Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

A Land of Never After: A Peter Pan Retelling by R.L. Davennor is the first in an exciting new series of adult retelling of classic children's stories and fairy tales. The story revolves around Wendy Maynard, a 16 year-old who has aged out of the orphanage system where she grew up. She embarks on an adventure looking for a ship who will take a girl so that she can sail on the stormy seas. Instead, she meets Peter Pan and enters Neverland, a dark and scary place of monsters and curses. Will Wendy survive the strange wonderland? Will Peter end up an ally or foe? And what other secrets from her past are lying in wait?

Here is an exciting excerpt from when Wendy first meets Peter:

"Uncaring that it almost sent him tumbling from the docks and into the ocean, I shoved against his chest, forcing him to release me.
“How dare—”
“That’s a rather odd way of saying ‘thank you.’”
I got my first real look at him. The boy’s thin and lanky frame didn’t match the strength with which he’d manhandled me. Mousy hair stuck out at odd angles, and his eyes, dark and curious, narrowed as he took me in. His clothes were simple and plain: an olive-green shirt paired with brown breeches and boots that laced up to his knees. A dagger hung sheathed at his side. He was slightly taller than me, but had a much younger-looking face, and the combination somehow felt… off. Having grown up alongside countless other children, I was typically able to nail down an age within seconds, but with my self-proclaimed rescuer, I drew a complete blank. It only became more of a mystery the longer I stared.
Unwilling to apologize, I raised my chin before crossing my arms with a huff. “I needed no saving. I had everything under control.""

Overall, A Land of Never After: A Peter Pan Retelling is a new addition to the many adult fairy tale retellings on the market right now. I was really excited to read this book, because I've read some very good adult retellings over the past year, including The Shadow in the Glass by J.J.A. Harwood and Wendy, Darling by A.C. Wise. While this book had many good points, such as a strong heroine and an exciting and thrilling plot, it didn't live up to my expectations. I took 1 star off, because I wanted to be transported to a new world, but this is not the world that I wanted to go to. I took another star off, because I didn't feel anything for any of the characters. There was a plot, but not much character-building. If you're intrigued by the excerpt above, or if you're a fan of adult fairy tale retellings, you can check out this book when it comes out in October!

This book was a page turner from beginning to end. A twisted version on the fairy tale you know and love. Every one of the characters is still there but in a slightly different capacity and things are definitely not what they seem. Highly recommend. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Thank you NetGalley and Xpresso Book Tours for the opportunity to read and review this title before publishing!

This was a super fun, fast and captivating read. It follows Wendy, an orphan who has recently aged out of the orphanage system, and is looking for a fresh start working on a ship. She finds something very different when a boy named Peter Pan saves her from harm during an altercation with a ship worker. This begins their adventure into the land of never after, where there is a dark curse tearing all of the inhabitants of never land apart.

This was such a fun take on Peter Pan, and unlike any retelling I’ve read before. It’s short, and not huge on worldbuilding, but it jumps right into the action and keeps you on your toes. Wendy is also a very lovable main character, she’s strong and brave and compassionate and good. I didn’t actually have any particular qualms with this book, it just doesn’t quite feel like a 5 star read to me. I do hope to pick up the sequel whenever it comes out for a fast, easy, adventurous read.

I am the biggest fan of fairytale retellings in general, but Peter Pan ones are up there in my top faves. Needless to say I was super excited to have been approved for this one. Unfortunately it wasn’t my cup of tea. It needed work on the plot flow, on the character development, in dialogue, and overall it needs some work and maybe it would be more enjoyable.

I really enjoyed this unique take on Peter Pan and Neverland. All the original characters are there, which makes it exciting when they pop up throughout the story, but this isn't the Pan and Hook you left behind in your childhood. This story is dark as they come (just how I like it) and packed with adventure from start to finish.

I loved Wendy and Peter, but I loved Peter's motivation most in this story. It was so believable and really raised the stakes for his character without overpowering the story with his own backstory. Wendy was a bit annoying, as all teenage protagonists should be, but I really loved her character arc and how she stepped into her identity by the end. The idea that we are more than our blood, we are not only the product of our ancestry and that we are defined by our choices, it's a theme I find timeless and relatable no matter what age you are. And in the Land of Never, timeless traits are necessary.

