Niger, West Africa, 2077. Welcome back. This second volume is a breathtaking story that sweeps across the sands of the Sahara, flies up to the peaks of the Aïr Mountains, cartwheels into a wild megacity--you get the idea. I am the Desert Magician; I bring water where there is none. This book begins with Dikéogu Obidimkpa slowly losing his mind. Yes, that boy who can bring rain just by thinking about it is having some... issues. Years ago, Dikéogu...

Niger, West Africa, 2074. It is an era of tainted technology and mysterious mysticism. A great change has happened all over the planet, and the laws of physics aren't what they used to be. Within all this, I introduce you to Ejii Ugabe, a child of the worst type of politician. Back when she was nine years old, she was there as her father met his end. Don't waste your tears on him: this girl's father would throw anyone under a bus to gain power. He...

In the title story of Adam Soto's Concerning Those Who Have Fallen Asleep, a one-armed Harlem Hellfighter goes in search of his specially altered military uniform while influenza ravages Philadelphia. In "Sleepy Things," a man is bound to the bedside of his comatose girlfriend who haunts his mother's dreams. In "Wren & Riley," a couple travels to Wyoming to visit a childhood friend who killed her abusive husband. And in "The Vegetable Church," a pair...