Three Stars for THE WEST PASSAGE

Jared Pechacek’s THE WEST PASSAGE, a spellbinding dark fantasy debut, has received three starred reviews!

“This is a vividly depicted, decidedly peculiar world governed by an inexplicable logic, where the seasons are determined by a vast wheel; people have animal, plant, or even inorganic characteristics; and rising up in the ranks of one’s profession might mean switching genders or undergoing other physical alterations. Its fablelike but off-kilter qualities and architectural setting will likely appeal to fans of Susanna Clarke’s PIRANESI, Angélica Gorodischer’s KALPA IMPERIAL, and Josiah Bancroft’s BOOKS OF BABEL series. A curious, but curiously charming, allegory of a world in crisis.”—Kirkus Reviews, starred review

“Stories are dangerous. They can impart strength, guidance, and belief, but as stories pile upon stories, they can degrade understanding of the past and hide vital knowledge. They can bind people together, but they can also isolate them. In the five-towered sliver of Pechaček’s world, everything, not just stories, is in a state of decay. Buildings are falling apart, lineages have vanished, crop yields are sparse, and magic is diminished . . . Pechaček (a host of the Tolkien podcast By-the-Bywater) is unafraid to mix sweet whimsy with horror, which keeps readers’ tension high as they’re immersed in this fearsomely lovely realm. This fascinating debut nestles in the intersection between T. Kingfisher’s whimsicality and Premee Mohamed’s far-too-local old gods.”—Library Journal, starred review

“Pechaček’s fantastical world building and mind-blowing mythos will entice the reader into a high-fantasy world of giant ladies, monsters, bee husbandry, and a knight’s quest. Certain to entice fans of Neil Gaiman, Erin Morgenstern, and Stuart Turton, THE WEST PASSAGE is a spellbinding debut that cannot be missed.”—Booklist, starred review

 

 

 

 

 

 

THE WEST PASSAGE by Jared Pechacek; 9781250884831; 7/16/24.