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Never Ever After is a beautiful Asian-inspired fantasy with adventure, love, magic, and intrigue. Having read Sue Lynn Tan’s Daughter of the Moon Goddess (Celestial Kingdom) series, I was eager to read her latest work, and it certainly didn’t disappoint!
We follow the life of Yining as she ventures into the intrigue of the court of the Iron Mountains, where she works to regain a magical ring that contains the secret to her lost heritage, as well as the life force that she needs to survive. Living in splendor but also danger, Yining needs to unravel a mystery about her past and the history of the mysterious Mist Island.
The descriptions are vivid and the characters well-crafted. The story has many predictable parts but enough twists that it didn’t detract from my enjoyment of the book. The story is reminiscent of Asian historical dramas (which I am a fan of watching), so I could see some tropes pulled from those shows. I did find Yining a bit too headstrong, insisting on her strength and independence, as is typical with modern YA novels. Despite this, however, she is still a unique character I enjoyed following and was rooting for throughout the story. Romance is present but not the focus of the story: that hinges upon discovering one’s place in the world and one’s inner strength, and finding lost family.
The point of view of Never Ever After is first person and present tense, which is unusual for a fantasy novel, in my experience, but it surprisingly works well. We usually see past tense used for books such as these, but the present tense is seamless and doesn’t stand out as odd or forced. If anything, it makes the story more immediate and real. I am eager to read the sequel when it comes out!
Rated: Moderate. There is some moderate language, as well as some kissing and sexual insinuation (all closed door). There is some violence but it is not described in excessive detail.
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