First published 2009
Briar Wilkes lives in the shadow of her late husband's catastrophe. Sixteen years ago, Leviticus Blue's drilling machine destroyed downtown Seattle and released poison gas that creates zombies. Now a massive wall seals off the dead city. Briar struggles to support her teenage son Ezekiel while bearing the weight of Blue's legacy. When Ezekiel secretly ventures into the walled city to clear his father's name, Briar discovers he has vanished into a nightmare world of undead horrors and desperate survivors. The toxic air kills within hours without protection. Criminal gangs control the streets. Air pirates patrol the skies. Briar must enter this hellscape to find her son before the city claims another member of her family. Her journey will force her to confront not only Seattle's monsters but the truth about her husband's machine and the disaster that changed everything.
Genres: dystopia, historical-fiction, fantasy, alternate-history
Vibes: atmospheric, dark, suspenseful
Tropes: found-family, redemption
Setting: Seattle
Period: 16 years ago, present day
416 pages · Paperback · Tor Books
Content warnings: death, violence