Maya Rising

Maya Rising is the second book in Melissa Roen’s debut post-apocalyptic thriller series, Last Call for Caviar. Maya Rising picks up soon after where the previous book left off. American expat Maya Jade, is reunited with Julian, the love of her life, and they’re both making their way to safety in the French Alps and away from the fighting and natural disasters that are tearing the rest of France apart.

But . . . everything doesn’t go exactly as planned. A devastating earthquake separates the two lovers and Maya is forced to employ the help of two ex-military friends to search for him in this new lawless landscape.

I enjoyed reading Maya Rising, Roen has grown into her craft, filling Maya Rising with tighter writing and raised stakes. It is an apocalyptic thriller that is sure to keep fans of Last Call for Caviar at the edge of their seats and hungry for more. New, engaging characters make an appearance as well as old flames left behind, namely Abdul, whose role in Maya’s life isn’t quite finished. Making an appearance is Anjuli—whose real name is Lucy Brown—a “frenemy” and con artist from back in Maya’s years in the United States. While she may have adopted a new identity in Monaco, Anjuli is still up to her same old tricks.

Having read Last Call for Caviar, a few stereotypes and antiquated tropes still managed to crop up in Maya Rising and knock me out of Roen’s meticulously constructed world but it shouldn’t be enough to deter fans of her previous work. There’s a potential love triangle, between bad boy Abdul and the sweet doctor Julian, that should have rabid fans choosing sides.

All in all, Maya Rising manages to be a unique series, decent for anyone looking for something a little different in their disaster thrillers.