I would like to thank Sarah from Titan for an advance copy of this novel in exchange for fair and honest review

Publisher – Titan

Published – Out Now

Price – £8.99 paperback £6.99 Kindle eBook

Warning – Mild spoilers for Wendy, Darling by A C Wise a linked novel to this tale will be given (its rather great go read it)

Once invited, always welcome.

Once invited, never free.

Captain James Hook, the immortal pirate of Neverland, has died a thousand times. Drowned, stabbed by Peter Pan’s sword, eaten by the beast swimming below the depths, yet James was resurrected every time by one boy’s dark imagination. Until he found a door in the sky, an escape. And he took the chance no matter the cost.

Now in London twenty-two years later, Peter Pan’s monster has found Captain Hook again, intent on revenge. But a chance encounter leads James to another survivor of Neverland. Wendy Darling, now a grown woman, is the only one who knows how dark a shadow Neverland casts, no matter how far you run. To vanquish Pan’s monster once and for all, Hook must play the villain one last time…

We all need a good villain in a story. The antagonist who shakes the world up; offers contrast to our heroes and just a little does the things we wish we could do. A villain in their cloak, strange headdress and RP accent always will own the stage. Captain Hook in Peter Pan is key to the story the definition of a pantomime villain who knows he is hated and doesn’t in the slightest bit care and looks fabulous to boot. But in AC Wise’s unsettling tale Hooked the questions are asked - how did he get to Neverland? Who was he really? And what happened next?

In the earlier story of Wendy, Darling Wise gave us the story of what happened to endy as she grew up. Facing years in an institution she escaped; made a new family and then when Peter Pan stole her daughter she returned to a stranger and darker Neverland and faced Peter and his darker side down destroying Neverland in the process. Now its 1939 and Wendy’s daughter Jane is studying in wartime London to be a doctor when a close friend is found mysteriously dead. Elsewhere in London a strange man with one hand named James lives in opium-fueled fear that he is being pursused by something terrible. Wendy rushes to her daughter’s side but now finds herself working with the man she knew as Captain Hook to save her family. Can he be trusted and is he even capable of fighting Neverland itself?

I loved this story for it’s strange almost nightmarish approach that captures the dark allure of Neverland but also questions why we are so fascinated by a place that is clearly not safe with pirates and constant fighting. While Hooked is linked to the events of Wendy, Darling it is not a direct sequel as focus shifts to the infamous Captain, but we also have a time jump to 1939 and a bit more focus on Jane. The standout is the man we get to know as both James and Hook. Wise explores someone who themselves got trapped in Neverland many years prior and got transformed by Pan into his nemesis to play eternal games of Pirates versus Lost Boys and he would always die horribly and return. Interestingly while this constant torture by Pan we see has consequences as James gets subsumed into his Hook persona we also get to see he enjoyed it. Being a destructive villain who can do anything he likes and hurt anyone bar Pan. Again, there is an exploration of toxic masculinity here and we witness James’ acts and they are not ones we can approve of. Choosing to be a pirate has consequences – we may all enjoy going ‘argh’ and shaking a cutlass, but it also does mean a life of violence and cruelty on those weaker than us too.

The really interesting angle then explores what happened when James and one of his loyal sailors finally escape Neverland and Peter’s control. We see an older mellower and more tragic figure now in 20th century London and lost amongst the dirty streets. Scarily his addiction to Neverland life can only be eased by the love of opium which his loyal companion Samuel provides. This tale has moments of tenderness in this pairing as James works out his true feelings but Neverland is the one who hooks the Captain and he can never quite escape giving in to his darker side. Finally meeting Jane and Wendy is his chance to go back and perhaps find some way of escape or even become his alter ego one last time. The question posed though is if James is strong enough to do the right thing or will his urge to destroy win out. I loved how this pantomime villain becomes over the novel a much more interesting and human figure who still owns the stage whenever he appears on the page because we aren’t sure what he will do next.

The other attraction is Neverland and this tie without the cruel childish cruelty of Pan controlling everything. This time we get Neverland as cosmic horror a strange dimension where anything can happen. The dead never truly die, and it comes across as strange and unknowable. Neverland is itself a power and not one you can tame or understand very easily. The figure stalking James and Jane is one of the old characters but this time uncontrolled and most of all very dangerous. This is dark fantasy crossing into horror as nothing feels very safe and we just have a small group of human characters trying to go back and d the right thing but its not clear how they can best a force of nature. Wise’s use of language setting these scenes really captures the strangeness of Neverland but without the games of Peter it’s a scarier place to read and visit. This stays true to the original tale but reminds us adult readers this isn’t a idyll we should really want children to approve of where battles of life and death are the only game in town to play.

Hooked is a flowing dark adventure that with its unusual lead and strange atmosphere I really enjoyed reading. It reminds us that no one is always a villain but also points out that sometimes people do know the difference from right from wrong and still choose wrong because they enjoy it. Well worth a look if you enjoy intelligent unsettling tales.