D’Arc

In Repino’s fantastic follow-up to 2015’s Mort(e), human civilization is in ruins after the ants started the “war with no name,” elevating the abilities and intelligence of other animals to help them in their fight. House-cat-turned-warrior Mort(e), who, with the help of the human/animal resistance, killed the ant queen, now lives with his friend, the dog Sheba, on a quiet ranch where they raise docile alpha ants. When a spiderlike creature threatens a nearby beaver village, the beavers ask for Mort(e)’s assistance, but he’s not keen on leaving his quiet life. However, Sheba, desperate to venture beyond the ranch, wants to help. Meanwhile, in nearby Hosanna, a killer is on the loose, and water creatures called sarcops are ascending from the deep to eradicate humanity. Once again, Mort(e) may be the only one who can save the day. Sheba (who renames herself D’arc), with her genuine goodness and wide-eyed fascination with everything, is immensely likable. Curmudgeonly, weary Mort(e) carries the weight of this brave new world firmly on his shoulders. Well-drawn characters and emotional heft are hallmarks of this unusual series about the power of myth, love, and redemption in a dangerous time. (May)