Night for Day: 05/11/25

Night for Day by Roselle Lim (2024) is a fantasy romance involving a previous ex-couple finding each other again, only to be separated by paranormal means. Ward Dunbar and Camille Buhay have met up again at random in London as both arrive to start new jobs. The last time they had seen each other had been in Chicago as they were going their separate ways.

At the end of their first day at work, both find themselves trapped in their respective shops. Ward, having not negotiated well enough, has no clothing, no food, and nowhere to sleep. Camille, who always negotiates, at least has an upstairs furnished apartment that's stocked with food.

As the days unfold and the chapters alternate between Ward and Camille the narrative settles into a cosmic challenge between the East and West that reminds me of the Openers and Closers of Night in the Lonesome October by Roger Zelazny (1993).

Ultimately this novel is like Star Trek: Lower Decks―Warp Your Own Way by Ryan North (2024). Except this time, there's a happy ending. Not only for the main characters but for some secondary ones too. I'm being intentionally vague because this is one of the rare books that managed to keep it's twist ending a secret to me.

The novel also happens to sit on the Road Narrative Spectrum. Camille and Ward, though separated by supernatural means, are a traveling couple (33). Their destination is the city (00), namely escapes to London. Their route there is the maze (CC) as represented by the danger they and the universe face.

Five stars

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