FOREVER by Chanda Hahn

“‘Will Beauty have to destroy the Beast she created?’ With the Godmother Guild destroyed by Teague's army, Mina finds herself without the guidance of her Fae Godmother. Alone and confused, she must lean on her friends for support. The dark prince threatens their very existence with a show of power on the human plane that has everyone running for their lives. To save them, Mina must make a deal with the prince to become his prisoner or lose her friends forever. But is there any hope for Jared and the love they briefly shared, or must beauty destroy the beast she created?”

What is the book about?

Now that Teague and his army have destroyed the Godmother Guild, Mina finds herself without the support and guidance of her Fae Godmother and the other Godmothers, who seemed to be the only ones willing to share their knowledge of the curse and help Mina though her quests. But Mina is not completely alone as she now has her friends, both Fae and human, to lean on for support as she tries to find a way to stop the dark prince from destroying both the Fae and the human planes. However, no matter how much Mina wishes it could be different there may only be one way to save her friends and family from Teague – she must sacrifice herself to protect them and that is something that she must face alone, without their much needed support in these dark times. But, after everything she has lost, Mina is willing to do anything to not lose those she loves. She must try her hardest to stop Teague, but is it too late for the beast that she created? Mina loves him with all her heart, or at least she loves a part of him and she doesn’t think she can go through with the one way to stop the destruction: kill Teague. But is it possible that Jared is still in there somewhere and she can save him? Or will she have to kill the one she loves most?

What were your initial thoughts on the book?

I had been looking forward to finally reaching the last book in the An Unfortunate Fairy Tale series for years, but before starting this book all I could think was how scared I was to actually finish the book. Mainly it was because of how worried I was that the ending wouldn’t match my expectations and that it would ruin the whole series; however I was also scared because I have been rereading this series for years and I was not sure if I was ready for it to actually end. However, I was also desperate to read on after the shocking ending to Reign and I knew that the only way to get answers to my questions was to read the book, so I finally picked it up and read the blurb. The blurb only managed to scare me more as I still had hope for Jared and I didn’t want Mina to have to kill him; however I was also even more interested in finding out what deal Mina made with the prince, so I soon started to read. Once I started reading, all my worries disappeared as I forgot the world around me and became part of the story. From the very first page I knew that this book was going to be just as good as the others and I was soon reaching the end as it was such an easy read. 

Who was your favourite character and why? 

Although I really liked Mina, I feel like I have to give another character a moment to shine as she really changed in this book. I think that my favourite character was probably Ever because of the way that she started to really embrace friendship and was actually, not just willing to help out, but ready to put her life on the line for Mina. When she first appeared in Fairest, I didn’t know what to think of her and really I don’t think I liked her much. She was so grumpy and so unwilling to play any part in Mina’s quests and she was so attached to Jared, who I had been shipping with Mina, so I didn’t want her to get in the way of anything. However, in Reign something changed about her (or someone changed her) and she started to help out more, even despite how much she hated Mina for what she did to Jared. But the biggest change in her was in Forever when she chose to become Mina’s new Fae Godmother. I was so surprised and I loved this sweet change in her, though she did continue to be grumpy from time to time. She risked everything in this book and she became one of my favourite characters in the process. Also I just wanted to quickly mention Nix who also helped Mina, even though he was completely human and defenceless (and he also helped to change Ever a bit and bring some happiness in her life after Jared).

What was your favourite part of the book and why?

My favourite part of the book has got to be when Mina discovers her true self and she finally feels comfortable in her own skin. I could always tell that there was something different about Mina, something that no other Grimm who had tried to break the curse had, because ti couldn’t be that an ordinary teenage girl could succeed where the adult men in her family had failed. So when I learnt the truth about who Mina’s mother was and, therefore, who she was, I wanted to know absolutely everything and understand just how powerful Mina really was. That is why I loved this part of the book, when Mina embraces her power and lets her true self show through the glamour that had been masking her real identity her whole life. It was a shock, but it also felt right and it made so much sense when I thought back at all the strange, magical moments in Mina’s life. But my favourite thing about this part was the fact that now that Mina had discovered the truth about herself, she wasn’t going to go back and she was ready to do whatever it took, something that the old Mina would’ve struggled with, and all it took was a little magic and beauty to show her that she could beat Teague and stop him from killing everyone she loved. 

What was your overall impression of the book?

