I’m a diehard Lockwood and Co. fan so was excited to hear about Jonathan Stroud’s new book, and I was already sold on Scarlett after the first few sentences:

"That morning, with the dawn hanging wet and pale over the levees, Scarlett McCain woke up beside four dead men. Four! She hadn’t realised it had been so many. No wonder she felt stiff."

By the second chapter Scarlett has already single-handedly robbed a bank, but her carefree life of crime is interrupted when she comes across a bus crash and finds someone still alive hiding in the bathroom. Against all her self-preservation instincts, Scarlett gets involved. She coaxes Albert Browne out of his hiding place and agrees to help him on his way, but they soon realise they are being followed. Scarlett and Albert must team up to escape their relentless, dangerous pursuers and find a safe place to hide.

‘The Outlaws Scarlett and Browne’ is an irresistible juxtaposition of gunslinging Wild West and waterlogged dystopian England. Scarlett and Albert are a wonderful comedic duo. Scarlet is a notorious outlaw and charming web of contradiction—happy to rob and kill but carries a swear jar around to stop herself cursing and needs regular breaks to clear her mind through prayer and meditation. Albert is a seemingly helpless, naïve character, who is actually an even bigger mystery than Scarlett. A thrilling adventure in an inventive new world—long live Scarlett and Browne!

I received a free ecopy of this book in return for an honest review. Many thanks to Walker Books UK and to NetGalley for the opportunity.

Not having read any Jonathan Stroud books before I wasn’t sure what to expect, but this book was so much fun to read. This story is never dull as it follows the adventures of two youngsters on the run across a post-apocalyptic Britain that has more in common with the Wild West than Britain today.

Scarlett McCain roves from town to town robbing banks and conning people out of money as she goes. She is a contradictory character, quick thinking and efficiently violent but she also carries a prayer mat for her meditation sessions, and uses a self-enforced cuss box. She is doing is doing fine, until she rescues a rather peculiar and hapless young lad called Albert Browne from a bus crash. Albert has escaped from a mysterious clinic and it is clear there is more to him than meets the eye.

Outlaws is a tantalising book. The backdrop of the book is a Britain partially under water and no longer a united kingdom. Each town has its own rules and rulers, the population are at the mercy of their whims. Outside the towns, native British wildlife has evolved from small benign creatures to giant man-eaters and some of the human population has also gone through some unpleasant changes too. Other differences to the world are hinted at but dangle just out of reach of the current story, leaving the reader with a burning curiosity.

Scarlett is a tough female character who can take care of herself but is surprisingly caring of others when it’s needed. Albert is a puzzle at first, but the reader witnesses his character growth over the course of the book.

Stroud really knows how to ratchet up the tension, so even though this book is aimed at young teens and pre-teens, I became quite caught up in the action. I foresee a fantastic adventure series in the offing starring Scarlett and Browne.

I read this over a weekend and enjoyed it. Having adored Jonathan Stroud's last series Lockwood & Co I was so excited to start this! Sadly It didn't suck me in as much as that series but it was still a very interesting introduction to a new world. While I liked the setting and the way it was set in the UK but a dystopian, I didn't really become fond of the characters. Hopefully that will change as the series goes on though.
The mix of dystopian and western vibes was very interesting, unlike anything I've read before.

3,5 stars

I was very excited to read this new series by Jonathan Stroud. And overall, this book does not disappoint, no, it is very engaging in fact. I had trouble connecting with the main characters, though. I still haven't really gotten a feel for them. Hopefully, we'll dive more into the characters and their relationship in the next book.
I also wish it would've been a bit more explained how this world came to be. I have so many questions and barely any were answered. At least give me something, it doesn't have to be all at once.

Having never read anything from Stroud before, I went into this book with no expectations whatsoever.

I'm pleased to say that the story lived up to its blurb and the fantastic front cover that accompanied it.

The Outlaws Scarlett and Browne, which is the first book in a new series, is set in a dystopian version of Britain.

We are introduced to a young outlaw and bank robber, by the name of Scarlett McCain, and when she discovers what looks like an abandoned, wrecked bus, she happens to find inside it, the mysterious Albert Browne.

This duo - who I absolutely love together head off on an adventurous, hunted by enemies, they go on a somewhat perilous journey through a now broken down England, all the while in search of a glimpse of safety.

I really enjoyed this, I found the concept quite new and exciting.

As I said I loved Scarlett and Albert together, brilliant characters, and I'm excited to see how they develop as the series progresses.

