Post by: Helena Trooperman
Dated: 26th May 2026

Isbn: 978-17770944-5-4 (403 printed pages)
Isbn: 978-17770944-4-7 (electronic)
ASIN: B09YMV3MB4
Title: Cascade
Author: 🇨🇦 Rachel A Rosen

 

***** Gripping until the end.

Print copy read in under just 7 days!

A very different spin on ecothriller–with magic as the technology and tentacles from the deep! Canadian’s are learning to cope with emergent wells of magic that pop through the Earth’s crust when they least expect it. Now imagine a magical advisor to the Canadian government whose talent is influencing the near future. Is his job to get more votes or to move folk out of magic’s way?

The Blurb

In the wake of a worsening climate crisis, magic runs rampant and demons roam across the Canadian prairies. A long-dead god stirs in the Pacific Ocean, while the wilderness is choked by invasive, screaming grass.

The Cascade has shattered political stability, leaving a scandal-plagued government clinging to power in Ottawa. As catastrophe looms ahead, a precognitive political rainman, Ian Mallory, stands between run-of-the-mill corruption and a nightmarish, dystopian future. It is up to a diverse and unlikely band of activists, scientists, journalists, and one underpaid, emoji-spell wielding intern to save their beleaguered country from its own worst impulses.

Book Review Time

The underlying questions resonate today, too!

Personally, I love stories that make you question who is in the right and who is in the wrong. That’s why this distopian, politically charged setting works for me. As a reader I was constantly trying to ignore disinformation from characters about who the manipulators were and who was helping the public rather than empire building for their own gain. Sound familiar?

Packed with conspiracy and manipulative actors

The story plays out through the eyes of five key characters. The characters are on different paths at first. Bit by bit their paths collide, either by design or situationally. Each character, except Ian, is questioning the right and wrong along with you. Ian’s focus is on the future and which is the best to influence into being. It’s never been harder to tell.

Ian Mallory is putting out magical fires.

For me Ian is the central character. All situations have a connection back to him. He’s a near recluse, practically living in his office. Sujay is his intern, from the non-magical government employee perspective. To Ian, she’s his apprentice. Time to help her grow her magical skill is hard to find due to his long working hours dealing with emergent magic. What does magic want?

Covertly, Sujay uses her talent with emoji spells to create an illusion around Ian. She hides how the job is sucking the life out of him. Government Opposition is on the move against Ian, hating magic and everything he stands for. Without Ian’s talent the Government will lose it’s majority.

Tentacles from the deep, oh yeah!

Blythe is a climate scientist who goes on a dive with a small crew to analyse a deepening in the sea floor where the Juan de Fuca plate meets the Pacific. Something is down there. In the deep. Blythe’s tattoo has detected a stong ancient magical force below the chasm’s floor.

The other characters might have hooked me, but Blythe locked me into the story.

Thought provoking!

When I read Cascade I was focussed on the story folk. Once I had completed the book, the seed of hope in the midst of the final dire situation gripped me. And finally, it dawned on me, how hard it is to tell whether our leaders are doing the right thing for the right reasons.

Politicians in any country often seem to be acting on the public’s behalf, and then do a one-eighty degree turn, showing how self-serving they are, whether for personal wealth, or to feed their God complex.

Where does this leave me? I can’t wait to get stuck into Blight, book two!

Authorly Endeavours

Rachel co-hosts with David L. Clink a really interesting podcast. I seriously recommend checking out the episodes, like the cool interview about Transhumanism and AI with guest speaker Robert J. Sawyer. An awesome podcast that’s interesting, yet accessible to all! Of course, you can find the podcast in your favourite podcast app. The content includes interviews, scientific discussion, discussions on magic. (wizardsandspaceships.ca)

Find Rachel on Bluesky, Masterdon or find more socials on 🇨🇦 Rachel A Rosen’s website.

Rachel is a member of the Night Beats Artist Collective. Join 🇨🇦 Rachel A. Rosen’s newsletter.

Buy:   Kobo and Kobo+    Amazon Kindle    Amazon Paperback

The Sleep of Reason series…

1. Cascade
2. Blight

Until next time, keep calm and read on.

NEXT MONTH… Ed’s Pick (RHS) Back to the moon and don’t forget your hairnet.