Captive

Author: Bradley Caffee
Genre: YA Science Fiction
Pages: 226
Release Date: April 15, 2025
Publisher: Mountain Brook Ink

They destroyed his world. They killed his father.
And now one of them is his prisoner.

Ted James hates the Skya’ja, the fish-faced aliens who destroyed the Earth. Promising humanity the clean, renewable energy that transformed them into a peaceful spacefaring species, the invaders lured scientists like Ted’s father into their project. Instead, the explosion known as the Cataclysm wiped out electrical grids, governments, and militaries. Two years later, the Earth is a scrapheap where the remaining few humans and aliens war for the resources that are left.

Living among the ruins of Charlotte, Ted wants answers about his father’s fate and why the downtown area is covered in a shimmering Bubble that seems to kill all who try to enter. A lucky shot allows him to capture the scouting Skya’ja known as Tash’jya for interrogation. The only problem is his hatred is hard to maintain the more he learns about his prisoner.

Running from Revon, a violent militia leader who wants all Skya’ja dead, Ted teams up with gutsy clinic nurse, Loren Westfield, to keep his prisoner alive long enough to get the information he needs. Can Ted uncover the truth behind Tash’jya’s mission—and what it has to do with his father?

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Reviewer: Demetria Head

In Captive, Bradley Caffee delivers a gritty, emotionally layered sci-fi thriller that combines action with heart and moral complexity. Set in a post-apocalyptic Earth ravaged by an alien “gift” gone wrong, the story follows nineteen-year-old Ted, a loner scraping by in a devastated Charlotte, North Carolina. Ted is driven by grief and a growing hatred for the alien species—nicknamed “Fishfaces”—whom he blames for the explosion that killed his father and turned the world into a wasteland. When he finally captures one of them, he thinks he’s won a chance at revenge. But what he doesn’t expect is for the alien to be female—or for her to speak.

The first signs of humanity in his captive come when she pleads with him: “Pleasssse. I won’t esscape. I won’t fight anymore.” It’s a turning point not just in the story, but in Ted’s emotional journey. Her name is Tash’jya, and from that moment on, everything Ted thought he knew about her species—and himself—starts to shift. What makes this book so effective is how Caffee slowly breaks down both characters’ assumptions through tension, quiet moments, and tough choices. Tash’jya’s internal logs show her own conflicted thinking: “Perhaps the gift of my name will be seen as a peacemaking gesture to bridge the gap between us.”

The alternating perspectives between Ted and Tash’jya give the story emotional depth and context. Ted is stubborn, raw, and sometimes reckless, but his actions are understandable. He’s doing what he thinks is necessary to survive. At one point, trying to convince a dangerous militia that he’s not a sympathizer, he intentionally yanks Tash’jya’s breathing device, nearly killing her. He narrates, “This time was not an accident. I took no joy in it. I am not a monster, but that doesn’t change that I feel like one in this moment.” It’s the kind of moment that forces both the character—and the reader—to examine where the line really is between survival and cruelty.

Caffee also does a great job grounding the story in a faith-forward worldview. The verse at the front of the book—John 15:13, “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends”—isn’t just window dressing. It sets the tone for what ultimately becomes a story about sacrifice, trust, and how love can emerge in unexpected places. Ted and Tash’jya may come from different worlds, but their shared suffering and growing understanding begin to blur the line between captor and captive. Their relationship is complicated, uneasy, and believable.

I received a complimentary copy courtesy of Mountain Brook Ink through Interviews & Reviews for my honest opinion.

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Reviewer: Trinity Caver

I just finished reading Captive by Bradley Caffee. It was such a great twist on a familiar story that has been explored many times. This story is about Aliens that come to the earth and things go haywire. The earth is thrown into a dystopian wasteland, which is all too familiar, but what happens in this book is not the typical picture of what that looks like in the present and future. The world scenery in this book is vivid and realistic, though it is fantasy.

Ted James survives what is being called the cataclysm but has been alone for the past two years. He wants answers as to what really happened and revenge for his father’s death. He has been waiting for two long years to get those answers, and now he seizes his opportunity by capturing one of the Skya’ja, a fishlike alien species that were the ones who promised that Earth would be better with their assistance.

There are some things that Ted’s father was able to tell him about the alien species because they were working with him to bring about their so-called better way. His father is a scientist who is already working on renewable, clean energy to make the planet better. Ted is so angry, he lets it fuel his actions and his hatred toward the Skya’ja.

His captive Tash’jya is sent on a mission, and she intends to see that mission to its final conclusion, but then she is captured by Ted. She too is angry and lets her anger get the best of her. As she is held captive by Ted, she starts to see things differently, as does Ted. Can Ted and Tash’jya learn to trust each other, though their prejudices and anger rage?

This book tackles some heavy themes; among them are faith, racism, redemption, and refusal to acknowledge God. This book was thoughtfully and masterfully done. You will want to grab this one as soon as you can. It is a sci-fi adventure that weaves in realistic human themes like never seen before.

I received a complimentary copy from Mountain Brook Ink through Interviews & Reviews, for my honest opinion.

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