God of Neverland: A Defenders of Lore Novel (Defender of Lore, #1)

by Gama Ray Martinez

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.

• ISBN10: 0063014637
• ISBN13: 9780063014633
• Publish Date: 28 April 2022 (first published 12 April 2022)
• Publish Status: Out of Stock
• Out of Print: 28 July 2023
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Harper Voyager
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 352
• Language: English

Reviews

[Quirky Cat]

If the title didn't make this one abundantly clear: God of Neverland is a classic retelling of Peter Pan, and who can resist that? I know I can't! Written by Gama Ray Martinez, this retelling promises to bring us back to the Neverland we love so much – but something is missing.

Or rather, someone. Peter Pan is missing, and that means Neverland is in trouble. Or perhaps Neverland was already in trouble, and failing to find its hero has only worsened things. Peter Pan has always been a driving power in this world, so his absence is keenly felt.

Michael Darling never expected to find himself heading back to Neverland. After his adventure in that world stopped, he followed his own dream. He joined the Knights of the Round, went on adventures – and then retired for a simpler life. Naturally, the last thing he expected was to be called back to Neverland. Yet he will, if only to search for Peter Pan.

I'll be the first to admit that I'm a sucker for retellings (especially for my favorite classics). I'm an even bigger sucker for pretty book covers. So, naturally, there was no way I would pass up God of Neverland. I mean, come on! It's a Peter Pan retelling with a badass cover (with Hook and everything!).

I loved the premise of this book: Peter Pan goes missing, and thus one of the lost boys, all grown-up, has to come back into the fold to help find him (and save Neverland). It's a lot, admittedly. But it's also something that I think many fans could appreciate. It also felt like a more mature take on the classic, which is something I've been craving recently (oddly specific, I know. I blame Hook).
It was a bit of a surprise to have reality come crashing down. By that, I mean once the timeline hit me. Enough time has passed for a child to turn into an adult – with a fair amount of history in his life. That's more than enough time for parts of Neverland to change. Some of it was for the better, but other parts were alarming, as I'm sure was the intention.

Overall, I enjoyed God of Neverland. I wouldn't mind seeing a movie version of it, as I feel like it would perfect the elements, I loved the most (one can hope, at least!). It isn't my favorite retelling out there, but it's also not one I regret reading.

Thanks to Harper Voyager and #NetGalley for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Read more reviews over at Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks