Reviews with content warning for Toxic relationship - The Ballad Of Never After

This was a fantastic read and fantastic sequel.

I will say, the end absolutely stressed me out and makes me worry that book 3 will not be as good because the last chapter of this one introduces some tropes that I don't love. My problems were that, I guess we're not really shown much what Apollo's true self is like up to this point, but having him do what he does to Evangeline is awful, and we're given no context as to how he has power to take memories? Aside from that and a few moments when all the ancient side stories were a bit hard to follow, this installment does not disappoint. There were multiple times that I audibly gasped or exclaimed while reading, both during plot twists and momentary Jacks x Evangeline moments. It is freshly surprising and worth every bit of your time. I'm not even sure how to give it the praise it deserves.

I give Rebecca Soler's performance 4.5/5⭐️. See book one's review for explanation.

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ashleybw21's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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jessversteeg's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

I enjoyed this book better than the first! The story becomes more compelling and the magic/world feels is reminiscent of the enchantments of Harry Potter

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boba_nbooks's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad fast-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

5.0

Spice Rating: 🫑 / 5 🌶️

I *almost* never write a review directly after finishing a book, but with The Ballad of Never After, I just have to get my thoughts out NOW.

After being betrayed by Jacks, Evangeline finds that her trust in him is broken yet again. But in order to rid herself of yet another curse, she finds it necessary to work with Jacks. Again. Evangeline wants to despise him after all of Jacks's betrayals, but something inside is telling her that Jacks might be the only person she can trust after all.

Jacks's and Evangeline's love story has been cursed from the start, but that doesn't keep Evangeline, and readers, from hoping their story has a different ending. Even though I knew the entire time that Jacks had already found his one true love in Donatella (yet again so glad I read the Caraval trilogy first), I found myself hoping along with Evangeline that there might be some back door to the curse of Jacks's deadly kisses.

The ending fake-out was CRUEL, Stephanie!! (I think we're on a first-name basis after that cliffhanger.) I loved seeing the differences between the two times the arch was opened. The line, "There is nothing of equal value to me," has ruined me. Jacks never truly loved Donatella, and that is seen in the selfishness behind his actions in the Caraval series. But no one can say Jacks doesn't love Evangeline--this is a selfless act if I've ever seen one.

Anyone reading this novel should have the next one, A Curse for True Love, at the ready because that cliffhanger is BRUTAL.

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alaskachan's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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klsreads's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

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bunky_jones's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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teabrewer's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

Most of the book was mediocre and cliché (not like the previous book where tropes are used to inhence the story but in the lazy sense, like the fourth season of a tv show that should have ended already.) Some scenes were good and some dialogue lines get my attention but generally I just kept asking myself why Jacks personality was so inconsistent and

why every character just ignored that Evangeline was cheating on her husband.

From the middle to the end the writting started to improve but just at the very end that I actually felt like I wanted to read this book. But I did love the end.

I tend to not like stories where vampires are too predominant but in this book I understand their role and why they were nescessary. I loved the detail of the chapter numbers repeating after Jacks went back in time, the little moment where Evangeline explained normal communication to Jack and the revelation of what was in the other side of the arch. The very final scene was amazingly written, horrifyingly symbolic, I loved it.

To be transparent, I'm reading the next book mostly because the cover is beautiful and I did really like the first one.
Ps:

I didn't like what the author did with Luc in this book. He is absent of any motivation, personality or brain cells, and not like a classic himbo, but like the most offesive definition of a non-character.

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