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Of Myths and Men #1
Of Myths And Men
Eighteen-year-old Ava has saved the world 152 times – ever since she got her hands on her first console. It’s all fun and games, but after a mysterious encounter with not-a-vampire Brad, she discovers that the mythological creatures she’s only ever seen in video games are actually totally real. Brad reveals they’re alien refugees living among humans – bonus points because Ava finds the guy really, really cute.
As she’s suddenly thrust into a quest with a surfer wendigo, a friendly manananggal, a telepathic nine-tailed fox, a Sudoku-loving centaur, and a huggable Bigfoot, Ava embarks on an actual mission to fend off an alien invasion – and she soon realizes that this time, she just might need to save the world for real.
Where’s a save point when you need one?
As she’s suddenly thrust into a quest with a surfer wendigo, a friendly manananggal, a telepathic nine-tailed fox, a Sudoku-loving centaur, and a huggable Bigfoot, Ava embarks on an actual mission to fend off an alien invasion – and she soon realizes that this time, she just might need to save the world for real.
Where’s a save point when you need one?
- GenresFantasy
224 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 1, 2022
2 people are currently reading
94 people want to read
About the author
Catherine Dellosa
8 books36 followersCatherine Dellosa plays video games for a living, reads comics for inspiration, and writes fiction because she’s in love with words. She lives in Manila, Philippines with her husband, whose ideas fuel the fire in her writing.
Her Young Adult fantasy novel, Of Myths And Men, has been published by Penguin Random House SEA and is her love letter to gamer geeks, mythological creatures, and epic quests to save the world. The second book in the trilogy, Of Life And Lies, is out now.
When it comes to contemporary YA, For The Win: The Not-So-Epic Quest Of A Non-Playable Character is another tribute to gaming that's all about the heartbreak of unrequited love, while her light speculative YA romance The Summer Of Letting Go is a cathartic tearjerker about love and loss, also published by PRH SEA.
She has also penned The Choices We Made (And Those We Didn't) published by BRUMultiverse, as well as Raya and Grayson’s Guide to Saving the World and The Bookshop Back Home as part of #romanceclass - a community of Filipino authors who are equally in love with words too.
When she's not lost in the land of make-believe, she works as a games journalist for one of the biggest mobile gaming media outlets in the UK. She one day hopes to soar the skies as a superhero, but for now, she strongly believes in saving lives through her works in fiction. Check out her books at bit.ly/catherinedellosabooks, or follow her on FB/IG/Twitter at @thenoobwife.
Her Young Adult fantasy novel, Of Myths And Men, has been published by Penguin Random House SEA and is her love letter to gamer geeks, mythological creatures, and epic quests to save the world. The second book in the trilogy, Of Life And Lies, is out now.
When it comes to contemporary YA, For The Win: The Not-So-Epic Quest Of A Non-Playable Character is another tribute to gaming that's all about the heartbreak of unrequited love, while her light speculative YA romance The Summer Of Letting Go is a cathartic tearjerker about love and loss, also published by PRH SEA.
She has also penned The Choices We Made (And Those We Didn't) published by BRUMultiverse, as well as Raya and Grayson’s Guide to Saving the World and The Bookshop Back Home as part of #romanceclass - a community of Filipino authors who are equally in love with words too.
When she's not lost in the land of make-believe, she works as a games journalist for one of the biggest mobile gaming media outlets in the UK. She one day hopes to soar the skies as a superhero, but for now, she strongly believes in saving lives through her works in fiction. Check out her books at bit.ly/catherinedellosabooks, or follow her on FB/IG/Twitter at @thenoobwife.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
September 9, 2023
2.75⭐️
The first 10% of the book gave me high hopes that this book would definitely be something big…. But then with so many mythological characters and different names I struggled to imagine what they looked like and that was the biggest problem for me( I guess it’s a ME problem) as I like visualising the characters im reading about… also Ava’s character could have been fleshed out a little bit more… as it’s important to feel a deeper connection with the mc.. right? But I did enjoy the part where brad and ava stay over for 2 nights… overall it was a great story… but it kinda got lost coz of way too many characters in my opinion.
