Afterlight by Alex Scarrow

Set ten years after a global oil crash collapsed modern civilization, the narrative follows survivors living on a cluster of North Sea gas rigs. Led by a protective mother named Jenny, the community faces internal strife when a manipulative Belgian named Valérie Latoc begins exerting cult-like influence over the residents. Simultaneously, Jenny’s children, Leona and Jacob, venture back to a desolate, dangerous London in search of hope, only to encounter a tribal society of feral youths. This younger generation, led by the ruthless Maxwell, eventually launches a violent maritime raid to seize the rigs for their resources. The story explores the brutal transition from the old world to a "medieval" future where survival depends on navigating both human cruelty and the dream of returning to the mainland. Scarrow uses this post-apocalyptic setting to highlight a deep yearning for the lost comforts of the industrial age.