Warrior Angel

Sonny Bear is a champion. . .but he needs the help of an angel.

Sonny Bear, the Tomahawk Kid, is on a fast downhill slide with the heavyweight championship at stake. He hardly knows who he is anymore, or why he should keep on fighting. Surrounded by greedy handlers in Las Vegas, he feels numb inside the ropes and tired of the circus.

Then the first e-mail arrives.

Do not lose heart. I come on a Mission from the Creator to save you.

-- Warrior Angel

Breaking away from the spectacle, Sonny flees east to Donatelli's Gym in Harlem to train with veteran cornerman Henry Johnson. Returning to a gritty gym seems like a fresh start, but can hard rounds on the speed bag quiet the fog in his head?

Soon, seventeen-year-old Starkey Brant appears in person, a runaway convinced he was chosen to serve as Sonny's guardian. Letting an eager kid call punches on the canvas dummy feels like genuine support, but trusting an unstable ally brings perils of its own.

The Warrior Angel might be just what Sonny Bear needs -- but will Sonny be prepared to save him, too?

• Title Defense: Sonny must prepare for a brutal rematch against former champion Floyd Hall, an immovable powerhouse determined to reclaim the heavyweight crown.
• Found Family: Paralyzed ex-contender Alfred Brooks and young author Marty Witherspoon step back into Sonny's corner, challenging him to stop running from real support.
• Mental Health Struggle: Struggling without his medication, Starkey fights off terrifying auditory voices while trying desperately to keep his promise to the heavyweight champion.
• Identity and Heritage: Sonny, haunted by the memory of his late uncle Jake and the legacy of the Running Braves, confronts whether his Moscondaga roots are a trap or his true anchor.
• Also by This Author: The Contender, One Fat Summer and The Brave.