Lisa Caskey’s second novel, The Mutated, is the second of The Farmed Series trilogy. A dystopian sci-fi novel set after a massive war called The Conflict has destroyed most of earth, the heroine Winnifred (Winnie) Kimball finds herself fleeing The Council in San Francisco on her way to a safe haven. Along the way, she’ll encounter a group of desperate people living in the tunnels of Cheyenne Mountain, a walled city, and—of course—mutants.
The opening catches the reader up through a series of flashbacks after the events of the first book of the series, The Farmed. The book starts with a mutant hunting down a hidden Winnie who has separated from the rest of her team. But her adversary had better be careful as Winnie is a powerhouse herself.
Some of the threads started in the first book are resolved in this offering. Winnie looks forward to a significant reunion with two characters through most of the chapters. The identity of Winnie’s father and what became of him is also explained as well as the ongoing saga of the struggle with the evil Council. At the same time, The Mutated introduces a few new elements, including a potential new love interest, and leaves them for resolution in the final set of three books.
What I’ve really enjoyed about The Farmed Trilogy is the pacing. Like the first in the trilogy, I read the middle installment quickly because its mix of action and mystery captured my fascination. The characters are interesting, the settings are both familiar and alien, and the action sequences are well-written. The novel also balances its serious and lighter chapters well. As an example, “lighter” scenes of an unexpected run-in after a shower or the presentation of a flower to Winnie is welcome when it’s wedged in the middle of more suspense-filled chapters. Interludes like this segment help to lighten the grim premise.
The author adeptly transforms a particular U.S. city into a post-apocalyptic fortress. The detailed attention to describe a realistic setting serves the main plot well. Unlike in most speculative fiction novels where either the city is completely foreign or it had not changed at all, Mutated’s description of urban areas allows the reader to picture the characters walking down its streets. And so far this series has avoided sending its characters to the familiar terrain of other novels, specifically post-apocalyptic New York or L.A. Thank goodness.
I said in my review of the first novel in this series that this series borders on New Adult more than Young Adult. Certainly, the situations depicted in the book lean toward an older crowd. Examples include an insidious plot at Cheyenne Mountain and a horrifying condition of pregnancy. Nevertheless Winnie is relatable to the YA crowd. She’s growing in her powers and confidence, and she’s met someone new who has captured her interest. As a main character, she’s a delightful hero.
The Mutated with its various locales, its twists and turns, and its likeable characters and hiss-evoking villains, is a worthy second entry in the trilogy.