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.

DNF - Did not finish. I did not connect with the writing style or plot and will not be finishing this title. Thank you, NetGalley and Publisher for the early copy!

Honestly, this book was not for me. It seems to me that Peter Pan retellings have been rather popular this year, and what made this one stand out in my opinion is how it leans into the original, James Matthew Barrie version more strongly. It doesn't try super hard to be something that it's not, it doesn't try to be edgy or all dark and twisty, and the story doesn't beat around the bush with unnecessary background in the beginning. The concept is super cool, and that along with the cover are the main reasons why I picked this book up, but it was just a little too complicated for me to fully appreciate. You can tell how much Martinez loves writing, and the love of his craft really shines through in the story, but I didn't have the emotional tie to the characters I was looking for. Hook doesn't feel like enough of a threat to be a serious villain, and the characters all take so much action and charge in the stories that they hardly feel relatable as people. The writing itself is done very well however, and I think there is a lot of potential here.

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God of Neverland: A Defenders of Lore Novel by Gama Ray Martinez is a re-imagining of J. M. Barrie’s classic Peter Pan. Mr. Martinez is a published author; most writing fantasy stories.

Peter Pan is missing, and Neverland is falling apart. The dreams and imagination of children all around the world, who draw power from Pan’s godlike power, are in danger of being lost forever.

To the rescue comes the youngest of the Darlings, Michael. A former Knight of the Round, specifically tasked with keeping humanity safe from mythological creatures. Michael must go back to Neverland, as an adult, find, and hopefully rescue, Peter Pan and reality as we know it.

I thought God of Neverland by Gama Ray Martinez was a very creative fantasy novel. the author didn’t just retell Barrie’s classic tale, but added his own lore to it. As it turns out, the Celtic god of youth Maponos , is evidently Peter Pan. Maponos is very powerful, after all he created his own reality, but very juvenile as well, with very short memory.

Each chapter takes is very similar in structure. There’s some sort of Peter Pan reference (ex: Tiger Lily), some sort of an introduction is made, an issue arises, there’s generally a resolution, and off we go to the next chapter.

This is one of the reasons I felt it’s more of a YA book than adult. The formula doesn’t allow for any tension, we know Michael Darling isn’t going to die, for example.

There are some missed opportunities, which I thought was a shame. It was hinted in the beginning that there are more gods in the world, but nothing was done with that point. The two most interesting characters, Vanessa and Will, are nevertheless underutilized. Vanessa disappears every now and then, only to get a speaking part to realize she’s still around. Will, a sailor lost at sea (and Wendy’s husband), is stuck in Neverland never being there as a child. Seeing that crazy world through the eyes of an adult, and one who saw war nonetheless, could have been a highlight – and could have made a fine novel all by itself. Hook, one of the most nuanced villains in literature, is another missed opportunity, because no-one in this novel seem to like Peter Pan and his fickle nature (an aspect I really liked).

I understand that this book is the first of a series, I’m sure the other books are going to be fascinating as well. The novel is more of a YA book, even though I have read it was adult oriented.
It’s not.

Nevertheless, I think this is a fine YA book, I don’t know why it was marketed for adults.

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.

Enjoyed this retelling of Peter Pan. God of Neverland tells of Michael Darling's return to Neverland as an adult. Peter Pan has been kidnapped and sends a message to Michael for him to come to the rescue.. This is a story of how the inner child in us needs to fed for us to retain our whimsy. Suitable for children and adults.

I absolutely love new takes on fairytales, and though Peter Pan wasn't exactly a favorite growing up, I'm learning that I love twists to the original story! God of Neverland was such an amazing new idea for this story and I really enjoyed that the protagonist was Michael, Wendy's baby brother, and we got to see him grown up and learn how the trip to Neverland affected the kids when they grew up. Learning that there is a secret society that deals with magical things operating in early 1900s England was such a treat. I loved Vanessa so much, she was such a badass and so confident. The mystery and adventure on Neverland was so engaging and the pace was pretty fast, which I love. I hope there is more to this series, and that it explores other childhood favorites in new ways, because I will definitely read!

