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Defender of Lore #1
God of Neverland
In this magical re-imagining of J. M. Barrie's classic tale, Michael Darling--the youngest of the Darling siblings and former Lost Boy, now all grown up--must return to the life he left behind to save Neverland from the brink of collapse and keep humanity safe from magical and mythological threats, as well as answer the ultimate question: Where is Peter Pan?
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.
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.
345 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 12, 2022
62 people are currently reading
7958 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 202 reviews
August 22, 2021
I'd hate to be the reason that someone isn't successful. As a reviewer, it almost hurts sometimes when you think about how dedicated authors are to creating something they perceive as important enough or quality enough to share with others. In the case of Gama Ray Martinez's God of Neverland, I think it's fair to give my honest assessment because the problem does not lie in his work but in what it is marketed as.
I chose to read God of Neverland based on the cover of Hook fighting a normal-dressed man. It was intriguing enough to catch my eye. What bothered me before I started was the book's description made it sound like a YA Book but it was presented as a book for adults on every website I visited. Eventually, as I arrived at the quarter mark through the book I finally found out about Martinez himself. He had previously self-published four Young Adult Novels and this was his first both from a major publisher and as a book for Adults. It isn't. How I described God of Neverland to my colleagues at the library was a Peter Pan book written in the format of Percy Jackson. Not that that's a bad thing. I enjoyed Percy Jackson when I read it over ten years ago. However, when you read The Sea of Monsters you aren't going to confuse it with The Odyssey.
The premise of God of Neverland is that an adult Michael must return to Neverland when Peter Pan goes missing. From the beginning, we are informed that Peter is a god known as Maponos who is an actual mythological being and not a creation of the author here. While this is a creative spin on the Pan story it works against itself by leading us into believing that other gods also exist. There's plenty of evidence in the first chapters that they could, theoretically, but this is a one-and-done Pan story and not American Gods in London. Maponos is the only god we deal with for better or worse. Michael is also a former member of an order known as Knights of the Round. The Knights are given brief introductions but the bulk of how the Order originated and the fine details associated with them are left for future books. This series is called The Defenders of Lore. Book Two is going to focus on Alice in Wonderland. If this was for adults I would expect more answers. Kids are used to being told things are the way they are and roll with it. It has a bit of a rough start with the setup but finally starts beating along once our characters return to a Neverland without order now that Peter is gone.
The Percy Jackson comparison shines brightly here. Each chapter in the book is a serialized step from one Peter Pan reference to the next. Here are the Indians, the Mermaids, the Faeries, the Lost Boys. Every chapter has its mini meet-and-greet, issue, resolution, and the journey continues. It's formulaic to the point where even when big battles are occurring you never feel they're anything at stake for the characters. They "could" fail, but you know they won't. In a book marketed for adults, I would expect these battles fiercer, possibly grittier. I would want to feel that things could go wrong for our heroes. The reveal for why Michael left the order comes off worthy of a shrug. Michael at this point in time is revealed to be at least twenty-one. Being an adult in Neverland is more of a nostalgia trip for him. There IS an adult by the name of Will who is a first-timer in Neverland. I wished Martinez would have explored his character and the reaction to the world more. What we get is some basic questions and disbelief, but Will is largely underutilized and regulated to the background. There are moments while reading where he, as well as the Lost Boys who are traveling with Michael and a Knight named Vanessa, disappear from the text completely. Only when they speak again do you realize they are still around.
When I think Peter Pan, I think Pirates. By now all the Pirates are Ghosts. Even Hook is long dead. There are some Pirate Ghost battles thanks to the assistance of Will-o-Wisp dust but the thrill of having Pirate Crew enemies isn't there. I enjoyed Hook whenever he appeared but his moments were also very expected. I've never been a Peter Pan fan in any form with the singular exception of the Robin Williams movie Hook. Aside from that, anything that doesn't have to do with the Pirates tends to bore me. Reading this, I constantly struggled to stay awake. Days went by when I could only get a couple of pages in.
As a book for adults, I don't feel like it hits the mark it was shooting for. Reading this as a book for Young Adults, it's passable.
I chose to read God of Neverland based on the cover of Hook fighting a normal-dressed man. It was intriguing enough to catch my eye. What bothered me before I started was the book's description made it sound like a YA Book but it was presented as a book for adults on every website I visited. Eventually, as I arrived at the quarter mark through the book I finally found out about Martinez himself. He had previously self-published four Young Adult Novels and this was his first both from a major publisher and as a book for Adults. It isn't. How I described God of Neverland to my colleagues at the library was a Peter Pan book written in the format of Percy Jackson. Not that that's a bad thing. I enjoyed Percy Jackson when I read it over ten years ago. However, when you read The Sea of Monsters you aren't going to confuse it with The Odyssey.
The premise of God of Neverland is that an adult Michael must return to Neverland when Peter Pan goes missing. From the beginning, we are informed that Peter is a god known as Maponos who is an actual mythological being and not a creation of the author here. While this is a creative spin on the Pan story it works against itself by leading us into believing that other gods also exist. There's plenty of evidence in the first chapters that they could, theoretically, but this is a one-and-done Pan story and not American Gods in London. Maponos is the only god we deal with for better or worse. Michael is also a former member of an order known as Knights of the Round. The Knights are given brief introductions but the bulk of how the Order originated and the fine details associated with them are left for future books. This series is called The Defenders of Lore. Book Two is going to focus on Alice in Wonderland. If this was for adults I would expect more answers. Kids are used to being told things are the way they are and roll with it. It has a bit of a rough start with the setup but finally starts beating along once our characters return to a Neverland without order now that Peter is gone.
The Percy Jackson comparison shines brightly here. Each chapter in the book is a serialized step from one Peter Pan reference to the next. Here are the Indians, the Mermaids, the Faeries, the Lost Boys. Every chapter has its mini meet-and-greet, issue, resolution, and the journey continues. It's formulaic to the point where even when big battles are occurring you never feel they're anything at stake for the characters. They "could" fail, but you know they won't. In a book marketed for adults, I would expect these battles fiercer, possibly grittier. I would want to feel that things could go wrong for our heroes. The reveal for why Michael left the order comes off worthy of a shrug. Michael at this point in time is revealed to be at least twenty-one. Being an adult in Neverland is more of a nostalgia trip for him. There IS an adult by the name of Will who is a first-timer in Neverland. I wished Martinez would have explored his character and the reaction to the world more. What we get is some basic questions and disbelief, but Will is largely underutilized and regulated to the background. There are moments while reading where he, as well as the Lost Boys who are traveling with Michael and a Knight named Vanessa, disappear from the text completely. Only when they speak again do you realize they are still around.
When I think Peter Pan, I think Pirates. By now all the Pirates are Ghosts. Even Hook is long dead. There are some Pirate Ghost battles thanks to the assistance of Will-o-Wisp dust but the thrill of having Pirate Crew enemies isn't there. I enjoyed Hook whenever he appeared but his moments were also very expected. I've never been a Peter Pan fan in any form with the singular exception of the Robin Williams movie Hook. Aside from that, anything that doesn't have to do with the Pirates tends to bore me. Reading this, I constantly struggled to stay awake. Days went by when I could only get a couple of pages in.
As a book for adults, I don't feel like it hits the mark it was shooting for. Reading this as a book for Young Adults, it's passable.
April 15, 2022
I've read a few novels that are retailing of Peter Pan and Neverland. As a child I loved the story of Peter Pan and badly wanted to be one of the kids going that, unfortunately I did not. But as an adult it's nice to read a few stories making their own version of the well known story. Although this was an decent read it didn't quite made me invested in the plot nor characters. Wasn't as in love with the story as I had hoped
June 22, 2022
A solid beginning to a new series. It's about a grown up Michael Darling, now retired from the Knights of the Round. He's sucked back in when he founds out that someone has captured Peter Pan and it's now affecting children's dreams across the world. I like how Martinez brought us back into Neverland playing off the original Barrie book. At the same time, there's a lot of potential to expand this world of the Knights. Each book could explore another children's story and that's the kind of thing I'm a sucker for. I love when worlds expand old tales and use them in new ways. Add in secret societies that keep mankind safe from these old stories and I'm sold.
Received a review copy from Harper Voyager and Edelweiss.
Received a review copy from Harper Voyager and Edelweiss.
June 19, 2022
4/5 stars, a super unique retelling with some great elements
Thank you to Harper Voyager for the arc through netgalley in exchange for an honest review!
