George R. R. Martin Presents Wild Cards: Marked Cards

"A reporter, together with a politician-turned-joker, races to expose the organization bent on eradicating the Wild Card virus-alongwith everybody affected. Back in print with a stunning new cover, this is the second book in the trilogy begun with Card Sharks, setin the Wild Cards universe created by the #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Game of Thrones. An alien virus ravages the world, with effects as random as a hand of cards. Those infected either draw the black queen and die, draw an ace and receive superpowers, or draw the joker and are bizarrely mutated. The uninfected are known as nats. In the wake of the events in Card Sharks, nat investigator Hannah Davis has discovered the shadowy group of powerful figures that has orchestrated countless attacks on jokers since the Wild Card virus was first discovered. The group has one goal: to purge the world of everyone who holds the virus. With the help of Gregg Hartmann-once a puppeteering ace politician but now a joker himself-Hannah and her ragtag crew of joker activists must work to expose the leaders of the Card Sharks conspiracy before their plans can come to fruition. But the Card Sharks have a few tricks up their sleeve-and if Hannah and Gregg don't act quickly, every wild carder in the world could pay the price"--