Thanks to Harper Collins Publisher for an eARC copy of this book. All of the comments on this book are my own.

I enjoyed the spin-off that God of Neverland creates for the classical Peter Pan story we all know and love. It was a pleasant read and there wasn't anything that really pulled me out of the story as I read. The story was gripping and interesting and I liked the premise, however, something I didn't understand was how a full grownup would remember what he did as a 4-year-old, which I thought was a bit of a stretch.
However, overall, I really liked this book and I recommend it.

I'm a bit conflicted about this book.

I really liked that this book followed Michael Darling instead of Peter or Wendy or Hook. This is what I seem to see the most in Peter Pan retellings and follow-ups.

However, I wasn't sure that this book needed to be about Peter Pan and Neverland. There was quite a chunk of the book where we weren't in Neverland and instead were learning about Michael's previous time in the Knights of the Round.

I actually think I would have liked the book better if we could have followed some of those adventures. Because there was definitely more to those stories.

Instead, we got to go to Neverland, and not get more details about that. It felt like it relied too heavily on the reader knowing about the Peter Pan story. Which, don't get me wrong, I do, but that made most of the Neverland and Peter Pan part of the story feel more just thrown together or like a cameo instead of being integral to the story.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing the E-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

First 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.

xx
-Christine

Oh man, where do I even begin with this review? I’ve been a fan of Peter Pan stories ever since I was a little kid and I never hesitate to pick up a new retelling when I stumble across one. The only problem I have these days is I find that very few of these retellings or sequels are ever as good as I want or expect them to be, so I was excited to find something that sounded this good. God of Neverland by Gama Ray Martinez is an amazing story full of all the Peter Pan characters I know and love but with a new and interesting twist on the story.

I keep calling it a retelling but it’s more like God of Neverland is supposed to be a sequel to J. M. Barrie’s original story which I always think is a smart thing to do when you’re writing a story set in a world that is as classic as Peter Pan. What I didn’t expect though was for this to lean so heavily into the urban fantasy genre. I’m a huge urban fantasy fan so I knew I was going to love this book the moment I realized it borrows so much from the genre, though I’m hesitant to actually call it urban fantasy because most of the story takes place in Neverland and not in an actual city.

The thing I loved the most about God of Neverland though, is that it changes and gives us a backstory for Peter Pan that makes more sense than the original to me. I love the idea of Peter Pan as Maponos, a god of youth and mischief, as I think it explains his entire personality so much better than a boy who just doesn’t want to grow up. I can’t wait to see what comes next in this series, if we are going to get more Peter Pan related stories or if Gama is going to go in a completely different direction.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This story was absolutely incredible. Peter Pan is one of my favorite stories, especially in film format. This is the first reimagining or retelling that I have read of this story. I love the unique twists and points that where written within this story, and how the main character is one of the darling women, but Michael Darling instead. I wasn't sure what to fully expect beside what the synopsis gave away when I started reading this. I was thoroughly amazed by this story, and was invested from the very first page. Thank you so much NetGalley for an arc of this book.

As soon as I saw the cover of this book I knew I had to read it. I know you shouldn't judge a book by it's cover but in this case I'm so glad that I did. This story perfectly weaves the characters from the original Peter Pan in to a current day fantasy adventure story. Michael is a grown man and brought back to the fantasy world in search of a missing Peter. Along the way he runs in to all of the classic characters who've never grown up because of where they are living. Lots of fast paced adventure, mixed with characters who we've all come to know and love from many years ago.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

God of Neverland follows Michael Darling, now grown up, as he returns to Neverland in search of a missing Peter Pan.

This was a fairly enjoyable read, most particularly because it maintains a lot of the general whimsical vibe of Peter Pan. Though these are Adults, with Children and Spouses and Real World Problems, the story doesn't try to be dark, somber adult content. There's still an air of lighthearted magic and mystery, even if the adults do have a firmer grasp on what Neverland is and why.

There's a rather fast pacing to this book, in at least that events happen very quickly, and minor conflicts are created and near-immediately resolved. The overarching conflict does still tie in with a lot of those smaller conflicts and plot elements, but it is just generally a whirlwind of an experience.

