Category: book releases

The Step-by-Step Guide to Implementing AI at Work (2026 Edition)

‘AI At Work’ is the new book on AI for nontechnical professionals by Kate Marshall. Photo: Amazon

New Book Spotlight: AI At Work by Kate Marshall

Stop wondering where to start with AI and start using it.

We all know AI is changing the professional landscape, but without a clear entry point, it’s easy to feel like you’re falling behind. AI at Work: A Step-By-Step Foundational Guide For Implementing AI eliminates the overwhelm by providing a proven, structured process to integrate generative AI into your daily routine. (Amazon, 2026)

This isn’t a collection of random tips or high-level theory; it is a practical roadmap designed to move you from initial setup to full workflow automation.

📘 Overview: AI Literacy Made Practical

Written specifically for non-technical professionals, this guide walks you through a system for bringing generative AI into your daily workflow. The best part? No technical background is needed. Each section is designed to be implemented in under 30 minutes, featuring:

  • Copy-paste-ready prompts
  • Actionable checklists
  • Step-by-step instructions
  • QR codes linking to updated digital resources and FAQs

🚀 What You Will Learn

This book covers the full spectrum of modern AI implementation, including how to:

  • Choose Your Tool: Compare ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Copilot, and Grok to find the best fit for your specific needs.
  • Master Prompting: Set up custom instructions and engineering techniques to get useful results on your first try.
  • Automate the Mundane: Triage emails, generate meeting notes, and handle repetitive tasks to save hours every week.
  • Build Reusable Workflows: Create SOPs, templates, and AI workflows for documents and presentations.
  • No-Code Automation: Use Zapier, Make, and Power Automate to build business systems without writing a single line of code.
  • Stay Secure: Navigate data classification, enterprise plans, and “Shadow AI” to ensure you’re using these tools safely.

👤 Is This Book For You?

AI at Work meets you where you are, whether you are an individual contributor, a manager, or an executive. This book is for you if:

  • You are drowning in repetitive work and ready to reclaim your time.
  • You want productivity tools that fit into your actual routine, not another app collecting dust.
  • You are done with the hype and want a beginner-friendly, structured system.
  • You want real outcomes: time saved, better workflows, and professional growth.

Note: The 2026 Edition is updated quarterly via QR codes to ensure you stay current with the rapid evolution of tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini.

About the Author

Kate Marshall helps professionals implement AI safely and effectively, drawing on over 20 years of experience in cybersecurity training, project management, and courseware development.

She is the founder of TheGrai, a consultancy focused on AI adoption, training, and governance. Kate works with executives, HR leaders, and small teams who know AI matters but don’t have time for endless experimentation.

‘Deadly Vision’ by T.D. Severin: A Gripping Review of the Award-Winning Medical Thriller

‘Deadly Vision’ by T.D. Severin. Photo: Partners in Crime Tours, used with permission.

Part of Partners in Crime Tours Virtual Book Tours

Book Review: Deadly Vision by T.D. Severin

“How much is a human life worth?”

Overview: A Breakthrough Worth Killing For

Imagine a technology so advanced that people would commit murder to keep it buried. In the high-stakes world of medical biotechnology, Dr. Taylor Abrahms is a pioneer. An expert in Medical Virtual Reality, Taylor is leading the “Virtual Heart Project,” a revolutionary fusion of AI and microsurgery at San Francisco University Medical Center.

But San Francisco is a political war zone. With a national healthcare crisis looming, Taylor’s research becomes a convenient scapegoat for warring factions. It’s supposed to be a scientific achievement but it quickly spirals into a fight for survival. Caught in a web of scientific sabotage, career destruction, and a string of murders targeting his team, Taylor must battle overwhelming odds to save his project and the life of someone he loves.

The Review: Where Sci-Fi Meets Suspense

Deadly Vision is a fast-paced medical thriller that expertly blends cutting-edge science with high-stakes political intrigue. The concept of performing life-saving procedures inside a digital simulation feels both futuristic and eerily plausible.

A High-Octane Opening

The story kicks off with a pulse-pounding sequence: Robert Chan is attacked in his own home and left for dead. When he arrives at the ER, he falls into the hands of Dr. Taylor Abrahms, who is just finishing an exhausting 24-hour shift. This single case becomes the catalyst for Taylor’s life to unravel.

