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The Newcomers: The Chronicles of Touperdu, Book I
Not yet published
Expected 9 Jun 26It is 1880, and immigrants are flocking to a new refuge from the economic and racial turmoil of the late nineteenth century.
For New Orleans chef Amadeo Roselyn, the Isle of Touperdu is where he can open his own restaurant and raise his daughters as educated, marriageable ladies in a place free of the violence roiling the post-Reconstruction era south. For Gwennoelle Duday, the matriarch of a rackety family of witches from the French village of Fourche, it is where the Dudays can act freely, unfettered by other people of “talent” and any foolish talk of rules and higher law.
But the night before they disembark, a question troubles both Amadeo in first class, and Madame Duday in steerage. It is one that will haunt them for years after they step onto the island — is the promise of Touperdu a lie?
The Newcomers is the first novel in a series set on the fictional island of Touperdu, where the lines blur between superstition and magic, legend and history, promises and betrayal. Two immigrant families confront the question all outsiders face when they enter a new world. What can you do — and what will you give up — to truly belong?
For New Orleans chef Amadeo Roselyn, the Isle of Touperdu is where he can open his own restaurant and raise his daughters as educated, marriageable ladies in a place free of the violence roiling the post-Reconstruction era south. For Gwennoelle Duday, the matriarch of a rackety family of witches from the French village of Fourche, it is where the Dudays can act freely, unfettered by other people of “talent” and any foolish talk of rules and higher law.
But the night before they disembark, a question troubles both Amadeo in first class, and Madame Duday in steerage. It is one that will haunt them for years after they step onto the island — is the promise of Touperdu a lie?
The Newcomers is the first novel in a series set on the fictional island of Touperdu, where the lines blur between superstition and magic, legend and history, promises and betrayal. Two immigrant families confront the question all outsiders face when they enter a new world. What can you do — and what will you give up — to truly belong?
- GenresFantasyHistorical
440 pages, Paperback
Expected publication June 9, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
May 10, 2026
This was an interesting read. Newcomers is a story of two families trying to make ends meet after leaving America for a better life in the Caribbean.
I wouldn’t market this book as a fantasy because there really isn’t a lot about the fantastical aspect. It read more like early Outlander and the writing style reminds me of Anne with an E or other similar classics.
However, for those of us who enjoy a book that’s meandering, that’s about the day to day dinner on the table, and just seeing life as an “immigrant”; this will be your book.
Amadeo is an interesting pov because he moves to Touperdo, because he could not tolerate the fact on how his daughters would be treated against in the context of racism, but then all his diary/letters is for his future sons and grandsons. He is written in the perspective of someone who does have good morals, but I think this is a fantastic choice from the author and intentionally or not, I can see the unreliable narrator seep out the pages. Amadeo is a capitalist, I would say has some misogyny but it makes sense for him to be that in the backdrop of the era this is set in. I’m in awe because I dislike the character, but I love reading from his very thought provoking perspective, which is a great accomplishment from the author.
The secound family, Duday is where the magical aspect exists and towards the end we do explore the themes of society rejecting outsiders and their practices. I didn’t love her pov chapters as much.
And I do have to say that not a lot happens in the book, it’s not a plot driven book, and I wouldn’t call it a character driven book either; I do not have any attachments to any of the characters - but this is more so a theme driven book and if you are a reader who loves exploring themes and its wider meanings and read between the lines - this is for you.
2/5 on goodreads on a personal scale, but objectively I can see this being a 3/5
Thank you to Netgalley and Sibylline press for an eARC in exchange for an honest review
I wouldn’t market this book as a fantasy because there really isn’t a lot about the fantastical aspect. It read more like early Outlander and the writing style reminds me of Anne with an E or other similar classics.
However, for those of us who enjoy a book that’s meandering, that’s about the day to day dinner on the table, and just seeing life as an “immigrant”; this will be your book.
Amadeo is an interesting pov because he moves to Touperdo, because he could not tolerate the fact on how his daughters would be treated against in the context of racism, but then all his diary/letters is for his future sons and grandsons. He is written in the perspective of someone who does have good morals, but I think this is a fantastic choice from the author and intentionally or not, I can see the unreliable narrator seep out the pages. Amadeo is a capitalist, I would say has some misogyny but it makes sense for him to be that in the backdrop of the era this is set in. I’m in awe because I dislike the character, but I love reading from his very thought provoking perspective, which is a great accomplishment from the author.