The world-building was done well but could have been more embellished in certain places. I got a bit confused when Wendy first enters the Land of Never, how she gets there, and where this world is in relation to the town she lived in her entire life. I find it hard to believe she could just run into it, but honestly, that's my worse critique from this story. And its not even a big deal, because in the end I still got very clear vibes about how dark this place was. I loved the Nightstalkers and the other terrifying creatures Davennor created. Also, the concept of taking their life source was very cool and an interesting twist.

The pirates were my absolute favorite part. I loved, loved, loved the backstory of Hook and his family. The connection with Blackbeard and the whole Dragon, Wolf, Serpent, Crow really made this story for me. I could read an entire book solely about the Teach family.

Overall, I would recommend this story to dark fantasy lovers and especially those readers who grew up on Disney. It's a wonderful adult take that lets the reader slip into a familiar place that is completely reimagined and terrifyingly real.

Thank you to NetGalley and Night Muse Press for this ARC, I had a wonderful time reading it!

There have been a plethora of Peter Pan retellings in recent times, and since I love the source material, I have tried to read any that come my way. From the blurb, this one looked like a winner -- a dark retelling with an LGBT twist -- but unfortunately, in my opinion, it missed its mark. First off the positives: the plot idea was interesting, as was the plot twist regarding Wendy's background, and I liked the LGBT take on Peter. It had great potential, but the writing didn't quite live up it. The LGBT plot line was introduced, but then never taken anywhere. There was some character development for Wendy, but nearly everyone else, even Peter, came across as very two-dimensional, and finally, the world building was lacking, with ideas and creatures introduced but never fully explained. This book only ran to 140 pages on my e-reader and I think a greater word count with more world building and character development would have been of benefit. I also think saying it is a story inspired by Peter Pan, rather than calling it a 'retelling', would be a better description. While Neverland and the key characters are present, there was no recognisable Peter Pan story line per se. As I said, the concept was great, but it didn't quite come together for me. I am thus giving this book 2.5 stars. Fans of Peter Pan might want to give it a read for interest, but, for me at least, it doesn't hit the mark the way some other recent retellings have.

A Land of Never After is a dark and twisted retelling of Peter Pan. So far, I've read retellings that fall into one of two categories: one tells the same story but changes the setting (like Snow White in New York City), and the other takes what makes the fairy tale unique and twists it to have the opposite effect. In this case, we have Peter Pan and Wendy, originally childlike and (mostly) innocent and playful, skewed into different, almost monstrous versions of themselves.

I did like how the author adds dark twists to the characters and places. There were moments Peter and Tink sent genuine chills down my spine, and these instances were very subtle and masterfully done. Aside from that, Peter's secret adds a nice twist to his desire to stay young forever, and Neverland takes on a whole new meaning. I especially liked how the book mixed feelings of childhood nostalgia with something darker, more sinister.

I think for me, the weakest aspect of the book was Wendy. In this retelling, she is grudgeful, petulant, and quick to anger, even (or especially) when it makes little sense, storywise. A lot of her actions feel like they are only meant to show how tough and fearless she is, which gets a bit tiring to read. I understand she is supposed to be the opposite of her original character, but bravery without substance or reason made it a bit difficult at times for me to connect with the story from her perspective.

All in all, A Land of Never After was a quick and enjoyable read. Thank you to NetGalley and Night Muse Press for providing me with a free ARC in exchange for an honest review. Check out my Insta @k.e.rosero for more book spotlights, reviews, and recommendations!

P.S. Also, this book has its own soundtrack! It is haunting, mesmerizing, and fits the tone of each chapter. A lot of love went into this project, and I can't wait to find out more.

I thoroughly enjoyed this dark and twisted retelling of Peter Pan. Set in a world where Neverland is full of rotting corpses that walk the Forrest due to a curse on the land. The creativity of the retelling was awesome. Filled with mystery and magic and a twist on our beloved characters, this novel packed a punch and left me reading the novel without any breaks.

Wendy is an orphan who just ages out of the system. She’s on her own and willing to do anything to become a pirate. It’s been her calling. Until she stumbles upon a boy who changes her course from the sea to the Forrest.

Wendy was a great main character. Her youth aided in achieving an overall exceptional character development. The poems and songs within the novel kept me hooked and eager to see what came next. Hook, Tink, and Peter were great secondary characters.

There’s a ton of warnings on this novel but I didn’t read anything that would cause those warnings to be written. I can see young adults reading this novel without qualms. The overall rating would be PG-13 - a little violence, profanity, and dead things lurk in this novel.

I received a copy from Netgalley for review.