First published 2009
Makepeace serves as sheriff in a failed state, the last citizen guarding a dead city's remains. She salvages books from the ruins while keeping her weapons ready. The world has shifted north into bitter cold, and civilization has collapsed around her. When a refugee appears from the endless forest, Makepeace sees proof that people still survive somewhere beyond her patrol route. This discovery pushes her to leave her post and venture into the wider wasteland. She carries dark humor and stubborn hope as she travels through a landscape of scattered settlements. The villages she finds operate under harsh rules and uncertain justice. Hidden camps force workers to operate mysterious machines left behind by the vanished world. Makepeace faces constant danger as she moves deeper into this frozen territory. Her journey becomes a search for connection in a world that has lost most of its people. The road leads her toward an unexpected chance at redemption.
Genres: dystopia, adventure, post-apocalyptic, apocalyptic
Vibes: dark, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, redemption
Setting: North
Period: 21st-century
320 pages · Hardcover · Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Content warnings: violence