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Burnt Earth #1
Scorched: The Last Nomads
Every day, I pray my sister survived the wasteland--and that the bond between us will be enough for me to find her.
One hundred and sixty-seven years ago, a solar coronal mass ejection devastated civilization. In the blink of an eye, technology died. Destroying the grid might not have brought about our end, but the solar superstorm blighted the land and made us sick. After the crisis, lawlessness ruled, and societies fell. This is the hellish world my sister Ash and I grew up in. If it's not the landscape trying to kill you, the wailers who roam the wasteland at night will.
Now our home, The Park, teeters on the brink of extinction. When the annual shipment of supplies from Low Tide outpost failed to arrive, my sister led a small scouting party to find out what happened.
But she never came back. No one did.
I can either hope for a miracle or mourn her for dead. I can't live with either option. The elders won't let me leave. But nothing will keep me from Ash. The unexpected arrival of The Dead Troupe--part-nomads, part-performers--offers an unexpected opportunity to find her.
Now I just need to survive the sunburnt earth where the wailers roam and none but the Dead Troupe survive.
One hundred and sixty-seven years ago, a solar coronal mass ejection devastated civilization. In the blink of an eye, technology died. Destroying the grid might not have brought about our end, but the solar superstorm blighted the land and made us sick. After the crisis, lawlessness ruled, and societies fell. This is the hellish world my sister Ash and I grew up in. If it's not the landscape trying to kill you, the wailers who roam the wasteland at night will.
Now our home, The Park, teeters on the brink of extinction. When the annual shipment of supplies from Low Tide outpost failed to arrive, my sister led a small scouting party to find out what happened.
But she never came back. No one did.
I can either hope for a miracle or mourn her for dead. I can't live with either option. The elders won't let me leave. But nothing will keep me from Ash. The unexpected arrival of The Dead Troupe--part-nomads, part-performers--offers an unexpected opportunity to find her.
Now I just need to survive the sunburnt earth where the wailers roam and none but the Dead Troupe survive.
172 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 18, 2017
36 people are currently reading
171 people want to read
About the author
Melanie Karsak
90 books1,727 followersNew York Times and USA Today best-selling historical fantasy author Melanie Karsak is the author of the Celtic Blood series, Steampunk Red Riding Hood, Steampunk Fairy Tales, the Road to Valhalla Series, and other works of fantasy and fiction. The author currently lives in Florida with her husband and two children.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
January 18, 2018
Actually really surprised with how engaging this storyline was and how hard to put down it was. I really enjoyed this. It has a lot of punch packed into such a short story under 200 pages. Really looking forward to book two!
April 2, 2023
I enjoyed this book.
Interesting premise and world building but the story is unfinished and not sure if the author is planning to.
Cliffhanger ending.
Interesting premise and world building but the story is unfinished and not sure if the author is planning to.
Cliffhanger ending.
October 31, 2017
and I am hooked. RTC.
January 12, 2018
(RabidReads.com) 4·5 stars Melanie Karsak’s Harvesting series absolutely blew me away with it’s dystopian story of a group of small town people struggling to stay alive when everything was throwing it’s worse at them. It was exciting, full of action, yet romantic at times, and kept me on the edge of my seat for most of the series. Well, Karsak has done it again and re-imagined a completely different sort of dystopian world, one that kept me turning pages and on the edge of my seat for most of it.
Keyes is a young woman that has lived her whole life behind a fence of high walls in the community called, The Park. It’s a world that has been devastated by a solar coronal mass ejection one hundred and sixty seven years previously. There’s few people left and even fewer safe places. At night the wailers come and hunt for food-otherwise known as humans. These are people that changed after the solar event. They are little more than monsters. Keyes has a sister named, Ash, that has gone on a journey for supplies to another town, Low Tide. She’s been gone far too long and Keyes knows that something is really wrong. The elders won’t let her go to Low Tide, but she’s not going to let that stop her. When the Dead Troupe comes for a visit and to perform, she is able to catch a ride with them when they leave.