Why It Stands Out

Severin creates a hostile environment within the medical procedural where the tension never lets up. Here is what makes this a must-read:

  • Political Relevance: The backdrop of a healthcare system in crisis adds a layer of depth that makes the plot feel incredibly timely.
  • The Horror Element: As a horror fan, I was pleasantly surprised. In an attempt to drive Taylor insane, his enemies sabotage the Virtual Heart Project coding, leading to “Stephen King-esque” hallucinations of his late mother and brother.
  • Vivid Imagery: Severin has a knack for atmospheric prose:

“The wind ran through the oak in the backyard, its branches scratching against the windows like a phantom clawing to get in. Or get out.”

Memorable Moments

Two scenes, in particular, will stick with you:

  1. The ER Crisis: The visceral moment Taylor takes a patient’s heart in his hands to keep it pumping.
  2. The Ghostly Vision: A horrific hallucination where Taylor’s mother reaches out to him, blurring the line between reality and simulation.

The Verdict

While the technical details are dense at times, they provide an authenticity that fans of Robin Cook or Michael Palmer will appreciate. Taylor is a resilient protagonist, balanced perfectly by his team: the comic-relief research partner Malcomb Bernard and the serious biomedical engineer Helen Yang.

Overall, Deadly Vision is a gripping exploration of greed, power, and the enduring strength of family.

“Anger rose in Taylor’s temples. This nightmare was never going to end. He was a faceless pawn in a game that he didn’t understand; manipulated and deceived by those he trusted.”

At a Glance

FeatureDetails
GenreMedical Thriller / Suspense
ThemesInnovation vs. Greed, Bio-ethics, Family, Survival
PacingFast-paced / Action-heavy
Recommended forFans of Robin Cook, Michael Palmer, and Horror

Pick up your copy today:

Amazon
Barnes & Noble
BookBub
Bookshop.org
Penmore Press

About the Author

T.D. Severin is a physician, surgeon, and internationally renowned professor of medicine. A prolific writer of both fiction and non-fiction since 1994, his work has appeared in journals worldwide.

Deadly Vision has garnered significant acclaim, winning the 2025 American Fiction Award and the 2025 International Impact Book Award. It’s also a finalist for several prestigious honors, including the Clive Cussler Adventure Writers Award.

*Thank you to Partners in Crime Tours and the author for my gifted copy for review as part of the tour. I haven’t been compensated for this review and all views and opinions expressed are my own.

Photo: Partners in Crime Tours

Partners in Crime Tours is hosting a giveaway. There will be ONE (1) winner, US ONLY, for this tour. The winner will receive a $25 Amazon Gift Card. The winner will be emailed and have 48 hours to respond or the prize will be awarded to a different contestant. Enter here.

‘Risk-First Software Development’: A New Framework for Modern Teams

‘Risk-First Software Development’ by Rob Moffat. Photo: Barnes & Noble

Book Spotlight: Risk-First Software Development: Volume 1: The Menagerie

By Rob Moffat

The software development world is crowded with different practices, metrics, methodologies, tools, and techniques. For example, metrics such as “number of open tickets,” “code coverage,” or “release cadence” give us a numerical feel for how things are going, while methodologies like Scrum, Waterfall, and Lean offer different approaches to organizing our work. (Barnes & Noble, 2026)

But what unites them all?

About Risk-First

The Risk-First perspective is that all of these practices and methodologies have one thing at their heart: managing risk. Risk isn’t just something that appears in a quarterly report; it actually drives every action we take in a project:

  • User Experience: A story about improving the user login screen reduces the risk of users failing to sign up.
  • Quality Assurance: When we write unit tests, we’re tackling the risk of bugs reaching production and defending against the risk of future changes breaking existing functionality.
  • Monitoring: Improving health indicators addresses the risk of an application failing without anyone noticing.
  • Feature Development: Implementing a new function mitigates the risk of users becoming dissatisfied and moving to a competitor.

Risk-First makes the case that better understanding the nature of these risks is critical to building software in the complex, interconnected domains we work in today.

About The Menagerie

This book is the first volume of the Risk-First series. It introduces the foundational case for viewing every activity on a software project as an attempt to manage risk. The second edition is now available.

