A review by ginalucia
These Deathless Shores by P.H. Low

adventurous dark slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Thank you Angry Robot Books, for my advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.

I really, really wanted to love this book, and honestly, I did… at first.

The first few chapters of These Deathless Shores pull you in. They twist and turn the story of Peter Pan, adding just the right level of mystery and darkness with a slow reveal. I was loving it.

This book is essentially a gender-bent Hook origin story with a little darkness. I’m going to be honest though, the darkness mostly comes from the characters themselves and their various addictions. 

I’m not sure this was handled well. It’s sensitive, sure, but it’s also incredibly repetitive and tiring. This, rather than the plot, was the central point in the story and that honestly, isn’t enough for me.

The romantic relationships in the book also left much to be desired. They felt toxic and unhealthy, making it hard to root for anyone involved.

One aspect that particularly frustrated me was the lack of visual descriptions of the characters. It made it difficult to picture them in my mind, especially Peter, leaving me to rely on visuals from other media.

This is also an issue when it comes to atmosphere and world-building. It felt like the author was relying heavily on our preconceived notions of Neverland rather than fully immersing us in the world.

These Deathless Shores is filled with lyrical prose. If you love that as a writing technique, you may well enjoy this book more than I did. For me, lyrical prose is hard to get through when coupled with a slow pace, repetitive themes, and hard-to-love characters.

If you’re a Peter Pan fan, it’s worth giving this book a go regardless. It may work for you, even if it didn’t work for me.

For more reviews and book recommendations, check out my YouTube channel:  https://www.youtube.com/ginaluciayt 

 
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