The secound family, Duday is where the magical aspect exists and towards the end we do explore the themes of society rejecting outsiders and their practices. I didn’t love her pov chapters as much.
And I do have to say that not a lot happens in the book, it’s not a plot driven book, and I wouldn’t call it a character driven book either; I do not have any attachments to any of the characters - but this is more so a theme driven book and if you are a reader who loves exploring themes and its wider meanings and read between the lines - this is for you.
2/5 on goodreads on a personal scale, but objectively I can see this being a 3/5
Thank you to Netgalley and Sibylline press for an eARC in exchange for an honest review
May 21, 2026
The Newcomers is a book about two young families leaving everything they know behind to start a new life on an intriguing, but mysterious island nation. You can immediately tell there’s nefarious events taking place upon landing and it keeps you guessing the intentions of their leader. I struggled a little with staying interested in this one. The main plot didn’t feel much light a main plot, but a side story. I needed a little more dramatics and intrigue for me to give it a higher rating. I also felt like some of the transitions were abrupt and that the story didn’t flow at times.
The main thing that really turned me off from the book was the harsh treatment of women. At times it felt gross and unnecessary. The descriptions were so vivid and negative it made me cringe. For example, describing someone as a “stack of heavy-faced, slow-moving flesh”. I’m sure this book will have many fans, it just wasn’t for me.
The main thing that really turned me off from the book was the harsh treatment of women. At times it felt gross and unnecessary. The descriptions were so vivid and negative it made me cringe. For example, describing someone as a “stack of heavy-faced, slow-moving flesh”. I’m sure this book will have many fans, it just wasn’t for me.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you to Sibylline Press and NetGalley for the ARC.
An Enchanting Start to a New Historical Fantasy Series
Pam Troy’s debut, The Newcomers, is the kind of book that feels like a warm, slow-simmering stew—it takes its time to develop, but the richness of the world-building makes it well worth the wait. As the first installment of The Chronicles of Touperdu, this novel does an exceptional job of establishing a unique setting that blends 19th-century history with a subtle, grounded sense of magic.
The story follows two families arriving on the mysterious Isle of Touperdu in 1880. Troy's prose is elegant and the pace is decidedly gentle, yet I found it consistently engaging. She doesn’t rush the plot; instead, she lets the atmosphere of the island soak in, making the "story building" one of the book's greatest strengths.
If there is a minor hurdle, it’s the sheer size of the cast. In the first few chapters, I found myself flipping back a few times to keep track of who was who among the Roselyn and Duday families. It can be a bit confusing at the start, but once you settle into their individual rhythms, the characters begin to stand out.
What really kept me turning the pages was the tantalizing way Troy handles character backgrounds. Many backstories are only briefly mentioned or hinted at, leaving their full histories frustratingly, yet effectively, shrouded in mystery. It left me wondering exactly where certain figures fit into the larger puzzle of the island.
Pleasantly, the book avoids a massive, heart-stopping cliffhanger. It reaches a satisfying resting point for this first leg of the journey, yet provides enough intrigue and unanswered questions to make me immediately want to pick up Book 2. If you enjoy character-driven historical fiction with a touch of the supernatural, this is a strong recommendation.
5 Excellent read, loved it.
4 Enjoyable read, Liked It.
3 Average read, OK and passed the time
2 Below average read, MEH
1 Regrettable read, nearly a DNF
An Enchanting Start to a New Historical Fantasy Series
Pam Troy’s debut, The Newcomers, is the kind of book that feels like a warm, slow-simmering stew—it takes its time to develop, but the richness of the world-building makes it well worth the wait. As the first installment of The Chronicles of Touperdu, this novel does an exceptional job of establishing a unique setting that blends 19th-century history with a subtle, grounded sense of magic.
The story follows two families arriving on the mysterious Isle of Touperdu in 1880. Troy's prose is elegant and the pace is decidedly gentle, yet I found it consistently engaging. She doesn’t rush the plot; instead, she lets the atmosphere of the island soak in, making the "story building" one of the book's greatest strengths.
If there is a minor hurdle, it’s the sheer size of the cast. In the first few chapters, I found myself flipping back a few times to keep track of who was who among the Roselyn and Duday families. It can be a bit confusing at the start, but once you settle into their individual rhythms, the characters begin to stand out.
