Fantasy worlds are often built on magic, war, and prophecy. But in Koan Volume 1 by Lucio Pascua, we’re invited into something richer—a civilization where intellect, curiosity, and creativity are the cornerstones of power. In the kingdom of El-Javaz, alchemy, astronomy, poetry, and even mathematics aren’t just background details. They are the culture. They shape everything from politics to daily life. Here, knowledge is the true currency—and it’s absolutely dazzling.
El-Javaz, the wise and soft-spoken king, governs not through might but through ideas. He fills his kingdom not with soldiers, but with scholars, artisans, and thinkers. Mathematicians debate with musicians, not about who is smarter, but about whether rhythm is a mathematical or emotional construct. Cooks duel with magicians over cauldrons, and poets hold council with philosophers to explore the nature of truth. There are no wasted minds here—every skill, whether it’s storytelling or celestial charting, is elevated to something sacred.
What’s remarkable is how seamlessly Pascua blends disciplines that in most fantasies would be divided—science from spirituality, poetry from practicality. In El-Javaz’s kingdom, these things intermingle. Alchemists concoct universal vaccines that keep children healthy. Astronomers guide calendars and crop cycles while crafting myths from the stars. Poets influence public policy. Language is studied with the same reverence as biology, and even cooking becomes a cultural event, with royal recipe collections doubling as literacy primers for children.
Rather than paint fantasy with the usual brush of magic and monarchs, Koan Volume 1 asks: What if the greatest kingdom wasn’t ruled by war, but by wisdom? What if invention, observation, and storytelling were treated not as separate paths, but as essential threads in the same tapestry?
There’s a human pulse running through every corridor of this world. El-Javaz himself isn’t a cold academic; he’s a deeply feeling man still grieving the death of his wife, mentoring his brilliant daughter, and quietly ensuring that every part of his kingdom—from the moat to the library—is designed for peace and progress. He installs bookshelves atop the city walls so people can read as they stroll. He resolves disputes with a coin toss rather than a sword. He sees diplomacy as the highest form of combat.
Lucio Pascua uses this fantastical world to reflect a truth we often forget: civilizations rise not when they conquer, but when they create. When they allow wonder to take root. When young minds are taught to ask, “Why?” and old minds are encouraged to answer, “Let’s find out together.”
In a time when the world feels increasingly divided between science and spirit, Koan Volume 1 reminds us that they are not opposites—they are partners. That great societies, like great books, are built not just on what is known, but on the courage to imagine more.
And maybe that’s the real magic.