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Dread Chaser
Not yet published
Expected 5 Jan 27The Last of Us meets The Mandalorian in this post-apocalyptic speculative young adult novel about a teenage bounty hunter whose mission to catch the target of a lifetime begins to unravel everything he thought he knew about his world.
Over a century after a series of cataclysmic disasters wiped out most life on Earth, survival in the Expanse is a daily battle. No one knows that better than eighteen-year-old Diesel, who lost his family years ago and now earns his keep as a dust chaser—tracking down the people no one else can find, even when they’d rather stay hidden.
But when Diesel’s assigned a mysterious and dangerous new target that comes with the largest bounty he’s ever seen, he worries that this time he may be in over his head. Accompanied by his hulking dog, Gloom, Diesel sets out across the climate-ravaged Stormlands, determined to claim the bounty before anyone else can. But nothing about this job is business as usual: leads are few, competition is fierce, and every clue that he uncovers only raises more questions.
Worse, the monstrous Dreads that roam the Expanse are increasing in number, making each day more dangerous than the last. Pursued by old rivals and unsettled by whispers of secret organizations that challenge his understanding of the world, Diesel will have to decide which he’d rather chase: his mark or the truth.
Over a century after a series of cataclysmic disasters wiped out most life on Earth, survival in the Expanse is a daily battle. No one knows that better than eighteen-year-old Diesel, who lost his family years ago and now earns his keep as a dust chaser—tracking down the people no one else can find, even when they’d rather stay hidden.
But when Diesel’s assigned a mysterious and dangerous new target that comes with the largest bounty he’s ever seen, he worries that this time he may be in over his head. Accompanied by his hulking dog, Gloom, Diesel sets out across the climate-ravaged Stormlands, determined to claim the bounty before anyone else can. But nothing about this job is business as usual: leads are few, competition is fierce, and every clue that he uncovers only raises more questions.
Worse, the monstrous Dreads that roam the Expanse are increasing in number, making each day more dangerous than the last. Pursued by old rivals and unsettled by whispers of secret organizations that challenge his understanding of the world, Diesel will have to decide which he’d rather chase: his mark or the truth.
Hardcover
Expected publication January 5, 2027
About the author
Lauren Thoman
5 books356 followersLauren Thoman writes speculative fiction for teens and adults. Her debut novel, I'll Stop the World, was selected for publication in 2023 by six-time Emmy nominee Mindy Kaling through her eponymous imprint, Mindy's Book Studio. Lauren's pop culture writing has also appeared in numerous online outlets including Parade and Vulture. Lauren lives outside of Nashville, Tennessee, with her husband and two children in a house full of dogs and fish. When she's not writing, she's probably on the hunt for tacos or coffee, poking around her flowerbeds, or buried underneath a pile of dogs.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Author
Hi, I wrote this book. I think it's rather fun. There are monsters and tornadoes and fights and kissing and secret lairs and one Very Good Dog. I hope you like it.
(Some folks don't think authors should review their own work, but I think that's silly. No one reads our books more than we do, and if we still like them after reading them one bajillionty times, I think we have earned the right to give ourselves some stars if we want.)
Absolutely zero genAI was involved in the creation of this book. I would rather lick a Dread than let that thieving, sycophantic, environmentally disastrous perversion of technological "progress" anywhere near my work.
You may be wondering, does the dog die in this book? The answer is a spoiler, since absolutely every character in this book brushes up against death on multiple occasions, so don't read on if you want to be surprised. But if you absolutely cannot abide the not knowing, I totally get it. I'm a dog person myself and also always need to know. So the answer is:
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No, Gloom (the Very Goodest Boy) faces some perilous situations, and there is definitely a part of the story where the characters think he may actually have perished, but rest assured, he makes it out alive. I would never kill a dog in one of my books. (People are another story.)
(Some folks don't think authors should review their own work, but I think that's silly. No one reads our books more than we do, and if we still like them after reading them one bajillionty times, I think we have earned the right to give ourselves some stars if we want.)
Absolutely zero genAI was involved in the creation of this book. I would rather lick a Dread than let that thieving, sycophantic, environmentally disastrous perversion of technological "progress" anywhere near my work.
You may be wondering, does the dog die in this book? The answer is a spoiler, since absolutely every character in this book brushes up against death on multiple occasions, so don't read on if you want to be surprised. But if you absolutely cannot abide the not knowing, I totally get it. I'm a dog person myself and also always need to know. So the answer is:
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No, Gloom (the Very Goodest Boy) faces some perilous situations, and there is definitely a part of the story where the characters think he may actually have perished, but rest assured, he makes it out alive. I would never kill a dog in one of my books. (People are another story.)
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
A post-apocalyptic page-turner with heart!
In Thoman’s YA debut, a young bounty hunter chases a mark despite threats from zombie-like ‘dreads’, unpredictable storms, and fissures in the foundation of the world (and relationships) he thought he understood.
Its pacing is fantastic. I was never bored and I REALLY cannot wait for the rest of Diesel’s story. My 17 year-old son will also love it, since the story digs deeply into these characters and an amazing post-apocalyptic setting (recognizable US? Super fun.) without romance taking the front seat. Perfect for fans of Neil Shusterman (Scythe Cycle) and Suzanne Collins (Hunger Games).
In Thoman’s YA debut, a young bounty hunter chases a mark despite threats from zombie-like ‘dreads’, unpredictable storms, and fissures in the foundation of the world (and relationships) he thought he understood.
Its pacing is fantastic. I was never bored and I REALLY cannot wait for the rest of Diesel’s story. My 17 year-old son will also love it, since the story digs deeply into these characters and an amazing post-apocalyptic setting (recognizable US? Super fun.) without romance taking the front seat. Perfect for fans of Neil Shusterman (Scythe Cycle) and Suzanne Collins (Hunger Games).
Review of advance copy received from Author
The story of a boy, his dog, and the end of the world, Lauren Thoman's first foray into young adult sci-fi is a propulsive adventure through a world transformed by cataclysmic storms that's equal parts Mad Max and The Mandalorian. Diesel's world is at once recognizable and alien, altered by catastrophic climate change yet prone to the same foibles of tribalism and suspicion that plague our own society. Yet equally familiar is Diesel's driving desire to find a place for himself in a hostile world, and to make a home with the family of his choice. It's a hard world out there, Dread Chaser tells us--but one we don't have to face alone.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews