Review: The Monarchs by Mark Sabbas

Stunning in its messaging and epic in scale, The Monarchs by Mark Sabbas is a remarkable work of visionary science fiction.

A powerful young child with uncontrolled psychic abilities, Samuel Helen is unlike the other cognitively evolved children in the military research facility he begrudgingly calls home. Some people view these gifted “new youth,” born in increasing numbers each year, as the next stage in human evolution, while others see them as potential weapons. Isolated from the other research subjects in the facility, for fear of a rebellion, Samuel is experimented on like an animal, in an attempt to free his mind and tap into the vast well of psychic power there.

With few companions to truly call friends, aside from his kindly mentor Walter and a young girl in town named Evelyn, Samuel is tormented by the incompleteness and limitations of his life. When a chance abduction frees him from the shackles of his captors, Samuel’s heart and mind are opened to the vast possibilities and dangers of telepathic powers, thanks to a spritely psychic named Luna and the wise healers of the Sanctuary.

In this battle of psychically empowered children versus the authoritarian forces who wish to control them, the side of the righteous should be simple, but Sabbas’ story acknowledges the complex nature of resistance movements, with the Black Robes and other dissident perspectives. The author’s ability to bring relatable issues to the fore in a deeply cerebral book is admirable, while the character depth of Luna, Evelyn, and Samuel makes for a powerful core of protagonists – even if one is comatose for much of the tale.

Both an action-packed fantasy and a mind-bending exploration outside our accepted bounds of reality, this is a deeply intriguing read, though sometimes a demanding one. A sweeping thematic journey dissecting spirituality, self-control, acceptance, manipulation, and compassion, there are also countless sharp dialogue exchanges and bursts of dark humor peppering these pages. The action sequences are gritty and visceral bouts of psychic whips and invisible blows, and the intensity of these scenes is palpable, not to mention the hard-edged narration throughout: “I shook hands with my demons and let them take over.” The prose regularly flirts with magical and supernatural events, yet the action still feels bound to reality and hard science, with the science-based prose cleverly leaving space for the unknown.

The synthesis of science and spirituality can be a tricky line to tow in a sci-fi novel, but Sabbas navigates these subjects thoughtfully and holistically, exploring these ideas on both psychological and sociological levels. As Samuel becomes more adept at wielding his incredible powers, he is simultaneously granted access to profound truths about the universe and our ultimate interconnectedness, bringing the reader into his rarified spiritual journey. The concept of the “other” is also foundational to this story, while the treatment of the new youth as dangerous or unnatural is echoed in contemporary culture, where identity politics and bigotry only deepen our societal divisions, for an ambitiously layered novel that uses its sci-fi premise as a springboard to address much larger issues, but still keeps the core story quick, fresh, and suspenseful.

Brilliant and multifaceted, with a broad appeal to sci-fi and visionary fantasy readers, this heady and entertaining novel will leave anyone changed by the end.