Overall, Forever was amazing and I think it was the perfect conclusion to this magical, fairy tale series. One thing that I loved about the book was how fast-paced it was. With the first 3 books I found that they were a lot slower and it took me a bit longer to read (though that may have been my fault for rereading them so much and not paying attention before this time), however Reign and Forever were different. They were both so easy to read and I think that it was because of the fact that the plot flowed more, almost as if it had been destined to happen. It was so easy to read this book and I literally read it in only a couple of sittings and couldn’t put it down, even though it was really late and my eyes were burning. Another thing I really enjoyed about Forever was the romance. I know I do mention this again later on but I just have to explain just how happy and relieved I felt about the couples in the story. Since Jared’s Quest I have been rooting for a specific couple, even despite everything they went through, because I could just tell that these 2 were made for each other. That became even clearer to me once I read Reign so I had been on edge throughout Forever, hoping and praying that the 2 characters would finally get together. There aren’t even words to describe how happy I was that what I wished for came true and I know that this is one of these moments that I will hold forever in my heart. One last thing that I would like to mention about Forever was the ending. This was what I had been so scared of reading because I was worried that it wouldn’t be what I wanted and that, after reading so many books in the series, the ending would ruin it and it would have all been for nothing. When I started to reach the end I had been even more terrified than when I initially started the book because of the fact that so much had been left unsolved and there was a whole plane left to save with only a few chapters left. I had been so worried that the book would leave me with questions and that it would end so quickly. I now know that I should never have been as scared as I was, however it was not exactly the ending I had pictured. Despite this, I think it was the perfect ending for this series because it perfectly depicted the fact that every happily ever after is different and that some don’t always have a happily ever after, they just have an after (which was something that had been made clear from the very first book). It may not have been exactly the way I pictured it, but the couples that I had wanted together did get together, though maybe not exactly how I imagined, and I know that Mina is happy how she ended up, so I am too. Forever was perfect and I can’t believe that the series has actually ended after all of these years.

Which was your favourite book in the An Unfortunate Fairy Tale series? (1, 2, 3, 4, or 5)

Before I go on to explain which my favourite book was, I would just like to say that I can’t believe I got this far. After at least 5 years of having these books in my kindle and attempting to read the whole series in one summer I actually did it! I have read UnEnchanted at least 4 times now and Fairest and Fable at least 2, but I had never gotten round to reading Reign, let alone Forever. Yet, here I am, at the end of reading all 5 books and I am so glad I finally finished them because I would’ve missed out on so much if I hadn’t read them all. I am particularly pleased I read all 5 because if I hadn’t I wouldn’t be able to tell you that, despite all books being amazing, my favourite book in this series is the fifth and final one – Forever. There are 3 big reasons for this decision: Mina’s transformation, the romance and the ending. Since one of the first few books, I always knew that Mina had something special and that she had a strength and power unlike any other Grimm, but I never knew what it was until reading this last book. I loved this discovery and the way that Mina embraced her new identity and was willing to face the things she had been scared of before she knew her true self. She always thought her magic was a curse, but through her transformation she learnt it was a blessing and she had something special that no one could take from her and she could use to her advantage. She always thought that she wasn’t enough to stop Teague because what could a clumsy teen do to stop the most powerful Fae prince, but she realised here that she was strong and could do it, and I loved that. There was always romance in the series; however the one in this last book just felt right. Mina finally gave up on the one she always thought she wanted to be with and let him be with his true love, which hurt but she knew it was the right thing because she was actually in love with someone else. There was also another cute couple, who I had noticed was sprouting up in Reign, which finally got together. But the biggest thing was a couple that I had been rooting for from the very first book and continued to want together, despite one of them being a destructive, evil being, finally getting something close to a happily ever after. The ending is also something that made Forever stand out because, initially, I had been worried for how the book would end because I didn’t want it to ruin the whole series. This ending may not have been what I was hoping for, but it was good enough for me and it gave me the closure I needed. The An Unfortunate Fairy Tale series was amazing and I am so glad I finally got round to reading it.

Would you recommend this book?  

I 100% reading this book, but you need to read the previous 4 books in the series. This book is perfect for any reader over 1, who loves fantasy, adventure, romance and (specifically) fairy tale retellings. 

Summarise the book in one sentence. (Verdict)  

The perfect, magical conclusion to a fantasy series about a girl and a boy who were always destined to be together. 

Reviewed by Jimena Gutierrez Reviriego