The New Hunger

Margariti (The Saint of Witches) packs an impressive amount of postapocalyptic worldbuilding into this slick novella. An event called the Quickening transformed a segment of humanity into cannibalistic Eaters. Years later in the devastated city of Kronos, Mayor Pappas runs for reelection planning to continue his program of imprisoning the Eaters in high-security gulag Kratos. Opposing him is rich, powerful Eater Jonah March who’s planning an uprising with help from her lover Evi, recently released from Kratos and now an overnight sensation for speaking out about the government-sanctioned abuse she suffered. Meanwhile Evi’s sister, Nora, an introverted hacker, struggles with guilt for both chomping down her queer-platonic-partner, Eden, and allowing Evi to take the fall. March tasks Nora with stealing laboratory data from Kratos, hoping to prove the Quickening was not a virus, as the government claims, but a genetic mutation. To cinch Nora’s cooperation, she reveals that Eden is alive and a Crimson Ribbon, someone who possesses a symbiotic genetic mutation that allows their body tissue to heal. Reunited, the pair embark on the dangerous mission. On its own, the DNA devilry and government cover-up could fill a novel, but Margariti also makes room for interpersonal angst; a drug-enhanced, trauma-filled sibling relationship; and queer eroticism. This first outing is a page-turner and a generous sampler of what’s to come. (Aug.)