Scum of the Earth

De: Alexander C. Kane

Narrado por: Scott Aiello

Ezra Barker is a traitor. When the Merg invaded Earth, he didn’t fight or even hide. He cooperated, helping them as they seized control of the planet and began their pillaging of its resources. While others toil away in mines and quarries, Ezra works an office job, helping his boss, The Senator, rule over the swath of territory given to her by the Merg.

Sergeant Hayes is a brutal enforcer of the Merg’s rules. As an officer in the Health and Safety Department, he follows Merg orders, arresting, interrogating, and executing at their command.

With collaborators like Barker, The Senator, and Hayes, the Merg are strip-mining Earth, slaughtering its people, and destroying anyone who opposes them. The skies are gray, the air is poison, and the Merg seem invincible.

But there are others still fighting back.

©2023 Alexander C. Kane (P)2024 Audible, Inc.

Sad, dark, uplifting, wonderful

I enjoy when an author or other creative person explores a different vibe. I am a big fan of everything Mr. Kane has put out so far, and this darker, less comical, version of heroic, chaotic, flawed characters was no exception. I look forward to following every old or new avenue this author takes.

Very different from other Kane novels.

I love Alexander C Kane. I really love Andrea Vernon. This novel is VERY dark. Well written as all of his other novels, however, very dark. Maybe because this book totally captures our human nature and it can be too close to the truth, As other reviewers have said this very dark, We have warned you.

Good audio book

Alien invasion story from a different point of view with the Great characters . Itwas very well preformed.

Another hit

Another fantastic listen from Kane. Tone is definitely more serious and dark than his previous works, but still funny at times. Characters you both love and hate. Imaginative plot. Loved it!

A Well Crafted Story

On my first listen, I didn't really engage and left it after a chapter or so. On a recent road trip I thought I'd give it another try. I'm very glad I did. What starts out as a story where you don't really like anyone evolves into a nuanced journey where the characters come to life and the twist and turns become both thrilling and engaging. Just when you think the story will end, it takes another turn and blasts you into another reality. The performance is perfect, as the Scott Aiello can alternate from scary to hysterically funny to dark and foreboding. He is perfect for this role.

What a hoot!

Brilliant arc of an unlikely hero’s journey. Full of love, spite, grudge and wicked humor. If only Barker could cross paths with Murderbot -

⚠️SPOILER⚠️ I enjoyed this as I had no idea about it.

I don't read book summaries. Most of the time I am reading an author I like, so I trust I will like the story. The "They won, I joined them." was enough for me. I like Alexander's writing. he always makes me laugh. This story kept me "turning the pages." I enjoyed it. Scott was a good narrator!

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SPOILER!!!!!!!!

The names of some of the characters were hard for me to follow so I didn't feel I got to know them as well as I do some other characters which is just as well because they died. I usually hate books where the characters die, but as I said I wasn't that invested with these ones, although I LOVED the explosives expert. The one I wanted to die didn't but I can dream. I liked Arkansas and Barker. This is a tough situation I hope to never be in. Curious as to who actually is the Scum in this story.

Not the norm

Definitely not like the others he’s written! I had a hard time getting into it & sticking w/ the story, but overall it was still pretty good!

Amazing, like all of Alexander C Kane’s books!

Kane’s characters are phenomenal and quirky and delightful. Though this book is darker than his other books, it still has the same wit and charm. A complete delight.

Great Story, But Darker than Kane's Other Books

I love Alexander Kane. His books make me laugh out loud. He's inventive and an accomplished storyteller. His characters jump off the page. All of that is true in this book as well. However, for anyone like me who is coming to this novel having read some of his other books, this is a very dramatic tone shift. The book has very dark humor, with some pretty bleak themes. This is not the world of Andrea Vernon. There were plenty of moments that were hard to listen to, and some of the characters really were extremely unsympathetic, even more so because they were so believable and well-drawn. Still listen to the book - it's great - but just wanted to add this as a cautionary note.