I loved this!!!! It was one of the best sequels I have ever read!!! All the character arcs were nicely done and everyone got what they deserved. I loved how I could easily jump back into the Unseelie world and how easy it was for me to remember the characters. Highly Recommend!!

Funny story:

I started reading the e-arc for UNENDING by Ivelisse Housman and I was really lost.🤔 Since it had been 3 years since I had read UNSEELY, the first in the duology, I went back and did a quick re-read. Well, turns out I had somehow started reading UNENDING in the middle of the e-ARC…duh…no wonder I was so confused. This is one reason I like physical books.

Anyway…I’m still glad I did the re-read because it made the 2nd book so much better!
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Now is the perfect time for you to read or re-read UNSEELIE about a changeling with autism coming into her magic and her adventures with her roguish twin.

The duology concludes with UNENDING
Did I mention TWO slow burn romances - one sapphic?

Thank you to Quill Tree for access to the e-ARC on NetGalley.

I’ve been waiting to read Unending for three years, and now that I finally have, I was more than impressed by the second half of this autistic fairy changeling story. With high stakes, fleshed out characters, and great neurodiverse rep, this was a fantastic conclusion to Seelie and Isolde’s story.

Like the first book, we’re following twin sisters, Seelie, an autistic changeling, and Isolde, a thief. Several months have passed and now it’s time for the winter solstice celebration. They, along with Raze and Olani, are planning to leave Leira’s castle with the last firedrake in the world, but when things go horribly wrong and all realms are on the brink of collapse, the sisters and their friends have to risk everything and dig deeper into their identities as they dive further into the fairy world’s complex structure.

As I said with Unseelie, what attracted me initially to these books was the autistic protagonist, Seelie, especially when autistic rep for protagonists is still uncommon in books. This time, we have ADHD rep from another character, leaning in from a reveal late in Unseelie. The experience was conveyed well and very relatable to me at least, and I love how the character’s interior thoughts and actions further convey this, along with them reflecting on this.

This book has three POVs, with Isolde having her own chapters along with Seelie, the two siblings sharing equal POV time, and a handful of chapters with a third POV character introduced late in Unseelie.

Once again, Seelie was my favorite, as she’s dealing with her magic which has some new twists due to some events in Unseelie and said magic makes everything worse. She has to deal with her emotions with all the trouble she caused as well as wonder if she can indeed fix it and holding in a bunch of secrets. It’s clear that she’s in a lot of turmoil over this and add some familiar faces to the mix, it’s not exactly a good time for Seelie as she has a lot of emotions to process.

I was quite surprised to how much I loved Isolde, mostly because she has her own POV now, and has to deal with no longer being Seelie’s “protector” (much like how many siblings of autistics feel like they have to watch over them) and has to find her new role, as well as dealing with her feelings for Olani as well as discovering another aspect of herself. She spends much of the book having to deal with all three while trying to keep herself grounded.

The rest of the cast was also fleshed out well. Aris goes through a lot of character development and I was almost attached to her by the end. Raze and Olani go through quite a bit as well. The rest of the cast was fun and fleshed out and filled out this great story.

While sisterhood remains the primary pillar of the story, there’s a bigger focus on the romance in this book, with Seelie/Raze and Isolde/Olani being the two main pairings, continuing from rivals to blossoming romantic feelings in the first book. What impressed me the most was how the feelings conveyed were filtered through the neurodiverse lens, which I felt was somewhat relatable in terms of dealing with others, like how Seelie needs to process everything as she dives in fully into everything and knows that can be an issue and many autistics have said the same about their romances. The romances do have some tension, but is mainly in the cute slow burn category. No spice.

The world is very fleshed out, taking a lot from traditional fairy lore, but in a way that newcomers would come to understand it. There’s a very fairy tale feel to the world. Thanks to the descriptive and immersive prose, I felt like I was in these various realms and experiencing things with the sisters. It’s paced well, mixed with some action and plenty of time for emotional processing and bonding. There were a few twists, partly with the changeling myth that was touched in book 1, but expanded here. For those unfamiliar, Seelie is a twist on the autistic changeling myth more commonly spread in the 20th century, and it’s done rather well.

I highly recommended if you’re looking for neurodiverse protagonists in a fairy fantasy adventure story with sibling dynamics and strong romance subplot, and I’ll be looking out for more of Housman’s works if they’re just as impactful as these two books!

I definitely should have reread the first book it’s been forever since the first one came out so I was super excited for the sequel and it didn’t disappoint. I still love Raze and Seelie they are both very precious and seelie and Isolde’s relationship is very cute. I also love. Truly evil faerie take and when faeries act like faeries so I was glad with Glossmers change and remaining unchanged as well despite being trapped in Seelie. Over it’s a fun little faerie adventure with apt autism rep. I definitely relate a lot to Seelie I should prop get tested.

This is the kind of dragon content we need more of in 2025...dragons that are basically cats with the attitudes of toddlers.

Unending is the second and final book in the Unseelie duology, and for all of you readers who have been waiting since the release of book 1, I promise it's 100% worth it. I still think this reads on the younger side of YA - though the dark themes continue in this one - but that doesn't make it any less impactful. Full of queer and neurodivergent representation, this duology is totally worth the read for anyone looking to introduce themselves to, reacquaint with, or simply continue exploring the fantasy genre.

