The Pumpkin Princess and the Forever Night

By: Steven Banbury

Narrated by: Alyssa Bresnahan

A spooky yet heartwarming adventure about one girl's journey into the land of the undead, and the unexpected family she finds along the way. Perfect for fans of Nevermoor and the hit series Wednesday.

On Halloween, it is always wise to expect the unexpected, but no amount of planning could have prepared Eve for that particular night. Fleeing an unpleasant orphanage, she’s saved by someone who she never believed was real…the fabled Pumpkin King himself.

Throwing caution aside, Eve accepts the offer to become his daughter and is whisked away to the misty Hallowell Valley—home to witches and vampires, ghosts and goblins, and all that go bump in the night. But just when she believes she’s found her place among the undead, a sinister scheme unearths itself, threatening to take everything from Eve unless she can stop it.

From debut author Steven Banbury comes a cozy, magical adventure sure to delight anyone who loves the tricks of Halloween as much as the treats of autumn.

©2024 Steven Banbury (P)2024 Little, Brown Young Readers

Critic reviews

*"Banbury weaves a cozy tale in this thoroughly delightful debut reminiscent of The Graveyard Book and The Nightmare Before Christmas."—Publisher's Weekly (starred review)

"There aren't enough proper Halloween stories, but Steven Banbury fixes that right up with The Pumpkin Princess and the Forever Night. This is an adventure that is both spooky and sweet, and will absolutely make you wish that Halloween was every day."—Chuck Wendig, New York Times bestselling author of Dust and Grim

"Whimsical, charming, and heartwarming, The Pumpkin Princess and the Forever Night reads like a love letter to Halloween. The atmosphere is perfectly spooky, with a brave heroine you can't help but root for, the triumph of friendship, and a sprinkling of classic middle grade humor. An absolute must-read for fall!"—Alexandria Rogers, author of The Witch, The Sword, and the Cursed Knights

A comfy listen with spooky, family friendly vibes

Think Anne of Green Gables meets Nightmare Before Christmas meets DCOM (as another reviewer mentioned). It was a really lovely story with a bit of adventure and touching moments. It has comfy cozy spooky vibes, perfect for a low-key fall/Halloween feeling that you can enjoy over and over again throughout the year. Might need to make this a yearly read!

Loved the story! Awesome storytelling by the narrator

Such a cozy and sweet story! It gives all the Fall vibes with a bit of a spooky atmosphere without being overly scary or graphic. I love the relationship that develops between Eve and the Pumpkin King. And the mystery that is afoot kept me listening to this audiobook nonstop. The narrator has a voice that is easy to listen too and she almost reads the story like folklore which was super enjoyable (and - BONUS! - she does great voices too!). Would highly recommend for any time of year.

Disney Channel Orginal Movie Vibes

I LOVED that it was like a mash up of Nightmare Before Christmas and DCOM Halloweentown. The seasonal vibes were well needed and appreciated. Also set up perfectly to add in a second book if there ever will be one. Narrator did a great job by giving each and every character their own unique voice. Narrator’s performance deserves credit where credit is due. Only cons I have could be completely fixed with a second book. 1. Give more information on the world building (scary areas that were not talked about enough). 2. Tie up the loose ends with characters that were missing at the end of the book. 3. Give more olden day stories of Pumpkin Kings origins. 4. Expand on Eve’s new “situation” at the end of the book. Overall, I absolutely loved it and HOPE that there is a second one in the works. The story, the characters, and the world design is already there, I already have ideas on how to expand to a second book so I hope the author does too.

Not great for young girls

I really wanted this book for my niece and
I was loving the story with Halloween characters and messages about adoption, blended families, living in a diverse community. But then the forever night chapters turned and became the same old story of older women bad, men save the day, women run off and better not come back or else the man will make them pay. So NOT gifting this book to my niece.