God of Neverland audiobook

A fun magical adventure transporting you back to Neverland, make believe and youthfulness.

Parts felt really rushed and didn't make sense really, but overall I loved this and couldn't put it down.

3.5 StarsSynopsis: 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! (view spoiler)[ The only thing keeping it from a 4 stars for me is I wish the element of grief/loss of childhood/letting go of the past to defeat the wraith would've been explored a bit more! (hide spoiler)]

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.

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.

A great reminder for the adult-me of the magical adventure story I loved as a child.

i wanted to know more about the knights but other than that it was fun

This book isn't four stars, it's actually a solid 3.5, but the Goodreads rating is so low I thought I'd bump it up to be nice. BUT that said, the book has a huge issue with Tiger Lily, the racist character from the O.G. Peter Pan, as in: the author doesn't change anything about her for contemporary audiences... which is weird. See K. Ancrum's Darling for a contemporary Peter Pan retelling that does this well!

I received an eARC in exchange for an honest review; thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity.Michael Darling left Neverland to grow up, but the magic, monsters, and wonders of his childhood were not so easy to leave behind. This book was fun, well-written, and a great take on a Neverland ever-after adventure story, with interesting options for an expansion into additional magical and mythological hijinks. I definitely hope to see more of this world and these characters in future books.Michael is no Prince Charming, but rather a damaged, complicated hero still recovering from personal tragedy, trying to build a new “normal” life. Called back to his knightly duty (“just this once”) by loyalty and his irrepressible love of adventure, Michael returns to Neverland (taking his emotional baggage with him) and teams up with an unlikely crew of assorted heroes, villains, ghosts, and fantastical individuals to save Peter Pan and Neverland itself..It seems like lately the urban fantasy genre has really begun to embrace the inclusion of characters and mythological creatures from more recent works like Peter Pan and Alice in Wonderland, and I’m here for it. I’ve read several takes on the Peter Pan story - darker ones such as Brom’s The Child Thief, the deeper emotional recovery journey of A.C. Wise’s Wendy, Darling, and the adventurous “What If?”of Liz Brasswell’s Straight On ‘Till Morning - and this one is the first that I’ve read that’s opens up the story to include the possibility of other coexisting magical realities.Michael is a very sympathetic and likable protagonist who demonstrates reasonable levels of vulnerability, charm and humor. I liked the exploration of themes of grief, growing up, and vulnerability that were explored through his arc in this story. His interactions with other characters are believable and appropriately established- we get enough information and backstory to accomplish the goals of a complete arc in this book, with more left open to explore in future books. I liked that there were strong female characters who were not just included to be a romantic love interest or a reward for the hero at the end of the book. I would definitely like to know more about Vanessa and her character and history in a future story. The use of established Peter Pan characters was great - it was just enough, but not too much. Again I think there’s lots of opportunity to explore more with some of the characters that appeared in this book. And Hook absolutely stole the show for me on this one. I really liked the world that we get to explore here. The supernatural elements and the secret society parts were super fun. I think it would also be fun to explore the time. Here. I haven’t read a lot of urban fantasy stuff that takes place in a post world war one timeframe. I think if the series were to continue there could be some really interesting things about the exploration of grief and trauma post-wartime, particularly maybe expanding some of the stuff that we see with Will’s character.I had a slight concern in that there did seem to be some slight queer baiting with one of the characters, and I hope they’re bold enough to explore that more explicitly in future books. The set-up did seem to support it, and there’s a lot you can infer from context about the character, but it was pretty subtle. Again I hope we get to see more of that journey in future books, but it is fine if it’s not talked about in this particular story. The story was not dark in tone, but did have some tense moments. I feel like it’s definitely comfort adventure material. The tension level felt about like what you would expect from an Indiana Jones film, minus some of the more problematic parts.I would recommend this book if you are in the mood for an action oriented urban fantasy, especially if you like Elliot James’ Pax Arcana series, Simon Green’s Ghost Finders series, Seanan McGuire’s Indexing duology, or are a general fan of new takes on Peter Pan mythology. This world set up also gave me very early vibes from tv shows like Grimm or The Librarians. I liked it. More, please.

I was so excited to read this one, and it did not disappoint!"I grew up, but when did I get this old?"From the first 50 pages I was already pulled in, and I loved every second of it. Going back to Neverland, even as an adult, is something that sounds so exciting! I was also intrigued with the story - Peter has gone missing - and I wanted to know how Neverland was faring and how everything would go down. Plus, who would have the ability to kidnap a god?!I loved seeing Michael and friends go back to Neverland as an adult. There are many parts of it that felt just like the stories I know and grew up with, but this book also explores darker parts of Neverland that are new to me. This book even includes a map in the beginning, and those characters really traverse the whole thing. The book feels magical from the start, and it feels just as whimsical as the Disney movie made me feel as a kid.This book does talk a lot about growing up and losing your inner kid, and some of those passages gave me all the feelings. I mean, out of all of the original cast of Peter Pan (Michael, Wendy, John, the Lost Boys), only Michael and Wendy retained any information on their adventures to Neverland, because they never gave up that part of their childhood, even as adults. Michael did try to push it away as an adult after a great loss, and he was repeatedly stated to be "too" grown up or "too" boring and not good enough for Neverland anymore, and it is something he battles throughout the story. A lot of the adventures they went on required them to be childish or think like a child instead of a rational adult, and they could not "adult" their way out of certain spots.The only part I kind of struggled with in this book was the ghosts. That's right, out of all the magic and the whimsy throughout this book, I drew the line at ghosts. At first it was a cool idea, like even after Death people cannot leave Neverland unless Peter allowed it. This also allowed us to see the Lost Boys again and allow them to have one more adventure, even though technically they all left Neverland as kids and grew up. (It is a whole thing, and it is described how they are in Neverland as kids when irl they left and grew up).I struggled with the ghosts because....toward the end of the book we finally get the final battle between good and evil, and there are ghosts risen up on both sides to batttle each other. You get the one guy raising any ghosts weak enough to not deny his call, and then Peter calls up all the ghosts of people that had been to Neverland at least once in their life, and they are....good ghosts? So instead of the main character battling the one ghost he let into the real world, it is a whole ghost battle. It just....did not really feel like it fit maybe? Also the final battle was back in London instead of Neverland, and I was not expecting that.Overall, this book was just as good as I had hoped and I really enjoyed reading it. The book gives me warm feelings about Neverland and I loved being able to dive back into that world. I appreciate that the author did show us a "new" side of Neverland that the kids may have never experienced, and the book feels unique despite it being a retelling of an old story. If you are a fan of Peter Pan stories, I definitely recommend giving this one a try!Content warnings: death, grief, torture, broken bones, blood

3 1/2 stars rounded up.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

I received a digital copy of this book from NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager.I voluntarily read and reviewed a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.Great story in which to find yourself immersed!I found this book thoroughly entertaining! Not a retelling. Almost (technically?) a sequel. This book reimagines a story we know and creates a new world to love and explore. From an operational aspect, this book is excellent: the world building was great, the characters were fully formed and brought to life wonderfully, and the adventure itself was great. This book is a visit to Neverland that I didn’t know I needed. While bringing along some characters we have known for years – Michael and Wendy Darling – the introduction of a new set of characters only enhances those we’ve known and leaves the reader curious to meet the new. The focus is on the adventure and solving a mysterious disappearance, but as with all grown-up things, there are things that are nuanced and complicated and messy, as opposed to a children’s adventure of following the clues, solving the riddle, and living happily ever after. This book is a visit to Neverland that I didn’t know I needed and does a great job blending those various opposing worlds – childhood vs adulthood, reality vs imagination, overt vs subtle. I highly recommend this book for anyone who loves adventures.Stars 4 Would I Recommend? Yes

Gama Ray Martinez’s newest book God of Neverland is a rollicking adventure reminiscent of the original Peter Pan. The adult Michael Darling stars as the main character. He did not forget about his adventures in Neverland when he grew up. He joined the Knights of the Round and worked to protect magical worlds and to keep magical beings from taking over his world. Several years before the story begins Michael quit his job as a Knight to be a stayed train operator. He chose to leave childhood behind and become the proper adult with a job and responsibilities. Vanessa, a current Knight, lures Michael into one last job with the Knights. His old friend Peter Pan has been captured and Neverland is dying. With dreaded reluctance Michael begins his quest, questioning at every step if it is worth saving the manifestations of children’s imaginations. The pages of God of Neverland disappear as the reader is immersed in a world of fairies and adventures. As Michael rediscovers the world of children’s imaginations he meets old friends and new enemies. This book is a great read aloud book whether on a road trip, camping or relaxing at home. It reminds adults that there is always time for wonder and remember for a short time the magic in a world uncomplicated by adult practicality.

Suppose Peter Pan, the boy who refuses to grow up, is a god. A god named Maponos epitomizes the spirit of youth. A god who created Neverland, a land that represents children's fondest dreams. And what if this god goes missing, causing Neverland to wither and possibly disappear?That's the premise of Gama Ray Martinez's marvelous novel "God of Neverland." Michael Darling, all grown up and working as a train engineer, has a connection to Peter Pan and Neverland. Michael went to Neverland with his sister Wendy and his brother John. Michael's fond memories of his Neverland adventures prompt him to join the search for Peter. Michael goes to Neverland (his younger self would say he "flewed") and is dismayed by the land's creeping disappearance. Michael encounters ghosts of John (complete with top hat, glasses, and nightshirt) and the Lost Boys. The spirits eagerly assist Michael in his search for Peter. Michael even runs afoul of Captain Hook's spirit and Hook's equally ghostly pirate crew. Michael does find Peter and, in the process, reconnects with his childhood spirit of adventure."God of Neverland," an enjoyable and entertaining fantasy read, is worth seeking.

** spoiler alert ** This was a new and interesting take on the Peter Pan mythos. This book took the originally story and let it grow to mythological status, classifying Peter as an ancient trickster God taking the form of a boy who had created Neverland. I enjoyed the fresh perspective of this story as told from the point of view of one of Wendy's Brother's. The addition of a secret society to protect humanity against gods and monsters is always a great idea. The character's were well fleshed out and seemed ready to step off of the page. The plot started very strong with the main challenge being Peter's disappearance and the threat of Neverland disappearing. Once the characters make it back to Neverland is where things start to get complicated. More and more mythos is added with every page including a trip to the underworld and new rules about pixie dust. It was harder to make it to the end but overall a fun read.I got this book through NetGalley in exchange for a review. Not affiliated with anyone and get no profit from this.

This is a fun adventure into the imagination. Michael Darling was a Knight of the Round table, a group responsible for monitoring and policing the world of magical and supernatural beings and objects. Michael quit that life when a mission didn't end well. Now the Knights want to pull him back in for a special mission...the god of Youth, Maponos, is missing, better known as Peter Pan and Michael Darling is the only one within the Knights organization who has been to the god's world of Neverland. I really enjoyed this story, which is a promising start of a series. I look forward to seeing what the next adventure will be. This is a fun story for all ages...you are never to old to indulge in imagination. Thank you to Netgalley and Avon; Harper Voyager, for the opportunity to enjoy this fun e-ARC.