Ashfall Legacy

This near-future sci-fi adventure from the pseudonymous Lore (the Lorien Legacies) follows half-alien Sydney Chambers, 16, whose mother, Beth, is a presumed-white human, and whose father, Marcius, is a gray-skinned extraterrestrial from Denza, whose race has a covert presence on Earth. Decades ago, the Denzans recruited humankind—the universe’s most violent species—to help save their own planet from invasion. Though humans become preternaturally strong and practically invincible when they leave Earth, related DNA alterations mean that their cells degrade upon return. Beth and Marcius both believe that “evolved” humans could help restore order on an increasingly chaotic Earth, so Marcius is scouring the cosmos for the condition’s cure when his ship vanishes. Subsequently, an alien mercenary attacks Beth and Syd’s home in the Australian outback, prompting them to flee. Years later, a Denzan vessel finds the pair in rural Washington, and its pilot claims that Marcius is still alive, and only Syd can find him. Though the book’s mythology is half-baked and some of the plotting feels well-trod, Lore reels in readers with imaginatively conceived characters and a snarky, relatable first-person narrative. An action-packed conclusion cracks the door for a sequel. Ages 13–17. [em]Agent: Eric Simonoff, WME. (Aug.) [/em]