The Ballad of Never After
2022
- young-adult
- love
- blessing and cursing
- magic
- fantasy fiction
- young adult fiction, fantasy, dark fantasy
- young adult fiction, fairy tales & folklore, general
- young adult fiction, fantasy, romance
- serie:once_upon_a_broken_heart
- fantasy
The story
After the discovery of a murderous curse, Evangaline Fox once again enters into a tenuous partnership with Jacks, the Prince of Hearts, and to break the spell they go on a journey of magic, mystery, and possible heartbreak.
What it’s like
Lush, theatrical prose that reads like a fairy tale dressed for a masquerade: candlelit ballrooms, gilded corridors, glittering cards and carnival-bright wonder layered over shadowed, uneasy streets. The voice is breathless and romantic, full of ornate description, sharp banter and swooning inner monologue, with the sensory world built from velvet, perfume, rain on cobblestones and the glint of enchanted objects. Its vibe is dreamy and dramatic, with a dark-fairy-tale undertow that gives the glamour a shiver of danger. Best for a cosy night in with a mug of something warm, or for a long train ride when you want to be swept off somewhere ornate. Pacing is brisk and twisty, with frequent reveals and cliffhanger chapter endings. The emotional register is romantic and anxious: a headstrong young woman and a guarded prince who keep testing whether they can trust each other. Violence is present and sometimes sharp, with curses that kill and tense confrontations, but it stays mostly off the page and never turns gory; there is some sensual tension and kissing but no explicit sex. For young adult readers and fantasy fans who love romance, enchantment and a little peril.
More books like The Ballad of Never After
Closest in mood, pacing and theme. Tell us why you loved The Ballad of Never Afterand we’ll explain which ones fit you.
