New Releases by Brian Francis Slattery

The day of reckoning has arrived for both Asanti the Archivist and the entire Societas Librorum Occultorum. Adapt or die; stay the course or switch streams: those are the questions faced as magic rises and Bookburners Season Two reaches its conclusion. This episode written by Max Gladstone. Magic is real, and hungry—trapped in ancient texts and artifacts, only a few who discover it survive to fight back. Detective Sal Brooks is a survivor. Freshly awake to just what dangers are lurking, she joins a Vatican-backed black-ops anti-magic squad: Team Three of the Societas Librorum Occultorum. Together they stand between humanity and magical apocalypse. Some call them the Bookburners. They don’t like the label. "The End of the Day" is the thirteenth and final episode of Bookburners Season 2, presented by Serial Box Publishing.

This is the 12th episode in the third season of Bookburners, a 13-episode serial from Serial Box Publishing. This episode written by Brian Francis Slattery. Magic is real . . . and hungry. As the City Eater ravages London, Team Three finds itself in a quandary: How can they fight back? And, more important: How can they neutralize this problem before Team One swoops in and does so with no regard for the lives of innocent bystanders? The answer may lie deep within the city itself . . . if the new Team Four can get its work done in time. Things have changed for the Vatican's magic-fighting Team Three: their forces are depleted, and internal rifts are coming close to tearing this close-knit group apart. But some things never change. Magic still threatens to overwhelm our world, and when a startling appearance from Menchú's past reveals new dimensions to this danger, the team will have to reassess their loyalties-to their jobs, their beliefs, and even to each other.

Like a pebble that starts the avalanche, the Network plays its hand in a move more terrifying in its scope than the Bookburners ever thought possible – at a time when Team Three is more fractured than ever before. Can the world weather the storm? Can the Bookburners? This episode is brought to you by author Brian Francis Slattery, whose imagination knows no limit. Magic is real, and hungry—trapped in ancient texts and artifacts, only a few who discover it survive to fight back. Detective Sal Brooks is a survivor. Freshly awake to just what dangers are lurking, she joins a Vatican-backed black-ops anti-magic squad: Team Three of the Societas Librorum Occultorum. Together they stand between humanity and magical apocalypse. Some call them the Bookburners. They don’t like the label. "One With the World" is the tenth episode of Bookburners Season 2, presented by Serial Box Publishing. This serial will unfold in 13 episodes.

This is the 8th episode in the third season of Bookburners, a 13-episode serial from Serial Box Publishing. This episode written by Mur Lafferty. Magic is real . . . and hungry. Ever since he was rescued from demonic possession in Prague, Liam has spent a good deal of time feeling guilty. In an effort to make amends, he embarks upon a trip to apologize to his exes, bringing Sal and Grace along on his journey of self-discovery. And though they roll their eyes at him, it turns out to be an eye-opening experience for them, too. Things have changed for the Vatican's magic-fighting Team Three: their forces are depleted, and internal rifts are coming close to tearing this close-knit group apart. But some things never change. Magic still threatens to overwhelm our world, and when a startling appearance from Menchú's past reveals new dimensions to this danger, the team will have to reassess their loyalties-to their jobs, their beliefs, and even to each other.

Liam and Grace travel to Shanghai to investigate a lead on the Orb – and hopefully their own pasts. At the Night Market, where dragons dance in the sky, both find the remnants of their old teams...but can you ever truly return home? This episode is brought to you by Max Gladstone, who has a thing or two to say about a certain hedgehog. Magic is real, and hungry—trapped in ancient texts and artifacts, only a few who discover it survive to fight back. Detective Sal Brooks is a survivor. Freshly awake to just what dangers are lurking, she joins a Vatican-backed black-ops anti-magic squad: Team Three of the Societas Librorum Occultorum. Together they stand between humanity and magical apocalypse. Some call them the Bookburners. They don’t like the label. "Incognita" is the sixth episode of Bookburners Season 2, presented by Serial Box Publishing. This serial will unfold in 13 episodes.

