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lkilmer17's review
4.0
Always love a retelling of one of my favorite story books. I love the stories told and the creative overlap.
annettebooksofhopeanddreams's review
4.0
I have loads of bookcases. Most of my bookcases are organized by theme or sometimes authors even have an entire shelf for themselves. One of my themed bookcases is a Neverland bookcase. Another one is a fairytale retelling bookcase. So, when I saw the first book in this series I had to have it and when BookSirens let me know that the sequel was up and that I could request a copy I didn't hesitate either, especially because I was really looking forward to this journey.
Like the first book this book is only very loosely a retelling of the tale of the Little Mermaid. There are a few epic scenes that make an appearance and there are a few elements those stories have in common, but the author mostly wrote a completely original story with characters slightly based on fairytale characters. Which makes this an exciting adventure with a few familiar faces and elements, but most of all a lot of surprises and unexpected twists and turns.
It's also an adventure because our characters ARE literally having an adventure, a big one, outside of Neverland. And the author made quite clear how dangerous this adventure was, how often our characters had to fight for their lives and how often things can and will go wrong. The stakes are incredibly high and it's quite clear from the start that it's very possible that not every character will find their happily ever after.
This book also has an amazing storyline starring a Trans-character. I can't imagine how horrible it must be to know that you're a man and to be not only confronted with stupid pirates denying that claim, but to also be confronted with a body desperate to show you that you're quite clearly stuck in the wrong body. It's not the most prominent storyline in the book, it's basically one of the many personal challenges our characters face. It's however the one that hurt the most to read about.
I therefore, especially for this character, can't wait to read the next book!
Like the first book this book is only very loosely a retelling of the tale of the Little Mermaid. There are a few epic scenes that make an appearance and there are a few elements those stories have in common, but the author mostly wrote a completely original story with characters slightly based on fairytale characters. Which makes this an exciting adventure with a few familiar faces and elements, but most of all a lot of surprises and unexpected twists and turns.
It's also an adventure because our characters ARE literally having an adventure, a big one, outside of Neverland. And the author made quite clear how dangerous this adventure was, how often our characters had to fight for their lives and how often things can and will go wrong. The stakes are incredibly high and it's quite clear from the start that it's very possible that not every character will find their happily ever after.
This book also has an amazing storyline starring a Trans-character. I can't imagine how horrible it must be to know that you're a man and to be not only confronted with stupid pirates denying that claim, but to also be confronted with a body desperate to show you that you're quite clearly stuck in the wrong body. It's not the most prominent storyline in the book, it's basically one of the many personal challenges our characters face. It's however the one that hurt the most to read about.
I therefore, especially for this character, can't wait to read the next book!
samlopez93's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Abandonment, Grief, Child abuse, Violence, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Transphobia
libraryofabibliotaph's review
4.0
Original combination of two popular fairytales (Peter Pan and the Little Mermaid)
After having read both the prequel and book one of this series, I couldn’t pass on the opportunity to read this sequel too. The writing style is still really fluent and straightforward, which makes it easy to be carried along in the story. Unfortunately, this is somewhat (I repeat somewhat, definitely not entirely) negated by the fact that the content of the story seems to have been stretched a bit. In number of pages, this book is much thicker than the first book, in my opinion it could have been a bit shorter, more in line with the first one (for example, in the first hundred pages it takes a while before anything really happens). But nevertheless the story was well developed, the characters (and their maelstroms of inner thoughts) were also given more attention in comparison to the previous book. It's nice to get more insight in both Wendy and Cedric through the dual POV, in what they think, why they do certain things, ... Their hostility towards each other is also nicely worked out, but in the end it drags on a bit too long in my opinion. Miscommunication as a trope is very clearly present here (unfortunately, it's a trope I don't really like myself). I also continue to find the character of Peter (and Tink) very interesting, a lot of question marks are raised in this book, which are only partly answered by the end. This makes me very curious about the next book in the series. The mythological elements and recognisable elements from the classic stories are also nicely combined here. The fact that the book is advertised as dark fantasy with LGBTQ+ elements is entirely true, and this is also woven in nicely. Once you get to the end of the book, the epilogue, I was a little surprised, in a positive sense. It is written a little differently than the other chapters, but wow, it really makes you want to start reading the third book right away. Be sure to take the time to read the author's note as well, it is very sincerely written and gives a lot of insight into the author behind this story (R.L. Davennor, you are doing a great job, writing amazing stories that leave your readers asking for more, remember that and never give up). The biggest drawback for me personally with this book is that I don't really feel a click with any of the characters, even though they are well conceived and fleshed out. But that is something very personal to me as a reader, who needs to feel a connection with the characters.
So if you like such retellings, with a twist, with dark fantasy vibes and LGBTQ+ representation, I definitely recommend checking this series out. Because if what the epilogue promises is yet to come... it's going to be a wild ride, in the best way possible.
I received an advanced copy of this book for review.
After having read both the prequel and book one of this series, I couldn’t pass on the opportunity to read this sequel too. The writing style is still really fluent and straightforward, which makes it easy to be carried along in the story. Unfortunately, this is somewhat (I repeat somewhat, definitely not entirely) negated by the fact that the content of the story seems to have been stretched a bit. In number of pages, this book is much thicker than the first book, in my opinion it could have been a bit shorter, more in line with the first one (for example, in the first hundred pages it takes a while before anything really happens). But nevertheless the story was well developed, the characters (and their maelstroms of inner thoughts) were also given more attention in comparison to the previous book. It's nice to get more insight in both Wendy and Cedric through the dual POV, in what they think, why they do certain things, ... Their hostility towards each other is also nicely worked out, but in the end it drags on a bit too long in my opinion. Miscommunication as a trope is very clearly present here (unfortunately, it's a trope I don't really like myself). I also continue to find the character of Peter (and Tink) very interesting, a lot of question marks are raised in this book, which are only partly answered by the end. This makes me very curious about the next book in the series. The mythological elements and recognisable elements from the classic stories are also nicely combined here. The fact that the book is advertised as dark fantasy with LGBTQ+ elements is entirely true, and this is also woven in nicely. Once you get to the end of the book, the epilogue, I was a little surprised, in a positive sense. It is written a little differently than the other chapters, but wow, it really makes you want to start reading the third book right away. Be sure to take the time to read the author's note as well, it is very sincerely written and gives a lot of insight into the author behind this story (R.L. Davennor, you are doing a great job, writing amazing stories that leave your readers asking for more, remember that and never give up). The biggest drawback for me personally with this book is that I don't really feel a click with any of the characters, even though they are well conceived and fleshed out. But that is something very personal to me as a reader, who needs to feel a connection with the characters.
So if you like such retellings, with a twist, with dark fantasy vibes and LGBTQ+ representation, I definitely recommend checking this series out. Because if what the epilogue promises is yet to come... it's going to be a wild ride, in the best way possible.
I received an advanced copy of this book for review.
jazteen14's review
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
jamiee_96's review
adventurous
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
haaales's review
4.0
This is a dark, new adult story, and a truly WILD ride. It really wraps together Peter Pan & Little Mermaid in a unique way. There’s a ton of action, lore, magic & danger. If you want a sexy, morally grey (on the darker side), fiercely protective, caring but unafraid to be violent, take on Captain Hook? You’ve found it.
I did find myself wishing it was more focused on the Little Mermaid side of the story, and I can tell it’s really more of a continuation of Peter Pan with some Little Mermaid elements. That being said, it’s a STELLAR sequel that dives deeper into the new adult romance genre than the first book did, while still keeping some of the classic charm of fairytales (with a much more diverse cast & LGBTQ rep!)
I did find myself wishing it was more focused on the Little Mermaid side of the story, and I can tell it’s really more of a continuation of Peter Pan with some Little Mermaid elements. That being said, it’s a STELLAR sequel that dives deeper into the new adult romance genre than the first book did, while still keeping some of the classic charm of fairytales (with a much more diverse cast & LGBTQ rep!)
rissreviews_xx's review
4.0
I could not put this book down! I love the characters and the storyline. You will be pulled in from the very first page.
nicoles_reading_corner's review
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
ihavetoomanybooks's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
3.5