A construct that shifts and shuffles within innumerable contexts, faith is a tricky subject. When we think of faith, we often think of religion, where we aim our veneration, our hopes, our desire to be forgiven, to be redeemed at the end of this life. Yet, in a more mundane context, faith is believing the subway will show up on time, that your coffee order will be the same as it was yesterday, and that constants remain exactly that, constant. And what if this belief, in its grandiose and miniscule forms, became the crux of survival? The means to which we pay the bills, we put food on the table, we live? And moreover, what happens when that faith disintegrates, dries up, or no longer serves us? Where do we belong if not for here?
Chris Panatier poses these questions through a nuanced, creative, and bold lens with his dark fantasy novel, Daytide. Described as a “black metal Wizard of Oz,” I can confirm we are not in Kansas anymore under Panatier’s deft, wildly creative influence. The world as we know it is plagued by an affliction known as “The Longing,” a darkness that closes in on an individual with no reprieve from a pill or therapy in sight. But what exists on the other side of The Longing? And when a priest claims to know “the cure” to this demented malady, what does such an antidote look like? Starting in reality then catapulting into a stratosphere of angelic landscapes, Chris Panatier holds a candle to the deeper questions of the human condition, what waits for us on the other side of this life, and begs us to interrogate the narratives we have come to believe.
So much of what makes Daytide a roaring accomplishment is its balance. Panatier knows exactly how to deliver information that builds this incredible world that is connected to a reality that is familiar without ever once taking a tone of lecturing. Instead, the masterful character work at play within these pages does all of the heavy lifting for us in every instance, for both humans and other beings alike. The landscape of Daytide is lush with novel creations, thought-provoking social systems, and entertaining edges to fortify a robust heartbeat at the core of this story. This kind of worldbuilding is the lifeforce behind the compelling nature of this novel, the propulsive “why” that kicks the pace of this novel into high gear.
And as I mentioned previously, the characters of Daytide are what makes this fantastical tome absolutely soar. Adam, Hadriel, Ysgael, Kaya, Ezbiel, the list could keep going. Panatier saddles each character with their own struggles regarding faith, what it means to truly live, and how to find “home.” While this sounds heavy (and it is), the balancing act of believable moral struggle and realistic traits of quirks and personality is sublime. There is whimsy mixed with the macabre, violence matched with humor, shock with gentle understanding. Such a balance is a fine line, one that Panatier traverses with elegance and poise, resulting in a wildly entertaining, emotionally dedicated, and dearly devoted narrative that lingers long past the turn of the final page.
Daytide by Chris Panatier is a lot of things: it is a masterclass in utilizing the fantastical to paint a vivid portrait of our own human dilemmas, it is a captivating, action-packed venture into worlds beyond our own, and most of all, it is a fractured mirror that reflects the morality of power, acceptance of narratives, and the strength to fight. With such unique traits to both its world and its characters, Daytide feels like it exists in a category of its own, one that combines so much of what builds incredible stories that stand the test of time. Under Panatier’s intensely creative and capable hands, Daytide is a novel with wings, one that ascends to the highest tier of masterful fiction.
Daytide releases on February 26, 2026 from Rapture Publishing.
