The forces of evil, both natural and supernatural, are
poised to prey on the folk of the hamlets and hollows:
witches, demons, and criminals of more than one century.
But first they'll have to overcome some very unusual
residents of the hills and valleys. One is David Drake's
unforgettable creation, Old Nathan the Wizard. He doesn't
claim much for his magical powers, but they're real enough
for what they are-and besides, he hasn't forgotten how to
use his long flintlock rifle. Enter the gritty, realistic
world of Old Nathan, a backwoodsman who talks to animals
and says he'll face the Devil himself-and who in the end
will have to face the Devil in very fact. A century later,
very different interlopers, from criminals to snooping
college professors, are poking around the hills, up to no
good. But a very unusual family, the Hogbens, are likely
to cause more trouble than unwelcome visitors can handle,
as Henry Kuttner relates. They're a family of mutants,
with very unusual powers, and city folk who cause trouble
are likely to suddenly find unbelievable-and unpleasant-
things happening to them. But not all of the trouble is
caused by humans, as the Slade family find out when Eric
Flint and Ryk E. Spoor relate how a Kentucky family finds
itself caught in the middle of a struggle between battling
groups of the creatures who live deep underground and are
the basis from the old legends of gnomes. The Slades have
to make sure that the right gnomes win-or an earthquake
will wipe out everyone in at least four states. Magic,
mutants, and mountain folk add up to an unusual volume,
with adventure ranging from the grim and eerie to the
wildly comic.