This is the 4th episode in the third season of Bookburners, a 13-episode serial from Serial Box Publishing. This episode written by Brian Francis Slattery. Magic is real . . . and hungry. The new, secret Team Four-Asanti, Perry, and Frances-plans a small experiment with magic in order to test their control. But the magical servants they summon keep going . . . and going . . . and interpret Asanti's orders in a much more extreme way than intended. The Orb summons Team Three, and while Menchú and the others are able to contain the damage, they're left wondering just who started this outbreak-and who the servants were working for. Things have changed for the Vatican's magic-fighting Team Three: their forces are depleted, and internal rifts are coming close to tearing this close-knit group apart. But some things never change. Magic still threatens to overwhelm our world, and when a startling appearance from Menchú's past reveals new dimensions to this danger, the team will have to reassess their loyalties-to their jobs, their beliefs, and even to each other.

This is the 3rd episode in the third season of Bookburners, a 13-episode serial from Serial Box Publishing. This episode written by Andrea Phillips. Magic is real . . . and hungry. The annual invitation to the Market Arcanum arrives, but with Asanti barred from fieldwork, Liam recovering from injuries, and Father Menchú feeling strained after meeting Hannah, it falls to Sal to attend. She's joined by Grace, pitching in from Team One as backup. Before they leave, though, Asanti tasks them with completing a trade she's set up . . . and warns that there will be dire consequences if it's not completed. Things have changed for the Vatican's magic-fighting Team Three: their forces are depleted, and internal rifts are coming close to tearing this close-knit group apart. But some things never change. Magic still threatens to overwhelm our world, and when a startling appearance from Menchú's past reveals new dimensions to this danger, the team will have to reassess their loyalties-to their jobs, their beliefs, and even to each other.

The Bookburners are back as Sal and the Societas Librium Occultorum rise from the ashes of Season 1. Changes are underway at the Vatican but out the world, the mischief of demons is on the rise. When a town in New England goes missing behind a mysterious fog, Team Three must run to the rescue. Magic is real, and hungry—trapped in ancient texts and artifacts, only a few who discover it survive to fight back. Detective Sal Brooks is a survivor. Freshly awake to just what dangers are lurking, she joins a Vatican-backed black-ops anti-magic squad: Team Three of the Societas Librorum Occultorum. Together they stand between humanity and magical apocalypse. Some call them the Bookburners. They don’t like the label. "Creepy Town" begins Season Two of Bookburners, presented by Serial Box Publishing. This serial will unfold in 13 episodes.

Magic is real, and hungry--trapped in ancient texts and artifacts. Only a few who discover it survive to fight back. Join Detective Sal Brooks, newest recruit to a black-ops magic hunting team backed by the Vatican, as she travels the world to keep the supernatural in check. Just remember: watch your back and don't touch anything. Fans of Supernatural, The X-Files, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and The Da Vinci Code will love this epic urban fantasy. Bookburners Season 2 is written by Max Gladstone, Margaret Dunlap, Brian Francis Slattery, Andrea Phillips, Mur Lafferty, and Amal El-Mohtar and presented by Serial Box Publishing.

"Originally published in e-serial format online"--Colophon.

Tension rises in Bookburners, the urban fantasy episodic series that mixes bad-ass horror with in-your-face attitude. Someone has betrayed Sal, turned her over to the not-so-tender ministrations of Team Two's Balloon and Stretch. Death seems certain . . . but the Hand has more tricks up its sleeve. As Father Menchu leads the rest of Team Three to her rescue, will they find a corpse . . . or something even worse? This episode is brought to you by team-writer Brian Francis Slattery, who would like to assure readers that no actual demons were harmed in the writing of this exorcism.

Episode 13 of Bookburners, the urban fantasy episodic series from Serial Box, will be unlucky for someone -- but whom? After Sal, possessed by the Hand, turns on her friends and teammates, Team Three has to decide whether she is a victim or a target. As Father Menchu tries to buy time, Teams One and Two gear up for the kind of action usually filed under "extreme prejudice". And the Hand, with the dark power of the Codex Umbra at his command, begins to assemble an army. This episode is brought to you by team writer Mur Lafferty, who recommends against listening to it on a dark and stormy night.

Grace gets a day off and time threatens to swallow Rome. It’s Grace’s one day off a year and nothing will stop her from enjoying every last second of it: not Sal’s troubling sleepwalking, not the mysterious tour guide Aaron and his aggressive concern for the Team, not even the magical artifact spreading a time-slowing bubble across Rome. The team’s troubles may never stop—but sometimes, you have to make time for a spin class. This episode is brought to you by team-writer Mur Lafferty and shows us the importance of taking time for oneself—even when time is of the essence.

