The West Passage

by Jared Pechacek

Overview

THE LADIES REIGN. THE PALACE ROTS. THE BEAST RISES.

“The West Passage is a dangerous book of secrets.” —Travis Baldree, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Legends & Lattes

“A weird and wonderful tale, rich with imagination and utterly unique.” —Sunyi Dean, author of The Book Eaters

“One of the finest fantasies of this decade, a sweeping swarm of fiercely human creativity.” —Indrapramit Das, author of The Devourers

When the Guardian of the West Passage died in her bed, the women of Grey Tower fed her to the crows and went back to their chores. No successor was named as Guardian, no one took up the fallen blade; the West Passage went unguarded.

Now, snow blankets Grey in the height of summer, foretelling the coming of the Beast. The too-young Mother of Grey House and the Guardian's unnamed squire set out to save their people.

Their narrow shoulders bear a heavy burden. Before them lies the West Passage, home to horrors and delights that defy imagining. None can say if they'll reach their destinations, but one thing is for sure: the world is about to change.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250884831
Publisher:	Tor Publishing Group
Publication date:	07/16/2024
Pages:	384
Sales rank:	81,968
Product dimensions:	8.30(w) x 5.60(h) x 1.30(d)

About the Author

Jared Pechaček is an artist and writer based in Seattle, Washington. He is also a host of the Tolkien podcast By-The-Bywater. When he’s not doing any of that, he’s cooking, baking, or sewing something to wear to the opera.

Editorial Reviews

05/06/2024

In this overwrought debut, visual artist Pechaček crafts a medieval fantasy with shades of Alice in Wonderland and The Tombs of Atuan. Pell is an apprentice from the Black Tower, whose wimple-wearing women attend all births and deaths in a strange, four-cornered land ruled by ancient houses. When the guardian of the West Passage dies in her sleep, Pell steals a book from her room, triggering a sudden, endless Winter. As crops fail and serfs starve, she embarks on a quest to repair her misdeed. Meanwhile, young Kew, who was the guardian’s next-in-line but was never officially appointed, sets out on a parallel quest to warn the great houses that the mythical Beast is planning a return through the unguarded passage. The narrative alternates between Kew’s and Pell’s adventures, including encounters with bizarre creatures (such as an owl schoolmaster who keeps awkwardly laying eggs) and the giant, ancient ladies of the houses whose old vendettas form fault lines in the land’s jagged history. Pechacek uses broad brushstrokes to paint a world in decay. Though he provides plenty of asides explaining the complex lore, the worldbuilding gets in the way of plot and character development, leaving the protagonists feeling thin despite some quirky Canterbury naturalism. Through all the clutter, it’s hard to connect to the story. (July)

Publishers Weekly

The West Passage is a dangerous book of secrets. It is the singular agony of a delicious dream half-recalled. Its shadows are colonized with the gorgeous, the grotesque, and the forgotten — and now you are a vital link in their remembrance.” —Travis Baldree, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Legends & Lattes

“A weird and wonderful tale, rich with imagination and utterly unique; Pechaček has crafted a literary gem of a novel.” —Sunyi Dean, author of The Book Eaters

“Emotionally tender, thematically rich, and creatively stunning, The West Passage is a singular achievement in fantasy writing.” —J.T. Greathouse, author of the Pact and Pattern series

“This is one of the finest fantasies of this decade, a sweeping storm of fiercely human creativity to drown the pallid temptations of our era's algorithmic storytelling.” —Indra Das, author of The Devourers

“Vividly depicted, decidedly peculiar...a curious, but curiously charming, allegory of a world in crisis.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

“Fantastical world building and mind-blowing mythos... The West Passage is a spellbinding debut that cannot be missed.” —Booklist, starred review

“Pechaček is unafraid to mix sweet whimsy with horror, which keeps readers’ tension high as they’re immersed in this fearsomely lovely realm.” —Library Journal, starred review

“Underneath The West Passage's pretty exterior is an utterly strange and alien landscape that is captivating, capricious, and full of dark places. Endlessly fascinating, beautifully written, and sublimely weird.” —Jenn Lyons, author of the Chorus of Dragons series

“A deep and meditative fantasy that fans of the weird and wild will thoroughly enjoy.” —R.R. Virdi, author of The First Binding

From the Publisher

★ 04/01/2024

DEBUT 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. Even when omens of a great Beast appear, competing stories keep Kew and Pell, Pechaček's teenage protagonists, apart, though they've lived in the same Grey Tower for years. They embark on their own quests, giving readers a thorough tour of their surreal world. While there is urgency to save their home, events happen in fairy-tale time—just when they should—allowing side adventures that deepen the protagonists' understanding of the world. 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. VERDICT This fascinating debut nestles in the intersection between T. Kingfisher's whimsicality and Premee Mohamed's far-too-local old gods.—Matthew Galloway

Library Journal