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Scorched Earth #1
Kindling
Humans had their chance; welcome to Plan B.
It’s 2701 and a new human species reigns over earth—one that is smarter, stronger, and possesses powerful mental gifts. But only a few hundred thousand have survived on the ravaged planet, and their present peace is unraveling in the face of an uncertain future.
Mercy Adams sees the future, but she’s obsessed with the past. When her influential parents are kidnapped, she’s pulled from her simple, academic life into a world of peril and sacrifice that will test her bravery and threaten the future of Scorch itself. Amidst encrypted transmissions from outer space and revelations of a secret society, the population begins to take sides—heal Scorch or evacuate it? Mercy and her friends embark on a rescue mission to save her parents, only to discover it might be the spark that ignites a war.
It’s 2701 and a new human species reigns over earth—one that is smarter, stronger, and possesses powerful mental gifts. But only a few hundred thousand have survived on the ravaged planet, and their present peace is unraveling in the face of an uncertain future.
Mercy Adams sees the future, but she’s obsessed with the past. When her influential parents are kidnapped, she’s pulled from her simple, academic life into a world of peril and sacrifice that will test her bravery and threaten the future of Scorch itself. Amidst encrypted transmissions from outer space and revelations of a secret society, the population begins to take sides—heal Scorch or evacuate it? Mercy and her friends embark on a rescue mission to save her parents, only to discover it might be the spark that ignites a war.
400 pages, Paperback
Published October 22, 2024
4 people are currently reading
15 people want to read
About the author
Sandra Macek
2 books5 followersSandra Macek is the author of the young adult sci-fi series Scorched Earth, which includes the novels Kindling, Flare, Magma, and Firestorm. After graduating with a degree in rhetoric, she dreamed of becoming a novelist; instead she got a job so she could eat. Now she’s an IT professional by day and a writer by night—surviving suburbia on a continuous diet of girl-power fiction. Given the chance to be anyone else, she’d be Buffy, Bella, or any woman in Paris.
You can find her online at SandraMacek.com.
You can find her online at SandraMacek.com.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
December 27, 2024
This book is absolutely amazing and sucked me right from the start! Absolutely a must-read!! From the setting to the characters to the storyline, everything is so well thought out and designed to draw the reader in. The idea of a new human species is fascinating and tying it in with the idea of “What if there really is a God” is genius. I love being able to explore the world of Scorch from different point of views while simultaneously learning about the characters. I’m eagerly waiting for the second book (Flare) to come out so I can lose myself further into the world of Scorch!!
October 25, 2024
An ARC from netgalley.
In the early 22nd century the people of earth all as one hear a collective message in their heads, telling them that all children conceived from the day before onwards will be born a different kind of human and that no other 'normal' humans will be born for 40 years.
It's an interesting concept and one that led me to pick up this book as it's a mystery I was very curious to get to the bottom of.
Ultimately I felt like the story didn't quite work for me. Most of this book was set 600 years in the future after this new race of humans has been established for a long time. In the years in-between the earth has been ravaged and the political situation is fragile. However I really wanted to read more about the early years of this massive change, and we only got a small amount of this time period laced throughout the book.
There was a lot going on, but I felt like it didn't totally gel together as a cohesive whole. The book ended fairly suddenly and I understand it's the start of a series, but I felt like it was set up for the rest of the books.
Overall, promising but didn't entirely work for me.
In the early 22nd century the people of earth all as one hear a collective message in their heads, telling them that all children conceived from the day before onwards will be born a different kind of human and that no other 'normal' humans will be born for 40 years.
It's an interesting concept and one that led me to pick up this book as it's a mystery I was very curious to get to the bottom of.
Ultimately I felt like the story didn't quite work for me. Most of this book was set 600 years in the future after this new race of humans has been established for a long time. In the years in-between the earth has been ravaged and the political situation is fragile. However I really wanted to read more about the early years of this massive change, and we only got a small amount of this time period laced throughout the book.
There was a lot going on, but I felt like it didn't totally gel together as a cohesive whole. The book ended fairly suddenly and I understand it's the start of a series, but I felt like it was set up for the rest of the books.
Overall, promising but didn't entirely work for me.
March 5, 2026
Such a unique and wholly original premise. Fans of science fiction will love the intricate worldbuilding and the epic scope of this story!
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews