The Rules of Ever After

by Killian B. Brewer

Overview

The rules of royal life have governed the kingdoms of Clarameer for thousands of years, but Prince Phillip and Prince Daniel know that these rules dont provide for the happily ever after they seek. A fateful, sleepless night on top of a pea under twenty mattresses brings the two young men together and sends them on a quest out into the kingdoms. On their travels, they encounter meddlesome fairies, an ambitious stepmother, disgruntled princesses and vengeful kings as they learn about life, love, friendship and family. Most of all, the two young men must learn to know themselves and how to write their own rules of ever after.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781941530429
Publisher:	Interlude Press - Duet Books
Publication date:	06/09/2015
Sold by:	INDEPENDENT PUB GROUP - EPUB - EBKS
Format:	eBook
Pages:	280
File size:	852 KB
Age Range:	12 - 18 Years

About the Author

Killian B. Brewer lives in his life-long home of Georgia with his partner and their dog. He has written poetry and short fiction since he was knee-high to a grasshopper. Brewer earned a BA in English and does not use this degree in his job in the banking industry. He has a love of greasy diner food that borders on obsessive.

Editorial Reviews

2016-08-03
A young white man who doesn’t want to play by society’s rules finds his bliss in this frothy alternative fairy tale. Phillip’s manipulative, scheming stepmother is using the outdated pea-hidden-under-20-mattresses test to identify a genuinely royal bride. While quite clear that he does not want to marry a woman, Philip is a bit less sure of what he does want—that is, until he meets the darkly alluring Daniel and everything goes haywire. What follows is a mashup of fairy-tale tropes, including blessings and curses from fairies, brave quests to save loved ones from spells and dungeons, and the magical power of a kiss. The humorous, satirical tone is reminiscent of Jean Ferris and Gerald Morris, but the characters remain two-dimensional and difficult to differentiate, and magical elements appear conveniently when needed to resolve most problems. It is disappointing that a work intended to challenge homophobia unnecessarily demeans age and fatness (in a large cast of beautiful people, the evil stepmother has “wrinkles and lines, like an apple left on the windowsill too long”; and the lone fat princess’s appetite becomes a source of cheap humor). There is a remarkable lack of ethnic diversity, with even the few characters described as having dark complexions elsewhere appearing as “tan” or with “olive skin.” While the overarching message—“Your happiness shouldn’t deny another’s happiness. Don’t ever try to deny a person their happily ever after”—is commendable, the novel lacks heft. (Fantasy. 12-18)

Kirkus Review