Going into this story, I had never read a Peter Pan or Neverland retelling, though they seem to be popping up a lot more recently. I didn't have any expectations and I frankly had no idea what to expect in this story, besides elements of the original story. While I got such a great retelling of the original, that had some very dark twists, I also got something else. The world built in this story was one that had many tales of lore, gods, and ancient legends as well as fairytales. Maybe I should have expected this considering the series title, Defender of Lore, but it was so fun! There were Knights of this secret group, that watched over these ancient artifacts (like the bow of Artemis, or the trident of Neptune) as well as had contact and observed the ancient gods and other beings. There was magic, ancient beings, and so much more built into this world that was so exciting.
Speaking of the amazing worldbuilding, with how much information and world was set up in this book it makes me so excited to see what's next. That was probably my favorite part of the book, especially considering how many directions the author could go in after this. I love books that have easter eggs of lore and legends in them, so that definitely did the trick for me. While some parts of the magic system were a little confusing, I felt that most of it was explained thoroughly. Sometimes there were info dumps, but honestly in high-fantasy, I don't mind, I could read info dumps for days about lore of a world.
One of my only complaints of this story was that it felt stuck in between young adult and adult writing style or tone. I couldn't tell which one it was trying to be. In all honesty, it feels as if this was marketed as a young adult but read much more like an adult style. All of the characters were adult, the fighting scenes and things felt much more mature, and more. It wasn't a large issue, and I'm sure the author will continue to ease into their writing style with their series and find a common ground. The writing style was very polished, which meant that in my opinion the writing style fell into the realm of less prose and more straight scenes of fighting, telling, and things like that. Overall it wasn't a problem, and I still enjoyed the story, there just wasn't a lot of prose.
I did not see the twist that the whole story led up to coming at the end, it was one of those where there was probably no way that I was going to guess anyways. Sometimes this bothers me, but considering how large this world is, and how this story just scratched the surface, I was fine with it. I do think there could have been more done towards the end to elevate the twist, but overall it was a fine one and I didn't have any major problems with it.
Michael Darling was the main character in this story, the youngest Darling sibling and a former Knight of this secret group. While he joined the Knights after his time in Neverland, he gave up his rights in the group after a disastrous mission. He decided to become a civilian, but he is approached again when it is revealed that Peter Pan has gone missing, or as they refer to him, Maponos the god of youth. He must help the Knights find him or Neverland will be gone forever, and it's already suffering. As a whole, I really liked his character, he might have been a bit of a classic main character but that wasn't always a bad thing. His determination to protect those he loved was admirable, and I really enjoyed seeing him discover his youth again. I think that was an important message to the story as well.
Vanessa was arguably the other main character in the story, as she was there for the entire story. The reader never saw from her perspective, but she made lots of vital decisions that propelled the story forward. She was a very badass woman character that I felt was not sexualized, something that I am also very grateful for. Too often the women in these kinds of stories, nitty-gritty adultish fantasy, are sexualized for the main character's (often male) pleasure. She was her own person and had her own motivations, but was a good teammate to Michael as well. I hope she shows up in future books.
The side characters were very entertaining as well, anyone from the people of neverland to the other people from the real world all had interesting personalities. There were so many side characters to keep track of, but it was so fun to get to know all of them, especially as most of them were characters from the Peter Pan story. I honestly really enjoyed Wendy and The Lost Boys in this story, as well as the various pixies and nixies that the characters encountered.
Another one of my favorite parts of this book was that there was no romance (there were two side characters but not any main romance). That's something that rarely happens in any book really and it was honestly very refreshing to see. I appreciate that the author recognized that there was really no need for romance, and honestly no room for it in the already action-packed story.
Overall, this was a really fun retelling of both Peter Pan and other elements of stories, mythology, and fairytales. If this is truly a series, I cannot wait to see what else the author includes in the stories and I'm very excited to see where they go next. There's so much potential for this world and I hope it continues.
[TW: death of loved ones, blood and gore (heavy), gun violence, imprisonment, sword violence, manipulation]
Thank you to Harper Voyager for the arc through netgalley in exchange for an honest review!
Going into this story, I had never read a Peter Pan or Neverland retelling, though they seem to be popping up a lot more recently. I didn't have any expectations and I frankly had no idea what to expect in this story, besides elements of the original story. While I got such a great retelling of the original, that had some very dark twists, I also got something else. The world built in this story was one that had many tales of lore, gods, and ancient legends as well as fairytales. Maybe I should have expected this considering the series title, Defender of Lore, but it was so fun! There were Knights of this secret group, that watched over these ancient artifacts (like the bow of Artemis, or the trident of Neptune) as well as had contact and observed the ancient gods and other beings. There was magic, ancient beings, and so much more built into this world that was so exciting.
Speaking of the amazing worldbuilding, with how much information and world was set up in this book it makes me so excited to see what's next. That was probably my favorite part of the book, especially considering how many directions the author could go in after this. I love books that have easter eggs of lore and legends in them, so that definitely did the trick for me. While some parts of the magic system were a little confusing, I felt that most of it was explained thoroughly. Sometimes there were info dumps, but honestly in high-fantasy, I don't mind, I could read info dumps for days about lore of a world.
One of my only complaints of this story was that it felt stuck in between young adult and adult writing style or tone. I couldn't tell which one it was trying to be. In all honesty, it feels as if this was marketed as a young adult but read much more like an adult style. All of the characters were adult, the fighting scenes and things felt much more mature, and more. It wasn't a large issue, and I'm sure the author will continue to ease into their writing style with their series and find a common ground. The writing style was very polished, which meant that in my opinion the writing style fell into the realm of less prose and more straight scenes of fighting, telling, and things like that. Overall it wasn't a problem, and I still enjoyed the story, there just wasn't a lot of prose.
I did not see the twist that the whole story led up to coming at the end, it was one of those where there was probably no way that I was going to guess anyways. Sometimes this bothers me, but considering how large this world is, and how this story just scratched the surface, I was fine with it. I do think there could have been more done towards the end to elevate the twist, but overall it was a fine one and I didn't have any major problems with it.
Michael Darling was the main character in this story, the youngest Darling sibling and a former Knight of this secret group. While he joined the Knights after his time in Neverland, he gave up his rights in the group after a disastrous mission. He decided to become a civilian, but he is approached again when it is revealed that Peter Pan has gone missing, or as they refer to him, Maponos the god of youth. He must help the Knights find him or Neverland will be gone forever, and it's already suffering. As a whole, I really liked his character, he might have been a bit of a classic main character but that wasn't always a bad thing. His determination to protect those he loved was admirable, and I really enjoyed seeing him discover his youth again. I think that was an important message to the story as well.
Vanessa was arguably the other main character in the story, as she was there for the entire story. The reader never saw from her perspective, but she made lots of vital decisions that propelled the story forward. She was a very badass woman character that I felt was not sexualized, something that I am also very grateful for. Too often the women in these kinds of stories, nitty-gritty adultish fantasy, are sexualized for the main character's (often male) pleasure. She was her own person and had her own motivations, but was a good teammate to Michael as well. I hope she shows up in future books.
The side characters were very entertaining as well, anyone from the people of neverland to the other people from the real world all had interesting personalities. There were so many side characters to keep track of, but it was so fun to get to know all of them, especially as most of them were characters from the Peter Pan story. I honestly really enjoyed Wendy and The Lost Boys in this story, as well as the various pixies and nixies that the characters encountered.
Another one of my favorite parts of this book was that there was no romance (there were two side characters but not any main romance). That's something that rarely happens in any book really and it was honestly very refreshing to see. I appreciate that the author recognized that there was really no need for romance, and honestly no room for it in the already action-packed story.
Overall, this was a really fun retelling of both Peter Pan and other elements of stories, mythology, and fairytales. If this is truly a series, I cannot wait to see what else the author includes in the stories and I'm very excited to see where they go next. There's so much potential for this world and I hope it continues.
[TW: death of loved ones, blood and gore (heavy), gun violence, imprisonment, sword violence, manipulation]
August 14, 2021
Me blitzing through Peter Pan retellings at the speed of sound? It's more likely than you think.
This was an enjoyable one. I would give it 3.5 stars if I could.
Unlike a whole lot of modern, adult Peter Pan retellings, this one isn't trying to be edgy, subvert the story, and tell some kind of dark version where Peter was the villain all along. God of Neverland leans hard into the original Barrie version, weaving it into a larger picture of magic and myth.
It's like a more grown up Peter and the Starcatchers, if you will. Refreshing.
Michael, the youngest Darling, is now grown up. He's a jaded ex-member of a secret society dedicated to fighting magical threats from all around the world. That doesn't last long and he gets dragged back into adventure quickly.
There's a lot to enjoy here:
My rating isn't higher because I think there's a lot of good here, but also kind of a lot that should have been MORE.