The Menagerie introduces the wide variety of risks you’re likely to encounter, naming and classifying them to improve our collective understanding. The book aims to:

  1. Develop a Pattern Language for understanding software risk.
  2. Provide a practical framework for discussing how project activities change the balance of risks we are exposed to.

About the Author

Rob Moffat is a software developer with deep experience in the finance industry, having led regulatory, risk, and transformation IT projects at top-tier investment banks in London. A strong advocate for open source, he currently serves as the Chief Architect for FINOS, the Fintech Open Source Foundation (part of the Linux Foundation).

‘Modern Natives’: Reimagining Coast Salish Myths for the 21st Century

‘Modern Natives’ blends myth, fiction, and illustrations. Photo: Amazon

Book Spotlight: ‘Modern Natives‘

An Illustrated Collection of Reimagined Coast Salish Myths by Andrea Grant

For the Coast Salish peoples of the Pacific Northwest, stories are more than entertainment, they are truth. Rooted in deep cultural tradition, Modern Natives brings to life the ancient belief that the world is surrounded by supernatural beings who shape, challenge, and guide us. Unlike typical mythology books, these stories are not treated as fiction; they are sacred teachings and oral records offering insight into the laws of nature and the spiritual connections between all living things.

Where Ancient Spirits Meet Urban Reality

In this collection, storytellers are the knowledge-keepers. Andrea Grant honors this tradition by reimagining supernatural beings and ancestral figures in contemporary settings, from the crowded sidewalks of New York City to quiet suburban apartments.

These luminous stories move between past and present, dreamtime and urban reality. It is a world where:

  • Water serpents haunt your sleep.
  • A trickster god orders whiskey in a Tacoma bar.
  • Wolves appear beneath the flickering streetlights of Manhattan.

Story Highlights

Modern Natives explores themes of identity, transformation, and mythic inheritance through several standout narratives:

  • The Water Dream: Noah is haunted by a sea serpent stalking her dreams. As her family life fractures, the boundary between myth and reality dissolves, forcing her to dive into the very waters she dreads.
  • Coyote Dances With Destiny: The immortal Trickster, haunted by loss, encounters the mysterious “Destiny” in a smoky blues bar. As they dance between temptation and fate, Coyote must decide if his memories are a curse or his only proof of existence.
  • The Isle of Women: When a young girl goes missing, two sisters follow their elders to a secret island to reclaim ancient power. This story powerfully merges the tragedy of the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW) movement with a mythic tale of vengeance and survival.

A Visually Driven Experience

The book is a multidimensional feast for the senses, blending short fiction and poetry with illustrations from:

  • Qwalsius–Shaun Peterson: Acclaimed Coast Salish artist.
  • Bowera Studio: Contributing high-impact visual storytelling.

With Grant’s professional background spanning Condé Nast editing, graphic novels, and short films, she brings a cinematic perspective to the genre that translates beautifully from the page to the mind’s eye.

“This book invites readers to step into a world where animals speak, ancestors walk among us, and the unseen is just as real as the seen.”

About the Author: Andrea Grant

Andrea Grant is a Canadian-born writer and multimedia artist of mixed-blood Coast Salish Native ancestry. Her work is renowned for its unique melding of mythological stories, poetry, photography, and live performance.

An alumnus of Kwantlen University College, Grant has been recognized with several prestigious First Nations Storyteller grants from the Canada Council for the Arts, the B.C. Arts Council, and the First Peoples’ Cultural Council.

‘When AI Shops:’ A Guide to Marketing in the Age of AI Agents

‘When AI Shops’ is the new book on agentic commerce by Geoff Gibbins. Photo: Amazon

Book Spotlight: The Future of Commerce is Agentic

In the time it took you to perfect your marketing funnel, the game changed. While brands are still fighting for clicks, a new player has entered the chat: The AI Agent. (Amazon, 2026)

In his new book, When AI Shops: Agentic Commerce and the Revolution in How We Buy and Sell, author Geoff Gibbins explores a world where machines aren’t just suggesting products, they’re buying them.

