The West Passage is the 2024 debut fantasy novel written by Jared Pechaček, published by Tor Books.
Plot The book follows Kew and Pell, two members of the Grey Tower, one of five towers set in the city-like megastructure known only as the Palace.
Awards and reception The novel received the 2025 Crawford Award. It received a starred review from Kirkus Reviews and was shortlisted for the 2025 Ursula K. Le Guin Prize. Retrieved 2026-06-11.
"This is a vividly depicted, decidedly peculiar world governed by an inexplicable logic... Its fablelike but off-kilter qualities and architectural setting will likely appeal to fans of Susanna Clarke’s Piranesi, Angélica Gorodischer’s Kalpa Imperial, and Josiah Bancroft’s Books of Babel series." — Kirkus Reviews, review of The West Passage
The book was a finalist for the 2025 Locus Award for Best First Novel. Retrieved 2026-06-11. It was a finalist for the 2025 Washington State Book Award. Retrieved 2026-06-11.
In Jake Casella Brookins’ review at Locus Magazine, he noted: "The world of this book is an astonishing delight; each section is new and surprising, but there’s a depth and a completeness to surroundings that is spellbinding. Giant architectural whimsy, here falling into ruin, there still bustling with activity, elsewhere echoing with ancient secrets and magic: It’s a perpetually engaging romp." Retrieved 2026-06-11.
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