Peasreads: Tideborn by Eliza Chan

Even better than the first. Oh, I missed Kai and wasn't sure how this book would be without him. I still missed him. Turns out Nami and Mira grew, and their characters gained more depth. After Kai's sacrifice, the city is torn. Between those born with gills and those who had gills bestowed on them, whether they liked it or not. With fanatics on both sides tearing the city apart, to the Titan Sea god on his way to avenge his beloved, Tiankawi might not survive. Nami and Mira split up, working towards the same goal. Unity and safety. What a great adventure.

Peasreads- For Ever More Sue Lynn Tan

 

What a great conclusion to Never Ever After. Yining is back home. She is settling in with her family and her people. She is learning the customs and traditions of her people. It is a world that is so unlike the Iron Mountains that she grew up in. While she is settling in, she juggles her feelings and her vow to Jin to help him save his people and his land. And then there's Prince Zixin. Both these male characters are complex. Jin is noble in his quest to save his land; no one can fault him for that. Yining still struggles with trusting him after he made her make the vow to help him. The Prince is ready to fight his sister back for the Kingdom that is rightfully his. Could his story be a redemption arc? After all he did?  Has he learned from the past? Can a person really change? 

Is this a fantasy with romance? Or a romantasy? I can't really say. I do know that I loved the story. I  loved the setting. I loved this conclusion. 

 In For Ever After, this epic fantasy finds Yining on the run and fighting to save her family and her kingdom. 

Order now and receive the SPECIAL FIRST EDITION while supplies last—featuring a designed case cover under the jacket and illustrated endpapers, in addition to shiny foil and embossing. This must-have special edition is only available in the limited first printing.

After the explosive events of Never Ever After, Yining flees the Iron Mountains with her unlikely allies, seeking the truth about her newfound powers amid the secrets surrounding her ancestral home. But with a traitorous queen ruling the Three Kingdoms from a stolen throne, nowhere is truly safe, and Yining must decide whom to trust to keep her family—and her heart—from harm.

Praise for Never Ever After:

“Rich and layered and deliciously transportive.” —Renée Ahdieh, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Wrath & the Dawn

“Tan has crafted a jewel of a fairy-tale retelling and each prism is lustrous with sinister wonder.” —Roshani Chokshi, New York Times bestselling author of the Gilded Wolves Trilogy

“A lush and effervescent, masterfully crafted fantasy.” —Elizabeth Lim, New York Times bestselling author of Six Crimson Cranes

“I absolutely adored it and cannot wait for the sequel!” —Allison Saft, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Wings of Starlight

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I received this egalley from NetGalley and Little, Brown Books for Young Readers., and Hatchette book group. I was under no obligation to give a review. All opinions are my own. 

Peasreads- Never Ever After by Sue Lynn Tan

Sue Lynn Tan is, admittedly,  a must-read author for me. Never Ever After is a reimagining of Cinderella with the beautiful fantasy writing that Sue Lynn is so good at. I  enjoyed the story and the strong characters in this book. Yining is a strong female character who is looking for a better life, an escape from the land and kingdom that took her beloved family from her.  The are two other main characters, one is the prince of the kingdom of which she wants to escape. The other is an advisor from a rival kingdom. Both of these characters have a mystery and danger to them. The story progresses and unfolds with good pacing. The ending is not as much of a cliffhanger, though this is the first in a series. I was thankful for that. I can't wait to continue this story and see more of it unfold in the next books. 

Pub Date Oct 28 2025 |

Description

Not all fairy tales end happily ever after in this powerful and fierce reimagining of Cinderella by the bestselling author of Daughter of the Moon Goddess—for fans of Renée Ahdieh, Tahereh Mafi, and Stephanie Garber.

Order now and receive the SPECIAL FIRST EDITION while supplies last—featuring a designed case cover under the jacket and illustrated endpapers, in addition to shiny foil and embossing. This must-have special edition is only available in a limited first printing.

Life in the Iron Mountains is harsh and unforgiving. After the death of her beloved uncle, Yining has survived by becoming a skilled thief and an even better liar. When she acquires an enchanted ring that holds the key to a brighter future, it is stolen by her step-aunt, and Yining must venture into the imperial heart of the kingdom to seize it back.

 

Amid the grandeur of the palace, Yining catches the eye of the ruthless and ambitious prince, who tempts her with a world she’s never imagined. But nothing is as it seems, for she’s soon trapped in a tangle of power, treachery, and greed—her only ally the cunning advisor from a rival court who keeps dangerous secrets of his own. To break free, she must unravel the mystery of her past and fight for a future that both frightens and calls to her.

Never Ever After is the first in a breathtaking new fantasy romance series influenced by Chinese fairy tales from the acclaimed author of Daughter of the Moon Goddess.

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I received this egalley from NetGalley and Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. I was under no obligation to give a review. All opinions are my own. 

Peasreads- Pick a Color by Souvankham Thammavongsa

This is a slice-of-life book about a Lao salon owner (or possibly Thai, the author doesn't specify and the names can be either Thai or Lao).

It gives insight on how service workers are overlooked, undervalued, and often times invisible. It also gives us a look into how the salon workers go about their day. The challenges they face. Ning is the owner of the salon. She is a former boxer but doesn't want anyone to know about her past or about her life. She is the narrator.

Entertaining and insightful this is a quick read.

Thank you to @netgalley and @souvankhamthammavongs and Little Brown Books for this egalley. I was under no obligation to leave a review all opinions are my own

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