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.

This was good, like the first one, I like the twists on original fairytales, they're told well and the illustrations are a nice touch.

More of Rumaysa’s fairytale adventures on the way to find her parents, but this time the focus is mostly on the story of Snow (Saira) White, with touches of Rapunzel and any tale with a beast-by-night curse.

We also see snippets from the other side, as we get some of the story from the perspective of Naina and Sunar as they search for their long-lost daughter.

This duology of books contains lovely fairytale retellings, with gentle moments of humour and lessons about forgiveness, loyalty, vanity and trust, alongside plenty of action and quick thinking from our heroine and her allies. And we finally get a happily-ever-after, although I really think this could have run into a longer series quite easily!

The Rumaysa stories are ideal for middle grade readers upwards who want traditional adventure stories but with modern morality and perspectives.

Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog

I adored Rumaysa: A Fairytale when I read it last year, so I was so excited to read the next chapter of Rumaysa’s journey. I adore how Hafiza has crafted a fairytale world that is both recognisable but still wonderfully different to the stories that we grew up with.

Since escaping from the tower that she has been trapped in since she was a baby, Rumaysa has been desperately trying to trace her parents. But numerous magical obstacles and untrustworthy characters still lay in her path. Will Rumaysa be able to overcome them?

The illustrations by the fantastic Rhaida El Touny are simple but so beautiful. Just like the story itself, they have a familiar quality but with a unique, contemporary twist. I loved seeing them sitting beside descriptive scenes and having them introduce me to new characters.

Rumaysa has already earned herself a reputation as a brave superheroine across the land. She has become something of a legend amongst locals but like all the best heroes, no one seems to know who she really is. She is so humble and kind, which makes it very easy to get on board with her journey and want nothing but the best for her.

In this book, Rumaysa comes across Saira White, the Queen of Bishnara. Of course, she is based on Snow White and it was great fun seeing all the parallels between her and the original character. I didn’t see a twist coming within the Saira White story because I was expecting it to follow along the lines of the original fairytale but it was very delicious when that was revealed!

Rumaysa: Ever After is a magical, original tale with elements of stories that we all know and love. With plenty of references to Islamic culture intertwined with Western folklore and the story of a wonderful heroine, this heartwarming, hopeful sequel is a beautiful, empowering adventure.

Having read the first book, and bought many copies as gifts, I was keen to get my hands on this one and I wasn't disappointed. A fabulously written story ideal for opening children's eyes to variation, difference and acceptance.

Joy of joys, I do love a sequel, especially when it involves fairy tales, fierce and powerful women and stories perfect for sharing around a fire!

Rumaysa is following her necklace around kingdoms and lands to help those who need it most, from saving mermaids to fighting beasts, she is there with courage, determination and heart. Though she always wishes for the necklace to lead her home and to her parents.

We follow Rumaysa’s tale through three parts so it feels as though you are getting extra stories. We meet Aydin, a young Prince who needs help to escape from a terrifying beast. Thankful for her help, his sister soon sends an invitation to dine at the palace. Hearing the siblings tale of an evil stepmother, poisoned apples and a magic mirror, Rumaysa is entranced and feels a connection to them.

Her necklace continues to probe her to find the next person needing help and when she does, the story becomes incredibly complicated and intertwined.

Rumaysa will need to make some bold decisions in this tale and she is just the person for this adventure. I loved her first stories, interwoven together with elements of traditional tales mixed with the cultural differences. Amazing writing and poetic moments of understanding, knowledge and positivity make this a perfect book!

RUMAYSA EVER AFTER follows Rumaysa as she continues trying to find her parents. This time, rather than several adventures, she has one big adventure. It also treats the fairy tale of snow white differently than it did the previous fairy tales. It doesn't subvert-but-generally-follow-the-same-story in this book, but rather completely subverts all your expectations, starting with happening <em>after</em> Saira White has defeated the evil stepmother.

That real flip on the fairy tale, as well as being one long story to sink into, really helped to distinguish this book from the previous, which was really useful as the premise is pretty much the same. The extra time on the story allowed for more nuance and twists too because more time was spent with the same characters.

I really liked this new structure as it felt more cohesive and more directional. There was more a sense of momentum towards a finale as there was one big bad to show down with, rather than several small bads. The best way I can describe it is that RUMAYSA was the starting levels and then RUMAYSA EVER AFTER is the boss level.

This book, like the previous, is the younger end of MG. It's the perfect sort of book for someone who wants to start reading above chapter books, gaining confidence while also seeing well-known fairy tales remixed into something very different.

From the ending, I'm pretty sure there won't be more Rumaysa books. She's found her parents, her magic necklace is broken, and she's got her happily ever after. While I'd have liked more remixed fairy tales, I'm also interested to see what Radiya Hafiza's next project is.

This was an absolute pleasure to read- even more so than the first book! I loved that Rumaysa got her happy ever after and made friends along the way. With the appearance of several fairytale characters it was exciting to see them as Muslim characters rather than the usual!
Even as a 20 odd year old I enjoyed this book (and Rumaysa the fairytale) and would have loved this even more as a younger kiddo. This is giving me hope that kids will grow up with proper representation and see themselves in Rumaysa and the rest of the characters.
Once again, it was a pleasure.
5/5 stars, I will be purchasing the paperback to match the first book!