4.5 out of 5

I love a good sci-fi book, that much is well known. But what about a sci-fi book that puts forth the idea that all the mythological creatures from Earth's history (fairies, pixies, werewolves, vampires, etc) are actually alien species exiled to our planet as punishment for crimes made on their own planets? Well, a book like that would be right up my wheelhouse. That's exactly the kind of book that Dennis Meredith's Mythicals is. It's also a very good one, too.

Mythicals is a delightful book that starts out seeming like it's going to be more of a political thriller (involving mythological creatures) that ends up becoming something more epic than that. And it really works. There is honestly no reason for this book to work as well as it does. I mean, it's the kind of premise that seems sort of absurd, but it's one that is just so sci-fi that I can't believe this isn't something we see more often. There's something undeniably fun about this book. It starts off a little slowly as all the various pieces are moved into place, but once the story really gets going, it quickly becomes a page-turner that you really don't want to put down. It starts off seeming like Jack is going to spend most of the book trying to prove that these Mythicals exist, but by about the 1/4 mark, that all changes into a different plotline that later morphs into another one. Each plot is well-developed and well-concluded and it's all a very satisfying read.

Mythicals is written by Dennis Meredith, a "science communicator" who has worked with a number of universities and has published a number of nonfiction books about science in addition to his work as a novelist. You can kind of tell that Meredith comes from more of a science background in the way he's written this book, and I mean that as a good thing! This world of this book has clearly been meticulously plotted out by Meredith and he does an excellent job at explaining all the various elements of the world to his readers without descending completely into sci-fi jargon. This world makes sense. Yes, it's foreign and magical and there are a lot of aliens and a lot of futuristic technology, but Meredith explains it in such a way that it all seems totally believable and mundane. Not much time is spent on characters reacting wildly to it; they get a moment of surprise and then the novel moves on with it. It's all handled very well.

The story itself is also thoroughly entertaining. It tackles a number of subjects - primarily climate change and the impacts we are having on our global environment - with a surprising amount of poise and nuance for a book that seemed, on the surface, to be a kind of b-film romp of a sci-fi book. I was not expecting these deeply important issues to be such a focus in this book. That's not to say that it's a preachy story; it's not. There's plenty of fighting between the Mythicals and world building and fun, sci-fi goodies. But it's always nice when sci-fi books have something to say and it's clear that Mythicals had a lot to say.

As I mentioned early, the book is plotted very well. I must commend Mr. Meredith for how well-paced this story is. There are a lot of characters in this novel, and, while it does occasionally feel overwhelming, he's able to juggle all those characters with immense talent and care, ensuring that each of our main characters has some kind of arc and journey to go on. Jack is, for all intents and purposes, our main character, but the Mythicals that end up surrounding him are just as well-developed as he is. And, let me tell you, Jack is very well-developed. I started out the book thoroughly disliking his character, and by the end of it, I truly adored him. There's an excellent twist involving his character that happens about 2/3 through the novel, and it honestly flips everything on its head in the best possible way. It's the kind of twist that makes perfect sense while still being totally surprising and I love it.

All in all, Mythicals is an excellent book. It's got a great premise that's explored masterfully by an author who clearly put a lot of time into developing it. It features characters that are interesting and well-developed. It focuses on some important issues currently plaguing our society, and actually has something to say about them. It's well-written and well-paced and is a thoroughly enjoying read that I would recommend to anybody who's a fan of sci-fi or fantasy. You won't be disappointed by this book. ( )

I started the book with a belly laugh…picturing her struggling to get into her skintight bodysuit. The weirdest part is what king of body suit she’s wearing. I figure I can’t go wrong with a beginning like that and I am more curious than ever.

This is a hard review to write, because I don’t want to risk spoiling all the deliciousness inside. We have every kind of magical creature you can imagine.We have vampires and all the supernatural creatures too. Even angels. And…lets not forget the aliens.

It’s a bird, it’s a plane, no, it’s a fairy. And that UFO you think you see in the sky? It could very well be fairies making love.

Jack spies a fairy and exposes their secret to the world. It’s a good thing no one believes him and they are determined to reinforce the people’s disbelief.

This story is out of this world and at times funny. The underlying danger is always there and it comes from more than one angle. The magical and supernatural creatures will protect the humans and themselves at all costs. There is too much at stake.

This is one of those books that takes our lackadaisical attitude towards Earth ecology and puts us in jeopardy because of it. There are those who think the only way to save it is to eliminate us.

Mythicals by Dennis Meredith crosses many genres, the paranormal and supernatural, science fiction, fantasy,and romance. It is a refreshing, captivating, thought provoking tale that gripped me from the beginning and never let me go.

The world building made the scenes come to life in my mind. The characters were fully developed and I am amazed at the depth and detail of their personalities. After all, we are talking about non humans, for the most part. I can’t even pick a favorite, because the peripheral characters were as fun and amazing as the main ones.

The intrigue grows very deep. The amazing concept twisted and turned, giving me surprise after surprise, and I reveled in it. Sadness and laughs, I felt them equally.

All this and I am only 56% into Mythicals by Dennis Meredith.

WHOA! I sure didn’t see that coming! Now everything I was thinking was coming will have to be changed.

I love how ecology plays a role in the story. Florida. Oh my!

I was swept away, engrossed by the treachery, the battles, the loves and the loss, and I would only hope we would treat aliens better than depicted, but….

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Mythicals by Dennis Meredith.

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