Weather Alert: Tornado eating titans on the loose in Oklahoma. There might not be much upon the open, wind-swept planes of Oklahoma—but magic, like life, finds a way to thrive nevertheless. In this week’s episode the Team is literally blown away when they touch down in a tiny country town, utterly destroyed by horrifying monsters the locals call Tornado Eaters. The town is past saving but the threat remains—it will take all the Society can throw at them and even that might not be enough. Readers, and Sal, will finally get their first look at just what heat Team One is packing . . . but quickly learn that words wreak more havoc than even the most imaginative weapons. This episode is brought to you by team-writer Brian Francis Slattery who once again brings the Weird, this time to the West—but it’s not all fun and monsters in Oklahoma and the Society’s toll of life and limb is rising.

Detective Sally Brooks investigates an unusual robbery, and discovers that magic is real—and hungry! NYPD Detective Sal Brooks is no rookie—but even the most hardened cop would think twice when they see their brother open a book and become . . . well . . . something entirely not their brother. When her attempts to solve the case cross paths with a mysterious team led by a priest, she starts to realize that the world is far more than what is seems, and, just maybe, magic is real—and hungry. This episode is the first in a 16-part Serial, Bookburners, presented by Serial Box. From a team of writers, this collaborative effort unfolds an epic urban fantasy narrative across an entire season in weekly installments.

Sal and Team Three travel to Madrid, through a breathing door, and into a lonely man’s weirdest dreams. Sal Brooks, newest member of Team Three of the Societas Librium Occultorum, is settling into her job and apartment in Rome. In this episode we meet the rest of the team and get a tour of the Black Archives (pro tip: don’t touch anything), before being whisked off on Sal’s first mission: investigate a magical disturbance in the heart of Madrid, Spain. There they find a breathing apartment door, little girls being held hostage, and some furniture that is far too alive for good taste. First days on the job are never easy... This episode is brought to you by team-writer Brian Francis Slattery and trips down a rabbit hole (or rather, through an apartment door) into some thoroughly New Weird territory. Fans of Vandermeer’s Southern Reach trilogy will find much to enjoy.

*** Named a Kirkus Reviews Starred Title in Their 10/01/14 Issue *** In 1968 two boys are born into a large family, both named for their grandfather, Peter Henry Hightower. One boy—Peter—grows up in Africa and ends up a journalist in Granada. The other—Petey—becomes a minor criminal, first in Cleveland and then in Kiev. In 1995, Petey runs afoul of his associates and disappears. But the criminals, bent on revenge, track down the wrong cousin, and the Peter in Granada finds himself on the run. He bounces from one family member to the next, piecing together his cousin's involvement in international crime while learning the truth about his family's complicated history. Along the way the original Peter Henry Hightower's story is revealed, until it catches up with that of his children, revealing how Peter and Petey have been living in their grandfather's shadow all along. The novel takes a look at capitalism and organized crime in the 20th century, the legend of the self-made man, and what money can do to people. Like Jeffrey Eugenides' Middlesex, The Family Hightower stretches across both generations and continents, bearing the weight of family secrets and the inevitable personal toll they take on loved ones despite our best intentions.

From the author of the critically acclaimed literary sci-fi novels "Spaceman Blues" and "Liberation" comes an incandescent and thrilling future history dystopia in the vein of "1984" or "The Hunger Games."

From the author of the literary pulp phenomenon Spaceman Blues comes a future history cautionary tale, a heist movie in the style of a hippie novel . Liberation is a speculation on life in near-future America after the country suffers an economic cataclysm that leads to the resurgence of ghosts of its past such as the human slave trade. Our heroes are the Slick Six, a group of international criminals who set out to alleviate the worst of these conditions and put America on the road to recovery. Liberation is a story about living down the past, personally and nationally; about being able to laugh at the punch line to the long, dark joke of American history. Slattery's prose moves seamlessly between present and past, action and memory. With Liberation, he celebrates the resilience and ingenuity of the American spirit. At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

Painted in browns and grays and sparked by sudden fires, Spaceman Blues is a literary retro-pulp science-fiction-mystery-superhero novel, the debut of a true voice of the future, and a cult classic in the making. When Manuel Rodrigo de Guzmán González disappears, Wendell Apogee decides to find out where he has gone and why. But in order to figure out what happened to Manuel, Wendell must contend with parties, cockfights, and chases; an underground city whose people live in houses suspended from cavern ceilings; urban weirdos and alien assassins; immigrants, the black market, flight, riots, and religious cults. At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.