While the focus on action and adventure is quite fun, there's not as much character work on the page. Rather, the book relies heavily on the reader coming to the table already knowing who the characters are from Peter Pan. I find this generally acceptable, or at least passable, for the characters who were originally in Peter Pan. However, it was hard to care as much about the original characters, as they weren't given the same depth the pre-existing characters had.

Though the story overall was a bit confusing -- I'll be honest, I'm still not solid on how the whole gods thing works -- it was still a fun, fast-paced adventure, and I think fans of Peter Pan will easily find something to love about it.

God of Neverland is a fun read that calls back to the best parts of childhood. It's been ages since I watched Peter Pan but the callbacks filled me with the best nostalgia and this felt like a very fitting follow up to the original story. All our main characters are adults but the book is a reminder to never entirely leave childhood and its wonders behind. This felt like a love letter to the original Peter Pan while approaching from a more outside angle due to characters that didn't have Neverland adventures until now. Overall this was thoroughly enjoyable and I recommend it to anyone who wants a fun fantasy adventure to read.

I have always been a fan of retelling and recently, I have been searching out Peter Pan retellings. This book was a wonderful addition. I loved the story of Michael and this uniquely told novel. Recommended if you are a retelling fan. This one did not disappoint.

#GodOfNeverland:

Peter Pn re-imagined? Oh, you knew I was there ready and waiting. God of Neverland is what happens after they go on living their lives. Unfortunately, this was a miss for me, and I’m a bit sad about it.

First and foremost, this is not labeled as YA, but should be. If not YA, at least, NA if we want to get away with that. There’s nothing wrong with YA/NA, I actually prefer it, but a reader should be prepared going in.

My biggest issue was that I felt like I was in the second book of a series, or missed a novella completely to understand the world and everything around it. While this is what happens after what we know as Peter Pan, that cannot be my foundation because it’s completely reimagined. There’s talk of potions and a Spear of Destiny with gasps and ooohs and I have no idea why it’s warranted that reaction. What is it? Why does it matter? Do I even care? There’s also a conversation where a creature comes to attack. I have no idea what this is or looks like, just know it has claw. Later on we find out it has a cage. I feel like those details of what exactly it does would be elemental in the plot. I would search the words in my kindle to make sure I didn’t miss a descriptor, but I didn’t. It’s something that’s understood, but literally no context to help a gal out. I am reading a digital copy, so the map is still “to come”. Maybe these creatures and potions are in a glossary I don’t have yet. But for now, I’m just lost.

I did enjoy the new part of Neverland that we didn’t know existed. There’s different lore that gave it a refreshing take. We have gods and knights. There’s potions, magic, and decay (you read that right) There’s a lot of child vs adult growing up and that felt really intuitive as none of us really want to grow up, but most have to.

I enjoyed Michael’s story and the uniqueness of it. However, it did feel like I was missing in on the story and couldn’t break into what was considered already understood. That made it a difficult read. The nostalgia is definitely there and this plot moves lightening fast to where you’ll always have the adventure that Neverland is known for. I hope there’s context or a novella for additional information to not be so confused. Thank you Harper Voyager for the gifted copy. God of Neverland is out 4/12.

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.

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

Michael is all grown up now and has been a grown up for such a long time. In fact his adventures to Neverland lead him to an organizations of Knights who are experts in the paranormal and mystical. After losing a dear friend Michael has left the Knights but they are not done with him yet. Peter Pan has gone missing and Neverland is dying. Who else would the Knights call on to help save the God other then one who has been to Neverland and is an ex Knight? Luckily for Michael he is joined on his quest by Vanessa a fellow Knight, and maybe a couple of old friends. Can they get to the God in time? Or is this the end of childhood, joy, and Neverland?

This book was just a little bit hard for me to read. There were some great parts that sucked me in, but there were others that just dragged. The lows really out weighed the highs in my opinion. Everything just seemed super dragged out, and there were parts that didn't flow as smoothly as I wanted them. I wanted to be swept away and that just sadly didn't happen.

Thank you Avon and Harper Voyager and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this book.