The writing was excellent with immersive, magical worldbuilding bringing the story to life. I was captivated from the first chapter, with a well-paced plot and twists that kept me hooked from start to finish.

ARC Review — Never Ever After by Sue Lynn Tan
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4/5 Stars)
Thank you to Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Never Ever After by Sue Lynn Tan is a young adult fantasy romance inspired by Chinese fairytales, particularly a Cinderella retelling. The story follows Yining, a resourceful thief, who acquires an enchanted ring — only to have it stolen by her step-aunt. Determined to reclaim it, she journeys to the imperial city, where she crosses paths with a ruthless prince and a cunning advisor from a rival court. Soon, she finds herself caught in political intrigue, dangerous alliances, and a quest that will shape her future.

The book explores themes of political ambition, betrayal, found family, and the complexities of trust in a world of deception.

What I loved most was the worldbuilding, magic system, and atmosphere. The setting felt vivid, detailed, and steeped in Asian-inspired folklore. The subtle but recognizable retelling was executed beautifully, much in the way Elizabeth Lim’s stories weave myth and magic together.

The plot was surprisingly complex for a YA fantasy — filled with twists, tension, and constant uncertainty about who could be trusted. It kept me fully engaged, and I was never sure what would happen next. I also enjoyed the versatility of the cast: nearly every character was morally grey and had their own agenda. Yining, our strong and determined protagonist, was a joy to follow, and while the villainous prince was an intriguing character alongside the even more morally grey advisor Jin.

The romantic aspect struck a great balance: a love triangle(ish) dynamic paired with a slow burn that developed naturally over the course of the story. Most importantly, the romance complemented the plot rather than taking over, which I truly appreciated.

The only reason it’s not a full five stars for me is that a few elements could have been developed further to make the story even more impactful.

Overall, Never Ever After is a richly imagined and unpredictable YA fantasy, perfect for fans of atmospheric, folklore-infused stories, political intrigue, and morally complex characters.

If you enjoy:

- Asian folklore retellings
- Political intrigue + betrayal
- Morally grey characters
- Slow burn romance
…this book belongs on your TBR

I absolutely loved this book. Never Ever After is a gorgeous Cinderella inspired fantasy with a fresh twist and beautiful touches from Chinese folklore. Yining is such a brilliant main character, she’s brave, determined, and easy to root for after everything she’s been through. When her step-aunt steals her enchanted ring, it sets her off on a journey that’s magical, dangerous, and completely addictive.

The world building is stunning. From the gritty Iron Mountains to the glittering but dangerous imperial palace, every setting felt vivid and real. There’s plenty of intrigue, secrets, and politics, plus a slow-burn connection that had me turning the pages just to see how it would unfold.

Sue Lynn Tan’s writing is just beautiful, full of atmosphere and emotion and the story moves at a perfect pace with twists and reveals that kept me hooked. It wraps up in a satisfying way but still leaves you desperate for the next instalment.

If you love immersive fantasy with strong heroines, high stakes, and a romance you can really invest in, this is an absolute must read. I can’t wait to see what happens next!

This book was absolutely fantastic!!!

It had me hooked from the beginning with beautiful world building and whimsical details. It was genuinely such a fun read.

Both of the FMC’s love interests are so well written and I’m wasn’t even sure who to root for half the time!

I’m so excited for the next book and to get a physical copy of this one! 5/5

3.25 ⭐️ Thanks to NetGalley, Hodder and Stoughton, and Sue Lynn Tan for this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

This was my first foray into the works of Sue Lynn Tan. The concept interested me, with it being a retelling of Cinderella. Aside from some small parallels at the start of the book (girl with mean Stepmother goes to a palace ball and is noticed by a Prince) it was only very loosely based on this tale.

The setting and imagery created was often beautiful. The author’s writing style is also pleasant and she creates some fabulous scenery with her words. I’ve given this 3.25 stars mainly due to the pacing of the book. The story itself could hold up well with some more refined editing but in its current form it is very slow until you hit the 75% mark. From there on out it was a page turner and very enjoyable!

