In a land similar to South Africa, twin brothers are beset by powerful forces beyond their understanding or control in this thrilling blend of science fiction, horror, magic, and dark humor—evocative of the works of Lauren Beukes, Ian McDonald, and Nnedi Okorafor—from the author of The Prey of Gods.
Two brothers.
Seven vices.
One demonic possession.
Can this relationship survive?
Auben Mutze has more vices than he can deal with—six to be exact—each branded down his arm for all the world to see. They mark him as a lesser twin in society, as inferior, but there’s no way he’ll let that define him. Intelligent and outgoing, Auben’s spirited antics make him popular among the other students at his underprivileged high school. So what if he’s envious of his twin Kasim, whose single vice brand is a ticket to a better life, one that likely won’t involve Auben.
The twins’ strained relationship threatens to snap when Auben starts hearing voices that speak to his dangerous side—encouraging him to perform evil deeds that go beyond innocent mischief. Lechery, deceit, and vanity run rampant. And then there are the inexplicable blood cravings. . . .
On the southern tip of an African continent that could have been, demons get up to no good during the time of year when temperatures dip and temptations rise. Auben needs to rid himself of these maddening voices before they cause him to lose track of time. To lose his mind. And to lose his . . .
Publishers Weekly: 
Audio rights to the untitled first full-length novel in Martha Wells’ Nebula Award-winning The Murderbot Diaries series, to Brian Sweany at Recorded Books, by Jennifer Jackson and Michael Curry.
French rights to Martha Wells’ Nebula Award-winning The Murderbot Diaries series (ALL SYSTEMS RED, ARTIFICIAL CONDITION, ROGUE PROTOCOL, and EXIT STRATEGY), to L’Atlante, by Robin Batet at Anna Jarota Agency in association with Jennifer Jackson and Michael Curry.
Kirkus: A white family’s attempts to renovate a storm-wracked Victorian New Orleans house are complicated by bitterly contending ghosts.
New York Times Bestseller Martha Wells returns to the universe of the critically acclaimed Nebula Award winning Murderbot Diaries series, which debuted in 2017 with the break-out novella ALL SYSTEMS RED, with Murderbot’s first full-length novel, acquired by 
The audio edition of BRIEF CASES by Jim Butcher is #5 on the New York Times Bestseller list!
Booklist: The first half of Kowal’s two-book tale—The Fated Sky will follow—begins in 1952 when a meteorite strikes Earth, causing a global cataclysm.