Scorched

Scorched #1

by Mari Mancusi

Trinity
Don’t leave me here... It starts with a whisper. At first Trinity thinks she’s going crazy. It wouldn’t be a big surprise—her grandpa firmly believes there’s a genuine dragon egg in their dusty little West Texas town. But this voice is real, and it’s begging for her protection. Even if no one else can hear it...

Connor
He’s come from a future scorched by dragonfire. His mission: Find the girl. Destroy the egg. Save the world.

Caleb
He’s everything his twin brother Connor hates: cocky, undisciplined, and obsessed with saving dragons.

Trinity has no idea which brother to believe. All she has to go by is the voice in her head—a dragon that won’t be tamed.

Genres: Fantasy, Dragons, Young Adult, Time Travel, Romance, Paranormal, Urban Fantasy

352 pages, Hardcover

First published September 3, 2013

About the author

Mari Mancusi grew up where the north wind meets the sea (otherwise known as Massachusetts), but has since made her home in the great state of Texas, mostly due to her love of summer. (And tacos.) A former Emmy Award winning TV news producer, today she is the author of more than two-dozen books for kids, teens, and adults, mostly of the sci-fi/fantasy variety. In addition to writing, Mari loves traveling, video games, and cosplaying. She is also Mom to an eight year old Frozen superfan who, when recently asked by her teacher to describe her hero answered: “My Mom!” (Okay, fine, she said Kristin Bell.)

You can find Mari online at www.marimancusi.com. She knows several Samanthas.

Reviews

[Kat Kennedy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Scorched, the convoluted story about a girl who could start an apocalypse just by hatching a dragon. It’s a dragon apocalypse!

You know, I honestly don’t know why I picked up this book from my ARC stacks. I just felt like dragons. But I probably should have guessed, based on the dragon coping a feel of the the girl on the cover there, that this book wouldn’t be for me. I stuck with it, though, and gave it a fair shot. All the way to page 136 when I had to stop for my sanity’s sake.

So the writing itself wasn’t the worst. I had no real problem with its descriptors or anything but the three main characters drove me completely up the wall.

The plot tried to pull this WHAT A TWIST style story structure. Trying to keep you guessing on who Trinity should trust. The clear answer being your friendly neighbourhood Spiderman and nobody else. Spiderman would have known what to do.

The most aggravating thing about this novel is that a few pages can’t go buy without Connor mooning over Trinity. Or Trinity mooning over Connor. Or Caleb mooning over Trinity. I didn’t get up to the part where Trinity moons over Caleb, but I’m pretty sure it would happen eventually. And when people were kissing only a few hours after meeting, I wanted to throw the book at the wall and sing I Feel Pretty to myself until the pain went away.

“She was beautiful, he thought. The history texts did not do her justice. Sure, she had the same tangles of black curls falling down her back in waves, the same delicate features. But no photo could capture her long lashes, sweeping across freckled cheeks, or the way her lower lip plumped as she frowned in her sleep. And they certainly couldn’t capture the fiery passion in her black eyes, illuminating the spark that was so strong within her.”
And no photo could capture my pain at having to read this shite every time Connor or Caleb decided to go all star-eyed over the most specialist special girl who ever specialed. Because Trinity is the uberspecial. She kicks off the apocalypse, she has super powers, she’s bonding with a queen dragon, she’s gorgeous, she’s going to be world famous/infamous. Two uber hawties travelled back in time ala Terminator to save her.

Kill. Me. Now.

And can we talk about the use of the word Fleck? Instead of swearing in the book, Connor and Caleb use the word Fleck.



Look, first of all, you’re a Young Adult novel. It’s okay to swear. Really. I give you permission to use the word fuck. And don’t try to tell me that it’s possible that 200 years in the future, people will have replaced fuck with fleck. It’s never going to happen. Fuck is a perfectly serviceable, good word that isn’t suddenly going to be replaced by some random reiteration of it within a few generations. It’s just… Stop it, okay? Just bloody swear because you’ve made me do enough of it already.

Basically, this book is a hot mess and I demand reimbursement for the pain it’s put me through. That or, I dunno, a puppy.

[Stella · Rating 1 out of 5]

WANTED: Good dragon book recommendations.

Like many people out there, I love dragons. It is the reason why I chose to read this book in the first place. Whether they're European dragons or Asian dragons, I love them all. From Avatar the Last Airbender, to How to Train Your Dragon, to Game of Thrones - they are BAMFs in my book. But I haven't read an awesome book about them ever since the fifth grade. (Thank you, Dragon Rider and Dealing with Dragons.) These are the books I know that has awesome dragons in them, please tell me which one I should read next, or feel free to add other books onto this list:
- A Game of Thrones,
- The Hobbit,
- Seraphina,
- Eon,
- Dragonflight and
- His Majesty's Dragon.

Okay, let's get on with Scorched and why I want to say Dracarys to it.



Disclaimer: This is a did-not-finish for me. I have this book a fair shot (35% - 120 pages out of 340) before giving up.

Now,


1) The main characters are unimaginative. Trinity represents 90% of the female characters in YA. She falls in the category of



You can easily mistake her for Clary from The Mortal Instruments series or Meghan from The Iron Fey series. And guess what all those books have in common? They didn't receive good ratings from me. Here she is being cheesy and dependent on a guy she just met:

"Her heart stuttered. He was staying? He was choosing to wait? Even though he said it could be dangerous? Even though he needed to protect the egg? That was, as he said, his number-one priority. His so-called mission to save the world. So, why on Earth would he choose to stay? To keep himself and the egg in danger?

She bit her lower lip. There was only one explanation. For her."
- Page 48 of ARC.

JFC, grow a backbone, would you? This just screams insta-love and a weak character. (By the way, there is a love triangle in the book. I have not reached the official love triangle part yet, but I can feel it. A nice twin and a rebellious twin, cliché battle of the good boy v.s. the bad boy.)

And while we're still on the topic of generic characters, let me show you how Trinity describes Connor:

"But Connor was different. The travesties he'd witnessed had made him strong, not scared. Determined, not demoralized." - Page 83 of ARC.

Can you imagine if the Book Police told the neighbourhood watch to look for a man that fits the above description? They might round up 85% of the male population in YAville.

And the troubles don't stop there. This book had parts that made no sense to me. Maybe it's just poorly edited, because it is an ARC. But I'll show you what I mean:

2) Disconnections upon disconnections.
So you said the government is after us? Oh, okay. I guess we shouldn't be afraid of them if they all did this:

"...three men in black swarmed the empty lot behind them. The men screamed furiously as they all tried to scale the enclosure at once, succeeding only in knocking one another down." - Page 40 of ARC.

LOL wut? Was it Rookie Humiliation Day and I was just not aware?