5 stars!⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Never Ever After is a gorgeous fantasy with a fairy tale vibe, dragons, magic and court politics. At the start there is a slight hint of a Cinderella retelling in which Yining, our FMC, must sneak into a ball held by the prince of the Iron Mountains to retrieve a family heirloom from her wicked step-aunt with a little help in the form of a gown and pearl slippers from her fairy god- fish, little dragon. The prince is enthralled by Yining and sets her up to be his future consort in the palace, however, this prince is not so charming and there the similarities to Cinderella end and we jump into a tale of political intrigue, hidden identities, found family and everything I love in a fantasy.

What I loved in particular:
- the writing, Sue Lynn Tan writes so beautifully, she describes fantasy worlds so well and really makes you feel for the characters.
- Prince Zixin, I love a complex villain who was made not born that way, I also love the slither of good we see in him and wonder how that will develop in the next book.

I can’t wait to see what happens next in this series, especially now that Yining is headed to Mist Island, I also feel that there is a lot unresolved from her earlier life, I keep waiting for her step-aunt to reappear, I don’t think I have ever wanted to see a fictional character get what is coming to them quite so much.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Hodder and Stoughton, Hodderscape for the opportunity to read this ARC.

This is my first book from Sue Lynn Tan, and I loved it. I must be in my political intrigue phase at the moment, but I'm totally not complaining ☺️

This is a fantastic epic fairytale, with plenty of drama. I quickly fell in love with Yining, and found myself really invested in her story. I love a female character who does what needs to be done, and doesn't shy away from uncomfortable situations.

Her journey, which led her to understand herself better, kept me gripped to the very end. I don't want to spoil anything here, but there were some twists and turns I didn't see coming.

Overall I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to read this advanced copy ❤️

I enjoyed this new fantasy series inspired by Cinderella. However, after the first half, I didn’t notice any elements of Cinderella at all. Don’t go into this expecting romantasy as romance isn’t the focus, and I actually liked that about the book. It may be too predictable for hardcore fantasy fans, but I’m happy with the twists and the story kept me on my toes and I kept wondering who to trust. And Tan’s stunning writing shone here more than ever. So I look forward to Book 2!

4-4.5 🌟/5

A gorgeous take on Cinderella- a lush fantasy with beautiful settings and unusual chatecters.

This is a book that grows as you read it- the story matures and the writer gains confidence in the second half of the book. I found the first half a little disjointed, but the characters and story of the second half more than made up for this. It feels like a story the author has been wanting to tell for a long time, and a world they've been imagining. I feel a second book would further expand the universe, and answers questions not resolved by the end of this book. A really enjoyable read

3.5⭐️ I’m slightly conflicted over this book. On one hand the writing is great. She really knows how to create a lush world and describe a scene. I also appreciated the morally grey characters and the complicated politics. I quite liked the MC, Yining, too. Despite this being a (very loose) Cinderella adaptation, she was no damsel in distress and could hold her own.

On the other hand, I felt like the development between the MC and a character that comes in later was a bit rushed. Especially since it was such a 180. (Can’t get into it too much since it’s a pretty big spoiler). I also felt that she had more chemistry with the ‘villain’ than with the LI. That might just be because I love enemies to lovers but she has so much potential with this other man. Personally wasn’t 100% sold on the chemistry between the MC and LI but maybe the second book will change that.

Overall a pretty solid fantasy book and I would definitely recommend it, i’m just nit-picky. I’m excited to see where the story goes in the next book!

(This is so nit-picky but i felt the author used ‘moreover’ too much. I searched the word and its only used 11 times but for some reason it really jarred me every time it was used.)

Oh, this was such a fun read! The book is quite different from Sue Lynn Tan’s previous work but still retains the distinctive qualities that make her writing so special.

Never Ever After is a Cinderella- and Chinese folktale-inspired story about survival, ambition, love, and politics. The main character, Yining, lost her family at a young age and had to develop some rather unsavory skills to survive. She often stole and lied. Her fate begins to change when she meets the enigmatic advisor Jin, and not long after, she finds herself at a ball hosted by Zixin – the prince of one of the kingdoms in this world, the Iron Mountains. She quickly becomes entangled in political machinations, power struggles, and starts to uncover more about her own past.

As the synopsis suggests, Never Ever After leans heavily into political fantasy. If you enjoy palace intrigue, conspiracies, and power struggles, this book will be right up your alley. It moves away from the dreamlike, whimsical tone of Tan’s earlier works and adopts a more grounded atmosphere that sets it apart. That said, the prose remains beautiful. There may be fewer fairy-tale flourishes, but it is still elegant, even if slightly more straightforward than in the Daughter of the Moon Goddess duology.