Thankyou penguin random house SEA and the author to share the ebook with me in exchange of an honest review 💗
The first 10% of the book gave me high hopes that this book would definitely be something big…. But then with so many mythological characters and different names I struggled to imagine what they looked like and that was the biggest problem for me( I guess it’s a ME problem) as I like visualising the characters im reading about… also Ava’s character could have been fleshed out a little bit more… as it’s important to feel a deeper connection with the mc.. right? But I did enjoy the part where brad and ava stay over for 2 nights… overall it was a great story… but it kinda got lost coz of way too many characters in my opinion.
Thankyou penguin random house SEA and the author to share the ebook with me in exchange of an honest review 💗
August 15, 2022
A copy was provided by the Author in exchange for an honest review. All views and opinions are my own and don’t necessarily reflect the author, the author’s work, the publisher, nor any other group of people, nor I received any monetary compensation for doing this review.
Trigger Warnings: Sexual innuendos, violence, death. And additionally, I would say that this should be shelved in New Adult instead of Young Adult, I think… bc of the MC is very hormonal and it could get a bit graphic from there.
Okay, I am a mess. Where do I begin? Let’s press Start I guess…
Now I am starting to mimic the lead’s voice hahaha
It was off to a strong beginning, as a reader I was immensely immersed in the first chapter. I mean cabin in the woods and knowing that there are these mythological creatures the blurb flamboyantly depicted. And the cover for that matter. I seriously still obsess with the world building. It’s new. At least for me. Mythological creatures from around the world gathers up to save the world and that these creatures are not we, humans had imagined them really be. You’ll be seeing a mananaggal with a vampire, come on, that’s good right with sigbins, Bigfoot, really whichever mythological creature you can muster up. Merged with sci-fi aliens. That’s very interesting.
However, I am laying my reservation with the characters itself, character development and the challenges in the story.
The MC gave me a vibe of convenience, despite her tragic past. It felt forced and surface level due to being overpowered by her ranging hormones for Brad. I was imaging a stronger female character. And all she could swing at every chapter was how dreamy this guy was, I mean the world is ending? Or maybe she’s just want to finally live her life since the world is coming to an end?
I highly appreciate the mythological creatures in the story, they are their own character. They are played good and flawed in their own way in which I liked.
However, the humans? I feel like I am sinning for this, but why do they appear so shallow? Robot-like. Is it because they are perfect? They just graduated and off to college with their perfect lives? I guess? I feel like there should have been more there. Already appreciate the childhood flashbacks, something that would make me more sympathetic to them is what I feel like am looking for.
Who I love is Luna! I really like her, I hope there was more of her character explored in this book. I appreciate the here and there encounters of her past being brought up. They all just hit home.
As for the story flow,
It was very game like. It’s refreshing, filled with action surprises. I still stand with the characters’ overpowering the plot with the sexual tension though. I swear, I try to shut it off, it’s just there every chapter.
There were pop culture references that will make your fangirl heart jump. When the action started to truly picked up. I guess, that's where it ends. To say it's bitin, it will leave you hanging at the edge of your seats.
And to add. I kept tab of this one. I may have spotted an inconsistency over.
And for the setting, I haste through imagining it happened over the mountains or so hahaha, it was the 9 Tailed Fox who won me over and overlooked this.
As said, I am a mess. As far as my passive-aggressive review goes, overall, it was okay.
Trigger Warnings: Sexual innuendos, violence, death. And additionally, I would say that this should be shelved in New Adult instead of Young Adult, I think… bc of the MC is very hormonal and it could get a bit graphic from there.
Okay, I am a mess. Where do I begin? Let’s press Start I guess…
Now I am starting to mimic the lead’s voice hahaha
It was off to a strong beginning, as a reader I was immensely immersed in the first chapter. I mean cabin in the woods and knowing that there are these mythological creatures the blurb flamboyantly depicted. And the cover for that matter. I seriously still obsess with the world building. It’s new. At least for me. Mythological creatures from around the world gathers up to save the world and that these creatures are not we, humans had imagined them really be. You’ll be seeing a mananaggal with a vampire, come on, that’s good right with sigbins, Bigfoot, really whichever mythological creature you can muster up. Merged with sci-fi aliens. That’s very interesting.
However, I am laying my reservation with the characters itself, character development and the challenges in the story.
The MC gave me a vibe of convenience, despite her tragic past. It felt forced and surface level due to being overpowered by her ranging hormones for Brad. I was imaging a stronger female character. And all she could swing at every chapter was how dreamy this guy was, I mean the world is ending? Or maybe she’s just want to finally live her life since the world is coming to an end?
