RISING SUN
The Cycle of Reversion
Stephen L. Rolston
ISBN: 9781977286208
February 21, 2026

People fight to survive in a newly tech-less world teeming with magic and mythical creatures in Rolston’s debut fantasy novel

Fifty-six-year-old American software engineer Jack Adams checks into Tokyo’s luxurious Emerald Palace Hotel. It’s a fairly routine business trip…until there’s a blackout followed by one guest transforming into a wolf. Jack protects himself and fellow guests by using magical spells—it’s an instinctual reaction, as he’s never wielded magic before. Additionally, he somehow can understand everyone, regardless of the language they speak. Electricity is out across the city and possibly around the world, so Jack and hotel general manager Satoshi Watanabe do their best to ensure the high-rise Emerald Palace is safe, especially after something crashes into it. Doing so entails confronting werewolves, handling the sudden emergence of vampires, and keeping peace with other monstrous beings such as orcs and trolls. Satoshi, who has the newfound ability to see and converse with spirits, teams up with Jack and others, including a shape-shifting Navajo woman. All of this madness is courtesy of the periodic Cycle of Reversion, during which “nature will ‘revert’ back to its true self,” enhancing human spirits and suppressing technology. Certain long-extant clans have been waiting for such an event, but what does it mean for humanity if one of these clans rises to power? Meanwhile, Jack’s younger sister, Elizabeth, is back in Arizona, which has also experienced a loss of power. Despite using a wheelchair and a cane since childhood, Elizabeth is suddenly, inexplicably able to walk without assistance. Because she can’t communicate with her brother via email or cell phone, Jack tries getting a message to her via magic.

Rolston’s story, which launches a series, moves at an entertaining pace. It opens with Jack mid-flight, when he gets a hint of his dormant magic, though he doesn’t yet understand it. Once at the hotel, he and Satoshi face all sorts of challenges (like keeping all the guests fed) that they must tackle as quickly as possible. At times in this headlong rush, the narrative feels like it’s sprinting through plot development. The world falls into a veritable apocalypse, and Jack wields magic that he instantly masters all in a matter of days; the cast seemingly accepts this new normal without any resistance or skepticism, although Jack does struggle to make sense of the “elemental planes” he accesses. Still, the author never allows his flood of ideas to descend into chaos—the narrative takes time to provide backstories for the wide range of characters and creatures. Rolston’s prose is unadorned but effective, making the hotel, where the bulk of the action takes place, a world all its own: “At the end of the hallway, in the dust and smoke, Jack held a handkerchief to his face to breathe. Even inside his [force field] bubble, the dust of his footsteps clouded up the air.” The story includes copious surprises (appearances from familiar mythical beings), welcome elements of mystery (whose voice keeps popping up in Jack’s head?), and, for good measure, a cliffhanger.

A delightful mélange of vibrant characters, otherworldly sights, and unexpected twists and turns.