My only complaint was that the book was a tad long. I understand why as he was setting the tone for the books that are to come, it just meant for me that in places it wasn't as well paced as it could have been.

For the majority of the book it was fast and edgy with a good bit of conversation thrown in.

Fans of YA novels will definitely be intrigued by this tale, especially with the dystopian themes running throughout it.

As a longstanding fan of Stroud, I went into this with high expectations and was not disappointed. The Outlaws Scarlett and Browne is set in a dystopian Britain after a 'cataclysm' which led to the fragmentation of the country into the old kingdoms, i.e. Mercia, Northumbria, Wessex, as well as Welsh and Cornish frontiers. The young outlaw and bank robber, Scarlett McCain, finds a wrecked bus and inside it, the mysterious but seemingly hapless Albert Browne. The pair of them, pursued by enemies, travel through England's broken landscape in search of safety.

I loved this book to the point where it is difficult to find fault with it. My only issues are maybe the book could have been fifty pages shorter and the characters lacked some of the depth of his previous work, but this is only the first book in the series. The story and setting felt very unique and new to me, as expected from Stroud, and I'm excited to see where the story goes next. This story presents new settings, interesting storylines, and good characters and character development. I'd definitely recommend this to fans of Jonathan Stroud, Rick Riordan, or Eoin Colfer, as well as those with an interest in YA dystopian novels.

I love Jonathan Stroud's books, particularly the Lockwood & Co. series. This is a fantastic start to a new series, set in a future England riven by catastrophe. this was a fast paced, imaginative story with terrific characters. I loved Scarlett and her bank robbing activities, both smart and humorous, tempered after she meets Albert, a more considered character all round. They were, I felt, perfectly matched. The book as I said is fast paced and the conclusion exciting and well done, I can't wait for the next one!

This new series is set in a future England that has suffered an unspecified cataclysm - London is now a dangerous lagoon with concrete islands the only remnants of buildings past, other areas are uninhabitable or home to deadly creatures- giant predatory versions of animals and the terrifying Tainted. Surviving towns, overseen by the Faith Houses, are walled off from the outside world for protection and outsiders are viewed with suspicion. Scarlett is an outlaw, a skilled bank robber, skilled at surviving on her own outside of the protection of these towns. In the wilds she meets Albert, a strange, optimistic boy who seems to have little idea about the real world.
I really enjoyed this new book from Jonathan Stroud - he has a brilliant ability to create believable, twisted, alternative or, in this case, speculative future versions of our world.
Action-packed and quickly paced it still leaves room for the characters to develop and relationships to form. It also manages the fine balancing act between creating a satisfying complete story whilst also leaving questions unanswered and mysteries to be revealed in later books - something I particularly liked about the Lockwood & Co series. And, as with the Lockwood & Co books, Stroud is able to create just the right sense of dread and peril for his audience.
I can't wait to spend more time with these characters and see where the story takes them next.

Stroud's previous series, Lockwood & co is my absolute favourite series in the kids section and I recommend it to everyone in our shop looking for a great kids read, so obviously I was excited to read more from this author.
What a brilliant start to a new series! I loved the two main characters and the world they are in. We are only given hints to the world but I'm sure we will find out more as the series progresses, as with Lockwood. I'm very intrigued but the Tainted, and this combined with the slight Western feel put me in mind of Firefly (tv series) and the Reivers that bring sheer terror to the characters.
So fantastic, I'm already looking forward to the next installment!

I am a massive fan of Jonathan Stroud and a new book of his is something to look forward to, if you’ve never come across him, I highly recommend both the Bartimaeus series (which begins with The Amulet of Samarkand) and Lockwood and Co (which begins with The Screaming Staircase). The Outlaws Scarlett and Browne is obviously the first entry in a projected series, and although it was a solid read, it will have to up its game to match the books I just mentioned. The setting is a post-apocalyptic south England setting, in which very little information is revealed on how we ended up living behind fortified walls in the last surviving cities. Although Stroud drops hints and pieces of information here and there, I found it too vague. Likewise, there are monsters roaming the wilderness, (the ‘Tainted’) and almost human cannibals but they spent too much time in the background and do not pose much of a threat or add much to the excitement. Stroud’s strength as a writer is creating vividly drawn settings, and this is no different, and I am sure young teens and pre-teens will get lost in the setting.