The Reality Check

The digital landscape is shifting beneath our feet. Consider these startling shifts:

  • The Search Shift: Over two-thirds of Google searches now end without a single click to a website.
  • The Revenue Driver: AI already influences 35% of Amazon’s total revenue.
  • The New Storefront: With 800 million weekly ChatGPT users, consumers are bypassing traditional SEO and buying directly within AI interfaces.

“Agentic commerce isn’t coming. It’s here.”

What You’ll Discover

This isn’t just a book about problems; it’s a manual for the solution. Gibbins, who has advised giants like Coca-Cola, Nestlé, and Mastercard, provides a roadmap for the “two-sided web.”

Key Takeaways:

  • The Death of the Funnel: Why the traditional purchase funnel is being replaced by a five-capability flywheel: Learn, Anticipate, Explore, Influence, and Transact.
  • Optimizing for Machines: How to create content for AI agents without losing your human audience.
  • The Scarcity Paradox: Why “limited time offer” messaging—which works on humans—actually reduces AI recommendations.
  • Strategic Roadmaps: Practical steps for both personal and organizational transformation.

Why This Book?

Unlike theoretical deep dives, When AI Shops is built on hard-won insights from 2024–2025 market data and real-world pilot projects. It offers specific frameworks and “early warning indicators” to help business leaders track the shift in real-time.

The Bottom Line: Read the book. Understand the change. Act while a competitive advantage is still possible.

About the Author

Geoff Gibbins is the Founder of Human Machines, a transformation company focused on the intersection of AI and human ingenuity. With nearly 20 years of experience, including a tenure as Managing Director at Accenture, Geoff has built AI-powered systems for brands like Walmart and Vanguard. He holds Master’s degrees from Oxford and Imperial College London and resides in Manhattan.

Ready to dive deeper into the world of Agentic Commerce?

Book Review: ‘The Spartan Sacrifice’ by Andrew Varga | A Jump in Time Book 4

‘The Spartan Sacrifice’ is the thrilling continuation of Andrew Varga’s time travel series. Photo: Barnes & Noble

Related Post: Time Travel Meets Thermopylae: ‘The Spartan Sacrifice’ Is Here

⚔️ Rewriting History: A Review of ‘The Spartan Sacrifice’ by Andrew Varga

In the high-stakes world of Andrew Varga’s A Jump in Time series, the past isn’t just a memory, it’s a battlefield. The fourth installment, The Spartan Sacrifice, takes the series to a fever pitch, blending the grit of ancient warfare with the mind-bending ethics of time travel.

The Stakes: A Vision of Global Domination

Victor Stahl’s bid for power is no longer a shadow play; it’s an accelerating threat. As a congressman with presidential aspirations, Stahl isn’t just looking to win an election, he’s looking to “fix” humanity by erasing most of it. With his own team of time travelers, he is systematically manipulating history to pave the way for his dark utopia.

The Mission: 480 BCE

Fearing they are running out of time, 17-year-old Dan Renfrew and his partner Sam jump back to ancient Greece. They land on the eve of the legendary Battle of Thermopylae. While their primary goal is to thwart Victor, they are quickly pulled into the brutal reality of King Leonidas’s stand against the Persian Empire.

Why This Installment Stands Out

Varga vividly recreates the tension of Sparta, immersing readers in the harsh realities of the vastly outnumbered warriors.

  • Historical Immersion: The detail enriches the narrative without stalling the momentum, making the ancient world feel immediate and dangerous.
  • Character Growth: Dan’s evolution is a highlight. His courage is now tempered by the heavy responsibility of his powers and the unintended consequences of his actions.
  • Visceral Narrative: Writing in the first person, Varga puts us directly in Dan’s head. From the opening nightmare of vengeful horsemen to the “anxious vibe” of a lecture hall, the prose is sharp and evocative.

“As soon as I swung open the door to the lecture hall where the medieval club met, I could sense something was wrong – an anxious vibe hung over the room like a dark gray storm cloud.”

At a Glance: The Spartan Sacrifice

CategoryDetails
SeriesA Jump in Time (Book 4)
GenreYA Science Fiction / Historical Drama
SettingAncient Greece (480 BCE)
ThemesPower, Ethics of Time Travel, Heroism
Best For Fans OfQuantum Leap, historical thrillers, and fast-paced YA

Final Verdict

Suspenseful and thought-provoking, The Spartan Sacrifice skillfully balances action with ethical complexity. It explores a chillingly timely theme: Whoever controls the past writes the future. When a catastrophic accident disrupts the timeline, the moral weight of altering history becomes more frightening than any villain’s scheme.

