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The Franchise
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Game of Thrones meets The Truman Show in this epic tale of a Hollywood-owned fantasy world where nothing is quite as it seems to the people who live and die at the studio’s whim.
A land filled with magic and dragons and wizards and warriors.
Thousands of people live and work within its borders, fearful of their enemies and loyal to their king.
The classic fantasy world of The Malicarn has been brought to life on the big screen in a series of phenomenally successful blockbuster movies, almost entirely populated by characters in total belief that their sham fantasy lives are real.
A fan-favorite actor finds himself doubting the studio's work, but this franchise has an almost unstoppable momentum, and bringing freedom to a population that already believes itself to be free won’t be as easy as he thinks.
A Macmillan Audio production from Tor Books
Game of Thrones meets The Truman Show in this epic tale of a Hollywood-owned fantasy world where nothing is quite as it seems to the people who live and die at the studio’s whim.
A land filled with magic and dragons and wizards and warriors.
Thousands of people live and work within its borders, fearful of their enemies and loyal to their king.
The classic fantasy world of The Malicarn has been brought to life on the big screen in a series of phenomenally successful blockbuster movies, almost entirely populated by characters in total belief that their sham fantasy lives are real.
A fan-favorite actor finds himself doubting the studio's work, but this franchise has an almost unstoppable momentum, and bringing freedom to a population that already believes itself to be free won’t be as easy as he thinks.
A Macmillan Audio production from Tor Books
Audible Audio
First published May 12, 2026
About the author
Thomas Elrod
3 books32 followersThomas Elrod lives in Pennsylvania with his wife and daughter. His writing has appeared in the LA Review of Books, Independent Weekly, and elsewhere. The Franchise is his first novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 215 reviews
May 4, 2026
I received an advance review copy of this book via NetGalley.
This book was an odd experience for me.
I'm a fan of high-concept SFF, and a fan of experimental literary devices. THE FRANCHISE checks both of those boxes, and Elrod can write a truly captivating sequence. But the book as a whole felt largely disjointed, like a patchwork quilt with some patches made of silk and velvet and others made of plain white printer paper. Many chapters were bland, with extremely utilitarian prose; a few standout chapters saw lurid, intense writing.
Like the actual writing style, the structure of the book was all over the place. Elrod is clearly using nonlinear storytelling to some effect—occasionally great effect. But the first 20% of the book is centered on characters who really aren't the main characters...and even later in the book, when the main characters take center stage, we keep skipping back-and-forth in the timeline for little apparent reason. The opening chapters make sense for nonlinear work, helping the midbook reveal and the end of the book land harder. Once we're in the rising action, however, the flip-flopping mid-scene ended up more frustrating than anything else.
The closing chapters were excellent, though. I absolutely ripped through the last two, totally entranced.
The result is that THE FRANCHISE feels a bit like an unfinished—or maybe unpolished—work. There's an excellent, five-star book in these pages...but the result in my hands here needed more refinement to get there.
Or maybe I should just say:
This book was interesting.
This book was an odd experience for me.
I'm a fan of high-concept SFF, and a fan of experimental literary devices. THE FRANCHISE checks both of those boxes, and Elrod can write a truly captivating sequence. But the book as a whole felt largely disjointed, like a patchwork quilt with some patches made of silk and velvet and others made of plain white printer paper. Many chapters were bland, with extremely utilitarian prose; a few standout chapters saw lurid, intense writing.
Like the actual writing style, the structure of the book was all over the place. Elrod is clearly using nonlinear storytelling to some effect—occasionally great effect. But the first 20% of the book is centered on characters who really aren't the main characters...and even later in the book, when the main characters take center stage, we keep skipping back-and-forth in the timeline for little apparent reason. The opening chapters make sense for nonlinear work, helping the midbook reveal and the end of the book land harder. Once we're in the rising action, however, the flip-flopping mid-scene ended up more frustrating than anything else.
The closing chapters were excellent, though. I absolutely ripped through the last two, totally entranced.
The result is that THE FRANCHISE feels a bit like an unfinished—or maybe unpolished—work. There's an excellent, five-star book in these pages...but the result in my hands here needed more refinement to get there.
Or maybe I should just say:
This book was interesting.
January 11, 2026
The franchise
One thing you need to know about me is if something sounds like Westworld, I will definitely request the book. This one sounded a lot like it would be Westworld meets Truman show. It was so much deeper than that though. For 325 pages, we see politics, multiple time periods, a fictional book within a book, and a satirical Hollywood system with capitalistic values and a lot of interesting character development.
I went into this expecting more Westworld and much like the synopsis, it was more akin to Game of Thrones in the fantasy chapters. Alternatively we got a future look into the capitalism outside the fictional world. These chapters are what I enjoyed the best. I loved how Hollywood these parts seemed and how much care was given to both elements. The author gave us a very detailed look at both story elements and I loved it for that. As it turned out, this was not my normal read and it was not what I expected, but in true Tor Pub fashion, it was something absolutely different. I wish the Malicarn series was real dang it but I do love the world created here.
Thank you to Tor for my review copy:)
One thing you need to know about me is if something sounds like Westworld, I will definitely request the book. This one sounded a lot like it would be Westworld meets Truman show. It was so much deeper than that though. For 325 pages, we see politics, multiple time periods, a fictional book within a book, and a satirical Hollywood system with capitalistic values and a lot of interesting character development.
