Haven

Perldeiner taps into the love of myth, history, and gadgetry with a post-cataclysmic tale in which the politics and intrigue of survival underlie a fantastically imaginative coming-of-age story. Tiberius is a young novice in service to the abbey at Haven, devoted to reason and the preservation of knowledge after the fall of 21st-century civilization. As the scribe for a small party of adventurers leaving from the abbey, it’s Tiberius’s role to document every step of the perilous journey and note for posterity the neighboring duke’s response to Haven’s plea for help in vanquishing the threat of a war with another nearby group. Traversing a land that appears to be what we know as the east coast of the U.S., the band crosses paths with a number of people who could either help or harm the cause. The unique patois of the different groups are, at times, difficult to comprehend, and the origins of this future world’s customs aren’t always clearly rooted in our present; the story contains a sense of wonder and adventure that wouldn’t be out of place in a more traditional epic fantasy. Knights and monks cross paths with futuristic technology and mores while taking a frank, almost tongue-in-cheek look at the remains of modern culture. (Sept.)