I highly appreciate the mythological creatures in the story, they are their own character. They are played good and flawed in their own way in which I liked.
However, the humans? I feel like I am sinning for this, but why do they appear so shallow? Robot-like. Is it because they are perfect? They just graduated and off to college with their perfect lives? I guess? I feel like there should have been more there. Already appreciate the childhood flashbacks, something that would make me more sympathetic to them is what I feel like am looking for.
Who I love is Luna! I really like her, I hope there was more of her character explored in this book. I appreciate the here and there encounters of her past being brought up. They all just hit home.
As for the story flow,
It was very game like. It’s refreshing, filled with action surprises. I still stand with the characters’ overpowering the plot with the sexual tension though. I swear, I try to shut it off, it’s just there every chapter.
There were pop culture references that will make your fangirl heart jump. When the action started to truly picked up. I guess, that's where it ends. To say it's bitin, it will leave you hanging at the edge of your seats.
And to add. I kept tab of this one. I may have spotted an inconsistency over.
And for the setting, I haste through imagining it happened over the mountains or so hahaha, it was the 9 Tailed Fox who won me over and overlooked this.
As said, I am a mess. As far as my passive-aggressive review goes, overall, it was okay.
April 16, 2022
Many thanks to Penguin Random House SEA for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for my honest review!
⭐️2.75 🌶1
CONTENT WARNINGS: gore and violence, death, sexual intimacy, trophy hunting
Pale-skinned, green-eyed, eighteen-year-old Ava Blair is a gamer who has always had the ability to see supernatural creatures. After an encounter with a “painfully beautiful” but vampire-like man named Brad, she learns that the supernatural are so much more than they appear: they are actually aliens coexisting with humans, refugees running from the Hostiles of their home planet. But the Hostiles are coming for the refugees, and Ava is perhaps the only human that can help the refugees as they prepare to stand their ground.
Before anything else: This book has been marketed as Young Adult fantasy, but let the record state that I think it should be shelved as crossover upper YA to NA instead. For one, Ava is no longer preoccupied with academic worries or adolescent growing pains. For another, our protagonist tends to view the men in her life quite sexually, and she moves back and forth between Team Brad and Team Connor (her longtime crush who happens to be her best friend’s older brother) in the course of the story.
In terms of world-building, we find in the story a bizarre mixture of sci-fi and supernatural. I say bizarre because according to this book, the refugee aliens require host bodies to take the form of what we now know as our supernatural and mythological creatures; those that have not yet found hosts are what we humans call ghosts. I say bizarre because rare is the work of fiction that deliberately brings together supernatural creatures from different cultures — and mentions ghosts and aliens in the same breath. This isn’t exactly a bad thing; it’s just a tad ambitious in that in some ways, the world-building tries to account for too many things at the same time, and therefore requires more suspension of disbelief than usual. Once the reader is able to put that behind them, the story itself flows much more easily. (In my case, I slogged through the first 60% for an entire month before deciding to just swallow the world-building without question.)
In some other ways, the world-building is less fleshed out. The supernatural creatures that Ava interacts with the most — from the synopsis, “a surfer wendigo, a friendly manananggal, a telepathic nine-tailed fox, a Sudoku-loving centaur, and a huggable Bigfoot” — feel much too removed from their original contexts. This might well be a me problem, though: I had quite a hard time convincing myself that these characters were all from one alien species, then simultaneously convincing myself to ignore the respective human cultures that produced them for the sake of the story.
In terms of plot, the story was thoroughly action-packed. Readers are met with twist after twist, with moments of quiet in between. However, I literally could not even begin to speculate where the plot was going, so I wasn’t fully invested or interested in the outcomes of said twists until perhaps the third to the last chapter. I did enjoy the meta-ness of the chapter titles, the ease with which each chapter was encapsulated in one aspect of a computer game — and the way it told me that at the end of the day, Of Myths and Men is an affirmation of gamers.
As reviews go, this is my most ambiguous one yet. I dare say it’s as ambiguous as the geographical setting of this book or the protagonist's ethnicity. My issues with the setting and the pacing keep me from genuinely liking it, though I am genuinely curious how the stakes that were laid out towards the end are resolved in the next book.