“As long as Victor controlled the past, he could write the future, and our little group was just a speck of dust he could whisk off the page.”

Rating: Highly Recommended for readers who love high-stakes adventures and the “what if” of historical events.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

About the ‘A Jump in Time’ Series

If you’re new to the series, it follows Dan Renfrew, a normal teenager who discovers he is descended from a line of “time jumpers.” These secret heroes resolve glitches in the time stream to ensure history stays on its proper course.

From 1066 England to the gates of Sparta, Dan must battle malevolent jumpers whose lust for power threatens the entire future of the world. It’s a modern-day Quantum Leap that asks: How much would you sacrifice to save the world?

*Thank you to Michela Malafaia / Imbrifex Books for the gifted copy for review consideration. I haven’t been compensated for this review and all views and opinions expressed are my own.

‘The AI-Ready Human:’ Paul Slater’s Roadmap to Future-Proofing Your Career

‘The AI-Ready Human’ is the new business developement book by Paul Slater. Photo: Barnes & Noble

New Book Spotlight: The AI-Ready Human

Your 90-Day Program to Stay Relevant as Technology Transforms Work

By Paul Slater

In a world of seismic technology change, AI is rewriting what it means to be “good” at your job. The professionals who thrive won’t just be the ones who know how to code; they will be the ones who sharpen the capabilities that make technology actually useful: judgment, adaptability, resilience, and clear thinking.

Part Book, Part 90-Day “Brain Workout”

The AI-Ready Human replaces traditional chapters with 90 concepts (days) that build on each other to make you AI-Ready.

Every daily concept includes:

  • Clear Explanation: No jargon, just the facts.
  • Career Impact: Why this specific concept matters for your professional future.
  • Practical Exercises: Tangible steps you can take to grow.
  • Reflection Prompts: Tools to help lock in behavior change and new habits.

Who Is This Book For?

The short answer: If you work, and you are human, it’s for you. However, it is particularly essential for:

  • Executives: Who must understand the impact of AI on employees and customers.
  • Working Professionals: Who are concerned about staying relevant as their industry transforms.
  • Managers: Who are tasked with leading their teams through unprecedented change.

The Research Behind the Program

This isn’t just theory. Paul Slater’s 90-day program is built on interviews with over 200 professionals who are sustainably effective with AI every day.

Slater draws on over 30 years at the intersection of advanced technology and personal development, including a decade at Microsoft leading global strategy and contributing to AI think tanks at Harvard, Duke, and Arizona State University.

About the Author: Paul Slater

Paul Slater helps professionals and organizations navigate the “human side” of AI transformation. As the host of the Humanity Working podcast and author of The AI-Ready Human, he focuses on what it actually takes to thrive as intelligent machines reshape our world.

Paul equips professionals to build the human capabilities AI can’t replace—judgment, adaptability, resilience, and meaningful connection.

A Proven Track Record

  • Microsoft Veteran: Spent nearly two decades leading global digital transformation and authoring over 20 books for senior technologists.
  • C-Suite Advisor: Has delivered briefings to Fortune 500 executives and national governments worldwide.
  • Entrepreneur: Co-founded BillionMinds (a Techstars company), creating programs to help employees thrive in the age of emerging tech.
  • Academic Contributor: Served on AI-focused think tanks at some of the world’s most prestigious universities.

‘Night Night Fawn’ is a Bold and Unfiltered Novel About Family and Reckoning

‘Night Night Fawn’ is the new novel by Jordy Rosenberg. Photo: Barnes & Noble

Book Review: Night Night Fawn by Jordy Rosenberg

Overview

From the acclaimed author of Confessions of the Fox comes a novel that feels like an unauthorized memoir dictated in a fever dream. Set in a cluttered, rent-controlled Manhattan apartment, Barbara Rosenberg is terminally ill, high on opioids, and utterly unrepentant. Night Night Fawn will be released on Tuesday March 3, 2026 and available for pre-order. (Broadside PR, 2026)

As she writes the story of her life, she spares no one, least of all herself. Her narrative skips between memories of a smutty late husband, a career with a disreputable plastic surgeon, and her “glory days” of jazzercise, all while she grapples with unhinged thoughts on gender, Karl Marx, and Zionism.

