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A review by ellasayn
The Ballad of Never After by Stephanie Garber
adventurous
challenging
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
It breaks my heart to score this book so low, but I cannot give it any higher.
This book truly left me so angry just with the entire thing.
Let's start at the beginning. Evangeline is not a hair better in this one. It feels like she's on a loop. 'Oh Apollo gotta save Apollo, Can't trust Jacks no, no he is a bad, bad boy! What does the arc hold?' And 'Oh no, I can't be jealous, liking him? Oh, no!' And that on a loop for like the whole book pretty much. However, I can live with that and if it wasn't for all this other stuff it would have been a 4,5!
Evangeline has horrible friends/ allies. Not just Jacks! First Jacks does what Jacks does, but that's expected! Then Lala goes and curses her as well putting her own life at mayor risk. At the end Apollo also hits her with a fun curse, cause why not right?
Luc, why are you even here really? That's how I feel about a bunch of scenes. Cut them out and it changes basically nothing. I have to admit that second half of the book was really raising my hopes. I thought we were finally getting to the good parts. But I have to admit I don't understand Evangeline's obsession with Apollo. She doesn't know this man at all. She has only known him while he's under spells.
Now going to that big ending that ruined it for me. First we have the whole Jacks wanting to go back in time part? WTF okay Stephanie throw time travel trope at my head sure why not? For him to go back for literally no reason. If he did a little thinking he would know nothing would change. He doesn't like Tella like that, and she doesn't like him like that. I do have to say even if it was obvious as hell him being the Archer was a nice extra bit.
Then she just straight up dies cause fuck Castor. Again going back to the shit allies part. So Jacks sacrifices his whole goal of these two books to follow them and then just get brushed aside pretty much? Implying he may have died but of course not mans is immortal he's fine. So Evangeline again thinking 'oh true love saves everything!' goes back like an idiot. But oh no Apollo is here so lemme listen to this nut job first, and oh would you look at that! You get hit with Amnesia trope! How fun! And THE END.
Excuses you? This book is worse than the ending of the last book. Not to mention I absolutely loathe amnesia tropes. Like this runs deeper than hate. Stephanie you had all the building blocks to make this story great! You already had the great set up character from your previous stories all you had to do was make an interesting love story, not throw everything you can at us and make it a damn soap opera. This is too much going on!
I will read the last book 'cause now I just need to know. However, I have already heard some not great things, so my hopes are on the floor.
This book truly left me so angry just with the entire thing.
Evangeline has horrible friends/ allies. Not just Jacks! First Jacks does what Jacks does, but that's expected! Then Lala goes and curses her as well putting her own life at mayor risk. At the end Apollo also hits her with a fun curse, cause why not right?
Luc, why are you even here really? That's how I feel about a bunch of scenes. Cut them out and it changes basically nothing. I have to admit that second half of the book was really raising my hopes. I thought we were finally getting to the good parts. But I have to admit I don't understand Evangeline's obsession with Apollo. She doesn't know this man at all. She has only known him while he's under spells.
Now going to that big ending that ruined it for me. First we have the whole Jacks wanting to go back in time part? WTF okay Stephanie throw time travel trope at my head sure why not? For him to go back for literally no reason. If he did a little thinking he would know nothing would change. He doesn't like Tella like that, and she doesn't like him like that. I do have to say even if it was obvious as hell him being the Archer was a nice extra bit.
Then she just straight up dies cause fuck Castor. Again going back to the shit allies part. So Jacks sacrifices his whole goal of these two books to follow them and then just get brushed aside pretty much? Implying he may have died but of course not mans is immortal he's fine. So Evangeline again thinking 'oh true love saves everything!' goes back like an idiot. But oh no Apollo is here so lemme listen to this nut job first, and oh would you look at that! You get hit with Amnesia trope! How fun! And THE END.
Excuses you? This book is worse than the ending of the last book. Not to mention I absolutely loathe amnesia tropes. Like this runs deeper than hate. Stephanie you had all the building blocks to make this story great! You already had the great set up character from your previous stories all you had to do was make an interesting love story, not throw everything you can at us and make it a damn soap opera. This is too much going on!
I will read the last book 'cause now I just need to know. However, I have already heard some not great things, so my hopes are on the floor.