I went into this expecting more Westworld and much like the synopsis, it was more akin to Game of Thrones in the fantasy chapters. Alternatively we got a future look into the capitalism outside the fictional world. These chapters are what I enjoyed the best. I loved how Hollywood these parts seemed and how much care was given to both elements. The author gave us a very detailed look at both story elements and I loved it for that. As it turned out, this was not my normal read and it was not what I expected, but in true Tor Pub fashion, it was something absolutely different. I wish the Malicarn series was real dang it but I do love the world created here.
Thank you to Tor for my review copy:)
April 15, 2026
The Franchise has an interesting premise- a mixture of a medieval kingdom, Westworld, the Truman Show, and The Village. The story travels through time- a writer gets an agent to publish his story just by chance, and it becomes a fantasy world sensation. While the author is alive, he protects his story from Hollywood adaptations, but after his death the greed of his son and then the industry warp the story into something he never intended.
The book is told from a variety of perspectives- some are from the people living in the fantasy world who don't realize they're just a TV show/movie series, and some are from people who know the truth and are shaping the plotline. I particularly enjoyed reading the perspectives of Glenn and Hannah. I enjoyed the worldbuilding and premise of the book- the idea that people are living their lives trapped in this simulation without realizing it is compelling! I also appreciated the overall commentary of the book on how these types of systems in society are inherently preying on people and trying to see how much profit they can personally make off of others, without caring about the cost/impact to other people.
What I didn't like was that some problems in the book were kind of glossed over- like when people are killed (and not really accidentally), no one at all seems to care- not the person's family members, not countries, none of the aware people working on the production (other than in passing being slightly upset about it). One time it's mentioned that a family is paid settlement money, and then it's never addressed again. It seems hard to believe that a TV/movie production would be constantly killing people with hardly any pushback from anyone. I also thought it seemed odd that apparently the original production had no thought to birth control for the actors- people on the set started procreating, and the attitudes towards these children were basically like they were props on the set. This can be explained by the main director losing his mind, but again it seems not quite plausible that every person on the production is fine with children dying and starving just for the plotline. I just thought that these two points could have been better explained/rationalized.
Overall, though, I enjoyed this book and it kept my attention throughout the story. I found the implied commentary about the carelessness that we can have towards others in society to be apt to what is happening in the world today.
The book is told from a variety of perspectives- some are from the people living in the fantasy world who don't realize they're just a TV show/movie series, and some are from people who know the truth and are shaping the plotline. I particularly enjoyed reading the perspectives of Glenn and Hannah. I enjoyed the worldbuilding and premise of the book- the idea that people are living their lives trapped in this simulation without realizing it is compelling! I also appreciated the overall commentary of the book on how these types of systems in society are inherently preying on people and trying to see how much profit they can personally make off of others, without caring about the cost/impact to other people.
What I didn't like was that some problems in the book were kind of glossed over- like when people are killed (and not really accidentally), no one at all seems to care- not the person's family members, not countries, none of the aware people working on the production (other than in passing being slightly upset about it). One time it's mentioned that a family is paid settlement money, and then it's never addressed again. It seems hard to believe that a TV/movie production would be constantly killing people with hardly any pushback from anyone. I also thought it seemed odd that apparently the original production had no thought to birth control for the actors- people on the set started procreating, and the attitudes towards these children were basically like they were props on the set. This can be explained by the main director losing his mind, but again it seems not quite plausible that every person on the production is fine with children dying and starving just for the plotline. I just thought that these two points could have been better explained/rationalized.
Overall, though, I enjoyed this book and it kept my attention throughout the story. I found the implied commentary about the carelessness that we can have towards others in society to be apt to what is happening in the world today.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
The summary of this book was made for me - but somehow knowing what was happening while reading made it much less impactful.
I found the time jumps much more confusing than helpful and it was a book that took on too many concepts to do any one all that well.
Absolutely amazing and terrifying concept. Ironically, would likely make for an interesting tv show if the text could be edited down to be a bit more coherent.
I found the time jumps much more confusing than helpful and it was a book that took on too many concepts to do any one all that well.
Absolutely amazing and terrifying concept. Ironically, would likely make for an interesting tv show if the text could be edited down to be a bit more coherent.
June 22, 2026
And now for something completely different different.
At times 2 stars, at times 4 stars. A disjointed original literary experiment.
At times 2 stars, at times 4 stars. A disjointed original literary experiment.
May 22, 2026
“It’s not reality TV. It is storytelling, at the grandest and most immersive scale. Imagine going to see a Malicarn movie and knowing it really happened.”
I was curious about this book long before I was able to sit down and read it. While I am not a big fantasy guy, and a Game of Thrones comparison does not sell me, The Truman Show was the one that worked. I am a PKD guy after all (and that movie felt PKD). The idea of a fantasy world where it is manufactured to fool one or more people that is the real thing that made me curious.
It should be noted that I root for every book that I read, and I never want to be critical, but writing reviews is one of the things I do. I have to be honest. This novel has many good elements, and it is clear the author is talented, but it also felt like there were several clear signs to me that this was a first-time novelist. I don't think it was ready for prime time, and whoever edited this didn't do it any Elrod any favors. It is not a bad book, and honestly, it was a great idea. I think maybe some readers who not into structure to the nerd level I am will actually have a better experience. Personally, I didn’t like the structure, and another draft could have fixed this in my opinion.
The Franchise is more Westworld than Truman Show, and it needed, in my opinion, to be more Time Out of Joint, and without spoiling that specific difference, let me talk for a minute about how PKD does horror Vs. Lovecraft. I think it is instructive about the limitations this book has.
Both writers deal with a certain amount of horror at the vast insanity of the universe. Lovecraft opens his stories with POV characters already crazy. Think of his characters as untuned guitar strings. PKD’s characters often are strings that slowly get pulled out of tune. The Franchise has a cool idea at its heart, but it needed the approach of stings slowly untuning. If I am really going to murder this analogy. The structure of the novel explained how strings were put on the guitar, tuned, and then they started to come undone.
This novel almost had the structure it needed, opening in the fantasy world of Malicarn, and then there is interesting stuff about the creation of it. How it is maintained, for me, these were the best parts of the novel. The problem was it was just done at the wrong time.
I think Westworld meets Game of Thrones is actually a truly fantastic pitch. Elrod clearly understands the genre. I certainly related to the origin of this fantasy world that started in a thinly veiled Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction. The problem is he front-loads this in the story.
There is a pretty effective part on page 85 that expresses the concept, and shows how the idea works..
“Do the advisors know?”
“No, Nobody does.”
“Except for you.”
“Yes and a few others. Kreek among them. Kreek is not his actual name, and he is not from Malicarn. His Real Name is Brian Doyle.”
Could’ve been an interesting reveal, but we were already time jumping in the early chapters with the development of the novels and the interesting backstory. The problem is I felt this should’ve been back-loaded.
I would rather be thrown into the deep end and be confused at first. If the answers are revealed, that is exciting. The first time author thing comes into play here, because I felt like Elrod or an editor thought the reader had to understand what was happening from early on. What this novel needed was characters we were hooked into, so we don’t mind being confused, and then we keep turning pages because we care about the characters and want the mystery solved.
The reality is that when I closed the novel, I remembered a lot about the setup, but I couldn’t name any characters. The Franchise is a perfect set-up for a TV series. Honestly, I think it will have a better life in that media than as a novel. Expanding the back story and the inner fantasy world is also something a show could do well. The theme of commercialism and disrespect for authorial intent was pretty well said. I am interested in what Elrod does next.
I was curious about this book long before I was able to sit down and read it. While I am not a big fantasy guy, and a Game of Thrones comparison does not sell me, The Truman Show was the one that worked. I am a PKD guy after all (and that movie felt PKD). The idea of a fantasy world where it is manufactured to fool one or more people that is the real thing that made me curious.
It should be noted that I root for every book that I read, and I never want to be critical, but writing reviews is one of the things I do. I have to be honest. This novel has many good elements, and it is clear the author is talented, but it also felt like there were several clear signs to me that this was a first-time novelist. I don't think it was ready for prime time, and whoever edited this didn't do it any Elrod any favors. It is not a bad book, and honestly, it was a great idea. I think maybe some readers who not into structure to the nerd level I am will actually have a better experience. Personally, I didn’t like the structure, and another draft could have fixed this in my opinion.
The Franchise is more Westworld than Truman Show, and it needed, in my opinion, to be more Time Out of Joint, and without spoiling that specific difference, let me talk for a minute about how PKD does horror Vs. Lovecraft. I think it is instructive about the limitations this book has.
Both writers deal with a certain amount of horror at the vast insanity of the universe. Lovecraft opens his stories with POV characters already crazy. Think of his characters as untuned guitar strings. PKD’s characters often are strings that slowly get pulled out of tune. The Franchise has a cool idea at its heart, but it needed the approach of stings slowly untuning. If I am really going to murder this analogy. The structure of the novel explained how strings were put on the guitar, tuned, and then they started to come undone.
This novel almost had the structure it needed, opening in the fantasy world of Malicarn, and then there is interesting stuff about the creation of it. How it is maintained, for me, these were the best parts of the novel. The problem was it was just done at the wrong time.
I think Westworld meets Game of Thrones is actually a truly fantastic pitch. Elrod clearly understands the genre. I certainly related to the origin of this fantasy world that started in a thinly veiled Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction. The problem is he front-loads this in the story.
There is a pretty effective part on page 85 that expresses the concept, and shows how the idea works..
“Do the advisors know?”
“No, Nobody does.”
“Except for you.”
“Yes and a few others. Kreek among them. Kreek is not his actual name, and he is not from Malicarn. His Real Name is Brian Doyle.”
Could’ve been an interesting reveal, but we were already time jumping in the early chapters with the development of the novels and the interesting backstory. The problem is I felt this should’ve been back-loaded.
I would rather be thrown into the deep end and be confused at first. If the answers are revealed, that is exciting. The first time author thing comes into play here, because I felt like Elrod or an editor thought the reader had to understand what was happening from early on. What this novel needed was characters we were hooked into, so we don’t mind being confused, and then we keep turning pages because we care about the characters and want the mystery solved.
The reality is that when I closed the novel, I remembered a lot about the setup, but I couldn’t name any characters. The Franchise is a perfect set-up for a TV series. Honestly, I think it will have a better life in that media than as a novel. Expanding the back story and the inner fantasy world is also something a show could do well. The theme of commercialism and disrespect for authorial intent was pretty well said. I am interested in what Elrod does next.
