The Birth of The Scorched Lands Saga
From SRP author Taylen Carver:
I’m excited to introduce Ash and Angel, the first story in The Scorched Lands Saga. Released earlier this week, it marks the start of a spin-off series that branches from the Magorian and Jones books, stepping boldly into a dystopian fantasy world I’ve wanted to explore since completing The Divine and Deadly. This post isn’t so much a release announcement as it is a look behind the curtain—a look at what inspired this story and where it all might lead.
The Spark That Became Ash and Angel
In many ways, Ash and Angel just poured out of me. I wrote it quickly, with a kind of creative energy that made the process thrilling and fast. This story had been simmering in my mind since I finished The Divine and Deadly, the last book in the Magorian and Jones series. It’s almost like the world itself kept calling me back, refusing to let its story end there. Even after that series was complete, I knew I wasn’t quite done with these characters or this scorched world—and that they would need a new, very different series to tell the rest of their story.
Where Magorian and Jones brought you a world fractured by magic and brutal natural forces, Ash and Angel takes us into a world irrevocably changed—a future where the lands have burned, and survival means navigating a landscape that’s simultaneously harsh and hauntingly beautiful.
Volcanoes and the Allure of a Broken World
The world of The Scorched Lands Saga took on a life of its own from my long fascination with volcanoes. Writing Magorian and Jones allowed me to feature them front and center, and while destroying much of the known world sounds dire, it opened up fascinating, unexpected storytelling paths. There’s something compelling about a scorched, broken world, where new rules apply, and the struggle for survival pushes characters to their absolute limits.
Enter Perrin and Michael: Angel Meets Firebird
From the beginning, Perrin and Michael’s story felt uniquely suited to this post-apocalyptic landscape. Perrin, an angel living amidst the ruins of Tangier, embodies a survivor’s spirit, hiding her light to endure the dangerous world of viejos and street gangs. And then there’s Michael—a firebird from the sanctuary of La Mancha—who brings with him a glimmer of hope and mystery, offering Perrin a chance at a freedom she’s barely dared to dream of.
Perrin and Michael’s dynamic allowed me to dive into themes of trust, resilience, and the meaning of freedom in a world where even dreams feel out of reach. It’s a dystopian fantasy story, and I’m genuinely excited about exploring that mix—an unusual genre combination that gives the series a fresh edge. (Dystopian fantasies are rare, though you might find echoes of the genre in works like The Broken Empire series by Mark Lawrence or The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang.)
A Unique Format and Setting to Start the Series
Since this is a novelette, it’s shorter than a full-length book, but that’s intentional. I wanted to use Ash and Angel as a gateway to this series, introducing readers to the broader, scorched landscape before diving into the secrets within the forested sanctuaries. This first installment sketches the edges of a world where the ground still smolders, and only the most determined souls have survived. The forests, however, hold their own wonders and dangers, and that’s where we’re headed next.
A Cover That Matches the Magic
I also have to give credit to Dar Albert at Wicked Smart Designs, who created the cover for Ash and Angel. She completely captured the essence of Perrin’s journey and the magical dystopian world she lives in. I love the cover so much that it’s inspiring me to continue building this series with even more stories—ideas that are already unfolding faster than I can keep up with!
Looking Ahead in The Scorched Lands Saga
There’s a lot more to come in The Scorched Lands Saga, and Ash and Angel is just the beginning. This novelette stands alone as Perrin’s introduction, but it also serves as a door to a world where survival, hope, and magic collide in unexpected ways. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I loved writing it, and I can’t wait to share the next steps in Perrin and Michael’s journey.
________
Taylen Carver is a Stories Rule Press author.
She writes contemporary and epic fantasy, and is an Aurealis Award finalist.
Newest releases: Ash and Angle, Love in Other Worlds, Street Magic II.
