Fiction - Young man has private unwavering faith not associated with formal religion. Plays card game with friend

[Nicole]

Published no later than 2003, and probably after 1980. From what I remember, the copy I read was very small and had a mostly dark-blue cover. I read this quite a few years ago, so I'm sketchy on the details, but I remember the following:

The main character was a young man who lived with his mother and had a very zen like private religion that he was very dedicated to, but had nothing to do with any formal religion or church. I think his name started with 'Z' (or the name he was called by), and that he and his friends had a card game they played together. Possibly his nickname and the name of the book were after a particular card in the "Magic the Gathering" like game they played.

I remember one scene where the main character was wearing some sort of hooded robe and praying in a dark room (possibly his dining room?) at night.

There was a larger plot, but I can't remember what it was.

As I said, I read this book YEARS ago (before learning to remember then name and/or author and/or main characters name of the book), and remember it every so often and it drives me nuts that I can't find it and reread it.

Thank you in advance, fellow book-lovers, for giving this a shot. :)

[Michele]

Would you call this a YA book or more adult? Do you recall anything at all about the boy's religion -- was there a deity involved, was it good or evil, etc.? Did he keep it secret or did he tell his friends? What did his mother think about it? Do you have a sense of whether the book was new or older when you read it?

[Lobstergirl, au gratin]

Nicole, are you still looking for this or did you find it?

[Nicole]

Oh wow, I completely missed the notification that someone responded to this...more than two years ago. Shoot.

To answer your questions, as best I can, Michele:
I would call it more a YA novel. I believe there was a deity involved, and good vs. evil was ambiguous. He thought it was good, but to the outside it was weird. I think he kept it private. I don't remember what his mother thought of it. I got the sense that it was newer for the time I read it, which was around 15 years ago.

To answer your question, Lobstergirl: No, I haven't found it yet. As I completely forgot to respond to the one person who offered to help.

(I apologize again, Michele)

[Michele]

Nicole, welcome back :)

So, a couple of other questions. Was the general "feel" of the book more horror, fantasy, noir, or just plain fiction? Was his religion central to the plot, or peripheral?

[Nicole]

Thank you :)

It had more of a fantasy feel, I think. I wish I could remember enough to answer your questions more concretely. Sadly I just cant remember right now.

[Andria]

I believe this is Asylum for Nightface

[Lobstergirl, au gratin]

Nicole, was your book "Asylum for Nightface" or are you still looking?

[Rainbowheart]

I agree it sounds like Asylum for Nightface. If not, maybe Godless.

[Rainbowheart]

Still out there, Nicole?