Author: Gama Ray Martinez
Series: Defender of Lore #1
Narrator: David Pittu
Playback: 8hrs 13m
Publisher: Harper Audio
First Published: April 12, 2022
Genre: Magical Realism, Fantasy
Book description: Peter Pan is missing; Neverland is in trouble. For adults, that might not matter all that much, but for children--whose dreams and imagination draw strength from the wild god's power--the magic we take for granted in the real world is in danger of being lost forever.
Such is the life of a now grown-up Michael Darling.
Michael returned from Neverland with the dream of continuing his adventuring ways by joining the Knights of the Round, an organization built to keep humanity safe from magical and mythological threats. But after a mission gone terribly wrong, he vowed to leave the Knights behind and finally live as a "civilian," finding order and simplicity as a train engineer, the tracks and schedule tables a far cry from the chaos of his youth.
He hasn't entered the narrative in years. So what could the Knights need from him now?
Maponos--or how he's better known, Peter Pan--has gone missing, and Neverland is now on the edge of oblivion. Michael realizes he has no choice and agrees to one last mission. Alongside the young Knight Vanessa and some old friends, Michael embarks on the ultimate adventure: a journey to a fantasy world to save a god. Determined to stop evil, fight for Neverland, and find Maponos, will Michael be able to save the magical and physical world? Or will his biggest fear come true?
The clock is ticking, and in Neverland, that's never a good sign.
Review:
This is definitely a YA book, not necessarily a bad thing. It just annoyed me in several points which made the enjoyment be damped a few times.
In the story of God of Neverland, Michael, now an adult, is called back to Neverland when Peter Pan disappears. It's interesting to note that Peter, who is actually a mythological being known as Maponos, is portrayed as a god in this tale. The premise is certainly intriguing and should make for an engaging read.
I was intrigued by the creative take on the Pan story, but I wondered if other gods also existed within the same universe. While there were hints in the beginning chapters that suggested as much, it became clear that this was a one-and-done Pan story, not expansive mythology but its promising if it was expanded at a later date. The only god we get to know intimately is Maponos, and while Michael is a former member of the Knights of the Round, their origins and intricacies are left for future books.
There are a lot of red herrings and Peter Pan references. The downside was that is felt a bit too formulaic from the start. We have a meet this feature, something goes wrong and then resolution. But then it repeats in the next chapter. It's important for a story to have stakes and for the characters to face real challenges. Perhaps the author could deviate from the formula and add some unexpected twists to keep the reader engaged and invested in the outcome of the story. What do you think?
For a book marketed for an adult audience, I anticipate the battles in a book to be more intense and raw. I want to sense that our protagonists are not invincible and that they may face failure. But it was a nice read. Moving on with the plot, the explanation for Michael's departure from the order was lackluster and failed to evoke any strong emotions. After having this situation be so mentioned by everyone in the story I had such high hopes.
Anyhow it was a good ride, I do enjoy retellings and stories based on mythology. I will probably continue the series.
This was used for the challenge:
Series
Comments