Tan continues to weave a brilliant tapestry of court intrigue, shifting alliances, and soaring magic, grounding it all with majestic elements like dragons and legendary landscapes.

What amazed me is the incredible maturity of Tan's writing and the emotional growth of its characters. I have read all her books, and in this one, she really nailed it!

The romance beautifully navigates the complex tension between duty and desire, delivering an agonizingly delicious, angsty journey where trust must be earned amid profound treachery.

Tan managed to balance a fast-paced, high-stakes plot with moments of sheer wonder and striking folklore-infused imagery that transports the reader seamlessly into the Three Kingdoms.

I would say that the ending delivers a satisfying and beautiful resolution that ties up every loose end with perfect emotional resonance. I mean.. is rare a sequel to surpasse its predecessor in both complexity and heart, but here we are!

Sue Lynn Tan earned her auto-buy author badge from me! Thank you for letting me read this one early! I loved it!

Sue Lynn Tan has officially convinced me that I will apparently never get tired of her writing.

I loved For Ever More just like Never Ever After.
The writing is just so immersive, and there’s something about Tan’s prose that makes it ridiculously easy to disappear into the world. I really enjoyed how much of the story revolves around schemes, shifting alliances and political intrigue without losing the emotional side of the story.

And the yearning. THE YEARNING.
I’m also very happy to report that the love triangle worked for me. I know love triangles can be hit or miss, but here I was fully invested in the tension and all the emotional messiness that came with it. Give me complicated feelings, questionable decisions and people who absolutely should communicate but choose yearning instead. Apparently that’s all I need.
What I loved most, though, was the ending. It genuinely felt like a superb conclusion to the story and, most importantly, it didn’t leave me with that dreaded “well… I guess that’s how it ends” feeling. Everything came together in a way that felt satisfying.

I always get a little nervous with sequels, because what are the chances that book two will actually live up to the first one? But For Ever More absolutely did for me. A perfect sequel and a fantastic conclusion to the duology.

Sue Lynn Tan, please keep writing books. I will be here.

FOR EVER MORE - SUE LYNN TAN

It's rare that both parts of a duology get 5 stars, but that's definitely the case for the Never Ever After duology - for me, at least! For Ever More picks up right after the events of the first book, and the stakes feel higher than ever. The book's entire world is at risk of a seemingly endless new source of power, and it's up to Yining, Jin and other key characters to put a stop to it.

The Cinderella retelling continues in the second book, but with the addition of dragon mythology, mythical places, magic and new kingdoms to explore. And while there's a lot going on in this book, it somehow never feels rushed, bringing each narrative and character arc to a fitting and satisfying conclusion.

I honestly couldn't put this book down, and I will genuinely miss the kingdoms and characters within this duology. I highly recommend this to anyone who loves a young adult fantasy that feels like a fairytale of old - with all the claws and thorns, of course (one of my new favourite book dedications).

Thank you to Hodder & Stoughton and Sue Lynn Tan for the chance to read this book!

Release date: 29 Oct
Personal rating: 5/5
TWs: d*ath, c*rruption, injury detail, vi*lence, w*r

An absolutely stunning conclusion that perfectly lives up to the brilliance of the first book! I love the complex characters in this, especially the relationship between Yinning and the prince. I also love Yinning's character development as the more she gains, the more she finds herself wanting to help others; a true departure from the stereotype of selfish characters driven by greed. There were just enough twists and turns to keep me in suspense throughout and just enough loose ends at the end of the book to make it feel realistic. Overall this has been the best book I've read this year.