The Tempest

Black Carbon #3

by A.J. Scudiere

Find shelter. Stay low. Hold on tight.

The first tornado was an anomaly. It cleared the land and bumped up the time scale on the job. But as everyone rushes to set up the new solar farm, they find that something has shifted…

At first it was a series of small, unassuming whirlwinds, a nuisance more than a real concern. But soon the funnels get bigger and the winds get stronger, and there’s nowhere safe to hide.

When Joule and Cage get separated, the winds get even more dangerous. They’ve always had each other’s backs, but now they’ll have to survive on their own. Can they even help the people who live in the path of the fury? Maybe, if they can save themselves first.

The Tempest is the third book in the Black Carbon series. Cage and Joule are back and fighting another battle that will keep you up all night and have you ready to fight the wind. Start reading The Tempest now!

Genres: Thriller, Science Fiction, Horror, Fiction, Action

382 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 16, 2021

About the author

📖𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘀𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝘄𝗶𝘀𝘁𝘆, 𝘂𝗻𝗽𝘂𝘁𝗱𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗲
♟️stories you can't outguess! 𝘎𝘰 𝘢𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘥, 𝘵𝘳𝘺!
🏆USA TODAY bestselling author
🎁grab a FREE BOOK at my website ReadAJS.com

𝘞𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝟥𝟢 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘭 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘴, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦'𝘴 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘴𝘶𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳!

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Reviews

[A.J. Scudiere]

Welcome back to the world of Black Carbon... things are changing, disasters are reshaping the world, and the apocalypse is NOW.
Joule and Cage may have escaped the Night Hunters and the floods, but not everyone around them did. The job in Alabama seems safe--that's the whole point. But when the winds kick up and the tornadoes touch down, how do they fight something that doesn't think, doesn't want, doesn't hunt?
When they get separated, can they fight their way back without their best weapon--each other?

Pre-order here:
books2read.com/TheTempest-BlackCarbon3

Or start the series with THE HUNTED for just 99c here:
books2read.com/TheHunted-BlackCarbon1

Save the date -- March 16th is when THE TEMPEST touches down.

[Mrs LIR Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very engrossing novel and a very ODD one at the same time. I have not read the first 2 books and this is good because this novel can be read as a stand alone. The main characters are a pair of twins who try to stick together, by finding jobs in the same company, in a future world ruined by climate change.

I now live in Scotland UK but in the past I have lived in Texas and have been in a mini-tornado, which I found scary. So I could readily believe the sheer terror of this severe weather tornadoes.

The plot with the weather as one of the main elements and new technology and traditional farming factions as another are excellent. The atmosphere is tense between the Solar Panel building team that the twins are working on (a project the extreme weather proof solar panel arrays) and the native farmers is well depicted. The writing style is excellent. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. I shall definitely look out for more books by this author.

[Dacy Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been waiting for this update on Joule and Cage, and it did not disappoint! They're in Alabama on a job (together, of course, because how could we manage with them apart?), and as is usual for them there are natural disasters everywhere they turn causing danger and chaos.

I loved seeing Joule and Cage in their element in their respective jobs and getting to live 'normal' lives... for a little while, anyway. They've survived some wild events in the past, and while I was reading I truly wasn't sure if they would survive this one (no spoilers; you're going to have to read to find out).

The only thing that disappointed me about the Tempest is that it is listed as "book 3 of 3." I want more Black Carbon books in my life!

[Chelsea Skinner · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my first foray into the Black Carbon series, and I feel like I didn’t miss out too much from the first two, other than the story of the two main characters, Joule and Cage. We get bits and pieces, but nothing that explains some of their actions and feelings.

I really enjoyed this book. As someone who is terrified of tornadoes, and has traveled to tornado alley in the summer to visit my grandparents, needless to say, they fascinate me. Mainly because we know what conditions can make them form, but we can’t actually predict them with certainty.

Cage and Joule have gotten jobs working for HelioSystems working on a solar array they ae putting in in Alabama. This specific area has been chosen due to the fact that is a low tornado area. Hello foreshadowing. As the employees work to make the array twister-proof, they find themselves in the middle of strange weather that sends multiple tornadoes after them.

Cage and Joule are separated when a twister plucks his sister from the ditch they sheltered in. leaving Cage, Sarah, and Dev to search for her and their missing friend Izzy, who was also taken in the storm.

Not only do they have to search for each other, there are crazy solar protesters, drug runners, and more tornadoes than you can count.

This is definitely a wild ride from start to finish. What I loved the most was the characters. Joule is fiercely protective of her friends, which is a great character trait to have.