What really kept me turning the pages was the tantalizing way Troy handles character backgrounds. Many backstories are only briefly mentioned or hinted at, leaving their full histories frustratingly, yet effectively, shrouded in mystery. It left me wondering exactly where certain figures fit into the larger puzzle of the island.
Pleasantly, the book avoids a massive, heart-stopping cliffhanger. It reaches a satisfying resting point for this first leg of the journey, yet provides enough intrigue and unanswered questions to make me immediately want to pick up Book 2. If you enjoy character-driven historical fiction with a touch of the supernatural, this is a strong recommendation.
5 Excellent read, loved it.
4 Enjoyable read, Liked It.
3 Average read, OK and passed the time
2 Below average read, MEH
1 Regrettable read, nearly a DNF
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
The first book of this series, The Newcomers, was a captivating historical fiction/fantasy. Throughout the book, we follow the immigration stories of two families arriving on the island of Toutperdu at the same time in 1880, but in different circumstances and from different classes of society. Both families, the Roselyn and the Duday, are trying to make a life for themselves on this island in their own way. Is Toutperdu really the place they were sold, the place they were expecting? How does one take their place and stop being a “Newcomer”? Will they make the life they wished for themselves and their families?
This first book felt more like historical fiction, but I did enjoy it a lot and I see the fantasy world build itself through it as well. There is a lot of character development, relationship development, backstories and world building. I felt that it was setting the bases for the stories to come. I am eager to understand a little more how “talents” will affect the stories of the Islanders and the Newcomers. I will most likely recommend this book and read the next one to follow these two families a little deeper on their life and adventures on the Toutperdu Island.
This first book felt more like historical fiction, but I did enjoy it a lot and I see the fantasy world build itself through it as well. There is a lot of character development, relationship development, backstories and world building. I felt that it was setting the bases for the stories to come. I am eager to understand a little more how “talents” will affect the stories of the Islanders and the Newcomers. I will most likely recommend this book and read the next one to follow these two families a little deeper on their life and adventures on the Toutperdu Island.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This book is so incredibly thought provoking as we lean into the lives of the Roselyns and Dudays, two immigrant families who landed on the Isle of Touperdu. These two families show the immigrant experience as the build their lives on the island, bringing fear, superstition (and spirits) and the of longing when it comes to truly belonging. The story building and writing alone could bring you ino the story. You felt with the characters and could understand their motivations. At the end, I could picture the Isle and it's surrounding areas.
I will admit that at first, I was incredibly confused. It felt as if the Duday's initially landed on the island well before the Roselyn's and we were getting two different timelines instead of POVs occurring at the same time. That said, it became a lot clearer once they started interacting together.
At the end though, my biggest critique is the genre in which the book is labeled. There is more of a superstition/paranormal element rather than fantasy, so this had me a bit dissapointed. But even saying that, I would 100% recommend this book to someone looking to dabble in fantasy and not sure where to start.
I will admit that at first, I was incredibly confused. It felt as if the Duday's initially landed on the island well before the Roselyn's and we were getting two different timelines instead of POVs occurring at the same time. That said, it became a lot clearer once they started interacting together.
At the end though, my biggest critique is the genre in which the book is labeled. There is more of a superstition/paranormal element rather than fantasy, so this had me a bit dissapointed. But even saying that, I would 100% recommend this book to someone looking to dabble in fantasy and not sure where to start.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
First in a new series, The Chronicles of Touperdu, The Newcomers introduces the island of Touperdu by featuring two families moving there: the Roslyns from New Orleans and the Dudays from a small French village, Fourche. It’s the 1880s and the island has become a new refuge from racism and economic turmoil.
As the first book in a series a lot of world building is going on. The characters are a big part of this and they are rich in diversity. Gwennoelle, Hortense and Madame Reckoner are most interesting. The introduction of magic from the Dudays add a bit of whimsy and a touch of fantasy.
I think this is more of a character-driven book but there’s lot going on in it - even murder. Also, it looks at the immigrant experience as well. It’s a clever beginning to a series which bodes well for a second book.
My thanks to NetGalley and Sibylline Books for allowing me access to this ARC.
As the first book in a series a lot of world building is going on. The characters are a big part of this and they are rich in diversity. Gwennoelle, Hortense and Madame Reckoner are most interesting. The introduction of magic from the Dudays add a bit of whimsy and a touch of fantasy.
