Praise for Books
“We Are the Crisis by Cadwell Turnbull follows his excellent No Gods, No Monsters, and it’s every bit as good as its predecessor…Marshaling many characters, factions, and realities into his narrative, he gives almost every scene the intimate gravity of a tête-à-tête.” —New York Times
“An intricate sequence of moving, intimate character portraits…The depth and care with which Turnbull inhabits each character is riveting; despite an expansive cast spread over wide terrain, I never felt lost or confused. His attention to location detail is considered and clear: The story shifts from Massachusetts to St. Thomas to Virginia with confident ease, carried by beautiful, conversational prose that’s startlingly punctuated by reminders of who’s narrating the stories—and how…I can appreciate how thorough a grounding Turnbull has given this sprawling first act…Let yourselves sink into this tender, ferocious book like hands into piano keys, or teeth into flesh.” —New York Times
“An excellent read. It explores the history of the Caribbean Islands in the context of European colonization, along with current events in which communities of color are confronted with overwhelming forces that deal out harsh punishments. It’s a thought-provoking and interesting story, one that I’m still thinking about.” —The Verge
“A stylish literary take on urban fantasy…Remarkable, relentlessly provocative, and often beautifully written.” —Locus
“This harrowing and lyrical novel combines elements of urban fantasy with biting social commentary.” —Buzzfeed
“Bring[s] to mind the urgent and vibrant writing of Octavia Butler…From beginning to end, The Lesson is thrilling, moving and thought-provoking. This may be Turnbull’s debut, but it reads like the work of a seasoned writer. It’s also proof that science fiction is more than entertaining—it’s a vital genre that lays bare the perils of the age and the boundlessness of the human spirit. —Shelf Awareness
“Horrifying but satisfying…We Are the Crisis is replete with secrets.” —Foreword Reviews
“Like Octavia Butler and Ursula K. Le Guin before him, Turnbull uses the tools of science fiction to illuminate the human heart.” —John Kessel, Nebula Award–winning author, on The Lesson
“Turnbull artfully incorporates the history of slavery and colonialism on the US Virgin Islands into the story, imagining that history’s legacy on a future in which it’s hard to differentiate between the cruel nature of man and alien. The Lesson is an impressive first book that takes a classic science fiction archetype and makes it feel new.” —Booklist
“Graham maintains a patient yet engaging cadence in a slightly gravelly voice that grabs the ear…A rich fantasy tale brimming with all-too-human monsters and vicious humans is brought to life by a capable narrator.” —AudioFile
“The Lesson was a perfect debut, and this is a perfect second novel. Big and bold and ambitious, packed with everything we need right now: more heart, more monsters, more cooperative solidarity economies.” —Sam J. Miller, Nebula Award–winning author of Blackfish City and The Blade Between
“Mr. Turnbull, who has been compared to Emily St. John and Octavia Butler, is considered one of science fiction’s most exciting young talents.” —Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
“The perfect choice for listeners who enjoy speculative fiction that bravely tackles real-world issues.” —Library Journal (audio review)
“No Gods, No Monsters is a haunting tale of the monsters that live among us, and those who despise them. Through a series of diverse, rich, and beautifully written voices, Turnbull deftly weaves together a story of supernatural beings, otherworldly entities, magic, and quantum physics, superimposed onto the social and political challenges of our mundane world. Throughout, we are forced to dwell not only our own humanity, but question who exactly are the monsters we fear? Once I started this novel I could not put it down. You won’t be able to either.” —P. Djèlí Clark, author of Ring Shout
“If Frantz Fanon had written War of the Worlds, he might have produced something like Cadwell Turnbull’s The Lesson…Turnbull shows with heartbreaking clarity that even when fundamentally different individuals are able to find an essential humanity in each other, the nature of colonialism destroys both the colonizer and the colonized.” —The Rumpus
“Turnbull’s plotting keeps the pace moving, his characters are interesting, and his ambition is vast. It’s a good combination of qualities.” —Tor.com
“No Gods, No Monsters is a staggering achievement of literary craftsmanship, a complex juggling act of plot, tension, character interiority, worldbuilding, thought experiment, using trust from the reader as the fuel that pushes the book forward, page by page. It is a piece of narrative alchemy, and I’m in awe, knowing just how much work must’ve gone into this book to make it the piece of art it is. I said it at the top and I’ll say it again: Cadwell Turnbull’s new novel is absolutely worth your time. Go and grab a copy now, and then join me in the waiting line for whatever he’s got coming next, because I know that will be worth it, too.” —Tor.com
“For all the story’s thoughtfulness and literary depth, The Lesson is given a sharp edge through Turnbull’s refusal to flinch from portraying the true consequences and costs of invasion, violence and resistance…In his first novel, he displays a sure hand with plot and characters, creating a complex world that is firmly anchored in, and made more compelling by, its roots in real history. The Lesson should appeal to fans of the socially aware and thoughtfully constructed science fiction of Ursula K. Le Guin and Octavia E. Butler.” —B&N Sci-Fi & Fantasy Blog
“We Are the Crisis is the best kind of sequel. The kind that takes everything you loved about the first book and amplifies it, deepening the shadows and sharpening the edges. Here, vampires and werewolves, shapeshifters and monsters, gods and entities we might not have true names for, mingle with humanity in a multiverse riven with hidden wars, secret terrors, and open conflict. In that harsh landscape, Turnbull turns our minds to the things that can hold the universe together: love, friendship, compassion, cooperation, and resistance, even in the face of death and defeat. This book is a masterful feat of bold, original, and utterly compelling storytelling.” —Maria Haskins, author and translator
“Turnbull’s prose is captivating, poetic without being pretentious, a pleasure to read…His story has a painful ring of truth to it, despite the fantastic creatures that populate it, and a beautifully layered complexity that makes it difficult to set down. A stunning, enthralling novel.” —New York Journal of Books
“The Lesson is a story that should not be missed by readers who embraced such books as Emily St. John Mandel’s Station Eleven or even Arthur C. Clarke’s Childhood’s End…It’s a tribute to Turnbull’s storytelling that everything unfolds through scenes that ratchet up a slow-burn tension that climaxes in something truly gripping and shocking…The Lesson is definitely one of those books that wants to provoke a deeply individual response from each of its readers, rather than spelling out a conclusive, pedantic “lesson” for us all. Perhaps that’s a good storytelling lesson more writers ought to heed.” —SFF180
“Many have wondered what magic would do to our world, and Cadwell Turnbull’s vision in We Are the Crisis brings a level of realism, empathy, love, and terror that will leave readers breathless. His narrative feats are only made more impressive when you understand how hard it is to write a book this engaging, this readable, while actively asking the reader to trust you at every page. But Turnbull never loses focus on the beating, human heart at the center of this book of monsters in crisis. It is that clarity of purpose, that keen insight as sharp as claws, that causes his star to burn and ascend ever higher. I’ll read anything Cadwell Turnbull writes.” —Martin Cahill, Ignyte-nominated writer and reviewer
“Across a web of storylines, we follow a series of characters ranging from a college professor looking for a missing friend—only to discover a secret society—a werewolf who’s trying to protect her pack from the public, and more. The book makes for excellent commentary on the state of society, as Cadwell Turnbull follows the implications as those supernatural creatures and beings make their existence known to the rest of the world.” —Andrew Liptak, Polygon
“Narrators Janina Edwards and Ron Butler do a fantastic job setting us in the islands, and their accents draw extra attention to the colonial elements of alien invasion that mirror our own history.” —BookPage (audio review)
“Cadwell Turnbull has written a hurricane of a novel, a swift and sprawling storm system of intrigue, horror, and wonder. Few books have captured the human stakes of being inside momentous social change like We Are the Crisis. In the great tradition of speculative fiction exploring social division and solidarity, from Butler and Le Guin to the X-Men, the Convergence Saga is utterly, powerfully singular.” —Theodore McCombs, author of Uranians
“Powerhouse contemporary fantasy…an unforgettable experience.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“Cadwell Turnbull paints a stunningly intricate portrait of humanity, capturing hopes and dreams, flaws and failings with remarkable depth and texture. The Lesson is a blast to read and a meaningful exploration of the bearing of colonialism and the perils of human ambition.” —Sylvain Neuvel, author of The Test and the Themis Files trilogy
“In Turnbull’s universe, monsters are real, and the world is still reeling and dealing with the revelation…Characters both old and new continue to drive the action and emotion in this time-sliding tale as the tension builds to another heart-stopping ending…Turnbull continues to use his deft prose to tie themes of hate, social change, and backlash into an enthralling fantasy series.” —Library Journal (starred review)
“Turnbull’s sophomore work puts him at the top of the field of fantasy literary fiction.” —Library Journal (starred review)
“I came for the aliens and a war of the worlds. I stayed for the deadpan St. Thomas humor; the complicated, charming, sexy island folk; and Turnbull’s delicious prose. He may not only be a new voice in sci-fi, but also a major new name in Caribbean American literature.” —Wilton Barnhardt, New York Times bestselling author of Lookaway, Lookaway
“Powerful and intricate…A densely packed whirlwind of magic and social change, and Turnbull keeps readers on their toes throughout. The exploration of otherness, class, and race is as nuanced and robust as ever as Turnbull expands the scope of the ‘monsterverse,’ taking on—and reveling in—the political complexities of this supernatural world. Fans of book one won’t want to miss this.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“An epic, meta, Caribbean-inspired fantasy.” —Booklist (starred review)
“Cadwell Turnbull’s The Lesson brings an alien invasion to St. Thomas with a breadth that encompasses the past, present, and future. As his well-drawn characters wrestle with interspecies challenges, Turnbull imparts lessons that both embrace and transcend culture and race to drive at the heart of what it means to be human.” —Tananarive Due, American Book Award winner, executive producer of Horror Noire
“Rich, brilliant, and often sad, because this contemporary fantasy pulls no punches; blood will regretfully be spilt.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
“Apart from its huge and diverse cast of fascinating characters, its passionate consideration of alienation, otherness, and solidarity, and its cheerful disregard of genre borders, No Gods, No Monsters leaves us with only tantalizing notions of where later volumes may lead. That by itself is pretty refreshing: no gods, no formulas.” —Locus
“In The Lesson Cadwell Turnbull, by setting his story in St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands, makes something completely new of the old theme of humans’ first contact with superior aliens. Putting these ‘colonizing aliens’ in a place shaped by colonialism opens new perspectives on issues of race and culture and sex and exploitation. But the true wonder of this novel is its beautifully realized portrayal of Charlotte Amalie and its deeply human and complex characters, young and old, all of them transformed by the arrival of the ambiguously motivated Ynaa. It’s a story of mystery, romance, tragedy, and redemption. Like Octavia Butler and Ursula K. Le Guin before him, Turnbull uses the tools of science fiction to illuminate the human heart. The Lesson stands at the beginning of what I expect to be a long and illustrious career.” —John Kessel, Nebula Award–winning author of The Moon and the Other and Pride and Prometheus
“The stakes grow higher in this sequel to No Gods, No Monsters, so does the death toll. The only things unchanged are the sharp prose, and the stunning portrayal of otherness and change. Turnbull’s work is addictive. The deeper we dive into this monstrous universe, the harder it is to let go. I want more, always more.” —Sylvain Neuvel, author of the Themis Files and Take Them to the Stars series
“Beautifully fantastical.” —NPR
“Turnbull was raised in the Caribbean in a family that lived there for generations. This slow but gradual addition to the field of diverse writers whose fiction is influenced by their cultural background has not only led to a more authentic depiction of places other than mainland America and the United Kingdom, it’s also revitalized the genre’s creaky old tropes, such as the alien invasion/first contact narrative…The Lesson is everything I adore about a debut, a bold new voice that applies a fresh coat of paint to an old idea and does so with a sense of daring, compassion, and intelligence.” —Ian Mond, Locus
“What makes this book special, what makes it work so damn well, is the way the story is anchored in human complexities…This book is really, really good…Page by page, scene by scene, Turnbull presents an author’s observations of the real world within the framework of fantasy/horror, executed with subtle, brilliant artistry…No Gods, No Monsters is the first in a series which you do not want to miss.” —Lightspeed
“The Lesson is a welcomed addition to the new wave of Virgin Islands literature. The plot is smooth and exciting, the polemics are subtle but smart, and the characters are heartfelt.” —Tiphanie Yanique, author of Land of Love and Drowning
“Beautifully and compellingly told.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
“Turnbull’s bold and provocative debut pits aliens against slavers, aliens against the descendants of slaves. On the island of St. Thomas, a family collides with intergalactic meddlers, stranding two lovers with souls in distant worlds. A forbidding panoply of colonial mischief.” —Kris Lackey, USA Today bestselling author of Nail’s Crossing
“No Gods, No Monsters is an enthralling and audacious novel that takes you on a dizzying ride deep inside a hidden world existing just beneath the surface of our everyday reality. You might think you know what kind of monster story this is when you start reading. You might even think you understand what kind of world the story takes place in, but Turnbull has other plans. Page by page, chapter by chapter, the walls, the ceiling, the floor of the reality you thought you found yourself in as a reader, are removed, until you’re falling into the starlit depths of an entirely different, fearsome, and awe-inspiring universe.” —Maria Haskins, writer and reviewer
“A compelling and layered narrative that explores colonialism and our messy human flaws through a diverse and painfully real cast of characters. The Lesson is smart, full of dry wit and creeping dread—a unique and artful debut.” —M. K. England, author of The Disasters
“No Gods, No Monsters is both elegant and violent: a cutting, clarifying illumination of humanity in all of its magic and monstrosity. It balances narrative complexity with extraordinarily nuanced characters, and remains compulsively readable throughout. This is a story with blood, brains, and, ultimately, heart.” —Isabel Yap, author of Never Have I Ever: Stories
“A strong debut from Cadwell Turnbull, The Lesson does what all the best science fiction does: it uses the supernatural to reveal something true about our world.” —BookPage
“It’s such an expertly crafted novel that I’m almost mad about it; it’s smart and intense in the best way. Turnbull pulls no punches here, and the result is something powerful.” —Christina Orlando, Tor.com
“Rather than collapse his premise into a straightforward colonial allegory, Turnbull uses the Ynaa occupation to explore what social violence means to the communities that embrace or suffer through it, and whether we as individuals have anything to say about it. Some of the early critical comparisons of The Lesson to Octavia Butler can feel just a little gauche—black authors somehow always seem to be compared only to each other—but Turnbull’s fearless commitment to his novel’s ambivalence more than earns it.” —Fiction Unbound
“A distinctive urban fantasy novel, Cadwell Turnbull’s No Gods, No Monsters is an operatic story involving monsters, magic, and myth…Its precise language and masterful storytelling make each character’s story compelling and immediate. Difficult magical concepts are also made accessible and engaging through logical explanations that sometimes become scientific. No Gods, No Monsters is a horror and fantasy novel with a sociological bent, in which many secrets wait to be unearthed.” —Foreword Reviews
“Beyond its examination of violence and colonialism…there is also, and I was not expecting that, a look at toxic masculinity, paternalism, and patriarchy. It didn’t escape me that there is a beautiful (and harrowing) juxtaposing between language itself and these ideas (when the Ynaa refer to “men” who are they talking about?) that leads to an explosive ending…Its multiple threads fall into place beautifully.” —The Book Smugglers
“Dion Graham is the perfect narrator for this story, giving all of the characters unique voices while expressing awe and terror in just the right moments…This book is perfect for not only aficionados of fantasy and horror, but also for fans of speculative fiction with a social message.” —Library Journal (starred audio review)
“A culture clash between humans and aliens is brought to life in the narration of Janina Edwards and Ron Butler…Both excel in their smooth Caribbean accents, bringing to life an intergenerational cast of characters with distinct personalities.” —AudioFile
“No Gods, No Monsters critically examines what would happen if monsters were introduced to American culture, and it does an amazing job.” —New Orleans Review
“Remarkable…Turnbull’s writing is affecting and intelligent, dropping wisdom like cherry bombs…A daring and thoughtful book…that presents racial issues and questions in a genuinely new way, which makes it a book that, I hope, will stand the test of time.” —Katharine Coldiron, Locus
“Turnbull’s complex story takes readers across the surface of the earth and into the many dimensions of the mind as his characters carom through a multitude of societies…Even for people not typically drawn to sci-fi or fantasy novels, settling in with this story is well worth it.” —O. Henry magazine
“Turnbull’s novel combines a solid, modest gravitas, a homey quotidian ambiance, a sophistication of character development, and some genuine SFnal strangeness into a unique and savory gumbo…A native of the region before taking up residence in the USA, Turnbull has the setting and citizens of St. Thomas in his bones and blood, and he conveys their reality to us gracefully, colorfully and with a minimum of hand-holding…Turnbull illustrates life on the island and the patterns of culture that contribute to the climactic miniapocalypse with sensitivity and flair…Ultimately, this deft, low-key, exacting, surprising, yet predestined story assumes the contours of the classic account of two cultures at cross-purposes, misunderstanding each other through a welter of good and bad intentions, tragedy resulting.” —Paul Di Filippo, Locus
“Turnbull’s second novel, No Gods, No Monsters, the first in a planned trilogy, expands on the complexities of liberation movements as competing factions of magical beings decide the course of the ‘monster’ social justice cause…Indispensable work…No Gods, No Monsters makes room for this more steady-eyed, honest sort of hope.” —Fiction Unbound
“A parable of cultural conflict, conflicting moralities, colonialism, and the costs of being a decent person in the midst of desperate times…This is one of those books in which the setting becomes almost a character in itself. The Virgin Islands and their people are drawn in vibrant detail…Turnbull has been compared to Octavia Butler, and in his case I think the observation is a valid one. The Lesson isn’t just a serious, important book—it’s also a fun and rewarding one.” —Analog Science Fiction and Fact
“Structurally ambitious, intricately imagined.” —Elizabeth Bear, Hugo Award–winning author
“A thought-provoking work that blends empathy with high concepts. It’s a fine place for a thoughtful career to begin.” —Vol. 1 Brooklyn
“You’ll stay up all night bingeing this cosmic political thriller about monster factions battling over the past and future of the multiverse. Cadwell Turnbull has created a fascinating world of supernatural conspirators whose goals are sometimes unknowable, and sometimes align perfectly with the mundane, systemic injustices of human life. No Gods, No Monsters is also a moving journey through many families across many worlds—all coping with traumatic loss, but finding new ways to love each other.” —Annalee Newitz, author of The Future of Another Timeline and Autonomous
“[A] rich debut novel about family, love, and loyalty in turbulent times…Turnbull uses a beautifully drawn cast of black characters to convey the complexity of ordinary hardship in extraordinary times. This is an ideal story for fans of Emily St. John Mandel’s Station Eleven and other literary science fiction novels.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“Profound and unsettling in the best way…Sharp, insightful social commentary wrapped up in a tale of the uncanny.” —Rebecca Roanhorse, New York Times bestselling and Hugo Award–winning author
“Emotional prose and distinctive characters highlight an incredible story that will touch readers’ hearts and minds. A compelling tale of invasive occupation and emotional uprising, Turnbull’s debut is complex and enthralling. It’s a must for all libraries, and the writer, who crafts speculative stories with black characters on par with Octavia Butler, is definitely one to watch.” —Library Journal (starred review)
“Masterful…Begins with a Black man shot by police, then remarkably remains a human story about identity, even as the killing unleashes something new.” —Chicago Tribune
“Sometimes the aliens don’t land in New York or London. In fact, the alien Ynaa ship that catalyzes the emotional landscape and drives the action of this debut novel lands in the harbor of Water Island, one of the US Virgin Islands…A persuasively—almost musically—worded meditation on colonialism and whether it’s really possible to return home again.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
“No Gods, No Monsters is a thrilling story, set in a world not unlike our own, that follows events in the wake of the discovery that creatures from myth and legend are real. It’s a page turner…an exciting plot, full characters, complex moral dilemmas, mystery, mayhem, with a bit of romance. This science fiction/fantasy story grabs your attention from the beginning. I love the way Turnbull changes the narrative of hate and division that has been written about so many times and makes us ponder the question, Who are the real monsters?” —Keri Cooks, Forbes
“While reading this book, I couldn’t help but think back on the state of race relations in the United States…The book is a study in power and how two opposing sides warily regard one another, and what happens when things get out of control. Given the events of the summer of 2020, this is a theme that’s undoubtedly here to stay as authors use science fiction to explore this deadly power dynamic and white supremacy that’s part of American life.” —Polygon
“Turnbull is a rising star in the science fiction and fantasy world.” —The Verge
“Magic and monsters roam every corner of this page-turner, but the real star is Cadwell Turnbull’s breathtaking prose. A perfect hymn to otherness and the beauty of the strange, No Gods, No Monsters is so good it reads like music. Simply masterful.” —Sylvain Neuvel, author of the Themis Files, The Test, and A History of What Comes Next
