Canon

by Paige Lewis

This is a story of two prophets.

Yara can't comprehend why God has chosen them to slay Dominic, the ruthless leader of the army of Bad Guys. Cast out by their family and reeling from a destructive relationship, Yara has never felt weaker; but with nothing to lose, they reluctantly strike a deal and Yara embarks on a perilous odyssey designed to prepare them for the daunting mission ahead.

Meanwhile Adrena, a disillusioned prophet with a terrifying secret power, is determined to become the hero of this story. Desperately seeking the glory of God's approval and the promise of heaven, Adrena must first persuade Harpo, the leader of the army of Good Guys, that her plan is God's will.

As their journeys unfold in a series of unforgettable adventures, Yara and Adrena are propelled toward each other and transformative revelations about life, death, and destiny in this intensely captivating, irreverent epic from a singularly brilliant new voice in fiction.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Queer, LGBT, Literary Fiction, Magical Realism, Science Fiction

480 pages, Paperback

First published May 19, 2026

About the author

Paige Lewis is the author of Canon (Viking, 2026) and Space Struck (Sarabande Books, 2019).

Reviews

[Liana Gold · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sometimes the weirdest, quirkiest and most ridiculous books are the best ones out there. This was weird and absurd and interesting?! It felt imaginative and original and read like it was written from a child’s imagination. Canon is a not so little, little book about a quest to reaching your destiny, told through a perspective of two protagonists who go on a journey that is genre bending.


FULL REVIEW TO FOLLOW

Another BOTM pick of mine from May which I haven’t go to up until now. This one is full of prophets and battles and a fantastical plot with talking whales, oysters that sing and a God that arrives on Earth wearing a tracksuit! There is an army of Bad Guys and Yara was the one chosen to slay its leader, Dominic. So we follow Yara's journey, meanwhile there is another delusional prophet--Adrena, who is determined to become the hero of this story.. despite not being chosen for the task by God. This sounds all crazy? and I am here for it.

Lewis is a new voice in literary fiction. Canon is receiving very positive and raving reviews for its originality and impressive writing!

[Book Riot Community]

Book Riot’s Most Anticipated Books of 2026:

Do you love riotously original novels that make you feel like nothing will ever be the same after you read it? Then get ready to have your brains melted by this incredible debut. It's about Yara, who receives a message from God, telling them they need to slay one of the Earth's Bad Guys. Not one to question a missive from above for too long, Yara strikes a deal and sets off on their assignment. Meanwhile a downcast prophet with a hidden power is hoping to get in good with the man upstairs and carries out her own plan. So prepare yourself: Canon is a mind-bending adventure about life, death, and fate that will ruin your life, in the best way. —Liberty Hardy

[Grace Carter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. I absolutely loved this wacky wild book. LGBTQ+ rep? Commentary on how we are screwing up the oceans? Struggles with spirituality amd relationships with God? Yeah okay.

I loved the narration of this book, the way the chapters and separate books were written. I felt like it flowed organically and this epic story kept me wanting to read more. This book felt very Welcome to Night Vale but also Hitchhiker's Guide with it's own twist.

(Also, side note, I Loved that Yara's weapon was a tent peg. Jael and Sisera? That's crazy)

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC!

[Nel · Rating 2 out of 5]

well. the moral of this story is that the quirky only takes u so far. in the absence of an intriguing plot, ur characters need to be top notch to carry the book, esp when the book is almost 500 pages. but they are not top-notch, they are not even mid-notch. its more like when u build ur chars from ao3 tags.

[Marlo Bowman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you NetGallery for the eARC!!!

I’m sincerely at a loss of words for how to describe this novel. It was so unique within formatting, dividing the entirety of the book into separate books all while shifting perspectives when needed. All the while you are being told the story, but from whose perspective? Who’s to say.

I enjoyed the chaotic energy this story exudes. One moment there is talk of prophets and God, then the next there are references to Jeopardy and going to the mall, and then you’re back to battle and death (and clearing the battle field for a dog!). I felt crazy whiplash in certain moments, but in a funny and captivating way. I could never quite get a grasp on the time this story takes place or exactly what kind of Earth this is, and I thought that to be perfect.

More spoiler-esc here:

I enjoyed that there wasn’t really a settled conclusion. Yara was sung out of existence, or really, sung into their own freedom. Their story felt complete, or more in the way that they are able to move and live for themself. However, with Adrena and Harpo, I found that their stories didn’t entirely conclude. Adrena is no longer a prophet, free to live her life and romance, but I didn’t feel that this concluded her story. Perhaps it is similar to Yara’s, this idea of being freed from God, but it wasn’t as conclusive I feel. And Harpo, poor Harpo. Still beckoning to God’s will and not yet finding his wife. Yet I found myself in love with each of their stories.

I also enjoyed the chaos of God. He is a figure of chaos throughout this novel, even revealing that Dominic wasn’t as evil as proposed to the Good Guys. I would enjoy this narrative from Dominic’s side as well.

A really fantastic book. I hope that this novel gets all of the praise and attention it deserves.

[Olivia · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is my first time reading this author and I am shocked to report that I... really did not like this book. It was an incredibly neutral read until the last 10% of the story where my feelings skewed toward displeasure. I will probably be the minority on this, and like good art it did make me feel something.

That something was irritation.

There was no real payoff for any of the plotlines and the moments that I felt Lewis wanted to be impactful, weren't. The amount of references, both current and classical, were abundant and exhausting. This is told in a humorious style while trying to comment on big ideas of faith and belonging, similar in feel of Taika Waititi's work.
In the end, I was left exasperated.

Undeniably a unique book, but just not for me.

[Liz Warners · Rating 3 out of 5]

this book was very unique and intriguing. but I was left wanting so much more. I wanted more world building to understand the landscape - somewhere totally religious, with a business-like God, where soldiers do wheelies in their chariots, and where you go to the mall to find a soundtrack for your battle tomorrow. I also wanted more character development. I felt like I had too little time with the many colorful personalities and I didn't feel like any of the characters were 'wrapped up' by the end. so glad I read this, but I have lots of unanswered questions.

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

What the heck did I just read.

It's fantastic. It's, wow, very different. Lyrical. Wildly irreverent. Not like anything else I can think of that I've ever read. The publisher's blurb references other books, but I'm not familiar with them and can't opine on how accurate the comparisons are.

In structure, in mind-feel, this is very like reading an epic poem. And that impression felt a little daunting when I first started reading, because I worried that might affect my ability to get into the story. Turns out there was no cause for concern--I got sucked in and had trouble putting it down.

I'm impressed and delighted that something as original and difficult to fit into a genre as this is being published.

All the chapter headings are asides from an omniscient 3rd party narrator to the reader, breaking the fourth wall. They're often hilarious. There is humor throughout, but it doesn't detract from the emotional weight of the book. The story takes place completely untethered to a set time and place: there are shopping malls and telephones, but the battle between Good Guys and Bad Guys takes place on horses and chariots, wielding spears and swords.

Since I was spared a religious upbringing, I'm sometimes left unmoved by stories that deal with the complications of faith and disillusionment. It's not an element of books I tend to gravitate to, but while there is a God and Catholicism and all the trappings of various forms of organized religion in this world, the questions and conflicts feel existential and universally human, so I wasn't put at a remove from the story by them.

The author wields absurdity with surgical precision in a way that can only remind me of Vonnegut, which is marvelous.

Readers who don't care for surrealism or for dreamlike elements in their fiction making the reality of the story feel slippery may be put off. Think Piranesi but (a lot) less self-serious. I loved that, but your mileage may vary. If the book has a weakness, it's that the ending felt a little bit anticlimactic.

I think this will be well worth rereading.

I got an ARC from the publisher and Netgalley, which doesn't affect my reviews, but I do put a finger on the scales by generally only requesting books I think I'm likely to enjoy. In this case, I had no idea whether I would like it, but I was intrigued by how very weird it sounded. It is weird--and brilliant--and I'm really glad I decided to give it a try.