I think this is more of a character-driven book but there’s lot going on in it - even murder. Also, it looks at the immigrant experience as well. It’s a clever beginning to a series which bodes well for a second book.
My thanks to NetGalley and Sibylline Books for allowing me access to this ARC.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I really enjoyed the premise of this book. The setting, journey the two families had been on and the concept of the island.
This felt lush and vivid to read and getting to know characters from both families was intriguing and fun.
I spent a lot of the book unclear what the purpose of the story was and I think it became clear in the second half of the book. There is a lot generally that is unclear and unanswered though. A semblance of understanding french and creole culture would probably be helpful when reading this - or a willingness to google your questions/stay ignorant.
I would keep reading this series as I do think it holds a lot of promise and I can see more depth could be achieved in further books.
It’s probably a 3.5 star for me which means I did enjoy it and will keep reading it but I definitely would have liked some more clarity around a number of characters and for moments of action in the future books to be clearer.
This felt lush and vivid to read and getting to know characters from both families was intriguing and fun.
I spent a lot of the book unclear what the purpose of the story was and I think it became clear in the second half of the book. There is a lot generally that is unclear and unanswered though. A semblance of understanding french and creole culture would probably be helpful when reading this - or a willingness to google your questions/stay ignorant.
I would keep reading this series as I do think it holds a lot of promise and I can see more depth could be achieved in further books.
It’s probably a 3.5 star for me which means I did enjoy it and will keep reading it but I definitely would have liked some more clarity around a number of characters and for moments of action in the future books to be clearer.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Troy’s descriptive language brought the island of Touperdu alive. The “history” of the island showed how opinions were shaped over time, and were helpful to the insight of the prejudices and beliefs of the characters. The characters were complimentary and worked well together to tell their varying stories of attempted assimilation. I thought it was poignant that Amadeo Roselyn fled America to escape racism, only to find a different form on the island.The Duday’s were similar in their pursuit of assimilation, but for different reasons, and with seemingly different results - I am eager to see how they fare in the next book. There was an undercurrent of something foreboding throughout the book, which kept me reading. The ending was somewhat what I had imagined, but so sudden I was a little taken aback. I’m looking forward to visiting Touperdu again in the next installment.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you to Sibylline Press and NetGalley for the ARC
This was closer to a 3.5 than a 4 ⭐️ but definitely closer to a 4 than a 3.
Early on the bouncing around between multiple sets of characters gets you a little lost but once you get your head around the different groups it is an enjoyable read with good characters. I would say the interactions between characters and the way they navigate the world are probably the best things about this book.
Will be really interesting to see if this world continues to be built out in future books!
This was closer to a 3.5 than a 4 ⭐️ but definitely closer to a 4 than a 3.
Early on the bouncing around between multiple sets of characters gets you a little lost but once you get your head around the different groups it is an enjoyable read with good characters. I would say the interactions between characters and the way they navigate the world are probably the best things about this book.
Will be really interesting to see if this world continues to be built out in future books!
April 27, 2026
Thank you to Netgalley for letting me ARC read this book!
I did enjoy this book but I will definitely say it is much more historical fiction than fantasy. There are some fantasy elements to this book and I'm definitely interested to see how things develop further in the series! I found the concept and storyline really interesting. Additionally, it was fun to learn more history of the 1880's and Toutperdu island!
I will definitely be picking up the next book of this series as l am interested in where this goes.
I did enjoy this book but I will definitely say it is much more historical fiction than fantasy. There are some fantasy elements to this book and I'm definitely interested to see how things develop further in the series! I found the concept and storyline really interesting. Additionally, it was fun to learn more history of the 1880's and Toutperdu island!
I will definitely be picking up the next book of this series as l am interested in where this goes.
May 20, 2026
3.5 stars, rounded up.
I liked the storytelling in The Newcomers, but felt like I kept waiting for something to happen. As if there was a lead up to something, but it never came. I realize now that it’s the start of a series, which makes the pacing of the story make more sense to me, and I’ll look forward to the next book in the series.
Thank you to Sibylline and NetGalley for the ARC!
I liked the storytelling in The Newcomers, but felt like I kept waiting for something to happen. As if there was a lead up to something, but it never came. I realize now that it’s the start of a series, which makes the pacing of the story make more sense to me, and I’ll look forward to the next book in the series.
Thank you to Sibylline and NetGalley for the ARC!
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews