Scorched by Mari Mancusi – a Review & Guest Post

Links to order Scorched: Amazon / Barnes & Noble / The Book Depository

Description:
Trinity
Don’t leave me here… It starts with a whisper. At first Trinity thinks she’s going crazy. It wouldn’t be a big surprise—her grandpa firmly believes there’s a genuine dragon egg in their dusty little West Texas town. But this voice is real, and it’s begging for her protection. Even if no one else can hear it…

Connor
He’s come from a future scorched by dragonfire. His mission: Find the girl. Destroy the egg. Save the world.

Caleb
He’s everything his twin brother Connor hates: cocky, undisciplined, and obsessed with saving dragons.

Trinity has no idea which brother to believe. All she has to go by is the voice in her head—a dragon that won’t be tamed

Review:

I have been dying to read a dragon-themed book and Mari Mancusi’s Scorched ignited my interest.  Complete with time travel, mystical creatures, opposing missions, and even a bit of YA romance, I thoroughly enjoyed this story and hope my review encourages you to take flight into this world of fantasy.  

In a last ditch effort to save the waning museum, Foxx’s Fantastical Fossils, an artifact is brought in to attract tourism:

“But what is it?” she asked, reluctantly turning away from the egg and back to her guardian [grandpa], her eyes filled with questions.  “What could it possibly be?”

“Why isn’t it obvious?”  He stepped towards the case, a slow smile spreading across his whiskered face.  “It’s the world’s last dragon egg.”

From 200 years in the future, post-dragon apocalypse, Connor time travels to retrieve the last dragon egg before it hatches and lands in the hands of his twin brother, Caleb, member of the Dracken (dragon sympathizers).  Although incredulous of its existence, 16 year old Trinity cannot deny she hears the dragon’s voice in her mind…who calls out to her and is curiously named after her deceased mother.  Is she NOT supposed to be freaked out?!

Scorched was reminiscent of the Terminator movie:  Trinity is caught between rival factions, conflicting stories, and this is just between the brothers!  Connor’s mission mantra stuns Trinity, “Sacrifice one to save the world”:

“Judging from its transparency, I’d say we have about a week before it hatches,” he told her.  “We’ll need to find a way to destroy it by then.  The sooner the better…

If we succeed, will you start to disappear?

It doesn’t work like that.  My timeline has already been established.  There’s no way to alter that.  But by destroying the egg, we can set your world on an alternate time line.  One that doesn’t end in apocalypse.”

Caleb, meantime, endeavors to dispel all nonsense Connor was spewing.  Caleb spills brotherly vendetta drama about the death of their father and reveals convincing facts that would result in Trinity’s death at the hands of Connor, a dragon hunter, unless she faced the truth.

“The truth?  Trinity repeated with encroaching dread.  She turned to Caleb, trying desperately to swallow down her fear.  “And what truth might that be?”

“That dragons have the power to save our world,” Caleb replied matter-of-factly.  “If only you could first save them.”

Boys…keep it in the family!  Who to trust…who to believe?  Only one thing’s for certain:  Each brother has his own agenda…with startling revelations about Trinity’s true purpose in the dragon movement.

Scorched delivered a fast-paced, engaging style while the storyline developed.  I really enjoyed the formatting of the book; segments divided to delve into and explore each brother and their respective plights, along with Trinity’s own background (a great heroine with an emotional story), and even the pivotal dragon, Emmy.  Based on Ms. Mancusi’s descriptions, these were magnificent beasts resplendent in their graceful flights and afforded, through battles and training, their own honor and loyalty.  It was a joy to read!

I went on to Ms. Mancusi’s webpage, eager for details of a sequel (the open-ended finale leaves you wanting more!), but didn’t reveal more on this particular story.  Whaaat?!  I can only hope she returns to this wonderful cast of characters in the future.  Like I said, Scorched was a great introduction into a genre that eluded me for too long.  I get it…I want it! 

Find out what it means to be Fire Kissed! 

Reviewed by Carmen

Copy provided by Publisher



What is your perspective of the difference of YA and New Adult?

New Adult is a new term that has become a kind of catchall for books with protagonists in their late teens (college age) to early twenties. Most of the new adult books currently running up the bestseller lists are contemporary and have more similarities to the romance genre than the YA genre—with a centralized romance as the main plot.

That said, I believe as time goes by the new adult category will widen to include more paranormal and sci-fi/fantasy titles. Just like with the Shomi line that I participated in back when I wrote for Dorchester. Those titles—Razor Girl and Moongazer—were published before the new adult term came around and were designed to “bridge the gap” between YA and adult romance. Now that I have the rights back to these titles I was able to re-release them officially as new adult books. (With new titles: Tomorrow Land and Alternity.) I’m glad there’s now a place where they fit.

Scorched is a Young Adult title. But some of the themes in the book will resonate with older readers as well. The idea of trust, for example. How do you learn to trust again when everyone in your life has let you down? And who is worthy of that precious gift of trust? It’s something Trinity has to decide—and the fate of the world (and the dragon race) depends on her making the right decision.

I think one of the reasons so many adult readers get into the young adult genre is because of the stories themselves. A good story with a good plot and interesting, well-defined characters will appeal, no matter what the biological age of the characters. For Scorched, if you like stories about time travel, dragons, fantasy and adventure then I encourage you to check it out—whether you’re sixteen or sixty. After all, where it’s shelved in the bookstore doesn’t matter in the end.


Mari Mancusi always wanted a dragon as a pet. Unfortunately the fire insurance premiums proved a bit too large and her house a bit too small–so she chose to write about them instead. Today she works as an award-winning young adult author and freelance television producer, for which she has won two Emmys.