The Newcomers: The Chronicles of Touperdu, Book I

by Pam Troy

It 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?

Genres: Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical

420 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 9, 2026

Reviews

[Stefanie Verhelst · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very promising opening for the Chronicles of Touperdu!!

Brilliantly written with a rich fantasy! The first book in a series always has some building construction, character development but despite that the story stays vivid and very interesting!

I’m very curious for the next book!.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Jae · Rating 2 out of 5]

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

[Bethany Mills · Rating 2 out of 5]

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.

[Marsha Graniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Newcomers is a historical fantasy with new beginnings and magic. This story follows two families, the Roselyn and the Duday’s, looking for a new life to grow and prosper. Both families have a different experience on the island, where they could live peacefully and a chance to start over. I love how the story goes through journal entries and the life of the 1800s, with a hint of witches and magic lore. I love how the story isn’t rush but builds and it will pull you in to their world. I also love the historical aspect of the island and what each family goes through. Their story is intriguing with the supernatural elements and magic of the lands. I really enjoyed their story and that unexpected twist at the end makes me want to read what happens next.

I voluntarily leave my honest thoughts about this gifted book.

[jay · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25 || adventurous challenging reflective slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

The future looked so bright, it was blinding. They had no choice but to leap, all together into that light.

The first book set in the fictional Isle of Touperdu in 1880, The Newcomers follows two families as they navigate their new homes following their escape of the nineteenth century turmoil. We have the Roselyns, led by a father who wishes to raise his daughters from the violence of the post-Reconstruction South, and the Dudays, a family of French witches looking for a new home to practice their magic without persecution. It's a tale that explores what it means to truly belong, and what one would do - and give up - in order to do so.

I thoroughly enjoyed the character relationships in this. Each of the two families had very different dynamics that were shown organically to the reader. Some of the scenes hit uncomfortably close to home, and I couldn't help but feel for them. Amadeo had an interesting POV - he packed up his family as he could not stomach the racism his daughters were treated, yet all of his diary entries and letters were address solely for his unborn sons and grandsons, sidelining the daughters already there and dependent on him. A well-meaning father blind to his own prejudice, his chapters really pushed my buttons as his morals seeped through every line; a given for the time, and frustratingly real. I could name many patriarchs with his very mindset of this day and age, and while I had them IRL, it was definitely an interesting look into his mindset.

I wish the same depth was given to the Dudays, as it isn't until towards the end do we really tackle their ostracization in depth. I felt like the focus felt uneven, as I felt like they were sidelined despite having the literal magic aspect. This is probably what made the fantasy aspect become lacking for me.

The pacing was incredibly slow, and every crumb of information offered just contributed to the overall mystery. The ending felt unsatisfying for me that way because it felt like it already ended in the middle, so much build up only for us to be told that it was to be addressed in the next book. This is probably my major gripe, alongside the lack of POV from the Dudays and their magic.

Still I do like the story enough to pick up its sequel in the future. Overall, a decent 3 star read that would be suited for readers who enjoy slow-paced, character exploration books and immersive historical fiction.

Big thanks to the author and publisher for providing me this ARC via NetGalley. All quotes are taken from the uncorrected proof. This does not in any shape or form influence my review on this book.

[Sharon Greenwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

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

[Kate Farrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Newcomers, Book One of The Chronicles of Touperdu by Pam Troy, is a fantasy adventure to an island of refuge that, instead of an escape, lays bare the core truths of each character. Troy draws from the rich, mixed-race culture of the French colonial South during Reconstruction as she follows the Roselyn and Duday families seeking a new life away from the turmoil and dangers of the mainland and from France. But the newcomers find a tight, inescapable, stratified society of its own with flawed people who test their moral courage. The plot of the book is driven by the choices the newcomers make when characters from different parts of the island intersect and challenge one another, particularly its main characters from these two families who must determine their inner, ethical choices and act.

What I found most fascinating were the book’s children featured from a cross section of class and race on Touperdu. From the toddler, Gregoire, to the teenager, Artisan, children are vividly drawn characters, as present and pivotal as adults, with inner monologues and dramatic scenes. The children act as a counterpart to adult behavior and often reflect the predatory nature of adults with their young integrity and naïveté. In the tradition of great Southern, character-driven novels, Newcomers is similar to the classic To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee with its child characters, Jem and Scout Finch, whose innocent observations reveal the racism in their town; Newcomer’s children even call to mind the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, whose outcast boy, Huck, is street-smart yet intuitively compassionate.

[Cathichou · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Amanda’s Reading Corner · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.

[Janine · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Tillie Newnham · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Lydia · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was not for me. I appreciate the author’s time and energy in researching and writing the story. This is typically the type of book I enjoy (historical fiction with a touch of magic). However, I just did not connect with any of the characters this time, and I found the plot very meandering.

I enjoyed the journal entries as a way to get Amadeo’s perspective. He was an interesting perspective, and I think he was an accurate reflection of a typical man from his time period. That was nice to see because I feel like much historical fiction currently tries to lay modern morals on a historical character, and it usually takes away from the story for me.

The author is intending this to be a series, but I don’t think my interest was sufficiently captured to continue reading in the series.

[Jenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this advanced copy.

This really sounded like something I'd enjoy but unfortunately it just wasn't for me. It was too much and not enough all at the same time. The world building was interesting but there were so many characters to keep track of the plot got bogged down. There was always a sense of unease throughout the book that I thought would be resolved but it wasn't. I didn't enjoy the violent scences and had a hard time understanding the island traditions and lore. I will probably read the sceond book just to see what happens but I don't know if I'll like it. 2.5 stars rounded up.

[Jackson Proffitt · Rating 4 out of 5]

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!

[Elize Jackson · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Calamity Ayne · Rating 4 out of 5]

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!

[Violet Daniels]

DNF @ 20%. Not for me at all, the writing itself was quite good but it began to lose me at the weird ghosts...

[Sonya · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author did a wonderful job with the style and language of this book. It truly felt like we were in the 1800’s. The world she built was so vivid and felt incredibly real.

This book was a very slow burn. The pace was very leisurely, and not a ton actually happened in the plot. That being said, I still enjoyed the book very much. It felt less like contained story and more like you were just living in this world with the characters and experiencing their daily lives.

I do wish the character POVs would have been more evenly divided. There were a lot of chapters throughout that stayed focused on one POV and then there would be a quick one of another character, but then back for a long period of time to the first character. But the story felt like it was supposed to be 50/50 between the two families. So I wish we would have gotten more with the Duday family.

Overall, I enjoyed this book, but it was definitely much different than I expected.

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and statements are my own.