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Something Is Coming... In a world where debt is obsolete and time is literally money, botanist Frankie Mason works tirelessly to find a cure for a monstrous virus gripping the city.But when she starts getting too close to the truth about the source of the virus, she finds herself at Scrapper Island penal colony-an upside-down reality of shadows and whispers where people vanish, and one mysterious prisoner is an unwilling soldier in an evolutionary war.If Frankie can save him from himself, could they have a chance at saving humanity? Fans of V Wars, The Strain, LOST, Dean Koontz, and Richard Matheson, don't miss Bad Seed : Book One in the genre-bending Dystopian Thriller series, First Bloods .

336 pages, Paperback

First published December 24, 2019

18 people are currently reading
28 people want to read

About the author

Tracy Korn

20 books56 followers
Tracy Korn is a USA Today bestselling author of sci-fi, fantasy, and adventure thriller novels.

Her action-packed stories feature complex characters, especially strong female protagonists, and take readers from the bottom of the sea, around the world, into space, and back again.

When not writing, Tracy loves making custom-flavored New York style cheesecakes, gardening, hiking, and spending time with her husband, kids, and fur kids.

To be the first to hear about new releases, giveaways, and to get a free copy of one of her speculative fiction novellas, sign up for her VIP Readers list at Tracykorn . com

And of course, stay in touch on the platforms below!

Website: www.TracyKorn.com
Facebook: facebook.com/AuthorTracyKorn
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Amazon: amazon.com/author/tracykorn
Bookbub: bit.ly/TracyKornBookBub
Goodreads: bit.ly/TracyKornGoodreads

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5 stars
16 (59%)
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5 (18%)
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5 (18%)
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1 (3%)
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
Profile Image for Britt Nichole.
Author 1 book46 followers
January 20, 2020
If you like dark, dystopian thrillers this may be the book for you.

So this is technically book number one in the First Blood series, but I had the opportunity to read the prequel, Feral, before reading this book — Bad Seed. I think if you’re into science and technology, you’ll really appreciate the narration by the main character, Frankie. She’s a female lead scientist trying to figure out what’s causing this new strain of illness so there’s a lot of science talk — but none of it is so complex that it’ll go right over your head.

Unfortunately, I do think I liked Feral better than I liked Bad Seed. I wish I could connect with Frankie more, but the simple truth is that, overall, I connected with the narrator in Feral more — whether that was simply because he was disabled too, I don’t know — and I think the author did a really fantastic job in juggling just the right amount of technical talk with the brevity of the prequel itself. I do like how the plot of Feral tied in with cadavers mentioned in Bad Seed, but overall I liked the storyline and storytelling better in the prequel.

(I just realized — is the title Bad Seed a play on the fact that the narrator is a botanist? Because if so that’s a fucking A+ if I’ve ever seen one, lmfao.)

I will say that the overall dark, post-apocalyptic theme of the story flows really, really well all throughout. I’ve read a few stories in the past where the dark mood seems to dampen the further in the story you read, but that is absolutely not a problem with this particular read. It is post-apocalyptic, through and through.

Overall, even though I didn’t enjoy this book quite as much, I definitely still think you should check this series out if strong female leads and/or dark science medical stuff is your cup of tea. The overall plot is *definitely* intense, I will say that, and I do think it’s certainly worth the read. Even if it wasn’t quite my cup of tea, I absolutely guarantee other readers would seriously dig this series.
12.7k reviews191 followers
December 10, 2019
An amazing strange book to keep you reading. Frankie tries to find the source of a virus and is punished for that.
Profile Image for Emily.
385 reviews16 followers
October 12, 2021
Great start to a thrilling Sci-Fi series! There is so much action and intrigue in this book - Frankie is either trying to save lives by finding the cure a violent disease with her knowledge of plants and their amazing properties or she is literally trying to stay alive through so many situations...

This book truly lays the foundation for a series that promises twists and turns again and again. The technology is believable and advanced, the dystopian society (maybe not dystopian because no one is claiming it's perfect, but you have some things that are clearly being covered up) is filled with people with so many possible motives for so many different actions. While we have many parts that have yet to be fully explained, we get a satisfying ending (no spoilers!) that sets up the adventures to come with a cliffhanger that you can live with...for now.

I read the prequel novella before being a beta reader for this title - book one in the First Blood series, so I went into it knowing background information regarding Knox's life before Frankie meets him. You could read them in either order without spoiling anything. Knowing Knox's secrets didn't make Frankie's journey to learn them less interesting. In fact, it was fascinating to already know his truth and watch Frankie work through the puzzle.

I received a beta copy in exchange for my thoughts!
Profile Image for Mary E..
46 reviews2 followers
December 25, 2022
I LOVE THIS BOOK!!! I was lucky enough to meet Tracy Korn at a writers conference one time, and you could literally see how enthusiastic she was about writing and sharing stories with everyone. This book is a GREAT reflection of that enthusiasm, and the writing of the characters and their development especially makes this book IMPOSSIBLE to put down!! I find I usually get really confused reading dystopian books, but Tracy Korn has managed to write not only an engaging dystopian world, she also plays into the confusion the main character is feeling throughout the book, making you as the reader feel the fearful confusion that the character is feeling. Because the character doesn’t know what’s going on, you as the reader are also uncertain about what’s happening, but instead of that making the book make no sense, it makes you want to keep reading and figure it out!!
Tracy Korn has managed to write characters that you feel such a deep attachment to, that you can’t help but get really into the book!!
If you like mystery and science, this is especially for you, and even if those things don’t sound appealing, don’t move past this book! Give it a read, because it has a bit of everything for everyone!!!
Profile Image for Ashley Tomlinson.
Author 11 books24 followers
January 25, 2020
Bad Seed is the first book in the First Bloods series but I read the prequel first. This book was good but honestly, I liked Feral more. This book was more scientific which was cool but I missed the nonstop danger that was the prequel. That's not to say that there wasn't danger constantly in this book but I just enjoyed the prequel more.

I love Frankie, the main character she was strong and so smart. Everything that this book needed in a lead. It was cool that the cadavers in this book were the characters from the prequel. That was pretty awesome. Plus it was so badass to see a female scientist trying to figure out what was causing this violent virus.

What originally drew me to this series was the fact that it's a supernatural thriller. I love thrillers and I love everything paranormal so the two together sounded awesome. I've never read a supernatural thriller before so this was very interesting to me.

I enjoy this author's writing style so I will definitely be checking out her other works.
Profile Image for Ashlee Olson.
352 reviews9 followers
February 12, 2020
This story is set 3 years after Feral. You come into the world well after the ferals come to and create fear in everyone. With feral attacks happening as soon as every other day the characters are in search for a cure. Knox reenters when Francesca aka Frankie finds him on the island being sent their herself. The two of them come together and figure out what is causing the feral attacks with the help of Jack. There’s action, adventure, huge twists you don’t see coming, chemistry and love, betrayals, and so much more! Knox comes back home. The author has completely done it again. After I finished I sat there for a few minutes not knowing what to say or how to feel. Literally left my mind completely and utterly blown. I honestly love this author the series she is putting out. I definitely recommend this book. The way she pieces the series together is like a tv show. You get little pieces that help pieces together things from Nervous waters and Feral. It honestly reminds me a one of the best crime shows you’d watch on tv. I absolutely love what the author is doing and is going with the story. Definitely read!! 10 ⭐️’s all around!!!
16.9k reviews164 followers
December 2, 2019
She is hunting a cure for the virus and she is getting closer but she also getting closer to the source of the virus. This sets off an alarm and she ends up being locked up before she can get to the truth. She will meet a mysterious soldier who is fighting a supernatural war. What is going on? Can she help save him from himself? See if they can work together and get free

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Judith A Johnson.
148 reviews3 followers
December 28, 2019
And the seed is found

Excellent writing. The characters and plot are well thought out. The series is intriguing and begs for more. What is this tree of poison and why does it do different things to different people ?Devouring, monsters, etc. What causes the changes? Why different strains and coloring? A tea shop and pharmaceutical company.. nothing in common. A penal colony? Many answers needed. Next book needed please
Profile Image for Sharon.
4,152 reviews31 followers
January 7, 2020
Loved this story, it’s not completely necessary to read the prequel but I’ve read it and that is also brilliant, so if this is your genre, I suggest starting the series with the prequel. There are so many twists and turns in this story that I was riveted to my seat from start to finish. It’s a brilliantly written dystopian book and I’m looking forward to the next book in the series.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Kristi Cramer.
Author 18 books56 followers
April 7, 2022
Read this as part of the Rogue Skies anthology. Most of the time I was "WTF-ing" as there was a lot of events that were never really explained. Eventually I decided that was a casualty of the 1st person narrative. Anyone who reads my reviews knows I'm not a big fan of 1st person.

I did finally decide that I liked the story, despite all the unexplained stuff. Not enough to want to read the other books, but I was definitely entertained. 3.5 stars.
Profile Image for Pat Eroh.
2,621 reviews33 followers
November 9, 2019
This is a great read by dystopian fans, with great characters like Frankie. The story is really good and well-written and certainly kept me interested throughout the book. I am looking forward to reading the next book in the First Bloods series.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Scarolet Ellis.
7,445 reviews53 followers
December 29, 2019
Bad Seed: A Dystopian Fantasy Thriller (First Bloods Book 1) by Tracy Korn is a wonderful story I got to read. This is book number one in this wonderful series writen by a brand new author for me to read. I highly recommend this story and can not wait to read the next book in this series.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book
574 reviews1 follower
December 30, 2019
Bad seed starts off as a dystopian, post apocalyptic medical thriller and reveals itself as so much more as mythology and the supernatural are revealed. Great writing. Enjoyed the twists and turns. There are 2 prequels but it is not necessary to read them before this one....I didn't but am going to go back and read them. Frankie is a little careless while also being fearless.
Profile Image for Lisah Jayne.
Author 5 books150 followers
July 7, 2020
A different take!

Enjoyed this book. The characters were relatable and well developed. Fast paced read that is packed with action and intrigue. I wish the ending was slowed down. It felt rushed and lost me. There was so much going on in the end that if it was slowed down more it would’ve packed a punch! Overall good read.
87 reviews1 follower
January 12, 2020
Totally mysterious and exciting!

One of the best dystopian thrillers I've had the pleasure of reading. Ends totally different from when it start. Well lets jyst say ends with a twist you don't expect. I cant wait to read the next one!
212 reviews1 follower
March 31, 2020
Thrilling read

This was a great book that has all sorts of mysterious things happening. I liked the main character Frank and Knox. I can't wait to read the next book and I hope there's characters are in it.
Profile Image for Ruby McDemon.
824 reviews8 followers
April 25, 2021
I really enjoyed reading this story and the mystery of what's going on behind it. I really loved that there's romance in the midst of the horror of the monsters turning because of the fever and everything else. This is a really great read and I loved the entire story.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews

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