THE CRIER STONE

A teenager on the run finds out why Texas has become a devastated hellscape wracked by savage storms and mutant monsters in this dystopian sequel.

Following closely enough on the harrowing events of 2024’s Chaos Grid that white-presenting Juniper Conway still reeks of digestive juices from the land whale that swallowed her, this novel pitches the determined Christian hacker into fresh encounters with deadly weather, lethal insects, and colorful whalers. Then it’s on to domed Plex City (formerly Dallas–Fort Worth) for struggles with nihilist rebels who want to blow up the whole city and a corrupt megacorporation that wants to control the population using an addictive drug, followed by a violent arena game played out before a bloodthirsty audience. Incorporating familiar genre elements, Lewellen keeps up the pace while juggling a populous cast with multiple agendas. Besides having a secret e-weapon, the crier stone, and loyal allies to get her out of tough spots, Juni displays an admirable, indomitable sense of purpose that’s founded both on valued relationships, notably with hunky Latine heartthrob Daxal Garza, and the conviction—fully justified by multiple cases of divine intervention and even a voice in her head—that God is on her side. The future looks bright for her and Dax, as well as Texas, by the upbeat close.

Action-heavy all the way to the triumphant end.