As an individual novel, King Javan's Year is almost unique in modern fantasy. There are other novels which end with the death of a brave protagonist, but few in which the death is seemingly so meaningless. In some ways, the work most similar in tone to this novel is The Diary of Anne Frank (1952).

Like Anne, Javan is trapped by monstrous events which he lacks the power to stop. And in spite of these, he too retains the belief that most people are basically good.