“Cobalt Lungs” by B.A. Bellec

Cobalt Lungs

B.A. Bellec
Shadow Dragon Press (2026)
ASIN:  B0H4DQWGB4
Reviewed by Demetria Head for Reader Views (06/2026)

Cobalt Lungs by B.A. Bellec is post-apocalyptic science fiction. The story opens with twenty-four-year-old Madison Rossi (Maddy) moving cautiously through the forest of Vancouver Island. Cobalt spores linger in the air like invisible traps. She calculates every breath she takes because even that can be a risk. The landscape is silent and stripped of birds, animals, and the sounds of normal life. She encounters evidence of the devastating consequences of a single mistake. The blue filaments slowly shift toward her and are very unsettling, almost as if the environment and these spores are observing her. She comes across a man’s body, and beneath his fractured visor is nothing but blue fibrous growth. This tense opening alone immediately throws readers into a world where survival depends on precision, awareness, and a battle against an environmental threat that can be both beautiful and deadly.

I love how Bellec shifts the story from the present collapse to how things were before. Readers get to see Maddy practicing her music in high school and living a normal life. But the subtle disruptions are already present. She notices them around her, in the delayed seconds between her fingers and the keys on the piano, and in how people around her are delayed. Her father, Pops, is already preparing her for whatever this change is as soon as she gets home. Bellec has done a great job in building the sense of dread in the opening chapters. Readers can’t help but know that something is coming. What makes the beginning scenes even more eerie is what Pops says to Maddy, “If the air changes, you cover your mouth and nose tight.” I was already on edge just reading these words.

Not only did Bellec do a great job giving readers the backstory, but he also painted a vivid world around Vancouver. I could imagine the thirty-story glass condo and the SkyTrain that connected Vancouver to Langley. It felt as if I was living there. One of the scenes that really drew me into wanting to know more was when Pops made the decision for his family to move. There is a whole SkyTrain scene with everyone showing different versions of their desperation, from the surgical masks to the strips from a t-shirt covering one person’s head. The dread never lets up, and that is what makes the story feel like true science fiction.

The plot moves continuously forward, and the pacing is lockstep with it. It reminded me of how some people responded to the pandemic. People are talking about it: the symptoms, how many people have already died, and where it’s spread already. It feels so mysterious and scary. Imagine having to be careful about how you breathe. Bellec really poked at the senses of his readers with this ominous particle storyline.

I appreciated how Bellec took time with this narrative. Nothing is rushed, but the eeriness was there from the very beginning. The transitions between time jumps were done smoothly. The supporting cast was just as strong. When characters Ethan and Dr. Ruiz are introduced, things become even more unsettling. For example, when they had to make a decision about a child in the observation chamber, I held my breath for the duration of that conversation. That shows just how effective Bellec’s writing is and the effect these scenes have on its readers. This scene is also one of many powerful ones because Ethan is forced to confront the moral consequences of the systems he works within. Dr. Ruiz is his important moral counterbalance.

The world-building deserves recognition. I especially loved some of the scenes Bellec painted when Ethan leaves Sanctum, a controlled environment, and he notices changes as he goes through the tunnel. The air changes. The drafts carry a metallic dampness. Then he’s handed a gas mask. Bellec demonstrates the ability to make a setting feel as important as the character. His writing style is very descriptive and cinematic. The way some characters are acutely aware of the atmosphere, as in every sound and movement, brings readers into the entire experience. The sensory details are some of the best I have read in a while.

Overall, I was impressed with Cobalt Lungs. The title grabbed me even before I got into the pages. Then the scenes grabbed me, and I could not stop reading. Readers looking for something more fast-paced may find this a tad too slow for them. But this is deliberate, for those who can appreciate a post-apocalyptic science fiction tale that takes time to immerse readers. It is character-driven and environmental as well. What impressed me most about Cobalt Lungs is that it never becomes just another survival story. Beneath the spores, quarantines, and collapsing infrastructure is a thoughtful exploration of grief, resilience, morality, and connection. The novel questions how humanity survives disaster and what aspects of humanity are worth preserving when everything else is falling apart.

Readers who enjoyed Emily St. John Mandel’s Station Eleven will likely appreciate the focus on music, memory, and human connection in the midst of a society collapsing. It also reminds me a little bit of Hugh Howey’s Silo for the hidden systems and controlled environments, as well as individuals who question the structure that governs their lives. Bellec successfully blends all of these elements in a story that is thought-provoking and engaging.