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When The Trees All Burned
Forty years ago, on the night his mother died, Rajiv Montgomery Noah received a vision of fire that would consume the world. While others dismissed the growing signs of climate collapse, he devoted his life to an improbable task: building a sanctuary in the wilderness of northern Ontario—a dome erected over an abandoned mine, designed to shelter two hundred souls within the ancient forest.
Now, as the world teeters on the edge of catastrophe, Rajiv's dome stands as both monument and shelter—a testament to hope, hubris, and the weight of choosing who survives. But neither the dome's reinforced walls nor Rajiv's careful calculations can prepare its inhabitants for the moral complexity of being the chosen few, or shield them from the haunting question: what makes survival worthwhile when everything familiar has burned away?
When The Trees All Burned, the first novel in The Path That Takes Us Home series, is a meditation on grief, purpose, and human resilience in the face of environmental collapse. In the tradition of Station Eleven and The Road, it asks not just how we might survive a dying world, but who we become in the surviving.
Now, as the world teeters on the edge of catastrophe, Rajiv's dome stands as both monument and shelter—a testament to hope, hubris, and the weight of choosing who survives. But neither the dome's reinforced walls nor Rajiv's careful calculations can prepare its inhabitants for the moral complexity of being the chosen few, or shield them from the haunting question: what makes survival worthwhile when everything familiar has burned away?
When The Trees All Burned, the first novel in The Path That Takes Us Home series, is a meditation on grief, purpose, and human resilience in the face of environmental collapse. In the tradition of Station Eleven and The Road, it asks not just how we might survive a dying world, but who we become in the surviving.
383 pages, Paperback
Published April 1, 2025
About the author
Alanna Rusnak
20 books65 followersAlanna was born in the wrong decade and dreams of abandoning everything to live in a van and travel across Canada. She’ll call it "a book tour," but it’s really an excuse to unleash her inner hippie.
A collector of typewriters and John Travolta VHS movies, she believes life is too short to not indulge in the things that bring you joy and in keeping with that philosophy, she left a stuffy office job of 18 years to launch a full-time indie press out of a chicken coop on her childhood property.
An author of literary and speculative fiction, Alanna likes to play in dark spaces, but always leaves room for redemption. Her latest novel is about burning down the world in order to set things right.
Settled in West Grey as a four-year-old, it has always been her home and source of inspiration and she’s working hard to build bridges between the various arts communities. With no immediate plans to abandon this, she will certainly leave it all behind the moment her husband gets on board with the van-life idea.
A collector of typewriters and John Travolta VHS movies, she believes life is too short to not indulge in the things that bring you joy and in keeping with that philosophy, she left a stuffy office job of 18 years to launch a full-time indie press out of a chicken coop on her childhood property.
An author of literary and speculative fiction, Alanna likes to play in dark spaces, but always leaves room for redemption. Her latest novel is about burning down the world in order to set things right.
Settled in West Grey as a four-year-old, it has always been her home and source of inspiration and she’s working hard to build bridges between the various arts communities. With no immediate plans to abandon this, she will certainly leave it all behind the moment her husband gets on board with the van-life idea.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
March 18, 2025
I am a fan of apocalyptic fiction, and this page-turner hit allll the spots for me! A timeline hopping back and forward, forming a full picture from individual pieces snapped into place. A cast of colourful, memorable characters. Big questions about life, what's important, and where are headed as a species. Beautiful descriptions of nature and moments in life both big and small, glorious pop culture references, and deliciously rendered vignettes from around the world that hit perfectly and left me shivering. Everything about When the Trees All Burned was highly satisfying. I recommend this one enthusiastically to all fans of apocalyptic fiction!
Thank you so much to Alanna Rusnak for the ARC I received in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you so much to Alanna Rusnak for the ARC I received in exchange for an honest review.
April 1, 2025
I found this book to be engaging, an interesting read about a prophesied apocalyptic event that was predicted to destroy life on earth. The book follows a number of characters who are unconnected, in the time leading up to the date of destruction. It was based in Ontario…hurray!
It was well written, easy to read and follow, even with the multiple characters and storylines. Note- make sure to read the subheading for each chapter that tells you when the chapter is taking place.
I thought it was well paced, the chapters short enough to not be overwhelming. There were a number of statements and underlying philosophies that would lend themselves well to discussion, and disagreement. Thought provoking!
As someone who is interested in the subject of climate crisis, civilizational collapse, I would have liked a deeper dive into the issues the world is currently facing. I also think the characters could have been more developed, but that is challenging when there are lots.
I liked that some of the individual stories were wrapped up at the end, and others left open, presumably to be followed up on in next books in series.
Overall, well done, well written, I personally would have liked more, but I can recommend this book for followers of the genre.
It was well written, easy to read and follow, even with the multiple characters and storylines. Note- make sure to read the subheading for each chapter that tells you when the chapter is taking place.
I thought it was well paced, the chapters short enough to not be overwhelming. There were a number of statements and underlying philosophies that would lend themselves well to discussion, and disagreement. Thought provoking!
As someone who is interested in the subject of climate crisis, civilizational collapse, I would have liked a deeper dive into the issues the world is currently facing. I also think the characters could have been more developed, but that is challenging when there are lots.
I liked that some of the individual stories were wrapped up at the end, and others left open, presumably to be followed up on in next books in series.
Overall, well done, well written, I personally would have liked more, but I can recommend this book for followers of the genre.
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October 15, 2026Has our time come.
In Rusnak's When the Trees all Burned we are taken on an engaging story that will grab you from the moment it begins and draw you in. In this story we follow along as humanity is tested by this latest prophecy, there are moments it comes off the page like a live event or a retelling of a true story.
In Rusak's world building even while creating destruction in Ontario she did her best to represent the area correctly. As to characters at the beginning of the story there are will be a lot thrown at you at one time, it may take a minute to adjust but it will be worth it if you stick it out because once you follow through they are easy to follow and for the most part give you something to like about them individually.
Rusnak has done a perfect job on this script by keeping this where it needs to be for a doomsday prophesied apocalyptic book. We constantly have thoughts about family and the end of the world. Other events we know of that have failed as well are all on the forefront of our minds. You also can't help but think of global catastrophes that are often present as well. All in all this book was beautifully written and thought provoking.
In Rusnak's When the Trees all Burned we are taken on an engaging story that will grab you from the moment it begins and draw you in. In this story we follow along as humanity is tested by this latest prophecy, there are moments it comes off the page like a live event or a retelling of a true story.
In Rusak's world building even while creating destruction in Ontario she did her best to represent the area correctly. As to characters at the beginning of the story there are will be a lot thrown at you at one time, it may take a minute to adjust but it will be worth it if you stick it out because once you follow through they are easy to follow and for the most part give you something to like about them individually.
Rusnak has done a perfect job on this script by keeping this where it needs to be for a doomsday prophesied apocalyptic book. We constantly have thoughts about family and the end of the world. Other events we know of that have failed as well are all on the forefront of our minds. You also can't help but think of global catastrophes that are often present as well. All in all this book was beautifully written and thought provoking.
February 13, 2026
Fabulous characters; a plot that really grabs you and takes you along for the journey.
March 24, 2025
I thoroughly enjoyed reading Alanna’s latest work. This story is so thought provoking. I’m still thinking about how she shared the human experience when life’s future is uncertain. How many times have prophecies failed? Will this one? Would you hedge your bet if it meant losing everyone you loved? Alanna does a great job of telling stories of the characters wrestling with these questions. I highly recommend this read.
April 2, 2025
I'm not usually a fan of apocalyptic fiction, but this book is such a page turner! Alanna makes the characters come to life, bringing out their humanity. Her language is beautiful and keeps you captivated throughout.
March 31, 2025
The plot, characters, and settings of When the Trees All Burned draw you in, surprise you, and keep you turning pages.
I loved it.
One of my favourite things was the setting/worldbuilding. Alanna brings cities and locations in Ontario to the page in a way I have longed to see. I feel honored by this representation of the land I live in -- even if it is the setting for an apocalyptic destruction 😅 The research that went into this book makes it such a delight to read.
The novel changes points of view frequently, but it works well, and the characters are all easy to fall in love with -- I am glad we get 2 more books in this series to get to know them more!!
Brief notes on content: some semi-explicit sexual content; domestic abuse; profanity; descriptions of people being destroyed in an apocalypse.
I loved it.
One of my favourite things was the setting/worldbuilding. Alanna brings cities and locations in Ontario to the page in a way I have longed to see. I feel honored by this representation of the land I live in -- even if it is the setting for an apocalyptic destruction 😅 The research that went into this book makes it such a delight to read.
The novel changes points of view frequently, but it works well, and the characters are all easy to fall in love with -- I am glad we get 2 more books in this series to get to know them more!!
Brief notes on content: some semi-explicit sexual content; domestic abuse; profanity; descriptions of people being destroyed in an apocalypse.
August 24, 2025
Surprisingly original! I think readers will find Alanna Rusnak’s story engaging, challenging, and thought-provoking, whether or not they are fans of apocalyptic literature. “When the Trees All Burned” is richly crafted, immersive, and intensely human, with characters that practically bristle with emotion. I would also suggest that, in a way, the book is timely in light of today’s political climate: Alanna seems to toy with the idea that, whether desired or not, a good old apocalypse would serve as the ultimate reboot. As a physicist, I would have liked a bit more fleshing out of the science of the apocalypse, but that’s just me. People tell me I should get out more.
