Travelers - (Freaks) by Brett Riley (Hardcover)

About the Book

Now high school sophomores, the Freaks are determined to evade the federal agents intent on their capture, while the mysterious Baltar offers the group his wisdom, and in the woods outside town, a trickster god awakens from his long rest.

Book Synopsis

Falling in love. Evading the authorities. Chasing the rabbits.

Now high school sophomores, the self-styled "Freaks" are back in class in quiet Quapaw City, Arkansas. They grapple with the ordinary challenges of everyday teen life: cliques, cars, and crushes. While everything appears normal on the surface, looks have rarely been more deceiving. A secret government task force--fully aware of the unusual powers the Freaks have acquired--is determined to capture them. Even as the mysterious Baltar Sterne shares ancient wisdom and offers hope, a new menace silently emerges in the woods outside of town. Clever, inexorable, and far more lethal than the Freaks' first superhuman foe, this traveler from another world possesses powers that can only be described as godlike. The Freaks and their town will be tested in horrific ways they are powerless to predict or even imagine.

Review Quotes

"Riley weaves explorations of anger issues and budding romance as well
as forthrightly confronted themes of racial, religious, and class
conflict."--Kirkus Book Review

"Travelers is interesting, thought provoking, and adds an unexpected emotional layer as the Freaks continue their journey to adulthood."--Don Sauer, PopCultureGuy.com

"Riley possesses a rare, writerly ability to remain in the moment once
the action heats up. In this installment, the Freaks face their most
dangerous enemy yet, and the menace fairly leaps off the page."--PaulEberly.com

"The book is riveting. Compelling and totally different. I read it one
sitting and was seriously bummed it had to end. His writing is
remarkable and had me wanting more. I devoured Travelers and his ones before this."--Rubie Clark, @RubieReads

"Brett Riley has done it again, as he continues his story of teenage
supers battling monsters - fantasy beasts and Government agents alike.
An enthralling, fast paced, fantasy horror."--Peter Thorburn, UK educator

"A great spin on the superhero story, told with genuine depth."--Mark Waid, best-selling author of History of the Marvel Universe, Doctor Strange, and Superman Birthright.

"A fun and fresh twist on the superhero story!"--Jennifer Brody/Vera Strange, author of The 13th Continuum Trilogy, Spectre Deep 6, and the Disney Chills series.

About the Author

Brett Riley is a professor of English at the College of Southern Nevada. He grew up in southeastern Arkansas and earned his Ph.D. in contemporary American fiction and film at Louisiana State University. His short fiction has appeared in numerous publications including Folio, The Wisconsin Review, and The Baltimore Review. Riley's debut novel, Comanche, was released in September 2020, and Lord of Order was published in April 2021. Riley is currently finishing Rubicons, the third book in the Freaks Superhero series. The second book of the Freaks series, Travelers, will be in stores and online in August 2022. He has also won numerous awards for screen writing. He lives in Henderson, Nevada.