What does it take to get a fantasy novel published these days, if not a famous name and a great manuscript? Judging by The Falcon’s Children, a high epic fantasy by conservative New York Times columnist Ross Douthat, it seems the answer is a gimmick of some kind—ultra-violence, soft-core sex, identity politics. Douthat’s novel, the first in a planned trilogy, is being serially released on Substack after being turned down in two rounds of submissions to publishers, which speaks to the siloed nature of contemporary publishing rather than the merits of the book.
The Falcon’s Children is smart, plot-driven, and metaphysical. While much will depend on how the story comes together, it’s clear that Douthat has a rare combination of strengths as a writer. His journalistic talents are complemented by his knack for storytelling, and in both modes he invites readers to reflect on deeper things. In The Falcon’s Children, he offers a kind of meta-exploration of what fantasy is for, and why today’s readers are so drawn to it. The answer, he suggests, lies in the way the genre accepts realities we otherwise tend to deny.
Some readers scorn fantasy for its familiar tropes, wish-fulfilling escapism, and supposed lack of connection to the realities of the day. These skeptics are unlikely to be drawn in by Douthat’s portent-filled prologue about a lady-of-the-manor, Ylaena, who can’t carry a child to term and lives at the edge of an enchanted forest called the Mar Tyogg. But he is up to something that even non-fantasy fans should be able to appreciate.