In a United States not so unlike our own, the Department of Balance has adopted a radical new form of law enforcement: rather than incarceration, wrongdoers are given a second (and sometimes, third, fourth, and fifth) shadow as a reminder of their crime--and a warning to those they encounter. Within the Department, corruption and prejudice run rampant, giving rise to an underclass of so-called Shadesters who are disenfranchised, publicly shamed, and deprived of civil rights protections. Kris is a Shadester and a new mother to a baby born with a second shadow of her own. Grieving the loss of her wife and thoroughly unprepared for the reality of raising a child alone, Kris teeters on the edge of collapse, fumbling in a daze of alcohol, shame, and self-loathing. Yet as the kid grows, Kris finds her footing, raising a child whose irrepressible spark cannot be dampened by the harsh realities of the world.
adult
Marisa Crane.
![Subscribe to our blog](/sites/default/files/default_images/wp.png)
![Like us on Facebook](/sites/default/files/default_images/fb.png)
![Subscribe to our YouTube Channel](/sites/default/files/default_images/yt.png)
![Follow us on Twitter](/sites/default/files/default_images/tw.png)
![Follow us on instagram](/sites/default/files/default_images/inst.png)
![Follow us on Tumblr](/sites/default/files/default_images/tu.png)