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Termina Station: A Novel
Not yet published
Expected 23 Feb 27Joe Hill’s
NOS4A2
meets Ray Bradbury’s Something Wicked This Way Comes in this captivating novel about a father trapped in Knowhere, a deadly border town between life and death, run by the sinister Mister Teeth.
When Roger falls asleep on the train after a long day at work, he’s shocked to learn he isn’t stuck at the end of the line. Instead, he emerges from the last stop to step out into the rainy gloom...in a place he’s never heard Knowhere, where monsters roam at night and the only way home is to travel through each of the five ringdoms to the very center. It is only there, at Termina Station, that he can take a train out of Knowhere and return to his wife and children.
But each ringdom has its own twisted logic, and the ticketmaster, Mister Teeth, isn’t keen on letting Roger out of Knowhere. With Mister Teeth’s son in tow, Roger hopes he has what it takes to puzzle his way out of each ringdom and face his demons in the process. But Mister Teeth is a powerful enemy, and he’ll do anything to stop his son from boarding the train at Termina Station.
When Roger falls asleep on the train after a long day at work, he’s shocked to learn he isn’t stuck at the end of the line. Instead, he emerges from the last stop to step out into the rainy gloom...in a place he’s never heard Knowhere, where monsters roam at night and the only way home is to travel through each of the five ringdoms to the very center. It is only there, at Termina Station, that he can take a train out of Knowhere and return to his wife and children.
But each ringdom has its own twisted logic, and the ticketmaster, Mister Teeth, isn’t keen on letting Roger out of Knowhere. With Mister Teeth’s son in tow, Roger hopes he has what it takes to puzzle his way out of each ringdom and face his demons in the process. But Mister Teeth is a powerful enemy, and he’ll do anything to stop his son from boarding the train at Termina Station.
- GenresHorror
Kindle Edition
Expected publication February 23, 2027
About the author
Nick Martell
18 books331 followersNick Martell was born in Ontario, Canada before moving to the United States at age 7. After graduating high school on Long Island, he majored in Creative Writing at Pennysylvania’s Susquehanna University. He started writing novels regularly in fifth grade, and his debut novel, The Kingdom of Liars, sold when he was 23 years old. Currently, he lives outside Allentown. Follow Nick on Instagram @nickmartellofficial or at nickmartell.com
I'm never going to come up with a better villain name than Mister Teeth.
I'm never going to come up with a better villain name than Mister Teeth.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
If
Jumanji's
wild, rule-bound adventure had a baby with the horror and displacement of
FROM,
you'd get something close to Nick Martell's TERMINA STATION.
I picked this one up because I read and loved Martell's fantasy series The Legacy of the Mercenary Kings a few years back, and I'm beyond grateful to Saga Press and NetGalley for approving my request for the Advanced Reader's Copy.
When Roger falls asleep on the train after a long day, he doesn't wake up at the end of the line, he wakes up in Knowhere, a rain-soaked, monster-stalked border town between life and death, and the only way home is through its five ringdoms to Termina Station itself. Simple enough premise. Nothing about the execution is simple.
What got me first was the found family thread running through this. I don't say this lightly — I rate found family tropes on a very strict scale, and the only one that's ever topped my list is Stephen King's Dark Tower series. This one earned its place right behind it.
There's a moment where Roger, with Mister Teeth's son in tow, has to reckon with the idea that failure isn't an ending, just an opportunity to jump with nothing weighing you down. That line lived in my head for days.
I also couldn't stop thinking about the anxiety spirals some of the characters move through, and whether that traces back to Martell himself — his author's note mentions he'd nearly given up writing altogether before his fiancé encouraged him to try one more story. Knowing that, this book reads less like fiction and more like a document of someone climbing back out of something. I'm so glad he didn't give up.
The weight of Knowhere itself gets under your skin too - everyone trapped there was sacrificed by someone else, involuntarily. Sitting with that fact as the story unfolds is its own kind of horror. If you're like me and have an overactive imagination, this particular bit will keep your brain spinning up constantly with each new character you meet.
The same gorgeous, heartfelt writing style I fell for in the Mercenary Kings trilogy is fully present here: beautiful, savage, cut-to-the-quick imagery that's just as enjoyable as the story it's telling.
