A messy but mesmerizing introduction to a bold new high-fantasy world.
Chan’s firstfantasy novel in the Jaydemyr Saga drops readers into a world of psychic powers and swordfights.
Early on, readers first meet Blackcloak the Scourge and glean some information about the character’s Mindwarps and dream manipulation before they’re whisked away to the small village of Swimming Carp. It's the setting of the story of a 12-year-old boy called Dog-Ears who’s known as the so-called village idiot. In his world, which is reminiscent of ancient China as well as feudal Japan, all people serve the local Lord Ayakawa, who, in turn, serves the Emperor Tsukamoto, who is directly responsible to an all-powerful female God. At night, when everyone fears dangerous figures known as Blood Peddlers, Dog-Ears experiences vivid dreams of a “faithwar” that results in worldwide slaughter. Later, he discovers that he has a Talent for controlling fire. One day, he finds a town that is deserted, except for a formidable enemy called Hua-Shi, and a strange female presence named Fa Shai-yeh, who speaks to him in riddles and questions, calling him “Charan.” This encounter leads Dog-Ears to declare that his name is now Charan Jaydemyr, and that he and Fa Shai-yeh will go to the capital of Kaifeng together. There, Char becomes a respected thief, falling in with a gang known as the Rats, and he’s dead set on stealing a precious sword that seems to call to him. As Char moves across the capital and eventually ingratiates himself with the dangerous Blood Peddlers, the barriers between dreams and reality, present and future, and different facets of his own persona break down during a hallucinatory quest of self-discovery.
Chan’s dreamlike work opens with a flurry of bombastic high fantasy and poetic language: “There is blood on a leaf….As small as it may be, this deposit of life is great enough to milk the moon and to hold its light within a shiny bubble. This is mysticism in minutiae, a miracle of the basest order.” It then goes on to weave together fractured narratives against the fantasy backdrop. Chan lays out a deep mythology that puts magical spins on real-world history, blending Abrahamic religion with samurai culture—a fascinating concept. However, nothing is quite clear, even after repeated use of the book’s Annexes. The difficult prose resembles an epic poem with dream logic that leaves little time to dig into the intricacies of the mythos. The plot itself is shrouded in mystery, creating a strange experiential journey, as if David Lynch rewrote the works of George R.R. Martin. Chan churns out beautiful turns of phrase on almost every page, delivering otherworldly aphorisms (“repulsion is too often little more than compulsion in denial”) and haunting descriptions (“The moon overhead was a splinter of curved bone”). But, for all its abstraction, numerous chapters stick to back-and-forth dialogue, bringing the action, linguistic or otherwise, to a halt. Basic plot elements still feel elusive: Where and when are we? What is a particular character’s motivation? Chan’s work is engrossing but consistently vague on these basic points. However, he delivers something daringly different for ambitious genre fans.
A messy but mesmerizing introduction to a bold new high-fantasy world.Pub Date: May 31, 2015
ISBN: 9780994285256
Page Count: 433
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: Aug. 21, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2024
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
An existential crisis that steps on its own final moments.
With only a month left until the world ends due to a swiftly approaching black hole, Don and Rodney, a retired gay couple, road-trip from Maine to Washington to spend their final days with their son.
After reports that a planet-swallowing black hole is making its way toward Earth, Rodney and Don—who have been together for 40 years and survived everything from homophobia to the HIV crisis—decide to pack their belongings into an RV, say goodbye to their neighbors, and travel from Camden, Maine, to Washington to uphold a promise to spend their final days with their son. They can’t wait any longer, since there’s already chaos around the country: “Military vehicles in the streets of most cities and towns. Looting, rioting, the burning of cars and buildings and people, all of it had already happened.” As they make their way west across the country, they encounter fellow travelers ranging from close-knit families to free-spirited hippies, some of whom have come to terms with the impending end of the world and others who haven’t. While the story seems to be asking readers what they would do if they had 30 days left to live, and reflects on what different kinds of acceptance might look like in the face of unavoidable tragedy, it loses some of its poignancy in a series of thinly padded monologues about the meaning of life. Clearly intended to pack an emotional punch, it’s failed by an abrupt ending, and the way the journey’s mystery—which will be obvious to many readers—is revealed by an info dump in the last chapter.
An existential crisis that steps on its own final moments.Pub Date: April 28, 2026
ISBN: 9781250881236
Page Count: 176
Publisher: Tor
Review Posted Online: March 9, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2026
A tender reminder that gratitude is a path we choose, one conversation at a time.
In Green’s inspirational novel, a journalist boarding the wrong train discovers the right moment to speak the words that matter.
Daniel arrives at the Beacon station carrying a leather notebook filled with an unfinished eulogy for his still-living grandfather, only to be swept onto the mysterious 5:07 Gratitude Express, a steam locomotive that appears “for those who want to express gratitude.” His uncanny journey sends him through vividly rendered moments from his own life, where he witnesses the ripple effects of kindnesses he has offered and reunites—sometimes for the first time—with people who were permanently shaped by those actions. Each stop brings a new encounter: A childhood classmate says, “That morning, you altered the course of my life”; an elderly woman confesses, “Your simple act of kindness saved me that day”; a mentor tells him, “You need to figure out what you’re good at and what you like to do. Because when you do that, your potential is limitless.” By the time Daniel reaches Cedarville, intent on seeing his grandfather—the person who most profoundly shaped him—his reflections echo the conductor’s warning that “Time is unpredictable, and unsaid words bring pain and regret.” What follows is a moving affirmation of connection that honors the story’s central message: Appreciation should be expressed to the living. Green structures the narrative as a fable, with emotional clarity and cinematic pacing. The train’s dissolving walls, the recurring whistle rising “high into the dark sky,” and the symbolic briefcase filled with long-kept letters lend the tale a gentle magical-realist texture. While the storyline remains linear and accessible for all ages, the themes—regret, legacy, and intergenerational love—invite adult reflection. The prose is simple, intentionally so, grounding the fantastical elements in an earnest emotional register. This is not a plot-twist-driven story; it’s a quiet parable urging readers to act before time steals their chances. Readers who appreciate heartfelt, uplifting narrative journeys will find resonance in Green’s message.
A tender reminder that gratitude is a path we choose, one conversation at a time.Pub Date: Jan. 27, 2026
ISBN: 9798891385252
Page Count: 80
Publisher: Self
Review Posted Online: Jan. 13, 2026
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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