May 24, 2026
That’s a 3/5 because I had an entertaining time and at the same time it wasn’t* like amazing.
I wanted to read it because I saw on insta a promotional post from the publisher saying this was like if Truman show met a game of thrones and I looooooove Truman show so I jumped right in. I feel like Westworld would be a better comparison though!!
Random thought :
I wish we’d seen more of Hannah
Most of the characters are unlikeable (though there wouldn’t be any story if they were true hero tbh)
I kinda guessed what this was headed for quite early on
I did like what the author had to say / or tried to say through this story about Hollywood and AI and racism
A good book and for a first novel it’s really impressive! I’d be interested to see what that author does next
I wanted to read it because I saw on insta a promotional post from the publisher saying this was like if Truman show met a game of thrones and I looooooove Truman show so I jumped right in. I feel like Westworld would be a better comparison though!!
Random thought :
I wish we’d seen more of Hannah
Most of the characters are unlikeable (though there wouldn’t be any story if they were true hero tbh)
I kinda guessed what this was headed for quite early on
I did like what the author had to say / or tried to say through this story about Hollywood and AI and racism
A good book and for a first novel it’s really impressive! I’d be interested to see what that author does next
May 13, 2026
The Franchise is SUCH a cool concept, the idea of the lengths people will go to make money is wild.
This is a speculative fantasy fiction book where a production company has created their own world on an island to film fantasy movies and tv shows. Leaving people to the wolves and with them fully believing they are in a medieval setting… somehow I can see greedy corporations feeling totally fine with doing this.
There was a lot to love about this book but I did find some concepts not fully realized. Don’t get me wrong, this was still great but it could have been a five star with some tweaks to characters and plot elements.
Thank you Netgalley for an earc of this book!
This is a speculative fantasy fiction book where a production company has created their own world on an island to film fantasy movies and tv shows. Leaving people to the wolves and with them fully believing they are in a medieval setting… somehow I can see greedy corporations feeling totally fine with doing this.
There was a lot to love about this book but I did find some concepts not fully realized. Don’t get me wrong, this was still great but it could have been a five star with some tweaks to characters and plot elements.
Thank you Netgalley for an earc of this book!
May 13, 2026
The Franchise is Westworld and The Truman Show duking it out in a fantasy setting; it's fandom turned into reality that, for the most part, really worked for me - reality more than fantasy.
August 6, 2026
Really cool concept, but poor execution. I loved how the author satirized AI’s effect on the arts, but he forgot to make characters I actually gave a shit about. I really enjoy non-linear storytelling but a lot of this fled like a child/debut author playing with the rewind button on a tape machine
May 12, 2026
Thanks to MacMillan Publishers and Thomas Elrod for an Advanced Reader Copy - pub date 5/12/2026. A debut with a lot of promise and an interesting premise. Put forward as a mix of The Truman Show and Game of Thrones, The Franchise is what happens when high tech meets corporate greed meets obsessive-ness - both fandom and otherwise. It starts with a basic premise, really. A hugely popular fantasy book franchise drops on the world and, once the very particular author is passed, it is the absolute Wild West - tv shows, tie-ins, movies… and then they get their hands on experimental military tech that can rewrite a person’s memories ala Jason Bourne and someone gets the bright idea that, you know, we could just make real people into characters and plop them in the “world” and film it. We could even get these nutty fans to volunteer for free! But, like Jurassic Park, what looks good on paper turns out to be a cluster in real life. (The production team is honestly surprised that you need to have knowledgeable farmers to sustain a food source, for pete’s sake, which feels about par when you hear stories about real world productions.)
Enter a LOT of characters and, to be honest, one of the really impressive things that Elrod does is how unlikeable and flawed most of these characters are and yet how much you want to watch them. Especially the men. Boy, howdy, are the men absolute messes. Like reality show tv messes. Most of them are unstable, posturing jerks - concerned with only their own comfort or fame or recognition. Jules is 100% dreadful and narcissistic but Roger is not far behind in the delusional nutter stakes. Glen, our on-site Wizard actor, is the opposite - an absolute blank slate and just “getting along to get along.” It is rather fascinating to watch him hit the brick wall of having to actually figure out where his lines are and if he has a moral compass.
On the other side, you have two main female characters who could not be more different from each other or the men. Hannah is young and sheltered and you feel bad for the poor kid. Lilly is just DONE WITH IT ALL. She might also have her own mental issues but, well that’s par for this world. At least she is smart and capable and can think beyond the script.
The book is very complex and told slightly out of order and from various POVs. For the most part, this does not create confusion as everything is marked and separated. Once you get in the groove, you’ve got it. However, when you hit the climax, all bets are off and, holy cow, things get confusing and manic. In an attempt to share everything that is going on, Elrod jumps from character to character in the space of paragraphs, trying to give you the feel of an out of control, epic battle on screen. Most of the time, if you just go with it, it works (except for Roger - Roger’s voice is always a problem because he thinks he’s Mr Super Spy but he really is more like Maxwell Smart). The chaos and frantic pace is a fast spiral out of control and the writing clearly demonstrates how fast all of the shit is hitting the fan.