Keyes was a different sort of character. If she lived today, she would probably be an engineer or inventor. She’s the one that fixes anything mechanical and finds ways to help her community survive. She’s smart, attractive, and extremely loyal to Ash, her only family that is left. Bodi is a member of the Dead Troupe. He is charismatic and devastatingly handsome to Keyes. They become attracted to each other and it was interesting to see Keyes interact with a man after being in the same small community for her lifetime. She’s never been interested in any of the men she knew from her childhood, so this is an exciting time for her. The other characters from the Dead Troupe are way more interesting than anybody from her community as well. They live a truly nomadic life and Keyes can be a big help to them in their survival.
As her usual, Karsak’s world building was amazing. I felt like I was right there, looking at the burnt earth and the world made up of very little color. All around Keyes are vestiges of a world long gone, a world that Keyes has read about in the few existing books and even menu’s from restaurants. She longs for a cheeseburger, fries, and a milkshake and can’t even fathom what that would taste like. This is a world that is no longer slowly dying, it’s dying at a much faster rate. And it’s not just the wailers, the climate(heat), and the lack of food or water purification. It also just might have a human component helping with some of the misery.
I literally want book two, NOW. And it’s not out yet. I thought this book was amazing, the writing well done and the pacing was perfect. The only thing I didn’t like? It was too short and I wanted more. Highly recommended to lovers of dystopian stories and/or urban fantasy and maybe even paranormal romance. For ages 14 plus at this point in the series.
Keyes is a young woman that has lived her whole life behind a fence of high walls in the community called, The Park. It’s a world that has been devastated by a solar coronal mass ejection one hundred and sixty seven years previously. There’s few people left and even fewer safe places. At night the wailers come and hunt for food-otherwise known as humans. These are people that changed after the solar event. They are little more than monsters. Keyes has a sister named, Ash, that has gone on a journey for supplies to another town, Low Tide. She’s been gone far too long and Keyes knows that something is really wrong. The elders won’t let her go to Low Tide, but she’s not going to let that stop her. When the Dead Troupe comes for a visit and to perform, she is able to catch a ride with them when they leave.
Keyes was a different sort of character. If she lived today, she would probably be an engineer or inventor. She’s the one that fixes anything mechanical and finds ways to help her community survive. She’s smart, attractive, and extremely loyal to Ash, her only family that is left. Bodi is a member of the Dead Troupe. He is charismatic and devastatingly handsome to Keyes. They become attracted to each other and it was interesting to see Keyes interact with a man after being in the same small community for her lifetime. She’s never been interested in any of the men she knew from her childhood, so this is an exciting time for her. The other characters from the Dead Troupe are way more interesting than anybody from her community as well. They live a truly nomadic life and Keyes can be a big help to them in their survival.
As her usual, Karsak’s world building was amazing. I felt like I was right there, looking at the burnt earth and the world made up of very little color. All around Keyes are vestiges of a world long gone, a world that Keyes has read about in the few existing books and even menu’s from restaurants. She longs for a cheeseburger, fries, and a milkshake and can’t even fathom what that would taste like. This is a world that is no longer slowly dying, it’s dying at a much faster rate. And it’s not just the wailers, the climate(heat), and the lack of food or water purification. It also just might have a human component helping with some of the misery.
I literally want book two, NOW. And it’s not out yet. I thought this book was amazing, the writing well done and the pacing was perfect. The only thing I didn’t like? It was too short and I wanted more. Highly recommended to lovers of dystopian stories and/or urban fantasy and maybe even paranormal romance. For ages 14 plus at this point in the series.
October 15, 2017
I was given an ARC of Scorched: The Last Nomad by Melanie Karsak in exchange for an honest review. I had previously reviewed Scorched: Sun Extinction which is the prequal to The Burnt Earth Series and really enjoyed it so was excited to review the first book in The Burnt Earth series.
This book is from Keyes perspective as she prepares to go looking for Ash. Ash is Keyes' sister who went on a journey through the wastelands of a sun scorched Earth after their homesteads provisions didn't arrive from the next town, Low Tide. Ash and her team did not return and the elders have forbidden Keyes from going out and searching for her as the world outside of The Park is far too dangerous. Keyes' luck changed when a group known as the Dead Troupe come to The Park for the first time in six years. They are nomads who travel around the remaining towns sharing news of survivors and entertaining the towns.