Oh, and we also shouldn't go back to where I live because the people who are after us could already be there. And they are after this egg? Then explain to me why this happened?

"She glared at the egg out in the living room, sitting innocently on the coffee table, where Connor had left it." - Page 46 of ARC.

Wait. You just left it sitting on the table? Oh wait. I guess it's because you already locked the door.

"She heard a deadbolt click into place. 'If we're going to be waiting here, I'd like to reinforce things a bit,' [said Connor]." - Page 48 of ARC.

YOU MEAN YOU DIDN'T EVEN LOCK THE DOOR? I'm seriously hoping these disconnections are there because secretly Connor is evil and these are tricks he used to get Trinity to trust him. But later on, when they had to leave, Mari Mancusi seems to have forgotten to write in the part where they grab the egg and leave. I was horrified because they had just left the egg on the coffee table. I was relieved to find out later that somehow the egg was in the backpack, even when the author didn't describe how the egg got there...False alarm, guys.

3) This book was just not exciting. In tense moments, the anxiety a reader should feel is no where to be found. It's either disrupted by Trinity acting stupid, or by some cheesy hand-holding, or by a long paragraph filled with lots of questions. We've seen it before in the quote I included in 1). Now that had extra cheese AND never ending questions. This following one is also a downer - warning, sort of spoiler-ish:

"She was alone.

How could he do this to her? Just dump her at the end of the world - with no explanation as to what she was supposed to do? Where she was supposed to go? Was this simply a vision of an event that had already taken place? Or has he actually sent her forward in time? Was she safe and sound in her former home, still gripping Connor's hands? Or was she really here, her life in danger?" - Pages 85/86 of ARC.

When you actually have to put "Was she really here, her life in danger?" down on a page, that really disperses the tension.

-takes deep breath- Okay. That's it. That is my rant. I appreciate Mari Mancusi for writing a dragon book, because FYEAH DRAGONS. But the writing just doesn't live up to my standards.

P.S.: The main character's name is Trinity Foxx. Does that not sound like a stripper/porn star name to you? AND, the nickname people in the future gives her is Fire Kissed. Uh, honey, that is not fierce, but cringe-worthy to me.

In fact, it's almost as bad as...Moon Moon.

[Victoria Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

You know those books where you finish it and afterward you want to shake people and scream, "Just read it!" That's about how I feel. From flesh and blood characters to perfect pacing, this book is a reader's perfect companion after a string of so-so books. When I first cracked the spine, I wasn't sure to expect, but Mancusi delivered action, romance, and creative storytelling throughout the entire ride. This is my first from Mancusi, but after reading SCORCHED, I'll certainly be going back to see what I missed in her earlier books. Read this one, guys! It's a don't miss for fans of mega action and mega awesome. Terminator with dragons? Yes. That and so much more!

PS - Give me Caleb all day long.

[Elizabeth]

Terminator with Dragons???

[April (Aprilius Maximus) · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF around 100 pages in. I just don't care. Everything about this screamed generic YA and I'm sick of reading the same thing over and over about teenage girls who are in serious danger, and yet all they can think about it how hot this guy is and I'm just over it. Props to whoever designed the book though, it's stunning under the dustjacket!

[Mitch · Rating 3 out of 5]

Is this Eragon?

Terminator with dragons meets Eragon is about right, but I do love my mash ups and this one ended up surprising.

[~Tina~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

To save the Fantastical Fossil museum from the overwhelming bills, Trinity Foxx's grandfather hopes that his latest discovery is just the ticket that will bring in an audience from around the world. Found trapped in a glacier in Antarctica, a golden egg was found. The last Dragon egg. Trinity, being a 16 year old teenager and the responsible one of the two, is skeptical of this new discover but when a voice inside Trinity's head seems to be linked to the egg, Trinity is intrigued but frightened that she could be losing her mind, just like her mother did. Connor and Caleb are estranged twin brothers who are from 200 years into the future. One brother is sent to ensure the safety of both Trinity and the Dragon egg and the other was sent to destroy them.

Wow, what a fun read! I really loved the concept to this one. I wasn't sure what to expect when I started Scorched, all I knew is that it combines some of my favorite genre's, dragon-fantasy and sci-fi, so it was an even greater surprise that I ended up really loving this one. Mancusi's writing is exceptionally strong, I've only read a couple of her other books before, and while I thought they were decent, I didn't quite connect with them like I did this one. The pace and flow is beautifully developed. At first it can be a little confusing since everything seems to be happening at once, but when the story gets going and we learn the facts with Trinity it becomes a steady stream of intrigue and wonder. It was like unwrapping a layered gift, with each new rip my anticipation and curiosity grew and I couldn't turn the pages fast enough.

There is only so much I want to say about this plot-wise since I think readers will have a greater time discovering all the wonderful revelations for themselves. So, with that said, the story line does have a Terminator-feel to it, but I still found this to be a unique and fun spin on dragon lore and time travel. I loved the idea of the two brothers who were brought into the past to ensure or stop future events from taking place, with a girl who has no idea of the catastrophic events that are about to enfold. It's exciting to learn the brothers true intentions, what the Dracken organization is and get a glimpse of what Trinity and her dragon, Emberlyn (Emmy) means to the future, both the good and the bad. It's a solid concept and completely entertaining from start to finish.

I really enjoyed all the characters. They are all wonderfully developed and easy to connect with.
~Trinity is a responsible head strong girl who is determined, brave and caring. Her life suddenly became something out of her favorite video game, Fields of Fantasy, the minute her grandfather showed her the golden egg uncased in glass. I loved how she processed everything from disbelieve to awe-struck. It's a lot to take in knowing that your the Fire Kissed and that your responsible for both destroying the entire world and saving the race of a mythical creature in the same heart beat.
~I don't want to say to much about Connor and Caleb. They mystery around them was one of the funnest part of the book to discover. They each have their own stories so it's hard to tell which of the brothers we can really trust. They have a lingering cloud of doubt that surrounds them till we know for sure what their true purpose is. But, I will say that I loved both brothers equally. Connor is a hunter hero in his time, dedicated to avenge his father death. He's kind and patient and a natural leader. Caleb is more harsh, cool, collected and confident. They do however share a passion and obsession when it comes to their missions and what it will ultimately mean for the entire world.
The dragon, Emmy, was surprisingly amazing to see. Dragons have always been such a fascinating creature with so much potential to create. I really loved the way Mancusi portrayed them as both dazzling and deadly.
At this point the romance is very light, but well on it's way into shaping into a love triangle between Trinity and the brothers. Since I like them both I don't have a team-flag to wave just yet, but I am curious to see how things develop in future books.

All in all, I kinda loved this one. The concept is smart and fresh, the story is action packed and exciting, the writing has an all consuming flavor and these characters will have you invested at minute one till it's heart-pounding conclusion. For fans who want some heat and heart with their fantasy escape, this one goes out to you. I can't wait to see where Mancusi takes this next!
A great read!

