Unfortunately I have DNF'd this one - but I may come back to it again. I was really excited to read this and I enjoyed the beginning of the book but once the FMC got to the school I felt like there were so many elements pulled from other fandoms that I couldn't get past feeling like it was a multi-fandom fanfic. I also felt the FMC was rather juvenile for having been so independent in her life - she didn't act like a 29 year old. I think many readers will enjoy this but unfortunately it just wasn't for me. Though I thought the gag curse was hilarious - that was a great addition!!

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

As a preface - I ended up not finishing this book fully.

I feel like this book was perhaps marketed wrong, I went into it with the expectation that this was going to be written more as an adult fantasy but the writing was more YA.

From the 40% of the book that I did read I can tell you that this book was very unserious and written too childishly for me.

The start was promising and I did like the MC, but I felt like her behaviour was just plain weird at times. Her maturity was sitting at that of a 15 year old at best. There was also a swearing ban which was funny at first but the replacement words were used so often it quickly became annoying.

I was promised Student x Teacher, thinking it would be more of a mature read as the MC was older but in reality they barely interacted.. and when they did I just didn't feel any chemistry.

Ultimately I'm disappointed by Neverthorn, I tried multiple times to finish this book but I know when to accept a book is not for me.

Many readers will love this book, it just wasn't for me.

Thank you for the e-ARC.

I’m always sold by an animal companion so firstly loved that. I loved the setting - Neverthorn Academy was such an atmospheric backdrop with dark academia vibes - and the magic system was really interesting. Pacing was good overall, although it did lag a bit for me after the halfway mark but did pick back up again.

I liked the premise of a student returning to the academy later in life and was very excited about having an older fmc but I did struggle with believing she was 29 and reconciling that with her actions, some of which just didn’t make sense to me which did hamper my enjoyment a bit. I almost wish it was YA as it could have made it a 5 star read.

Overall though, I really enjoyed this one and would recommend!

Firstly a huge thank you to Penguin Michael Joseph, Shannon Mayer and NetGalley for the opportunity to be an early reader and reviewer of Neverthorn.

I enjoyed reading Neverthorn, but there were elements that fell flat for me so this is a bit of a mixed review.

Firstly, I really enjoyed the setting, dark or gothic academia is always a big win with me and I loved Neverthorn Academy as the setting. Talking animal sidekick? Spot on, Bandit was excellent and I loved him! The 'no swearing' rune was a funny addition to start with and I liked the school and the world building around this. I liked that Harlow had already attended the academy once as well and was back attending at an older age.

For me the main things I struggled with was the FMC Harlow, who despite being 29, acted quite immaturely and more like a teenager than an adult, and I really struggled to connect with her. The pacing slowed down after the 50% mark and I started to lose interest in the storyline itself and the slow burn / love triangle element didn't really seem to go anywhere.

I can definitely see how this will be a hit with other readers, it just wasn't for me.

I was really excited about this one as I do love magic schools.
The FMC, Harlow, is 29 and is being sent back to magic school with a few other people in order to find out which of them is the chosen one, basically. She is snarky but fiercely protective and loyal to those she loves and considers family. I really like Harlow as an FMC.
The magic schools itself didn’t really feel fleshed out to me. I understand that they are going back as adults, so they're not in the same classes as the other students, but there didn't seem to be much structure even though they were being treated like children.
The main villain as well came across as very 2 dimensional, but we didn't actually get to see much of him.
I think I'll definitely check out the next one as this series does have potential.

This was a fun read. Honestly, going back to school would be my worst nightmare so I felt for Harlow.

I liked the group dynamics and friendships. I wanted more of these characters because sometimes they felt like they write just there, with similar personalities to each other, except the older lady in the group (Phyllis?!) We even had a talking racoon but even that fell short as the story had too many branches.

The love interest was slow burn/ enemies to lovers. I liked their relationship and wanted more.

At points there felt like too much was going on and there are so many unanswered questions for the next book. I would have liked more of a focus on the main storyline, rather than the tournament and school events. Some of them were soooo long.

