A review by stitchsaddiction
Rumaysa: Ever After by Radiya Hafiza

adventurous emotional inspiring mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

CW. Grief, Kidnapping & Family Separation 

Rumaysa Ever After follows perfectly from the first in the duology; Rumaysa:  A Fairytale. Once again, Radiya Hafiza weaves in her recreation of famous fairy tale characters who live in a magical reimagining of South Asia.

Not only does the author bring these amazing characters to life and give them so much more depth and interesting characterisation; but there is also a beauty to the fictional world we journey through alongside Rumaysa.

Rumaysa is a wonderful main character, and what is good for a young reader is that she is a child albeit one facing drama and chaos at every turn. I think many children will appreciate that the heroes in Rumaysa Ever After are not your typical ones - they're children rather than larger-than-life adults. I also love how they're described and how important their clothing etcetera is mentioned such as a Hijab which I think those who wear one will love to see in a story.

The main character we encounter in the sequel is a reimagining of Snow White as an adult and she's fantastically written as an adult and Queen (promise not a spoiler as it's in the blurb.) There's also I think, a rethinking of George and the Dragon but I'm not sure - some are very clear and some, not so much.

We have more adventure, some mystery and a wonderful web of  Radiya Hafiza's creation in Rumaysa Ever After. This series is fantastic for lovers of fairy tales and a little (or a lot) of imagination.