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Arid Earth #1
The Knowledge Keeper
In a climate-changed world, the Library is the lifeblood of civilisation. And it's about to have a heart attack...
If it hadn’t been for the man in white body paint appearing out of the darkness, my Bus would now be a broken steel carcass in a smoking hole.
Someone set a landmine in ambush for the Library vehicle, a mobile repository of information saved from before the War. A beacon of knowledge in the ashes of civilisation, and my sole responsibility. Someone tried to take it from me. To stop the flow of free information. To steal from the people scratching out a living on the dusty frontier, just one cloudship delivery away from desiccation.
Now, other Keepers are missing. And not just Keepers. People have been disappearing from camps and settlements scattered across the outback. Why didn’t we know about it? The Library is supposed to know everything. That’s its whole purpose, to save and share knowledge. Isn’t it?
I have to warn New Pearth. After all, this is what I was trained for. Though the Library could never have predicted a plot this savage, or this well-organised.
But first, with only a psychotic ex-slave and a digital ghost to help, I have to survive the trip…
If it hadn’t been for the man in white body paint appearing out of the darkness, my Bus would now be a broken steel carcass in a smoking hole.
Someone set a landmine in ambush for the Library vehicle, a mobile repository of information saved from before the War. A beacon of knowledge in the ashes of civilisation, and my sole responsibility. Someone tried to take it from me. To stop the flow of free information. To steal from the people scratching out a living on the dusty frontier, just one cloudship delivery away from desiccation.
Now, other Keepers are missing. And not just Keepers. People have been disappearing from camps and settlements scattered across the outback. Why didn’t we know about it? The Library is supposed to know everything. That’s its whole purpose, to save and share knowledge. Isn’t it?
I have to warn New Pearth. After all, this is what I was trained for. Though the Library could never have predicted a plot this savage, or this well-organised.
But first, with only a psychotic ex-slave and a digital ghost to help, I have to survive the trip…
340 pages, Paperback
Published January 28, 2023
1 person is currently reading
2 people want to read
About the author
J.L. Pawley
7 books33 followersJ L Pawley is a young author of multiple books across many genres. She has a Diploma in Creative Writing and a Bachelor of Arts in English and Media Studies. She signed her first publishing contract at age 22 and is now independently published. She is currently studying English at postgraduate level at Massey University in Auckland, New Zealand, but can be found hanging out at www.wattpad.com most days.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
December 24, 2024
This is absolutely not my usual cuppa, but I thoroughly enjoyed this fast-paced dystopian sci-fi adventure.
It felt like Hunger Games meets Mad Max and the action certainly never seemed to stop.
Set in a future Australia after World War 3, Vai is a Keeper, travelling around the remote outback in her specially kitted out bus, delivering necessities, knowledge and information to remote communities who rely on the Library in New Pearth.
But Keepers have been disappearing and Vai and her bus have to warn New Pearth, which puts them both in grave danger.
Written by Auckland-based author JL Pawley, this is the first in a series and I am looking forward to Book 2!
It felt like Hunger Games meets Mad Max and the action certainly never seemed to stop.
Set in a future Australia after World War 3, Vai is a Keeper, travelling around the remote outback in her specially kitted out bus, delivering necessities, knowledge and information to remote communities who rely on the Library in New Pearth.
But Keepers have been disappearing and Vai and her bus have to warn New Pearth, which puts them both in grave danger.
Written by Auckland-based author JL Pawley, this is the first in a series and I am looking forward to Book 2!
Displaying 1 of 1 review