But then there is that one almost last chapter and it’s a doozy. Look, when you are messing with people’s minds and implanting memories and transferring ideas via machine, things are gonna get weird. Stream of consciousness weird. I still can’t decide how I feel about the chapter. I know what it was meant to do. I know that it was supposed to be jarring. Still… Wow.
Overall, the premise and thought behind the book is fantastic and interesting. I just feel there could have been some more streamlining, tidying, and character development in places. With such a big layered concept, you want to make sure you don’t confuse the reader. I look forward to what else Elrod turns out for us, though!
Enter a LOT of characters and, to be honest, one of the really impressive things that Elrod does is how unlikeable and flawed most of these characters are and yet how much you want to watch them. Especially the men. Boy, howdy, are the men absolute messes. Like reality show tv messes. Most of them are unstable, posturing jerks - concerned with only their own comfort or fame or recognition. Jules is 100% dreadful and narcissistic but Roger is not far behind in the delusional nutter stakes. Glen, our on-site Wizard actor, is the opposite - an absolute blank slate and just “getting along to get along.” It is rather fascinating to watch him hit the brick wall of having to actually figure out where his lines are and if he has a moral compass.
On the other side, you have two main female characters who could not be more different from each other or the men. Hannah is young and sheltered and you feel bad for the poor kid. Lilly is just DONE WITH IT ALL. She might also have her own mental issues but, well that’s par for this world. At least she is smart and capable and can think beyond the script.
The book is very complex and told slightly out of order and from various POVs. For the most part, this does not create confusion as everything is marked and separated. Once you get in the groove, you’ve got it. However, when you hit the climax, all bets are off and, holy cow, things get confusing and manic. In an attempt to share everything that is going on, Elrod jumps from character to character in the space of paragraphs, trying to give you the feel of an out of control, epic battle on screen. Most of the time, if you just go with it, it works (except for Roger - Roger’s voice is always a problem because he thinks he’s Mr Super Spy but he really is more like Maxwell Smart). The chaos and frantic pace is a fast spiral out of control and the writing clearly demonstrates how fast all of the shit is hitting the fan.
But then there is that one almost last chapter and it’s a doozy. Look, when you are messing with people’s minds and implanting memories and transferring ideas via machine, things are gonna get weird. Stream of consciousness weird. I still can’t decide how I feel about the chapter. I know what it was meant to do. I know that it was supposed to be jarring. Still… Wow.
Overall, the premise and thought behind the book is fantastic and interesting. I just feel there could have been some more streamlining, tidying, and character development in places. With such a big layered concept, you want to make sure you don’t confuse the reader. I look forward to what else Elrod turns out for us, though!
August 28, 2026
The Franchise
is pitched as The Truman Show meets Game of Thrones, and I get why the marketing team went there.
It's sort of like that, but with a stronger helping of 2017's Fyre Festival documentary and 2018's Replicas.
Thomas Elrod's ambitious debut is framed by "The Malicarn," a long-running fantasy epic by an eclectic French writer who spurned Hollywood but had his property posthumously sold out from under him.
After several successful movies and shareholder desire for better profits, a mercenary group of producers create the Malicarn for real on a remote Portuguese island.
Nearly all the principal cast get treated with a neuroscience device to live constantly in character. Supporting and background actors get a more cursory version of the technology. Cameras are installed all over the living set.
I mean, what's cooler than hanging out with an Ian McKellan-type who thinks he is Gandalf 24/7? Being the person who sells him bread at the market, that's what!
There's an old adage in time travel books or stories about people with past lives that most of us are not people of significance but instead doomed to live a life of drudgery.
The fans who sign up for the Malicarn experience don't seem to have read any of those books. It plays out about as well as you'd expect.
The Franchise lacks The Truman Show's singular focus on the one person not in on the joke, or the distinctive personalities and intricate plot that makes Game of Thrones so memorable.
Instead, there's a moment involving a key cast member that made me think of Yesteryear.
Natalie, that book's protagonist, has long sequences where she finds herself living the 1855 lifestyle she got famous espousing on Instagram. At one point, she wonders if her unhinged fantastical experience is real or perhaps an elaborate Truman-style gotcha, especially as her circumstances get more dangerous.
Would they kill a woman for entertainment? she wonders at one point. Is that the next frontier?
The Franchise poses similar questions and has equally cynical answers. I saw aspects of Natalie's experiences in a range of the characters.
It's marketed as fantasy, but it's more like upmarket/literary fiction in its framing of problems and characters.
Within the story, many people offer excuses for why they've never read the fantasy epics on which their whole reality is being framed. I still don't have a good sense of what the Malicarn world was supposed to be about or the arcs of its protagonists.
Nevertheless, it's an interesting book about art vs commerce, the construction of memory and reality, imposter syndrome, neuroscience and entertainment, with some classic shitty leaders calling the shots in the background.
I'd recommend it to readers looking for a Yesteryear kind of story, but not to folks craving character-driven fantasy immersion.
If that's your jam, you're better off with something like This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me by Ilona Andrews.
A 3.75 from me, rounded up.
Content warnings: racism, sexism, ableism, significant violence, misogynoir
It's sort of like that, but with a stronger helping of 2017's Fyre Festival documentary and 2018's Replicas.
Thomas Elrod's ambitious debut is framed by "The Malicarn," a long-running fantasy epic by an eclectic French writer who spurned Hollywood but had his property posthumously sold out from under him.