Still, I’d like to see more readers pick this book up, if only for me to have more people to unpack it with. It might very well work for readers who are less nitpicky about the mishmashing of genres than I am. It might also work for readers who are into Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson and the Olympians, if Percy had already finished high school, if the whole of Greek mythology actively interacted with Egyptian and Norse and other world mythologies, and if their existence was explained with a biological slant rather than a philosophical one. I am definitely interested to know how this will be received by readers of Stephenie Meyer's Twilight Saga and fans of Budjette Tan and KaJo Baldisimo’s Trese Komiks.
⭐️2.75 🌶1
CONTENT WARNINGS: gore and violence, death, sexual intimacy, trophy hunting
Pale-skinned, green-eyed, eighteen-year-old Ava Blair is a gamer who has always had the ability to see supernatural creatures. After an encounter with a “painfully beautiful” but vampire-like man named Brad, she learns that the supernatural are so much more than they appear: they are actually aliens coexisting with humans, refugees running from the Hostiles of their home planet. But the Hostiles are coming for the refugees, and Ava is perhaps the only human that can help the refugees as they prepare to stand their ground.
Before anything else: This book has been marketed as Young Adult fantasy, but let the record state that I think it should be shelved as crossover upper YA to NA instead. For one, Ava is no longer preoccupied with academic worries or adolescent growing pains. For another, our protagonist tends to view the men in her life quite sexually, and she moves back and forth between Team Brad and Team Connor (her longtime crush who happens to be her best friend’s older brother) in the course of the story.
In terms of world-building, we find in the story a bizarre mixture of sci-fi and supernatural. I say bizarre because according to this book, the refugee aliens require host bodies to take the form of what we now know as our supernatural and mythological creatures; those that have not yet found hosts are what we humans call ghosts. I say bizarre because rare is the work of fiction that deliberately brings together supernatural creatures from different cultures — and mentions ghosts and aliens in the same breath. This isn’t exactly a bad thing; it’s just a tad ambitious in that in some ways, the world-building tries to account for too many things at the same time, and therefore requires more suspension of disbelief than usual. Once the reader is able to put that behind them, the story itself flows much more easily. (In my case, I slogged through the first 60% for an entire month before deciding to just swallow the world-building without question.)
In some other ways, the world-building is less fleshed out. The supernatural creatures that Ava interacts with the most — from the synopsis, “a surfer wendigo, a friendly manananggal, a telepathic nine-tailed fox, a Sudoku-loving centaur, and a huggable Bigfoot” — feel much too removed from their original contexts. This might well be a me problem, though: I had quite a hard time convincing myself that these characters were all from one alien species, then simultaneously convincing myself to ignore the respective human cultures that produced them for the sake of the story.
In terms of plot, the story was thoroughly action-packed. Readers are met with twist after twist, with moments of quiet in between. However, I literally could not even begin to speculate where the plot was going, so I wasn’t fully invested or interested in the outcomes of said twists until perhaps the third to the last chapter. I did enjoy the meta-ness of the chapter titles, the ease with which each chapter was encapsulated in one aspect of a computer game — and the way it told me that at the end of the day, Of Myths and Men is an affirmation of gamers.
As reviews go, this is my most ambiguous one yet. I dare say it’s as ambiguous as the geographical setting of this book or the protagonist's ethnicity. My issues with the setting and the pacing keep me from genuinely liking it, though I am genuinely curious how the stakes that were laid out towards the end are resolved in the next book.
Still, I’d like to see more readers pick this book up, if only for me to have more people to unpack it with. It might very well work for readers who are less nitpicky about the mishmashing of genres than I am. It might also work for readers who are into Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson and the Olympians, if Percy had already finished high school, if the whole of Greek mythology actively interacted with Egyptian and Norse and other world mythologies, and if their existence was explained with a biological slant rather than a philosophical one. I am definitely interested to know how this will be received by readers of Stephenie Meyer's Twilight Saga and fans of Budjette Tan and KaJo Baldisimo’s Trese Komiks.
Read
April 21, 2022This story is so fun! I loved how the entire thing was structured like a video game to match the plot. It was really delightful. I found the fantasy around the story to be really ambitious and really interesting. I adored how the weird explanation for folklore around the world added levity to the story but most importantly I adored how all that folklore from so many places was all wrapped in one book.
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Bookish Brews | Ko-Fi | Twitter | Pinterest | Tumblr | Facebook
August 5, 2024
When I read books, I always pay attention to how it makes me feel from the first few pages. Sometimes, the story doesn't stick with me at first but I push through and turns out to be a good decision. Or, it's the other way around. Sometimes, I feel anticipation because the story is interesting. This is what I felt while reading Of Myths and Men. I liked Ava right away and her friends, I liked how it progressed to an adventure involving mythological creatures I only read or heard about when I was young.
Ava is an eighteen-year-old who have recently graduated from highschool, living alone and loves gaming. She then discovers that the world and creatures she's used to just play with are real.
The world building is not that complicated, but the characters themselves might be overwhelming for some. I can visualize what they look like since I have read or watched about them in the past, but I admit I googled one mythological creature from here in the Philippines. 😅
What I liked the most is the writing. Catherine Dellosa's writing evokes sentimentality, not straight up telling a story about an adventure but pulls you in with the emotions involved. This book is mostly character driven, focusing on Ava and Brad's backstory and their development.
I liked Ava's chemistry with Brad, and the personality of the other characters. The arising conflict in the story happened only towards the end, and I am looking forward to what will happen in the next book.
Ava is an eighteen-year-old who have recently graduated from highschool, living alone and loves gaming. She then discovers that the world and creatures she's used to just play with are real.
The world building is not that complicated, but the characters themselves might be overwhelming for some. I can visualize what they look like since I have read or watched about them in the past, but I admit I googled one mythological creature from here in the Philippines. 😅
What I liked the most is the writing. Catherine Dellosa's writing evokes sentimentality, not straight up telling a story about an adventure but pulls you in with the emotions involved. This book is mostly character driven, focusing on Ava and Brad's backstory and their development.
I liked Ava's chemistry with Brad, and the personality of the other characters. The arising conflict in the story happened only towards the end, and I am looking forward to what will happen in the next book.
June 26, 2022
I've read most, if not all, books written by Catherine Dellosa and each time, she outdoes herself. This one is my favorite because, as I had already mentioned in my tweet, OMAM is like gaming, LOTR, Star Wars and myths rolled into one adventure and action-packed novel that kept me up until 2AM just to finish it.
What I loved about this is aside from Cath's impeccable writing skills, is how she created her own origin story of the mythological creatures found in different cultures and incorporated them into the life of Ava, the protagonist who just wanted to belong and prove herself.
It also somehow reminds me of the adventures that Harry Potter and Percy Jackson took. But the difference is that for OMAM, it stresses that Ava is not the Chosen One. Or that there is no chosen one in the first place. Because everyone makes his/her own choices. (It's actually one of my favorite quotes in the book :D) Ava chose a path that could either help save or ruin the world.
I'm looking forward to reading more of Ava's adventures and learning more of the mythological creatures and how Cath will add her own spin to them :)
What I loved about this is aside from Cath's impeccable writing skills, is how she created her own origin story of the mythological creatures found in different cultures and incorporated them into the life of Ava, the protagonist who just wanted to belong and prove herself.
It also somehow reminds me of the adventures that Harry Potter and Percy Jackson took. But the difference is that for OMAM, it stresses that Ava is not the Chosen One. Or that there is no chosen one in the first place. Because everyone makes his/her own choices. (It's actually one of my favorite quotes in the book :D) Ava chose a path that could either help save or ruin the world.
I'm looking forward to reading more of Ava's adventures and learning more of the mythological creatures and how Cath will add her own spin to them :)
July 26, 2023
{58/2023} 3.5/5🌟 YA Fiction | 217 pages
I have been so excited to read this one as it was the first book to a series by another Asian writer- who would also be coming out with its sequel very, very soon.
Talking about an adventure of a lifetime - this one has all you want to have in one! From video games to reality, mythical creatures, folklore tales, alien invasion all in the name of humanity. Not forgetting young budding love too!
It tells us about Ava, a young lonely girl in this whole wide world if not for her video games. But of course she also has a best friend who doesn’t care about her past or background and a longtime crush who also happens to be her bestfriend’s brother. Basically, Ava’s world revolves around her videogames and the small community that she’s in.
During a short excursion to her bestfriend’s family cabin in the wood, Ava’s past comes back to haunt. Something which has visited her in the past is now coming back or is she playing too much video game, her mind is playing tricks on her? A freak accident causes a crossed path between Ava and Brad, a vampire in the facade but a magical creature deep inside?
