Mad World Series by Laura Lascarso

It’s a mad, mad world, Kitten, but I’ll do whatever I can to keep you safe.It’s been seven years since a rabies-like virus decimated the human population. Those who haven’t turned Rabid from the fever are struggling to survive. When Cipher, leader of his band of misfits, encounters a young man digging in his garden in a sunny suburb of South Carolina, he doesn’t know what to make of him... moreIt’s a mad, mad world, Kitten, but I’ll do whatever I can to keep you safe.It’s been seven years since a rabies-like virus decimated the human population. Those who haven’t turned Rabid from the fever are struggling to survive. When Cipher, leader of his band of misfits, encounters a young man digging in his garden in a sunny suburb of South Carolina, he doesn’t know what to make of him. Alone and with all of his limbs intact, the teen seems to be thriving, and yet, there is the matter of the Rabid-like groans emanating from the second-story window. Joshua doesn’t trust this rag-tag gang of youths who’ve infiltrated his home and nicknamed him “Kitten.” He certainly doesn’t trust the clever, black-eyed killer who’s good with a blade, but he’s tired of waiting for his brother to return home, and he’d rather join this band of scavengers than be left all alone. He’ll journey with them to Atlanta and figure out his next moves from there.Cipher’s first priority is to protect his found family, which now includes this vexing young man who challenges his authority at every turn. How will he maintain order among his tribe? More importantly, how will he guard his heart? MAD WORLD is a zombie-esque, gentle dystopian for those who crave survivalist stories with a dollop of angst and dash of spice. This new adult MM romance is the first book of a trilogy which will follow the same couple until they reach their hard-won happy ending.Content warnings for death of a parent; some internalized ableism; violence and gore; young adults in peril, including the recounting and threat of sexual assault; recreational drug and alcohol use; addiction; disordered eating; mention of suicide, overdose, and death of family members; death of an animal (not the cat). less

No Rabids, no crime, and no nonsense.So claims Brother Larry, the enigmatic leader of Promised Land, an agrarian community where Cipher, Joshua, and their found family of survivors can finally lay down arms and find a moment of respite. But the rules in Promised Land don’t sit well with Cipher, namely the no-locked-doors policy that seems to be met with wholehearted acceptance by what Brother Larry affectionately calls “the Fellowship... moreNo Rabids, no crime, and no nonsense.So claims Brother Larry, the enigmatic leader of Promised Land, an agrarian community where Cipher, Joshua, and their found family of survivors can finally lay down arms and find a moment of respite. But the rules in Promised Land don’t sit well with Cipher, namely the no-locked-doors policy that seems to be met with wholehearted acceptance by what Brother Larry affectionately calls “the Fellowship.”When Brother Larry decides to take Cipher on as his apprentice, it offers Cipher the opportunity to conduct his own reconnaissance. While Joshua and the others are slowly seduced by three square meals a day and the normalcy of everyday life, Cipher channels his paranoia into discovering all that he can about Promised Land. What does it take to keep the townspeople in line? Who is this mysterious Council pulling all the strings?And while Joshua begins to blossom in their newfound home, Cipher finds himself falling back into his old bad habits of self-isolation and addiction. If fear and adrenaline are what have kept him alive so far, how can he assimilate into a peaceful society and still keep his family safe? PROMISED LAND is a zombie-esque dystopian for those who crave survivalist stories with a dollop of angst and dash of spice. This new adult MM romance is the second book of the MAD WORLD trilogy which will follow the same couple until they reach their hard-won happy ending.Content warnings for recreational drug use and addiction; non-consensual drugging; religious extremism; government-encouraged procreation; depictions of birth; sexual harassment, threat, and assault; kidnapping; violence and gore. less