Book 1 of The Scorched Earth Series
Syrah Carthan is only a child when her parents perished in a forest fire and her brother disappeared into thin air. She accepted a job as the first female fire chief, at Sequoia National Park. Because a sanctioned burn went terribly wrong, she quit this job. But when a devastating wild fire breaks out, she is drawn back to the park and she discovers an underground world – hidden to the rest of the world – among the roots of the giant sequoias, where the Canopy Keepers rule.
Syrah is accepted by the Canopy Keepers to become one of their own. And then her adoptive father suffers a heart attack and Syrah is not able to get back to the ‘real’ world to be with him. Her adoptive mother doesn’t understand, after all Syrah currently doesn’t have a job so she should be able to come. When she finally does make it to the hospital, both her parents don’t understand, nor does she give an explanation…
This was an interesting read. It’s set in the future and I like Syrah, she’s a real go-getter. Her grief, over losing her parents, and her missing brother Romelo, is clear. Then these wonderous things start happening, she’s invited into a secret society, the Canopy Keepers, who live not on earth, but underneath it.
Read for The 52 Book Club Reading Challenge 2025
Prompt 14: Climate Fiction
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️