Book Reco # 5: Naermyth by Karen Francisco
A novel about Philippine mythological creatures
Dear Reader,
This week’s recommended book is Naermyth by Karen Francisco.
Naermyth comes from the wordplay, “never were they a myth.” Set in a post-apocalyptic future where mythical creatures reign, this story is about Athena and what’s left of the world after the Humans VS Mythical Creatures war.
With a lot of ethnic groups in the Philippines, we have so many mythical creatures here, and a lot of them are introduced in this book. As a kid, I loved hearing stories of tikbalang, tiyanak, manananggal, and the likes, so imagine my delight when I found out about this book. I loved the world the author created here. The writing, though, is a bit cheesy for me. But once you’ve gotten past that, the book is overall good. Just think of the book as a whole and not the small, cringey bits.
However, I feel like the characters’ names are too westernized for my taste. It’s set here in the Philippines, so I think the names should have some Philippine roots. The book also explores themes of corruption and bureaucracy. I recommend this to anyone who likes to learn more about Philippine mythical creatures.
Happy reading and thanks for the inbox space!