Individuals “infected” with superpowers fight to stop their cohorts from kidnapping children in this debut novel.

For Grace Song, a high school senior in Arcadian City in the United States, a simple act of kindness changes her life. She intercedes when three dogs corner a cat only to suffer a canine assault, though she’s relatively unharmed. Grace takes in the cat, Deidre, who later bites her hand. This leads to an infection in which visible tendrils appear on Grace’s skin. And with that comes potent abilities, like easily tearing things apart, namely people. Meanwhile, 20-something Ethan Kaiser belongs to Arcadian City’s most influential family. Though he winds up framed for murder, his life ultimately intersects with Grace’s. By this time, Grace is a part of the Covenant Corporation with others also sporting superpowers, called Ultras. Some of the Ultras view themselves as superior to the rest of humanity. But Grace does not, nor does she abide by the Covenant’s plan to abduct gifted children for recruitment and immediate placement in the field. She finds an ally in Ethan, who develops abilities of his own, and the two plan to take down the enigmatic Kane, who seemingly masterminded the kidnapping plot. Although this supernatural series opener features solid action scenes, they’re primarily reserved for the novel’s latter half. Nevertheless, Eberhart aptly establishes characters in the slower Part 1, from Grace’s friend (and possibly more) Aryan Heather Skarsgarde to the Kaisers, particularly Ethan’s physician sister, Emily. While Grace, whose mother abuses her, is sympathetic, Ethan is decidedly less likable, as he’s unabashedly sexist. Still, the eventual confrontations between superpowered individuals are entertaining even if readers have already seen these abilities before, including flying, freezing objects, and transforming into a werewolf. The author truly amps up the action with strange but indelible onomatopoeia, such as “BURRRRP!” to signify a siren and “POCK!” for a variety of sounds, including a disengaging lock, a slap or punch, and suppressed gunshots.

An appealing supernatural series opener with rousing action scenes and sharp characterizations.