The biggest issue here for me is the characters and relationships:
Michael's past trauma is covered in a lot of ways, but we never really figure out what happened. We never really feel Michael's feelings about it, and we never really process him moving past it. Michael is a good character because he's dynamic, he takes action, but he barely has any personality outside of that. We don't know much about his past life or his internal, emotional life and all of that leads to him feeling weirdly shallow for a main character.
For all that we know little about Michael, we know even LESS about the other characters. Vanessa, the female action hero, is completely opaque. She works for the Knights, and that's LITERALLY all we know. She and Michael seem to know each other, but we never really find out how or why, and their friendship doesn't vibe very well. Anything about Vanessa as a person -- her motivation or past or hopes or thoughts or fears -- would have been helpful to convince me to care about her. But there was nothing, so I really just don't care.
The Never Bird? I don't even know why he was there other than to essentially be the pop-up text bubbles in a video game tutorial that tell you all the inside knowledge.
All the other members of the adventure squad were almost literally not even there.
Even the Will/Wendy/Jane subplot, which had the most emotional pathos, should have had far more than it actually did. Will was IN WWI for crying out loud. PLEASE lean a little harder into the time period, and into his trauma as a prisoner, and into who he is as a person besides just being the token outsider POV and saying "What? I don't understand" every ten seconds.
I also think that trying to make Hook an actual, serious villain would take more real work than this. I'm not afraid of him, and I'm not going to be afraid of him because even in the original book he was beat up by a little boy all the time. Raising this up to the level of successfully suspending disbelief for an adult audience is going to require more than just saying, "Hook is scary."
Overall, I enjoyed the read, but wasn't as head-over-heels as I wanted to be. This book easily could have been an amazing new favorite. There is so much imagination and potential here, but the necessary character investment to make it amazing just wasn't there for me.
This was an enjoyable one. I would give it 3.5 stars if I could.
Unlike a whole lot of modern, adult Peter Pan retellings, this one isn't trying to be edgy, subvert the story, and tell some kind of dark version where Peter was the villain all along. God of Neverland leans hard into the original Barrie version, weaving it into a larger picture of magic and myth.
It's like a more grown up Peter and the Starcatchers, if you will. Refreshing.
Michael, the youngest Darling, is now grown up. He's a jaded ex-member of a secret society dedicated to fighting magical threats from all around the world. That doesn't last long and he gets dragged back into adventure quickly.
There's a lot to enjoy here:
• I like how the story just jumps right in. It doesn't spend five chapters explaining the backstory and the secret society ad nauseum. We're just going in feetfirst and getting our bearings as we go, which I liked because it had me immediately invested in unraveling the worldbuilding.
• The Knights and whole secret society idea is a lot of fun. I honestly wish they had featured in the story more strongly.
• Expanding the mythos of Neverland. I totally buy the idea that there was way more to that place than the original story contained, and I enjoyed exploring it.
• All the nods to the original book!!
• The whole subplot with Will, Wendy, and Jane.
My rating isn't higher because I think there's a lot of good here, but also kind of a lot that should have been MORE.
The biggest issue here for me is the characters and relationships:
Michael's past trauma is covered in a lot of ways, but we never really figure out what happened. We never really feel Michael's feelings about it, and we never really process him moving past it. Michael is a good character because he's dynamic, he takes action, but he barely has any personality outside of that. We don't know much about his past life or his internal, emotional life and all of that leads to him feeling weirdly shallow for a main character.
For all that we know little about Michael, we know even LESS about the other characters. Vanessa, the female action hero, is completely opaque. She works for the Knights, and that's LITERALLY all we know. She and Michael seem to know each other, but we never really find out how or why, and their friendship doesn't vibe very well. Anything about Vanessa as a person -- her motivation or past or hopes or thoughts or fears -- would have been helpful to convince me to care about her. But there was nothing, so I really just don't care.
The Never Bird? I don't even know why he was there other than to essentially be the pop-up text bubbles in a video game tutorial that tell you all the inside knowledge.
All the other members of the adventure squad were almost literally not even there.
Even the Will/Wendy/Jane subplot, which had the most emotional pathos, should have had far more than it actually did. Will was IN WWI for crying out loud. PLEASE lean a little harder into the time period, and into his trauma as a prisoner, and into who he is as a person besides just being the token outsider POV and saying "What? I don't understand" every ten seconds.
I also think that trying to make Hook an actual, serious villain would take more real work than this. I'm not afraid of him, and I'm not going to be afraid of him because even in the original book he was beat up by a little boy all the time. Raising this up to the level of successfully suspending disbelief for an adult audience is going to require more than just saying, "Hook is scary."
Overall, I enjoyed the read, but wasn't as head-over-heels as I wanted to be. This book easily could have been an amazing new favorite. There is so much imagination and potential here, but the necessary character investment to make it amazing just wasn't there for me.
Want to read
December 3, 2022It's only $1.99 on Kindle! Perfect for that not-quite-YA, but not-yet-adult reader you never know what the heck to get.
February 19, 2022
A fun magical adventure transporting you back to Neverland, make believe and youthfulness.
September 14, 2021
This review will not contain spoilers in the first half, but will contain spoilers in the second half.
Working as a train conductor in 1920s London, England, Michael Darling has moved on from his childhood adventures in Neverland. He's even moved on from his friend, Peter Pan. It isn't until the end of his shift that he sees an uncharacteristic shadow following him that makes him uneasy. Vanessa, one of his fellow knights from his old life, waits for him on the train station's platform to ask him for help. Peter Pan, also known as the god Maponos (god of youth), has gone missing. Neverland is disappearing and the dreams of little children are at stake. Michael struggles to not only reconnect with his former position of being a knight, but also with his sense of childhood. Will Michael and Vanessa be able to save Peter Pan? Will Michael be able to return to his childhood?
Plot:
The plot moves incredibly fast in this book. There is little time to process what happened in the chapter prior due to how fast the action that takes place moves. Personally, I like slower paced books, so the pacing of the plot was not a winner for me. However, if you like consuming one adventure after the other, I think this book is for you. Gamma Ray Martinez has an excellent grasp on the aspect of childhood adventure and that translates into every plot point in this book. There are constant obstacles that Michael has to face with little downtime. You can really feel the sense of urgency of Michael and Vanessa's mission with how fast the pace moves alongside the intensity of the action in this book. Also, there's a plot twist that I thoroughly enjoyed that I think you will too.
Characters:
Because the book moves rather quickly, we don't have a lot of time to get to know the characters. In the beginning of the novel, we are introduced to these characters with their roles already established. We truly jump right into the action. I would have liked to see more flushed out characters even though the primary focus of the story was on the aspect of childhood and adventure. I feel like spending just a little more downtime with the characters would round out the story that much more. If you are a character-driven reader, this might not be the book for you. Again, if you are more focused on the action of a novel rather than the characters, this book may be for you.
Action:
There were so many action scenes that I loved. I love how Martinez was able to keep my childhood nostalgia in tact while moving through the action scenes. Peter Pan was one of my favorite Disney movies as a child and I found myself at the edge of my seat just like I was when I first watched the movie.
Worldbuilding:
I have to admit, I am still a bit confused on how this world works. I wanted to know more about the operation of the Knights, the Round Table, and how Neverland actually worked alongside how other worlds worked. I found myself with still lingering questions by the end of the novel.
Technicalities:
Even though I still had questions about how Neverland worked, I was beat over the head with the fact that Neverland was dying because of Peter's disappearance as well as who could or could not leave. Every time that Michael noticed a sign of decay, we were reminded that Neverland was dying (like, literally told in the narrative that it was dying). We already know this at the first mention of Peter's disappearance. There were a lot of other instances like this where the author would provide an observation of a character or surrounding and then repeatedly remind us about that observation instead of letting the language and description speak for itself.
The dialog was a little rough for me to get through because all the characters pretty much sounded the same. There was little diversity in the dialog and it was difficult to tell who was speaking at times.
Overall Thoughts:
Good nostalgia, but I would have liked to see more rounded out characters and slowed down pacing in some instances. I wanted to be able to digest what happened between action scenes and moving on to the next chapter.
FROM HERE ON OUT THERE WILL BE SPOILERS
Plot:
As I stated above, the plot moved incredibly fast. In addition to not being a fan of the pacing, there were a few plot holes I noticed or unfulfilled plot points. For example, Michael's old and late friend Dimitri. This plot point was severely underdeveloped despite being a strong part of Michael's character and one of the reasons for him leaving the Knights. I was waiting and waiting to see Michael struggle with Dimitri's death on his Neverland mission, but there was only one instance where we really see diversity in Michael's character: when they just left Mora and are descending into the Underworld. Mora recites a poem that is connected with Dimitri and Vanessa has to remind Michael that Dimitri's death wasn't his fault. But after that, we only get small mentions of this. This plot point doesn't really move the story any further.
