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.

3.5 stars. I read something that described the world of this book as a character itself, and that is completely accurate. Like it's been a week and I barely remember the characters' names other than that they were flowers and birds, but I remember every detail of a scene with the eldritch horrors. This is some 10th century monk's drug-induced nightmare, in a great way.

Oh my goodness this was PHENOMENAL, I was absolutely hooked form the first page to the last. I loved the world building in this and how immersive it felt from the start, it broke me out of a reading slump and I can’t wait (or at least hope) to return to this world again.

This is the weirdest, most bizarre and inventive book I have ever read. I’m not sure how to accurately review it without spoiling any of the wild, fantastical, and terrifying things that happen along Pell’s and Kew’s respective journeys.

The West Passage is not what I expected, and perhaps that’s what makes it all the more marvelous. This is a book where you will discover something new every time you re-read it. I cannot wait to get my hands on a final copy. And I am DYING to see the illustrations. If the blurb on Goodreads peaks your fancy, and you are able to suspend all disbelief and be wholly submersed in Pechacek’s world, this is so worth the read.

Thank you to Tordotcom and NetGalley for the eARC.

By far one of the strangest, weirdest, boggling books I've ever read (complimentary). I tried explaining THE WEST PASSAGE to my partner and ended up with nothing but a blank expression in return, because ... well, yeah. It's strange and weird and boggling.

But it's also so. much. fun.

Rules are broken. Frogs sing. Ladies devour. Men are mellified. There's a Mother, and a wheel, and a lullaby. The word "eldritch" is finally used in a way that feels 1000% earned.

I'm not going to try to described Jared Pechacek's debut, but if you like bizarrity (other reviewers have compared to Alice In Wonderland, Gideon the Ninth, etc., and I'd add Saint of Bright Doors to that list) and gorgeously expansive worldbuilding, THE WEST PASSAGE will consume you in the best possible way.

I'll be closely following this author's career to see what he does next, that's for sure.

This was a ride. A weird, wild ride.

If you love the idea of an epic quest littered with biblically accurate angels, weird and creepy creatures, and honestly just all-around weird vibes, you'll probably love this one.

I loved the concept for this! I love quest novels. I love world building and lore. I was so pumped when I started reading this--and that quickly devolved into confusion. While there is "action" in this story, it is definitely secondary to the world building--this is far more a character driven story than a plot driven one, so I can definitely see why people found this a little dull.

I think a lot of character development and "plot" is treated as secondary so the creatures, horrors and ~vibes~ can shine, which didn't always work for me. But when it works, it WORKS. I'm intentionally not saying anything about the plot, because I believe this is one of those books where you'll enjoy it more going in blind! I will say I DO love the chapter titles--they're descriptive and give a false sense of levity to the book that just tickled me in all the right ways.

If you're looking for a light, easy, fairytale read--this is not for you. But if you've ever looked at Lord of the Rings and A Song of Ice and Fire and said "man, I just wish there were some eldritch horrors lurking about every corner and that I could never have thought of in a million years," this is for you.

I don't think I've ever used "weird" in a review as much as I have with this one, but it's honestly the best description I can give. And I love weird.

DNF at 22% - I wanted to love this, but it was too dreamlike for me. I felt like I was struggling to understand things that I wasn't supposed to understand, so really it just wasn't for me, personally. As evidenced by the other reviewers I think some people will really enjoy this book. I wish it had been less Alice in Wonderland because I did want to find out what happened to the main characters.

A queer adult dark fantasy of an epic story of powers, struggles, and a journey in a palace the size of a city.

The West Passage is dark, heavy, and immersive. This is a vivid world, the worldbuilding is some of the best I've read in a while. I love the backstories, the history, the lore, the magic, the setting, creatures, I could go on. It's so different and has a Wonderland feel to it but just more dark, more twisted.
We are following Pell and Kew who are tossed into positions of power for the Gray Tower before they are ready. I love the towers and colors' meaning and how they affect this world. I don't want to say too much about this book as I knew very little and loved learning and being surprised by everything within these pages.
This was Jared's debut and I was completely surprised by the writing style, the worldbuilding, the magic, the whirlwind of shocking findings, and crazy creatures that I had never heard of before. This is for sure a setting, world story. The plot and characters are important but for me, it's the world that took me away into the book. No matter how much info I was giving I always wanted more, it made me think and wonder about this world, history, and lore. I liked the mash-up of darkness and colorfulness in this world. I like that we get to travel and explore this world, it's weird, odd, and one-of-a-kind. This book is gory, heavy, and dark. Please read the content warnings.

No ordinary fantasy in this unforgiving medieval world of powers, adventure around every corner that will shock you, in this tension-filled that will keep you on the edge of your set guessing what will happen next.

I did an interview and review of this book in issue 60 of Double the Books. Will be making a IG post within the next few weeks as well.

This is a hard one to review, in part because reading this made me realize the absurdist fantasy genre is simply not for me. It felt like I spent months trying to get through this because the meandering and repetitive plot (which I know was intentional, it just didn't work for me) did not compel me, nor did one of the two protagonists. I enjoyed Yarrow's unraveling of her childhood indoctrination and establishment of her own terms and beliefs, but this didn't really seem to take place in the same way for the guardian's apprentice. The world-building was definitely unique; the parts I enjoyed most were the bizarre descriptions of each Lady and her quirks (and grotesque bodily functions - Citrine and her bubbles will haunt my dreams). If you are looking for a book that is mostly vibes and very little driving plot, this is the book for you.

disclaimer: I read an ARC via NetGalley and Tor.

It's like <a href=https://weirdmedievalguys.substack.com/about>Weird Medieval Guys</a>: The Novel! That is, this book depicts a world populated by rabbit-eared men and giant snails and all sorts of other characters who'd be perfectly at home decorating the margins of medieval manuscipts. It's a vibe.

...but that's all it is. A cool vibe, full of strangeness that is ordinary, but just a vibe.

I actually don't know how I'm going to write a full review, because the book simply doesn't have enough substance for one. I was so excited to read this! The description makes it sound reminiscent of Gormenghast, Bas-Lag, work by Wolfe and Muir: works whose worlds are ancient, decaying, and just cluttered with debris. And I guess the setting is, technically, "like" those, but those books do something with their settings. Their settings are important beyond being cool backdrops. This book itself is boring, the characters under- to un-characterized, and the prose is less "windowpane" than "absent in every significant way." (Aside, that is, from some very nice passages describing the eldritch horror's journey into our reality.) So incredibly disappointing.

Events occur at the characters, yet the characters never seem to experience anything. Their mindset, background, attitude, all of that, are left undescribed as they undertake their journeys. One likes rules. The other is into protecting people. (Or is it safety?) There are a whole lot of declarative sentences about them but nothing feels intrinsic to them. THey both depart with great urgency, and then...time just dilates and everything takes forever, but very little ever happens.

There are a few neat images here (especially the beehives and the various vore-friendly moments), and the hidden/~forgotten history of the palace is pretty cool, but nothing on the page serves those elements. The pacing just plods along, never varying, and then the ending just sort of happens and then it's over.

I struggle with what else to say, because I keep thinking that the rejoinder to my criticisms is "but it's supposed to be like that! Flat and weird and all surface." Maybe it is supposed to be like that. I just don't get anything from that.

The theme, if there is one, is shallow: did you know that the stories we tell, like the roles we play, are powerful but need not enslave us?

The West Passage feels like an exquisite fever dream. Reminiscent of “Alice in Wonderland”, and dare I pair it with Clive Barker’s “Abarat”? Which I vaguely remember (and think of fondly) from my adolescence. I will admit that my own adult imagination might be too stunted for this particular book. This story is fantasy to the highest degree, and I don't think anything can properly prepare the reader for it.

Pechaček is a masterful writer, excelling in lush, and often horrific descriptions of people, places, and… things. The references to medieval culture and architecture litter the story like glitter. Never have I had to use the dictionary feature so frequently. Often learning names for things I recognize, but would have never wondered about on my own. Which is great! I learned a lot of new terminology.

I do not believe that any description I write could do justice to the plot. Mostly because, while the goal is straightforward (defeat the beast), the deceptively easy path to the end goal decays almost immediately and we're left with chaos. Lots of disturbing vibes, with plot thrown in like a treat. You want to keep reading because to see Pell and Kew succeed is the ultimate reward.

It took me quite a bit of time to get through and I felt extremely challenged. That being said, I can recognize genius, and this book is beyond anything I’ve ever read when it comes to imagination. If I see a copy of this in a bookstore, I would be tempted to pick it up. Not only because the cover is insanely gorgeous, but because I think I would benefit from another read through (or twelve).

Future readers of The West Passage will have the advantage in understanding with a printed map, and (fingers crossed) illustrations.

Thank you to Tordotcom and NetGalley for a chance to read an early digital copy of this book. Unfortunately, the writing style and story development employed for this book do not work for me. I read a chunk of the first bit in one day (about 10%) and then felt no desire to pick it back up for almost a month. I skimmed through another chapter and still was not pulled into it. The pacing is very slow compared to what I normally read, and I usually appreciate more of a balance between dialogue, action, and setting/world description. Someone who likes historical, otherworldly Asian vibes that focus heavily on setting creation and societal places of the characters could really enjoy this, though. Many other readers compare it to Alice in Wonderland, which I do see a comparative nature to this book with the whimsical vibes and strange creatures that are encountered even early on. I am not the right audience for this book, and that is perfectly fine. Even epic fantasies I like to unravel the world's secrets in a more enticing way than is delivered here such as with a sense of urgency or brisk actions and intriguing dialogue. The original premise I read portrayed it as a strong feminist quest story, so I know the readers are out there. One issue I do have that killed a little enjoyment for me was the chapter titles that essentially summarize each chapter's events. I love chapter titles, when they are done well with a peek into the forthcoming events or feelings, but a phrased summary felt too spoilery for me.