the full extent of what he’s capable of, which leaves plenty of intrigue for future instalments.
Once Ava and Leo are forced into the Deadwood forest, the story takes on the feel of a modern-day Princess Bride, an unlikely pairing navigating a perilous landscape with danger on all sides. The forest and its inhabitants bring plenty of atmosphere and peril, and this section was a particular highlight for me.
Ava is far from a typical damsel in distress. She has a real strength to her, and I look forward to seeing her character develop further. In fact, all the characters are well developed, making it easy to build a rapport with them and care about how things turn out for them, while it’s clear there is much more to come from each.
The plot moves at a good, steady pace and the dialogue is credible throughout. Readers should be aware that this is a dark tale with adult themes, including violence and some scenes that may be disturbing, so it won’t be for everyone. For those comfortable with darker fiction, though, it’s a gripping read.
The Crimson Cage is a compelling introduction to The Deadwood Chronicles, with a memorable villain, a richly unsettling world and characters worth following. I’m looking forward to seeing where the series goes next
I award 4 stars.
