Socially awkward Rarkin pursues a career in Monster (& crime boss) Containment.
For Rarkin, getting into Sythe School means monsters, the chance to contain ones that stray into human occupied zones, and the opportunity to do something meaningful with his life. Even better, it includes an Electric Way pass out of town and travel beyond city limits, far from his abusive father.
Rarkin seizes his chance at his dream job with everything he’s got, forcing down traumatic memories to focus on work he knows he could love. But it’s a dangerous time to be holding everything in, to have little contact with friends like brothers, or to be keeping new friends at arm’s length.
Sythe’s nemesis, Organised Crime is no longer playing by the ‘rules,’ and Rarkin and his classmates are on the front line. Organised Crime’s bold new tactics tear at the bandages of Rarkin’s unhealed wounds and his unresolved CPTSD.
To be the person Rarkin doesn’t believe people saying he can be, he must change his toxically masculine approach to emotions, and break the cycle of violence in his family. If he doesn’t make peace with his past and stop fighting EVERYTHING, he’s on the road to self destruction.
In working for Sythe, Rarkin is Walking the Knife’s Edge.
This is book 1 of an intended 4 book SFF crime series, with mystery and political thriller elements, a queer (especially asexual and aromantic) cast and neurodivergent (autistic, CPTSD and ADHD) rep.
