41 parts Complete It's 2229. Luther Wall, the most powerful man in the world, is inexplicably dead, leaving the population stunned and the world at risk of civil war. Many believe he was immortal and let himself die, but no one knows why. Ash, a fourteen-year-old boy for whom Luther was an idol, is more shocked and angry than most.
Luther, like Ash, was a Numa (New hUMAns), a member of a new race produced through genetic engineering to have superior strength, agility, and resistance to injury. Known for his great powers, he single-handedly defeated the genocidal armies of the Shadows fifteen years prior. Many hoped he would teach the Numas the secrets of his powers, but instead he died. Now, the Numas are defenseless against the rising tide of Shadow sympathizers.
At Luther's funeral, Ash wanders around Luther's house in search of clues that might explain his hero's death. He finds a black ball upon which enigmatic messages appear. The ball, a sentient toy tells Ash, holds the key to Luther's secrets, but will only reveal it to those worthy. Ash follows the directions of the ball and ends up investigating the murder of an old war criminal and a bloody bank robbery despite his father's opposition.
If Ash solves the mystery, he will become the new hero and teach the secret of immortality to his people, but if he doesn't, he could cause the extermination of his own race. Meanwhile, he wonders whether he really is the right person to inherit Luther's power, and learns that prejudice can lurk in all of us.
THE NEW HUMANS is a YA sci-fi novel that may appeal to readers looking for entertaining and imaginative science fiction seasoned with humor, like Ernest Cline's Ready Player One.
