Dreamt for Years in the Shadow of the Sun

'I have to say, this is hands down the most thrilling Philippine epic novel I've ever experienced! De Mesa masterfully weaves together the darkest elements of folklore and magic with a contemporary twist that completely captivated me. With an intoxicating blend of mystical creatures, shamanism, and a gripping crime narrative, Dreamt for Years in the Shadow of the Sun isn't just a uniquely Filipino story—it's a universally engaging masterpiece that’s destined to become a classic. It's truly remarkable for a fiction writer to have such deep understanding of oral traditions, folklore, and the intricacies of modern politics, and then skillfully combine them into something so extraordinary!' —Jordan Clark, The Aswang Project 'Dreamt for Years in the Shadow of the Sun is a blistering descent into a myth-soaked, drug-laced Manila where folklore collides with urban decay, and the invisible world pulses just beneath the asphalt. Written in lush, hallucinatory prose, the novel blurs the lines between speculative fiction, horror, and noir, delivering a genre-defying narrative that is equal parts spiritual fever dream and political fable. Formally daring and spiritually resonant, the novel doesn’t just tell a story—it dares the reader to see differently. Through tangled timelines, ritualistic magic systems, and subterranean wars between human and other, it conjures a world that feels as ancient as it is contemporary, as familiar as it is strange. Whether as a meditation on the legacy of violence or a lament for lost innocence, Dreamt for Years is a work of incandescent ambition—one that haunts long after the final page.' —Ronaldo Soledad Vivo, Jr., author of The Power Above Us All and the Dreamland Novels Trilogy 'One of the Philippines' leading writers of speculative fiction, De Mesa deals us a startling and addictive speedball of a novel that cuts menacing urban fantasy with unflinching social realism. Warning: side effects include fearful conjurations, unsettling images and searching commentary on a modern Manila banjaxed by drugs, poverty, and crime.' —Tom Sykes, author of Tangled Saviours and Imagining Manila 'De Mesa's characters are not heroes, they're survivors. They embed themselves into your brain, pulling you into their struggles in a gritty cityscape that is horrific for both their mundane evils and the mythical monsters crawling out of the dark interstices of Metro Manila and beyond. There is also a certain wonder that can be drawn out from the bleak landscape of De Mesa's story, which shows that this mind-bending journey for the reader is one that only a writer of De Mesa's caliber can cook into existence. —Joseph Nacino, Editor of Demons of the New Year 'Dreamt for Years in the Shadow of the Sun is a masterwork in storytelling. The characters have great depth and leave you with a sense of satisfaction, but also wanting more. Echoes of Philippine mythology abound in each chapter. The novel is a reflection of the realities that some people experience in the archipelago, weaving emotions that jump out of the page. Reading it is a marathon, not a sprint but it is an enjoyable journey with the written word.' —Jean Karl Gaverza, author and researcher of Philippine Spirits