EARLY ON IN "5 Worlds: The Sand Warrior," a politician from the rapidly overheating planet of Mon Domani implores delegates from four neighboring civilizations to set aside their differences and work to save their dying worlds. "The time for yours and mine is over," he says. "Coming together is our only hope." But his (not at all relevant to the real world) call for unity goes unheeded, and a few pages later, war breaks out - on top of all the looming natural disasters. It's a bang-zoom start to a series that promises to be epic in both the classical and internet senses of the word. And the devastation is depicted with cinematic beauty by the art team of Bouma, Rockefeller and Sun, whose every panel could pass for an animation cel. As you might suspect from the opening - or from the three diverse hero kids on the cover - teamwork will indeed be needed to save the day. Fortunately, the Siegel brothers have given us some very likable characters: Oona Lee, a trainee Sand Dancer (think Jedis who would kick butt at sand castle-building contests); An Tzu, a Dickensian street waif who's part plant; and Jax Amboy, the David Beckham of Starball, whose celebrity status makes even enemy soldiers go fanboy on him. Making this threesome even more intriguing is that each hides a deep secret that will completely change the way new friends see them. The title "5 Worlds" implies that this is a capital-S Saga, heavy on the mythologybuilding, and that's no false promise. As in Star Wars, Harry Potter or Avatar: The Last Airbender (probably the most analogous series), there are so many side characters, mysterious subplots and allusions to pre-book history that readers accustomed to simpler narratives might end up with a case of whiplash. But those who love to fully submerge themselves in the geography, politics and folklore of fantasy worlds will likely be preordering Book 2 before they've even turned the last page. The fantasy world of Scott Westerfeld's "Spill Zone" is decidedly smaller in scope - in fact, it's confined to the college town of Poughkeepsie, N.Y. And teamwork is not on the menu for our foul-mouthed, rulesbe- damned, loner heroine, Addison Merritt. Sure, elements from a super-creepy, Lovecraftian dimension may have leaked into her world, enveloping her hometown, consuming her parents and psychologically scarring her little sister, but Addison's not going to let that stop her from making a solid living. Even if that means busting through military roadblocks to sneak into the forbidden "spill zone" and take illegal photos of the horrors within - photos that sell for big bucks on the black market. Addison can come offas cold and harsh, especially to people who try to help her, but her character is far more nuanced than the typical tough-as-nails antihero - as evidenced by some of the heart-tugging scenes between her and her now mute, emotionally detached sister. Readers will have no problem rooting for Addison - and fearing for her. The publisher's recommendation that the book is for "teen readers" should not be taken lightly. Not simply because of the frequent profanity, but because the book is genuinely scary. (Without naming names, there might have been at least one fully grown book reviewer who had nightmares after reading it.) The eeriness quotient is thanks in no small part to Alex Puvilland's gorgeously grotesque depictions of the Spill Zone's otherworldly denizens, including warped wolves, glow-eyed rats and floating corpses (lovingly referred to as "meat puppets"). As frightening as "Spill Zone" can be, though, its greatest asset is its muscletensing suspense. Reading it feels like binge-watching a great cable series, complete with the same feeling of despair you get when you finish the final episode and realize you've got a long time to wait for the next season. AIMED AT A YOUNGER READER, Nathan Hale's "One Trick Pony" is a self-contained story. But while beautifully concise, it still manages to squeeze in loads of suspense, chills (though nothing too nightmare-inducing), action and entertaining character dynamics - all within a refreshingly original take on post-apocalyptic hellscapes. Here we see humanity devolved into a preindustrial society after an invasion by giant arthropod aliens that eat technology - along with any earthlings that get between them and the mainframe they plan to have for lunch. The heroes of this dystopia are a small caravan of people who live on the run, moving from ruin to ruin, carrying with them all the books, movies, computer drives and gadgets they could save along the way - i.e., all that remains of human culture. Hale - a double threat as both author and illustrator - uses a captivating art style here, depicting the story only in shades of gray and yellow, which adds to the arid, barren feel of this depleted Earth. The plot centers on a group of young friends who are plunged into danger when they are accidentally separated from the caravan. While lost, fearless Strata, her pragmatic brother, Auger, and their brawny pal, Inby (who is written wonderfully against type as a comically whinging naysayer), discover a still-functioning robotic horse. The boys are immediately worried that this rather large piece of tech will draw the metal-sniffing aliens to them - and they're right - but Strata can't shake the feeling that this golden pony has an importance they can't yet fathom. So the three begin the long, dangerous search through an alien-heavy hot zone to find their constantly roaming mobile village. On the way, they'll forge an uneasy alliance with a fugitive cattle rustler, become unhappy targets of a territorial barbarian tribe, and have plenty of nail-bitingly close encounters with the insectoid invaders. It all builds to a gripping climax that - as any good sci-ficlimax does - puts the fate of humanity in the balance. It all wraps up rather nicely, but that doesn't mean readers won't want to see more of these characters. Or that Hale wouldn't oblige. CHRISTOPHER HEALY is the author of the Hero's Guide trilogy for middle-grade readers.