The first 50% of the book was about Keyes thinking about how she was going to persuade the elders to let her go out and travel to Low Tide and find her sister so not a lot happened but once the Dead Troupe arrived the story got a lot more interesting. Keyes fixed their equipment and when they left they sneaked her out and travelled the perilous journey to Low Tide to find her sister.
This is the point at which I started to enjoy the story as I remember the brilliant way that Melanie Karsak described the sun scorched world that was left in the preqal. With this book she did not disappoint. I had the same feelings of trepidation as the Dead Troupe travelled the wasteland as well as fear when they encountered the wailers.
I liked the budding relationship between Keyes and Bodi, one of the members of the Dead Troupe, and hope this develops in the next book. The end was also interesting with Keyes finding out that her sister did actually reach a deserted and abandoned Low Tide but was no longer there and that the elders of The Park were hiding something from its people about their future survival. Keyes decides to join the Dead Troupe and travel with them in search for her sister and also to find information about a way for her people to survive the sun scorched Earth.
Overall a great story which I will definitely be continuing.
This book is from Keyes perspective as she prepares to go looking for Ash. Ash is Keyes' sister who went on a journey through the wastelands of a sun scorched Earth after their homesteads provisions didn't arrive from the next town, Low Tide. Ash and her team did not return and the elders have forbidden Keyes from going out and searching for her as the world outside of The Park is far too dangerous. Keyes' luck changed when a group known as the Dead Troupe come to The Park for the first time in six years. They are nomads who travel around the remaining towns sharing news of survivors and entertaining the towns.
The first 50% of the book was about Keyes thinking about how she was going to persuade the elders to let her go out and travel to Low Tide and find her sister so not a lot happened but once the Dead Troupe arrived the story got a lot more interesting. Keyes fixed their equipment and when they left they sneaked her out and travelled the perilous journey to Low Tide to find her sister.
This is the point at which I started to enjoy the story as I remember the brilliant way that Melanie Karsak described the sun scorched world that was left in the preqal. With this book she did not disappoint. I had the same feelings of trepidation as the Dead Troupe travelled the wasteland as well as fear when they encountered the wailers.
I liked the budding relationship between Keyes and Bodi, one of the members of the Dead Troupe, and hope this develops in the next book. The end was also interesting with Keyes finding out that her sister did actually reach a deserted and abandoned Low Tide but was no longer there and that the elders of The Park were hiding something from its people about their future survival. Keyes decides to join the Dead Troupe and travel with them in search for her sister and also to find information about a way for her people to survive the sun scorched Earth.
Overall a great story which I will definitely be continuing.
June 7, 2019
Interesting and original dystopian novel. What would family, community and loyalty be like a generation or two after cataclysm? How would we adapt and survive? What of other species?
Keyes and her older sister, Ash, we're born into a world that seems to be slowly dying after a cataclysmic solar flare. Almost all technology was fried. While many uncomputerized mechanism still function, power is in low supply.
Their small community is safe, for now, but the sun, solar sickness, wailers, and even some other humans are against them. Fewer children are being born, and all supplies are limited. The Park relies on getting needed supplies regularly from the nearby community of Low Tide. When their supplies didn't arrive on schedule, Ash and a small group went to investigate. Now they too are missing.
Keyes is determined to find out what has happened to her sister. She repeatedly asks for permission to leave The Park to look for her. It seems all the council wants to do is wait, and keep Keyes safe within the walls. She is sure Ash is in trouble!
What has befallen the missing members of this struggling community? Is there trouble in Low Tide? What extremes will Keyes go to in her efforts to find her sister?
Keyes and her older sister, Ash, we're born into a world that seems to be slowly dying after a cataclysmic solar flare. Almost all technology was fried. While many uncomputerized mechanism still function, power is in low supply.
Their small community is safe, for now, but the sun, solar sickness, wailers, and even some other humans are against them. Fewer children are being born, and all supplies are limited. The Park relies on getting needed supplies regularly from the nearby community of Low Tide. When their supplies didn't arrive on schedule, Ash and a small group went to investigate. Now they too are missing.
