The Reign

by Shane Neilson

In this utterly unique modern fairy tale, Shane Neilson steps clairvoyantly into Enniskillen, an expropriated New Brunswick community abandoned just before it became part of a military base. Intellectually disabled and left behind, the story’s protagonist, Willard, fades into the land and into love with Casey — a tyrannical industrialist who is also a magnificent whitetail buck.

The Reign is the swirling, ever-shifting story of a land that endures industrialism and a love that refuses subordination. From lyrics to prose, images to echolalia, this unforgettable myth drifts effortlessly through a wide range of forms and registers to deliver a breathtaking, unparalleled tale.

128 pages, Paperback

Published September 23, 2025

Reviews

[Gabi]

An extremely dense long poem with some delicious and complicated words that I both enjoyed and found difficult to absorb. I found myself lost a lot and didn’t feel connected to the characters or the plot at all, but the writing was insanely complex, something that you might enjoy depending on what you like to read.