cover of A Land of Neverafter by R. L. Davennor

All my life, I’ve dreamed of the sea.

Mermaids, stormy skies, daring adventures, pirates…it was little wonder I sprinted to the docks the moment I left the orphanage. Eager to begin my new life, I searched for a ship that would have me—and found a thief instead. I chased the bastard.

Now I’m trapped.

I’m told this place is Neverland, but everything I touch is dead or dying; what’s left is hellbent on killing each other. Monsters lurk around every corner, and everyone I meet hides a damning secret. I’m thrust in the middle of a deadly feud, and the only one capable of unraveling the curse that plagues us.

Neverland is my home now. Until it’s done with me?

It will never let go.

Peter Pan meets Pirates of the Caribbean in A Land of Never After, but reader beware: this children’s tale has been reimagined for adult lovers of all things dark and deadly, with an LGBTQ+ positive twist. Content warnings include language, violence, and mentions of gender dysphoria and suicide.

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My Review of A Land of Neverafter

This was very much up my book ally. I love pretty much anything fairy tales, and this definitely checked that box. Neverland is a forest world that seems to be part of the regular world but also in a realm of its own. I’m not exactly sure how the geography worked, but I also don’t really care because the world of Neverland was too cool. And dark—definitely dark. Twisty and creepy and not the fun place from the Disney movie, that’s for sure.

I especially appreciated the interesting takes on the characters of Peter Pan. Wendy, Peter, and Tink were recognizable as the characters after which they were portrayed, but they were made new and different. I followed their arcs with interest. Hook was also a very neat twist that I won’t spoil. And I’m still trying to figure out if Hook’s sister was somehow supposed to represent Tiger Lily. This had the kind of fantasy world that feels bigger than the page, the kind I could explore for days. The only thing I wanted more of was, well, pages. The beginning and end were paced very well, but things felt too fast in the middle—people met and revealed secrets so quickly that all the team-forming and allegiance-switching happened in a flash. I would have loved some more of Wendy exploring Neverland, hunting for clues, and putting puzzle pieces together.

All in all, definitely recommend. The content warnings felt unnecessary for my violence tolerance level once I got into the story, but they don’t lie. There are some graphic depictions. I’d say they aren’t too bad, but everyone’s different. I recommend giving this a try and proceeding with caution if you think it wise.

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