Marshall Conrad has a secret: superpowers. These abilities manifested when he was fourteen and about to be molested by a minister. It seems that he is able to pick up on evil intent, drawing upon it to power up his strength, flight, and psychic ability. When Marshall is in the presence of evil, his eyes glow. In the ten years since the death of his girlfriend, Marshall has taken it upon himself to fight crime in his small New Hampshire town, by “seeing” the acts people are planning to commit. Unfortunately, murders that Marshall has no foreknowledge of begin happening in town. At a news conference, Marshall meets Stella, an older lady who owns a curiosity shop, or as Marshall describes it, “a mausoleum for oddities” (Chapter 7). Sharing an interest in the murders, which also include symbols being painted on rocks at the scenes, the two meet at the shop for a discussion. Marshall learns that Stella is actually a witch, and she knows a lot more about his background and the source of his powers than he does himself.

Stella explains that mortals live in the near world, while supernatural beings exist primarily in the unseen world. Some specially gifted individuals are given the task of making sure that the unseen world does not bleed over into the near world, and Stella explains that both she and Marshall fall into this category. Knowing nothing of his own history regarding any of this, Marshall is surprised, but quickly realizes the truth of this mission. Ruby, who is a curious mixture of sidekick/assistant and mentor for Marshall, arrives and helps the two of them determine how to stop the ominous events about to unfold. Meanwhile, Marshall has to fend off the curiosity of his downstairs neighbor, Marnie, as well as the suspicions of the police.

Grim though many events of the novel may be, the author employs a lighter tone via the use of humor, causing this reviewer to laugh out loud several times. The narrative tone is reminiscent of Buffy the Vampire Slayer: end-of-the-world seriousness combined with a healthy dose of humor, and a touch of campiness on the side. In a discussion with his neighbor, Marshall tells her that, “Real life bears no resemblance to what happens in comic books” (Chapter 29). The characters are quirky and endearing, and the reader enjoys spending time with them. Cummings depicts a gloomy, misanthropic forty-year-old superhero yet presents him in such a way that the reader roots for and believes in him. This reviewer looks forward to meeting Marshall again in the sequel.

Book Stats:

• e-book, digital format
• Publisher: Lyrical Press
  
• Book Length: Novel
  
• Language: English
• ISBN: 978-1-61650-040-5

To purchase an electronic copy of Unseen World click here.

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