Dear Readers,

I welcome you to The Trailblazer Review’s first issue. Today marks the beginning of our publication as we trailblaze a new, revolutionary path for young writers around the world. I find it symbolic that we have decided to publish our first issue on New Year’s Day; it almost seems fated, and it truly captures the spirit of a new beginning for everyone.

What is most remarkable is how vast of a reach our publication has had within a mere month of establishment. On the behalf of The Trailblazer, I want to extend my gratitude to all of our contributors. Within just a few weeks, we received over forty submissions, and gathered a team of twenty high school students. I hope that as we move into 2023, we will continue to see those numbers flourish, illuminating the nascent, trailblazing voices of young writers around the world. I commend all the authors of these pieces for their courage in offering their work for the world to see, alongside our wonderful editorial team who earnestly plunged into the editing process. I also want to express my utmost thanks to our founder, Renee Chen, for working tirelessly in facilitating the operations of our publication. You are all the reason that our first issue has come to fruition.

As I perused the works curated for our first issue, I appreciated the distinctive voice wielded by each writer, the minutiae of their work, the narratives they tell, evoking long dormant emotions, and suffusing the world around them with hue. We flit through wars–both internal and external–whimsical dimensions, fragmented childhoods, ruminations on death, the depths of betrayal, and more that awaits you. There is one word that comes to mind when thinking of Issue 1: eclectic; it is exhilarating, sweeping readers off their feet. I hope that you, too, finish Issue 1 entranced and eager for the future of The Trailblazer.

In closing, I leave you with this brief adage from Melody Beattie: “The new year stands before us, like a chapter in a book, waiting to be written.” With that, here is our first scrawl seeping onto the first page of 2023.

Cheers,

Kaelin David

Co-Editor in Chief of The Trailblazer Review

♖ Days of Dreary -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mia Soto

♖ Daming Palace in the Cyber Era ------------------------------------------------------------- Wang Xu

♖ Welcome to Elaria -------------------------------------------------------------------- Katie Hutchinson

♖ The Stars Were Full Of Pain And Agony ------------------------------------------- Parker Emrich

♖ Written in the Stars ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Giulio Stefano

♕ Paper Sons ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Grace Zhao

♕ When does a man die ----------------------------------------------------------------- Nikunj Gupta

♕ Betrayal ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Aylar Azizi

♕ Departure --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Fariha Binte Islam

♕ But leave ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ana-Ștefania Diță

♕ An Untitled Document ------------------------------------------------------------- Jahzara Jenkins

♕ Red ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mercy Gondwe

♚ The Tepper ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Yuna Shono

♘ Alone ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Ian Park