THE DIRT EATERS

Foon's (Skud ) sprawling post-apocalypse fantasy, the first in the planned Longlight Legacy trilogy, opens years after the Abominations have poisoned the earth and turned the desert into the Devastation. Savage raiders destroy the peaceful city of Longlight, an enclave so secluded it has become mythical to those outside. One of the few survivors is teenage Roan, who feels torn between his father's pacifist teachings and his newfound desire for revenge. Roan is offered sanctuary by an odd cult of Brothers led by a motorcycle-riding Prophet, but it comes at a high price. On the verge of initiation, Roan attacks the Prophet and escapes, led by three spirit guides who come to him in dreams and tell him that his younger sister is still alive and needs his help. Countless subplots and incidental characters add to the elaborate set-up: peaceful angelic beings that live underground; death-inducing Mor-Ticks, bugs that dig into human skin to lay explosive larvae; and legendary Dirt Eaters, who use dirt as a drug to become lucid in their dreams. The most interesting story line involves the city of Fairview, whose Governor sells the town's children for laboratory experiments or so their organs can be harvested for use by the Masters of the City. Although the surfeit of ideas might cohere in the next two installments, this first suggests that the plotting may simply be too ambitious. Ages 13-up. (Oct.)