Also, we get a couple mentions of the concept of Michael wanting to be a hero. I thought that this was an extremely interesting look into Michael's character and I was excited to learn how his actions surrounding this concept would move the story forward. But "being a hero" just comes out dead. The theme is lost despite being a point of intrigue for the rest of the novel.
Two aspects of the plot (and also two characters that I will get to later) were very well written.
The plot point where Michael, Will, Vanessa, Shade, and Nev go to Mora's dwelling in order to get to the Underworld. This scene is just filled with palpable tension. I was (and still am) obsessed with it. It forces that characters' hands and it is so interesting to see how they all react to it.
When the group has to consult the mermaids for help, I was seriously smiling while reading. Again, the characters' hands are forced when faced with this uncertain and dangerous situation. So, so good. And this provided a great lead in to the mermaids' roles in Peter's kidnapping.
The reunion of Jane, Wendy, and Will was extremely underwhelming.
The saving of Peter was underwhelming.
Despite all the action, there wasn't really any satisfying resolutions to these reunions.
It was heartwarming to see Michael and Will join the Knights together, but we hadn't really seen any displays of brotherhood while they were in Neverland, so that was a bit underwhelming too. It was a good ending and one that made sense for the story, but it wasn't fulfilling.
The plot twist that Michael's manifested wraith was the one who kidnapped Peter was THE BEST! Oh my goodness and the fact that Hook was the one to deliver the news was even better. I definitely did not expect that at all.
Characters:
Every single character had so much potential, but they all kind of fell flat by the end of the novel.
Michael:
I wanted so much more from Michael. I wanted to see him truly struggle with getting back in cahoots with the Knights. I craved more internal conflict from his character, but there was not a ton of that. I'm not saying that I wanted him to suffer, but Michael was confronted with so many things that he was trying to repress that I expected him to have a more fulfilled arc.
Vanessa:
She was such an interesting character. I loved the banter she got into with Michael and I loved seeing her try to help Michael believe again despite her never being to Neverland herself. But we didn't see much of her. When it came to the action scenes, she faded into the background, often dismissed because she was a seasoned Knight. I know that the story is third person limited, but there was indeed room to flush out her character a little more.
Nev:
I am a bit confused by her character because, despite being the first creature created by Peter, she did not seem to be very helpful. I guess that got explained by saying that Peter controls everything and does things his way, but I thought Nev was endearing and wanted more from her. I was unfulfilled when Michael and Nev departed because it seemed the only connection they had was due to Michael being able to understand her.
Hook:
I was disappointed in Hook's character at first and that was mainly due to his dialog. His dialog felt wishy-washy and it wasn't until Michael finds out about his betrayal that Hook actually felt like the most feared pirate. Maybe that was the whole point, but I still would have liked Hook to be shown as more fearsome than he was in the novel.
Peter:
I thought Peter was extremely well done. As an adult, it was infuriating listening to his dialog (in a good way!) because of his coyness and mischievousness.
Will:
I'm not sure what to say about Will. He just kind of seemed like the "adult" in the story (which was a good use of his character, but because of that, his arc didn't make a ton of sense).
Mora:
Her character is so dense with her only being featured in a few pages of the novel! Martinez writes his villains really well. Her dialog is snappy and wise and cunning and that is a direct reflection of her character. I loved her.
The Mermaids:
Okay, by far the mermaids were one of my favorites. They were SO PERFECT in their obsession with Peter and their hatred for anyone that got in the way of that. I loved learning that they worked with Michael's wraith to get Peter to stay with them. It made so much sense! Loved them so much.
Overall Thoughts:
I appreciated the nostalgia "God of Neverland" brought me, but I wanted so much more from it in terms of knowing more about the Knights, Neverland, and the characters.
Favorite lines:
"I'm not trying to be a hero." -Michael
"Michael rose into the air, remembering for the first time in decades the sheer joy of flight."
"The danger--""is one of my choosing. If this gets me closer to Wendy and my daughter, I'll take the risk. No matter what." -Will
"She tongued the word, seemingly chewing it with those yellow teeth."
"'We're not children!' Will shouted. "We are here,' Michael said quietly. "Because if we're not, then we're the monsters.'"
"'No,' Nibs said. "I'm certain it wouldn't be proper.'"
"Rather, it was something taught to a boy of four by a god who never grew up."
"The twins yowled in delight as the creature yowled in pain."
"'You,' she hissed. "'How dare you return to this lagoon after what you have done? I should drag you into the depths and leave you there until the nixie dust wears off.'" -Aria (one of the mermaids)
"'They're just spoiled little girls. They know what they did and they know if Peter ever came back, he would never forgive them. He probably hates them. They don't really want him to return.'" -Vanessa
"It was as if the creature truly believed itself to be real."
"'A god needs to know that others believe in him so he can believe in himself.'"
Working as a train conductor in 1920s London, England, Michael Darling has moved on from his childhood adventures in Neverland. He's even moved on from his friend, Peter Pan. It isn't until the end of his shift that he sees an uncharacteristic shadow following him that makes him uneasy. Vanessa, one of his fellow knights from his old life, waits for him on the train station's platform to ask him for help. Peter Pan, also known as the god Maponos (god of youth), has gone missing. Neverland is disappearing and the dreams of little children are at stake. Michael struggles to not only reconnect with his former position of being a knight, but also with his sense of childhood. Will Michael and Vanessa be able to save Peter Pan? Will Michael be able to return to his childhood?
Plot:
The plot moves incredibly fast in this book. There is little time to process what happened in the chapter prior due to how fast the action that takes place moves. Personally, I like slower paced books, so the pacing of the plot was not a winner for me. However, if you like consuming one adventure after the other, I think this book is for you. Gamma Ray Martinez has an excellent grasp on the aspect of childhood adventure and that translates into every plot point in this book. There are constant obstacles that Michael has to face with little downtime. You can really feel the sense of urgency of Michael and Vanessa's mission with how fast the pace moves alongside the intensity of the action in this book. Also, there's a plot twist that I thoroughly enjoyed that I think you will too.
Characters:
Because the book moves rather quickly, we don't have a lot of time to get to know the characters. In the beginning of the novel, we are introduced to these characters with their roles already established. We truly jump right into the action. I would have liked to see more flushed out characters even though the primary focus of the story was on the aspect of childhood and adventure. I feel like spending just a little more downtime with the characters would round out the story that much more. If you are a character-driven reader, this might not be the book for you. Again, if you are more focused on the action of a novel rather than the characters, this book may be for you.
Action:
There were so many action scenes that I loved. I love how Martinez was able to keep my childhood nostalgia in tact while moving through the action scenes. Peter Pan was one of my favorite Disney movies as a child and I found myself at the edge of my seat just like I was when I first watched the movie.
Worldbuilding:
I have to admit, I am still a bit confused on how this world works. I wanted to know more about the operation of the Knights, the Round Table, and how Neverland actually worked alongside how other worlds worked. I found myself with still lingering questions by the end of the novel.
Technicalities:
Even though I still had questions about how Neverland worked, I was beat over the head with the fact that Neverland was dying because of Peter's disappearance as well as who could or could not leave. Every time that Michael noticed a sign of decay, we were reminded that Neverland was dying (like, literally told in the narrative that it was dying). We already know this at the first mention of Peter's disappearance. There were a lot of other instances like this where the author would provide an observation of a character or surrounding and then repeatedly remind us about that observation instead of letting the language and description speak for itself.
The dialog was a little rough for me to get through because all the characters pretty much sounded the same. There was little diversity in the dialog and it was difficult to tell who was speaking at times.
Overall Thoughts:
Good nostalgia, but I would have liked to see more rounded out characters and slowed down pacing in some instances. I wanted to be able to digest what happened between action scenes and moving on to the next chapter.
FROM HERE ON OUT THERE WILL BE SPOILERS
Plot:
As I stated above, the plot moved incredibly fast. In addition to not being a fan of the pacing, there were a few plot holes I noticed or unfulfilled plot points. For example, Michael's old and late friend Dimitri. This plot point was severely underdeveloped despite being a strong part of Michael's character and one of the reasons for him leaving the Knights. I was waiting and waiting to see Michael struggle with Dimitri's death on his Neverland mission, but there was only one instance where we really see diversity in Michael's character: when they just left Mora and are descending into the Underworld. Mora recites a poem that is connected with Dimitri and Vanessa has to remind Michael that Dimitri's death wasn't his fault. But after that, we only get small mentions of this. This plot point doesn't really move the story any further.
Also, we get a couple mentions of the concept of Michael wanting to be a hero. I thought that this was an extremely interesting look into Michael's character and I was excited to learn how his actions surrounding this concept would move the story forward. But "being a hero" just comes out dead. The theme is lost despite being a point of intrigue for the rest of the novel.
Two aspects of the plot (and also two characters that I will get to later) were very well written.
The plot point where Michael, Will, Vanessa, Shade, and Nev go to Mora's dwelling in order to get to the Underworld. This scene is just filled with palpable tension. I was (and still am) obsessed with it. It forces that characters' hands and it is so interesting to see how they all react to it.
When the group has to consult the mermaids for help, I was seriously smiling while reading. Again, the characters' hands are forced when faced with this uncertain and dangerous situation. So, so good. And this provided a great lead in to the mermaids' roles in Peter's kidnapping.
The reunion of Jane, Wendy, and Will was extremely underwhelming.
The saving of Peter was underwhelming.
Despite all the action, there wasn't really any satisfying resolutions to these reunions.
It was heartwarming to see Michael and Will join the Knights together, but we hadn't really seen any displays of brotherhood while they were in Neverland, so that was a bit underwhelming too. It was a good ending and one that made sense for the story, but it wasn't fulfilling.
The plot twist that Michael's manifested wraith was the one who kidnapped Peter was THE BEST! Oh my goodness and the fact that Hook was the one to deliver the news was even better. I definitely did not expect that at all.
Characters:
Every single character had so much potential, but they all kind of fell flat by the end of the novel.
Michael:
I wanted so much more from Michael. I wanted to see him truly struggle with getting back in cahoots with the Knights. I craved more internal conflict from his character, but there was not a ton of that. I'm not saying that I wanted him to suffer, but Michael was confronted with so many things that he was trying to repress that I expected him to have a more fulfilled arc.
Vanessa:
She was such an interesting character. I loved the banter she got into with Michael and I loved seeing her try to help Michael believe again despite her never being to Neverland herself. But we didn't see much of her. When it came to the action scenes, she faded into the background, often dismissed because she was a seasoned Knight. I know that the story is third person limited, but there was indeed room to flush out her character a little more.
Nev:
I am a bit confused by her character because, despite being the first creature created by Peter, she did not seem to be very helpful. I guess that got explained by saying that Peter controls everything and does things his way, but I thought Nev was endearing and wanted more from her. I was unfulfilled when Michael and Nev departed because it seemed the only connection they had was due to Michael being able to understand her.
Hook:
I was disappointed in Hook's character at first and that was mainly due to his dialog. His dialog felt wishy-washy and it wasn't until Michael finds out about his betrayal that Hook actually felt like the most feared pirate. Maybe that was the whole point, but I still would have liked Hook to be shown as more fearsome than he was in the novel.
Peter:
I thought Peter was extremely well done. As an adult, it was infuriating listening to his dialog (in a good way!) because of his coyness and mischievousness.
Will:
I'm not sure what to say about Will. He just kind of seemed like the "adult" in the story (which was a good use of his character, but because of that, his arc didn't make a ton of sense).
Mora:
Her character is so dense with her only being featured in a few pages of the novel! Martinez writes his villains really well. Her dialog is snappy and wise and cunning and that is a direct reflection of her character. I loved her.
The Mermaids:
Okay, by far the mermaids were one of my favorites. They were SO PERFECT in their obsession with Peter and their hatred for anyone that got in the way of that. I loved learning that they worked with Michael's wraith to get Peter to stay with them. It made so much sense! Loved them so much.
Overall Thoughts:
I appreciated the nostalgia "God of Neverland" brought me, but I wanted so much more from it in terms of knowing more about the Knights, Neverland, and the characters.
Favorite lines:
"I'm not trying to be a hero." -Michael
"Michael rose into the air, remembering for the first time in decades the sheer joy of flight."
"The danger--""is one of my choosing. If this gets me closer to Wendy and my daughter, I'll take the risk. No matter what." -Will
"She tongued the word, seemingly chewing it with those yellow teeth."
"'We're not children!' Will shouted. "We are here,' Michael said quietly. "Because if we're not, then we're the monsters.'"
"'No,' Nibs said. "I'm certain it wouldn't be proper.'"
"Rather, it was something taught to a boy of four by a god who never grew up."
"The twins yowled in delight as the creature yowled in pain."
"'You,' she hissed. "'How dare you return to this lagoon after what you have done? I should drag you into the depths and leave you there until the nixie dust wears off.'" -Aria (one of the mermaids)
"'They're just spoiled little girls. They know what they did and they know if Peter ever came back, he would never forgive them. He probably hates them. They don't really want him to return.'" -Vanessa
"It was as if the creature truly believed itself to be real."
"'A god needs to know that others believe in him so he can believe in himself.'"
December 22, 2021
Peter Pan retelling? SAY NO MORE. The cover and title alone had me sold as an avid Peter Pan fan. Captain Hook fighting a main dressed in regular clothing? SOLD.
The premise of God of Neverland is that an adult Michael, eldest Darling, must return to Neverland when Peter Pan goes missing. From the beginning, the reader is informed that Peter is a god known as Maponos who is an actual mythological being. While this is a creative spin on the Peter Pan story it works against itself by leading us into believing that other gods also exist since Peter himself is a God. I wish there were more backstory and details for the reader to fully understand what this world entails.
I didn't know what to expect as I began but reading about Michael being a jaded ex-member of a secret society dedicated to fighting magical threats from all around the world. My main reason for such a low rating is the missing details behind Michael's past. The reader never fully understands Michael's past trauma, which leaves more questions than answers. I wish there was more character description and backstory because some of the characters introduced are so vague that all you know is their name. I think overall, this story fell short for me because I kept wanting more.
Thank you, NetGalley for an eARC for my honest review.
The premise of God of Neverland is that an adult Michael, eldest Darling, must return to Neverland when Peter Pan goes missing. From the beginning, the reader is informed that Peter is a god known as Maponos who is an actual mythological being. While this is a creative spin on the Peter Pan story it works against itself by leading us into believing that other gods also exist since Peter himself is a God. I wish there were more backstory and details for the reader to fully understand what this world entails.
I didn't know what to expect as I began but reading about Michael being a jaded ex-member of a secret society dedicated to fighting magical threats from all around the world. My main reason for such a low rating is the missing details behind Michael's past. The reader never fully understands Michael's past trauma, which leaves more questions than answers. I wish there was more character description and backstory because some of the characters introduced are so vague that all you know is their name. I think overall, this story fell short for me because I kept wanting more.
Thank you, NetGalley for an eARC for my honest review.
April 18, 2022
A great reminder for the adult-me of the magical adventure story I loved as a child.
April 7, 2022
This book was a great light retelling of Michael Darling all grown up. I thought Ray Martinez did an excellent job building on the or of Peter Pan, pointing out how he worked as an integral part of Neverland and how we grew up with Peter Pan, showing us that the magic is within all of us. I really liked a lot of the plot and the mix of magical realism, as well as the discussion on some of the logic of the book.
That said, a lot of this book missed the mark for me. It felt like Ray Martinez set up a wonderful thing of "Neverland is about adventure, so a lot of time things happen that don't always make sense." Then got a bit too self aware and whenever there was a plot that didn't fully make sense within the plot, he just threw up his hands and said "that's Neverland!" and overexplained it to the point where I didn't care anymore. In addition, the plot was great for a lot of this, but in a lot of parts felt rushed and like I wanted MORE from it. Overall, I wanted this to be a bit better with the plot. I didn't mind the sense of wonder, it just also felt like too much in some parts and not enough in others.
That said, a lot of this book missed the mark for me. It felt like Ray Martinez set up a wonderful thing of "Neverland is about adventure, so a lot of time things happen that don't always make sense." Then got a bit too self aware and whenever there was a plot that didn't fully make sense within the plot, he just threw up his hands and said "that's Neverland!" and overexplained it to the point where I didn't care anymore. In addition, the plot was great for a lot of this, but in a lot of parts felt rushed and like I wanted MORE from it. Overall, I wanted this to be a bit better with the plot. I didn't mind the sense of wonder, it just also felt like too much in some parts and not enough in others.
July 5, 2022
I was so excited to win this book in a @Goodreads giveaway. However, it fell a little flat for me. I love fairytale retellings, but maybe I don't like Peter Pan retellings.
The pacing in this one was just too slow for me, but I did enjoy seeing some of the characters from different Peter Pan movies like Tootles and Jane. Sadly, this book wasn't for me even though I wanted to love it.
The pacing in this one was just too slow for me, but I did enjoy seeing some of the characters from different Peter Pan movies like Tootles and Jane. Sadly, this book wasn't for me even though I wanted to love it.
April 11, 2022
Parts felt really rushed and didn't make sense really, but overall I loved this and couldn't put it down.