I picked this one up because I read and loved Martell's fantasy series The Legacy of the Mercenary Kings a few years back, and I'm beyond grateful to Saga Press and NetGalley for approving my request for the Advanced Reader's Copy.
When Roger falls asleep on the train after a long day, he doesn't wake up at the end of the line, he wakes up in Knowhere, a rain-soaked, monster-stalked border town between life and death, and the only way home is through its five ringdoms to Termina Station itself. Simple enough premise. Nothing about the execution is simple.
What got me first was the found family thread running through this. I don't say this lightly — I rate found family tropes on a very strict scale, and the only one that's ever topped my list is Stephen King's Dark Tower series. This one earned its place right behind it.
There's a moment where Roger, with Mister Teeth's son in tow, has to reckon with the idea that failure isn't an ending, just an opportunity to jump with nothing weighing you down. That line lived in my head for days.
I also couldn't stop thinking about the anxiety spirals some of the characters move through, and whether that traces back to Martell himself — his author's note mentions he'd nearly given up writing altogether before his fiancé encouraged him to try one more story. Knowing that, this book reads less like fiction and more like a document of someone climbing back out of something. I'm so glad he didn't give up.
The weight of Knowhere itself gets under your skin too - everyone trapped there was sacrificed by someone else, involuntarily. Sitting with that fact as the story unfolds is its own kind of horror. If you're like me and have an overactive imagination, this particular bit will keep your brain spinning up constantly with each new character you meet.
The same gorgeous, heartfelt writing style I fell for in the Mercenary Kings trilogy is fully present here: beautiful, savage, cut-to-the-quick imagery that's just as enjoyable as the story it's telling.
August 4, 2026
Review courtesy of an ARC provided by NetGalley
A whimsical dark fantasy journey reminiscent of Bradbury’s The Halloween Tree!
When military veteran Roger dozes off and misses his train stop, he finds himself transported to the strange and unsettling purgatory kingdom of “Knowhere,” where he must navigate literal and figurative monsters to fight his way back home.
This is a story about generational trauma and the difficulties we face while clawing our way out of the holes others dig for us, and how our chosen family is often our greatest lifeline in helping us find our true selves.
Despite serving as the story’s core antagonist, Mr. Teeth is charming and enigmatic enough to inspire both dread and delight whenever he appears to torment our leading cast, and the trials they must overcome to advance are equally poignant and haunting.
This is my first experience with this author, but I will certainly be investigating his backlog when I’m in the mood for another fantasy adventure. In the meantime, I’ll be sure to stay alert whenever I take the train… just in case.
Thank you to Saga Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book.
A whimsical dark fantasy journey reminiscent of Bradbury’s The Halloween Tree!
When military veteran Roger dozes off and misses his train stop, he finds himself transported to the strange and unsettling purgatory kingdom of “Knowhere,” where he must navigate literal and figurative monsters to fight his way back home.
This is a story about generational trauma and the difficulties we face while clawing our way out of the holes others dig for us, and how our chosen family is often our greatest lifeline in helping us find our true selves.
Despite serving as the story’s core antagonist, Mr. Teeth is charming and enigmatic enough to inspire both dread and delight whenever he appears to torment our leading cast, and the trials they must overcome to advance are equally poignant and haunting.
This is my first experience with this author, but I will certainly be investigating his backlog when I’m in the mood for another fantasy adventure. In the meantime, I’ll be sure to stay alert whenever I take the train… just in case.
Thank you to Saga Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Rating 4.5
One of the first things that stands out about Termina Station is the sheer imagination behind its premise. Nick Martell fully embraces bold, surreal creativity, and the execution lives up to the ambition. A haunted transit system serving as the framework for the afterlife, distinct "ringdoms" each with their own identities and dangers, and an unforgettable villain like Mister Teeth all create a world that feels refreshingly original rather than reliant on familiar fantasy conventions.
What makes the novel even more engaging is that the inventive worldbuilding serves a genuine emotional purpose. Roger's journey isn't simply about surviving the horrors of the afterlife. It’s about confronting regret, accepting the consequences of his choices, and finding a path back to the people he loves. When imaginative settings are used to deepen a character's emotional arc instead of merely providing spectacle, fantasy becomes far more impactful, and Martell succeeds in striking that balance.
That said, stories built around traveling through a succession of distinct realms can sometimes feel episodic, especially if each destination follows a similar structure. While Termina Station largely avoids that pitfall through strong character development and an overarching mystery that keeps the narrative moving, there are moments when the extensive explanations of the afterlife and its rules slow the pacing. Fortunately, those slower sections are outweighed by the novel's creativity and emotional momentum.
Overall, Termina Station delivers all the elements of a memorable fantasy-horror adventure. Its greatest strength lies in its fearless embrace of bold, unconventional ideas, blending an imaginative supernatural setting with deeply personal emotional stakes. If you enjoy a bit of horror with your fantasy and appreciate imaginative worlds filled with mystery, monsters, and emotional depth, Termina Station is well worth the journey.
One of the first things that stands out about Termina Station is the sheer imagination behind its premise. Nick Martell fully embraces bold, surreal creativity, and the execution lives up to the ambition. A haunted transit system serving as the framework for the afterlife, distinct "ringdoms" each with their own identities and dangers, and an unforgettable villain like Mister Teeth all create a world that feels refreshingly original rather than reliant on familiar fantasy conventions.
What makes the novel even more engaging is that the inventive worldbuilding serves a genuine emotional purpose. Roger's journey isn't simply about surviving the horrors of the afterlife. It’s about confronting regret, accepting the consequences of his choices, and finding a path back to the people he loves. When imaginative settings are used to deepen a character's emotional arc instead of merely providing spectacle, fantasy becomes far more impactful, and Martell succeeds in striking that balance.
That said, stories built around traveling through a succession of distinct realms can sometimes feel episodic, especially if each destination follows a similar structure. While Termina Station largely avoids that pitfall through strong character development and an overarching mystery that keeps the narrative moving, there are moments when the extensive explanations of the afterlife and its rules slow the pacing. Fortunately, those slower sections are outweighed by the novel's creativity and emotional momentum.
Overall, Termina Station delivers all the elements of a memorable fantasy-horror adventure. Its greatest strength lies in its fearless embrace of bold, unconventional ideas, blending an imaginative supernatural setting with deeply personal emotional stakes. If you enjoy a bit of horror with your fantasy and appreciate imaginative worlds filled with mystery, monsters, and emotional depth, Termina Station is well worth the journey.
August 16, 2026
The opening scene shows Roger on his way home from work falling asleep and missing his stop on the train. When he awakes, he finds that he's ridden all the way to the end of the line. Confused about what to do next, he steps off the train. Immediately, he is greeted by a young boy running down the platform who is yelling for him to get back on the train. But Roger does not listen. His train pulls away and now he is stuck in this strange land known as "Knowhere." A land filled with terrors, literal nightmares, and dangers unlike any Roger has ever known before.
To get back, the land's overlord, Mr. Teeth, offers him two options: sacrifice one of his children to this hellish landscape, or walk on foot to Termina station and take the train back home. The kicker? The walk will take fours years. If he survives.
This book reads like a shadow side of Pilgrim's Progress. Through every "ringdom," Roger encounters a voice or memory from his past that helps him rethink who he was or the stories he's been telling himself all along about his life and relationships.
This was an enjoyable read, and I highly recommend it!
Thanks to NetGalley and Saga Press for the ARC.
To get back, the land's overlord, Mr. Teeth, offers him two options: sacrifice one of his children to this hellish landscape, or walk on foot to Termina station and take the train back home. The kicker? The walk will take fours years. If he survives.
This book reads like a shadow side of Pilgrim's Progress. Through every "ringdom," Roger encounters a voice or memory from his past that helps him rethink who he was or the stories he's been telling himself all along about his life and relationships.
This was an enjoyable read, and I highly recommend it!
Thanks to NetGalley and Saga Press for the ARC.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Since this will likely be the first and last time I’ll check this page, I’ll share some information about this book’s creation.
TERMINA STATION was written in a time career uncertainty for me. After the Mercenary King series came out—and it struggled due to various complications—I was essentially told it was a big question mark whether someone would ever want to publish another book of mine.
So, I wrote this book as if it might be my last. Gathered what was important for me to say and wrote it down on the page, hoping someone might want to read it. Perhaps that’s why it’s a story of overcoming fear, failure, and making amends with others from one’s past.