[Katie D · Rating 2 out of 5]

You ever meet a person that is trying desperately to make A Deep And Philosophical Point but is actually just gargling nonsense the entire time? Yeah that's what this is

[Douglas Scully · Rating 2 out of 5]

I went into this book expecting it to be one of my favorites of the year, but it was just exhausting because I personally didn’t care for the style. I wanted better world building (which wasn’t helped by my lack of nostalgia for the 1990s, so all the references just left me meh) and more time with the characters so I could care about them instead of flitting from one half-formed idea to the next. It was definitely entertaining in parts, and a quick read, but it was just overall a frustrating experience.

[Isabella Basile · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mayhaps my new favorite book of all time. Perfect for the weirdos who loved Welcome to Night Vale in their teens.

[louise ʚଓ · Rating 4 out of 5]

| rating: 3.75 stars


Yara never expected to be chosen by God to slay Dominic, the leader of the Bad Guys. Kicked out by their family and trying to recover from a terrible relationship, Yara is not your typical hero. Yet, they make a deal with God and reluctantly go on a perilous journey to prepare for the dangerous mission ahead of them. Andrena is a prophet abandoned by God who is determined to be the one to defeat the Bad Guys. Desperate to have her own Assumption, like Mother Mary and her own mother, she joins forces with Harpo, the leader of the Good Guys to defeat Dominic in the Big Battle.

Canon’s literary structure reads almost like an epistolary work. The chapters are separated into books and these books are cut up into smaller mini-chapters. The result is this sort of disjointed narrative that is equal parts ridiculously hilarious but also incredibly dark and poignant. Canon is a reflection of modernity, seen in the eyes of marginalized narrators. The representation in this book is fantastic. Almost everyone is queer and neurodivergent, except for maybe Harpo, the poor guy who just wants his wife back.

The plot is fairly simple. There is a war going on between the Bad Guys (led by Dominic) and the Good Guys (led by Harpo), which started when the Bad Guys kidnapped Harpo’s wife. There is little world building for this book, but I didn’t mind because I could tell that this was meant to be social commentary/in-depth character study. All the characters were incredibly real (prophets, Chosen ones, and war aside) and their issues were real things that people go through.

I do think that the structure of this book hindered the actual content. Even though this book was nearly 500 pages, I felt like it was too short. The ending was fairly anticlimactic and I felt like there were a lot of loose ends.

Still a fairly great read! I really enjoyed myself.

Thank you to NetGalley and Viking/Penguin Random House for the e-ARC!

[Katie Long · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 rounded down. I found myself appreciating the wit and style more than actually enjoying the wit and style

[Diane · Rating 1 out of 5]

It started out quirky and fun, but by page 401, I wanted to throw it across the room. I tried to finish it, but the battle scenes were so fucking annoying. I hated every character in this book, except for the whale.

[Nat · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been wrestling with this review for days. I don’t know how to talk about this book, and I’m so afraid of doing it wrong or doing it poorly. But I suppose that’s a risk I’ll have to take.

Wonderfully weird. Unstuck in time. Canon reminds me a little of Vonnegut, a little of Pratchett, but it is also wholly unique and unlike anything I’ve ever read.

Yara, a non-binary 18-year-old with OCD, begrudgingly embarks on a quest given to them by God. The prophet Adrena is beside herself when she learns that Yara has been chosen for this mission instead of her and, desperate for bodily assumption into heaven, decides to take matters into her own hands.

Canon is so many things. It is uproariously funny, completely absurd, and pulsing with both hope and dread throughout. It’s an epic about two people grappling with meaning and purpose in a tremendously fucked up world. It’s exactly what I needed right now.

*Thank you to @NetGalley and @vikingbooks for the ARC!* Canon comes out on May 19, 2026, and is available for pre-order now. You should pre-order it, I promise you won’t be disappointed.

[Lukasz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m still not entirely sure what to make of Canon. I liked it. I read it ridiculously fast. I had fun with it more often than not. But there were also moments when I felt that not every clever idea needs to announce itself quite so loudly.

The premise is great. God is real, walks around in physical form, and behaves less like an all-knowing cosmic being and more like a powerful, slightly insecure manager trying to improve declining engagement metrics. He picks Yara, a nonbinary teenager with OCD and a long list of personal problems, to kill Dominic, leader of the Bad Guys. Meanwhile Adrena, a prophet who feels she got passed over for the starring role, decides she might as well save the world herself.

From there the book turns into a very strange quest filled with talking whales, shopping malls treated like mythic landscapes, and biblical references. Also, Homeric references, pop culture references, and references to references. At times it felt like Paige Lewis had every story ever written spread across a giant table and was happily grabbing pieces from all of them.

Sometimes it works nicely, but sometimes it feels self-indulgent and rather impressed with how nicely it works. That's probably my biggest criticism. Canon is constantly commenting on itself, winking at the reader, pulling apart heroic narratives, discussing storytelling while telling a story. I enjoyed a lot of it, but there were moments where I felt the novel was getting slightly too high on its own supply. Very clever. Very aware that it's clever.

Still, I can't deny that I kept turning pages.

Partly because the structure makes it almost impossible not to. Most chapters are only a page or two long. Some are barely a paragraph. A few feel like punchlines. The result is that the book flies. I also genuinely liked the characters. Yara and Adrena are both dealing with loneliness, faith, identity, and the feeling that somebody else may have already written the script for their lives. Underneath all the jokes and absurdity, there's something surprisingly sincere going on. Despite all the meta tricks, the book is often very funny.

I don't think Canon completely worked for me. It's self-indulgent, and chaotic. Occasionally it disappears down its own intellectual rabbit holes. But it's also original in a way that very few books are. I'd much rather read an ambitious book that occasionally gets carried away than a safe one I'll forget a week later.

And there's absolutely no chance I'll forget this one anytime soon.

[Ruxandra Grrr · Rating 3 out of 5]

Finished this about 10 days ago and I can't say that it's left a mark on me. Maybe it's not my thing? But if I were to say why it isn't my thing, it would probably be the very short chapters - don't be fooled by the 480 page count, the audiobook is only 10 hours, which just don't give the story and the characters enough richness and layers for me, nor room to actually breathe in there. I'm sure I'm just way more demanding than most when it comes to books, so I wouldn't say: don't read this.

The bits I liked most, where I thought it was super fresh and interesting and laden with commentary, were the ones near the end, and they involved the war (honestly shocked, as I hate war bits in general, but what Lewis did with that was really good).

[Bree · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 ⭐️

Super weird but addictively hilarious! 😂

I had such a fun time reading this. Yara is asked by God to eliminate Dominic, a powerful leader of the Bad Guys, despite having no fighting experience. Adrena doesn’t believe Yara should be the hero, so she attempts to fight Dominic before Yara gets the chance.

The story is written in a way with a very prominent narrator, which took some getting used to. Also, this is an urban fantasy set in the 90s, so there are scenes that take place in a Sears and the characters watch TV, but they also ride horses, fight with swords, and use shields??!

On the other hand, this was just so funny and entertaining that the things I liked outweighed the rest. I was originally a little skeptical about how much religion played into the plot, but this was written in such a satirical way that it just worked.

Thank you to NetGalley and Viking Penguin for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

[Aydin Truong · Rating 4 out of 5]

Looney tunes book! Veers a little into random = funny territory, but super unique. The chapter titles form their own conversation with the reader, the year the book is set in almost changes on a whim, there’s a whale named HOWBIG!, and lots of gay people. I just wish it landed the plane better - for a pretty long book (even if page structure means it’s not ~really~ that long), the ending was super cramped and unsatisfactory.