At the heart of her delirium are two haunting disappointments:

  • An estranged trans son.
  • A long-lost best friend whose betrayal still lingers.

Review: A Reckoning in Real-Time

Written in a sharp first-person POV, Night Night Fawn forces readers to confront the jagged edges of intergenerational conflict. Barbara’s voice pivots effortlessly between gutter humor and piercing self-awareness. Rosenberg provides an unfiltered portrait of a mother who cannot love cleanly, apologize easily, or die quietly. Themes explored include identity, colonialism, sexuality, and gender.

The prose is vivid and descriptive, turning even the mundane into something cinematic:

“In my daughter’s bedroom the traffic along Second Avenue cast stripes of light through the blinds; they floated across the ceiling like empty frames of film reel ticking off after a show.”

The narrative structure is nonlinear, mirroring Barbara’s descent into illness. It’s a bold exploration of the stories we tell ourselves when time is running out. While the novel is provocative and often uncomfortable, it remains a fiercely intelligent reminder of our shared, messy humanity.

Recommended for: Fans of family life fiction and unconventional memoirs who appreciate raw, “unfiltered” storytelling.

Key Quotes

“As I started down the ramp of sleep, I could feel my mind begin to unravel, like a piece of knitting being pulled out to correct a slipped stitch.”

Rating: 4 out of 5.

About the Author

Jordy Rosenberg is the author of Confessions of the Fox, a New York Times Editors’ Choice selection and finalist for numerous prestigious awards, including the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize and the Lambda Literary Award.

A recipient of support from the MacDowell and Lannan Foundations, Rosenberg currently serves as a professor in the Department of English and MFA Faculty at UMass-Amherst.

*Thank you to Broadspire PR/NetGalley for the gifted ARC for review consideration. I haven’t been compensated for this review and all views and opinions expressed are my own.

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Stephen King to Write Introduction for Nat Cassidy’s New Horror Collection

‘I Know a Place’ is the new short story collection by Nat Cassidy. Photo: Shortwave Publishing.

The King of Horror Joins Forces with Nat Cassidy for New Collection

PORTLAND, OR – In a massive win for horror fans, Shortwave Publishing has announced that the legendary Stephen King will write the introduction to bestselling author Nat Cassidy’s upcoming short story collection, I Know A Place. (Shortwave Publishing, 2026)

King, who rarely lends his pen to contemporary introductions, has previously written forewords for literary staples such as Lord of the Flies and The Haunting of Hill House. This collaboration marks a significant milestone for Cassidy, placing him among a select few living authors to receive such an endorsement from the “King of Horror.”

A Record-Breaking Release

The buzz surrounding I Know A Place is growing. Since its announcement, the collection has:

  • Peaked in the Top Ten Most Requested Books on NetGalley.
  • Remained the #1 Most Requested title in the Horror category.

This follows the massive success of Cassidy’s most recent novel, When The Wolf Comes Home, which was both a USA Today bestseller and a Goodreads Choice Award nominee.

About the Collection

I Know A Place: Rest Stop and Other Dark Detours

There are locations in this world where the light doesn’t seem to reach. Where, no matter how illuminated the place might be, shadows creep in too strongly to fight back.

From a suspiciously empty gas station littered with googly eyes to a tech millionaire’s haunted kitchen, Cassidy takes readers on a travelogue through the macabre. The collection features:

  • “Rest Stop”: The Bram Stoker Award-nominated novella named one of Esquire’s Best Horror Books of 2024.
  • New Material: A number of original short stories, including several never-before-published pieces.

“I Know A Place is a travelogue down twisting side streets and through alleyways where the darkness has eyes… and teeth. Let’s hope you make it home in one piece.”

Meet the Author: Nat Cassidy

Nat Cassidy is a multi-talented force in the horror genre, writing for the page, stage, and screen.