I also love her internal monologues. Joule encounters a tornado, and her first thought isn’t about safety, but the fact that they don’t sound like a train.

In fact, every time she’d heard a train, it had been a train. And now that she’d actually seen a tornado, it didn’t sound like a train at all. She was super salty that her limited information had turned out to be incorrect.

Full review at Small Town Reviewer

[Linda Abbott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read the adventures of Joule and Cage, her twin brother, while they try to survive several destructive, deadly tornadoes. After a tornado picks up Joule and flung her into a field, their first priority is to find each other. Not knowing if their sibling is still alive or dead, they set to find their sibling. But trying to drive anywhere was hard because the damages the tornado left behind. Both of them had met variety of the town people, both good and bad, along the way. And they have to keep an eye on the sky, any sign of tornado.

I highly recommend this book, especially if you are into suspense/psychological thriller!

I would read this book again and check out others in this series.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily

[Daniel Cox · Rating 5 out of 5]

A.J. Schroeder has done it again, and this time it is even better. In this third installment of the unluckiest, recently graduated, twins on Earth. With an action packed thriller bringing back the quick scene changes and thrill a page excitement reminiscent of the first A.J. series I read, The Vendetta Trifecta, it was a joy to read. Having lived in Northern Alabama, I did not have to suspend disbelief as much as I did in The Surface.
As always, the book is well-edited and well-proofed. The dialog is realistic, without the vocal affectation some authors feel they must burden the reader with to sound "authentic Southern." The plot was sharp, fast-paced, and filled with enough twists to get Chubby Checker up and shouting, again. The characters are all well thought out (even the minor ones), with rich and vivid descriptions; making them easily identifiable.
I can't wait for the next installment.

[Monica Mac · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cage and Joule are back, they have moved to Alabama after their graduation from Stanford. The project they are working on, providing solar to several communities, is not greeted by joy from some quarters.

However, the main issue they have to contend with are the twisters. I have never lived in a place that had these, but they seem pretty horrific to me! Unpredictable, destructive and frequently unexpected, yikes!

It has to be said that Cage and Joule are smart and resourceful and therefore they work out the best way to overcome all the challenges that are put in their path, but sometimes I wish these two would go and sit on the beach for a bit and chill! Mind you, I think they would be bored in no time.

I am glad that the author has specified that this series is not actually a YA series. Yes, the main characters are quite young but it is very readable for those of us who, ahem, are a slightly older vintage than that. It works, it really does.

Looking forward to the next book in the series :)

[Glenn Gainey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall this addition to the series was a very enjoyable read. In a style that is uniquely A.J., the author keeps you wondering what will happen next. It was nice to drop back into the lives of the Mazur twins and get another glimpse into their world of mayhem.

While this story isn't a bad read in any sense of the word, I was left feeling like there was much more story to be told and more exploration of a couple of other characters that begged to be shared (perhaps we'll see those later as a novella)

Overall, I give this book a rating of 4 stars for the continued world building and the way you find yourself really caring for the characters.

[Asiaman · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Tempest is about unusually freeky tornados. It takes place in Alabama and there are just a few characters that you will learn their history. This is a surprising book and it is a long book.
2 Girls Joule and Izzy and Joule's brother Cage plus his best friend Dev.
The book starts with tornados and ends with tornados.
Well, not the very end.
From the very start there is excitement due to a humongous Tornado that seems to be following the group.
After Running from a huge tornado they manage to survive only to be caught up in a drug gang. This book is well written and was a wonderful read and I read it twice. There is plenty of excitement from the Tornado's and the drug gang and you have a hard time stopping your reading. The book takes some twist from the tornados and the drugies, but you end up really having a terrific book. No spoilers on the ending. You will have to read it to find out what happens.

[Craig · Rating 5 out of 5]

With The Tempest, AJ Scudiere has written another gripping page-turner. The action kept the adrenaline pumping through my veins as I could not stop turning the pages until I reached the end.

Her main characters, Joule and Cage continue to be developed into fully nuanced people. Every story in the Black Carbon series has shed a little more knowledge on their personalities and quirks. They have become friends one loves to check in with every so often just to find out what new things have occurred. Unfortunately for them, they seem to be magnets for natural disasters.

The author perfectly blends science with a plausible future to create such amazing and compelling stories. I highly recommend this story, as I recommend all of her stories. I believe that everyone will enjoy it and will fast become a fan of Scudiere’s as well.

[Felix Bearden · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review of Tempest by AJ Scudiere
Living in Alabama for over 18 years I never experienced a tornado. I have seen the results of one, but never even seen one. But yes, knowing what one can do, I can imagine what it is like. Black Carbon #3 “The Tempest” is well researched and AJ’s description is accurate. Not only the damage a tornado can do but the unpredictability of how it can act. Coupled with the attachment of the twins, and their personalities, their love for each other, AJ offers an emotionally charged story that is not recommended for reading in the evening just before bedtime. Leave some time to watch some light TV program like “Death in Paradise” to give your emotional gray cells some respite.

[Catriona Lovett · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Tornado Is Indifferent, It Only Seems to Want to Eat the World

Once again, A.J. Scudiere has delivered a first-rate survival thriller! I've seen the odd green cast to the sky and the dark clouds massing until a funnel begins reaching down to touch the ground. My heart begins pounding every time I get a tornado warning on my phone.

But, I can't get enough of disaster fiction. I think it's my PTSD-addled way of coping with terror. The Tempest yielded one helluva catharsis. Each book in the Black Carbon series has had a completely different set of environmental challenges for the Mazur twins, Joule and Cage. Each one has kept me up, turning the pages until the wee hours.

The plot of this third volume sees the twins move to Alabama to begin their first jobs post-college. They've been fortunate to land employment contracts with the same company, though each is doing a different job according to their separate fields of expertise. They like their coworkers, like their jobs, but then life quickly begins throwing bags of monkeywrenches at them.

I was fortunate to get a review copy of this volume via BookSirens. I owned the first book in the series and liked it well enough that I bought the second book to read them all in order! This volume, like the other two, is a complete book and you don't have to read them in order, but I'm very glad that I did!

[Melanie S · Rating 4 out of 5]

Blown Away

Twins Joule and Cage now work for Helio Systems, bringing a new solar array to rural Alabama. Except, the locals aren't into cheap solar energy. They're heels-dug-in, picketing, marching and shouting against it. Even the weather votes 'thumbs down' - or maybe that should be 'funnels down' as a swarm of twisters strikes an area carefully chosen as relatively tornado free. The twins, and a huge cast of characters, ride out (sometimes literally!) the storms and the protests, while uncovering some unsavory local flavor, some unsung heroes, and a newfound appreciation for their lives. The action is non-stop, the fear-meter is pinned at 10, the body count is sad, and the whole story will have you biting your nails down to the quick - and loving it. This is a frightfully independent ARC review.

[PAR · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Tempest is the third book in the Black Carbon series by USA Today bestselling author A.J. Scudiere. I don't know how she does it but the twins Cage and Joule are back and fighting another battle that will keep you up all night. As this series progresses, we find that the twins have decided to accept jobs that will keep them together, the only problem is that the new tempests in their lives seem to want to separate them. Scudiere creates the kind of urban fantasy story that has readers hurrying to find out what comes next, along with a cast of characters that are as charming and interesting as you can get, this is one that you won't want to miss out on. I received this novel from Griffyn Ink. This is my true and honest review.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are looking for a series with well written characters who weather impending doom with intelligence, perseverance and the belief that science and family will always accomplish miracles, then this series is for you. AJ Scudiere is one of those authors who should be getting more attention for creating some of the best written books of the last several years. Try the Nightshade Forensic series or the Vengeance Trifecta as well and get lost in a world of remarkable characters that keep you interested and invested right to the end of each series and waiting and hoping that more are coming.

[Dennis McGowen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some Truths Mixed With Inaccuracies

I wanted to like this book. I read it to the end. Overall, the story was good with characters developed.

The problem I had with the book, and I know this is a work of fiction, is that tornado facts and truths were liberally sprinkled throughout along with some really bad inaccuracies. The problem is that when this is done, folks unfamiliar with tornadoes don't know which to believe and which to discount.

I instruct tornado preparedness training and what is mentioned above is just some of the thought processes that must be confronted and corrected while instructing.

[William Waggener · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoy A.J.’s ‘it could happen; it won’t, but it could’ science. She takes a natural problem (tornadoes), describes it well as it happens, then imposes other real rural problems onto this situation. Her research shows good insight into current economic and social pressures in the rural South without losing the pleasure of a well-written story. I highly recommend The Tempest as a stand-alone to geeks and nongeeks equally . It is also a great inclusive continuation of the Black Carbon series.
Bill Waggener, Atlanta

[Lynette · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the moment twins, Cage and Joule, start their new jobs at Helio Systems, they were assured that the location was chosen because it was not an "active zone" for tornados. After surviving two terrifying brushes with death due to "unusual" circumstances, this comes as a huge relief. However, things are about to take an unexpected and potentially lethal turn. If you are looking for action and suspense, with a good many twists and turns, the third book in the Black Carbon series is a tense thriller that definitely delivers!

