THE DARKER MASK coming in August!

[Naomi Hirahara]

The Publishers Weekly review just in:

The Darker Mask: Heroes From the Shadows
Edited by Gary Phillips and Christopher Chambers. Tor, $24.95 (384p) ISBN 978-0-7653-1850-3; $14.95 paper ISBN 978-0-7653-1851-0

Themed along the grayer areas of superhero fiction, this anthology of 18 original stories nonetheless covers a wide spectrum. One standout is “Switchback,” by Ann Nocenti (Daredevil), in which teenage Mimi must try to cope with both her strange mind-control powers and the shards of familial ties that still bind her to her broken family. In “Tat Master,” Edgar award–winner Naomi Hirahara (Snakeskin Shamisen) introduces tattoo artist Eye, who discovers the ability to bring her designs to life while on the run from her abusive boyfriend. Shamus winner Peter Spiegelman (Black Maps) pulls off a classic tale of superheroics meeting reality with “In Vino, Veritas,” delving into a simple tale of ethics and love through the viewpoint of lie-detecting Veritas. Deceptively simple and entertaining while never skimping on serious topics, this tight anthology will satisfy any superhero enthusiast. (Aug.)

Also in the collection are the two editors, of course, as well as Walter Mosley, Reed Farrel Coleman, and Alexandra Sokoloff. August will be a busy month for me as my middle-grade book, 1001 CRANES, will also be released.