City of Others

By: Jared Poon

Narrated by: David Lee Huynh

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.

Critic reviews

“Urban fantasy that vibes like The X-Men meets Parks and Recreation? A send-up of government bureaucracy that is also a magnificent homage to public service? Sign me up! I love it when a book makes me think, ‘I have never read anything like this before.’ City of Others is that book—such a unique and refreshing read!” —Megan Bannen, USA Today bestselling author of The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy

“City of Others delights and charms with a ragtag group of magical bureaucrats doing their best to save an entire city from being dragged out of reality. Poon seamlessly blends action, magic, romance, and the tight bonds of an understaffed workplace that truly believes in the good they’re doing. I absolutely adored this!" —Andrea Stewart, author of The Bone Shard Daughter

“A whip-smart urban fantasy humming with the vibrant energy of Singapore and its chaotic magical inhabitants, this found family will welcome you in with open arms (and tentacles)!”—Molly O'Neill, author of Greenteeth

"Heartfelt and laugh out loud, City of Others is urban fantasy as you've never seen it before. Filled with Southeast Asian folklore, an eclectic cast of outsiders and a thoroughly satisfying takedown of bureaucracy, I smiled my way through this entire book. An absolute breath of fresh air."

—Eliza Chan, Sunday Times bestselling author of Fathomfolk

"City of Others is a wickedly funny take on paranormal government bureaucracy that interlaces world-drowning stakes with incisive social commentary, extremely mandatory corporate team-building, and a ghost cat that refuses to be exorcised. Warm-hearted and delightful." —P. H. Low, Locus-, Ignyte-, and Rhysling-nominated author of These Deathless Shores

"From undead ducklings to prowling wyverns and market-going jiangshi, City of Others is an absolutely delightful mythological smorgasbord bursting with wit, humor, and a cast of vibrant characters that warmed my heart. It would be no exaggeration to say that my dream job is now a position at DEUS!" —Sophie Kim, Sunday Times bestselling author of The God and the Gumiho