A secret society. An indestructible madman. And an odd young man cursed with powers to end the world. When Gray Studebaker discovers a pattern on the movie-star maps he sells on the street corner, he thinks he's solved Hollywood's biggest crime mystery of 1939. Instead, he stumbles into a secret world where society's greatest figures share a fiercely guarded secret: They're supernaturally talented. As a half-crazed circus strongman hunts them down, Gray realizes he's the only one who has the clues to find a mystical talisman that can stop the maniac. Gray embarks upon a wild, dangerous hunt through the gritty streets of Los Angeles, dodging cutthroat mafia bosses, Zoot-suited gangsters, and knife-wielding circus clowns. But the end of the search may force Gray to reveal his own secret, a mysterious power that will either save the society or destroy them all. The Sixteen Burdens is the first book in David Khalaf's historical fantasy series. If you like The Night Circus, The Paper Magician, or Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, then you'll love Khalaf's page-turning period-piece adventure with a fantastical twist. Named 2016 Editor's Choice (Historical Novel Society) and a Favorite Indie Book of 2015 (Self-Publishing Review). Buy The Sixteen Burdens to start the first in Khalaf's award-winning series today!