Sue Lynn Tan builds a fascinating and, in my opinion, very clear world and magic system. It is introduced smoothly, without info-dumps or awkward exposition. We learn most things alongside Yining, from whose point of view the story is told. As always in Tan’s books, the mythological and fairy-tale elements form a strong foundation for the narrative. I hadn’t realized there was a Chinese folktale so similar to the European Cinderella. When reading her work, you can feel how naturally Sue Lynn Tan moves within Asian folklore and mythology.

The beginning of the book is a bit slower – not boring, but deliberate, as it takes its time to set the chessboard before the plot truly takes off. The final 25% is much more fast-paced and packed with action, and this slightly uneven pacing might be my only quibble. The novel is clearly marketed as YA, and it does include many classic elements of the genre. The stakes are high, but the tone of the story differs somewhat from the author’s previous novels. I also think the slightly simpler prose reflects its YA focus. While I am not the target audience, I read a lot of YA, and this one definitely stands out in a good way.

What truly elevates this book is its character work. We follow three main characters, each morally gray in their own way. None shy away from questionable choices in pursuit of their goals, and few of their actions could be called genuinely selfless. This moral ambiguity makes it difficult to fully align yourself with any one character. Yining, the FMC, is a perfect example. Driven by a noble desire to find herself and seek justice for her family, she naturally invites our sympathy. Yet she also lies and manipulates when it suits her, making her actions harder to justify, and honestly uncomfortable to witness. Jin, te first MMC, while appearing to support Yining, hides secrets and pursues his own agenda. My personal favorite is the second MMC, Zixin, as he turned out to be the most complex. At first, he seems like the classic “refined but ruthless” archetype, elegant on the outside, hiding a brutal edge underneath. I won’t spoil anything, but toward the end, we learn things about him that make him even more layered and harder to judge in black-and-white terms.

Sue Lynn Tan is known for love triangles, and we get one here as well. However, even though this is romantasy, romance is far from the central focus. The story would stand on its own without it. Perhaps we’ll see more romance in the sequel. The relationships here aren’t a copy of Daughter of the Moon Goddess, largely because the characters themselves are so different. Yet since none of them are morally flawless, I found it hard to root for any one pairing in particular, though I’m intrigued to see how it all unfolds.

All in all, Never Ever After may not be my #1 book by Sue Lynn Tan, but it’s definitely one of the best YA novels I’ve read recently. It will appeal to readers of all ages. I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys political fantasy with elegant prose, morally complex characters, and immersive world-building. I can’t wait for the sequel!

Oh my God! This book is a masterpiece. All that plot twists, great descriptions and good character evolution. I can't decide which one is my favorite. I always enjoyed Sue Lynn Tan's books but this one is number one.

Absolutely beautiful; Cinderella re telling done very well the characters are absolutely well crafted. Such atmospheric fairytale vibe. With some swoonworthy moments!

Really enjoyed! The world building was great and I could help but want to read more! And there were parts where the plot had me gasping !

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for this book!

A beautifully written, politically charged fairytale retelling with teeth.
Never Ever After is a sweeping fantasy romance inspired by Cinderella and a Chinese fairy tale, but don’t expect a sweet, simple love story—this is a richly layered tale filled with power plays, betrayal, and complex loyalties. If you loved The Cruel Prince, this one should be on your radar.

The writing is absolutely stunning—lush, lyrical, and immersive. Sue Lynn Tan’s prose paints every scene with vivid emotion and tension. I really liked the characters; they’re so different from each other, yet their dynamic just works. I can only imagine how great their development will be in the sequel.

The romance isn’t the main focus, but it’s there in the background, subtle and very cute. I have a feeling it’ll take center stage in book two, and I’m here for it. The first few chapters are a bit slow, but that’s expected in a book that’s laying the groundwork for a much bigger story.

Can’t wait to see where the next installment takes us—there’s so much potential ahead, especially with all the political intrigue and tension brewing beneath the surface.

Actual rating 4.5 stars

Sue Lynn Tan never fails to deliver, this is another beautifully written story full of magic, fairytales and Chinese mythology all woven together.

You can really pick up on the Cinderella elements throughout the story but the twist Sue Lynn Tan puts on it really makes this its own story.

