Kindle Unlimited
Unlimited reading. Over 4 million titles. Learn more
Read for Free
OR
Kindle Price: $6.99

Save $5.00 (42%)

Promotions apply when you purchase

These promotions will be applied to this item:

Some promotions may be combined; others are not eligible to be combined with other offers. For details, please see the Terms & Conditions associated with these promotions.

Read with our free app
You've subscribed to ! We will preorder your items within 24 hours of when they become available. When new books are released, we'll charge your default payment method for the lowest price available during the pre-order period.
Update your device or payment method, cancel individual pre-orders or your subscription at
Your Memberships & Subscriptions

Buy for others

Give as a gift or purchase for a team or group.
Learn more

Buying and sending eBooks to others

  1. Select quantity
  2. Buy and send eBooks
  3. Recipients can read on any device

These ebooks can only be redeemed by recipients in the US. Redemption links and eBooks cannot be resold.
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Amazon book clubs early access
Loading your book clubs
There was a problem loading your book clubs. Please try again.
Not in a club? Learn more
Amazon book clubs early access

Join or create book clubs

Choose books together

Track your books
Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club that’s right for you for free.
Explore Amazon Book Clubs

Follow the author

Jonathan Maas
Follow
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

Flare: An End of the World Philosophical Horror Kindle Edition

by Jonathan Maas (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 981 ratings
See all formats and editions
FEAR THE DAYLIGHT
Without warning or explanation, an extended solar flare bombards the earth and doesn't stop, making each day a battle for survival.
The sunlight blinds and burns instantly, and then kills within minutes. The radiation has also destroyed all of the earth's circuitry, leaving the nights dark and dangerous.

TWO FIND HOPE AMIDST THE CHAOS
Two survivors, a thousand miles apart, each hear a rumor of a distant safe haven that can withstand the sun. Zeke is a silent wanderer, Ash is a brilliant young man hiding a painful past, and neither know just what this place really is.
To get there they must each travel through ravaged towns and over hundreds of miles of charred earth, and must do so under a sky waiting to kill them with every sunrise.
But with the world's population dying off and humanity getting more and more violent as the days pass, their paths are destined to collide, because this unknown and unseen place might be the only hope remaining.

The 4th Edition update optimizes it for Kindle.
Previous page
  1. Print length
    508 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publication date
    March 22, 2015
  5. File size
    3101 KB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  9. See all details
Next page
Add a debit or credit card to save time when you check out
Convenient and secure with 2 clicks. Add your card

Editorial Reviews

Review

Winner - Best Science Fiction - 2016 Los Angeles Book FestivalWinner - Best Science Fiction - 2015 Southern California Book FestivalFinalist - Best Horror - 2015 IndieFab Book Awards
Flare is terrifyingly good! - Readers' Favorite
About 75% through this book I came to the chapter called Legion and this, dear readers, is as heavy a chapter as anything ever written. The words felt like red hot truth being burned into my mind through my eyes and I will gladly admit that I even shed a tear. It was completely and totally one of the most disturbing and beautifully written set of words I have ever read in my entire life. - verdict: 5 stars! Joseph, Rhetorical Excursions - rhetoricalexcursions.blogspot.com
Flare is almost like a combination of Cormac McCarthy's The Road, the sci-fi horror film Pitch Black, Robert Kirkman's The Walking Dead and Stephen King's The Stand, but it is totally different from them. I was also amazed at how well the author writes about religion and religious elements. This is a thrilling story! - RisingShadow.net
Flare has an airtight plot with minute attention to detail, down to the last strip of duct tape, and the mystery at its core is doled out in measured increments. Flare is near-textbook futuristic fiction - verdict: IndieReader-approved! - IndieReader.com

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00V2U50R0
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Cynical Optimist Press; 4th edition (March 22, 2015)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ March 22, 2015
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 3101 KB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 508 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 981 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Jonathan Maas

Jonathan Maas

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Jon Maas was born in New Haven, Connecticut and grew up in San Antonio, Texas. After graduating from Stanford University with degrees in Biology and History, he's earned a living as a Musician, Peace Corps Volunteer, Standup Comedian, TV Producer and Web Designer.

His first novel, "City of gods - Hellenica" has been well received, and his second book, 'Spanners: The Fountain of Youth' won the award for 'Best Young Adult Fiction' at the 2014 San Francisco Book Festival, as well as 'Best Science Fiction' at the 2015 IndieReader Discovery awards.

