Where Are the Kings: Donal Ryan’s wrenching, gorgeous new novel

Donal Ryan's latest novel, Where Are the Kings, unfolds as a haunting meditation on grief, identity, and the fragile boundaries between the human and the cosmic. The story centers on Jack, a 12-year-old boy whose life is irrevocably altered after his mother’s death. The novel opens with Jack, his father, and his mother standing at the edge of a metaphorical abyss, symbolizing the impending collapse of their family unit. Jack’s mother, who has been struggling with depression, decides to end her life by drowning herself. His father, overwhelmed by guilt and despair, is institutionalized, while Jack is sent to live with his estranged maternal relatives. This abrupt shift marks the beginning of a journey that will test the limits of his emotional resilience. The narrative spans approximately two years of Jack’s life, though its temporal scope stretches far beyond human experience. Ryan constructs a mythic framework around Jack’s family, suggesting they are bound by an ancient, unresolved conflict. His uncles, described as large and imposing figures, embody the weight of familial legacy, while his aunt is portrayed as a woman in tune with the forces of nature. These characters serve as both anchors and obstacles in Jack’s attempts to navigate a world that feels increasingly alien and indifferent. Jack’s mother’s death is rendered with poetic intensity, blending elements of fire and water to reflect the duality of her existence. Her cremation becomes a symbolic act, merging the physical and spiritual realms. In the family garage, where Jack works alongside his uncles, he contemplates the paradoxes of modern life, the beauty of mechanical motion derived from the decay of the past. The car, a symbol of both progress and obsolescence, becomes a metaphor for the cyclical nature of existence. The novel draws heavily on the historical significance of Birr Castle, home to the Leviathan telescope, which played a pivotal role in early astronomical discoveries. This setting serves as a recurring motif, reinforcing the theme of human curiosity and the search for meaning in an indifferent universe. Jack’s memories of visiting the observatory, where he first glimpsed the vastness of space, echo throughout the narrative. The castle, once a site of scientific wonder, now stands as a reminder of how easily the extraordinary can become mundane. Jack’s encounters with other characters further deepen the novel’s exploration of isolation and connection. One particularly striking figure is a girl he meets, whose eyes are likened to binary neutron stars. She recognizes him as a “space cadet,” lost in the silence of a world that refuses to acknowledge his pain. Their brief interaction underscores the novel’s central tension: the struggle to find belonging in a universe that often feels hostile or indifferent. Ryan’s portrayal of adolescence is both tender and brutal. Jack’s daily awakening to the reality of his mother’s absence is described as waking “as a foetal teenage boy with a morning horn and a growing realisation that he’s not dreaming.” This image captures the raw vulnerability of childhood confronted with adult sorrow. The novel does not shy away from the absurdity of this situation, finding humor in the juxtaposition of youthful innocence and the harshness of loss. As the novel progresses, Ryan shifts the narrative to a pivotal moment in 1997, marking Jack’s second summer in a motherless world. This section, set against the backdrop of a seemingly ordinary day, takes on an almost mythical quality. Jack, having reached a critical juncture in his emotional journey, finally builds his own observatory, a literal and symbolic step toward reclaiming agency over his destiny. The novel culminates in this moment of quiet triumph, as Jack confronts the vast unknown and begins to understand the delicate balance between chaos and order.