January 1, 2023
I received this ARC from the publisher in a Goodreads contest. My review is completely honest and voluntary. I was in no way compensated for this review.
God of Neverland was my first book by Gama Ray Martinez! It sounded so exciting; a grownup Michael returning to Neverland to rescue a missing Peter Pan. Sadly while the story sounded exciting, the execution was just off for me.
It’s been one year since Michael left the Knights of the Round, a secret society meant to protect the world from magical evil. But then one night he’s drawn back into the thick of things when he’s told Peter Pan has gone missing. His first objective of course is to get to Neverland but the problem is a lack of fairy dust.
The story itself was very interesting but I felt like the pacing was just off for me. It was a bit too slow. It took nearly one hundred pages to get to Neverland. All the while little was going on it felt like. Yes, there were obstacles to overcome and some Neverland characters make an appearance in London. When Michael finally gets to Neverland he finds that much has changed in the years since his last visit.
I did find it somewhat odd that the characters took on their Disney personas more than a typical childlike appearance or their true fairy tale appearance. But we see characters we knew from Disney looking very much like those characters. It just felt a little wrong to me.
I guess what didn’t work for me was the pacing. Things were too slow and drawn out at every turn. Walking into a room took several paragraphs, meeting a person took several lines. I don’t know. I really wanted to love this book because I love fairy tales and their retellings and sequels or continuations…whatever you want to call them. This book should’ve been perfect for me, but alas it just wasn’t the right mesh for me.
The characters were still enjoyable. I loved seeing a grownup Michael! Wendy, Tiger Lily, Smee…everyone you can think of made something of an appearance and I loved that factor too.
Sadly while I wanted this book to be perfect it just didn’t hit its mark with me the way I wanted it too. While I may not have enjoyed it, I would still highly recommend this to fans of Peter Pan. There is a slower pace that uses lots of detail to set the scene and character development is spot on. Sadly the former just didn’t work for me but I don’t want that to dissuade others who may be use to or enjoy that kind of style to be put off from this one.
Overall Rating 2/5 stars
God of Neverland releases April 12, 2022
God of Neverland was my first book by Gama Ray Martinez! It sounded so exciting; a grownup Michael returning to Neverland to rescue a missing Peter Pan. Sadly while the story sounded exciting, the execution was just off for me.
It’s been one year since Michael left the Knights of the Round, a secret society meant to protect the world from magical evil. But then one night he’s drawn back into the thick of things when he’s told Peter Pan has gone missing. His first objective of course is to get to Neverland but the problem is a lack of fairy dust.
The story itself was very interesting but I felt like the pacing was just off for me. It was a bit too slow. It took nearly one hundred pages to get to Neverland. All the while little was going on it felt like. Yes, there were obstacles to overcome and some Neverland characters make an appearance in London. When Michael finally gets to Neverland he finds that much has changed in the years since his last visit.
I did find it somewhat odd that the characters took on their Disney personas more than a typical childlike appearance or their true fairy tale appearance. But we see characters we knew from Disney looking very much like those characters. It just felt a little wrong to me.
I guess what didn’t work for me was the pacing. Things were too slow and drawn out at every turn. Walking into a room took several paragraphs, meeting a person took several lines. I don’t know. I really wanted to love this book because I love fairy tales and their retellings and sequels or continuations…whatever you want to call them. This book should’ve been perfect for me, but alas it just wasn’t the right mesh for me.
The characters were still enjoyable. I loved seeing a grownup Michael! Wendy, Tiger Lily, Smee…everyone you can think of made something of an appearance and I loved that factor too.
Sadly while I wanted this book to be perfect it just didn’t hit its mark with me the way I wanted it too. While I may not have enjoyed it, I would still highly recommend this to fans of Peter Pan. There is a slower pace that uses lots of detail to set the scene and character development is spot on. Sadly the former just didn’t work for me but I don’t want that to dissuade others who may be use to or enjoy that kind of style to be put off from this one.
Overall Rating 2/5 stars
God of Neverland releases April 12, 2022
September 9, 2022
4.5/5 ⭐️
God of Neverland is a quick and easy read with a really enjoyable, whimsical, and imaginative story. I really liked this book and the way that it was able to transport me back to Neverland.
God of Neverland is a quick and easy read with a really enjoyable, whimsical, and imaginative story. I really liked this book and the way that it was able to transport me back to Neverland.
April 28, 2022
I really enjoyed this take on the Peter Pan mythos. I look forward to more.
July 8, 2022
i wanted to know more about the knights but other than that it was fun
June 9, 2022
In this continuation of the familiar Peter Pan story, Michael's all grown up and headed back to Neverland. Peter's been captured and his power drained, so Michael will need all his childhood adventures and adult expertise as a Knight to set him free.
The more I read this book, the more frustrated I got. The first encounter in Neverland set a bad tone early. Michael is captured by Tiger Lily and her tribe. While this book avoids the most blatant racism of the source material, it doesn't do anything to distance itself either. The "natives" are single-minded vicious thugs with no further elaboration. To be fair, all the characters are remarkably flat, so that aspect isn't targeted at them. The worst part comes after the meeting when it is explained that because the tribe comes from Peter's imagination, they and several other creatures on the island lack independent thought. So get your pompoms for a rah-rah colonialism.
A consistently annoying theme is the treatment of women throughout. The women in Neverland largely just orbit Peter and to a lesser extent, Michael. They are described as petty and fight over Peter Pan's affection even though he's straight up a child... Like that's his whole thing in case you haven't heard. Tinker Bell once tried to kill Wendy for stealing Peter's interest. For his part, Peter only acknowledges Tinker Bell when he needs something and doesn't listen to her unless one of the boys confirms what she's saying. Mermaids are indifferent to everyone but Pan and are seductresses who wish death on anyone who challenges their claim to him, apparently. The only bargaining chip that works with Tiger Lily is the opportunity to remove her major competitor for Pan's interest. In a misguided, surface-level attempt at rounding her character out, we hear what a talented, fierce warrior she is as if that balances out her obsessive behavior. This same treatment is given to Michael's sister-in-arms, Vanessa. We hear about how magnificent she is in battle and how she had to work harder to reach her position "due to her gender." Which we can charitably assume is a vague but well-intentioned attempt to address structural sexism, but it could also be taken as a sexist comment on ability. And there's no way to tell because one iffy sentence is all we get. When Hook calls Vanessa a wench and tells her to be quiet "while the men talk," Michael prioritizes diplomacy with the pirate and asks Vanessa to put aside her anger. And then there's no further acknowledgment of what happened. FUN.
All of this supposedly comes from Peter, the pure spirit of childhood. So in addition to the faults of a child that the book readily recognizes (short attention span, illogical confidence, no concept of consequences for one's actions), we're meant to accept colonialism, sexism, and racism as parts of every child's natural makeup. And I think that's a terrible, white man-centric message. Adults shape children that way; there isn't a natural affinity toward white boys taking the lead with no real care for anyone else.
My final notes are that Michael is an annoying, broody protagonist, and the adventure lacked depth or a unique spark of life. I did not like this book.
The more I read this book, the more frustrated I got. The first encounter in Neverland set a bad tone early. Michael is captured by Tiger Lily and her tribe. While this book avoids the most blatant racism of the source material, it doesn't do anything to distance itself either. The "natives" are single-minded vicious thugs with no further elaboration. To be fair, all the characters are remarkably flat, so that aspect isn't targeted at them. The worst part comes after the meeting when it is explained that because the tribe comes from Peter's imagination, they and several other creatures on the island lack independent thought. So get your pompoms for a rah-rah colonialism.
A consistently annoying theme is the treatment of women throughout. The women in Neverland largely just orbit Peter and to a lesser extent, Michael. They are described as petty and fight over Peter Pan's affection even though he's straight up a child... Like that's his whole thing in case you haven't heard. Tinker Bell once tried to kill Wendy for stealing Peter's interest. For his part, Peter only acknowledges Tinker Bell when he needs something and doesn't listen to her unless one of the boys confirms what she's saying. Mermaids are indifferent to everyone but Pan and are seductresses who wish death on anyone who challenges their claim to him, apparently. The only bargaining chip that works with Tiger Lily is the opportunity to remove her major competitor for Pan's interest. In a misguided, surface-level attempt at rounding her character out, we hear what a talented, fierce warrior she is as if that balances out her obsessive behavior. This same treatment is given to Michael's sister-in-arms, Vanessa. We hear about how magnificent she is in battle and how she had to work harder to reach her position "due to her gender." Which we can charitably assume is a vague but well-intentioned attempt to address structural sexism, but it could also be taken as a sexist comment on ability. And there's no way to tell because one iffy sentence is all we get. When Hook calls Vanessa a wench and tells her to be quiet "while the men talk," Michael prioritizes diplomacy with the pirate and asks Vanessa to put aside her anger. And then there's no further acknowledgment of what happened. FUN.
