Soh Kam Yung reviewed The City of Others by Jared Poon (DEUS files, #1)
Fun story about a supernatural government department in Singapore.
4 stars
A funny, horror urban fantasy story set in Singapore, in a world where supernatural beings are real, but mortals still basically try to ignore they exist. In this world works Benjamin Toh, a manager in the Singapore Division for Engagement of Unusual Stakeholders (DEUS) and his team of Others (magical folk) who manage and integrate the Others into modern-day Singapore.
But things get serious when an investigation of a Singapore housing block shows it to be sinking into another World. The cause of this sinking, and stopping it before it causes the rest of Singapore to also sink is the main task of Benjamin and his team in this book.
Along the way, Benjamin would encounter wyverns and minor gods, negotiate wth djinns, discover an 'evil' private corporation, and learn something secret about his close partner. But he would also learn more about himself, for he is an …
A funny, horror urban fantasy story set in Singapore, in a world where supernatural beings are real, but mortals still basically try to ignore they exist. In this world works Benjamin Toh, a manager in the Singapore Division for Engagement of Unusual Stakeholders (DEUS) and his team of Others (magical folk) who manage and integrate the Others into modern-day Singapore.
But things get serious when an investigation of a Singapore housing block shows it to be sinking into another World. The cause of this sinking, and stopping it before it causes the rest of Singapore to also sink is the main task of Benjamin and his team in this book.
Along the way, Benjamin would encounter wyverns and minor gods, negotiate wth djinns, discover an 'evil' private corporation, and learn something secret about his close partner. But he would also learn more about himself, for he is an unusual Other: a Gardener, a person who can grow and cultivate his inner mental forest which can grant him extraordinary strength and agility. He would need all his Gardening skills as he navigates crises and discover what is causing the housing block to sink and what must be done to stop it.
The book also gives a satirical account of a government department, with a boss that is anxious that internal reports shed a good light on the minister and the department, and that the department does well in interdepartmental games (with humorous asides on how much magic Benjamin and his team can use in the games).
But it's not all fun and games: Benjamin has a cautious streak and strives to keep his team (and partner) safe from the supernatural goings-on that could turn deadly. He will have to learn to let go and allow his team to do what they do best as a team, if they are to save the day.
A good start to what may become a series, and I look forward to what else the team has to handle in supernatural Singapore.