Cascade is Book One of The Sleep of Reason by Rachel A. Rosen, and I enjoyed it even more than I expected to.

Let me say right away that this is the most Canadian book I've ever read — and I had just finished Geddy Lee's memoir before I picked it up. The book extols the country's natural beauty and diverse culture while simultaneously lambasting its screwy politics and predacious extractive industries. Rather than being mere backdrop or sideshow, Canadience is intricately woven into the plot, which is part radical revolutionary narrative, part Lovecraftian horror, part climate disaster tale, and part above-ground magic urban fantasy — and I left out a few parts (zombie demons, anyone?) 

The near future world Rosen introduces us to has large uninhabitable areas tainted by magic. As a result of the arcane upwellings, a few lucky (arguably unlucky) individuals develop powerful magical abilities. The plot follows an assortment of people, some magically endowed and some not, as they try to make sense of and exert some influence over this bizarre world they find themselves in. Rosen narrates via five points of view. A former First Nation activist is recruited by a magically affected childhood friend to consult for the Canadian government. His ex-wife ocean and climate scientist is figuring out how much worse things are likely to get. An Indian immigrant illusionist doubles as the magical politician's secretary. A young Jewish political aide is in way over his head. And a conservative photojournalist does his best to investigate and bring down the leftist government the rest are trying to help. 

But the magical, narrative, and moral center of the story,  the magically affected political operative, does not get a PoV, and remains the enigma around which the story turns. His power is precognition, yet he only reveals to his comrades and to the reader enough to draw us in and to further his own drives and goals, which we can only guess at. 

Eventually, the "getting worse" anticipated by the oceanographer arrives, bringing on what even the characters recognize as "a very Canadian apocalypse." Certain members of Canadian society use it as a means to impose their views, meaning that most of the cast has to go on the run, with the photojournalist left wondering whether he is on the wrong side.

Throughout, Rosen exposes us to her cynicism about Canadian politics, her attitudes about modern internet life, her animus toward racial bias, and the general feeling of being the junior neighbor to the United States (reduced post-disaster to three semi-independent entities). I also got the distinct feeling, due to how interconnected the personas are, that everyone in Canada knows everyone else (which the author has more or less confirmed).

I certainly recommend reading Cascade in a short period of time, if not a single sitting. The large cast of characters means that if you take too long a break, you are likely to forget who is who. Additionally, this book is not for kids, as the characters are modern adults and talk like it. Also sex is mentioned, though not described in detail. And be prepared — this is book one of a series. If you get invested you will be spending some time impatiently waiting for the next installment, which the author assures me she is working on. The book is available from many sellers, but I got my copy directly from the publisher Bumble Puppy Press (https://bppress.ca/). And if you sign up for her newsletter (https://nightbeatseu.ca/) you can score a bonus chapter download.