'Spanners: The Fountain of Youth' is the sequel to the independent movie 'Spanners,' which is currently on the film festival circuit - www.spannersthemovie.com .

He has released his tenth book this year, the YA thriller 'The Litter,' and it has been well-received so far.

He writes on his bus commute to and from work, and has a soft spot in his heart for all types of Public Transportation.

Customer reviews

4.1 out of 5 stars
4.1 out of 5
981 global ratings
Five Stars
5 Stars
Five Stars
Good Read!!
Hide
Thank you for your feedback
Sorry, there was an error
Sorry we couldn't load the review

Top reviews from the United States

JennlyT
5.0 out of 5 stars A brilliantly written take on the apocalypse that does not involve Zombies
Reviewed in the United States on February 16, 2016
Verified Purchase
The earth is hit with a Solar Flare of such magnitude that it practically incinerates anyone and anything caught in the sun’s rays. Those left behind are left to attempt to rebuild, venturing out only at night, seeking shelter during the sweltering light of day.
What started out as your basic “extinction event” that follows two main survivors turned into something deeper in a heartbeat.
Ash and Zeke hear about a place called the “Salvation” a safe place that does not admit just anyone. Once meeting up, Ash, Zeke, Ash’s sister Heather and their companion Courtney all manage to arrive at the Salvation; however not all are allowed entry.

Those expelled from the Salvation continue their journey and arrive at the Dockyards, a place of such depravity that it could only be described as a “hell on earth”
This story really turns the entire “human structure” on its ear. For those with faith, it will be noted that while the “Salvation” is located deep underground away from the sun’s fierce rays all of the tenured inhabitants have adopted angelic names while those who dwell in the debauchery of the dockyards on the surface have all adopted Biblically bereft or down right demonic names. The contrast between the two and the struggle to free those who are enslaved at the dockyards all contribute to what is definitely a great story of survival and the human spirit.
This is without a doubt one of the deepest and most thought provoking novels I have read in a long time. I look forward to more books in this series if there are any and I trust that they will be just as amazing as this one was.
3 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
DeniJ
4.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable book with interesting spiritual twist
Reviewed in the United States on August 18, 2016
Verified Purchase
I really enjoyed this "Flare", because it was a nice change from the so-called "page-turners". It allows slower pace, it tries to pose some philosophical problems and it tries to give a realistic view of a post-apocalyptic society. I like the character development of the twins, the way they complement each other, I like the mystery around Zeke and his simplicity.
On the negative side - I think it could use some editing. I didn't find some major spelling or grammar errors, but I find the way it was written for a bit ... chubby. Also, I think this book could have been developed into something larger - the ending is a bit quick and well, non-developed enough. It could be much better. And the setting allowed for even longer philosophical pondering.
Over all the book was pleasurable to read, without putting me under pressure to read it on one breadth.
4 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Kasey
3.0 out of 5 stars Good read, just a bit long
Reviewed in the United States on May 21, 2016
Verified Purchase
This is a very dark and almost depressing read. While I like this genre, I wasn't as thrilled with the lengthy unnecessary sections. It would have been a much more enjoyable read without all that extra fluff. That said, I found the main plot to be intriguing and the characters to be fairly well developed.
2 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
G man
5.0 out of 5 stars Good read
Reviewed in the United States on May 15, 2023
Verified Purchase
Interesting story, which kept me intrigued from the start of the novel. It makes me wish that there is a continuing novel follow up to this book.
One person found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Ducky
4.0 out of 5 stars This one makes you think
Reviewed in the United States on September 30, 2016
Verified Purchase
This story surprised me. It had the feeling of the Book of Eli, but this time characters travel through a world rendered completely inhospitable to life by a change in the strength of the sun. As the story moves along, it gets weirder, but not in a way that lost me as a reader. Rather it became more compelling like watching some kind of horror that you can't look away from. The writing is technically almost perfect with very few typos or grammar mistakes to distract me. The twists the book took into the paranormal/supernatural arena were not expected, I thought it was Sci Fi, but it turned out to be more dark fantasy. However the premise and the extreme flip of the normal ideas of heaven and hell, was well done.

