A duo of mythological Gods take human form – as a dominatrix and a private eye – to pursue and experience human love, upsetting the delicate balance of the universe, exploring themes of spirituality and sexuality. This is an unusual combination, but author Randy Niederman enthusiastically commits to his unusual story, and has a true gift for world creation. Interactions between mythical creatures – Red Girl and Blue Boy – are treated with the same straightforward description as an argument in an earthly convenience store parking lot.
Sections of the book begin with an introduction to “the Myth,” weaving the spiritual foundations of the story and creating a powerful juxtaposition against the more “everyday” scenes like the private eye on a stakeout or a young woman exploring her knowledge of God. Overall, the author gives a great deal of care to creating complex characters with believable backstories, and readers will form a real connection with the unique protagonists of this story. The book particularly explores the dreams and motivations of its leads, fleshing out their stories in a manner that is surprising given the supernatural approach of the novel. Minor characters are painted with a less-nuanced brush, but this rarely hinders the storytelling.
Given that one of the book’s main characters is a professional dominatrix, and that one of its key themes is an exploration of sexuality and love, its descriptions of sex are varied and candid. Not all readers will be comfortable with the straightforward descriptions, but even at its most graphic the scenes are approachable and readable. In particular, the early dominatrix scenes are incredibly matter-of-fact, with the female lead very comfortable treating sex like a job.
The “thriller” aspect of the book does not come into play until its later pages, with gunfights and chases and fast-moving scenes that alternate with quirky dialogue. Like with the book’s sex scenes, the violence is consistent but never overwhelmingly graphic. For a book with such complicated and heavy themes, THE MYTH OF LOVE remains exceedingly readable.
While diving into themes of sex, love, spirituality, and mythology, THE MYTH OF LOVE is at its core a romantic tale that will enthrall a variety of readers.
~Jennifer Dixon for IndieReader