The Empty Ones: A Novel

2013 has been a strange year for Kaitlyn. The six-fingered former stuntwoman was romanced by her childhood crush Marco, only to discover he was a soulless monster (and not just the usual Hollywood kind). She then crossed paths with Carey, a ’70s-era punk who has battled similar creatures — plus tar men, faceless goons, and angels that consume the innocent. All in all, Kaitlyn’s life sucks. And it’s about to get worse because her hunt for Marco leads to some unpleasant discoveries.

The Empty Ones is Robert Brockway’s uproarious, insane follow-up to The Unnoticeables, and he manages to ratchet up the ridiculousness, the humor, and the stakes in equal measure, adding to the lore of his bizarre world and delving deeper into Carey’s past as the worst hero the world has ever known. This is everything a sequel should be.

Carey is as funny, offensive, and noble as ever, Kaitlyn really comes into her own as a character (after being mostly a plot device in the first book), and you seriously worry about what may become of sidekicks Jackie and Randall.

I have no idea where this series will go next, but I can’t wait to find out.