Worldbuilding? Expansive. Plot? Bizarre. Exposition? None. I loved every single word of this book. It was so creative, so unapologetic in its voice and style. The closest association I can make is that it’s like if Dark Souls had whimsy. What a breathtakingly unique piece of art.

I had trouble connecting with the world in the first quarter, but it grew on me.
There are a lot of elements that are reminiscent of classic fairy tales and I was really loving that!

Themes I enjoyed:
The book plays with the concept of lineage, and what is duty anyway? It also looks at how customs are created, upheld, and broken.

I liked the omniscient narrative style. Language hops around in a way that feels appropriate and effective rather than inconsistent. It can be anything from antiquated and almost formal to easy dialog or casual narration.

“We’re not what we once were, but we once—we once were something.”

Honestly, I do not acurately know how I feel about this book. The whole world described was interesting, and really cool to learn about, but there was just so. Much. Of. It. I kept wanting to know more about this palace, with all its towers and how Grey is the heart but know one remembers why, and each tower is just a shadow of the power it once had. I wanted to know more about what the apes were going to do now that their tutor/slaver had been put in his place by Yarrow, and just more in depth descriptions of everything in general. I kept getting confused by all of the ladies and their different descriptions, as well as the random inserts that didn't flow in quite the same way. It was an enjoyable pool read, but I was kind of hoping for a bit more plot, because by the time the Beast actually showed up it felt like there was an abrupt ending. I want to know more, and that's my favorite part of reading.

Such a phenomenal read, I thoroughly enjoyed it. However, I can see where this would not be everyone's cup of tea. If you love a good, meandering story where you genuinely get to know the world and everyone in it, with the politics of it and all, I recommend at least giving this a try!
The West Passage is such a unique and entrancing world. This carries a very unusual perspective and the world and it's political structure follow suit.
I genuinely had so much fun reading and exploring this world! While it felt like a very long read, I was never board and never wanted to put it down!
You primarily follow along with two perspectives (that of Kew and Pell). You'll meet to friends and even some foes, but you also grow with these two characters. Each goes through their own (very different) journey with the same goal.
There is so much lore packed into this book as well and in such a fascinating way! I do feel like the story was wrapped up nicely. However, I am definitely left wanting to stay here and learn so much more about each character and what lies ahead for them.

Thank you TOR publishing and NetGalley for allowing me to read The West Passage early!

What an incredibly unique fantasy read. If asked, I don't know if I could even attempt to explain this story, but it will likely be one of the most unique and memorable reads of 2024 for me. The best way to start this book is to know nothing and let the story unfold. The world-building is fantastical but also horrifying, the characters are multifaceted and unknowable, and I will be thinking about this story for a long time to come. If you liked the whimsy of The Starless Sea or Piransi and the strangeness of the Locked Tomb Series combined with a Lovecraftian undertone, then this is most definitely the book for you. Thank you so much to Netgalley and Tor for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Oh...oh I loved this. I adore a unique world and a quirky setting. This book delivered that perfectly without being over bearing. Jared's imagination is something to be studied, for sure.

What an absolutely, positively fascinating world and a masterclass in weird worlds. The world-building here is not concrete--it's ever-changing, angelic (or eldritch), and defies description. I really enjoyed the ways the language used circled description: defining objects by what they might be, or definitely are not, or could possibly be. A great many sentences end with nouns you could never have predicted (my personal favorite was Apes). It is difficult to find your footing in, but adds a lot to the energy of the story.

As for the story, I loved it. The characters, primarily Pell and Kew, have a simple, dogged determination that contrasts the lush and weird world beautifully, cutting through fae-like scenes with grounded annoyance and spirit. Their paths and objectives are so clear and unchanging it creates a mythic quality to their journey that suits the themes of the novel perfectly. It's unique, to me, how these characters serve as guides, capable of seeing the injustices of this world... but unable to do much to change history (yet?). Through their eyes, we see the more mundane horrors and castle secrets hidden behind quaint palace doors.

I think this book will appeal best to those who don't mind unanswered questions and incomplete histories. Readers who like clear, easily-reference-able maps and unchanging compass directions might find the songs of The West Passage "sloppy" or "confusing." While the battles are epic, the full resolutions are almost entirely left the readers imagination-in my mind a feature, not a bug. It is meant to replicate the effect of old, oral stories with hundreds of tellings and hundreds of endings...but this may not be your cup of tea.

I didn't get through too much of this book before I realized this is not a book I can accurately review. The more obscure, absurdist fantasy books that have come out over the last few years have not hit with me, and after reading about 20%, I went to a few other reviews to see what I was missing, only to realize that was some of the entire point!

I'm definitely the type of reader who needs a little bit of plot. I'm also sad I missed out on the illustrations from the author.

Thank you Net Galley and the publisher for this eARC!

I had little to no expectations going into this except that people seem to be loving it. I wanted to love it, and parts of it I did. The palace is so cool. The whole setting it so descriptive and a character of its own. Unfortunately, for me, this is not enough and the plot was lacking for me.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC.

I devoured The West Passage. I recommend this for fans of fantasy, eldritch creatures, and unique stories.

Jared Pechaček takes us on a strange ride through a depopulated crumbling palace on the brink of doom in The West Passage. This palace, with its monstrous warring Ladies, reminded me of a hive. Our protagonists, Pell and Kew, have to wend their way through a labyrinth to reach the answers and people they need. To make things even more complicated—and possibly allegorical—they have to contend with strange people with their own agendas who threaten to fatally slow our heroes’ efforts to keep the whole palace from toppling into nothing.

Kew and Pell were raised to take on the mantles—and names—of important people in the Gray Tower, one of five towers in the palace. They’ve spent years learning the lore and skills of their predecessors, Hawthorn the Guardian (Kew) and Mother Yarrow (Pell). What they don’t learn is why they have to keep up hundreds of rituals, why they must or mustn’t do something, or what they should do if the regular order of things completely breaks down. They’re so sheltered that, when they venture outside of Gray, they are utterly shocked to see the state of things. Nothing is maintained. People are few and far between. Dangers are allowed to roam the labyrinth between the towers.

The easy thing to do would be to turn around and hunker down in Gray while someone fixes things. Young Pell and Kew, however, are determined to carry out their duties. Kew heads off to the Black Tower, where they believe the most powerful of the Ladies is, to warn her that the Beast is rising. This Beast has returned before. Kew has been taught that, if not stopped, this Beast will devour everything. Meanwhile, the carefully regimented seasons have gone rogue and plunged Gray into an early, bitter winter. If Pell doesn’t get word to the Black Tower that the seasons are out of order, everyone in Gray will starve or freeze.

These simple missions lead Kew and Pell into some very bizarre places. Everyone they meet and everything they find just reinforces the atmosphere of mindless decay. Like Pell and Kew, they carry on with their assigned tasks as much as they can but it’s clear that everyone is struggling to carry on. There aren’t enough people to do all the work. Everywhere, things break and rot for lack of tending. Before long, Pell starts to wonder if she has been wrong about everything. Kew, meanwhile, has to decide if they’re fighting the right enemies.

The West Passage is a weird book. I’m not sure if I understood it entirely. The episodic pacing and stylized characters made me strongly suspect that there are allegorical shenanigans afoot. I’ve never been very good with allegory. That said, I was intrigued by the highly fantastical world Pechaček created. I wanted to know what was around each corner and who Kew and Pell would meet next. The conclusion of this book was a satisfying reward for sticking around.

This has been the most uniquely different read for me in the longest time, and I had the best time with it. It beautifully blends dark whimsical fantasy elements with a dash of sweet moments, creating a captivating and strange narrative.
The story itself is wonderfully odd and thought-provoking. I loved how it made me think, often presenting elements that are not clearly explained, encouraging readers to figure things out on their own. This approach added to the book's charm, making it a more engaging and immersive read.
The plot of The West Passage is difficult to explain, and I believe it's one of those books best approached with little to no prior knowledge. Its uniqueness and departure from my usual reads made it a refreshing and thoroughly enjoyable experience from start to finish.
If you're looking for a different and enchanting yet odd read, The West Passage is definitely worth your time.

Thank you, NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

eARC Review: The West Passage by Jared Pechaček 🗼

This was such a weird, whimsical, and fairytale like tale that honestly, I needed a few days to really sit and think about what I wanted to write out for this review. This book is for those who love to read high fantasy and have no problem with going in blind and being blind for the entirety of the plot, but trusting the process to fill in the holes. I never read anything like this before, and have a feeling that I probably never will again. 😍

The plot follows two main POVs: Kew and Pell. Pell is working her way through the slowly dying Grey Tower to become its Mother, or really, the head of the Tower’s administration. She is stubborn and dedicated to her position of Mother-in-training, but when she’s thrusted into the position she’s worked hard for suddenly, she finds herself struggling to adjust to the change in how people treat her and how she uses her newfound power. I really enjoyed her journey through the plot and how she comes to really dive into the goddesses known simply as the Ladies, and how they are just eldritch beings that really have no concept of how precarious their positions are. 🎵

Kew’s journey starts as he tries to understand the loss of his mentor and how to go about taking up her position. He doesn’t trust Pell’s superiors (and for good reason), and goes off on his own to find someone who can help him. I liked his quest as picks up Frin along the way, but what I really enjoyed was his transition (both literal and figurative) into Hawthorn. I won’t say much more in case of spoilers, but the ending for this character did leave me with a lingering question. 🗡️

All in all, this was an incredible tale that was so well crafted and original down to its very bones. My only remaining questions are is the final form of the Beast permanent; has a specific character evolved into a goddess like being or created a new position for her new role; and this might’ve missed me while reading, but was the true name of the Beast ever revealed? 🤔

Big thank goes to Tordotcom and NetGalley for accepting my request to read this incredible debut, and to the author, Pechaček for crafting such an incredible world! I can’t wait to get a physical copy to see your illustrations! 💙

Publication date: July 16!

Overall: 4.5/5 ⭐️

"A palace the size of a city, ruled by giant Ladies of unknowable, eldritch origin. A land left to slow decay, drowning in the debris of generations. All this and more awaits you within The West Passage, a delightfully mysterious and intriguingly weird medieval fantasy unlike anything you've read before.

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. Rats erupt from beneath the earth, fleeing that which comes. Crops fail. Hunger looms. And none stand ready to face the Beast, stirring beneath the poisoned soil.

The fate of all who live in the palace hangs on narrow shoulders. The too-young Mother of Grey House sets out to fix the seasons. The unnamed apprentice of the deceased Grey Guardian goes to warn Black Tower. Both their paths cross the West Passage, the ancient byway of the Beast. On their journeys they will meet schoolteachers and beekeepers, miracles and monsters, and very, very big Ladies. None can say if they'll reach their destinations, but one thing is for sure: the world is about to change."

The whole plague of rats and crops failing might sound a little too close to home...

thank you to netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review!

wow. this was definitely not what i expected it to be in both a good and bad way.

let's start with the good: the writing is fantastic. the author is able to transport you into this mideival fantastical world with whimsical atmosphere that is reminiscent of fairytales, but the dark and gory kind. you follow two very different main characters on a quest to find help in order to save their palace from the big bad beast. the creatures and situations they encounter along their journey are bizaare to say the least and there were definitely times where i was just thinking to myself, what the absolute fuck is going on? these two go on a journey and they fully take you with you. this

the bad: the pacing was very slow given what the plot was about. and i also felt like it was a bit jarring that the title of each chapter basically summarized what was going to happen. there are times where i felt like skimming through because it was dense with the world building but it's one of those books where every sentence counts and if you don't pay attention, you'll miss something.

overall, a really great unique fantasy book that i think a lot of fantasy readers will view as a breath of fresh air!

I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for a fair review

I’m not really sure how to describe this book except to say that it reminded me of those super-weird medieval paintings ... and that it was an absolutely fascinating novel that I’m still thinking about.

The most important thing to know about this novel is that it does not hold your hand. You almost have to decipher or interpret the setting when you read it, but it strikes the right balance between interest and frustration. It’s like when you’re looking at a piece of art. You can enjoy it for the craft, but you can also enjoy the little things that give it deeper meaning. A major part of this is how we’re not entirely able to picture what the “ladies” look like - they’re dripping with eldritch magic, so we get descriptions, but they still are quite hard to picture - which, I think, is the point. The Palace is ruled by these tyrants, but we’re never really sure what they want or why they cling to their seats of power. They are inexplicable creatures operating on a higher plane. If this was the intent of how they were meant to be depicted, the author nailed it.

The story itself is a quest story where two characters leave from teh same place, taking different routes, and have wildly different adventures. These two characters are Yarrow and Kew, a nun (basically) and an apprentice warrior (also, basically) from the same cloister. What’s really fantastic about this novel is how their stories remain almost 100% separate. Their journeys are somewhat parallel in that they both meet someone who becomes important to them, and both shake things up wherever they go simply because they are outsiders, but neither is even aware the other is on a quest. It’s kind of funny in a way

The world-building is what reminds me of medieval paintings. The people here are strange - mammallian or plant-like hybrids, or like just weird. There is odd magic that the citizens just accept, which seems to be run-off from the eldritch monster ladies. The entire thing takes place within the Palace, an immense labyrinth-like, city-sized stronghold with 5 major towers connected by various paths - each with its own challenges. This is one of those books where the characters will open an innocuous door, and something completely weird and messed up is happening inside. Or, there will be stuff mentioned - like Kew will mention that he isn’t sure why something was built in this way - but rather than omission, it adds to the timeline of the history of the story - giving it presence and depth. It also made me, the reader, try and question why it would be done that way, as we, the reader, actually have more information than the characters, given the two storylines and something I’ll mention in a bit. As such, I was absolutely enthralled. So much in this book seems random and just plain bizarre, but all this oddness felt like it was from the same place, so it suited the same world-building.

The side characters were wonderful. While I liked both Yarrow and Kew, Frin and Peregrine were my absolute favourites, followed by a foul-mouthed flower person on a train. The book also employs an omniscient narration that comes and goes and sometimes addresses the reader. We also get a few chapters here and there that are from “historical” texts, as well as a few that follow some random characters with which the main characters never interact. This gives the reader the ability to know what is going on even if the characters do not. At least somewhat.

The story, as the plot develops, has minor reveals of things you weren’t even aware were mysteries, which was so much fun.

In truth, I can’t say too much else about it because the last thing I would want to do is ruin any of it. I think this is probably one of the books I would entirely suggest going into without reading the jacket copy, as going in blind was an absolute delight.

I highly recommend this book if you want something weird, absolutely surprising, emotional, and satisfying. It blew me away.

Big thanks for Netgalley and TOR for this advanced copy.

The West Passage felt like a fever dream story for me. It was bizzare and weird in a good way. That point made this book unique and iteresrting

I absolutely could not get through this book. It would have been painful. It felt whimsical for the sake of whimsy, without the substance to lift it up. The mouse creature in the moving ball of light is where I pretty much gave up. It started to feel like a drug induces ramble rather than a tale of magic and adventure.

I found the start of this a little difficult to get in to, but as I read more I was more interested. There's a good amount of whimsy here, while being still grounded in some good realistic things. Reminiscent of a fairy tale for sure.

What a strange fantasy story. I loved it. The world building is absurdly wild and imaginatively brilliant. How the author came up with these ideas is beyond me. There are so many layers to the building of the labyrinth of a world. I think the cover art so aptly captures the kaleidoscope of creativity going on in this book.

This is not your standard fantasy tale, but instead it is a bit more whimsical, magical, and out of this world. There are so many moving parts to this world that I feel like I likely missed things as I read through this. This book feels like one that will get better and better the more you read it and I really enjoy that. You will really need to sit and think while reading this.

This is truly a unique experience that you really need to check out! I think I will plan a reread of this sometime next year because I want to get lost in this world again.