All of this supposedly comes from Peter, the pure spirit of childhood. So in addition to the faults of a child that the book readily recognizes (short attention span, illogical confidence, no concept of consequences for one's actions), we're meant to accept colonialism, sexism, and racism as parts of every child's natural makeup. And I think that's a terrible, white man-centric message. Adults shape children that way; there isn't a natural affinity toward white boys taking the lead with no real care for anyone else.
My final notes are that Michael is an annoying, broody protagonist, and the adventure lacked depth or a unique spark of life. I did not like this book.
November 30, 2021
3.5 Stars
Synopsis:
The God of Youth (Peter Pan) has vanished and children around the world are at risk of losing their imagination. Not only that, but Neverland is ceasing to exist (no faeries, everyone is a ghost, etc.) It is up to Michael, former Lost Boy and Knight of the Realm to seek out his old companion and put a stop to what is happening. However, after a tragic incident that caused him to lose his friend - Michael isn't sure he has enough childhood left in him to accomplish the task.
Plot:
I found this one to be a lot more fun than I originally anticipated. The actual synopsis of the book sounds like a mash up of many of my favorite things (King Arthur's Round Table, Mythology, Peter Pan, etc.) but I wasn't sure how it would all mesh together. I was pleasantly surprised at how well it did.
Characters:
I found the characters to be fairly true to their original counterparts. However, I'm not sure how much I enjoyed Vanessa and Will's characters. At times it felt like their characters were there just for the sake of the plot having conflict/drama rather than them actually needing to be there. I feel the same about the knights of the round table.
Setting:
I think this was my favorite part of the book. I loved being introduced to the underworld of Neverland and all the creatures it inhabits. It was super intriguing to learn how each dust would impact the characters in their journeys as well.
Overall, this book kept my attention well and was really entertaining. I don't think it is my favorite book ever written but it is definitely worth the read!
Synopsis:
The God of Youth (Peter Pan) has vanished and children around the world are at risk of losing their imagination. Not only that, but Neverland is ceasing to exist (no faeries, everyone is a ghost, etc.) It is up to Michael, former Lost Boy and Knight of the Realm to seek out his old companion and put a stop to what is happening. However, after a tragic incident that caused him to lose his friend - Michael isn't sure he has enough childhood left in him to accomplish the task.
Plot:
I found this one to be a lot more fun than I originally anticipated. The actual synopsis of the book sounds like a mash up of many of my favorite things (King Arthur's Round Table, Mythology, Peter Pan, etc.) but I wasn't sure how it would all mesh together. I was pleasantly surprised at how well it did.
Characters:
I found the characters to be fairly true to their original counterparts. However, I'm not sure how much I enjoyed Vanessa and Will's characters. At times it felt like their characters were there just for the sake of the plot having conflict/drama rather than them actually needing to be there. I feel the same about the knights of the round table.
Setting:
I think this was my favorite part of the book. I loved being introduced to the underworld of Neverland and all the creatures it inhabits. It was super intriguing to learn how each dust would impact the characters in their journeys as well.
Overall, this book kept my attention well and was really entertaining. I don't think it is my favorite book ever written but it is definitely worth the read!
July 20, 2022
When I first picked this book up and read all of the reviews, I thought "how can a book about Peter Pan only get 3 stars?" I absolutely loved the premise but the execution was a bit wonky for me. As for many others as well. Michael has the starring role, not Peter. Even Hook plays a bigger part. But that's part of the problem. There was no back story, no short history of the Darling family between then and now. How did they all get to where they are now? Even a few pages dedicated to Michael's backstop would've helped create a stronger connection to him. Additionally, I felt the portrayal of Peter and Wendy was not aligned with the characters we know. Peter was especially uncharacteristic. And barely a mention of Tinker Bell? Are you kidding me? Big fail. Those 2 main reasons alone are why I dropped it to 3 stars. Yet there were some editorial issues too with the writing. Not enough to be a problem but enough to be bothersome.
Overall, if the editorial issues are cleaned up and more backstory is given, a better characteristic image of the Darlings is given this would work out well.
Overall, if the editorial issues are cleaned up and more backstory is given, a better characteristic image of the Darlings is given this would work out well.
Read
April 25, 2022First off, thank you so much for this early access ARC!
I got to about 30% of this book, and it just was not gripping me so I had to DNF! The premise led me to believe this would be the perfect storm for me, but after starting it I just couldn't get into the magic system or the story. I LOVE Peter Pan, but for me it felt like this book was mixing too much of different pieces of lore- Arthurian, Greek Mythology, and also doing it's own thing along the way.
For me, I think leaning more into the PP storyline, and simplifying the magic system would have made it better for me!!
Though it wasn't for me, I feel like this book would be great for those looking for a really diversified magic system where anything can happen, and for those who'd like to see Peter Pan plot as more of a backdrop to the main plot.
Full thoughts in our Netgalley vlog: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUS1E...
xx
-Christine
I got to about 30% of this book, and it just was not gripping me so I had to DNF! The premise led me to believe this would be the perfect storm for me, but after starting it I just couldn't get into the magic system or the story. I LOVE Peter Pan, but for me it felt like this book was mixing too much of different pieces of lore- Arthurian, Greek Mythology, and also doing it's own thing along the way.
For me, I think leaning more into the PP storyline, and simplifying the magic system would have made it better for me!!
Though it wasn't for me, I feel like this book would be great for those looking for a really diversified magic system where anything can happen, and for those who'd like to see Peter Pan plot as more of a backdrop to the main plot.
Full thoughts in our Netgalley vlog: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUS1E...
xx
-Christine
October 5, 2025
3.3 Stars
I love a good Peter Pan retelling but this one was a bit lacking and I can't quite put my finger on why. The action was there. It wasn't boring but every time I picked up this book I started to fall asleep.
For this book to be marketed for adults (not YA), the characters were a bit flat and for Peter to be the centuries-old god that he was, he was easily bested. Too many things were vaguely glossed over or just sparsely thought out. It just seemed too safe for an adult book.
This book was concluded well enough. It could be read as a standalone, although Hook will resurface in the second book of this series.
I love a good Peter Pan retelling but this one was a bit lacking and I can't quite put my finger on why. The action was there. It wasn't boring but every time I picked up this book I started to fall asleep.
For this book to be marketed for adults (not YA), the characters were a bit flat and for Peter to be the centuries-old god that he was, he was easily bested. Too many things were vaguely glossed over or just sparsely thought out. It just seemed too safe for an adult book.
This book was concluded well enough. It could be read as a standalone, although Hook will resurface in the second book of this series.
February 2, 2023
High school me would have loved this book. 30-something year old me kept getting frustrated by the lack of character motivation, explanation of how the Darlings got involved with this 'grail' organization, and the idea that wanting to leave the fantastical after a traumatic event was akin to forsaking your child-like wonder.
October 11, 2022
I really enjoyed this book. Totally clean and a very creative story bringing us back to Neverland. The knights of the round felt very similar to Fablehaven. I really enjoyed the book and appreciated just how clean the book is.
September 18, 2023
Interesting and good!
February 6, 2024
Very fun! I was in a Peter Pan mood this winter, and this book scratched that itch.
October 13, 2025
God of Nederland is a great fast paced adventure. Michael, Wendy, Peter, Hook! Absolutely loved reading this book!
January 5, 2022
Thoroughly enjoyed this one.
May 11, 2022
A fun, young-adult fantasy romp for Peter Pan fans. Although it's fast, diverting, and interesting enough, I felt it relied a bit too much on repeated use of deus ex machina. Still, would probably be thoroughly enjoyable for a teen/young-adult crowd.
I won this as a Goodreads Giveaway.
I won this as a Goodreads Giveaway.
September 15, 2024
I haven't really heard anything about God of Neverland when I first picked up the audiobook. I just randomly found it, and thought it would be a nice change of pace compared to the Peter Pan retellings I’ve been reading these past few months. I was very pleasantly surprised to discover the story focused on an adult Michael, decades after the events we all know, and a few years after he decided to join, then leave, an organization protecting fantastical and magical elements. Said organization needs his help nonetheless, due to his past in Neverland, after Peter Pan mysteriously disappears. Michael will need to find a way to Neverland, and then investigate in the wonderful island.
For a book aiming toward adults, it unwinded in a way that felt very similar to middle grade novels. Michael’s way will unfold step after step, one enemy after the other, as he very slowly makes his way to Peter. He will need to find a guide to Neverland, so he needs to ask a magical fish (?) for it, but to talk to the fish he’ll need access to a potion to talk to animals, to get to this potion he'll go to the magical cave but he gets attacked by the Crocodile there, and so on and so on. The pace consequently felt very slow, and I was listening to my audiobook almost as to way to distract me, and not because I was ever invested in the story itself.
