Hounded by an authoritarian military, vicious fellow psychics, and his own mental shadows, teenage Samuel Helen seeks the only people who can help his comatose beloved Evelyn. In Mark Sabbas’s Metaphysical adventure novel, The Monarchs, Samuel has no choice but to trust a strange and powerful girl, Luna, as his guide.

Decades after a nuclear apocalypse devastated Earth, the New Youth were born amidst rebuilding civilization. Vested with large, shining eyes and mysterious psychic power, these children are often feared as demons and taken by the Union military to be molded into weapons. Samuel himself spent most of his life in a military research facility. He grew up believing that a dark and furious power slumbered within him, eager to emerge and wreak havoc.

But Samuel’s not quite alone in this painful world. He has the love of an orphaned non-psychic girl, Evelyn, who urges him to run away with her. And within the walls of the Facility, Samuel relies on the mentorship and counsel of the psychologist Walter. Walter’s old-world music awakens a sense of beauty and inspiration in Samuel, though he struggles to accept Walter’s belief in a beneficent cosmic power.

Thanks to them and the few other New Youth he’s able to befriend, Samuel clings to an open mind and hope for a better world. Both of which are tested when an army of renegade psychics—the Children of the Dragon—lay waste to the Facility.

Despite their words of liberation, leaders Matteo and Tiana leave death and suffering in their wake. They demand absolute obedience on their quest to bring down the Union and rise as Earth’s ‘rightful’ rulers. But even as the Children of the Dragon hold Walter over his head, Samuel refuses to bloody his hands for them. Instead, he and Evelyn flee the desolation.

Though the two young lovers are aided by a mystical presence, it isn’t long before they’re found by a pair of hunters with cruel intentions. Samuel begins to draw more on his metaphysical power, but after his rescue attempt Evelyn is left in a state of supernatural unconsciousness. They would have surely died if not for the sudden appearance of Luna, a New Youth with incredible power both destructive and enlightened.

Luna speaks of a Sanctuary led by her sister, where they can find safety and a healer capable of reaching Evelyn’s soul. But to get there, Luna and Samuel have to follow a mystical river and evade capture while caring for Evelyn’s body along the way. Samuel struggles against his internal demons, trying to grasp enough power to protect himself and his companions without giving in to guilt and hatred.

Luna guides Samuel through the physical and spiritual alike as they both face shadows of the past.

While Samuel can’t be sure how much to believe Luna’s words, he opens himself to the idea of connecting with a broader world consciousness and eventually learns that he has to accept the darkness inside himself in order to embrace the light. Samuel’s good heart and dedication to Evelyn make him an endearing protagonist and help to anchor his metaphysical experiences in relatable emotion.

Luna herself breathes levity and life into the story as she clashes with Samuel’s troubled, sorrowful state. Their shifting dynamic will pull readers eagerly down the river with them. As Samuel learns more about Luna’s violent past, he and the reader alike wonder who this otherworldly girl really is.

Samuel’s metaphysical encounters reveal that more than just his own destiny stands at a vital crossroads—the whole of Earth is caught in a battle between good and evil.

The Monarchs shows a world on the precipice of great change. On one side are the old paradigms of violent dominance, perpetuated by both the Union military and the Children of the Dragon. On the other stands a vision of community and mutual understanding—an enlightened age rising from the ashes. This isn’t a battle that can be won by force, but rather through radical forgiveness and communion with the divinity inside every soul.

Through music, out-of-body visions, and meditative dreams, The Monarchs engages with philosophy and spirituality.

Although readers might struggle to grasp these visions at first, growing familiarity with the characters gives more shape to the abstract imagery and implications. Samuel in particular illustrates the idea of divine unity through his reckonings with traumatic memories and struggle to forgive himself for his mistakes. Later in the story these visions sometimes retread the same emotional ground, although with distinct settings and imagery.

This adventure centers its message of optimism and universal belonging.

The hope for a better world pushes Samuel on in the face of cruelty and loss. He learns to reject cynicism and a focus on the self, gradually putting his faith in a greater metaphysical plan than he can see at once. In his darkest moments, songs from his mother and from Walter’s revered records give him comfort.

Throughout their journey, Samuel, Luna, and Evelyn are buoyed by the kindness of old friends and strangers alike. An old priest gives them shelter and spiritual guidance, a mother invites them to share her roof and food, and even some of those who did them harm in the past return to offer a helping hand. The Monarchs is a story of forgiveness, hope, and the power of love freely given.