This is Book 1 of the series; I look forward to the next.
This is Book 1 of the series; I look forward to the next.
March 2, 2025
I have loved every one of Alanna Rusnak's books. I was lucky enough to get an advanced copy of When The Trees All Burned and I enjoyed it very much. It's a wonderful story about faith, humanity, and degrees of faith in humanity. It's about our connection with ourselves and how technology can sometimes muddle that connection. The main characters are believable and it reads as though it could have been a true story. It isn't a typical science fiction novel and the focus is certainly on the characters. The world Alanna has created here really is our own and could play out this way any day now. I can't wait for the next book in this new trilogy.
August 26, 2026
What happens when a prophecy of the end of days is right? What happens when the world suffers a global catastrophe? What if there is but a tiny number of people with the potential to survive the day When The Trees All Burned? Alanna Rusnak tells the story of pending planetary doom, following some of those selected to ride out the Apocalypse alongside the billionaire prophet with an accurate vision of the future.
I've always enjoyed solid sci fi explorations of extinction level / global change events - some examples: Dennis Taylor's "Bobiverse" books, Greg Bear's "The Way" series, Arthur C Clarke's "Rama" stories, and Neal Stephenson's "Seveneves" (that ending though...) all captured my interest with their unique perspectives of what happens to our planet when something truly Earth-shattering occurs. And in this particular instance, Rusnak has crafted a compelling contemporary tale that feels relevant to our reality, complete with back stories of people positioned for selection by the prophet, social media reaction to the prophecy and the proposed solution, both serving what I thought to be a healthy dose of realism regarding the final days of society as we now know it.
Rusnak gives the reader some characters to cheer, a few to abhor, and one amazing cat that I absolutely adore. A few key characters deliver terrific observations about the state of the world as it hurtles towards its end, and the proposed solution for the select few feels quite doable with current tech. There are a couple breakthrough technologies necessary to the solution that don't yet exist in our world, but Rusnak supports their creation and implementation with enough detail and explanation to make them feel completely achievable.
I really enjoyed When The Trees All Burned, and highly recommend it for sci-fi fans of planetary doom and an uncertain future. Alanna Rusnak has created an alternate world I wouldn't want to live in, but thoroughly enjoyed imagining myself threatened by an accurate prophecy of The End.
I've always enjoyed solid sci fi explorations of extinction level / global change events - some examples: Dennis Taylor's "Bobiverse" books, Greg Bear's "The Way" series, Arthur C Clarke's "Rama" stories, and Neal Stephenson's "Seveneves" (that ending though...) all captured my interest with their unique perspectives of what happens to our planet when something truly Earth-shattering occurs. And in this particular instance, Rusnak has crafted a compelling contemporary tale that feels relevant to our reality, complete with back stories of people positioned for selection by the prophet, social media reaction to the prophecy and the proposed solution, both serving what I thought to be a healthy dose of realism regarding the final days of society as we now know it.
Rusnak gives the reader some characters to cheer, a few to abhor, and one amazing cat that I absolutely adore. A few key characters deliver terrific observations about the state of the world as it hurtles towards its end, and the proposed solution for the select few feels quite doable with current tech. There are a couple breakthrough technologies necessary to the solution that don't yet exist in our world, but Rusnak supports their creation and implementation with enough detail and explanation to make them feel completely achievable.
I really enjoyed When The Trees All Burned, and highly recommend it for sci-fi fans of planetary doom and an uncertain future. Alanna Rusnak has created an alternate world I wouldn't want to live in, but thoroughly enjoyed imagining myself threatened by an accurate prophecy of The End.
July 22, 2025
This is one of those stories that you have a slew of characters thrown at you in the beginning while you jump back and forth between their stories as it relates to the main storyline. I am not a huge fan of this type of storytelling since it takes half the book to get everyone straight as to who they are.
The story itself is about a man who has had a vision that the world will be destroyed by an asteroid at a certain date. Similar to Noah and the Ark, he prepares a sanctuary where he will hand pick 200 people to come and live while they wait for the earth to return to a state that will sustain human life again. Like Noah, people laugh at this and continue on in ignorant bliss. The book takes us up to this point: where all the humans have been picked and the asteroid has just hit. I believe on my copy it says "book one" so I guess the story will continue.
I felt as though the author was trying to put a little bit of everything into this book, slanted slightly to appeal to a female audience: a women who lives in an abusive relationship and is finally freed from her tormentor by being selected as one of the 200; a lesbian couple with a heart wrenching final few days together before the chaos; and a loner women that lives life on her own terms as a reporter of sorts and is dying of cancer until she finally finds love with the ideal man just before the destruction. Their steamy sex scene at the end reads like a sexually frustrated 16 year-old writing a letter to Penthouse magazine. This felt a little gratuitous IMO.
Not a total waste of time, but I won't be searching out book two anytime soon.
The story itself is about a man who has had a vision that the world will be destroyed by an asteroid at a certain date. Similar to Noah and the Ark, he prepares a sanctuary where he will hand pick 200 people to come and live while they wait for the earth to return to a state that will sustain human life again. Like Noah, people laugh at this and continue on in ignorant bliss. The book takes us up to this point: where all the humans have been picked and the asteroid has just hit. I believe on my copy it says "book one" so I guess the story will continue.
I felt as though the author was trying to put a little bit of everything into this book, slanted slightly to appeal to a female audience: a women who lives in an abusive relationship and is finally freed from her tormentor by being selected as one of the 200; a lesbian couple with a heart wrenching final few days together before the chaos; and a loner women that lives life on her own terms as a reporter of sorts and is dying of cancer until she finally finds love with the ideal man just before the destruction. Their steamy sex scene at the end reads like a sexually frustrated 16 year-old writing a letter to Penthouse magazine. This felt a little gratuitous IMO.
Not a total waste of time, but I won't be searching out book two anytime soon.
December 3, 2025
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. The scope of the novel was ambitious, and the author delievered! I personally really liked how it followed multiple characters, with flashbacks over many years to develop them and their motivations.
It also covered a wide array of topics that are relevant and thought provoking, including using technology and science to bring forth life, what motivates someone to amass and obscene amount of wealth and how they use it, apocolyptic prophesies and how the world responds to them, and the whole idea of being able to judge whether individuals are 'worthy' of being saved or chosen when resources are limited. All of this was layered skillfully into a well told story.
Despite there being many characters' stories to follow, I felt the characters were well developed and realistic. I enjoyed getting to know these individuals!
I find myself, still months after finishing the novel, thinking of different events, characters and lines. I highly recommend this novel! The
It also covered a wide array of topics that are relevant and thought provoking, including using technology and science to bring forth life, what motivates someone to amass and obscene amount of wealth and how they use it, apocolyptic prophesies and how the world responds to them, and the whole idea of being able to judge whether individuals are 'worthy' of being saved or chosen when resources are limited. All of this was layered skillfully into a well told story.
Despite there being many characters' stories to follow, I felt the characters were well developed and realistic. I enjoyed getting to know these individuals!
I find myself, still months after finishing the novel, thinking of different events, characters and lines. I highly recommend this novel! The
March 7, 2025
This book. Wow. It is a book that will stay with me for a long time. I wanted it to end but also never to end, I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. The prophecies of Rajiv seem outlandish yet horrifyingly believable at the same time. You are captivated at every turn. Rusnak is a master wordsmith who weaves non linear sequencing, alternating perspectives, and complex characters to create a nuanced yet heart wrenching book about humanity and what really matters when our time ends.
I am not normally a fan of apocalyptic literature but I cannot wait for the rest of this series!! Highly recommend!!
I am not normally a fan of apocalyptic literature but I cannot wait for the rest of this series!! Highly recommend!!
May 10, 2025
I thoroughly enjoyed When The Trees All Burned, although apocalyptic fiction is not a genre I gravitate to. From the first pages, Alanna's descriptive writing introduces you to (mostly) lovable characters she seamlessly forms in a just few paragraphs. Characters you want to learn more about as the intriguing plot unfolds: the end of the world nearing and only 200 souls will be saved. Tough questions are asked throughout, making it a thought provoking read. One I highly recommend. So looking forward to reading book two in the series when it comes out.
October 28, 2025
When the Trees All Burned isn’t just a survival story; it’s a haunting reflection on what it means to hope in a dying world. Rajiv Montgomery Noah’s journey feels both like a warning and a prayer, blending devastation with devotion in a way that’s deeply human. This book turns despair into reflection and faith into resilience. Its imagery and emotional truth linger long after the final page. A powerful, timeless story that deserves to be read.
June 21, 2026
An extremely powerful read read which will make you wonder what you would do in the same situation. Climate change is real and only a select few will survive. See what you would if in the same situation of being one o the few to survive
I received an advance copy from hidden gems and a powerful read
I received an advance copy from hidden gems and a powerful read
May 26, 2026
WOW! This apocalyptic series starts out with a literal and literature bang! So many characters woven into a story line that I am SO excited to continue reading about.
So honoured to know this author, and see the work she’s putting in!
So honoured to know this author, and see the work she’s putting in!
October 27, 2025
Loved this book! It hooked me right away and left me wanting more. I can’t believe I have to wait for the next one 😆
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews