The Narrows

Top-secret magical intrigue envelopes the life of a disabled man in WWII–era Detroit in this historical urban fantasy by an award-winning author.

Locus Award nominee for Best Fantasy Novel

“The entire novel, from characters to settings, is imbued with the magic of life.” —Jeffrey Ford, World Fantasy Award and Nebula Award–winning author of The Physiognomy 

When a hand injury keeps Jared Cleaves from joining the war in Europe, he goes to work on a secret assembly line within Henry Ford’s vast River Rouge complex, producing a golem army to defeat the Nazis. Unfortunately for Jared, his job requires him to spend his days troweling junk out of clay—hardly a meaningful contribution to the war effort, in his mind. But that’s the least of his troubles. His home life is getting stressful . . . and his dreams are haunted by a creature he encountered in his youth: a devilish imp known as the Nain Rouge, whose appearance heralds disaster for the city of Detroit, and perhaps for Jared as well. 

Meanwhile, Jared’s connection to the creature has piqued the interest of others including his brutal boss, a German spy, and a shape-shifting Indian shaman. But what could be so important about a 4F factory worker trying to pay the bills and keep his marriage together? With the threat of racial violence hanging over Detroit, a growing supernatural power beneath the city may hold the answer . . .

“Drawing his supernatural elements from folklore, Irvine convincingly imagines a world in which sabotage is as likely to be caused by imps as by German agents—and makes the 1943 Detroit race riot a scarier monster than any of the fantasy creatures stalking the city’s streets.” —Publishers Weekly

“Will appeal to horror fans, fantasy fans and science fiction fans, as well as history fans.” —Historical Novel Society