The Lamb Will Slaughter the Lion

Killjoy (A Country of Ghosts) packs this novella full of suspense, intrigue, and a surprising amount of heart. Danielle Cain is a runaway who finds a home in Freedom, Iowa, a town populated by a group of squatters. The residents’ guardian spirit, a three-horned deer named Uliksi, has seemingly gone rogue, killing members of their community—the very people who had summoned it. Danielle encounters danger at every turn, learning hard lessons about trust and safety. The mythology surrounding Uliksi is spare, and the writing speaks more to the successes and failures of anarchist politics in a highly charged, supernatural setting. Evocative of a desolate future, Killjoy’s writing is populated with characters that are as human as they are unique. The suspenseful narrative flows smoothly, with plenty of humorous asides from Danielle and her cohort. Perhaps most refreshing is the work’s concision. Nothing is superfluous. Killjoy allows the reader to glimpse a beautifully chaotic world, leaving just the right amount to the imagination. (Aug.)