Overall, a fun book but too much was going on/ unnecessary

This book mixes a lot of fantasy subgenres together to create a unique universe.

We follow Harlow, a 29-year-old who is forced to return as a student to the magic school she dropped out when she was a teen to stop an evil magic wielder from destroying the world. There she is sorted into a House with other returnees and attends magic and sparring lessons. All under the watchful gaze of Typhon, her former classmate and nemesis. But does Neverthorn Academy hide a darker secret?

I enjoyed this introduction to a new universe. I always find an older FMC more interesting, and the author has build up a great cast of secondary characters, including a talking racoon! I'm hoping the dark academia overtones will intensify in book 2 and that we will learn more of the secrets of this world.

Thank you to NetGalley and Michael Joseph for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

🌹 Dark Academia
✨ Hidden Identity
🌹 “Chosen One”
✨ Slow Burn
🌹 Student x Teacher
✨Magic School Drop Out

I really feel like this book had so much potential! A nearly 30 year old magic school drop out turned thief who is forced to become ‘The Chosen One’. Yes please. I love an underdog! The premise sounded like so much fun and Neverthorn started out pretty strong but after the 40% mark it just wasn’t quite there for me unfortunately.

I have to admit that this does seem to be aimed more at the younger audience instead of the book for adults that I went in thinking it would be. Which isn’t a bad thing necessarily, especially if that is what you are looking for! The FMC does act more like a teenager than the nearly 30 year old she is meant to be. Although I did love her sass! She is a fiery character who is extremely protective of those she cares about and I loved that.

I think maybe the humour wasn’t quite the right fit for me. Little things like the ‘Cursing Gag Rune’ that was placed on all the students. I fear the funny side to reading ‘Sheets’, ‘Asterisks’ and ‘Frucks’ lost its appeal pretty quick for me.

I was intrigued by the love interests, Mr Tall Dark and Handsome, Typhon who we are only just getting to scratch the surface of his backstory. And then there’s Liam who has secrets of his own but is all too happy to help at any opportunity. This is for sure a slow burn. Without too much burn but I can see that changing in the next books.

I will forever be weak for a good Found Family, and this book delivers. I feel like we are only just beginning to learn about each character and their bonds. It would be interesting to see what tests they face next.

And the magic? Definitely this books strong suit. The action scenes and the duels held my attention completely. These characters really have to fight to succeed, one thing they aren’t is all powerful instantly.

The plot twists while lacking any real shock factor were definitely still interesting! If you are looking for something fun without any real high stakes or incredibly intricate plot then this really could be a super fun read. You will have a good time reading this for sure, I definitely enjoyed myself even if it wasn’t quite for me.

I wish I could say I loved it but unfortunately it just wasn’t for me, I pushed through after the first 40% but I hope that there are readers who had the exact opposite experience while reading. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book.

This book started off so strong and had me completely hooked for the first 50% but I struggled just after that to feel fully invested in the story again until the 75% mark were I completely devoured it.

Harlow is a great main character, fiery, bold and straight talking, who is fiercely loyal to her people. I know she is meant to be 29 in this but she felt younger to me. I loved the found family Harlow develop in her time at Neverthorn. They are such a chaotic but wonderful team.

Romance definitely felt more of a sub plot, described as a slow burn but it felt like it basically came out of no where. The mystery drove the book for me and I’m so intrigued to see what happens in the story in the next book! The twist at the end I did not see coming!

I have unforntately decided to stop reading this book at 18% in the 6th chapter. I loved the concept of this story, magical academy romances are my favourite but I had a few issues with this story. Harlow is supposed to be 29 but she acts like a teenager, it was hard to read. I also found the fact she was so much older than the other students strange. I understand her and her class have all been called back to the school but it just was a bit weird to me that they were going to school with teenagers. I think either the academy could have been university age or Harlow could have been made a couple of years younger. Although I do appreciate if I had read further, why these choices were made by the author may have clicked and made sense. I really wanted to like this book, I just don't think I can read a book about a 29 year old with a teenagers attitude.