Keyes is determined to find out what has happened to her sister. She repeatedly asks for permission to leave The Park to look for her. It seems all the council wants to do is wait, and keep Keyes safe within the walls. She is sure Ash is in trouble!
What has befallen the missing members of this struggling community? Is there trouble in Low Tide? What extremes will Keyes go to in her efforts to find her sister?
January 31, 2018
Very good
Very exciting without a single carchase, massive gun battle or explosion. The were some incidents of killing mutants at close quarters but that was it.
The characters are well done and she's demonstrated serious imagination in populating this world. The dialogue both internal and external, felt real and advanced the story. The plot is clear. You can see its flow but who knows where it is headed.
The main character is a young woman which is a big plus. Most of the male writers that I've read over the last year should try this book. It might provide much needed insight into how a woman might view the world.
Very much worth reading, I feel.
Very exciting without a single carchase, massive gun battle or explosion. The were some incidents of killing mutants at close quarters but that was it.
The characters are well done and she's demonstrated serious imagination in populating this world. The dialogue both internal and external, felt real and advanced the story. The plot is clear. You can see its flow but who knows where it is headed.
The main character is a young woman which is a big plus. Most of the male writers that I've read over the last year should try this book. It might provide much needed insight into how a woman might view the world.
Very much worth reading, I feel.
October 17, 2017
Wow!! I loved this book. Despite the sun scorched world in which this takes place, the story has a dark twist to it. Humanity is on the brink and there are dark elements at work. I'm not usually a big post apocalyptic reader but I love Karsak's books. The story is so good. I couldn't stop reading. The characters are quirky and real. I love the strong female characters that Karsak creates. I can't wait to see where this story goes. I highly recommend this book.
October 21, 2017
After Earth was scorched and sickness took over, any remaining communities are living in small areas walled up to protect them against the ravaging Wailers who stalk the night. This story follows Keyes’ journey across the desolate and dangerous land with a group of resilient and brave individuals called The Dead Troupe to find her sister, who along with 3 others had set out to find what happened to their missing scheduled shipment of supplies but they did not return.
February 1, 2018
Pretty good...more for teens, though
Not a bad dystopian story. Fairly good character and plot development. There is a a perceptible lack of hard science and the authors writing style seems to be more geared to the teenage crowd. I’m not going to pursue book 2 at this time but I may come back to this series sometime later.
Not a bad dystopian story. Fairly good character and plot development. There is a a perceptible lack of hard science and the authors writing style seems to be more geared to the teenage crowd. I’m not going to pursue book 2 at this time but I may come back to this series sometime later.
December 31, 2017
This is such a good book! Dystopian future mixed with steampunk mixed with fabulousness. I loved it and cannot wait to read book 2. Keys is a perfect heroine. I was rooting for her from the first page. I absolutely recommend this book...
August 14, 2018
There’s a big world packed into this little story. In just shy of 150 pages Melanie Karsak managed to wrap us up in a tale of suspense, action, danger, and just a hint of romance. This taste of the Scorched world has me wanting more so I can find out just what exactly is going on!
December 21, 2017
What an incredible start to this new series!
After reading Scorched: Sun Extinction, the prequel to the Burnt Earth Series, I knew this would be a kick-ass series. In addition to a dying world scorched from a coronal mass ejection, and mankind suffering from solar sickness, those left live in fear of the wailers, creatures whose terrifying howls alone are enough to increase your heart rate.
Melanie's world-building is so spot-on that it's easy to feel the dirt and grime on your skin blanketed in oppressive heat. I felt the urge to sit in front of the open freezer while reading.
Keyes is, of course, a hell of a heroine. She's inventive, intelligent, and resolute in her decision to leave The Park to find her missing sister, Ash, and the others who went missing during their search for the community's missing shipment of supplies.
When a group of travelling performers called the Dead Troupe arrived, I found my new book boyfriend. Bodi, who is as enigmatic as the rest of the troupe, connects with Keyes, though the romance is subtle, which I appreciate because this isn't a romance novel.
I am very much looking forward to reading more of the Burnt Earth series, and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys post-apocalyptic books.