[Delphia Von Heeder · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Tempest is Book 3 in the Black Carbon Series. A J Scudiere has written an exciting thriller. There are several themes in this book. The Helio Systems is financing a Solar Farm, the local residents are protesting, and tornadoes are coming more frequently and larger. The Tempest was very good. I felt like the characters were realistic and they interacted with each other in a believable way. I did not know what was going to happen next. I really enjoyed this thriller. I received an arc for free in exchange for my honest voluntary review.

[martha s. williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tempest

Loving me some AJ Scudiere. Joule and Cage are in another adventure, which is thoroughly scary and enjoyable for me, not them. Its stated in this book that they had not previously been in a tornado, but I could swear they were the night their mom was killed in The Hunted. I would love to see Jerry be a recurring character and see him grow as a person and meet his family, even if it drives Joule crazy. And more of Toto. Joule turning into a cat person was genius. Can't wait for the next installment.

[Inger · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book hits a little close to home. Same day I read it there was 7 tornado's in Alabama where my relatives live. Luckily everyone is alright. Not so much in this story. It's well written and covers only a few days but ”wow” are they action packed days. Great characters and plot. My favorite character is Toto. There is no sexual content but it does have some Tornado violence and human violence. I recommend it for teens and up. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Loy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the third book in the Black Carbon series by A J Scudiere. The twins Joule and Cage
are working together in Alabama. They have survived the night hunters and the floods now it is another crisis -- tornados.
The twins have help -- friends and coworkers - but there are more than tornados out there.
I really like the way Ms. Scudiere writes and the interesting storylines. -- This book is particularly good, and I am really enjoying this series.

[Trisha Copeland · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Tempest, the third book in the Black Carbon series, follows twin geniuses Cage and Joule as they move to rural Alabama for a job. Although they have been assured the area does not have a high likelihood for tornadoes, they quickly find themselves running from one. The twins and their new friends realize how unprepared they were for the Tempest to come. Is it true that tornadoes can target a specific person? Read The Tempest to find out!

[J.B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Tempest is another mind-bending page turner—a.k.a. what I call a sciencey-thriller!— in this super cool Black Carbon suspense series from AJ Scudiere! For Joule and Cage, however, it’s another horrifying adventure just as they are trying hard to move on with their adult lives — and this time it’s even harder to contend with because their past tragedies and terrors have created some deep-rooted scars. Highly recommend!

[Danielle Vandehaar · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn’t enjoy this book as much as the first two, though that doesn’t diminish my excitement to read the last. It wasn’t as fun to me because there is no way to fight a tornado as they were able to fight the night hunters and the sharks in the earlier book. So the author added in drug dealers which didn’t quite fit the theme of the other books. Not too bad, but not as good as earlier. Also, I can confirm, petting cats is the best for stress.

[William Zboril · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful read. This story is like riding a friendly rollercoaster. Just when you think it's ending it starts up again. I was completely taken in by the excitement and the unbelievable fast action of the story. I had a difficult time putting the book down for the evening, what a page turning thriller it was. Anyone dog likes thrillers should not miss this story.

[Billie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a brilliant read.
Wonderful well written plot and story line that had me engaged from the start.
Love the well fleshed out characters and found them believable.
Great suspense and action with wonderful world building.
Can't wait to read what the author brings out next.
Recommend reading.

I read a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review.

[Dr-Mom · Rating 5 out of 5]

AJ hit one more out of the ball park with this new read. I read this book as a stand alone. Not having read the first two books in the serious did not matter. I have been a fan of A.J. Scudiere as she has not lost her touch in this newest read. Be prepared to pull an all nighter as you will not to out this book down!

[Dawn Suplicki · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoy the bond between the twins. Makes me wish I had one. Based on the previous books I was expecting something more to happen. There was a couple twists (no pun intended) I liked. The best thing about AJ's books are that you actually learn facts without knowing you are learning. Looking forward to the next trouble that finds the twins.

[Joseph · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved when AJ made the twins central figures in her Black Carbon series. Really appreciate her focus on family ties and the bond the twins enjoy. Never thought a novel about tornados could be so suspenseful but I was wrong. The tornados almost take on hunter/predator characteristics which is what makes this story so unexpectedly engaging. Keep them coming please.