[Kirsty (Amethyst Bookwyrm) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This and my other reviews can be found at http://amethystbookwyrm.blogspot.co.uk/

Thanks to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Fire for giving me this book to review.

Trinity Foxx’s main worry is paying the bills and be able to stay with her grandfather, but then her grandfather uses money they desperately need, to buy what he believes is a dragon egg. She does not believe him until she keeps hearing a voice in her head, but she is not sure if it is coming from the egg or if she is going mad like her mother. However, people are after the egg including two twin brothers from the future that has been almost destroyed by dragon fire. Connor is on a mission to do anything to destroy the egg before it hatches and make sure that the world is not destroyed. Caleb wants the opposite of his twin and wants Emmy, the unborn dragon, to be born in order to save the world. Trinity is scared, and does not know which brother to trust, and with Emmy talking to her, she doesn’t know whether to believe that this seemingly innocent creature is able to destroy the world.

Scorched is an unusual book as I felt like I should not have like it as much as I did, as it takes recognisable elements from books, TV programmes and films. It is also rather predictable, but that being said, I really enjoyed this book. This book has an interesting story and is different as it has elements from lots of different genres.

Trinity is an okay character and I can understand her confusion over who to trust and her determination to find a place she can call home because of her past. Even though Connor and Caleb are described as being opposite but I found them very similar apart from their beliefs about dragons and it took me a while to tell which brother was narrating a chapter. I also liked Emmy as she is sweet yet also fierce and tough and I liked the added depth of her fear of rejection.

I would recommend Scorched to fans of Firelight by Sophie Jordan or people who enjoy paranormal books with hints of sci-fi or dragons.

[Farrah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thrills, danger, secrets, betrayal, and a sprinkle of romance. Put those together, and we have this amazing book. Scorched was a brilliant YA paranormal romance! It had me on the edge of my seat and I enjoyed every bit of it. Loved it!

Trinity was a girl put in a situation way out of her element. Her biggest worries before were paying the bills and trying to make her grandfather's museum profitable. Then, she finds a dragon egg, bonds with the dragon, and is suddenly the linchpin in a possible fiery apocalypse. Not the easiest situation. But, Trinity was strong in dealing with it. She was a likable heroine and I thought she was great.

The romance was very minimal in this book, this focus of the story being more the issue of the dragons. But, it was there and I suspect it will play a bigger role in later books. The love interests were Connor and Caleb, though I think one already has an edge on the other. But, they were both great characters.

Connor was the anti-dragon twin. He feels responsible for the fiery death of his father, and he's promised to stop the reemergence of dragons to avenge his father's death. But, he wasn't so consumed by revenge that he was blind to the reality. Once he sees Trinity and Emmy (the dragon), he knows that he can't hurt them. And, that's what was really great about his character. He was honorable and noble and sweet and determined to protect the innocent, even if they are supposed to be his enemies. I thought he was wonderful.

Caleb was the pro-dragon twin. Like Connor, beneath all the sarcasm and arrogance, he was a truly good guy at heart. Though his perspective is different than Connor's, he is also determined to protect the innocent and save the world. He just has a different way of going about it. He was super sweet and, though I don't want to go into teams here, I think he will be the one to end up with Trinity. Because something about him hints that there is more to his past than he lets on, and that past involves Trinity. But, we'll see.

I have to mention Emmy because, even though she doesn't hatch until later in the book, she still plays a big role the entire way through. First of all, I'm glad that the author made her an individual character and not just a pawn in the story, kind of like Saphira in Eragon, who was very much her own character. Emmy was a very interesting character because, while we know her existence marks the possible onset of the apocalypse, we still can't help but like her. She was a likable character who defied the expectations she was given. I really liked her and I thought she was great.

The plot was fast paced. I was completely hooked the entire way through. The thrills were nonstop and I was completely on the edge of my seat. The author did a great job with creating confusion of who was the "good guy." While reading, I was constantly back and forth, unable to figure out who is really trying to do good. And, if either side even fit that description. There were secrets, surprises, and the betrayal at the end of the book was shocking. It was definitely a game changer for all three protagonists. I can't wait to get my hands on the next book, because I'm dying to find out what happens next!

Scorched was an amazing, wonderful, fantastic YA read. I adored every bit of it! The thrills, the secrets, the dragons, the romance. It was all perfect. YA lovers, if you want a thrilling read that will keep you on the edge of your seat, then you have to read this book.



*I received a free copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

[Megan Krogh · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oh my gosh I loved this book! I absolutely loved the characters and the plot! I can't wait to read the next book!!



I fucking hated this book. I feel like it was written by a five year old. The plot was so dumb and the characters were so annoying. I could not stand Trinity. Not only did I want to shoot her in the head, I wanted to shoot myself in the head to end my misery. Let my tell you why I hated it.

First, let's start with the dumb-ass heroine, Trinity. She was so dumb, annoying, and stupid. Like, she was so fucking disrespectful to her mom. Whenever she talked about her, it was always about how her mom blew her brains to smithereens.
'"It's amazing they managed to get all the brains out of the carpet," she muttered, kicking the obviously bleached-out rug with her toe.' -page 78
'Because her mother couldn't be alive. Trinity had seen her body, her head blown to smithereens.' -page 289



I mean, I would get it if you hated your mom because she never took care of you, and you had to raise yourself, but 1. from the impression I got throughout the book, her mom wasn't like that, and 2. Her mom killed herself, by putting a bullet through her head, AND ITS ONLY BEEN TWO YEARS! That is not enough time to start hating her mom and talking so causally about how she killed herself. I just feel like she was really disrespectful and that really pissed me off...

Secondly, (yes we are still talking about Trinity) she would NEVER STOP FUCKING CRYING!!!!! Every other page tears were steaming down her face, or splashing down on her cheeks, or coursing down her cheeks.
'The scene faded and, once again, Trinity found herself in the motel room with Caleb, the egg still cradled in her lap as tears streamed down her face.' -page 149
'Trinity opened her eyes, heart wrenching and tears coursing down her cheeks.' -page 217
'Tears splashed down her cheeks as she waited for the switch to be thrown.' -page 311



Okay, I think I'm done with her (although, believe me, I could go on for hours) but one more thing. It was really annoying that she kept talking about her dumb Fields of Fantasy. Once or twice would have been all right, but she mentioned it about seven or eight times. Like WTF?! No one gives a flying shit about that dumb video game, so just shut up about it!!