After reading Scorched: Sun Extinction, the prequel to the Burnt Earth Series, I knew this would be a kick-ass series. In addition to a dying world scorched from a coronal mass ejection, and mankind suffering from solar sickness, those left live in fear of the wailers, creatures whose terrifying howls alone are enough to increase your heart rate.
Melanie's world-building is so spot-on that it's easy to feel the dirt and grime on your skin blanketed in oppressive heat. I felt the urge to sit in front of the open freezer while reading.
Keyes is, of course, a hell of a heroine. She's inventive, intelligent, and resolute in her decision to leave The Park to find her missing sister, Ash, and the others who went missing during their search for the community's missing shipment of supplies.
When a group of travelling performers called the Dead Troupe arrived, I found my new book boyfriend. Bodi, who is as enigmatic as the rest of the troupe, connects with Keyes, though the romance is subtle, which I appreciate because this isn't a romance novel.
I am very much looking forward to reading more of the Burnt Earth series, and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys post-apocalyptic books.
July 8, 2021
I did really enjoy this book, particularly the latter half where there was more action. I did nearly take one star away, though, as it was not very long - I know this is frequently the case nowadays, but I was really enjoying the action and then it ended. On somewhat of a cliffhanger - so I probably would have preferred to wait until the entire series was completed. However, it was well written, interesting, and had some original ideas, so 5 stars.
October 18, 2017
I am never disappointed by Melanie Karsak's books, especially her post-apocalypse stories. I know that I can always expect solid world building and a kick-ass heroine. The first book in the Scorched series lived up to all my expectations.
Keyes is the kind of girl I wish I could be... you know, if the world as we know it was essentially rubble, civilization was destroyed, and the human species was teetering on the brink. She is resourceful and persistent, loyal to a fault. She's also too innocent for this world she's grown up in. I'm not sure why yet, but the community seems to be going to extreme lengths to protect her.
And then, of course, we have the wailers. Because obviously a dying world isn't enough for Keyes to handle, she will also be pitted against howling creatures of the night! I won't say too much about them, because a large part of the story's anticipation is shrouded in their mystery. I will say that I'm excited to see how their story unfolds through the series, as I'm sure they have a large role to play.
The Dead Troupe, a group of travelling performers, fills out the cast. They are an eclectic bunch of survivors, and even after reading the book, I feel like there's still so much about them I don't know. I want their back stories! I am intensely curious about where they come from; almost as curious as for where they're headed! With the troupe comes the most mysterious character of the bunch, Bodi. Keyes has a connection with Bodi, but the romance is slow and subtle. I just hope he's trustworthy, because the last thing Keyes needs at this point is a back-stabbing boyfriend!
Scorched: The Last Nomads feels a bit like a tease to a much larger story. I hope we don't have too long to wait until the next book, but just in case, there's a prequel that I fully intend to read. Hopefully that will tide me over.
A copy of this book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
Keyes is the kind of girl I wish I could be... you know, if the world as we know it was essentially rubble, civilization was destroyed, and the human species was teetering on the brink. She is resourceful and persistent, loyal to a fault. She's also too innocent for this world she's grown up in. I'm not sure why yet, but the community seems to be going to extreme lengths to protect her.
And then, of course, we have the wailers. Because obviously a dying world isn't enough for Keyes to handle, she will also be pitted against howling creatures of the night! I won't say too much about them, because a large part of the story's anticipation is shrouded in their mystery. I will say that I'm excited to see how their story unfolds through the series, as I'm sure they have a large role to play.
The Dead Troupe, a group of travelling performers, fills out the cast. They are an eclectic bunch of survivors, and even after reading the book, I feel like there's still so much about them I don't know. I want their back stories! I am intensely curious about where they come from; almost as curious as for where they're headed! With the troupe comes the most mysterious character of the bunch, Bodi. Keyes has a connection with Bodi, but the romance is slow and subtle. I just hope he's trustworthy, because the last thing Keyes needs at this point is a back-stabbing boyfriend!
Scorched: The Last Nomads feels a bit like a tease to a much larger story. I hope we don't have too long to wait until the next book, but just in case, there's a prequel that I fully intend to read. Hopefully that will tide me over.
A copy of this book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews