Scarred: A Novel

by Jon Richter

Scarred is an epic fantasy story set in a mist-shrouded and desolate world. The denizens of the Enclave are trapped inside their crumbling city, tormented by the terrible plague that swirls within the fog beyond its walls, utterly reliant upon the kindness of their inscrutable god for survival. But when their deity's mysterious, food-bearing emissaries cease to appear, the Enclave threatens to descend into chaos and starvation. Now Freya, a brave but lowly servant, must journey across the barren landscape in search of salvation for her people. Her adventure will bring her face to face with courageous knights, terrifying dragons, monstrous giants and enigmatic wizards, and ultimately with her god himself. But nothing will prepare Freya for the truth about her scarred world - or for the shocking revelations unearthed from her own past. Evoking classic quest sagas such as The Wizard of Oz and Stephen King's Dark Tower series, with a dash of Kazuo Ichiguro's The Buried Giant and Hugh Howey's Wool, Scarred balances stirring prose with a fast pace and gripping narrative.

Genres: Fantasy

336 pages, Paperback

Published July 1, 2024

About the author

Jon Richter writes dark fiction in a variety of genres, including critically acclaimed crime thrillers, horror, science fiction and fantasy. His novels include gripping whodunnit mystery Rabbit Hole, psychological techno-thriller The Warden, the disturbing illustrated collection of short horror stories DARK FICTION, and his latest release, the fantasy epic Scarred.

He hails from the northwest of England but now lives in London with his (extremely patient) wife, and loves immersing himself in all things dark and sinister, whether that's books, films, music, video games or even board games – any way to tell a great story! As well as writing, he co-hosts two podcasts: the dark fiction podcast, Dark Natter, and the cyberpunk podcast, Hosts In The Shell, which you can find wherever you get your podcast fix.

He also develops video games and recently released his debut game, a comedy horror RPG called Reanimation Ltd, which you can download here: https://jonrichter.itch.io/reanimatio....

If you want to chat to him about any of this, you can find him on Twitter @richterwrites, Bluesky @jonrichter, or Instagram @jonrichterwrites. His website haunts the internet at www.jon-richter.com, and you can find his books available on Amazon here: https://amzn.to/2OXXRVP.

Reviews

[Briar's Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Scarred by Jon Richter is an immersive and well-written epic fantasy that blends elements of dark fantasy and adventure. Set in a plague-ridden world, the story follows Freya, a lowly servant forced to embark on a perilous journey to find the god who has seemingly abandoned her people. Along the way, she encounters a variety of intriguing characters, including the chivalrous knight Errick and the mysterious Victor, while facing off against dragons, giants, and other terrifying creatures. Richter’s world-building is vivid and detailed, bringing the desolate and dangerous landscape to life. The pacing is strong, and the slow revelation of Freya’s past adds depth to her character, keeping the narrative engaging from start to finish.

While Scarred is undoubtedly well-crafted, it didn’t fully resonate with me on an emotional level, as I wasn’t as immersed in the story as I had hoped. Fantasy isn’t typically my go-to genre, so I didn’t feel completely hooked by the complex world-building and intricacies of the plot. That said, the book is filled with action, suspense, and moments of horror that will definitely appeal to fans of the genre. The writing is compelling, and the characters are well-developed, making it an enjoyable read for anyone who loves epic fantasy with a dark edge. Overall, Scarred is a strong and entertaining novel, earning a solid 4-star rating from me.

I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[Siobhain · Rating 5 out of 5]

Scarred is such a fantastic read. As a lover of fantasy I was already excited to read and the fact I had already read some of Richter’s dark fiction collection I was sure this would be great. I am happy to say it was.


This is an epic fantasy with elements of dark or grimdark. The story is engaging and so well developed but the real thing I loved was the the writing. Now at the risk of sounding a bit silly, because of course writing is important to a novel, the writing makes this. What do I mean by that? Well the story is fantastic and engaging but it’s the execution via the writing that really sells this story.

Richter’s world and characters are brought to life and you feel like you are along the journey with them. It has everything you could want or need from a fantasy; a quest, action, adventure and of course brilliant characters. I loved Freya and Errick and how their stories intertwine.


Even if you aren’t usually a fan of the genre I would recommend reading this. You won’t be disappointed.

[Nimalee Ravi · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG! What an absolute gem of a book. I am a fantasy addict and this book did not disappoint me. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and the build-up to the journey was simply brilliantly executed. I loved both Freya and Errick's characters.

The world building is definitely a strength for the story. I was hooked from the very first page, and it had my attention until the end.

Scarred is an epic fantasy story with perfect characters, with twists and a shocking ending. I definitely and highly recommend this book.

[mrsbookburnee Niamh Burnett · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was immediately intrigued by Enclave and the world outside it, I binged this in one sitting. I loved how dark this was (definitely need to read more fantasy horror!)

The characters were brilliant, my favourite had to be Freya, but to be fair even the not so nice characters were a fav for me. At times I was freaked out (the tunnel!), but this made me want to carry on despite feeling claustrophobic whilst not even in a tunnel 😂

I need to go and read the authors previous books!

[Dee Groocock · Rating 4 out of 5]

Freya is a servant of the Enclave, where a plague is spreading outside of the city.

Freya has to go on a mission with Errick after something happens and the people believe they have angered God.

There are some great characters and overall, a well written story.

It is a fantasy story by the author, which wouldn’t be my normal go to book, but I loved the blurb, and I’m glad I read it.

[Reshmi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really really thought I knew where the plot was leading but honestly didn’t see the reveal coming. Very interesting story with lots of unexpected turns. Would recommend.

Can’t wait for part 2!

[Matt Adcock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantasy that kicks asS

Richter is a grand master of novels that blow you away and Scarred shows he can switch genres and keep up his killer content!

[Pauline Render · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now you might recognise this author’s name through his other books. But this is his first foray into the fantasy genre, and boy did it live up to my expectations.
Set in the future where people live in enclaves to protect themselves from plague carriers, and rely on the angels to supply their food, when these deliveries cease to arrive, Freya, one of the Unskilled, is forced to leave the city to search for their god to find out why he has abandoned them. This marks the beginning of her arduous journey but along the way she finds friends and allies in the desolate land. I loved Freya and how the strength of her spirit made her battle on. Her friends are a joy to read, from Errick, a knight who is both chivalrous and at times foolhardy, and Victor. There are the good guys I was constantly cheering on and some characters I loved to hate. There are also plenty of battles against monsters both human and inhumane, some wonderful humour, and I loved the way how Freya’s backstory is drip fed throughout the book. I did begin to understand what had happened which although I was already hooked, I needed to know the how. The writing is so descriptive and I found myself completely immersed in the vivid world created from this author’s imagination.
I loved Scarred and by the time I’d finished reading it, I devoured it in two days, I was over the moon to see this is only the first in what I know is going to be a fantastic series. So my question is Mr Richter, when is the sequel going to be released?

[Amy Walker - Trans-Scribe Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jon Richter is an author I kind of found by chance, having been invited to take part in a blog tour for one of his horror anthologies, John Richter's Disturbing Works Volume Two, back in 2020. Since then I've read several of his books, and have been impressed with his ability to turn to any genre he sets his hand to with great skill. I've read horror, science fiction, and murder mystery written by him, but Scarred presented the first time that I'd be reading a fantasy book he'd written; and I was very much looking forward to seeing what he did with the genre. And of course, as with his other works, it wasn't at all what I expected.

Scarred begins within the walls of the Enclave, a small settlement hidden behind thick walls, hiding away from the horrors and the monsters that exist out in the ever present fog that surrounds their home. Killing any who approach for fear that they might contain the deadly plague that sees those infected wither away, weakened and aged, they rely on the help of the Angels to stay alive; huge, armour clad figures who bring regular deliveries of food to the citizens. The best of these supplies goes to the highest in society, the lords, knights, and priests who keep the Enclave together. Freya is a servant to these powerful lords, living within the castle, feeding those who squander the precious supplies, forced to eat scraps to survive.

When a murder is committed, Freya's life is forever changed as she's implicated in a wider conspiracy by those who wish to keep a tight hold on their power. As this happened at the same time that their deliveries of food stopped, it's decided that Freya can choose her punishment, tortured to death within the castle, or venture out into the disease filled fog to find answers. Choosing to leave the only home that she's ever known, Freya sets out into the deadly and dangerous wastelands beyond the walls of the enclave, hoping to survive against all odds.

To call Scarred a fantasy story would be simple, because the book contains a number of surprising other genres, the foremost of which being horror. Richter is great at evoking disgust and disquiet in his writing, and both are very present here, especially in the early parts of the book. The description of the waste pit deep within the castle are stomach turning, and the torture that happens to those that step out of line is genuinely horrifying. Despite having been told that there are numerous horrors out in the fog it's clear that horror is everywhere in this world, that the cruel and sadistic are the ones who ultimately thrive here, and that Freya will find little escape from this in her journey.

However, Freya doesn't have to face the horror and wonder of the world beyond the Enclave walls alone, because as with any good fantasy adventure, she finds companions along the way. Whilst Freya is something of a blank slate in a lot of ways, thanks to the mysterious element of memory loss that seems to hang over many, the others that she meets along the way are all vibrant and unique. Errick, the ageing and infected knight who puts honour and duty first is a wonderful addition of kindness in Freya's world of cruelty and despair that goes on to change her heart in a lot of ways and helps her to become a better person, and is one of the best characters in the book. Victor, a character that I can't really talk about too much without spoiling a huge surprise element of the book, is a wonderful character, one who makes the core trio of characters complete.

There are other people that Freya meets along the way, some kind, some cruel, who fill this at first empty world with character and history in ways that you don't expect. The world that Richter has crafted here is an interesting one, one that you come away from the book wanting to learn more about and wish that you could spend more time in. There are wonders and horrors everywhere, and each location we visit feels like it has a ton of stories that it could tell. I really hope that this is a world that Richter returns to one day, perhaps with another anthology, this time focusing on all of the stories that shaped this world into what we find here.

As I said, I've come to really enjoy Jon Richter's work over the last couple of years, and am delighted whenever I'm offered the chance to read another of his books. And every time I read one of his book I think to myself 'well, this is definitely the best one so far'. At the moment, Scarred is sitting on the top, but I expect that whatever Richter creates next will take over, as this is an author whose work I find hard to do anything less than love.

[Karolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here is my review for Scarred by Jon Richter

I got into this lovely fantasy quite easily and loved Freya, who was one of the common people who are lower than the servants but they did work just like the servants, in the kitchen did and served drinks to the knights on occasions when needed. This was when all the trouble started one when Sir Edmund called her ‘monstrous’ and Lord Gwyllim stood up for her but she later found Lord Gwyllim dead. She took the decision to be exiled from the enclave and was sent to find out what had happened to the food deliveries from God and she had four days to do it. She had hardly any rations in her bag with a flagon of water, with a torch and a change of clothes. She wandered for the first day and came across a huge lake where she used her sword to test the water but it wasn’t water, it was like acid. She was so shocked, she dropped her sword which fell into the lake. Then she got caught in the rain so she worked her way up to the cave she could see. When she finally got there, there was only a short bit of light with a lot of darkness. She got changed out of her wet clothes and into her dry set. She set herself a small fire going and ended up falling asleep but was woken by a noise. There was someone in the cave with her. She made a noise which alerted them to her being there, they came after her so she ran towards the back of the cave and found it got narrower then narrower still. In the end, she managed to squeeze through a small tunnel by wiggling and squiggling, moving her arms and legs about with the beast trying to catch her feet. The hole was too small for it. Then she felt fresh air, so pulled the rest of her body out and she was free. She was on top of a hill with the lake down below. This was a really interesting read of Freya’s quest to find food and find out what had happened to the other cities along the way. She meets up with knights, wizards, machines and allsorts. It’s a really interesting read if you like fantasy. I loved it from start to finish but Freya was my favourite character, she went through so much although she was afraid some of the time and she didn’t like being alone she got through it. She had a deformed face due to her husband who had left her and she was hoping that she didn’t come across him in the wastelands. The book is brilliantly written and the monsters just come at you from nowhere. Jon Richter knows how to write fantasy!

Blurb :

Scarred is an epic fantasy story set in a mist-shrouded and desolate world. The denizens of the Enclave are trapped inside their crumbling city, tormented by the terrible plague that swirls within the fog beyond its walls, utterly reliant upon the kindness of their inscrutable god for survival. But when their deity's mysterious, food-bearing emissaries cease to appear, the Enclave threatens to descend into chaos and starvation. Now Freya, a brave but lowly servant, must journey across the barren landscape in search of salvation for her people. Her adventure will bring her face to face with courageous knights, terrifying dragons, monstrous giants and enigmatic wizards, and ultimately with her god himself. But nothing will prepare Freya for the truth about her scarred world - or for the shocking revelations unearthed from her own past. Evoking classic quest sagas such as The Wizard of Oz and Stephen King's Dark Tower series, with a dash of Kazuo Ichiguro's The Buried Giant and Hugh Howey's Wool, Scarred balances stirring prose with a fast pace and gripping narrative.

[Alyson Stone · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book: Scarred
Author: Jon Richter
Rating: 3 Out of 5 Stars

I want to thank the publisher, Roundfire Books, for sending me an ARC. I can say that I have never read a Wizard of Oz retelling. It was an exciting take on the story.

In this one, we follow Freya, a servant living in a trapped world. The followers of the Enclave are trapped in a city that keeps them away from the mist and a world that has been torn apart. A plague is in the mist and being in the city keeps it away from the people. They rely on their god to keep them alive. That is until things start to change. Now, Freya must go beyond the wall and out into the world. She is her people’s only hope and she will discover the truth about what has happened.

I love the mix of fantasy and dystopian. We have a society that lives cut off from the world and a group is all controlling. Then, we have the typical fantasy tropes. We have an adventure, an unlikely cast of characters, and a dragon. This mix was done so well that kept me reading. Taking what we already know about a genre and adding to it creates a fun and interesting read. I also enjoyed the mist a lot. I thought it added an extra layer to what we know.

Freya and the other characters were decently done. Freya is a character who is at the lower end of society. She is a servant and has a scar. People mock her and don’t treat her like a human being. She is forced to undergo this journey with the hopes of her people on her back. She is also the victim. People are quick to judge her because she doesn’t look like them or isn’t on their standards. She finds the strength to overcome this.

The writing was solid. There were times that I found myself being pulled from the story, but it was okay. I loved the adventure element and seeing bits of the world being woven together in a way that made me want to keep going. There were times that things felt very uneven to me, but that’s okay.

Overall, this was an average read for me. It’s not a bad book by any means.

[Donna Morfett · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was very lucky to read an early version of this. Despite fantasy not being my genre, I absolutely LOVED it. Every single page of it.
I loved the beginning and the build up to the epic journey that follows. A very poor outer reach of the society rely on food deliveries to survive. When this doesn't arrive due to her bolshiness, Freya is sent to save her kingdom.
Along the way she encounters all sorts of different challenges, including giants, but also her own fear, and hunger.
I love the friendship she builds and I was strongly rooting for both characters throughout. As well as some heart in your mouth tense moments, there are some lighter moments with humour that I loved.
When the ending comes it's both shocking and dramatic and entirely fitting to everything that's gone before.
It's not very often books stick with me as I read so many, but this one has. I think for that reason alone it will be not one of my top reads of this year, but possibly of all time.
Congratulations and thanks Jon Richter.

[Jenny McClinton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an E-ARC with a request for my honest review.

This enchanting fantasy follows Freya a servant of the Enclave, where the land is surrounded by fog, and a plague spreads outside the city.

After an incident at the Enclave, the city believe they have angered God with their actions, and Freya is forcefully directed to take on a mission to seek the reason for their abandonment.

Although a little scared, Freya soon meets many on her travels, some who will come to her aid and others a dangerous threat.

Will Freya succeed in her mission? What is really behind the abandoned city?

I must admit I don’t read a lot of fantasy, not since I was young, however I really enjoyed reading this book and it brought me back to some of the books I used to read.

This read is certainly an adventure, as you follow Freya meeting all kinds of different creatures, people and even AI.

This brings me on to the other side of the story, as it does have a hint of Sc-Fi entwined, and there are also other chapters which intrigued me about where this storyline is going to take us in future parts of the series.

Overall, an enchanting fantasy where a servant takes on a mission to save her city.

[Deb · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m not a fantasy reader but I have read this author’s work before, so I thought I’d give it a go. I’m so pleased I did; this was a brilliant read.

Set in the future where people live in feudal enclaves to protect themselves from the plague which exists in the Wastes. Other settlements are visible through an ever present mist but they are all isolated. Food is delivered sporadically by the angels but then it stops & an Unskilled, Freya, is tasked to seek assistance. Her arduous journey, metaphorical & physical, is the crux of this story. The fabulous characters she meets along the way & why her world is like it is is described meticulously including a few breath-holding settings.

I am thrilled that this is going to be a series, I cannot wait to read the next instalment. I’m not a fantasy convert, but if other authors wrote like Jon, I may well be. Read it & prepare to be pulled in to another world.

[Terry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Freya and Errick meet out in the wastes and their journey begins. Victor joins the group and honestly makes it complete.
Scarred is an epic story combining old style fantasy and modern day scare. Their journey to find god, the angels and others on the way.
It caught my imagination from the beginning. The journey to the middle was unreal. Then to the end I had no idea what was coming up.
Jon Richter has a rich imagination and never fails to write a book or story that keeps the reader wanting more.

[Steph Lawrence · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was lucky to receive an early copy of this book to review, and I thank the author and publisher.
Fantasy is not my preferred genre but this really made me appreciate the author's craft.
It truly is an epic, dark and gritty fantasy story.

[Kayleigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it

I would (and have) recommend this!
It had me gripped from start to finish, and I am looking forward to the next book.
The characters are well written, and the world is very intriguing.

[Angelina Allsop · Rating 5 out of 5]

GREAT WRITING and a great story! Highly recommend anything from this author!!