God of Neverland (Defender of Lore, #1)

by Gama Ray Martinez

[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