Never Ever After coming October 28th, 2025 from Little, Brown Books for Young Readers; 368 pages
Content Warning: Violence, blood, sexual & physical aggression
About the Author: “Sue Lynn Tan is the author of Immortal, Daughter of the Moon Goddess and Heart of the Sun Warrior, stories of fantasy and romance inspired by Chinese mythology and folklore. Her books will be translated into eighteen languages, have been nominated for several awards, and are USA Today and Sunday Times bestsellers” (Bio from author’s website).
Find Sue Lynn Tan on the following platforms:
Yining is many things—but most importantly, she’s a liar and a thief. Her cunning has allowed her to carve out a living for herself in the harsh kingdom of the Iron Mountains, alongside her cruel and greedy step-aunt, Mistress Henglan. Ever since the death of her dear uncle who raised her in place of her parents, Yining has been controlled by her step-aunt and resigned to a bleak future unless she can stockpile enough money to escape. So, when a magical carp appears and offers her a different way out, she’s more hopeful than ever—until Mistress Henglan snatches away her chance at freedom: an enchanted ring. Determined to get her ring back, Yining follows her aunt to a lavish ball hosted by the crown prince but quickly gets trapped in the complicated tangle of court politics, made all the more precarious by the attentions of the prince and a mysterious advisor from an accursed land. To secure the freedom she’s always dreamed of, she must learn to navigate the treachery that lurks beneath the fairy tale facade of the prince’s gilded world.
Not all dreams may come true in this Cinderella-inspired story, but Never Ever After certainly fulfilled all of my wishes. With her signature lyrical prose, Sue Lynn Tan weaves a breathtaking tale with a protagonist as fierce as she is funny. As someone who has read all of Tan’s other novels, Yining felt like a breath of fresh air—she’s caring but looks after herself first and is not naive about the challenges she faces as a woman of the lower class. She also never fails to forget where she came from, which was particularly admirable given the heady glimpses of power she has throughout the book. I truly enjoyed the banter between Yining and the other characters in the story, as well as the tension between her and the two main male characters. It all felt realistic and well-paced but never commandeered the plot, which is not often the case in romantic fantasy novels such as this one. That being said, it wasn’t all perfect. Some of the important confrontations and scenes in the story seemed somewhat rushed, and there were times when the writing came across as stilted, with awkward breaks in ideas patched by oddly placed ellipses or commas. Still, I was moved and enthralled by Tan’s magical new world in equal turns, and I can’t wait to see Yining again.
Never Ever After releases on October 28th, 2025.
Pine Reads Review would like to thank NetGalley and Little, Brown Books for Young Readers for sending us an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Any quotes are taken from an advanced copy and may be subject to change before final publication.
Melia Gemrose, Pine Reads Review Lead Editor and Co-Assistant Director