Unfortunately this wasn’t for me & i’m sad about that as I was really looking forward to this & was absolutely buzzing I was approved for an arc.

However, I just couldn’t connect with characters and really struggled with the pacing.

I do believe this will a favourite for many and will be well loved book, as there is 100% potential, but personally it wasn’t a fit for me.

I am not sure how I feel about this book. It started with a band with immediate action and had me gripped, but there was not much introduction of the characters at the beginning and that felt really odd - I didn’t care enough about them. The premise of the book was fascinating to me and it was a highly anticipated read, but at points during the narrative it felt like the author was using a check list from every school focused book. The main love interest was also her teacher and whilst she is an older pupil and age appropriate it still felt a little icky that their relationship was developing like it was, the power dynamic between the pair was all in his favour and I did not find the balance between them. There were some characters that were completely surplus to the plot and it was hard to keep track. I felt the ending was a bit anti climatic and I am not sure where the next book will go. I think I am intrigued enough to read the next in the series, however, it won’t be a priority and I hope the next book has more even pacing. I received an eArc from Netgalley for an honest review.

3.5 stars.

The beginning of this book had me gripped.
With a unique sense of magic, a kick a** fmc and a villain to be slain, i loved the idea of this.

However, I did feel as though once they got to Neverthorn, things started to slow down for the middle part of this one.

The romance element for me wasn't there either - something is blossoming for sure, but I can't seem to encapsulate why? One minute, she hates him, and then that all seems forgotten, and he's sexy and broody, and there's a spark...
I'm also not sure how I feel about the love triangle element that seems to be creeping in.

Despite these elements, I really liked Harlow and the rest of the House of Phoenix, and I can't wait to see whats next for them on their journey.

If you were a child, when Harry Potter came out and had been patiently waiting for your acceptance to Hogwarts, you are going to love this book!

Thank you to the publisher for allowing me to read an advance copy of this book via Netgalley.

This book was one of my most anticipated reads of 2025. I have been a huge fan of Shannon Mayer's works for years (especially the Honey & Ice series). It is a dark academia/romantasy book. When I first read the synopsis it felt like it was emulating Nevermore Academy from the Wednesday Netflix series. I also got Umbrella Academy vibes from the way each person had their own special powers.

Harlow, our FMC, is a previous Neverthorn dropout and returns as a (I think 30 year old?) adult. The "chosen one" trope is quite apparent in this, and sort of gave me Harry Potter vibes. There is an element of jaded MC and found family - which I really loved.

I really enjoyed the dynamic between Harlow and her love interest.. Their romance had some good sexual tension and a hint at slow burn. I didn't realise at the time of reading, but this is actually going to be a series, so it makes sense that the romance and slow burn may build in tension in later books.

I do think the pacing was quite slow at times, and I wanted MORE romance, more slow burn. But I think this book is more catered to YA. I really liked the unique magic system, and overall I rated it 4 stars and would most likely read the next book in the series.

Neverthorn is a fast-paced and engaging read that delivers all the best elements of dark academia with a fresh twist. I loved the older protagonist — at 29, Harlow brings a grounded, self-aware perspective that sets this apart from the usual magical school fantasy. Being dragged back to a place she thought she left behind, Harlow is messy, stubborn, and easy to root for.

The magic system, built around runes and enchanted objects, was simple but effective, and the world-building struck a great balance between familiar fantasy tropes and original ideas. The pacing kept me turning pages, and the layers of mystery, magical politics, and personal stakes made the story feel rich without being overwhelming.

The romance did feel a little clunky — more "tell" than "show" at times — but I still enjoyed the dynamic between Harlow and her love interest. It added tension without overtaking the main plot.

With strong found family vibes, clever twists, and a cliffhanger that definitely left me wanting more, Neverthorn is a solid start to what promises to be a compelling series. I’ll be watching closely for book two!

I had a great time reading this book. It was fast paced, the world was easily understood and I enjoyed the romantic slow burn going on.

