Wasteland by Lindsay Leggett

What an interesting new author!  In Lindsay Leggett’s second novel in her Flight series, Wasteland comes as a solid, well written progression of plot, characters, and action. Here we find ace harpy hunter, Piper Madden, now jailed by Rupert Elder and subjected to bio-drug experimentation.

The author uses an interesting scene-switching technique from this torturous present, intertwined with the story line of Piper’s past as she became an ace harpy hunter when her brother, David, was still alive, to advance two plot lines. This technique keeps the reader on their toes to follow each sequence along intermittently (I admit to being a little confused at times).

Leggett is a rapidly evolving writer as I find her style a curious mixture of mature, ambitious themes (corrupted use of war, issues with human mortality, and even transference of souls), and young-ish, expressions (‘freaking’, etc.) as well as homey traditions such as her mother baking homemade bread (in a post-apocalyptic world partly destroyed by radiation, and at war with mutated beings).

Wasteland moves Piper’s story from being the Corp’s top harpy hunter along to something much more frightening as she discovers the Elder Corp has just been feeding her lies. Now she uncovers unbearable truths, and is beset by betrayals, and is even biometrically implanted. To top all of this, the Elder Corp has already started war with the harpy kingdom and Piper’s world is on a collision course.  Her love, Asher, the harpy prince, is a little in the background here but he has enormous obstacles of his own.

I would have liked to see more description of the characters and some time spent on how the radiation occurred with its particular effects.  However, Lindsay Leggett is very good with modern tech like simulated reality training games, and her action sequences.

My very favourite part is that Asher takes a moment in time to bring Piper to his family’s palace, where she meets his mother, the Empress.  What a scene this would make! Leggett paints an interesting, magical feel to the harpy world.

Wasteland has a stunning, catastrophic climax, and I think the series would make a fantastic film. Now, on to book 3, Valkyrie!  Available at Amazon here.
Wasteland at Amazon