After several successful movies and shareholder desire for better profits, a mercenary group of producers create the Malicarn for real on a remote Portuguese island.
Nearly all the principal cast get treated with a neuroscience device to live constantly in character. Supporting and background actors get a more cursory version of the technology. Cameras are installed all over the living set.
I mean, what's cooler than hanging out with an Ian McKellan-type who thinks he is Gandalf 24/7? Being the person who sells him bread at the market, that's what!
There's an old adage in time travel books or stories about people with past lives that most of us are not people of significance but instead doomed to live a life of drudgery.
The fans who sign up for the Malicarn experience don't seem to have read any of those books. It plays out about as well as you'd expect.
The Franchise lacks The Truman Show's singular focus on the one person not in on the joke, or the distinctive personalities and intricate plot that makes Game of Thrones so memorable.
Instead, there's a moment involving a key cast member that made me think of Yesteryear.
Natalie, that book's protagonist, has long sequences where she finds herself living the 1855 lifestyle she got famous espousing on Instagram. At one point, she wonders if her unhinged fantastical experience is real or perhaps an elaborate Truman-style gotcha, especially as her circumstances get more dangerous.
Would they kill a woman for entertainment? she wonders at one point. Is that the next frontier?
The Franchise poses similar questions and has equally cynical answers. I saw aspects of Natalie's experiences in a range of the characters.
It's marketed as fantasy, but it's more like upmarket/literary fiction in its framing of problems and characters.
Within the story, many people offer excuses for why they've never read the fantasy epics on which their whole reality is being framed. I still don't have a good sense of what the Malicarn world was supposed to be about or the arcs of its protagonists.
Nevertheless, it's an interesting book about art vs commerce, the construction of memory and reality, imposter syndrome, neuroscience and entertainment, with some classic shitty leaders calling the shots in the background.
I'd recommend it to readers looking for a Yesteryear kind of story, but not to folks craving character-driven fantasy immersion.
If that's your jam, you're better off with something like This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me by Ilona Andrews.
A 3.75 from me, rounded up.
Content warnings: racism, sexism, ableism, significant violence, misogynoir
May 9, 2026
What a solid debut novel. This was a thought-provoking, unique story that sucked me in from the first chapter.
The characters and world building are captivating; the social commentary: A+.
In the book, you follow Jean-Danton Souard, who becomes a breakout fantasy author. Upon his death, his son carries on The Malicarn storyline and sells the movie and TV rights. This results in a first-of-its-kind recreation of the book world where real people live and are unknowingly filmed.
The slightly dystopian, ethically dubious arrangement is a focal point through the story, driving unique plot points and propping up morally gray characters. I really appreciated the subtle satire regarding capitalism, fandom, technology, etc. The book stirred so many questions (in a good way).
My main criticism is the slightly clunky changes in timeline and POV, which at times was a powerful tool but sometimes was more distracting. This may also be slightly resolved through formatting of the final work.
Overall I really enjoyed and highly recommend this book; I just need more people to read this because I want to talk about it!
And beyond the obvious, I think it has overlapping vibes with:
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow
The Hobit
Feed
Thank you to Net Galley for an advanced copy.
The characters and world building are captivating; the social commentary: A+.
In the book, you follow Jean-Danton Souard, who becomes a breakout fantasy author. Upon his death, his son carries on The Malicarn storyline and sells the movie and TV rights. This results in a first-of-its-kind recreation of the book world where real people live and are unknowingly filmed.
The slightly dystopian, ethically dubious arrangement is a focal point through the story, driving unique plot points and propping up morally gray characters. I really appreciated the subtle satire regarding capitalism, fandom, technology, etc. The book stirred so many questions (in a good way).
My main criticism is the slightly clunky changes in timeline and POV, which at times was a powerful tool but sometimes was more distracting. This may also be slightly resolved through formatting of the final work.
Overall I really enjoyed and highly recommend this book; I just need more people to read this because I want to talk about it!
And beyond the obvious, I think it has overlapping vibes with:
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow
The Hobit
Feed
Thank you to Net Galley for an advanced copy.
May 19, 2026
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the arc.
This book was so much fun! The evolution of what could happen to a franchise, especially with mind-bending techniques, was so scary and really interesting. I loved seeing the implications of what they were doing, but all in all, for the love of the story. Some authors wish to see that kind of setting, but to find out what happened to it. Almost Game of Thrones Season 8 all over again!
I really enjoyed it.
This book was so much fun! The evolution of what could happen to a franchise, especially with mind-bending techniques, was so scary and really interesting. I loved seeing the implications of what they were doing, but all in all, for the love of the story. Some authors wish to see that kind of setting, but to find out what happened to it. Almost Game of Thrones Season 8 all over again!
I really enjoyed it.
Read
June 8, 2026I reviewed this intriguing, though not entirely successful novel for the June 20206 issue of Locus.
June 27, 2026
I would like to thank the publisher for sending me an audio-arc in exchange for an honest review through NetGalley.
When a fantasy writer pitches the idea for a fantasy novel to a publisher, he never could have imagined what would happen to his work. And as the Malicorn becomes more reality than fantasy, it’ll be up to the people living that life to decide who has more power – the people or the entertainment industry.
This was one of those books that really make you think, because there is no gentle way to be thrown into this book. What starts as one book feels like a completely different one rather quickly, and it becomes your job to read between the lines and figure out where on the timeline you are. I loved the whole Truman Show aspect to this as I found that to be absolutely fascinating, but I also loved the actual fantasy built into this world. I thought the writing was well done and a little dry at times, but in a way that still made it enjoyable. I think this could have been a five star book for me if it wasn’t for the fact that I had such a hard time figuring out timeline shifts and who was who (which is probably much easier to figure out and follow when you physically read it). Overall, I found this to be a pretty wild plot with so, so many layers, and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys ridiculousness, Game of Thrones, the Truman Show, and anything where the narrator has such a dry sense of humor.
When a fantasy writer pitches the idea for a fantasy novel to a publisher, he never could have imagined what would happen to his work. And as the Malicorn becomes more reality than fantasy, it’ll be up to the people living that life to decide who has more power – the people or the entertainment industry.
This was one of those books that really make you think, because there is no gentle way to be thrown into this book. What starts as one book feels like a completely different one rather quickly, and it becomes your job to read between the lines and figure out where on the timeline you are. I loved the whole Truman Show aspect to this as I found that to be absolutely fascinating, but I also loved the actual fantasy built into this world. I thought the writing was well done and a little dry at times, but in a way that still made it enjoyable. I think this could have been a five star book for me if it wasn’t for the fact that I had such a hard time figuring out timeline shifts and who was who (which is probably much easier to figure out and follow when you physically read it). Overall, I found this to be a pretty wild plot with so, so many layers, and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys ridiculousness, Game of Thrones, the Truman Show, and anything where the narrator has such a dry sense of humor.
August 21, 2026
I can definitely see the reason people have referenced "The Truman Show" and "Westworld" with respect to this book, which is both a classic fantasy story with royalty, peasantry and magic, and a story in our world about a hugely popular book made into a hugely popular set of movies based on the books, which are set in a detailed secondary, fantasy world.
A French author wrote several books set in the secondary world, which he called Malicarn. He was very protective of his work, refusing to sell the rights to any movie studio, all of whom wanted to make mega bucks on adaptations and associated merch.
But when he died, his son had not interests in artistic integrity, preferring instead the bags of cash he'd receive. So he sold the rights to a studio, who began making serious cash on a Malicarn movie, which soon became the Malicarn franchise, with multiple blockbusters.
The studio executive in charge of all this decided to bring a scientist on board who could implement a new memory altering technology. This technology would be used on the actors, who would then be dropped into the realistic looking fantasy world created by the studio.
After the memory wipe, the actors were the identities grafted onto their brains. These people truly believe they are who they're supposed to be (e.g., Buck Douglas is a farmer, Hannah is a princess). These mind-wiped people in fact also marry, have kids and die within the environment. While outside this there is a huge team of people to keep the illusion alive for the public and continue to bring in large profits for the studio
Of all the people interacting in Malicarn, Gregorian the wizard, played by a friend of the studio exec, was never mind-wiped, and periodically returns to his real life. When he starts to get somewhat uncomfortable with his role in this whole situation, and Buck and Hannah begin going off-script, so to speak, the studio needs to make increasingly outrageous and dangerous changes to keep their profits rolling in.
I think author Thomas Elrod has a lot to say about the predatory nature of corporations, i.e., the ethics of manipulating people who make their profits possible. Whether the exploitation of creatives or the power of fandoms, this book delves into these with a satirical bent, but is serious about its subject matter.
Elrod goes back and forth between the fantasy world and how it's going off the rails, to the machinations in the real world, where profit is king, technology is misused, people are harmed in the process.
I found the concept interesting, and parts of the narrative darkly amusing; the story intrigued me. But as the dual narratives progressed, I became less engaged. I'm not saying I didn't enjoy this story. Rather, I liked it for what it was saying and even liked the way it did, though Elrod did get increasingly heavy handed in the condemnation of corporate ethics closer to the end.
The audiobook was competently voiced by John Pirhalla. I liked his Gregorian, in particular.
I think this story is good, but not great.
Thank you to Netgalley and to Macmillan Audio for this ARC in exchange for my review.
A French author wrote several books set in the secondary world, which he called Malicarn. He was very protective of his work, refusing to sell the rights to any movie studio, all of whom wanted to make mega bucks on adaptations and associated merch.
But when he died, his son had not interests in artistic integrity, preferring instead the bags of cash he'd receive. So he sold the rights to a studio, who began making serious cash on a Malicarn movie, which soon became the Malicarn franchise, with multiple blockbusters.
The studio executive in charge of all this decided to bring a scientist on board who could implement a new memory altering technology. This technology would be used on the actors, who would then be dropped into the realistic looking fantasy world created by the studio.
After the memory wipe, the actors were the identities grafted onto their brains. These people truly believe they are who they're supposed to be (e.g., Buck Douglas is a farmer, Hannah is a princess). These mind-wiped people in fact also marry, have kids and die within the environment. While outside this there is a huge team of people to keep the illusion alive for the public and continue to bring in large profits for the studio
Of all the people interacting in Malicarn, Gregorian the wizard, played by a friend of the studio exec, was never mind-wiped, and periodically returns to his real life. When he starts to get somewhat uncomfortable with his role in this whole situation, and Buck and Hannah begin going off-script, so to speak, the studio needs to make increasingly outrageous and dangerous changes to keep their profits rolling in.