Okay, now I'm truly done with her. Now onto the dragon. She was so annoying after she hatched. (I really gotta find another word than annoying) She acted like a freaking human at times. Like, with all her nodding and shaking her head and shit. I've read Game of Thrones and watched all the seasons on HBO, I was thinking that the Emmy was going to be more like the dragons Daenerys had. I mean look at the freaking cover, that dragon looks pretty cool and fierce and I can easily kill you with my fire and I will. I know she was supposed to be a good dragon so she could save the world and everything, but come ON its a fucking DRAGON. They are supposed to be scary. Also, what the hell kind of name is Emmy? Talk about a wimpy one! Arrrggghh....

Let's talk about the author now. Besides the fact that this book had a shitty plot (saving the world, really??) (Time traveling, double really??) (fun fact: actually Einstein said that if we ever did time travel, it would be impossible to travel to the past, but we could travel into the future) But what the hell was with the huge paragraphs that was full of questions. Like, that's what made up the paragraph, was twenty thousand questions.
'She glanced out the window, unease knotting her stomach. Where was he? Why hadn't he called? Had the blood on the knife been his? The fact that the agents were looking for him meant, at least, they didn't have him. But what about these Dracken people? Could they have captured him somehow? And if so, what would they do to him? Would they hold him captive until she agreed to turn over the egg?'- page 80



Also, the vocabulary wasn't very strong. I was not impressed at all with her word choice. But on the last page, there was a freaking, I don't know, writing? problem.
'When the door slid open, they tumbled out the back of the mall. The sun was so bright Trinity was forced to squint.'
A paragraph later of them running to a car in the parking lot and her hugging her grandpa...
'Grandpa chuckled, them turned the key in the ignition. The van roared to life and they pulled out of the parking lot and into the night.'
Um, excuse me, what??? That happened it a matter of freaking seconds!! What, does the sun go down in a nanosecond?

Overall, I think I was generous giving this dumb-ass book two stars. If your reading this, I thank you for reading my rantings. But, please, whatever you do, do not, I repeat, DO NOT read Scorched. You will totally regret it and wished you hadn't lost all those brain cells. Do yourself a favor and never read it.

[Kristi · Rating 4 out of 5]

fun read! i want a dragon!

full review to come.

[Angie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can’t even begin to explain how excited I was when I finally received my copy of Scorched for review. Not only does it have an absolutely gorgeous cover, but dragons and time travel all in one story? Epic! Did it live up to my excitement and expectations? Yes…and no.

The first chapter jumps right into the action and thus I was hooked. Captivated even. Mancusi did the world-building for this book brilliantly. The same goes for character development. She brings fantasy into our world with a flourish and in many ways made it seem plausible that the discovery of a hidden dragon egg is possible. I really have to hand it to her. The visuals her scene descriptions inspire in the reader’s mind, is utterly breathtaking.

I did have a few minor issues with the plot, though. I’m not going to go into details because that would mean spoilers. The ending felt a little rushed and a few scenes – especially the one where Trinity reaches out to her mother in the nether – felt very…what is the word…formulaic? It’s like I knew what the end result was going to be because I’ve seen it in so many movies before. But by no means was the story predictable. There were loads of times I had no idea what was going to happen next, and thus I was often surprised. Yet, by the time I finished the last chapter, I was left with a ton of questions and things that made no sense to me. Then again, this is the first book in what promises to be an impressive series, so I’m sure all my questions will be answered in the upcoming books. Who knows.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I couldn’t put it down, and when I had to, I couldn’t wait to pick it up again and continue where I left off. Emmy crawled into my heart even before she hatched from her egg. I was so glad I wasn’t in Trinity’s shoes when she had to make the choice about Emmy’s survival. On that note I should also mention that the author made that choice nearly impossible. Who is right? Who is wrong? Which side should she be on? The side that wants to preserve the dragons’ existence, or the side that wants to wipe out dragons for the survival of humanity? In the context of the story I can assure you this was not such a straightforward choice. There were many factors to consider.

Scorched is a book that will set the imaginations for readers young and old alight with its imagery, dragons past and future, and the countless trips into the nether where absolutely anything imaginable is possible. I recommend it to readers who enjoy fantasy, time-travelling, action and adventure, and of course: dragons.

[Sam · Rating 1 out of 5]

266/352
The Book: Scorched follows 16 year old Trinity who loves RPG's and helps keep her crazy grandpa’s museum opened. Her gramp's pulls a crazy stunt by buying a 'dragon' egg to put on display in his museum. Trinity is face palming and pissed. Until she hears a little voice in her head only she can hear. Turns out the dragon egg is really a dragon egg and she is mentally linked to it.

The Good: YA check, Dragons check

The Bad: Trinity is unoriginal. She is the same old goody-two shoes who likes boys and think soft core sexual thoughts but mentally slaps herself for it. She also follows whatever character that claims to be the good guy. Trinity is familiar because she is in a lot of YA books. She may go by a different name, different story, etc. but she is the same. Why did I pick this book up? Why was I excited? Because of the fucking dragons! Not many dragons have debuted in the YAverse so I was on board when I first caught on to this title. Unfortunately the dragons take a backseat in this story. It’s all about Miss Norm that just so happens to have a dragon in the background. *face palms*
Wait it gets worse; clearly Mari Mancusi has read the Inheritance series or at the very least Eragon. I say this because Trinity's mental relationship with her dragon Emmy is extremely analogous to Eragon's and Saphira's relationship. In fact, it was so flipping similar it felt like I was reading a watered down draft of Eragon fan fic.
I am just disappointed. I was excited about Scorched but I was given a story that utterly failed to entertain me. For example, I wanted to play the RPG Trinity was talking about instead of reading this book. In fact the parts of her talking about the RPG were more interesting than the dragon itself. :(
This book had potential and promise, but it fell completely flat. It's just another sappy love triangle and another way to score a few bucks. Dragons are new and different surely some would pre-order it just because it has a dragon on it: Well played Mancusi, I fell for it.

[Jessica (Goldenfurpro) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This and other reviews can be found on The Psychotic Nerd

MY THOUGHTS
I didn't really have any high expectations for this book. Sure, it has dragons, but I wasn't particularly fond of the author's other series. I am glad to say that I actually ended up really liking the story and the plot!

Trinity lives with her grandfather, who used to run a museum of fossils and other artifacts. Now, he has started added more unusual objects to the collection, like bigfoot dung, and the museum has been struggling. Instead of paying for living expenses, Trinity's grandfather buys an egg that he believes is a dragon egg. When a boy from the future comes to take the egg, to prevent the end of the world by dragons, Trinity begins to question if this is all the truth. But she doesn't have time to think it over, as government agents and a dragon protection group are after the egg as well.

First off, all my friends can tell you and I have been a wee bit obsessed with dragons lately. So, I was definitely excited to read a dragon book, though I was iffy about the author. I absolutely did love the plot. The whole idea of people two hundred years in the future traveling back in time to save the world from dragons is a very interesting idea. I was not exactly expecting the time travel aspect, but I loved it! I also found the whole dragon aspect very interesting, of course, and I very much liked the idea of the Nether (kind of like a dream world).

I mentioned that I was iffy about this book at first, mainly because of the author's Blood Coven Vampires series. That series is okay, but the characters in that series had very very VERY annoying teenage voices with numerous pop culture references sprinkled in. I felt like the author was trying to hard to get a teenage voice. Thankfully, the author did not do this in this book. The teenagers in this book felt much more authentic. Though, the fact that this was in third person may have something to do with it.

The characters were okay. I couldn't really connect with them as much as I wished, as is common when I read third person books, but I did like the characters. Trinity is a great main character and she is a common MC. She has a normal life that is entirely changed with the introduction of the egg and I do think she deals with it well. I especially loved her relationship with Emmy, her dragon! Emmy is so sweet, even though she's a dragon, and she was very loyal to Trinity.

The isn't really a romance in this book. There's a love triangle feeling between Caleb and Connor, but there isn't really much in the way of kissing, which I appreciate.

My main problem with this book is something I really don't understand myself. I was loving this book in the beginning, but my feelings went a bit downhill as the book went on. In the beginning, there were a few little holes in the story I noticed, but I figured they were easy to ignore. Eventually, things became harder to ignore and I became more confused. Not that the plot was bad or anything, I really liked the plot, but some things were just hard for my mind to wrap around.

IN CONCLUSION
Overall, I did like this book and I will be reading the sequel! If you would like to read a very new, unique look on dragons, then I do recommend it!

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nose Graze — Young Adult book reviews

4.5 Stars

I LOVED Scorched! Most of all, I adored the story. That's what rocked this book. I mean, dragons? DRAGONS!! YES! DRAGONS! There were just so many elements that appealed to me. The dragons (duh), the idea of a "chosen one", the time travel, the apocalypse, the goal to save the world.. all of it! It's the recipe for an awesome fantasy book.

Another thing I adored about Scorched was how the author wove fantasy and science fiction together. On the one hand, we have dragons and "The Nether" (a place where dead and unborn dragons live.. almost like a virtual reality world). That's fantasy. But we also have time travel and cool gadgets from the future. I thought the combination was really unique, and I loved reading a dragon book that actually takes place in present day (rather than in a pure medieval-ish fantasy world).

There were only two things I didn't like about Scorched. First, I didn't like the "almost-romance". Trinity has "moments" with both Connor and Caleb. She never starts dating either of them, but she randomly kisses both of them (sometimes on more than one occasion). So they weren't dating, it wasn't truly a romance, but she had intense "moments" with both of them... and I didn't like it. I think because it just felt so out of sync with the story and completely unnecessary. Also, she kissed them both like hours after meeting them. At first I thought it was an annoying insta-love-y triangle, but neither relationship ever developed, so it turned out okay, but it still felt unnecessary and awkward.

And on a similar note, I kept getting Connor and Caleb mixed up. I was okay with them at the beginning, but as the story went on their roles and behaviours blurred, and I forgot which one was which lol. I blame the fact that their personalities were so similar, they're twins, and they both have names that start with "C".

Secondly, I wish there were more dragons! The first half of the book was before the egg even hatched, and then in the second half we only got bits and pieces of actual dragons. I absolutely LOVED the scenes with dragons, but that's why I wish there were more of them! I kind of wanted actual dragon riding, dragon wars, and things like that. But since the dragon only just hatches in Scorched , we don't really get any of that (we get stories about that, but it doesn't actually happen).

But, I'm pretty sure that Scorched is a series (at least I hope so, based on that ending), and I'm really looking forward to reading the next book! I foresee epic dragon training sessions, dragon flying, dragon wars, and ALL THINGS DRAGONS! Bring it on, Mari, I'm so ready!

The Verdict:

[Farah Jay · Rating 1 out of 5]

Fantasy, dragons, and twin brothers? Who would say no?! Unfortunately, this book did not live up to it's expectations. Trinity, the main protagonist, is a 16 year old girl with no parents. She lives with her grandfather, who owns a museum and is on the verge of being broke. When her grandfather gets his hand of a mysterious egg, the museum gets broken into and Trinity is forced to protect the egg and go along with a stranger named Connor whom she just met. The book is somehow told from several POV's, but it does not clearly state so. That was a bit confusing at first as well, but when you know you get the hang of it. The beginning was pretty exciting, and I was interested in finding out more about what happens later on. Unfortunately, things start to drag on.

The characters weren't that memorable, so that was a down factor. I also found the plot to be a bit messy. I always got bored, and the book didn't force me to sit down and read it. I couldn't wait to close the book and do something else. Not trying to sound too harsh, but maybe it's because the book was a bit too childish for me. It just didn't interest me, and kept on dragging on and on and on. The book should have been two hundred pages instead of three hundred and fifty. The twins problem was sort of a cliche, and it was kind of obvious that one would be the good guy and the other would be the bad one.

Overall, I just couldn't connect to anything in this book. The story was boring, the characters were bleh, and I didn't find anything amusing or even remotely interesting. A hundred pages in, I was forced to skip through a LOT of content because I just could not stand to sit down and read through another two hundred pages in. People who are fans of fantasy should still check this book out, though I would recommend this book to younger readers as well. Oh, I just have to mention how GORGEOUS this cover is! I would stare at it all the time while reading. I would end up staring at the cover more than actually reading the book! Sorry!

[Mikky · Rating 3 out of 5]

Originally posted at:
Nocturnal Predators Reviews



I had high expectations when I started reading this book since I love Mrs. Mancusi's Blood Coven Series. So no matter the story I will always compare any other series by her with the first series I read by her. With that being said, this book was a nice average. I got through it without complaining and it was a fairly quick read.

Trinity started off as a self centered too-dumb-to-be-believable character. She actually trusted a complete stranger who broke into her museum to steal an artifact. Even after it being explained to her that Dragons existed and being sent on a "vision" of sorts, she still found it in her self to believe dragons DIDN'T exist. As the story continued to move forward she actually became a more likable character and accepted her reality. BUT her reality was still hard to deal with. She kept getting deceived by everyone she trusted. I was lost on who to believe almost 75% of the novel.

Conner was against dragons while Caleb was a "sympathizer". Both were deceived by the people they trusted as well, but it was a LONG journey to discover that. While Conner (the well intentioned thief turned good guy) was the nice, gentle, friendly, all around nice guy, Caleb was the opposite. He was confidant and made clear what he wanted when he wanted it. They had a good contrast going on.

The Master Dracken (AKA Crazy Cult Leader) was very suspicious (to me, at least). Though it was a surprise the twist Mrs. Mancusi threw in there, some part of me was expecting it. What I didn't expect was the kids going from let's-be-friends to die-die-die in less than one page. The Head Dracken really did a number on them.

Favorite Quotes:

"I guess it's just a place - filled with empty promises and broken dreams."

"And here I thought I was your knight in shining armor coming to your aid."

"Sacrifice one to save the world."

[Andrea · Rating 1 out of 5]

1.5 stars or 1.75?? I love the cover. There are dragons, time traveling, twin brothers, twists and more…

I’ve never had this happen before. If I made a list of everything that happened I would say that should be an interesting, action packed and page turning story. I should love it. The problem is it was actually really boring. The plot and events that occurred was definitely YA, but the dialogue and all the writing felt like grade school. It was rather simple and didn’t hold my attention.

I really liked Emmy. I also enjoyed Trinity and the relationship between Emmy and Trinity. The boys were meh and other than one being on the good side and the other on the bad there was little to tell them apart. I could care less if trinity ends up with either of them. There were surprises and twists, but it was still boring. I listened to the book over three days and fell asleep each time. I never fall asleep during the day.

I wish there were Cliffs Notes for the remaining books because I might want to know what happens. I’m really undecided. Maybe the next book is better?

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Scorched is a story that has our undivided attention from the beginning thanks its dragon-focused premise, dragons being a mythological creature that hasn’t quite yet taken the young adult fiction market by storm. As a result, an air of mystery is created for us readers before we even get to the first page, wondering how Ms. Mancusi is going to bring her beasts to life. Part of the appeal of this story aside from the creatures themselves is that Trinity’s world is in fact ours, no acclimation period necessary as we are instantly at home and comfortable with our surroundings, and we simply get to watch, riveted, as something out of myth and legend finds a new home and begins to thread together a story that doesn’t begin with “once upon a time”...

Full review available at: http://www.supernaturalsnark.blogspot...

[Jodi Meadows]

DRAGONS!!!!

[Seeing Double in Neverland · Rating 5 out of 5]

For Full Review go to http://seeingdoubleinneverland.blogsp...

5 out of 5 stars

This is a must read and you wont be able to put it down!

[Tara Higgins · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading it for a second time, I think the book is 4.5 maybe 4 but I will leave the 5 star rating from 2 years ago.

[Lili · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't really know what to say about this book. I was expecting an amazing story. Dragons, hello! But, really, I ended up being disappointed more than anything else. I was considering giving this book a hesitant three stars, but I don't think it deserves it because too many cliches and unsolved plot points hindered this novel's brilliant plot from reaching any true potential.

The plot of this book was beyond amazing, I really loved it. It's not enough that a book evolving around dragons comes around, so I immediately jumped for this one. A set of twins from an apocalyptic future taken over by demented dragons time travel to the present to either save the first dragon or kill it to alter the future. Sure, they both want to alter it, but they have completely different goals. Caleb wants to save it, Connor wants to kill it. And stuck in the middle is Trinity, a girl who previously had no idea that dragons even existed but is known as the girl that brings about this apocalyptic start after bonding with her dragon, Emmy. See, Trin is Fire Kissed, she bonded with a dragon so both are nearly invincible. They can communicate with each other, feel each other emotions, die when the other dies. It's a race against time for these two brothers, constantly fighting against each other and Trin's raving emotions. Really interesting, no? I was beyond excited because it sounded so interested, which made my disappointment all the more terrible.

Firstly, the characters. I think I struggled with them a lot. Perhaps the only character I liked was Emmy the dragon, the newborn trying to learn the difference between protecting her Fire Kissed bond and killing. But I didn't like anyone else, really. Trinity was bland to me, it often seemed like Mancusi was trying to get us to pity Trinity because her mother committed suicide since she had the gift--the gift to hear voices. Trinity was impulsive and she trusted too easily. This was full of those "strange man comes out of nowhere saying the fate of the universe is in your hands" type thing and she goes along with nearly anything. Really, she's a good girl with a big heart, but she was easily led astray, taken advantage of, over-emotional, and she just couldn't stand on her own two feet the way she hoped she would. Because her mother committed suicide, she lives with her aging Grandfather. Her Grandfather reminds me of a seven year old boy who has no sense of reality and is not at all an adult figure. Sure, he loves Trinity with all of his heart, but that's about the only sign of a true caregiver that showed through in him in this book. And then there's Caleb and Connor. Both are passionate about what they do, but they're rough and slightly brutish at times when it comes to getting Trinity to go along with their different viewpoints. I liked Connor more than Caleb because he truly felt he was doing what was right, avenging his father's death and all, but neither blew me away. I was stoked for a set of cute twins from the future, but they both let me down and have issues with interpreting emotions properly as well as conveying them.

After the characteristics, my biggest problem was the futuristic technology and abilities. It's one of those things where a situation was desperate for a saving grace and---oh my, gosh!---because one of the boys is from the future they suddenly pull the perfect device out of their backpack to rescue themselves! Like, really? It was frustrating to me that such things were not mentioned at all until they were need and then--bam!--they were suddenly brought into existence. Yeah, the laser guns that make people's heads melt were pretty awesome, but the Bouncer? Don't even get me started. A device that makes you jump super high if you step on it that was magically introduced to the story when Trinity was too weak to climb a fence. Perfect timing, right?! If I was from the future, I would not be creating a jumping device, that's all I'm saying. It was moments like this where sudden new abilities or technologies announced themselves only when convenient to the plot. Like the gift--the ability to push people to do things you want or speak to their mind or something like that. Honestly, I'm a little confused with it because I thought there were different kinds of gifts but apparently all people with the gift can speak to each other's minds. Whatever. Either way, you can communicate with people in your minds because suddenly--quite randomly in the present instead of the future--some babies were just born with the gift! It was not mentioned if it was a genetic malfunction, how it came about, nothing. Babies just suddenly started to be born with it! This really frustrated me.

There was a love triangle in this one, though it wasn't in your face. Still, the love connections were rather aggravating and instantaneous instead of emotionally thought out. As you guessed, Trinity is fighting with herself over the twins. She kisses them both at least once, but the end of the book left everything open. It doesn't address the prospect of who she truly ends up with in the end, which annoys me too. I hated the ending. It pretty much left most plot points unresolved. With no sequel currently in sight, this angers me. Because it's a stand-alone, you want some sort of confirmation and while the ending is not a cliff-hanger, it left me with too many why's and how's and what's. What happens to Trinity and the boys? Is the future saved or is it killed? What about the race of dragons? Too many questions, no answers whatsoever.

I suppose the only aspect of the plot that I enjoyed was the cult aspect of the Dracken. Upon immediately meeting this group of people hell-bent on protecting the dragon species, I knew it was a cult (and it'll be obvious to any reader with the ability to infer things after meeting slimy characters). But, of course, our annoyingly oblivious main character came to such thoughts way too late in the game for it to be safe. I found it interesting to explore these cult dynamics because of the psychological sways cult leaders exert over their followers in order to maintain their trust. I thought that this was a really interesting aspect of psychology in general that was explored in this book. As terrible as it is, taking a bunch of orphans with nowhere else to go and giving them a home and the feeling of acceptance? Brilliantly evil. Bravo, cult, bravo.

All in all, when I was really able to immerse myself in the plot and get over the multitude of cliches listed above, I was able to enjoy this one, but the brilliant plot wasn't enough to redeem the character flaws and situational flaws that I found littered within this book. There was very few attempts at humor to keep me smiling and the only time I cracked a smile was when I met a female dragon named Fred. Otherwise, the attempted humor and supposed action scenes that were meant to keep me on my toes did not keep my interest whatsoever. The first third of this book was really easy to get through, but the last two thirds (the ones full of the action and plot twists) were a trudge for me. This book just wasn't meant for me. I hope someone else can enjoy it because of the unique plot, but I couldn't get past certain issues in order to truly enjoy this one.

[⋆☆☽ Kriss ☾☆⋆ · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a really quick book to get through. I saw a copy of this while I was working at the library last year but didn't read it, so when it went up on Amazon for free I decided I'd download it and see. In like 2015 or 2016 I read the Draconian series by Adrienne Woods and enjoyed it despite how unpolished and juvenile it was.

This book is similar to that series in the not-so-good ways.

Like the five Draconian books have their fair share of eye rolls but there's something fun about it all despite that. It's like a book written by a spirited 15 year old just discovering Microsoft Word's chapter settings and being inspired to plug out chapters each day after school.

But this book isn't as fun or likeable. It ultimately feels like a pretty childish tale targeted at the younger end of the YA demographic. It treats morality in a more infantile, cut-and-dry way like, the "sacrifice one to save a million" quandary is like "Well why can't we save the one and try to save the million too?" in this book's eyes, which feels like the kind of idealized way children think and it's saturated with a lot of stereotypical YA tropes with scenes thrown in haphazardly because it appeals to a 13 year old that Trinity has this meaningless wrap up to an irrelevant plot point.

The whole kind of premise is that there's a dragon egg and the dragon within bonds with this girl, Trinity, and people from the future and the government all want to kill the dragon or take her DNA to make more dragons and end the world in a fiery apocalypse. A pair of twins on opposite sides--one who wants the dragon dead, the other who thinks dragons are good and will save the world--time travel to change the course of the future by finding Trinity and convincing her to either destroy the dragon or raise it and use it for the betterment of humanity.

Now, right off the bat, the issue at hand really stems from the fact that the dragon as a creature is pretty convoluted. Their consciousness exists in its own realm and babies are fully aware in the egg and they're sentient and they like psychically speak with people and bond with people, which is essentially the entire reason why Trinity is against killing Emmy, the dragon despite the fact that keeping her alive allows for her to be used to create more dragons to start the end of the world. Emmy is like basically completely humanoid except she's a baby dragon, so because she can communicate complexly it kind of makes the whole "animal activist" aspect a little moot. Like she can prove pretty easily how she's capable of complex thought and emotion so why does she need a group to speak for her? I think having the dragons be emotionally complex creatures with a less black-and-white communication system would have fared better and supported the argument of the book better.

Like talking dragons works better in the Draconian series because they're like... people. They transform from people to dragons. They're a sort of shifter. So it makes sense. But Emmy is just, always aware always since forever, so it really takes away from the story's potential so it can have the heroine have full conversations with her dragon.

Also like the villian was super obvious and 1 dimensional and I'm kind of sad what I imagined in my head about this book was not really what it ended up being. It was kind of bad.

The one thing I did appreciate was that we're launched into the action really quickly and the book progresses super fast.

I own books 2 and 3 because they were cheap. Like, 99 cents, so I figured why not? I'll probably try them out just to see if the story and author improve.

[Jen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Got maybe a few pages in and the MC we were introduced to is a complete moron and the reader is expected to believe he was sent back in time to save the world? Not buying it. I skipped to the end of the book and honestly didn’t miss any necessary information in between. Got this so I could read the second book which I requested and received on NetGalley a while ago. I feel like I wasted my money. 2, I didn’t rage throw it across the room, but I didn’t let myself get to that point, stars.

Oh, one last thing. Love. Triangle. (Face palm)

[Jodi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audible - New author to me. This YA has dragons and humans, and movement through the future into the past. The world building was fantastic. It was wicked fast paced and the ending was hard to keep up with so much action. Trinity's grandpa finds a dragon egg and soon Trinity is on the run. Twins, Caleb and Conner, fighting on opposite side, are with her every step of the way, sometimes helping and sometimes not. Emmy, the baby dragon, was so cute and just didn't understand why charring two young men to death was not a good thing to do. The ending is somewhat cliff hangerish so it will be interesting to see what happens in book 2.

[Madison Warner Fairbanks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Scorched by Mari Mancusi

First in a Young adult paranormal series. The first dragon egg is found and hatched in one timeline while in a future timeline scores of dragons have destroyed the human world. It’s now up to Trinity, Connor, Caleb and baby dragon Emmy to make the right choices to save the world.

A fast moving, exciting beginning to an adventure built on hope, positive morals and values.
And dragons. And realizing there may be more than one truth.
Not a cliff hanger, but definitely not the end of the adventure. They still have to save the world!
I’m looking forward to reading the rest of this series.

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

How did we end up here?

Aside from Mari and I being Lost Boys sisters and all, I got the most excellent pleasure of working with Mari and SCORCHED since before it was even due to her editor so it’s only natural that I follow it through from nearly the beginning all the way to its finished form. Plus, you know, dragons and a modern-day, non-child bride Khaleesi and all.

Okay, book. You've got 50 pages. Go!

I only had the chance to beta the first half of the book due to deadlines so getting through the first 150 pages was a cinch. I wanted to get to the part I hadn’t read it and see what happened!

When Mari first sent it over to me there were issues with Trinity getting lost behind Connor and Caleb because those two boys were such overwhelming presences in the story. That’s a bit of an issue since it’s pretty much Trinity’s story. It was awesome to see Mari unbury Trinity from two rather powerful personalities and give her two legs to stand on. Trinity became herself, her own force and that is evident from the very beginning. Her reactions to events and the caring she has for her grandpa are all immensely grounded despite the otherworldly events going on. Trinity shines as a character and it’s hard not to get wrapped up in her presence.

What worked . . .

