cover image The Point

The Point

John Dixon. Del Rey, $27 (320p) ISBN 978-1-101-96756-0

More Than Human meets Dress Gray in Dixon’s rousing mash-up of military SF thriller and paranormal adventure. Rebellious 18-year-old Scarlett Winter comes from a military family, but military life is the last thing she wants for herself. All that changes after she accidentally foils a terrorist threat to the life of a friend’s senator father and is recruited by West Point as part of a secret new unit, Operation Signal Boost, made up of posthumans whose various paranormal abilities are controlled and studied. Scarlett, who has the power to absorb and re-release energy at will, will be trained as a supersoldier for future wars. But Scarlett soon comes up against the long gray line of tradition and discipline, knocking heads with superiors and fellow posthuman cadets alike. Then the cadets face off against the High Rollers, a rogue band of paranormals led by the dangerous mind-controlling Antonio Jagger. His audacious scheme could spell the end of the posthumans, West Point, and maybe even the United States—unless Scarlett can harness her powers in time. Scarlett is a resourceful and endearing heroine, and her maturation from heedless teen to dedicated cadet forms the dramatic spine of this story. Anyone who can buy the concept of a secret supernatural society beneath West Point will thrill to Scarlett’s adventures. (Aug.)