For those who have been looking for a nostalgic fantasy read, The West Passage might scratch the itch. There’s a distinct sense of whimsy and darkness within that strike this almost nostalgic chord. Keep reading this book review of The West Passage for my full thoughts.
Summary
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 the world is about to change.
Review
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
The West Passage‘s illustrations set the tone. There’s this whimsical, quirky, and a touch of darkness. A sense of actions which have edge and teeth, but which don’t get mired down in the loss. For some reason, this made me super nostalgic of the fantasy I used to read growing up. The West Passage is full of lore and revelations. While I enjoyed some of the elements, this was a bit dense to get through at times. There’s a lot of information about this world and the two different main characters mean we have two sources of this new information.
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That means that for a considerable amount of the book, it feels like we’re playing catch up. Because of that, when there are new discoveries by our MCs, it doesn’t ring as ominous or scary. I wanted to become fully immersed, but there were instances of confusion which pulled me out. To be fair, I was also in a very stressed mental head space. That being said, I enjoyed the promise and the set up, even if I had some lingering questions. I would love to see this adapted because it has this action and sense of movement.
Find The West Passage on Goodreads, Storygraph, Amazon, Bookshop.org, Blackwells, & Libro. fm.