I have no idea how this book will be received as I type this on my phone, but I hope—whoever is reading this—that you enjoy Roger Summers’s journey through damnation as he attempts to get back home to his family.
P.S. I used to not rate my books five stars on here because I was once told I wasn't supposed to, but forget that noise—I’m so proud of this book and nothing will ever change that.
TERMINA STATION was written in a time career uncertainty for me. After the Mercenary King series came out—and it struggled due to various complications—I was essentially told it was a big question mark whether someone would ever want to publish another book of mine.
So, I wrote this book as if it might be my last. Gathered what was important for me to say and wrote it down on the page, hoping someone might want to read it. Perhaps that’s why it’s a story of overcoming fear, failure, and making amends with others from one’s past.
I have no idea how this book will be received as I type this on my phone, but I hope—whoever is reading this—that you enjoy Roger Summers’s journey through damnation as he attempts to get back home to his family.
P.S. I used to not rate my books five stars on here because I was once told I wasn't supposed to, but forget that noise—I’m so proud of this book and nothing will ever change that.
August 5, 2026
Termina Station is a nightmarish new novel about a man who misses his train stop, and ends up in a hellish landscape filled with nightmares that he must traverse in order to return home. Along the way he’ll meet allies, as well as the sinister Mr. Teeth, who will employ any means necessary to delay and stop those who are attempting the long journey back home.
This book feels like a twisted, dark version of The Wizard of Oz, and the author creates an incredible (and creepy) world through which our characters must travel. While some moments feel a little stifling, the characters and themes of found family and hope in darkness really shine through.
My thanks to the publisher and the author for sending me an Advance Reader Copy of this book. It was provided to me through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Everything stated in my review is my own opinion written in my own words.
This book feels like a twisted, dark version of The Wizard of Oz, and the author creates an incredible (and creepy) world through which our characters must travel. While some moments feel a little stifling, the characters and themes of found family and hope in darkness really shine through.
My thanks to the publisher and the author for sending me an Advance Reader Copy of this book. It was provided to me through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Everything stated in my review is my own opinion written in my own words.
August 18, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley for the electronic advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
Termina Station has a really interesting premise (a man finds his train has brought him to a nightmarish land with seemingly no escape) which I think is brought out in creative ways throughout the story. It’s unconventional and keeps you wondering whats going on beneath the surface as the characters traverse deeper. Theres a great balance of eeriness and whimsy in both the world and the characters. I think the biggest challenge to this is the writing can be quite repetitive and obvious at times, especially with the amount of rhetorical questions in the narration. But overall I thought it was a fun, unique story about finding the light in the dark and overcoming past fear and trauma.
Termina Station has a really interesting premise (a man finds his train has brought him to a nightmarish land with seemingly no escape) which I think is brought out in creative ways throughout the story. It’s unconventional and keeps you wondering whats going on beneath the surface as the characters traverse deeper. Theres a great balance of eeriness and whimsy in both the world and the characters. I think the biggest challenge to this is the writing can be quite repetitive and obvious at times, especially with the amount of rhetorical questions in the narration. But overall I thought it was a fun, unique story about finding the light in the dark and overcoming past fear and trauma.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
First of all, thank you to Saga Press, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, for the free e-copy of Termina Station by Nick Martell for review. I absolutely loved this dark fantasy novel about a man returning to his family after being stranded in this magical twisted land. The man, Roger, and the two teens he meets along the way are the beating heart of the novel. The friendship they forge along the way and the totally out there world-building are what kept me fully engaged and binge-reading to find out what would happen. I'll be thinking about Termina Station and it's fantastic ending that closed all loose ends completely for a long time.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Quite a lively story, one which I liked very much. When is a train ride not a train ride? When it lets you off at Termina Station, a place you return to no matter which direction you set off in. There are amusing hints here of Alice in Wonderland, and I mean that in the best possible way. Here is a journey of self-awakening to sink your teeth into. We have a suitably bewildered protagonist, who is beset willy-nilly by odd and often amusing characters and fightening forces beyond his ken. Mr. Martell's prose is continually inventive and always strikes the right balance between whimsy and tenacity. The spiralling journey to Termina Station, seemingly the only way out of the odd and eerie world Martell has masterfully created, is one I was eager to take. I very much think you will too. Delightful.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews