So This is Ever After by F.T. Lukens

Title: So This is Ever After

Author: F.T. Lukens

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Series: N/A

Hardcover, 352 pages 

Publication: March 29, 2022 by Margaret K. McElderry Books

Source: I received a review copy in exchange for a honest review.
Buy|Amazon|B&N|

Arek hadn’t thought much about what would happen after he completed the prophecy that said he was destined to save the Kingdom of Ere from its evil ruler. So now that he’s finally managed to (somewhat clumsily) behead the evil king (turns out magical swords yanked from bogs don’t come pre-sharpened), he and his rag-tag group of quest companions are at a bit of a loss for what to do next.

As a temporary safeguard, Arek’s best friend and mage, Matt, convinces him to assume the throne until the true heir can be rescued from her tower. Except that she’s dead. Now Arek is stuck as king, a role that comes with a magical catch: choose a spouse by your eighteenth birthday, or wither away into nothing.

With his eighteenth birthday only three months away, and only Matt in on the secret, Arek embarks on a desperate bid to find a spouse to save his life—starting with his quest companions. But his attempts at wooing his friends go painfully and hilariously wrong…until he discovers that love might have been in front of him all along.

 

MY THOUGHTS

I love the traditional Hero’s Journey. You know,  the one where the hero and his trusted group of friends go on a mission to defeat the villain or fulfill a prophecy. But like most Hero’s Journeys’, after the hero defeats the villain and/or fulfills a prophecy they go home and that’s the last we see of them. Have you ever wonder what happens next to your favorite characters? I sure do. In Luken’s So This is Ever After she answers that precise question.

So This is Ever After is a light-hearted, fun rom-com spin on the traditional Hero’s Journey. Arek and his band of misfits just defeated The Vile One and is now the King of Chickpea (yes, that’s really the name of the Kingdom lol). But within hours of donning on the crown, Arek finds out that there’s a blessing-curse connected to the throne. In order to stay the king, Arek must wed by his 18th birthday or he’ll fade away.

I thought this was a cute and fun quick read. After reading a few sentences I immediately understood the tone of the novel. It’s like a mesh-mash of sci-fi fantasy and gamer lingo with a heavy dose of satires and parodies. I love that despite the dire situation that the character found themselves they were still having fun and always joking around with each other.

This book was pitched with hints of Arthurian legend and D&D vibes but there was nothing Arthurian about it and the D&D reference only got as far as the characters’ naming. And surprisingly there was very little plot and romance, which was a bit disappointing. The entire plot or lack thereof hinged on Arek having a conversation with his best friend Matt. If he simply told Matt how he felt there would be no story. So basically the plot/story is one extremely long miscommunication. In my opinion not a good thing.

Overall So This is Ever After was a fun read. If you’re in the mood for something entertaining and light…pretty much brain candy than this is the perfect book for you. The synopsis made this book sound like it was right up my alley but unfortunately I wanted a little more plot and character development. While it wasn’t my cup of tea, I think there’s still a lot to like about this book and other reader would enjoy it. As always I recommend checking out a snippet or chapter sample.

 

 

[Blog Tour] Beast by Brie Spangler

Title: Beast
Author: Brie Spangler
Genre: Contemporary Fiction 
Series: Standalone

Hardcover, 305 Pages
Publication: October 11, 2016 by Knopf BFR

Source: I received a review copy from the publisher in exchange for a honest review/blog tour.

Buy|Amazon|B&N|

Tall, meaty, muscle-bound, and hairier than most throw rugs, Dylan doesn’t look like your average fifteen-year-old, so, naturally, high school has not been kind to him. To make matters worse, on the day his school bans hats (his preferred camouflage), Dylan goes up on his roof only to fall and wake up in the hospital with a broken leg—and a mandate to attend group therapy for self-harmers.

Dylan vows to say nothing and zones out at therapy—until he meets Jamie. She’s funny, smart, and so stunning, even his womanizing best friend, JP, would be jealous. She’s also the first person to ever call Dylan out on his self-pitying and superficiality. As Jamie’s humanity and wisdom begin to rub off on Dylan, they become more than just friends.

But there is something Dylan doesn’t know about Jamie, something she shared with the group the day he wasn’t listening. Something that shouldn’t change a thing. She is who she’s always been—an amazing photographer and devoted friend, who also happens to be transgender. But will Dylan see it that way?

What initially drew my attention to this book was the beautiful cover, I mean, just look at it! I was even more excited when I heard it was a new twist on Beauty and the Beast, one of my all-time favorite fairy tale. Beast being big and hairy 15-year-old Dylan, who’s beginning his sophomore year in high school and Beauty, a stunning transgender girl name Jamie whom Dylan meets in therapy.

Beast was beautiful as it was heartbreaking. It was an emotional roller-coaster; there were some great happy moments and scary and sad moments. Dylan our protagonist and narrator was known as ‘Beast’ at his school due to his size, almost 7 feet tall and his accelerated hair growth. The school is ruthless in their taunting and even his best friend JP uses the nickname freely and frequently. There is never a moment that goes by that Dylan isn’t reminded of his peculiarity. So one day Dylan thought the solution to his problem was getting injured, so he ‘accidentally’ fell off a roof, which landed him with a broken leg and an order to do group therapy. It was in therapy that he meets Jamie and thus began a relationship between the two. Except at the start of their relationship, Dylan is oblivious to Jamie being transgender and once he learned the truth things gets confusing, complicated and dangerous for them and everyone around them.

Dylan and Jamie were very realistic and relatable characters. Although I never had it as rough as they did in high school, I do know how cruel high school kids can be. All anyone ever wants to do is fit in, be normal and to be accepted but life is never easy or fair. I empathized with both Dylan and Jamie but there were times that I just wanted to shake Dylan for his remissness regarding Jamie and her feelings. Who knew smart people can be so dense? Jami e on the other hand was a breath of fresh air. She was always true to herself and was unapologetic about it. No matter how many times people tried to knock her down her or pretend that she didn’t exist, she never let them affect her…much. Yes, it was hard for Jamie but the bullies never won or had the satisfaction of seeing their words or action affect her.

Spangler’s Beast was thoughtful and well written and I enjoyed it so much more than I expected to. If you’re looking for a unique take on a beloved fairy tale, then I highly recommend reading Beast because you won’t be disappointed. It’s about overcoming physical and social norms and finding love in unexpected places…have a box of tissues ready, because you’re going to need it!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Author/illustrator of children's picture books and YA novels, Brie Spangler loves to draw and write stories and drink massive amounts of caffeine, but not quite Dave Grohl "Fresh Pot!"/require hospitalization levels. Writing down the ideas in her head was scary as a kid, so she turned to making pictures instead. Brie worked as an illustrator for several years before she began to write and immediately became a frothing addict. BEAST is her debut novel

Connect with Brie|Website|Twitter|Goodreads|