I think author Thomas Elrod has a lot to say about the predatory nature of corporations, i.e., the ethics of manipulating people who make their profits possible. Whether the exploitation of creatives or the power of fandoms, this book delves into these with a satirical bent, but is serious about its subject matter.
Elrod goes back and forth between the fantasy world and how it's going off the rails, to the machinations in the real world, where profit is king, technology is misused, people are harmed in the process.
I found the concept interesting, and parts of the narrative darkly amusing; the story intrigued me. But as the dual narratives progressed, I became less engaged. I'm not saying I didn't enjoy this story. Rather, I liked it for what it was saying and even liked the way it did, though Elrod did get increasingly heavy handed in the condemnation of corporate ethics closer to the end.
The audiobook was competently voiced by John Pirhalla. I liked his Gregorian, in particular.
I think this story is good, but not great.
Thank you to Netgalley and to Macmillan Audio for this ARC in exchange for my review.
May 14, 2026
Game of Thrones is one of my favorite shows ever and The Truman Show is in my Letterboxd top 4 (depending on the day) so obviously this one has been on my radar for a bit. And it definitely lived up to the hype for me, it had that underlying darkness that I was hoping for along with a really fun story. The multiple POVs both inside and outside of the fantasy world was a great way to structure it, and I liked the Hollywood satire and fantasy politics as well. The ending was great too, and I’ll for sure be on the lookout for the author’s future novels.
Did Not Finish
May 18, 2026This book unfortunately was a bit of a miss for me. The concept is very interesting, a reality fantasy style world cut off from the real world. The magical world is presented in the story as a real fantasy story. The characters don't seem to know they are in a separate reality. In alternate chapters we see the outside world and the development of this unique story set up. I struggled to connect the two stories or really connect with any of the characters without that sense of how they were working alongside each other.
Read
June 16, 2026Step right up into Thomas Elrod's The Franchise, where you can scan into the world of Malicarn and its elaborate IP spinoffs, and hope it doesn't collapse on itself. Sasha Bonkowsky reviews a novel aimed at identity and franchising
September 2, 2026
A fascinating read, somewhat different from my typical reads. It's fantasy with magic and dragons but within a Hollywood controlled setting. It's a story within a book and a movie and a TV series and overlapping with real life. I applaud the creativity in this! Thanks to MacMillan Audio for the copy!
May 30, 2026
Stalled at about 30% and fully intend to finish if/when I get an audiobook edition. The premise is a promising mishmash of Westworld/Truman Show type immersive and recreational worldbuilding. The writing is quite introspective and incisive about the nature of escapism. entertainment and late-stage capitalism. However, I'm struggling with the large number of POVs across time and the resulting disjointed narrative flow. Too many fanboy dudebro type characters that are bleeding together and the non-linear storytelling becomes exponentially harder when it's multiple stories about the story. Still interesting and subversive enough that I'll try to finish it at some point.
August 27, 2026
Lots of ambition, but the character work is flat.
The Fyre Festival meets Game of Thrones meets Neuromancer, only there’s no one to root for or care about. Has flashes where it comes together but was a slog at points.
It’s a cynical exercise where everyone and everything is out for themselves, with one or two exceptions. There are also several characters who espouse openly racist, ableist and misogynistic views. One of the exceptions embodies all three of those traits and is routinely picked on by the jerks. I don't know why that was necessary. We already knew they were jerks without that.
While I understand what’s being done here, it was unpleasant to read.
If I wanted a cynical take on the big corporate/entertainment/tech industry, I’d pick up a Cory Doctorow book.
The Fyre Festival meets Game of Thrones meets Neuromancer, only there’s no one to root for or care about. Has flashes where it comes together but was a slog at points.
It’s a cynical exercise where everyone and everything is out for themselves, with one or two exceptions. There are also several characters who espouse openly racist, ableist and misogynistic views. One of the exceptions embodies all three of those traits and is routinely picked on by the jerks. I don't know why that was necessary. We already knew they were jerks without that.
While I understand what’s being done here, it was unpleasant to read.
If I wanted a cynical take on the big corporate/entertainment/tech industry, I’d pick up a Cory Doctorow book.
Did Not Finish
July 24, 2026I lost interest in the book fairly early on. The concept sounded great, but I was distracted and never really got into it enough to keep going.
August 28, 2026
2.5⭐️
Not very good, but enjoyable enough. Premise was cool and had me hooked, but felt like the author left a lot of meat on the bone and could’ve explored some concepts in greater depth.
Not very good, but enjoyable enough. Premise was cool and had me hooked, but felt like the author left a lot of meat on the bone and could’ve explored some concepts in greater depth.
September 17, 2026
The story delivers what the tagline promises, but also--make it depressing.
July 7, 2026
Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan audio for the ARC of this audiobook.
This one didn't hit for me. It was an interesting premise but poorly executed. A bit confusing to follow along.
This one didn't hit for me. It was an interesting premise but poorly executed. A bit confusing to follow along.
Did Not Finish
June 25, 2026DNF @12%
Just bounced off the first few chapters and wasn't feeling it
Just bounced off the first few chapters and wasn't feeling it
June 2, 2026
absolute banger. I keep thinking abt this book even a month later
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