The novel “The Nightmare Stacks” by Charles Stross was published for the first time in 2016. It’s part of the Laundry series and follows “The Annihilation Score”.

Alex Schwartz, also known as Alex the Vampire, started working for the Laundry after receiving an offer he couldn’t refuse. His first task is supposed to be routine and his main concern is that it’s in Leeds, his hometown, with the anxiety about meeting his parents and telling them a cover story about what happened to him. The positive note comes from his meeting with Cassie, a local student who seems to find him interesting.

On a parallel Earth a not-exactly human civilization developed upon magical powers is planning to invade what for them is another Earth. The king’s daughter is sent as a spy to gather information on the civilization of humans to assess their power and facilitate the invasion. To infiltrate humans, she takes the form of Cassie, a student from the place she arrives after crossing the bridge between the universes.