Minivan Warrior: The Odyssey Begins

by Jessica Chanese

Alex Reyes is a mid-thirties mom of three, living in Upstate New York and negotiating the everyday juggle struggle of working parenthood - until her daughter's eighth birthday party unexpectedly devolves into surreal chaos. The birthday girl, Anya, wields impressive magic no one knew she had, precipitating an attack by demonic minions and the arrival of the Blake siblings, an enigmatic trio fated to protect Anya, and other children like her, from Dark forces. Alex is determined to do whatever is necessary to navigate her new reality and protect her family from unimaginable threats. At the potential cost of her marriage, the career she loves, and everything familiar to her, she and her children abandon ordinary suburban life to prepare for an impending battle between Light and Dark. While Alex and her family acclimate to the magical world and their newfound companions, darkness is gaining traction on earth. A powerful demon with a link to the Blakes' past sets a plan in motion to tip the universal balance in favor of the Dark. Strange happenings, like the meteoric political rise of a polarizing reality TV star, could have devastating consequences for humanity. Whether confronting demons or wrestling with her conflicted feelings for Lucien, the eldest of the Blake siblings, Alex must come to realize her power lies in being exactly who she is, in all of her flawed, minivan-loving glory. Minivan The Odyssey Begins is the first book in the Minivan Warrior Trilogy. Laced with humor and pop-culture references, it swaps the typical young, single urban fantasy heroine for an average suburban mom thrust into the intersection of motherhood, magic, and a stranger-than-fiction reality that looks an awful lot like the one we're all grappling with outside our own front doors.

Kindle Edition

Published October 14, 2020

Reviews

[Michelle Devol · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mininvan Warrior by Jessica Chanese was an amazing first novel. I just did not want to put this book down. Thank you so much Bookspourt for the free copy of this book. Minivan Warrior is a novel has a little bit everything, from heriocs, sass, fantasy, action, drama, a little bit of comedy, end of the world, and romance. This book shows how as long you have enough gumption and drive you can accomplish just about anything including trying to save the world. I was so engrossed and have a few favorite characters. Alex, the mother, I could relate to on a personal level as I am a mother myself. I felt her devastation with how her husband Colin just abandoned her and their children. I loved going along with her as she grew as a person. At the very end, I suspected the one person was not who she said she was, but I will not spoil that for anyone. I am looking forward to the next installment of the Minivan Warrior.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Jenn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an engrossing novel with an unusual protagonist. Alex is a relatable mom with a demanding career and family that she struggles to find a balance between, until her world gets turned on its head. The resulting adventure is great to read with realistic characters that sets the story up nicely for the next book. If you're looking for a paranormal adventure book with an older main character who knows who she is, rather than a new adult still figuring it out, I highly recommend you read Minivan Warrior.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Lily · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book absolutely starts off with a bang. Such an unlikely heroine, yet such a brilliant one. The title of the series (and this book) is very apropos. At first, I was thinking, there's no way that this overworked mom is going to be the one to save the world. But it quickly became apparent that there's more to Alex than meets the eye. I giggled, I held my breath, I lost myself for hours in these pages. I'm really looking forward to the next book in the series, as I've grown pretty attached to the quirky cast of characters in this book!

[Kelley Simon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the whimsy of this novel. Alex is such a relatable and strong main character. She’s funny, sassy and wholesome mother.

Spinning mundane day to day life with fantasy it keeps you wanting to read the next page to see what happens next.

I would love to have seen more character development of the children but I know this will come in future releases. I also can’t wait to see how this parellel dimension and hidden world will unfold as Alex and Ani are exposed to it all.

This is an honest review in exchange for an ARC through BookFunnel.

[Vanessa Wright · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a mom of young kids myself, I LOVED the idea of this book. Why do 16 year old girls always have to be the ones saving the world? I want to be the badass world saver too! The daughter in the story reminds me of my own daughter as well, which added to the sense of familiarity. I was hooked during the beginning of the book, it was unique and action packed and I loved the dual storyline. Unfortunately the book slowed way down and then didn't really go much of anywhere after that. I kept waiting for something big to happen, but then it just ended kind of non-climatically. I really hope the next books in the trilogy pick up the pace, because it could be a really fun, unique story! Many thanks to the author for the ARC.