The Never

A Tale of Peter and the Fae

By: Don Jones

Narrated by: Kristina Fuller Yuen

Length: 8 hrs and 49 mins

Publisher's summary

When the ancient Under Hill home of the Fae is infected with the Rot, they're left with an unpleasant choice: Die in one last, great stand, or escape to the Human world. A world they once knew, but where they no longer belong. A modern world, where Cold Iron surrounds and poisons magical beings.

The Fae Queen reluctantly chooses exile, and she and her people abandon their magical castles, ancient glens, timeless forests, and centuries of power and tradition. They come into a bleak land bereft of magic and wonder, and begin to hunker down in the Human world's hidden places. The once-proud Fae resentfully begin a life of poverty, anonymity, and fear.

But one small group of Fae, accustomed to tinkering with the fabric of the universe, begin to develop an idea. An idea that will either give them a new world to live in, or wipe them completely from existence. An idea that could preserve them, or end them forever. An idea that requires the help of a young child's boundless imagination. An idea that will take them into the Never, a place forbidden and inimical to their kind.

It's a story that you think you know, but you've only ever heard a small part of it. A story that starts long before those three children flew in, and that has its epic conclusion long after they've gone.

©2020 Don Gannon-Jones (P)2020 Don Gannon-Jones

Fantastic narration!

Kristina's narration pulled me through the story. Usually I struggle to listen to audio books, but Kristina kept me focused. Her character voices helped distinguish between the characters. She has a wonderful voice! I loved listening!

Great audio book

I really really enjoyed this audio book. Very different from the way Peter Pan is shown. It’s very different and very interesting. It held me the entire time.

Outstanding

Knowing the history and stories of Peter Pan and the fairies around him due to having a child that adored all these books, this was such an amazing take on Neverland and how it came to be.

Even more astounding, is that I know the author from the Information Technology side of the world and would have never guessed to be something he would create.

The reader was outstanding, the writing was outstanding, making for an amazing listening experience!

Great Variation on The Fairies and Peter Pan

This is a different telling of Peter Pan but from the Fae or Fairy Realm's point of view. It was an interesting take and I loved how it tied in perspectives from other Peter Pan stories like Peter and the Star Catchers and even the Disney version. The narration was great and fit the story well. My only complaint is I felt the last hour of the book was a bit too long and drawn out and without giving ending away was a bit odd and a little sad. Overall I would recommend it to those who love stories around Peter Pan and the Fae, it was unique and quite fun.

—I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

Absolutley Brilliant!

An absolutley Brilliant tale of how Neverland came into being. Something I had never considered before and thank this author for making this such a brilliant story!
The narration was simply amazing! I will defintley put this narrator on my favorites list!

Nice story to pass the time

This is one of those book where 1/2 stars are really needed. Narration was well done, some of the fae voices became annoying at times. I think the author was caught between an adult version and a YA version and never really settled in on one or the other. It is a good story and a decent listen, but having heard other Pan mythos, especially liked Brom's, this one fell short just a wee bit.

“I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher.”

The Never

This is an interesting take on the story of Peter Pan. It gives listeners a tale from the Fae’s point of view. The author has pulled together different myths and ideas of the Fae and Peter Pan in this adventure and I enjoyed this retelling of an old tale. Some parts of the book are slow but overall, it is an engaging listen. Narrator Kristina Fuller Yuen does a nice job of bringing the characters to life but I was not fond of some of the voices of the characters. I received a free copy of this audio book at my own request and voluntarily leave this honest review.

3.5/5 Stars Intriguing Spin on Neverland Tale

(Why are there no half stars?)

3.5/5 Stars The Never by Don Jones
Narrated by Kristina Fuller Yuen
Run Time: 8 hours and 49 mins
Summary:
The fairy land is destroyed so they go into exile on Earth, but that’s not ideal. They devise a plan to harness the imaginations of children to create a new homeworld in The Never.

Additional Comments:
- Maeve’s voice is awesome, but oy, fairy voices can be crazy. (Performance is fine. The fairies sounded like they should, but it was still tough to listen to at times.)
- Overall performance was entertaining. The narrator has a nice voice and good character distinction. Would certainly listen to the narrator again. She can only work with what she’s given.
- Interesting take on Neverland tales.
- High marks for creativity and an original spin on an old tale. Like a prequel, it was kind of fun to search for the plot points in the original Peter Pan tale.
- I liked Maeve, but pretty much every other character, especially the various children came across as superfluous or bratty, especially Peter.
- Pretty sure “My queen! My queen!” was in here like 13 times. Got to an amusing point.
- First half of the book was cool (full of world-building and such), but the second half declined until it fizzled at the end.
- Low marks for an unsatisfying ending. It’s like the author ran out of ideas and didn’t know what to do or wanted to get started on a new project so just slapped a bow on this one.

Conclusion:
I wish it had a more satisfying ending, but it’s still an intriguing tale if you’re obsessed with all things Neverland.

*Found the code on a free site... was under no obligation to leave a review. These are my honest thoughts.

An Entertaining Version of a Classic Story

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I requested a copy of this book from the author and agreed that I would review it. The narration was solid, but not spectacular. The book is an account which includes the retelling of Peter Pan, but from the point of view of the magical clan of Tinkerbell. Their motivations are vastly different than that of the humans. I ended up reading this in two days.

Whimsical and draws you in

I was somewhat skeptical that I would like another take on Peter Pan but this story is only incidentally about him. It is all about the Fae and how Peter Pan happens to influence a course of events in their lives. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this imaginative tale. It is well-written and held my interest all the way through. The narrator makes it easy to distinguish the various characters and the pace of narration was just right.