I have to make a whole other paragraph for the tension buildup, because it was just weird for me. Small spoiler, but Michael finds Wendy’s long dead husband Will in Neverland. We’re told that Wendy never got over her grief, and she's still very much in love with him, so of course Michael brings him back to his sister. And I obviously expected a very important scene, with a lot of emotional impact. But their reunion was so underwhelming, it almost felt like Will came back from a vacation rather than LITERAL DEATH. He literally meets his 8 years old daughter for the first time, and there's not one tear. And it's like this for everything. In the end, there's an almost death scene, and I didn't have any time to be emotional about it before it was resolved and we were just moving on. It was just so underwhelming.
The retelling aspect was quite well integrated, though nothing fun or particularly original were introduced. I love when there are little easter eggs to find through the story, but it felt almost like Michael was checking the cases: the mermaids ✅, the natives ✅, the Never Bird ✅, the hideout ✅, Hook ✅ (who was very boring by the way) and so on. The author explains us constantly what happened in the original novel (like Peter used to hollow out the trees for the Lost Boys, and the tree didn't fit you, you fit the tree…). I did like that it was completely adapted from the novel, and not the cinematographic adaptations, but I wished it wasn't so scholar, and more suggested references for big fans. But I’m saying this as someone who has read Peter Pan countless of times, so maybe everything was appreciated more by someone not so familiar with the universe. I will say that I liked how their Neverland was ever changing, and how it allowed the author to integrate other fantastical elements to it, like ghosts or the different characters they encounter. I did also love the way the Lost Boys were integrated to the story. The lack of mention for adult John was really sad for me, but his younger self in Neverland made me so emotional.
The world building was a bit of an issue for me. They added the original aspect that Peter Pan was in fact the God of Youth, which I felt neutral about, but I was really excited to see what it would entail. But then, it just didn't change anything. Peter was just Peter. Why not just explain that he was still an important fantastical figure, which would be reason enough to save him? Why make him a God, when it has no impact in the story, when no other God appears and it's never explained just what having multiples Gods entail? Being original is never wrong, but it is when it's not well integrated to your story.
I did like that this book gave importance to characters that aren't commonly present in other retellings, mainly Michael and the Never Bird. Sadly, every character felt very two dimensional. I genuinely didn't feel like they weren't feeling anything. The story was very plot focused, and completely forgot that characters, especially in a retelling where you find old characters you loved, also need a little bit of depth. They tried to add complexity to Michael with the way he was dealing with letting his childhood go, but it just felt underwhelming. I’m not even talking about his female coworker, who is present at his side for the ENTIRE book, and has absolutely NO personality whatsoever.
One character I was surprisingly pleased with is Wendy Darling. If you know, you know, but she's my favorite character of all times, and I’m very particular about her characterization. In God of Neverland, she's an adult, a mother, a widow, but most importantly, she's happy. She's the only one remembering Neverland (beside Michael), because she was 100% comfortable with letting her childhood go, and still have the fondest memories of it. I LOVED that she didn't accompany Michael to Neverland, because even though I love to see her as an adventurer, she's completely happy with the fact Neverland is in her past, and she can't let it have any place in her present. To me, the whole point of Peter Pan is Wendy letting her childhood go in the end, so this felt like the perfect characterization for a sequel.
I’m very happy to have read a retelling about Michael, sadly the plot was too lacking for it to have any impact on me. Some moments had me fondly smiling, but there just weren't enough for me to pick up the sequel.
Peter laughed, threw back his head, and let out a loud rooster crow. When Michael had heard that as a child, it had seemed a curious thing for Peter to do, one more oddity in a boy that seemed made of them. Now he understood. This was no mere child’s cry.
The Lord of Neverland crowed a call to battle.
For a book aiming toward adults, it unwinded in a way that felt very similar to middle grade novels. Michael’s way will unfold step after step, one enemy after the other, as he very slowly makes his way to Peter. He will need to find a guide to Neverland, so he needs to ask a magical fish (?) for it, but to talk to the fish he’ll need access to a potion to talk to animals, to get to this potion he'll go to the magical cave but he gets attacked by the Crocodile there, and so on and so on. The pace consequently felt very slow, and I was listening to my audiobook almost as to way to distract me, and not because I was ever invested in the story itself.
I have to make a whole other paragraph for the tension buildup, because it was just weird for me. Small spoiler, but Michael finds Wendy’s long dead husband Will in Neverland. We’re told that Wendy never got over her grief, and she's still very much in love with him, so of course Michael brings him back to his sister. And I obviously expected a very important scene, with a lot of emotional impact. But their reunion was so underwhelming, it almost felt like Will came back from a vacation rather than LITERAL DEATH. He literally meets his 8 years old daughter for the first time, and there's not one tear. And it's like this for everything. In the end, there's an almost death scene, and I didn't have any time to be emotional about it before it was resolved and we were just moving on. It was just so underwhelming.
Michael and Wendy exchanged glances and smiled, remembering that night, when they had been children and everything seemed
possible. It felt like it had happened to another person. (...)
He went on to tell the story of their journey to Neverland. He spoke of their many encounters with Tiger Lily and her tribe of natives who lived on the island, as well as the final battle with Hook and his pirates aboard the Jolly Roger. (…) Though Wendy’s daughter must’ve heard that story a hundred times, she now looked at Michael and Wendy with something very close to awe.
The retelling aspect was quite well integrated, though nothing fun or particularly original were introduced. I love when there are little easter eggs to find through the story, but it felt almost like Michael was checking the cases: the mermaids ✅, the natives ✅, the Never Bird ✅, the hideout ✅, Hook ✅ (who was very boring by the way) and so on. The author explains us constantly what happened in the original novel (like Peter used to hollow out the trees for the Lost Boys, and the tree didn't fit you, you fit the tree…). I did like that it was completely adapted from the novel, and not the cinematographic adaptations, but I wished it wasn't so scholar, and more suggested references for big fans. But I’m saying this as someone who has read Peter Pan countless of times, so maybe everything was appreciated more by someone not so familiar with the universe. I will say that I liked how their Neverland was ever changing, and how it allowed the author to integrate other fantastical elements to it, like ghosts or the different characters they encounter. I did also love the way the Lost Boys were integrated to the story. The lack of mention for adult John was really sad for me, but his younger self in Neverland made me so emotional.
The world building was a bit of an issue for me. They added the original aspect that Peter Pan was in fact the God of Youth, which I felt neutral about, but I was really excited to see what it would entail. But then, it just didn't change anything. Peter was just Peter. Why not just explain that he was still an important fantastical figure, which would be reason enough to save him? Why make him a God, when it has no impact in the story, when no other God appears and it's never explained just what having multiples Gods entail? Being original is never wrong, but it is when it's not well integrated to your story.
- “The Lost Boys,” he said under his breath.
“Lost,” Nev said, “but not forgotten, at least not in this place. Neverland remembers."
I did like that this book gave importance to characters that aren't commonly present in other retellings, mainly Michael and the Never Bird. Sadly, every character felt very two dimensional. I genuinely didn't feel like they weren't feeling anything. The story was very plot focused, and completely forgot that characters, especially in a retelling where you find old characters you loved, also need a little bit of depth. They tried to add complexity to Michael with the way he was dealing with letting his childhood go, but it just felt underwhelming. I’m not even talking about his female coworker, who is present at his side for the ENTIRE book, and has absolutely NO personality whatsoever.
One character I was surprisingly pleased with is Wendy Darling. If you know, you know, but she's my favorite character of all times, and I’m very particular about her characterization. In God of Neverland, she's an adult, a mother, a widow, but most importantly, she's happy. She's the only one remembering Neverland (beside Michael), because she was 100% comfortable with letting her childhood go, and still have the fondest memories of it. I LOVED that she didn't accompany Michael to Neverland, because even though I love to see her as an adventurer, she's completely happy with the fact Neverland is in her past, and she can't let it have any place in her present. To me, the whole point of Peter Pan is Wendy letting her childhood go in the end, so this felt like the perfect characterization for a sequel.
“It’s the way it is here. In Neverland. This place is mad because it’s made up of the whims of children, including its god. It’s magic and chaos and nightmares and monsters. But it’s also wonder. It’s also whimsy. It feels like a fantasy because it’s fantastical. And in that fantasy, we need to follow different rules.”
I’m very happy to have read a retelling about Michael, sadly the plot was too lacking for it to have any impact on me. Some moments had me fondly smiling, but there just weren't enough for me to pick up the sequel.
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