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Burden
Only one thing matters: Keep them alive.
In the wake of the Collapse, society crumbled, leaving behind only fear, distrust, and betrayal.
For eight long years, Owen Rhodes and his girlfriend AJ have protected his young niece and nephew as they navigated a ravaged England, scavenging and eluding others across a vicious landscape where food is scarce, life is cheap, and every day is a fight to survive.
But after a fatal encounter garners the attention of a violent community known as the Procession, Owen realises their luck may be running out—and that escape may soon be impossible…
In the wake of the Collapse, society crumbled, leaving behind only fear, distrust, and betrayal.
For eight long years, Owen Rhodes and his girlfriend AJ have protected his young niece and nephew as they navigated a ravaged England, scavenging and eluding others across a vicious landscape where food is scarce, life is cheap, and every day is a fight to survive.
But after a fatal encounter garners the attention of a violent community known as the Procession, Owen realises their luck may be running out—and that escape may soon be impossible…
318 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 6, 2025
About the author
Steve Russell
4 books5 followersSteve Russell is the author of the Amazon #1 demonic thriller Steen, the Top 10 superhero novel Temporary, and the post-societal dystopian novel, Burden.
An award-winning writer, Steve has also provided his storytelling skills as a narrative consultant and written about geek culture for several sites, sharing his unique pop cultural observations on books, video games, movies, and TV shows.
He often likens himself to a nerdy nomad—a writing ronin, if you will—who finally found his tribe when surrounded by fellow geeks. He also learned how to refer to himself in the third person courtesy of Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.
Born and raised in Hong Kong before moving to the UK, he is a passionate Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner, has an affinity for podcasts, owns a burgeoning baseball cap collection, and currently lives in Kent with his partner and young son.
An award-winning writer, Steve has also provided his storytelling skills as a narrative consultant and written about geek culture for several sites, sharing his unique pop cultural observations on books, video games, movies, and TV shows.
He often likens himself to a nerdy nomad—a writing ronin, if you will—who finally found his tribe when surrounded by fellow geeks. He also learned how to refer to himself in the third person courtesy of Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.
Born and raised in Hong Kong before moving to the UK, he is a passionate Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner, has an affinity for podcasts, owns a burgeoning baseball cap collection, and currently lives in Kent with his partner and young son.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
May 20, 2025
From the very beginning, Burden draws you into a world of uncertainty and the insecurity of a desperate survival against all odds. Throughout the pages an underlying menace lurks in the shadows at the heels of an innocent family in a cruel dog-eat-dog existence that you hope you never have to endure yourself. The story is exceptionally executed and I found myself speeding through the pages while at the same time hoping the book wouldn't end. When I did finish reading, I could never have imagined the outcome.
June 15, 2025
Spoiler free review!
Burden was a great read, and set in a dystopian present / very near future, still provided an enjoyable amount of escapism from our current world whilst still having relatable and fun characters. Seeing Owen’s struggles with Mental health whilst being driven through the story helped keep the characters grounded. This page turner kept me reading and wanting to see where the plot would go next! Would definitely recommend!
Burden was a great read, and set in a dystopian present / very near future, still provided an enjoyable amount of escapism from our current world whilst still having relatable and fun characters. Seeing Owen’s struggles with Mental health whilst being driven through the story helped keep the characters grounded. This page turner kept me reading and wanting to see where the plot would go next! Would definitely recommend!
February 22, 2026
What an ending, what a story, truly hats off to you! That was gruesome in the best ways. As someone actively feeling existential it just hit in all the right places, I felt that reading through it slowly over a few weeks really let everything sink in too. The ending will have me processing this for years and I couldn’t be happier about it.
May 13, 2026
This book was well written and kept me interested the whole time. I liked how complicated the characters became as the story went on. It really makes you question who the good guy actually is and what people are willing to do to survive. The tension and moral choices made the story feel more realistic and engaging. Definitely a good read.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews