City of Others

By Jared Poon

Book Overview

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.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0316585475
• ISBN13: 9780316585477
• Release Date: January 2026
• Publisher: Orbit
• Length: 368 Pages
• Weight: 0.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 5.5" x 8.2"

Customer Reviews

Quirky fun

This novel had the right kind of light quirky that really was a joy to read, even as Ben (a government worker and a Gardner) and his group work to save a city block from disappearing. It has likable characters from Ben to Adam, and the rest of the DEUS team, all with powers and very overworked to help the Others living in their area. It has lots of humor but also does a really good job of dealing with the heartache of grief, prejudice against those not like you, and of course a mysterious cat that pops in and out, and has a surprising talent of its own. And learning that it is okay to rely on others to pull their share and not try to shoulder everything on your own to keep the others safe (looking at you Ben!). So, if you are looking for an entertaining read that has it all and has a happy ending despite the world ending events and awful private companies looking to profit from it, plus cozy times with the good characters, and friends who will always have your back, then you will enjoy this tale and I am looking forward to more stories about DEUS in Singapore saving the day, or getting a goblin student a scholarship or dealing with awful landlords and will keep rooting for Ben and his team! Plus Adam is awesome and so sweet! And more of that cat!!! I am glad I got the chance to read this and now really want Jared Poon to write more about Ben and DEUS!