The Emperor’s Railroad

Haley (The Rise of the Horned Rat) introduces the postapocalyptic Dreaming Cities series with this short but gripping tale of desperate feudal societies, angels and zombies, and a knight and a dragon. After a Virginia village is destroyed by the undead, 12-year-old Abney and his twice-widowed mother set off for Ohio, hoping to live with a cousin. But the route is dangerous: ruined roads pass through dense woodlands that hide bandits, wild animals, and zombies, while settlements are full of suspicious folks and scoundrels. Their odds of surviving improve when they team up with the scruffy knight Quinn, but nothing is certain. Haley tells the story through the voice of elderly Abney recalling his youth. He gives tantalizing hints about the tarnished world, knights like Quinn, and the powers they serve; it’s clear that Haley has big plans for this intriguing setting. Haley serves up equal helpings of horror, fantasy adventure, and SF in this stark, intriguing story of a ruined Earth where the remaining humans are determined to survive. (Apr.)