The Outsider – Sequel to The Wastelander by E.S. Luck

The Outsider by @e.s.luck_author is the second book in The Wastelander series. This post-apocalyptic romance has spicy spice, is loaded with action, and has total “touch her and die” vibes! 

This was my first ever ARC read, and I was so excited that it was The Outsider! A friend on Instagram recommended The Wastelander, and gave me some helpful advice when I first started my Bookstagram account last year, so it’s just really cool to see things come full circle! I loved The Wastelander and was really excited to continue Claire and John’s journey in book two. 

The Outsider is available now – please go support this wonderful Indie Author! 

My Spoiler-Free Hook (If you’ve read The Wastelander): 

Claire, John, and Kimmy survived an attack by the Cult that occupies Claire’s old home – The Cave. 

Now they must return to the Valley, to John and Kimmy’s home and farm, Summerhurst. The trouble is, it’s unlikely Claire will be welcome there – she’s an outsider. But John will do anything to keep Claire safe, and they can’t lie in wait for the Cult’s next attack. So their trip through the Wasteland begins, even if that means going home empty-handed, without the PNCs John and Kimmy left to find two years ago. But the Wasteland is everything Claire was warned it would be as a child. Dangers lurk around every turn, from Cannibal camps to gangs.

Claire and John’s relationship will have to stand the harsh test of survival in order to make it home to Summerhurst, to a new beginning. 

My Thoughts

***SPOILERS AHEAD***
If you want a spoiler-free synopsis, jump to the goodreads summary I’ve included at the bottom of my post!

I’d like to start by saying just how proud I am of Claire – her character growth within book one was undeniable. But I think there is something to be said for The Outsider Claire! She leads John into the Cave to find life-saving medicine for Kimmy. Without hesitation, she dives head-first into a completely iced-over lake to save John. She fights for a place in an entirely new community that considers her an outsider. And of course, at the end of the book she literally runs barefoot into battle to buy John time. The Outsider Claire is my absolute hero! It’s a testament to E.S. Luck’s writing and development of her characters.

The Wasteland

Sometimes after the two main characters have finally come together, it feels like the story can go stagnant. John and Claire totally defy that notion, as their love and relationship just continues to bolster. I love how we not only continue to get those burning, spicy scenes in this book, but we also see these two characters realize this is IT for them! There’s no one else! Additionally, we witness this relationship unfold while the characters endure significant hurdles throughout the book. They leave the comfort of their camp to journey to the Valley, encountering dangers like gangs and the Cult. On top of that, the group fights to survey a cross-country journey during the winter, with limited food and shelter. And even if they make it to the Valley, there’s a high chance that Claire will be denied residency as an outsider.

The Valley, Summerhurst

Once they make it to the Valley, John uses the PNCs as leverage over leadership to let Claire stay on a trial basis. You definitely get a sense of “this is too good to be true” once Claire starts to find her rhythm at Summerhurst and begins teaching the community kids. She’s making friends; she’s found a new love for riding horses; she starts to lead the school and create new curriculum. I started to feel that sense of dread! The wedding and honeymoon provided that same premonition, leading to an absolutely crazy, dreaded cliffhanger ending! (But, I loved it!) John’s final chapter and scene in the book were bone-chilling.

Asha, the traitor

One note I’ll jump back around to is Asha’s re-introduction to the storyline. I was really hopeful that we would see Ahsa come around – thinking that she was just traumatized from her time surviving the Wasteland and the gang. However, as she continued to attempt to undermine John and Claire’s relationship, I couldn’t dismiss the feeling of “traitor”. However, I did think her eventual betrayal would stem from her fear of the Valley or past traumas. When it turned out her plan was a long time coming, it was disappointing in her role as Claire’s “friend”. Maybe she’ll have a chance for redemption by the end of the series? I do think she cares for both Claire and Kimmy in some tiny way. Guess we will find out!

“I’d become their worst fucking nightmare: a Wastelander, a brutal and savage outsider, with no mercy and nothing left to lose.”

