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Karma's Burden
Scientists have proved reincarnation is real and that your soul has a quantum signature. Now the state uses it to track you from life to life, logging every debt and sin.
Sam is fast approaching his Obligation Day — the day when his pattern will be matched with the records of his past lives and any sins will be revealed, or fortunes accumulated will become his.
Everyone gets a letter. Green means freedom — maybe even a life of luxury if your past self left you a fat bank account. Red means trouble.
Sam expects a clean slate at the very least, and maybe more. And why not? He’s a star at school — clever, charming, athletic. Surely he’ll get that coveted green letter, maybe even a life of luxury funded by the wealth one of his past selves left behind.
But when Obligation Day arrives, the letter inside bleeds red.
Overnight, Sam becomes an obligate — stripped of his rights and sold as state property to repay debts from a life he doesn’t even remember. He must navigate predators and masters alike while fighting his own urge to rebel — make the wrong choice and it could cost him his freedom for many lives to come.
What readers are
“Grabs you in a headlock from the first page and doesn’t let go.” — Amazon Australia reviewer
“Just when you think you know what’s coming — BAM — the story takes you another way.” — Goodreads reviewer
"What an imagination. There are surprises from start to finish. A riveting read. Well written." - UK reviewer
A dark and thought-provoking dystopia about justice, power, and survival in a world where even death offers no escape — perfect for readers who loved The Handmaid’s Tale, Vox, and The Power.
Sam is fast approaching his Obligation Day — the day when his pattern will be matched with the records of his past lives and any sins will be revealed, or fortunes accumulated will become his.
Everyone gets a letter. Green means freedom — maybe even a life of luxury if your past self left you a fat bank account. Red means trouble.
Sam expects a clean slate at the very least, and maybe more. And why not? He’s a star at school — clever, charming, athletic. Surely he’ll get that coveted green letter, maybe even a life of luxury funded by the wealth one of his past selves left behind.
But when Obligation Day arrives, the letter inside bleeds red.
Overnight, Sam becomes an obligate — stripped of his rights and sold as state property to repay debts from a life he doesn’t even remember. He must navigate predators and masters alike while fighting his own urge to rebel — make the wrong choice and it could cost him his freedom for many lives to come.
What readers are
“Grabs you in a headlock from the first page and doesn’t let go.” — Amazon Australia reviewer
“Just when you think you know what’s coming — BAM — the story takes you another way.” — Goodreads reviewer
"What an imagination. There are surprises from start to finish. A riveting read. Well written." - UK reviewer
A dark and thought-provoking dystopia about justice, power, and survival in a world where even death offers no escape — perfect for readers who loved The Handmaid’s Tale, Vox, and The Power.
384 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 3, 2025
5 people are currently reading
798 people want to read
About the author
Philip J Davies
1 book8 followersFrom a childhood fascination with fantasy, horror, and science fiction to an ever-growing personal library, Philip’s passion for fiction has been a lifelong constant (just ask his wife, who keeps losing shelf space). Though his creative journey has taken him through sculpture and photography, storytelling has always remained at the centre. In 2016, he took that passion further by starting studying for a Master of Arts in Creative Writing, graduating with Distinction two years later.
Philip’s work is highly imaginative, often using speculative elements to examine the dynamics of abuse and control in human relationships. While his earlier short fiction focused on these interpersonal themes, his longer-form work has more recently turned toward broader explorations of oppression, exploitation, resistance, and the cost of survival when challenging systems of control. His experiences with neurodivergence and mental health — including depersonalisation, derealisation, and a recent autism diagnosis — also inform his perspective as a writer, particularly in his exploration of identity and perception.
His short fiction has appeared in Aphelion, Swords and Sorcery Magazine, and Bewildering Stories, where he’s been named Editor’s Choice multiple times. In 2013, his story The Arianthids won the Mariner Award.
His debut novel, Karma’s Burden, is available now from Amazon
If you’ve read Karma’s Burden, I’d be hugely grateful for a quick review — even a sentence makes a difference.
Philip’s work is highly imaginative, often using speculative elements to examine the dynamics of abuse and control in human relationships. While his earlier short fiction focused on these interpersonal themes, his longer-form work has more recently turned toward broader explorations of oppression, exploitation, resistance, and the cost of survival when challenging systems of control. His experiences with neurodivergence and mental health — including depersonalisation, derealisation, and a recent autism diagnosis — also inform his perspective as a writer, particularly in his exploration of identity and perception.
His short fiction has appeared in Aphelion, Swords and Sorcery Magazine, and Bewildering Stories, where he’s been named Editor’s Choice multiple times. In 2013, his story The Arianthids won the Mariner Award.
His debut novel, Karma’s Burden, is available now from Amazon
If you’ve read Karma’s Burden, I’d be hugely grateful for a quick review — even a sentence makes a difference.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
September 11, 2025
Mr Philip Davies's debut novel grabs you in a headlock from the first page and doesn't let go. In Chapter 1, we are introduced to the cocky, 18-year-old Sam Epstein, who is about to face his personal Obligation Day at the local processing centre like all those of the same age who are unlucky enough to receive a dreaded red letter. His situation immediately brought to mind the slave auctions of old, and I started wondering what was about to be unleashed on him and the other poor souls milling around under the supervision of the forbidding aunts and uncles. In some ways, Sam is fortunate to be sold as human cattle (a euphemism for an indentured labourer or slave) and not to the local brothel to be used and abused in horrific ways.
Page by page, the author reveals the different layers of this world where karma is no longer an intangible and esoteric concept. It is an actual debt for red letter recipients like Sam that they are obligated by law to pay off in service to their masters. We learn that some of them have committed crimes so terrible in their past lives that they will never succeed in freeing themselves no matter how hard they toil. However, green letter recipients, i.e., those free of any karmic debt through living blameless past lives and perhaps leaving their future selves enough money, will enjoy a life of ease and often luxury. But beware! Slip up and perhaps kill someone by accident when you are driving the latest Audi, and this will all change during your next life.
This novel was so engaging that I didn't want to stop reading. I'm not going to give away any more of Sam's story at Blume Farm, as you need to read it for yourself. The twists will make your jaw drop.
Hopefully, book 2 isn't too far away. Hint, hint, Mr Davies. :-)
Page by page, the author reveals the different layers of this world where karma is no longer an intangible and esoteric concept. It is an actual debt for red letter recipients like Sam that they are obligated by law to pay off in service to their masters. We learn that some of them have committed crimes so terrible in their past lives that they will never succeed in freeing themselves no matter how hard they toil. However, green letter recipients, i.e., those free of any karmic debt through living blameless past lives and perhaps leaving their future selves enough money, will enjoy a life of ease and often luxury. But beware! Slip up and perhaps kill someone by accident when you are driving the latest Audi, and this will all change during your next life.
This novel was so engaging that I didn't want to stop reading. I'm not going to give away any more of Sam's story at Blume Farm, as you need to read it for yourself. The twists will make your jaw drop.
Hopefully, book 2 isn't too far away. Hint, hint, Mr Davies. :-)
November 2, 2025
Haunting, powerful, and impossible to forget
It’s been a while since a book got under my skin the way Karma’s Burden did. On the surface it’s a dark, near-future dystopian story, but it’s really about people — about guilt, consequence, and the quiet, painful ways we carry our pasts. I went in expecting a gritty sci-fi read, but what I got was something much more emotional and thought-provoking.
The writing is beautiful in a stripped-back, deliberate way. It’s not about flashy prose — it’s about mood, tension, and the unspoken things between the lines. Every chapter adds another layer, and by the end I felt like I’d been holding my breath without realising it. The atmosphere is heavy but hypnotic — you can almost feel the weight of the world pressing down on the characters.
What really impressed me was how real the people in this book feel. They’re flawed, damaged, and sometimes make awful choices, but you still understand them. Even when I didn’t like what a character did, I got why they did it — and that’s rare. There’s a kind of moral complexity running through the whole story that makes you question what you’d do in their place.
It’s dark, yes, but it’s not bleak for the sake of it. There’s meaning in the darkness, and by the final chapters, a strange kind of hope that feels completely earned. It left me sitting there just staring at the page for a few minutes, trying to process it all.
If you’re into dystopian or literary fiction that focuses on psychology and emotion rather than just plot twists and explosions, you need to read this. It’s powerful, unsettling, and it lingers long after you’re done.
Thoroughly recommended. Astonishingly good for a self published author.
It’s been a while since a book got under my skin the way Karma’s Burden did. On the surface it’s a dark, near-future dystopian story, but it’s really about people — about guilt, consequence, and the quiet, painful ways we carry our pasts. I went in expecting a gritty sci-fi read, but what I got was something much more emotional and thought-provoking.
The writing is beautiful in a stripped-back, deliberate way. It’s not about flashy prose — it’s about mood, tension, and the unspoken things between the lines. Every chapter adds another layer, and by the end I felt like I’d been holding my breath without realising it. The atmosphere is heavy but hypnotic — you can almost feel the weight of the world pressing down on the characters.
What really impressed me was how real the people in this book feel. They’re flawed, damaged, and sometimes make awful choices, but you still understand them. Even when I didn’t like what a character did, I got why they did it — and that’s rare. There’s a kind of moral complexity running through the whole story that makes you question what you’d do in their place.
It’s dark, yes, but it’s not bleak for the sake of it. There’s meaning in the darkness, and by the final chapters, a strange kind of hope that feels completely earned. It left me sitting there just staring at the page for a few minutes, trying to process it all.
If you’re into dystopian or literary fiction that focuses on psychology and emotion rather than just plot twists and explosions, you need to read this. It’s powerful, unsettling, and it lingers long after you’re done.
Thoroughly recommended. Astonishingly good for a self published author.
November 2, 2025
Won this as a Goodreads giveaway in October 2025. Kind of wish I hadn't, as this is another in the great-idea-not-so-great-execution category. I still also haven't had that much luck with self-published writers, and this book did not change my opinion on them.
The first fifty pages or so are really rough, so much so that I almost DNF'ed several times. The main character, Sam Epstein, is an obligate because he was a bankrupt in a previous life. He needs to pay off the debt in this life, so he is auctioned and sold off as a slave to work on a Texas farm. The book synopsis made him seem like a smart young man who is caught by circumstances beyond his control. He's not, even though he seems to have people who want to help him. I have no idea why - there's nothing on the page that would suggest he should be singled out when there are so many others who are also in the same situation.
But I kept reading, thinking that there was a pay-off at the end that would allow the reader to forgive the rough writing. Not really. There are some coincidences and twists, most of which are not that believable. It's also hard to tell whether Davies is in favor of such a system or not, but I got the impression he is. It feels like subtle right-wing propaganda. I can't say at any time in the book I agreed with the points being made, other than the desire to live free and on your own merits.
I can't say I'd recommend this book, and I feel like there are so many other books to read, that you won't miss out on much by skipping this one.
The first fifty pages or so are really rough, so much so that I almost DNF'ed several times. The main character, Sam Epstein, is an obligate because he was a bankrupt in a previous life. He needs to pay off the debt in this life, so he is auctioned and sold off as a slave to work on a Texas farm. The book synopsis made him seem like a smart young man who is caught by circumstances beyond his control. He's not, even though he seems to have people who want to help him. I have no idea why - there's nothing on the page that would suggest he should be singled out when there are so many others who are also in the same situation.
But I kept reading, thinking that there was a pay-off at the end that would allow the reader to forgive the rough writing. Not really. There are some coincidences and twists, most of which are not that believable. It's also hard to tell whether Davies is in favor of such a system or not, but I got the impression he is. It feels like subtle right-wing propaganda. I can't say at any time in the book I agreed with the points being made, other than the desire to live free and on your own merits.
I can't say I'd recommend this book, and I feel like there are so many other books to read, that you won't miss out on much by skipping this one.
September 11, 2025
This is a gritty, dark, dystopian debut novel with great pacing and a lovely balance of action and characterisation. The protagonist is complex and well developed and you instantly feel empathy for him and many other characters. I loved this book and can't wait to read more from this great new author! If you like 1984 or any dystopian fiction give this a read!
September 11, 2025
A very dark and unique debut novel.
September 11, 2025
A gripping story you won’t be able to put down.
September 24, 2025
Fantastic - with twists and turns throughout.
Just when you think you know what's coming - BAM - the sotry akes you another way.
Just when you think you know what's coming - BAM - the sotry akes you another way.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews