Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit Books for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!
Dive into a world where magic lies hidden just below the surface in this charming urban fantasy full of workplace found family, queer romance, and supernatural creatures straight out of Southeast Asian lore, from debut author Jared Poon.
In the sunny city of Singapore, the government takes care of everything—even the weird stuff.
Benjamin Toh is a middle manager in the Division for Engagement of Unusual Stakeholders (DEUS), and his job is straightforward: keep the supernatural inhabitants of Singapore happy and keep them out of sight. That is, don’t bother the good, normal citizens, and certainly don’t bother the bosses. Sure, he’s overworked and understaffed, but usually, people (and senior management) don’t see what they don’t want to see.
But when an entire housing estate glitches out of existence on what was meant to be a routine check-in, Ben has to scramble to keep things under control and stop the rest of the city from disappearing. He may not have the budget or the bandwidth, but he has the best—if highly irregular and supernaturally inclined—team to help him. Together, they’ll traverse secret shadow markets, scale skyscrapers, and maybe even go to the stars, all so they can just do their goddamn job.
My Review
City of Others is one of those books that feels immediately confident in what it’s doing, and then just keeps delivering. Set in Singapore (a setting I almost never see in contemporary fantasy), this urban fantasy blends workplace bureaucracy, Southeast Asian folklore, and queer romance into something that feels both wildly imaginative and deeply grounded. It’s funny, fast-paced, emotionally thoughtful, and packed with inventive worldbuilding.
At its heart, City of Others is a story about systems: governmental, magical, and emotional. Benjamin Toh, a perpetually overworked middle manager in a supernatural government division, is the perfect lens for exploring that tension. Watching him juggle protocols, magical beings, and literal soul-gardening while slowly learning to trust his team made for an incredibly satisfying character arc. Add in sharp prose, smart commentary on colonialism, and some genuinely delightful weirdness, and City of Others ended up being a standout read for me!
THE GOOD:
- I loved the Singapore setting! I loved encountering a contemporary fantasy rooted in an Asian city that I rarely see represented in fiction.
- The government bureaucracy feels like Parks and Recreation meets Supernatural, and I adored all the logistical details.
- Soul gardening is a truly original magic system, especially the way it’s tied to colonial history, cultural divergence, and the understanding of how your actions affect others.
- The worldbuilding actually explains itself – the science behind supernatural creatures and perception is fascinating instead of just being hand-waved away.
- Ben’s internal jungle and its practical use (hello magical photographic memory and athleticism) is such a clever storytelling mechanism.
- The prose is excellent! Sharp, funny, and emotionally precise.
- The pacing is spot on – this book moves without ever feeling rushed or thin.
- The found family dynamics within DEUS are warm and deeply satisfying.
- Adam (Ben’s love interest) is just an absolute delight. He’s sweet, funny, and grounding.
- I LOVED seeing an urban fantasy that wasn’t focused on vampires or werewolves. City of Others was just such a nice, fresh take on folklore and magical creatures.
- Peak delightful weirdness, including ghost cats, shadow markets entered through grocery store mazes, magical ducklings, and a frisbee competition at the height of the action.
THE NOT-AS-GOOD:
- I wanted more on-page PDA between Ben and Adam! Especially since their relationship is already established at the beginning of the story. I just would’ve loved a few extra romantic moments because they were such a cute couple.
THE NEUTRAL:
- There are a lot of Singaporean terms and cultural references, which may require the occasional look-ups. But personally, I loved learning more about Singaporean and Malaysian folklore as I was reading!
- The book is very action-forward, with little downtime; perfect if you love momentum, but not for you if you prefer a slower-paced book.
OVERALL RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5 (rounded up to 5 stars on NetGalley)
Smart, funny, inventive, and emotionally grounded. City of Others is a standout debut with unforgettable worldbuilding and heart.
PERFECT FOR:
- Readers who enjoy urban fantasy with workplace satire
- Fans of found family stories
- Anyone craving a sweet queer romance without it being the entire plot
- Readers interested in non-Western folklore and settings
- Anyone who has ever loved a hyper-competent but exhausted main character doing their absolute best