I loved that everyone had magic but that most people had a ‘quirk’ which was an extra power they specialised in. Learning about everyone trying to find theirs and what they were was really interesting and I was super invested.

I liked the Professor X Student dynamic between Typhon and Harlow, I enjoyed the slow burn but it didn’t really amount to much which left me feeling a bit disappointed. I expect it to maybe continue in the next book? I hope so.

I also enjoyed the element of mental health awareness in this book. The FMC has panic attacks and regularly uses grounding techniques to calm herself down which I appreciated being included.

There were a few things I found a bit frustrating so I toyed with either a low 4 star or high 3 stars.
Firstly, Harlow is in her early 30’s (I think? Certainly older than the others) yet she spoke and acted for most of the book like a teenager which I found just didn’t feel right.
As well as this, the school they go to has a swearing gag in place which meant that any words they said aloud would change (asterisk and sheet for example) automatically. I get why that’s there and it’s funny to begin with but the swearing was changed even when Harlow was just thinking which was so distracting. I would be really consumed by the storyline and suddenly “asterisk” and it would pull me out of the story.

My last gripe with the book is just the unanswered questions.
There needs to be some, otherwise it wouldn’t be a series. However, it felt like there were some that should have been answered in this book and it felt rushed to not include them.

Overall, this is a really fast paced, exciting read and I did enjoy myself. It reads like a YA and so if you like YA harry potter vibes specifically this will absolutely be for you.

The first half of this was everything I knew I was going to love, a magical school, a jaded heroine and the promise of a LOT of sexual tension. The second half of the book didn’t quite deliver on what I expected. There was plenty of action though and Harlow and Opie’s relationship development is very interesting.

Neverthorn was a fun ride with a lot of heart and some really intriguing setup for the rest of the series.

The worldbuilding was one of the highlights for me - Neverthorn Academy and the larger magical system had real depth, with layers of magical politics, history, and secrets that kept me curious the whole way through. There’s definitely more to explore in future books, and I’ll be picking them up to get those answers.

Harlow, our magic school dropout and reluctant Chosen One, was a refreshing change of pace as a nearly-30 heroine. I loved seeing an older female lead in a genre that’s often packed with teens. That said, there were times when her behaviour felt more high school than adult, and it occasionally pulled me out of the story. Still, I appreciated that she wasn’t perfect and had a lot of growth to work through.

Her bond with Opie and the rest of the classmates gave the book a solid found family vibe that I really enjoyed. And of course, Bandit the raccoon completely stole the show - funny, chaotic, and just plain adorable.

A couple things didn’t quite hit for me:
- The swearing ban throughout the book was more distracting than charming. It felt like it was trying to be quirky but instead just made me wonder who the target audience was.
- Minimal romance, which isn’t a bad thing, but there were certain scenes that were super anticlimactic and the vibes definitely hinted at some slow-burn or potential love triangle in future instalments - so I’m holding out hope.

All in all, this was a promising start to a new fantasy series with strong magic academy and dark academia vibes. It wasn’t perfect, but it was entertaining, mysterious, and left me wanting more - especially answers to some of the big plot questions still lingering.

Will I be reading the sequel? 100% yes.

Thank you to the author and publisher for the ARC 🖤

I loved Neverthorn….this is book 1 in the Of Quirks and Curses series.

I had only read two chapters before I jumped to Waterstones and pre ordered their special edition.

Harlow Daygon had previously attended Neverthorn as a 16 year old but left suddenly after the death of her mother and being hurt by Typhon Moreno.

Since leaving Neverthorn she has lived as a thief and learned to create and use her own runes, which she couldn’t master while at Neverthorn.

Now she is 29 and being forced to re-enrol by Typhon after being told they had already enrolled her sister Ophelia (Opie), who was abandoned by her family for not having magic. If she enrols and helps them defeat Nocta, they will ensure Opie is safe.

I love the Harry Potter vibes, with how they are placed into the different houses.

We have Witches, Wizards, Dims (non magical humans) and one of my favourite characters, Bandit, a talking raccoon.

After the ending, I can’t wait for book 2.