The time travel. And I’m hard-pressed to say it. Why? Because 99.9% of the time, despite how good the story is, time travel doesn’t work if you start thinking about it. Really, if you start thinking about Mari’s time travel in SCORCHED it starts to not work either but it’s ultimately more workable than many other time travel instances that I’ve seen. And it’s really for only one reason: those that have traveled back in time, Connor, Caleb, the Dracken, their lines are finite. There is now no longer a future for them to go to because it has yet to be rewritten based on the events they’re changing in Trinity’s time. The butterfly effect doesn’t come into play, they’re not irreparably altering a future that’s running parallel to them. Mari removed the future once she sent them back to the present. It’s gone. Now they need to rewrite it. Stop thinking about it there. STOP. That’s how it makes sense to me and how I can accept it.

I also liked how the good vs. evil dynamic between Connor and Caleb ping-ponged back and forth for the majority of the story. Up until nearly the very end I had no idea who was right or wrong, whose side either of them were on, what their ultimate objective was, nothing. Mari did an excellent job of keeping me on my toes with those two and I was constantly second-guessing both of them. But they both also bled into the gray arena of good and bad and how extremes can hurt everyone involved. It was subtle and SCORCHED is certainly a book without an agenda but I think the topic was broached nicely without being over the top.

And dragons. I loved the world Mari created around the dragons, how one could interact with them in the Nether if they’re yet to be born or have already died. I love how they can talk by using their mind, how deeply they feel and the complexity of their emotions. They’re nearly human except for their exterior. I love it.

What didn't work . . .

The name Trinity. I tried. I really did. But good god do I hate that name. Trinity. Serenity. Glory. Gross. Not a fan and I can overlook it for SCORCHED because I do love the story so but blech. I can do without that name. The only thing worse than that is Raven.

And in the end . . .

Yeah, I really need to see where Mari takes this story. SCORCHED ended its own story rather nicely but there are strings there that are flapping in the breeze. I have a feeling it’s about to go global and I really can’t wait. I’m honestly so proud of this book. I seriously beamed while reading it. Mari has written something fantastic and I’m just so happy for her. I feel like a parent or something. I don’t know why. But I’m full of pride right now. *beams*

[Jessi (Novel Heartbeat) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is very difficult for me to rate, because my thoughts about it were all over the place. There were some things I really loved, and some other things that I really didn't love.

In the beginning, I was SO onboard for this book! I was absolutely loving it. I was hooked from the start and totally intrigued by the idea of it all. I found it very engaging, and I was sure this was going to be a 5 star book for me.

Somewhere along the way, my interest waned. A lot. The main thing that killed it for me was the twin male POVs. Firstly, I had a hell of a time telling them apart. Their names even start with the same letter! Caleb and Connor. They were practically the same person. I got confused at times because I couldn't remember which brother was which, despite their different agendas. There was also a kind of love triangle going on, which made it even worse! The only positive was the fact that you couldn't tell which brother was the "good guy" at first. They both believed they were right to the extent that you had to believe them, too. Both were on opposing sides, but you couldn't decide which one to side with. Although in the end, the Dracken are evil and tricked Caleb (or at least I think it was Caleb…), and the brothers sided together. Problem solved.

Things I loved about this book: DRAGONS. Duh!! I freaking love dragons, and dragon stories are few and far between. I also thought it was interesting that Mancusi wove sci-fi and fantasy together in this story. It's kind of a conglomeration of genres! There's sci-fi elements like apocalypse and time travel, but the dragons made it more of an urban fantasy. It's also dystopian-ish, in a way! Very cool. (Especially since fantasy and sci-fi are my favorite genres!)

I found the whole idea of this book intriguing. I am really curious about this Scorch…did Trinity really cause it?? Surely she couldn't have known! (I think there's more to the story here!) Also it's kind of awesome that she's pretty much a celebrity because her name is so well known in the future, but now she's just your average girl. I typically hate the type of stories where an average girl becomes super speshul snowflake, but this one worked.

Also, Emmy was awesome! I love that Trinity and Emmy develop a bond even before Emmy hatched. And did I mention that the Nether was awesome?! There were so many unique aspects to this story that you can't help but enjoy it. The prose was very engaging, too! It's not dry in the least bit - actually, it's very informal to the point that you feel like it's a friend talking to you. It was easy to connect to Trinity.

Okay, after writing this review I realized that I enjoyed it more than I thought. It was a very unique story, and there were so many things that rocked. But seriously, the love triangle and difficulty telling the boys apart really dragged it down for me. More so when I was actually reading, because I was pretty annoyed by it. But I find that I'm quite excited to find out what happens in the next book! I'm really hoping to see more dragons than just Emmy, and see more of the legendary Fire Kissed! (And hopefully there will be no love triangle.)

Totally unrelated to the actual story, but can we talk about how beautiful this book is?! If you haven't seen under the cover (which is glorious on its own), the book itself is a full picture. It's got Emmy's face on it, and it's velvety, and Emmy's scales are embossed! It's awesome, you guys. It has super colorful endpapers, too!

This review was originally posted on Novel Heartbeat. To see a breakdown of my assessment, please visit the full review here.

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

Scorched was a bit disappointing for me. It was sort of Eragon meets Terminator and almost anything with dragons had to be good, right? Right?
Not necessarily.
The idea was absolutely intriguing and I loved the dragon parts and the worldbuilding, but the rest of this story just wasn't executed as well as I'd hoped.

The storyline, while absolutely genius at first, got a bit cliche and predictable in the second half. It was still very action packed (there's no doubting that!) but there were no unpredictable twists, nothing that made me wait with bated breath, wondering what would happen next. Honestly, it was like a rollercoaster you've already ridden one too many times. You knew where it would go, where the bumps would be, and what would happen.

The romance and love triangle in here were...not really romantic. Connor's feelings seemed insta-lovey since he was sent to kill her, basically, but instead he kissed her within maybe the first two hours they knew each other. Caleb's feelings were more like hero worship--infatuation, rather than actual love. And Trinity's feelings just popped out of nowhere, really.

Not to say I didn't love the boys--I did! (Gotta love twins.) They each had their own story, stemming from the same event, and they both so fiercely believed in what they were doing, that what they did was saving the world. They were both protective of Trinity (for some weird reason) but I loved their loyalty to her and how they put her above their "duties". They were each swoony in their own ways, but I always lean towards the bad boy, so hello Team Caleb!

I couldn't, unlike our dragon, connect with Trinity (see what I did there?). I found her annoying a lot of times and she was just so indecisive and ungrateful sometimes.
I loved Emmy, our dragon though. Actually, I loved pretty much all of the dragon scenes. They're magnificent creatures brilliantly described in Scorched. I wished we focused less on her relationship with the boys and more with the dragons.

While Scorched was a fun read, it had so much wasted potential. It was a wild ride with the dragons and the epic worldbuilding, but the characters and the romance brought it down. I still may read the sequel, but it's a small chance. I really wanted to love this book, but it just didn't work for me.