THE RANGE

Parker’s fantasy novel initiates a new series set against a desert landscape facing the looming threat of annihilation.

Years after Cmdr. Corvus changed the world with the establishment of his Codes, the people of the Core settlement within Camp Gamma live relatively safe lives behind the lines of the Range, an energy fence fueled by magic and defended by a line of pikemen who keep the mysterious Shadows that try to break in at bay. But as the Shadow attacks increase, a desperate mission to gain assistance from other settlements sends a team of captains (along with Corvus) away across the empty, dangerous landscape. The newly appointed vice commander, Cyrus, must work with Tomias, the camp’s new acting commander—but when Tomias asks Cyrus if he remembers “the time before Corvus,” he sends Cyrus down a path of questions and revelations placing him at the center of a conspiracy. Nora, a woman who works with the Afters—the dulled men who have lost their minds to the magic of the Range—is invited to question the world around her. As danger mounts and the Shadows threaten to break through, Cyrus and Nora grapple with the truths being unveiled to them and find themselves becoming reluctant heroes. There is a sense that something portentous is always just around the corner for the characters in this slow-moving, multifaceted fantasy novel, adding tension to a story that invites the characters—and readers—to question history as told by the victors. “The Codes have been very effective at keeping control of the narrative,” Cyrus is told in a moment that signifies the beginning of his new awareness. This is a clever book, with an engaging storyline featuring good character development and peppered with beautiful black-and-white illustrations by the author. 

A great start to a new fantasy series.