The science is completely wrong, so if you are someone who can't enjoy a book with bad science, don't read this book. It is a book that reminded me of Pilgrim's Progress or Dante's Inferno with a modern setting and modern language. It takes a healthy dose of suspension of disbelief, but if you can get past that one issue, it is a good read and makes you think.
4 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Very well written
Reviewed in the United States on April 16, 2023
Verified Purchase
This author tells a very well written story with many interesting characters. He has an amazing imagination. Great talks on the end of the world.
Helpful
 Report
Anthony
2.0 out of 5 stars Droning Story with Pacing Issues
Reviewed in the United States on July 1, 2023
Verified Purchase
For the first 1/3 of the book pacing was good and character development interesting. Then the dialogues and interior monologues got way too tedious. I enjoy that sort of thing, but this was preaching often built on weak and stereotypical characters. As the book got to the last 1/3 the pacing got ridiculous. I could feel a deadline approaching and the story accelerated way beyond the original flow. Leaving the ending open and seeing how each player was heading forward was fine for me, but it was done awkwardly and way too fast. This would have been much better as multiple books, or just trim down those many-pages-long presentations of a philosophical angle.
One person found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Kay Crayton
5.0 out of 5 stars Flare Kept Me Guessing
Reviewed in the United States on July 29, 2015
Verified Purchase
This book starts out with the unique idea of something has gone terribly wrong with the sun--to be exposed even briefly to sunlight is lethal. It happened suddenly, no one knows why nor how long it will continue. An interesting small group of characters are trying to survive by hiding completely from sunlight during the day and moving by night. I found this completely absorbing and really like this original treatment of 'suddenly society is destroyed and survivors move forward and meet people.' My only nit was some of the mythical/religious names that come into play but I found it forgivable. After all, this depicts an extreme situation as much allegory as survival and perhaps such events call for more than a dash of the mythical. This is the best book I've read in quite some time.
2 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report

Top reviews from other countries

iremic
5.0 out of 5 stars There is a new order.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 5, 2022
Verified Purchase
The sun kills. In order to survive people must get out of it. During the day they hide in dark places, until the sun sets.
Several groups have become lawless, but there are others who will see that humanity is kept on the right path.
Ash and his sister find leaflets with riddles on that lead to one such place. But they need to get past others who would kill them first.
Others people find this place also, but only certain people can enter. So what happens to those refused admission? This book tells the story of all of them.
A must read for all lovers of apocalyptic worlds.
Report
Dave Arthur
4.0 out of 5 stars The Sun flares and it is impossible to live out in the open so what happens?
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 9, 2024
Verified Purchase
Wow! Not sure where to start with this. It is difficult to review this book without giving spoilers but I will try.

It is a difficult book to read in parts, in fact, I took a break mid-way through to read something a little lighter. That is not a criticism - it just is what it is.
Maybe, I chose the wrong time of year to read it (over Xmas break).

I am no philosopher; but I think, bottom-line, it is trying to show hope for mankind, although it does so in a strange way at times.

I am still not sure I fully understand a couple of the main characters (Zeke and Ash), but maybe I am not supposed to, maybe I need to take them more at face value without judgement.

The writing is superb, and your imagination can run wild if you let it, forward-thinking about what you expect to happen - and it doesn't - as the author pivots to an alternate solution.

I 100% recommend reading this book, but it is decidedly hard-core dystopia, so be prepared for the dark side.
Report
Ian Ellery
4.0 out of 5 stars An exciting post apocalyptic adventure.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 14, 2023
Verified Purchase
A hopeful, exciting, post apocalyptic saga chronicling the best and worst of mankind as they fight to survive the huge solar flare that burns the Earth to a cinder.
Report
Customer AlanKindle Customer!
2.0 out of 5 stars Not bad
Reviewed in Canada on March 3, 2017
Verified Purchase
Kinda lame.but I read it all so I guess it was that bad.it was just a bit plodding I guess
Report
Kindle Customer
4.0 out of 5 stars Good read took me to places that were uncomfortable and thought provoking.I enjoyed
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 11, 2015
Verified Purchase
I enjoyed, good read. Took me to some uncomfortable places but it was worth it and was thought provoking. I would recommend it as a good read about humanity
One person found this helpful
 Report
Report an issue

Does this item contain inappropriate content?
Report
Do you believe that this item violates a copyright?
Report
Does this item contain quality or formatting issues?
Report