Brad and his batalion has a mission. The Hostile, is coming to invade the world and a war is about to erupt. Whether they like it or not, Ava decides to step in and be a part of the world saviour team although they have point-blankly told Ava that she was not someone special. She was not the chosen one. Ava knows she needed this. She is not doing it for anybody, she is doing it for herself. She chooses this.
What makes the story interesting for me would have to be the vast and diverse Asian mythological creatures that we always listen to during our childhood stories. Although I have to admit that I had to turn the pages a few times and google for some information and inspo from the net (visual reader problem 😅!) to understand the concept of the story. There are certainly a handful of characters to remember too!
I think it’s a book that would relate to video gamers a lot as the storyline, concept are certainly a textbook video game plot. There are mentions of puzzles, secret doors, secret world, good vs evil and more. Although, I have to admit that I still have problem in understanding the correlation between the Pure, the Hostile, humans and the mythical creatures.
The world building is creative, descriptive and believable - which is an important trait I think for someone to be immersed in a video game concept storyline.
A recommended read for all you gamers out there! Also, it is more suitable for mature young adults.
Thank you Miss Catherine Dellosa and Penguin Random House SEA for the e-arc in exchange for my honest review.
I have been so excited to read this one as it was the first book to a series by another Asian writer- who would also be coming out with its sequel very, very soon.
Talking about an adventure of a lifetime - this one has all you want to have in one! From video games to reality, mythical creatures, folklore tales, alien invasion all in the name of humanity. Not forgetting young budding love too!
It tells us about Ava, a young lonely girl in this whole wide world if not for her video games. But of course she also has a best friend who doesn’t care about her past or background and a longtime crush who also happens to be her bestfriend’s brother. Basically, Ava’s world revolves around her videogames and the small community that she’s in.
During a short excursion to her bestfriend’s family cabin in the wood, Ava’s past comes back to haunt. Something which has visited her in the past is now coming back or is she playing too much video game, her mind is playing tricks on her? A freak accident causes a crossed path between Ava and Brad, a vampire in the facade but a magical creature deep inside?
Brad and his batalion has a mission. The Hostile, is coming to invade the world and a war is about to erupt. Whether they like it or not, Ava decides to step in and be a part of the world saviour team although they have point-blankly told Ava that she was not someone special. She was not the chosen one. Ava knows she needed this. She is not doing it for anybody, she is doing it for herself. She chooses this.
What makes the story interesting for me would have to be the vast and diverse Asian mythological creatures that we always listen to during our childhood stories. Although I have to admit that I had to turn the pages a few times and google for some information and inspo from the net (visual reader problem 😅!) to understand the concept of the story. There are certainly a handful of characters to remember too!
I think it’s a book that would relate to video gamers a lot as the storyline, concept are certainly a textbook video game plot. There are mentions of puzzles, secret doors, secret world, good vs evil and more. Although, I have to admit that I still have problem in understanding the correlation between the Pure, the Hostile, humans and the mythical creatures.
The world building is creative, descriptive and believable - which is an important trait I think for someone to be immersed in a video game concept storyline.
A recommended read for all you gamers out there! Also, it is more suitable for mature young adults.
Thank you Miss Catherine Dellosa and Penguin Random House SEA for the e-arc in exchange for my honest review.
July 10, 2023
I started this story way back in 2015, and I never would have thought it would actually see the light of day, and with Penguin Random House, no less. This all began from my husband’s overactive imagination—we wanted to portray mythological creatures in a way they’ve never been portrayed before. We wanted to build a sense of found family even among creatures of different backgrounds. For anyone out there looking for someplace to belong, I hope my humble tale brings you comfort somehow, and I hope you find your own version of Marcello’s or even Carl and Edna’s B&B. Thank you for your beautiful, beautiful souls.
Thank you, dearest reader, for selecting Start and accepting this epic quest to save the world. And most of all, thank you to the gamer geeks and the amazing devs whose video games save the world in your own way. If we do get a chance to meet someday, let’s have a friendly game of Nebula Battles, shall we?
Thank you, dearest reader, for selecting Start and accepting this epic quest to save the world. And most of all, thank you to the gamer geeks and the amazing devs whose video games save the world in your own way. If we do get a chance to meet someday, let’s have a friendly game of Nebula Battles, shall we?
August 24, 2022
Fast-paced and action-packed, this book is for everyone who loves RPGs! Ava, the protagonist, is badass, and she knows what she wants and goes for it.
Recognisable creatures from folklores all over the world—vampires, big foot, nine-tailed fox and more—are part of the ensemble cast of side characters, and they all bring a dash of fun to the twisty plot. There's also a love triangle(-ish), so I'm excited to see how the story continues. ;)
And that ending! :o Can't wait for part 2 to see how Ava saves the world.
Recognisable creatures from folklores all over the world—vampires, big foot, nine-tailed fox and more—are part of the ensemble cast of side characters, and they all bring a dash of fun to the twisty plot. There's also a love triangle(-ish), so I'm excited to see how the story continues. ;)
And that ending! :o Can't wait for part 2 to see how Ava saves the world.
March 12, 2022
🎮 gamer girl wanting to belong
🎮 it’s the end of the world, maybe
🎮 that familiar boy (#TeamConnor) or that new hottie (#TeamBrad)
🎮 a slew of creatures we only heard of in myths and retellings
This book will translate really well into a series or a movie (live action or animated).
‼️Spoilers Ahead‼️
But, BITIN! 😅 I didn’t realize that this was not a standalone book until I was at around 98%. And now I must patiently wait for the next book.
Definitely a book I’d encourage others to pick up, if you love YA Fantasy or if you’re interested in the genre.
🎮 it’s the end of the world, maybe
🎮 that familiar boy (#TeamConnor) or that new hottie (#TeamBrad)
🎮 a slew of creatures we only heard of in myths and retellings
This book will translate really well into a series or a movie (live action or animated).
‼️Spoilers Ahead‼️
But, BITIN! 😅 I didn’t realize that this was not a standalone book until I was at around 98%. And now I must patiently wait for the next book.
Definitely a book I’d encourage others to pick up, if you love YA Fantasy or if you’re interested in the genre.
June 25, 2022
I've read this book multiple times but the way it absorbs me into the world that the author has built still gets me every time. I love how folklore, myths, and creatures found their perfect place in this world, and how our "ordinary" girl Ava is in the middle of it all. Looking forward to the next one! Final sentiments? Here ya go: #TeamBrad #ConnorWho
December 31, 2022
Full disclosure: I was a beta reader for this book. This no way affects my opinion; the author is someone I do not only work with but have high respect for because of her skill and creativity! Have read all of her published books and there hasn't been a miss, this one included.
June 16, 2022
Enjoyable and exciting with a fair share of spiced scenes ^^
Full review here:
https://airinefferin.com/2022/06/16/b...
Full review here:
https://airinefferin.com/2022/06/16/b...
August 28, 2023
4.5 stars
I got this book from Fully Booked's Book Worm Meetup last April and I'm so happy I picked this up. Just a disclaimer before I give my thoughts on this book, even though I got this for free this is going to be an honest review.
The synopsis got me so interested since I'm very into legends and folklore. I also have deep fascination with South East Asian legendary creatures since I personally find them the most unusual and terrifying. This book also talks about gaming and there's a lot of usage of gaming terminologies but I'm happy to at least know a few of them and this did not hinder my reading. I have to admit though that I am not very into computer games. I have little to no knowledge of the games introduced starting from the late 2000s.
I enjoyed Ava's adventure and loved all the creatures she met along the way. I like the fact that she was told then and there that she was NOT a chosen one like the ones we see in movies or read in books. It was the other way around - she chose to save the world. I'm so in love that Filipino mythological characters are also involved in this. I'm so happy they're finally getting their deserved spotlight.
And then there's Brad. Lovely Brad and his silver hair. He's the epitome of a good guy who every one wants to marry. I, on the other hand want to meet his friend who lives in a castle and sleeps in a coffin.
The flow of the story is nice with introduction of new characters every now and then. I feel bad for Cassie's body guards who died just because they were doing their jobs and wonder how Connor found Ava at the end of the first book. They're trying to save the world and I can't wait to find out what would happen next.
Overall, I loved it and would definitely recommend it to fiction junkies like me.
I'll be attending the next Manila International Book Fair this September and hopefully I could meet Miss Catherine and get the second book of this series there!
I got this book from Fully Booked's Book Worm Meetup last April and I'm so happy I picked this up. Just a disclaimer before I give my thoughts on this book, even though I got this for free this is going to be an honest review.
