First published 1977
The residents of Lost Haven call them a plague of demons. The six Dulanty children appear human at first glance, but their ears flick like wild animals and their eyes burn with green light. Look at them from the corner of your eye and you see gargoyle faces twisted with malice. These children are Pucas, alien beings from another world who have arrived on Earth with a singular mission. They plan to eliminate every human except themselves through their supernatural ability to kill with carefully crafted death rhymes. Each victim dies exactly as the children's verses describe. The young Pucas take wicked pleasure in selecting their targets and composing the fatal poems that will destroy them. The people of Earth have no defense against this methodical extermination. As the body count rises, the alien children move steadily toward their goal of reducing the planet's population to just six inhabitants, or seven if you include the mysterious Bad John.
Genres: science-fiction, fantasy, horror, thriller
Vibes: dark, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: aliens, found-family, supernatural-powers
Setting: Lost Haven, Earth
144 pages · Mass Market Paperback · Berkley
Content warnings: violence