Adrian forgave himself. The undead have been banished and he's accepted the love of friends, family, and some strangers. He's started a better life.

Bastion grows day after day as pilgrims come to put down roots near the vaunted Trinity. Crops are growing, babies are being born, supplies are being salvaged, restful dreams are being had, and there's even talk that the government is surfacing to reform.

All his problems should be getting better now, right?

But some battles start after the last shot is fired.

They call themselves The Northern Valley Cooperative.

Adrian's known about them for years. Always on his fringe, never in his face, they built a fortress out of a ski resort, and brought everyone near them to heel. And now, with winter bearing down on Adrian's world, the NVC is marching south.

Are they friends, or are they foes?

Either way, Adrian's got a loaded gun on his hip, and he's surrounded by people he'd die for.

He just might.

The Dealer of Hope contains Adrian's journal entries from September 21, 2013 through November 30, 2013. It also contains the side fictions "Desperation", "Junkyard Dogs", "Strange Bedfellows", "No One's Home", "A City Laid Asunder", and "One Last Hurrah".

“Mr. Philbrook has come back with a fresh voice and story, without abandoning everything his fans loved about the series. It’s like a homecoming where all the warm feelings of familiarity drain out in dread as the front door opens.... Welcome home.” (Jeffrey Clare, author, All Things Zombie)