FATHOMFOLK

Chan’s debut submerges readers in a fantasy world where all manner of mythical water creatures live among humans.

The partially flooded city of Tiankawi is supposedly a symbol of how well humanity and fathomfolk can coexist. The fathomfolk—beings inspired by mythical water creatures from mermaids to kappas to kelpies—are able to take human form and live either on land or underwater. But prejudice and discrimination from the richer, more powerful humans keep them in poverty, swimming in polluted waters while humans live in luxury high above the sea. Mira, half-human and half-siren, is the first fathomfolk promoted to the rank of captain in the border guard and hopes to bring about change from within the system. Her partner, Kai, a water dragon from one of the few privileged fathomfolk families, is united with Mira to fight for reforms in Tiankawi’s human-controlled government. When Kai’s little sister, Nami, is sent to stay with them, she rejects their methods as slow and ineffectual. Nami is young and naïve, too passionate to play by the rules. She falls in with a group of fathomfolk radicals, enchanted by their energy and promise to enact real change. But when the annual Tiankawi boat race is mysteriously sabotaged and humans are drowned, tensions rise and the government cracks down even further on fathomfolk rights. When Nami’s extremist friends reveal even more dramatic plans, she and Mira have to find a way to unite humans and fathomfolk before the whole city falls apart. Chan floats beautifully between multiple point-of-view characters, and also between different facets of Tiankawi life, from the poor to the privileged. From Nami’s well-meaning immaturity to Mira’s complicated feelings about her dual identity, all the characters have fully realized perspectives and goals that clash with each other in both clever political plots and exciting action scenes.

The first installment in what will hopefully be a long series of undersea adventures.