Midnight City - (Conquered Earth) by J Barton Mitchell (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Lord of the Flies meets War of the Worlds in J. Barton Mitchell's alien-invaded post-apocalyptic world where two teens and a young girl with amazing powers must stop the aliens' mysterious plan

Earth has been conquered by an alien race known as the Assembly. The human adult population is gone, having succumbed to the Tone---a powerful, telepathic super-signal broadcast across the planet that reduces them to a state of complete subservience. But the Tone has one critical flaw. It only affects the population once they reach their early twenties, which means that there is one group left to resist: Children.

Holt Hawkins is a bounty hunter, and his current target is Mira Toombs, an infamous treasure seeker with a price on her head. It's not long before Holt bags his prey, but their instant connection isn't something he bargained for. Neither is the Assembly ship that crash-lands near them shortly after. Venturing inside, Holt finds a young girl who remembers nothing except her name: Zoey.

As the three make their way to the cavernous metropolis of Midnight City, they encounter young freedom fighters, mutants, otherworldly artifacts, pirates, feuding alien armies, and the amazing powers that Zoey is beginning to exhibit. Powers that suggest she, as impossible as it seems, may just be the key to stopping the Assembly once and for all.

Midnight City is the breathtaking first book of the Conquered Earth series.

Review Quotes

"Mitchell's prose debut, the first in a dystopian sci-fantasy series, is an imaginative mix of danger and humor...The action will keep readers turning the pages." --Kirkus Reviews

"Comic-book author Barton's first prose novel offers a bold narrative style, strong characters, and fast-paced action that will appeal to genre fans. Readers may feel disoriented at being dropped into a larger story already in progress, but the cinematic experience is enjoyable enough to convince them to just hold on during the wild ride." --Booklist

"Midnight City hooked me right from the moment Holt first tries to capture Mira and takes her prisoner only to realize he's dealing with a girl who's got some serious survival skills. The two characters are complete equals, more than any other fictional co-star team I've read and yet they're enemies. I knew exactly what would happen with Mira and Holt's instant chemistry and yet, I had to read on just to watch this amazing, action packed journey, both emotional and physical, unfold." --Julie Cross, international bestselling author of Tempest

"I have succumbed to Midnight City! Just like Holt, who fights to liberate a conquered Earth, I now see that great things can happen. After all, J. Barton Mitchell wrote this novel. I have hope of another. As soon as possible." --Nancy Holder, New York Times bestselling author of the Wicked Saga

"When the adults mysteriously disappear, who will save the day after earth is conquered by aliens? In J. Barton Mitchell's riveting post apocalyptic tale, the kids are the last line of defense. Centered around engaging (and conflicted) characters, Midnight City hurtles you into a story teeming with frightening monsters, bizarre techno-magic and edge-of-your-seat action. " --Jana Oliver, award-winning author of The Demon Trapper's Daughter

About the Author

J. BARTON MITCHELL is a screenwriter, comic book writer, and author. He studied creative writing at the University of Houston before going on to receive a B.S. in Film Studies from the University of Texas. After selling screenplays to Warner Bros. and 20th Century Fox, he created and wrote the comic book series Poe, published by Boom! Studios in 2009. Mitchell lives and writes in the Los Feliz area of Los Angeles.