Seelie and Isolde are now in the custody of Leira Wildfall due to Seelie's bond with Egg the Dragon, but they don't intend to obey her wishes for long. After an escape attempt goes wrong, leaving the realms shattered and a dangerous villain on the loose, Seelie, Isolde, and their friends must embark on an adventure to save the mortal world as they know it. Like book one, the pacing is quite quick, although the chapters are divided into both Seelie and Isolde's POVs, which becomes more important in the second half. There was plenty of action, mixed with more cozy vibes and found family bonding. Isolde's chapters tended to have more suspense in the last 50%, but both sets of POVs were intriguing and kept me invested. The ending is satisfying, if a bit predictable, but I still enjoyed it. I think I might have enjoyed book one just the slightest bit more, although that may change on a reread. Some parts of this just didn't feel as high-stakes as I was expecting, and the pacing felt a bit off toward the end. Regardless, it's a worthwhile read for fantasy lovers of all kinds.

My wish was granted: we got an Isolde POV. I loved Seelie's growth in this book as she both came into her powers and her identity. Her dynamics with Raze were so sweet and tender, and she's such a fierce yet soft character that is easy to relate to for plenty of readers. Isolde's chapters were interesting because we hadn't seen inside her mind in book one. Her love for her sister shines through, as well as the compassion she hides behind her dark exterior. I liked the dynamics between Olani and Isolde; they meshed well together, and I thought the themes of truth and trust fit well in the context of the story. I really appreciate how the relationship between Seelie and Raze progressed (it's slow, but that makes it even better). The only character that didn't 100% fit for me was Aris, but it's because I pictured her as, like, a 30-year-old woman and couldn't picture her as 16... Otherwise, I liked Gossmer's backstory, and I just wish we got to see a bit more of Leira.

Fans of Unseelie will not want to miss its sequel, Unending, as it concludes the duology with a mix of heartwarming and heartbreaking moments.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the free e-ARC!

3.75/5

I requested this arc based on the cover, not knowing it was the second half a duology, but at no point in the story did I feel lost. While the book dived right into the action — and never really let up — the characters were so well established that I quickly got to know who was who, their motivations, their strengths and weaknesses. The two romances, though I was coming into them already having met and started their various flirtations, built steadily through the book.

Olani and Isolde are a well matched pair, with a shared sense of humor and drama, a shared strength of character and the shared desire to protect their respective siblings. More importantly, they’re friends, and the blossoming of the romance between them felt natural and right. Seelie and Raze have a more traditional boyfriend/girlfriend vibe, with Seelie both wanting and needing a softer, gentler partner with more traditional roles. She doesn’t want the push and pull but instead an embrace, and Raze gives that to her.

The side characters, Aris, Briar, and Egg all have their moments without ever stealing the show, and the ending was well done, though I imagine readers who’ve been with the series from the first book might enjoy it more. The bond between the sisters is, I think, my favorite part. They supported one another, loved one another, and trusted one another. It’s sweet.

Thank you so much to Net Galley and the publisher for the ARC.

This was a satisfying end to a fun duology. Much like in Unseelie, I enjoyed the representation of neurodivergent characters that felt genuine.

One thing that surprised me was the amount of action in this book. It was certainly more fast-paced than Unseelie while still taking time to flesh out Seelie and Isolde's individual growth outside of their relationship as twin sisters.

Overall, this brought the duology to an end in a way that I was happy with and made me glad to have picked Unseelie up last year.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the chance to read and review Unending!

Thank you netgalley for the eARC!

A lovely conclusion to a fantasy series that actually feels like YA. It's been quite the gap between this book and the last, but it's so easy to dive into it: from the accessible writing style to the vivid world that Housman painted, it's rich with Fae lore and sisterly bonds. The Seelie court was a highlight. The sibling relationship--much like the last book--is the absolute standout for me. With Seelie grappling with magic and her sister's ever-changing relationship with her, Isolde's perspective was a surprising but welcome change to add charge to the book. Parts felt a little rushed over for me (I don't think teens will care or mind!) and UNENDING occasionally stumbled over some plot points I felt could've gone into more detail on (again, I don't think the intended audience will care overmuch) but overall, an incredible finisher to this duology. I am looking forward to seeing what the author writes next.

To end with, I would also like to say that I am very picky with the way that neurodivergence is covered in books, even by authors who are neurodivergent themselves, but this was fantastic. Teen Me needed this book. I hope it finds the teens that need it today, too.

What I Liked:
-I liked getting Isolde's POV and seeing the contrast between her and Seelie.
-The Winter Tournament was a fun way to show off some of the Seelie Court.

What I Struggled With:
-I struggled to understand everything that was happening during the climax. I don't know if I missed something, or if it just wasn't explained as well as it could have been..
=The pacing also felt a little too fast at the beginning, with everything happening in very quick succession.

Overall:
Unending ultimately didn't really connect with me. However, I still love how Housman blended fantasy and neurodivergence.