Never Ever After by Sue Lynn Tan
Just a heads up, this review will contain minor spoilers! Please read at your own risk—especially if you haven’t read the book yet!
I picked up Never Ever After when I was recovering from the flu and absolutely wishing I could escape reality and dive into another world where I didn’t have to think about how much I was physically suffering. The Iron Mountains and the Three Kingdoms were the realm I could throw myself into. With their secrets, royalties and bustling culture, I found myself completely enchanted with their allure.
I really like the narrative—it’s a Cinderella retelling with influences from Chinese mythology and fairytales. I absolutely LOVE how the version of Cinderella is a bandit; she is so cool, fierce and insanely ambitious. The story heavily explores themes of identity, heritage and discovering strength within oneself, themes with which I wholeheartedly resonate.
I absolutely adore the characters, especially the male MCs: Prinze Zixin and Jin. They’re complete opposites, the former villainous, powerful and merciless, and the latter calculated, supportive, and mischievous, yet they both have a soft spot for Yining and care about her. And the interactions they have with each other towards the end that are filled with jealousy? I ate it up!
Also, can we take a second to talk about the love triangle that’s in this? I wouldn’t exactly call it a love triangle per se (it’s more of a romantic intrigue with the vibes of “who do I trust?), but the swooning tension and heated intensity Yining has with the two male MCs had my heart rate skyrocket like crazy multiple times throughout this book! It is a little unclear who she will end up with (and whether they even have a happily ever after), but I’m currently team Jin and no one can convince me otherwise. The slow-burn is definitely burning between all three of them, and we’ll just have to see who is endgame!
The plot twists in this book really surprised me! I had a feeling I knew what was going to happen, but I didn’t expect a certain character of royal bus to throw her brother under the bus to claim her place on the throne. It’s honestly scary what greed and power can make you do to your own family! I love how it all ended though; it’s a perfect way to lead us into book 2.
The lore in Never Ever After is reminiscent of other Chinese mythologies related to gods and goddesses. There are mentions of dragons, magical powers, and powerful plants imbued with magic, and we see some of it come to play in the latter half of the book. We even witness a mystical carp who talks and engages with Yining—how crazy?!
I will say, the writing was really refreshing and unlike what I’ve read before. It took me a while to get used to it, but once I did, I couldn’t stop flipping the pages. Tan paints her world beautifully, immersing you in the worldbuilding as if you were in the realm yourself. She’s like a calligrapher painting calligraphy—every location, element and character are delicately portrayed and represented in the best way possible.
Overall, Never Ever After was a 4.5-star read for me, and I can’t wait to pick up the second book as soon as possible! Definitely give this a read if you love fairy tales—you won’t be disappointed.
