Book One: Variant
When Callum Nickel walks free from Manchester Crown Court after being accused of burning down his family home, he expects his nightmare to be over. Unfortunately for him, the universe has other plans.
Homeless, rejected and with his reputation in tatters, Callum discovers the impossible: monsters exist, magic is real, and something powerful wants him dead. Rescued by a mysterious old man who is far more than he appears, he learns that the fire that destroyed his life was no accident, and that he may just have some powers of his own.
As Detective Sergeant Claire Rose and her team investigate the strange events surrounding Callum’s disappearance, they uncover a conspiracy that reaches far beyond a simple case of arson. Meanwhile, Callum is swept into an ancient conflict involving magic, alien races and supernatural forces. Yet the stronger he grows, the more he questions where he truly belongs. And when the forces that destroyed his old life set their sights on his daughter, Callum must decide what he is willing to become.
Man. Monster. Or something entirely new.
It’s going to be fiery…
Prequel Novella: Catalyst
When Detective Inspector Claire Rose is asked to investigate a series of increasingly violent burglaries across Manchester, she expects a straightforward case. Unfortunately for her team, the evidence doesn’t add up.
The thieves are targeting pharmaceutical manufacturers and chemical suppliers, stealing strange combinations of compounds and industrial equipment. Wearing baggy, hooded clothing and masks, they move with impossible speed and leave behind injuries that look more like animal attacks than human violence. As PC Gamble and his partner, PC Gunn, dig deeper, they uncover an unexpected connection between the robberies and another case closer to home.
Then Gamble comes face to face with one of the thieves. Unnaturally strong, with a strange red glow beneath his clothes, his opponent leaves him with more questions than answers. And when an assailant with red eyes hunts down his fellow Royal Marine veteran, Gamble realises the case is far stranger than he imagined.
Can Gamble and Gunn uncover the truth before the next strike?
