Book Rating: ★★★☆☆ (3 / 5 stars)
Aria has always been a skeptic. Vampires? Nah. Aliens? Absolutely not. Werewolves? That’s a joke. But after leaving an abusive relationship, her twin brother ropes her into becoming a paranormal investigator. At least it pays the bills, right? But as she begins investigating supernatural activity, her live begins to unravel. Lights appear in the sky reminiscent of UFOs, and her new crush, Tyler, radiates this odd energy that she cannot ignore. But, as she begins to unravel Tyler’s secrets, she discovers an entire mythical universe that is far more vast than she ever imagined.
A fun, fast paced read, Mythical Universe: The Beginning, takes us on a long, winding journey through a world where everything we consider a myth is real. Aria is a relatable character, being placed in a situation most of us can understand: one without choice. Her mind is utterly blown by everything that happens, making her question what she knew about the world in the first place. In away, her life unfolds like the TV show Supernatural, with so much more out there than she knows what to do with it. But rather than fighting demons and monsters, she is thrown head first into all of it…because it is where she belongs.
I had fun reading this book! Aria is a believable character who you root for from the beginning. While some of what she goes through is unbelievable…isn’t that the point of fantasy? Suspend disbelief and be taken into a world where you wildest dreams exist: vampires, fairies, time travelers, shifters, and more! Doesn’t the world need a little bit more magic like that? But, while all of these unbelievable creatures vie for power, we also take time to see a strong young woman grow. While her life seems laid out for her by a higher power, towards the end of the book, Aria takes on her own destiny. She knows what she stands for, and being stubborn, she won’t let some ancient deity get in her way.
My biggest hang up with the book was pacing. I think it would have benefited being a bit longer, giving us a chance to explore Aria’s emotions more, as well as get to really experience all the places she travels. We hop from California, to Spain, to Mars, to Faeries, to Vampires, and to the City of Gods so quickly, that we only get a brief look at what these worlds are like…as well as Aria and her friends’ own amazement. While Aria is often struck by disbelief, not all of it stays. While I understand overtime she accepts how strange her life has become, I would have loved to spend a bit more time exploring her internal conflict earlier on in the story. In addition, this would have helped her relationships appear more organic. (Although, Aria and Tyler are absolutely adorable and I only want the best for them!)
As a side note: during this book I realized, that personally I enjoy descriptions and moments of reflection. Many people like these fast paced books, where the plot moves quickly. While I hate for a plot to be too slow, it’s also important to get a chance to breathe and absorb where the story is going. This is a personal taste more than anything, and is never a reflection of the author in any way shape or form.
That being said, I did have a lot of fun with this book and cannot wait to read the second book in the series, Mythical Universe: The Showdown. I look forward to seeing Aria come into her own strength, as well as all the mythic people and creatures she encounters next.
Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
What’s it about?
Fresh out of an abusive relationship, Aria moves in with her twin brother, Alex, ready for a new start. He offers her a job working with him as a paranormal investigator, which she reluctantly agrees to. Aria is a skeptic of anything she cannot see with her eyes. Alex, on the other hand, has always been a believer in anything and everything paranormal. When Aria and Alex go to California to help investigate a large building where strange things are happening she has no idea how her world is going to be turned upside down. When they arrive, she meets Tyler, one of the biggest mysteries she never saw coming. He’s a tall and sexy man, but her attraction to him is more than that. She can’t explain why she can feel the energy pulsing from him. During the investigation, things start to unfold and very quickly, Aria comes to realize she isn’t who she thought she was. She may not even be human. Together with Tyler and Alex, she goes on a pursuit to find out the truth. Traveling through planets and dimensions, meeting creatures she only thought existed in fantasy stories, she will have to question everything she ever believed. When she finds out the truth what will that mean for her and Alex? And what about Tyler? How does he fit in with all of this? The Mythical Universe: The Beginning is an action-packed story full of time traveling, hybrids, aliens, vampires, fairies and so much more.
E.S. Barrison 