Scarlett is the main character, who is a young outlaw who survives by robbing banks and traveling the wasteland, she is given very little backstory and although she clearly does not like the ‘system’ readers might wonder why she is an outlaw? She is not really a Robin Hood type character (it has more of a Wild West vibe) and although she was an engaging lead, particularly with her new friend, Albert Browne her character could have done with a meat on her bones beyond being a teen rebel. As a result, I failed to make much of a connection with her. However, although the main plot does not reveal itself until well into the story there were solid action sequences and a strong ending. Obviously, it finishes for the potential for a further adventure, but I am unconvinced this was a genuinely strong enough opener to pull kids in for a sequel.

In a post apocalyptic Britain, where gunfights and zombies are a regular occurrence, Scarlett survives as an outlaw in one of the few remaining walled off cities. When she discovers Albert Browne in the wilderness, the pair are forced to work together in order to outrun the terrors that lie in wait.

Fast paced, atmospheric and richly descriptive, this sucked me into the story and didn't let go. The world is so interesting, and we know so little about it that I was desperate to finish the story to get some answers. The same applies to Scarlett. She's an enigma, willful and courageous without any known attachments to the world. We never know why she's an outlaw, and what life she might have had otherwise. Although this worked for character, making her feel very aloof and standoffish, it also made it more difficult to connect with her. If I had some backstory to supplement her actions, I feel like I could have warmed to her more and gained a more emotional attachment. I also think the world building could have been developed more. My questions largely go unanswers at the conclusion of the story, which was frustrating. I wanted to know more about how the world became to be how it is now, what caused the cannibals and why. We don't get thusz but I'm hopefully further installments will start to fill in the gaps.

Great dystopian, that's full of witty writing and fast paced action, but don't go into it expecting answers.

This book was maybe the most fun I’ve had in a very very long time !!! I adored Stroud’s Lockwood and Co series, and this proved to be just as strange/terrifying/utterly gripping.
Only Stroud could make the combination of post-apocalyptic England, mutant zombies and the Wild West feel completely believable. The dry humour running throughout the book also helped alleviate the sheer terror (watch out for the Tainted...). A stunning start to a series that hopefully has many more books to come - I can’t wait to see what Scarlett and Browne do next!

This book completely blew me away! I'm not sure what I was expecting but it definitely wasn't psychics, outlaws and cannibals! I can't wait to see what's in store for Scarlett and Browne next! :D

The proof came just as I set off to read online so switched to the hard copy.
A fantastic adventure - any new Stroud title is worth investigating and this proved to excellent - with adventure, empathy and friendship at the heart of the tale.

Heartily recommended - and I shall promote in my Reading Group and elsewhere!

I was very excited to receive this eARC - huge thanks to the publisher! I am a great fan of the author's previous two series, which is why I couldn't wait for his newest book!

The Outlaws Scarlett and Browne is set in a post-apocalyptic England where civilization has retreated behind the fortified walls of a few cities. The wilderness is taking over and it's populated by monstrous predators and mysterious, almost human-like cannibals. This is why the cities fear and punish any genetic deviation.

Scarlett is a young outlaw who survives by robbing banks and traveling the wasteland fearlessly. When she discovers the remains of a bus accident and naive Albert Browne, she feels compelled to help him, despite pursuers hard on their heels.

The world feels intriguing and suspenseful because of the lack of information about its past. By the end of the book, we still don't really know what happened and caused the catastrophe that shaped it. Even less do we really get to know Scarlett's path and why she chooses the dangerous life of an outlaw. Both her and Albert have many layers as characters and it was very interesting to see them react to each other and evolve over time. However, I couldn't really form a personal connection to either of them.

This isn't a huge problem for me, though, because the book provides constant tension and action. While we don't find out about the main conflict until halfway through, I was always very entertained. The ending is fitting and intense. Sadly, I didn't feel wow-ed even then, which has left me with a fairly good, but not outstanding opinion of the book. Still, I am curious about the sequel and will definitely read it as well.

Despite my emotional disconnect to the characters, I liked and enjoyed the story well enough. I definitely recommend it to everyone, especially those who would like to try an interesting mixture of dystopia and the Wild West with vibes from Stranger Things.

If you want a cinematic, edge of your seat adventure story with horrors, action and adventure on every page then you will be punching the air in delight at Stroud's new series. The dystopian, post-apocalyptic world is richly imagined. The main characters are unhinged yet immediately sympathetic and the monsters and villains are as vile and as unstoppable as your worst nightmares. Awesome.