The world has changed forever. Across America, technology has been eclipsed by magic, and ordinary people become the embodiments of their darkest desires, deepest fears, purest selves.
To save his sister, Tina, who has been transformed into one of the ethereal creatures known as flares, former lawyer Cal Griffin seeks out the source of this terrifying phenomenon. Cal and his band of unlikely heroes follow the song of a cursed bluesman and the visions of the charming lunatic Goldie to a secret haven, exempt from the malevolent power. But as the outside world unravels, the salvation of everything left worth saving requires that Cal and his companions journey deep into the soul of darkness to confront the beast ruling the Ruby City once called Chicago.
Maya Kaathryn Bohnhoff is a versatile author and performer, best known for her science fiction and fantasy works. Bohnhoff also writes magic realism and nonfiction, and has written and performed music since 1979. Her short fiction has appeared in Analog, Amazing Stories, Interzone, Realms of Fantasy, and others. In addition to her shorter works Bohnhoff has written several full-length novels, including The Meri, which was a Locus magazine finalist for the Best First Novel award in 1993. She lives in California with her husband.
Marc Scott Zicree has created classic episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Babylon Five, Sliders, and others and is the author of the bestselling Twilight Zone Companion. He lives with his wife in West Hollywood.
Mark Bramhall has won the prestigious Audie Award for best narration, more than thirty AudioFile Earphones Awards, and has repeatedly been named by AudioFile magazine and Publishers Weekly among their “Best Voices of the Year.” He is also an award-winning actor whose acting credits include off-Broadway, regional, and many Los Angeles venues as well as television, animation, and feature films. He has taught and directed at the American Academy of Dramatic Art.
Ann Marie Lee has worked extensively as an actress in the theater-from Broadway National Tours to regional theater, ranging from classical to contemporary to musicals-as well as in guest and recurring roles in television and film. She has recorded numerous audiobooks and has received several AudioFile Earphones Awards as well as a Publishers Weekly Listen-Up Award.
Ned Schmidtke has played leading roles on Broadway, on national tours, and at dozens of regional theaters in the United States and Canada. He currently resides in Los Angeles, where he continues to work in theater, film, and television.
Robertson Dean has played leading roles on and off Broadway and at dozens of regional theaters throughout the country. He has a BA from Tufts University and an MFA from Yale. His audiobook narration has garnered ten AudioFile Earphones Awards. He now lives in Los Angeles, where he works in film and television in addition to narrating.