The Scarlet Crane — J.E. Hopkins

"The Scarlet Crane is a thriller in every sense of the word, but it's also so much more. J. E. Hopkins tells a great story, delves into the humanity of strong and believable characters, and builds a world where transition, a brief and deadly time in every pubescent child's life when magic is possible, threatens not only to kill the young, but to overturn the world order itself. This is a terrific book and J. E. Hopkins is an exciting new writer." â€"Shelley Singer, author of "Blackjack" and the Jake Samson mystery series. ----------------------- Transition. The one-month period during early puberty when all children have the power to perform magic. But with a monstrous catch. The magic must be unique and flow from the true desire of the child, and no one else, or the child dies. Few take the risk. Almost all who do, perish. Rumors have surfaced of a rogue Chinese program that circumvents Transition's deadly restrictions. The year is 2014 and the Chinese are seeking to exploit magic for geopolitical domination, using kidnapped children as disposable pawns. An agent for the US Department of Transition Security investigating the reports has been found murdered in his Hanoi hotel room. Dr. John Benoit is ordered to take any action necessary to protect the US from magical threats. John and Stony Hill, his pierced and scarlet-haired young partner, race to pick up the bloody trail, following it to Bangkok, Zurich, Shenyang, and ultimately to a confrontation on the snow-swept plains of North Korea. Against this global pursuit, the seductive terror of Transition is brought to vivid life by glimpses into the lives of five children: --Thanna, sold to the Chinese, wants to use magic to free Crane's children. --Anya believes Transition can save her from the winter streets of Moscow. --Isa confronts Transition as part of an ancient African puberty ritual. --Sarah, terrified of magic, feels compelled to use it to stop her friend's sexual abuse. --Jonah is convinced he's found a unique way to cure his sister's cancer. An American nuclear aircraft carrier is destroyed by Transition magic; hundreds of lives are lost. Civilization teeters on the edge of an immutable metamorphosis as John races to find Crane and shut it down.