The Map of Bones

April 4, 2016
Haig’s second Fire Sermon novel continues the postapocalyptic saga in which humanity has survived in the form of pairs of genetically “perfect” Alphas and sterile, “deformed” Omegas. Each Alpha-Omega pair is psychically connected so that if one twin dies, so does the other. The Alphas have systematically oppressed their siblings and are moving ahead on an aggressive plan to place them in suspended animation using taboo technology. Omega and seer Cass is determined to thwart this, especially since her own twin, Zach, is its mastermind. But to save Omegas everywhere, she has to rekindle an all-but-destroyed rebellion and locate the fabled Ark, a last-ditch storehouse of information and technology predating the nuclear war that destroyed civilization. Haig fleshes out her radiation-scarred dystopian setting and its intrigues, as well as touching upon the last survivors of the old world. It’s a grim, atmospheric tale featuring unpleasant decisions and morally compromised characters, with very little brightness to balance it out, but Haig does interject the occasional positive note. Much is left unresolved, of course, setting up the final installment. Agent: Juliet Mushens, United Talent Agency.

May 15, 2016

In Haig's The Fire Sermon, 400 years after a nuclear blast decimated the world, the surviving population developed into two factions--the downtrodden Omegas and the privileged Alphas. In this sequel Cass, an Omega and a Seer, is on the run with former Resistance leader Piper and his twin, Zoe. The three must try to fix the broken sections of the Resistance and stop the progression of the horror machines known as "the tanks." Cass thinks there could be new hope in stolen papers from "the before" that mention a life-saving vessel, the Ark, but she will have to betray her people and partner with an Alpha council member if she wants to find it. Magnifying the bleak conditions and desperation that Cass and her companions have to grapple with, Haig's prose is both heartbreaking and beautifully rendered. VERDICT Readers who relish dystopian literature such as Suzanne Collins's "The Hunger Games" trilogy or Ryan Winfield's "The Park Service" books will appreciate the original aspects of Haig's series.--Jennifer Funk, McKendree Univ. Lib., Lebanon, IL

Copyright 2016 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 15, 2016
The second installment of the Fire Sermon series returns to postapocalyptic earth, where a nuclear event 400 years ago resulted in a human genetic mutation called twinning. All births now produce both a flawless Alpha child and a physically (or psychically) impaired Omega Child. The twins are dependent on each other for life (when one dies, so does the other); but the brutal Alpha regime they live under forces Omegas to live apart as second-class citizens. Cass, an Omega who possesses the rare mutation of psychic foresight, continues her central role in the Omega resistance movement while suffering through terrifying and prophetic visions that are vital to her work. With an impending civil war and the discovery of the Alpha government's sinister plan for the Omegas, the resistance must act quickly to save themselves and humankind. Beautifully written, action packed, and character driven, this satisfying series continuation reveals new and fascinating information about what led to the earth's destruction and caused an oppressive, technophobic society to rise up in its ashes.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)