My Final Thoughts

The Outsider was definitely action-packed, but I think one of my favorite parts was getting to meet the people of the Valley and learn about the way of life there. (Working the land and riding horses all day? Sign me up! lol) I have soaked up every minute of Claire and John’s journey in this series, and I can’t wait for the next book! I know there’s still so much more to learn about this post-apocalyptic world, and I can’t wait to dive in.

Quotes

Below are some of my favorite quotes from The Outsider! Sorry, I couldn’t choose!

• “But who will look after you, Wastelander? I don’t want to bring misery down on you.”

• “Claire looked like I’d slapped her. She bit her lip and nodded, staring back at the floor. I wanted her to hurt me back, to give me something to be mad about that wasn’t the fucking black hole of despair at losing my sister. My lifelong companion. She surprised me by wrapping her arms around me. I stiffened, but she didn’t stop. If anything, she held me tighter.”

• “Should I have been proud of my girlfriend for bitch slapping someone? Because I was.”

• “He sucked in a breath. “I don’t think I can be gentle.” “I don’t want gentle,” I insisted. “I want you.”

• “Because there’s nothing I wouldn’t do—nothing I wouldn’t risk—for you. I’d fight, kill, die, if it kept you safe and happy.” “You say that as if it’s a weakness,” I said quietly. He looked away. “Out here, it is.”

• “Don’t doubt that I could love you even on your darkest day. I can’t stop loving you any more than I can stop myself from breathing, and with my last breath, I’d tell you so.”

• “Hiraeth,” I said. “It’s a Welsh word that refers to a feeling of deep longing for a time or place that no longer exists. A kind of homesickness tinged with grief. I read it in a poem once.”

• “You don’t get it. I don’t give a shit if you’re finding the cure for all disease if it means I have to bury you, Claire. The world could be on fire, and I’d let it burn if it meant saving you. I know it’s selfish… and I don’t care.”

• “They’d stolen her from me. They would pay in blood. I’d set their whole world on fire and gladly watch it burn. They would suffer—from now until I had her back in my arms. I’d end all of them without a thought, without a regret. I smiled grimly. I’d become their worst fucking nightmare: a Wastelander, a brutal and savage outsider, with no mercy and nothing left to lose.”

Goodreads Synopsis

The Outsider, E.S. Luck

The world was on fire, and no one could save me but him.

Newly homeless after being forced to abandon their camp by a group of violent cultists, Claire, John, and Kimmy set off on a long, dangerous journey to the one place that they might find safety: the Valley.

Pursued by the cultists and menaced by raiders and other hazards of the Wasteland, their journey is abruptly cut short when Kimmy is mortally wounded, and the only hope left is also the worst option: a trip back to the ruins of the Cave, the one place where life-saving medicine might still exist. To obtain it, however, they must navigate the compound that the cult now calls home and face the rising threat of its shadowy leader and his twisted obsession with Claire.

As John and Claire traverse a violent, unforgiving post-apocalyptic landscape, the bond between them only deepens, and the fierce passion between them burns brightly. Her desperation for a home and family she can call her own is matched only by John’s determination to protect the woman he loves from a world that seems hellbent on stealing her away from him.

The Outsider is the second book in The Wastelander Series and is the direct sequel to The Wastelander. Like the first book, it is a steamy post-apocalyptic romance that follows John Madigan and Claire Ainsley as they work to build a life together in a post-apocalyptic world. It features tropes like touch her and die, forced proximity, rescue romance, opposites attract, and forbidden love.

Please note: this book ends on a significant cliffhanger.

Purchase Your Copy

Purchase your copy of The Outsider on Amazon here! Or, if you want to support the author directly, you can buy signed and regular copies from her online shop!

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

About the Author

E.S. Luck is a copywriter by day and an author when no one is watching. She grew up in Ontario, Canada, where she still lives with her husband and their adorable dog, Rosie. She holds an honours degree in English Literature, and published an academic paper before moving on to fiction. When she’s not
reading, gaming, or eating peanut butter, she’s probably having an existential crisis while staring at her blinking cursor. She writes post-apocalyptic romance books that blend the dark backdrop of dystopian fiction with the character-driven narrative and irresistible steam of romance.

Visit her website at esluckauthor.com to learn more about her books!