  • The Novelist: Named one of the “writers shaping horror’s next golden age” by Esquire, NPR, Harper’s Bazaar, and the NY Public Library have featured his work.
  • The Playwright: A winner of multiple NY Innovative Theatre Awards, Cassidy has written everything from one-man shows about H.P. Lovecraft to commissions for the Washington National Opera.
  • The Actor: You may recognize him as a “Bad Guy of the Week” on shows like Law & Order: SVU, Blue Bloods, and Quantico.

Mark Your Calendars

I Know A Place: Rest Stop and Other Dark Detours officially drops on May 5.

Ready to secure your copy? The collection is available for pre-order now at Shortwave Publishing and wherever books are sold.

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Fear, Noise, and Propaganda: Reviewing ‘Piper at the Gates of Dusk’ by Patrick Ness

Piper at the Gates of Dusk by Patrick Ness. Photo: Barnes & Noble

Related Post: New World Trilogy: Why Patrick Ness’ New Book is the Must-Read Sci-Fi of 2026

Book Review: Piper at the Gates of Dusk by Patrick Ness

In Piper at the Gates of Dusk, Patrick Ness returns to the beautiful and brutal landscape of New World, the setting first introduced in the Chaos Walking trilogy (The Knife of Never Letting Go). This continuation feels urgent and intimate, bridging the gap between a scarred past and an uncertain future. It will be released on April 7, 2026.

A New Generation in a Fragile Peace

Set twenty years after the original trilogy, the story follows Todd and Viola’s sons, Ben and Max. Having grown up untouched by the violence that shaped their parents, the brothers now navigate a peace that feels increasingly thin.

The novel opens with a heart-pounding sequence: a figure the boys call a “god” emerges from the woods, leveling trees in its path. Ness’ prose captures the sheer scale of the terror:

“Like a mountain coming at you, like the whole landscape peeling up into the sky, as if someone’s grabbed the far corners of it like a blanket and pulled it into the air, and all you can do is watch your death come at you, because there’s nowhere to stand, nowhere to run–.”

While they survive the encounter, Ben is left injured, forcing Max to leave his side to find help, setting the emotional and narrative stakes early.

The Evolution of “Noise”

For those new to this world, Noise is the telepathic broadcast of thoughts. When settlers first arrived, men’s thoughts became public, while women’s remained private. While a “cure” was eventually developed, it came with side effects. For Ben, it affected his vocal cords; unable to speak, he relies on a communication device and sign language.

Now, a new threat is emerging:

  • Nightmares: Young people are experiencing terrors believed to be brought on by Noise.
  • Paranoia: As suspicion falls on indigenous people and rumors of an ominous object in the sky swirl, the adults’ fragile truce threatens to unravel.

The Weight of Legacy

The story is told through dual first-person perspectives, offering a poignant look at what it means to inherit a hero’s history. Ben carries Viola’s analytical strength and navigates the world through logic and sign language while Max inherits Todd’s impulsive bravery and is driven by action and the need to protect this brother.

Ness’ vivid language propels the action:

“The scream comes again, louder this time, like a siren blaring right in your face but filled with terror and pain.”

Themes: Fear as a Weapon

When children begin to vanish, the “uneasy truce” of New World collapses. Ness uses Noise as a brilliant and painful metaphor for the modern mental health crisis and the corrosive power of internalized fear.

In this new saga, Noise becomes a targeted psychological weapon used to create chaos and spread propaganda. It is a haunting examination of how quickly communities turn on one another when fear is weaponized.

Final Thoughts

Overall, Piper at the Gates of Dusk is a gripping and atmospheric science fiction novel. It explores whether the stories we tell ourselves are meant to protect us or if they are the very things keeping us in the dark. Epic and deeply personal, it stands confidently on its own while honoring the emotional legacy of the original trilogy.

Recommended for readers who enjoy:

  • Thought-provoking discussions on xenophobia and disinformation.
  • Imaginative world-building and sci-fi landscapes.
  • Nuanced explorations of gender identity and family legacy.

“They want the comforting lie, the one that lets them sleep at night. They want to know who their enemy is, because they’re never, ever going to believe it’s themselves.”

Rating: 4 out of 5.

*Thank you to Sara DiSalvo for the gifted ARC for review consideration. I haven’t been compensated for this review and all views and opinions expressed are my own.