cover image A Better World: Book Two of the Brilliance Saga

A Better World: Book Two of the Brilliance Saga

Marcus Sakey. Amazon/Thomas & Mercer, $14.95 trade paper (434p) ISBN 978-1-4778-2394-1

Set in a near-future America tragically accustomed to terrorism, Edgar finalist Sakey’s stellar sequel to 2013’s Brilliance holds the reader in thrall until the final crack of an unthinkable doom—then offers more. U.S. President Lionel Clay, a man temperamentally and intellectually better suited to the classroom than to national leadership, desperately needs the help of Nick Cooper, one of the “brilliants” born since 1980 with special gifts that outstrip 99% of humanity. The members of a shadowy group, the Children of Darwin, are burning truckers alive, starving three American cities, and threatening all-out civil war. Cooper’s fight against this foe demonstrates the importance of decency, principle, and love in a world where politicians’ promises of “protection” lead to the bitterest enslavement. Sakey skillfully juggles a complex backstory while setting up an intricate foundation for this apocalyptic trilogy’s conclusion. [em]Agent: Scott Miller, Trident Media Group. (June) [/em]