Neverthorn

Of Quirks and Curses, Book 1

De: Shannon Mayer

Narrado por: Nicole Poole, Aiden Snow

In a realm where magic reigns, a legendary Hero once stood against the encroaching darkness. But with his death, hope dwindled, and the best the world can muster is Harlow Daygon—a thief, magic school dropout, and notorious troublemaker.

At nearly thirty, Harlow can't even cast a simple rune without blundering it. So why does anyone think she can take up the mantle of Hero? Reluctantly, she's dragged back to Neverthorn Academy with seven former classmates, tasked with training to confront and defeat the Villain of their world.

But the challenges are stacked against her: Professor Hot-as-Sin makes it clear she's a failure. Professor Used-to-Be-a-Mean-Girl has a vendetta. And lurking in her past is a secret so dark it could reveal she's not the Hero the world needs—but the next Villain.

With fate hanging in the balance, can Harlow embrace her destiny before the shadows claim her?

Narrated in duet style.

©2025 Shannon Mayer (P)2025 Podium Audio

great story

I can't wait for book 2. this was a great story with a strong female lead.

Rival houses, magic, secrets

Story

I have to start off by saying I absolutely adored Harlow as the FMC. She’s fiery, bold, and never afraid to speak her mind, while still being deeply caring and loyal to the people around her. That balance made her such a compelling character to follow and enjoy the book.

The plot was plotting, with a fast-paced, intense storyline full of high-stakes moments that kept me turning the pages. Just when I thought I had things figured out, the ending threw a twist I did not see coming. Now I’m dying for the next book.

Audiobook

Nicole Poole and Aiden Snow both deliver a truly mesmerizing performance. Their delivery and cadence are spot-on, perfectly matched to the flow of the story and keeping you locked in from start to finish. You can feel that they’re fully invested in the storyline, which only draws you in deeper.

what a fun read!

Shannon never fails to entertain! the banter! And the MFC's attitude and smart mouth is fantastic! Nicole & Aiden as the narrators were a perfect fit. Can't wait for book 2!

If you’re a Potterhead then Neverthorn is for you!

I love that it focuses on an adult FMC. Most of the time we get the YA version of academy books. It’s an engaging story with all the twists and turns that make for a wild ride. This is deliciously dark academia and I am here for it! Mayer knows how to weave a web that draws you in and keeps you in a complete chokehold. I am hooked and ready for the next installment.

I Freaking LOVE This Book!

After reading Neverthorn twice in its physical form, I decided to give the audiobook a listen. I am so glad that I did! The voice actors did a phenomenal job at bringing these characters to life for me in a completely different way.

As someone who isn’t a huge lover of audiobooks in general, I had zero complaints where this book was concerned. Both of the actors did a fantastic job with the various characters. Their comedic timing was spot on. It wasn’t boring or monotonous and just flowed perfectly.

Amazing story. Awesome characters

This book is extremely well written. Characters developed beautifully. I can’t wait for the next book

An academy with “older” students

Loved that is was set within academy with “older” students. Great performance!!! Can’t wait for the next one!!!

Excellent start to the series!

This book was excellent. The narration was duet style and the narrators did an excellent job with pacing and character differentiation

Incredibly refreshing!

I read a lot of romantasy and dark academia and this managed to break all the genre conventions of both! Hilarious and exciting, this was a great series opener and I look forward to the next installment!

Academic fun

This story felt like a mix of all my favorite magical worlds, blending the school-based fantasy of Harry Potter with a touch of Celtic mythology, and even some Hunger Games-style trials at the end. The story centers on Harlow, who is invited back to a magical university after years of being away due to her inability to cast magic. She is now a part of a new house designed for her magic and is tasked with training alongside a group of students destined to save the world from a villain who is getting stronger each day—also a former student at the university that "turned bad" after training with the headmaster (very Voldemort-esque).

Throughout the book, there are several chapters with subplots showing the classes the students are in, their challenges, and late-night adventures as they try to find answers to secrets around the university. I would have loved to see more of this, as it was very entertaining. The story was a great read, and I found the magic to be simple to understand. The rune that didn't allow the characters to cuss gave me a good laugh throughout the book. It was an overall great story of found family, magic, and angst. I even have my hints as to who the betrayer will be, but will have to wait for book two to find out! The thing that kept this book from five stars for me was that the writing felt redundant and repetitive at times.