The synopsis got me so interested since I'm very into legends and folklore. I also have deep fascination with South East Asian legendary creatures since I personally find them the most unusual and terrifying. This book also talks about gaming and there's a lot of usage of gaming terminologies but I'm happy to at least know a few of them and this did not hinder my reading. I have to admit though that I am not very into computer games. I have little to no knowledge of the games introduced starting from the late 2000s.
I enjoyed Ava's adventure and loved all the creatures she met along the way. I like the fact that she was told then and there that she was NOT a chosen one like the ones we see in movies or read in books. It was the other way around - she chose to save the world. I'm so in love that Filipino mythological characters are also involved in this. I'm so happy they're finally getting their deserved spotlight.
And then there's Brad. Lovely Brad and his silver hair. He's the epitome of a good guy who every one wants to marry. I, on the other hand want to meet his friend who lives in a castle and sleeps in a coffin.
The flow of the story is nice with introduction of new characters every now and then. I feel bad for Cassie's body guards who died just because they were doing their jobs and wonder how Connor found Ava at the end of the first book. They're trying to save the world and I can't wait to find out what would happen next.
Overall, I loved it and would definitely recommend it to fiction junkies like me.
I'll be attending the next Manila International Book Fair this September and hopefully I could meet Miss Catherine and get the second book of this series there!
July 23, 2023
📚 BOOK REVIEW 📚
Blurb:
Eighteen-year-old Ava has saved the world 152 times—ever since she got her hands on her first console. It's all fun and games, but after a mysterious encounter with not-a-vampire Brad, she discovers that the mythological creatures she’s only ever seen in video games are actually totally real. Brad reveals they’re alien refugees living among humans—bonus points because Ava finds the guy really, really cute. As she's suddenly thrust into a quest with a surfer wendigo, a friendly manananggal, a telepathic nine-tailed fox, a Sudoku-loving centaur, and a huggable Bigfoot, Ava embarks on an actual mission to fend off an alien invasion—and she soon realizes that this time, she just might need to save the world for real. Where's a save point when you need one?
🛑Read on with caution; review may contain spoilers🛑
Of Myths and Men just kept me at the edge of my seat (figuratively) the entire time I was reading it. It’s very well written and the world-building was easy to follow. This is a fun, interesting, and unique take on mythological creatures and the end of the world as the author brings these creatures we only hear about from our elders and read about in school into this YA fantasy world with the protagonist as a gamer (the story is told from her point of view which I really found engaging!). And as someone who feels like she lives under a rock, I enjoyed reading about other mythological creatures that are new to me – it was fun to learn new things!
To say this book was incredible is an understatement. I really enjoyed the adventure, and I can’t wait to dive into the second book, Of Life and Lies releasing this August 8th, 2023!
Rating Of Myths and Men ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5. Available to purchase from Amazon and @_fullybooked!
Blurb:
Eighteen-year-old Ava has saved the world 152 times—ever since she got her hands on her first console. It's all fun and games, but after a mysterious encounter with not-a-vampire Brad, she discovers that the mythological creatures she’s only ever seen in video games are actually totally real. Brad reveals they’re alien refugees living among humans—bonus points because Ava finds the guy really, really cute. As she's suddenly thrust into a quest with a surfer wendigo, a friendly manananggal, a telepathic nine-tailed fox, a Sudoku-loving centaur, and a huggable Bigfoot, Ava embarks on an actual mission to fend off an alien invasion—and she soon realizes that this time, she just might need to save the world for real. Where's a save point when you need one?
🛑Read on with caution; review may contain spoilers🛑
Of Myths and Men just kept me at the edge of my seat (figuratively) the entire time I was reading it. It’s very well written and the world-building was easy to follow. This is a fun, interesting, and unique take on mythological creatures and the end of the world as the author brings these creatures we only hear about from our elders and read about in school into this YA fantasy world with the protagonist as a gamer (the story is told from her point of view which I really found engaging!). And as someone who feels like she lives under a rock, I enjoyed reading about other mythological creatures that are new to me – it was fun to learn new things!
To say this book was incredible is an understatement. I really enjoyed the adventure, and I can’t wait to dive into the second book, Of Life and Lies releasing this August 8th, 2023!
Rating Of Myths and Men ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5. Available to purchase from Amazon and @_fullybooked!
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