Neverthorn

By: Shannon Mayer

Narrated by: Aiden Snow, Nicole Poole

Brought to you by Penguin.

Could a secret in her past be so dark it will reveal she’s not the hero the world needs—but the next villain?

Welcome to Neverthorn Academy.

Where a bunch of magical school misfits are about to save the world.

Or, more likely, die trying . . .

Since dropping out of Neverthorn Academy, after the death of her mother, Harlow Dragon has been working as an enchanted-jewel thief.
The last thing she expects is for the school to make an offer she can’t refuse: come back to Neverthorn and join seven others with secret magical abilities in House Phoenix. There, they’ll be trained in potions, rune casting and combat.

Because Nocta – a powerful dark wizard who has been plaguing the magical realm for decades – has the mortal world in his sights, and the students of House Phoenix are all that stand in his way.

But Harlow failed at Neverthorn once before. And nothing reminds her of this more than tall, brooding Typhon – Harlow’s old classmate and nemesis – who is now the professor tasked with unlocking her own, special power.

Except Harlow is sure that Typhon and the other professors are hiding a dark secret.

One she must figure out before Nocta arrives to bring about the end of the world . . .

© Shannon Mayer 2025 (P) Penguin Audio 2025

Critic reviews

If you like your heroes messy, your professors brooding, and your fantasies dark, Neverthorn is for you. Prepare to fall. Hard. Like, it’s gonna hurt.

This is a super fun, action-packed magical Academy adventure— perfect for readers of books like Fourth Wing and Zodiac Academy, but who want a main character who is a little bit older, seasoned, and absolutely hilarious!

Neverthorn is for the women who’ve lived, bled, and clawed their way to survive. Dark academia gets a savage, spellbinding twist—and Harlow Daygon is the chaotic queen we didn’t know we needed.

Full of secrets, second chances and slow-burn romance, Mayer’s dark academia romantasy sets the scene for what promises to be a spellbinding fantasy trilogy