For the Powered inside the Dome, life isn’t real. It may be designed to look exactly like earth, but it’s a man-made replication of everything good and beautiful. Every day, you live beneath a false sun. Every night, you sleep beneath false stars.
Then the day comes to break the centuries-old division between the Powered inside the Dome and the Normal citizens outside it. Project Integration, the plan is called, and hacker Ryleigh Stevens steps to the front to make sure that it succeeds. But only the first step, that is.
Ryleigh wants the Powered to live among Normals but not as equals. Especially not when her brother was murdered by a Powered, the very Powered she is forced to work alongside.
(See the end of the article for a complete listing of Noteworthy Elements as well as an age recommendation for the book.)
Beneath False Stars combines themes of anger, revenge, and control into this powerful, dystopian-meets-Superhero novel. As Ryleigh is forced to confront lies that have been always taught as truths, she comes to realize that sometimes the greatest dangers lie among the things you trust most.
And maybe it’s not just the Powered who live beneath false stars.
When reading this story, I instantly fell in love with Ryleigh’s character development, seamlessly shown through her conflicted anger and grief over her brother’s murder while also trying to help Project Integration succeed. To stop the Powered from ever fully being free, Ryleigh must give them a small measure of freedom. Torn passions. Divided loyalties.
The character relationships that develop in the story completely captured my heart. Ryleigh is a heroine whose stoic facade has been hardened by grief and trials, but the moments where she breaks and allows others to support her are heart-wrenchingly beautiful.
Beneath False Stars is the first book in the Project Integration Series by S. D. Grimm. It was published in September 2025 and a release date has not yet been announced for upcoming books in the series.
For readers who love futuristic worlds, technologically-brilliant heroines, and governments that spin reality into lies… Beneath False Stars is a story you won’t want to miss.
At the time of this article, I have not read and reviewed the other books by S. D. Grimm, namely the Children of the Blood Moon series, also put out by Enclave Publishing. If this series satisfies my expectations, I hope to have the review posted within 2-3 months.
Noteworthy Elements in Beneath False Stars: While there are no overly grotesque scenes, gratuitous content, or explicit profanity, the stakes of the story and romance subplot may best be appreciated by readers 15+.
- Violence: Ryleigh is in a simulated training session when one of her partners fires on a simulated robber. The robber’s death is described as “She shook like someone possessed and thudded to the ground. Blood dripped out of her ears. Her nose. Her eyes. I stood there, hand over my mouth. She was a simulated part of the training program, but her death didn’t seem any less gruesome”.
- Sexual Tension: Two girls are teasing each other about being inconspicuous and one girl remarks, “Your gorgeous skin and perfect curves are what generate all the attention”. A boy is described as “the old phrase tall, dark, and handsome didn’t do him justice”. One girl describes the same boy as “He’s a dream. I can’t look away” and Ryleigh denies that they are dating, saying “he’s not my boy”. When Ryleigh goes to check on a friend who’s been beaten up, she comments “I actually had noticed he was shirtless. And I prayed he didn’t notice the current flush in my cheeks”. A bully asks Ryleigh if her dad “was sleeping with a [Powered]” and if Ryleigh was “sleeping with them” too.
- Profanity: The words “heck” and “dang” are used once and twice, respectively. There are many made-up swear words in the book such as “product of a glitch”, “droids in an army”, “pain in my circuit board”, “Cyborg’s parts”, “holy droids”, and “holy motherboard”.
