From Moon to Joshua: Sands of Deliverance, Book 1

This postapocalyptic SF thriller seasons gritty Wild West–style adventure with steampunk elements. The Rich Land ships all its criminals—and a few innocents, too—to the Desert Land. They live a hard life in a hard place that’s leavened by mysterious antihero Drayaden Sinclaire, who fights to save the innocent. He’s armed with a six-shooter, a sword he never draws, and a strict personal code. On a mission to find a father and son who’ve gone missing, Dray discovers that their destination, the town of Joshua, has been obliterated, and the only clue to its destruction is a set of footprints hardened into the desert sand. Joined by desert rat Malcolm and former airship officer Anya Ragnarock, who’s had enough of escorting people to die in the desert, Dray fights to learn the truth, even if it means his own death. Setting-wise, there’s not really anything new here, but Moffitt keeps the action rising. Fans of dystopias and western settings will find enough flying bullets, intrigue, airships, and zombies to entertain them. (Mar.)