I love Yining our FMC, she is a smart, quick witted thief with a conscience.

There are a number of twists and turns, the smaller of ones I did predict but when you get to the last 1/4 of the book all bets are off and there is a lot of action packed in.

This is book 1 in a duology and I can’t wait for part 2!

WOW I loved this book. Having read one of Sue Lynn Tan's previous books I knew it would be great but this one was even better than I expected. I thought at first it was going to be similar to the previous trilogy but I liked the world building in this one more and also this felt like there were move twists that I wasn't expected. Cant wait for the next one

With her signature lyrical style, Sue Lynn Tan crafts another dreamlike myth-inspired tale in Never Ever After. The novel explores love, grief, and second chances through a fairytale lens that feels both wistful and elegant.

Though it didn’t quite sweep me off my feet the way her earlier work has, there’s undeniable beauty in Tan’s prose and imagery. The emotional core is strong, even if the pacing felt uneven at times.

A gentle, bittersweet read for fans of romantic fantasy and celestial storytelling.

I quickly became a fan of this author when I read the Celestial Kingdom books and so I was incredibly excited to be approved for an early copy of this! And this book was everything that I've come to expect from the author's books - beautiful, flowing writing, well paced and with vibrant descriptions.

This book in particular read like a fairytale, which isn't all that surprising considering that it's inspired by Cinderella. However the Prince puts Yining in an impossible situation and soon the dream becomes a nightmare.

I'd gone into this book believing it to be a standalone so I was very confused by the ending at first, thinking that so many questions were left unanswered. But I checked and luckily this was just the first book! That's not to say that you couldn't read this book and be satisfied because it is an ending of sorts, but there is definitely more to the story.

This would have been 5⭐ for me but I couldn't stop thinking about what happened to Little Dragon and the Sun Dragon, both of which quite upset me so for that reason I'm slightly lowering to 4.75⭐

Other than that, I'm so excited to read the next book! As other reviewers have suggested, it's still unclear which MMC will be endgame but I'm really hoping for Jin, as I just don't think Zixin would ever be able to redeem himself in my eyes🤭🙈 Jin seems very alike to Yining and I believe them both to have good hearts.

Thank you to Netgalley, Hodder & Stoughton, Hodderscape and the author for the review copy, provided in exchange for an honest opinion.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the arc!

🌟🌟🌟🌟✨️/5

My faith in Sue Lynn Tan has been restored! After the colossal disappointment that was 'Immortal', I was just a bit apprehensive about Tan's newest, especially because of it being marketed as a YA romantasy. However, I can never say no to Asian fantasy novels. I'm glad I picked this up because it was fabulous!

'Never Ever After' was a lot more epic than what I expected from a fairytale retelling. I was worried that this would take the bones of the Western Cinderella tale and just throw in elements from Chinese culture, so I was pleasantly surprised to see elements from the tale of Ye Xian (aka the Chinese Cinderella) being incorporated.

I loved going on this amazing journey with the characters. Tan's Cinderella, Yining, was ambitious and sometimes ruthless enough to make efforts towards getting what she wanted but not completely like the 'not-like-the-other-girls' girls. I found her to be a well written character. Romantasy often implies fantasy elements not used to their fullest potential and the romance completely overpowering them (often because of the popular tropes) but that wasn't the case here at all! This is a fantasy novel through and through. There's magic, a strong sense of adventure, a bit of fairytale-esque whimsy, court politics, and plot twists I didn't see coming. The romance wasn't anything special but didn't bother me either. I thought there was an obvious answer to the love triangle but looking at the ending, I'm not sure where it will lead.

I can't emphasize enough about Tan's biggest strenth that yet again, was the highlight of her book- her ability to conjure up vivid landscapes in the reader's mind. Her descriptions were mesmerizing as always. The descriptions of food made my mouth water, I must admit. I count SLT among the authors who I consider masters of the aesthetic. I appreciate just how much content Tan packs into every single one of her novels. The pacing was great, without a whole lot of dull moments. The only reason why it took my this long to finish the book was because I got distracted by multiple other books and was occupied with other life stuff.

I cannot wait to get my hands on the sequel! I'd highly recommend this to fans of Elizabeth Lim, Axie Oh and of course, Sue Lynn Tan.