By the Blood of Heroes

Nassise (the Jeremiah Hunt Chronicles) fills the adrenaline-fueled first installment of the Great Undead War saga with an audacious mix of military fiction, steampunk, and zombies. In an alternate WWI, Michael “Madman” Burke, a veteran American soldier with an artificial “clockwork” arm, is assigned to go deep behind enemy lines and rescue a famous Allied pilot who has been shot down by the Germans. Burke and his team must maneuver through territory inhabited by shamblers—Kaiser Wilhelm’s undead troops—and more than a few walking dead monstrosities recently developed by Germany’s scientific brain trust. To complicate matters, the captured pilot happens to be Burke’s estranged half-brother. Relentless pacing, nonstop action, and improbable but nifty-sounding military gadgetry (portable personal gliding devices, magnetism grenades) power an unremittingly entertaining story line that with broad appeal for history buffs, horror aficionados, and fans of steampunk. Agent: Joe Monti, Barry Goldblatt Literary Group. (May)