[Martin Greenberg · Rating 2 out of 5]

Reading this felt like the way DEET must feel to a mosquito. I just found the Reddit le epic bacon quirk chungus Joss Whedon prose so repellent and unfunny it was hard to focus on anything else.

[Yden · Rating 2 out of 5]

it’s not that this book is bad. its maybe just not a book for me.

i like the format, the story is rather plain, the language is plain, and the characters are extremely shallow.

The whole book is half baked. . . quarter baked???

unspecific language and overly literal recounting has made modern writing so bad, it’s like authors are afraid to write. i’m confused.

The coolest part are the things on the cover and those are the LEAST talked about , least depth given parts.

[David Gomez · Rating 3 out of 5]

3/5
I, for one, don't quite enjoy surrealism, and most allusions to Christianity and Catholicism goes over my head, so this book was just not for me. I liked Yara but their journey was not that interesting. Adrena, Harpo, and Sivan's storyline was compelling, mostly cause it resembled stories I've read prior, and I really liked the concept of a prophet trying to prove God wrong. HOWBIG! the whale was a good addition, and I liked that it very blatantly showed God as a douchebag. Most of this story flew over my head or I didn't understand what, why, or how this all worked.

[John Caleb Grenn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Started off very very fun, but the swapping back and forth between narrators completely took the wind out the book’s sails, which then made the quirky tone and voice just fall flatter and flatter and flatter. great ideas here and a good sense of humor.

I received an advance early copy of this book from the publisher.

[Julia McCall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Truly the best book I’ve read in a long time.

[John Waites · Rating 5 out of 5]

Canon is one of those books that sounds completely ridiculous when you try to explain it, but somehow it all works.

You’ve got a whale named HOWBIG! who used to be Jacques Cousteau, prophets trying to earn God’s approval, armies called the Good Guys and Bad Guys, and a massive quest sitting underneath all of it. But beyond all the weirdness and humor, this book is really about purpose. About trying to understand what you’re meant to do with your life when the answers never feel clear.

What Paige Lewis managed to do very well was to show how human the characters felt underneath all the fantasy elements. Yara struggling with OCD while being asked to commit violence. Adrena spending her whole life preparing for something only to be told she’s no longer needed. People trying so hard to be “good” while also questioning whether pleasing an all-powerful God is even possible in the first place.

It’s messy, funny, painful, creative, and honestly unlike anything else I’ve read in a while.

I still don’t think I can fully explain why this book worked so well for me, only that it did. It left me thinking a lot about faith, purpose, and the idea that maybe we already have what we need to survive whatever life throws at us.

[Nadine in California]

I DNF'ed at about page 50. It's me, not the book. It felt like a kind of 21st century alt-version of Neil Gaiman or Tom Robbins at their most whimsical. The main character Yara is adorkable. (I just discovered that word and I'm so happy this book gave me a reason to use it!) The author is also a poet and it shows -her language has a buoyancy that fits the story, and lyrical, unfussy sentences that can stand on their own.

[Baker · Rating 5 out of 5]

I often want to save 5 star reviews for books that changed my life, for amazing and deep books that really transcend. While this book didn't change my life I have no criticisms. It's just fun. It's wacky, laugh-out-loud funny, has deep themes of gender, right vs wrong, religion, etc. The writing is hilarious, punchy, and the plot moves quickly. There's a difference between a 5-star steak and a 5-star potato chip. This book is potato chips and it's delicious.

[Acnegoddess · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was awesome. Equal parts hilarious and heartfelt, it is truly an epic for the modern era.

[Olivia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful. Humorous. Absurd but in the best way. Maybe because I was having some bad OCD issues when I started this book, but it felt like a mirror shinning against my face and reflecting comfort. Yara is painfully relatable. Adrena and Sivan are amazing. HOWBIG! My beloved.
If you like the Odyssey but want it gayer and more Catholic guilt this is for you.

[maggielikestoread · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was delightfully bizarre! HIGHLY enjoyed. Many contemplations on how humans are ruining the oceans and land as well as some deeply insightful commentary on martyrdom. I loved this!