Loved, loved, loved it! The only problem I've got is that since it's a collection of an ongoing series, it ends with a giant cliffhanger. It would be nice if the collection held a complete story. Sure, the cliffhanger makes me want to buy the next one, but it also makes me feel like I HAVE to buy the next one. I hate being pushed. Putting that aside though, I like the world and characters that have been crafted here. Solid storytelling. ( )

A century after the Big Wet, the landscape is baked hard and dry. People are surviving as best they can, forming small communities. They're largely illiterate, trading for whatever they can. The residents have their individual secrets and pasts. The newest trader to come through, Michael, seems to have even more secrets than most. When a fire destroys the town, it's time to move out. If they can trust Michael, he might guide them to safety. Or he might guide them to the fabled city. Or the fabled city might destroy everyone who finds it.

Seemed like there was more fantasy in this than post-apocalyptic landscape. Story isn't entirely clear (easily confuses), possibly because the characters are not visually distinctive in a lot of cases. Overall: meh. ( )