Mr. Hugo Rune, Rankin's rambunctious occult adventurer, and his fervent acolyte, Rizla, return for another fear-lessly far-fetched escapade (after 2008's Necrophenia
). One morning, they awaken to a 1967 that's harrowingly differ-ent. Nazis rule the U.K., the U.S. was nuked during WWII, and Rizla can't find a satisfying full English breakfast. Rune pulls Rizla back to 1944, where they must suss out the Twelve Cosmic Conundra “in order to defeat the Nazi peril, save America, save Mankind, [and] secure a future for England that is free and liberated.” A dozen Tarot cards lead them into the madcap “weirdery” that Rankin excels at, though his extremely British jokes (such as Alan Tur-ing's pet robot going haywire and deciding he's King Arthur) may baffle American audiences. Rune's explosive and satisfying smackdown with his eternally evil nemesis, Count Otto Black, will please his longtime fans. (June)
