Title: The Rules and Regulations for Mediating Myths & Magic
Author: F.T. Lukens
Publisher: Interlude Press
Length: 304 Pages
Category: Young Adult, Fantasy
At a Glance: The Rules and Regulations for Mediating Myths & Magic is one of the finest YA paranormal stories I have ever read.
Reviewed By: Sammy
Blurb: Desperate to pay for college, Bridger Whitt is willing to overlook the peculiarities of his new job—entering via the roof, the weird stacks of old books and even older scrolls, the seemingly incorporeal voices he hears from time to time—but it’s pretty hard to ignore being pulled under Lake Michigan by… mermaids? Worse yet, this happens in front of his new crush, Leo, the dreamy football star who just moved to town.
Fantastic.
When he discovers his eccentric employer Pavel Chudinov is an intermediary between the human world and its myths, Bridger is plunged into a world of pixies, werewolves, and Sasquatch. The realm of myths and magic is growing increasingly unstable, and it is up to Bridger to ascertain the cause of the chaos, eliminate the problem, and help his boss keep the real world from finding the world of myths.
Review: Honestly, how have I not heard of author F.T. Lukens before this? I grant you that The Rules and Regulations for Mediating Myths & Magic is only the third published novel by this writer, but it’s just brilliant. Humorous, intelligent and able to produce simply wonderful characters that make a deep impression on both your heart and mind, F.T. Lukens brings to life some of the most undeniably zany creatures you can ever imagine. From the butter and chocolate loving pixie duo of Nia and Bran to the seductive werewolf, Elena, the otherworldly beings loom larger than life in this novel, and they make what would otherwise be a run-of-the-mill paranormal sparkle and shine.
It all began with senior Bridger Whitt needing a part time job in order to realize his dream of leaving the state to pursue university the following year. Ever since his dad walked out on him and his mom, Bridger has tried his best to not demand too much from his overworked mother. But Bridger has been living for the future for far too long—holding back on embracing his increasing interest in the same sex. Hiding who he is and how unhappy he has grown, even his best friend, Astrid, Bridger is biding his time until he can start fresh at college and finally be himself. When it comes right down to it, Bridger is scared—worried he will let his mom down, worried his few friends will view him differently, worried that the boy he has a fierce crush on could never like him much less date him. So, he keeps to himself, wrapping all his anxiety and true feelings up in a “wait until I leave this town and start college” limbo, which does nothing but make him more lonely and isolated than ever.
And now there’s a boy—a perfect, gorgeous, wonderfully kind boy—who lives right across the street. He makes Bridger nearly swallow his tongue and trip over his feet every time he says hello. Leo…that amazing boy next door, the one who is untouchable if Bridger is ever to keep his secret about being bisexual. So Bridger keeps his head down, applies for the strangest job ever, assisting a lunatic named Pavel, who happens to always be at the scene of a calamity before anyone else. Before he knows it, Bridger is pulled into the secret world of myths and magic, and his life is never going to be the same. He will nearly lose that life to a ferocious mermaid, his sanity to a soul-sucking hag, and his heart to the worst thing of all—a myth who must fall in order to restore the balance between the world of magical creatures and the human world. And, in the end, that very myth that Bridger wants with all his heart must be sacrificed for the survival of all.
The Rules and Regulations for Mediating Myths & Magic is one of the finest YA paranormal stories I have ever read. Cleverly balanced with just enough humor to mitigate the real life anxiety and fear weighing Bridger down, the main cast of characters from Pavel to Astrid and Leo and all the others in between spring to life and lead you on a glorious chase that delights in so many ways. Without downplaying Bridger’s real turmoil over his sexuality and his fear of losing his mother’s love because of it, F.T. Lukens is able to offset that very real drama with fast-paced action, mythical creatures and loyal friends. All combine to help Bridger realize just how important it is to be himself and realize that love can conquer even the darkest fears.
You can buy The Rules and Regulations For Mediating Myths & Magic here:
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