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4.07 AVERAGE
4.07 AVERAGE
3.75- honestly? a very fun time once you get past the slower start.
i was surprised at how well written this was. like objectively the writing was pretty solid, the world building was digestible and easy to pick up, and the relationships between characters were believable. it was just ~fun~
it did have a handful of flaws— like the pacing was a little odd in spots & the advertised enemies to lovers is almost for how forced it feels sometimes,, but a v fun read that was just enjoyable
i was surprised at how well written this was. like objectively the writing was pretty solid, the world building was digestible and easy to pick up, and the relationships between characters were believable. it was just ~fun~
it did have a handful of flaws— like the pacing was a little odd in spots & the advertised enemies to lovers is almost for how forced it feels sometimes,, but a v fun read that was just enjoyable
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Thank you to Ace Books for the free book. These opinions are my own.
I am brand new to this author and this series. And I am so glad I had the chance to read it. This is a phenomenal fantasy world, and I am going to need to read L. J. Andrews' other series set in the same world, too. I especially loved the map that helped me orient to the world and served to make the gorgeous hardcover even prettier.
When Erik was a prisoner at the end of war, Livia went to read to him. Now they're both adults, and he's out for revenge against her family. And so he takes her across the Chasm to the Ever Kingdom.
I loved reading about every character. Each one on both sides of the Chasm was so well constructed and complete. And I love knowing that we will get more from them as the series continues. Of course, Erik and Livia are especially amazing. They are complex and dynamic. And their love for each other is the constant undercurrent that makes this book work so well.
The pirates and mythology all made absolute sense for the way the world was established. And the different secrets and twists revealed were so good. I did find some scenes a bit on the gory side. I kind of skimmed with my eyes half open to get to the next page.
But overwhelmingly, I enjoyed myself. I could not believe when it ended, and I need to start reading The Ever Queen immediately.
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
5⭐ 3🌶️
Viking fae pirates? Say less! This book was sooo good 🔥 you have tension, intrigue, possessive romance, adventure, the villainous MMC that would burn the world for her.
Thanks to Ace/ Penguin Random House and the author for the ARC. All comments are my own.
Viking fae pirates? Say less! This book was sooo good 🔥 you have tension, intrigue, possessive romance, adventure, the villainous MMC that would burn the world for her.
Thanks to Ace/ Penguin Random House and the author for the ARC. All comments are my own.
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The Ever King is the first book in L.J. Andrews’s The Ever Seas Series. This book is actually a rerelease, and I regret not picking up this book sooner. After enjoying Broken Souls and Bones earlier this year, I just knew I would love The Ever King. If you’re a longtime fan of Paranormal Romance like me, this book will appeal to you. I’m firmly in my Fantasy Romance/Romantasy Era, and I’m not leaving anytime soon.
One thing I enjoy is how an author can hook me right away, and L.J. Andrews does just that by starting her book with a bang. The immersive world, compelling characters, and vivid setting captured my attention. I was especially pleased that the story is told in Dual POV, letting me enjoy both the FMC’s and MMC’s POVs. The MMC stands out as a morally grey character, my favorite kind, because he’s willing to burn the world for the FMC, even though he shouldn’t have feelings for her because she’s his enemy’s daughter.
I loved both characters in this book for their qualities. Livia is a strong, fierce heroine who won’t take any crap from anyone, not even Erik Bloodsinger. Erik is an antihero with a story that will be heartbreaking to some readers. It was for me. No wonder he feels like a monster, given how he was raised and treated. Thankfully, Livia is there after he kidnaps her to remind him he’s her monster and she’ll take him as he is. Be prepared for tension and banter in the first half. Although the romance between them develops slowly, the pacing allows their connection and emotions to build, making each moment more rewarding. This slow-burn romance is worth it as their relationship unfolds layer by layer, especially once they realize what’s happening between them.
That said, the second half did slow down before picking up again at the end. There was a lot to digest and many characters to keep up with. I may have figured out the antagonist early, but it was still an enjoyable read, and I give this book four stars.
L.J. Andrews excels at worldbuilding and making readers fall for her characters, even the secondary ones. I’m eager to read the next in the series, especially after that shocking cliffhanger. I’m glad I was introduced to L.J. Andrews’ books earlier this year, thanks to Berkley/Ace, because now I need to read her whole backlist, especially since The Ever King is a spin-off of her Broken Kingdoms series.
Single/Dual POV: Dual POV.
Cliffhanger: Yes
Would I recommend this book? Yes. If you are looking for a Dark Fantasy Romance book to read this year, then check out The Ever King. It also has some amazing tropes: Enemies to Lovers, Captive Romance, Forced Proximity, Slow Burn, and a morally grey hero that will be hard to forget.
What to Expect:
🖤Dark Fantasy Romance
🖤Slow Burn
🖤Enemies to Lovers
🖤Forced Proximity
🖤Touch Her And I’ll ☠️ You
🖤Dark Fantasy Romance
🖤Slow Burn
🖤Enemies to Lovers
🖤Forced Proximity
🖤Touch Her And I’ll ☠️ You
medium-paced
Thank you LJ Andrews and Ace Books for the free gift.
I went into The Ever King expecting the sweeping, swoony fantasy romance I’ve seen hyped all over TikTok, and while it had some standout elements like pirate-inspired fae, kingdoms at war across land and sea, and a broody cursed king, it didn’t fully come together for me.
The romance leans heavily into familiar tropes: fated mates, instant attraction, enemies-to-lovers with a vengeance edge. If you're into the “I hate you, but also I want you (and I’ll destroy the world for you)” dynamic, this will likely hit the mark. But for me, it felt more like a checklist than something organically built.
The worldbuilding had promise with underwater kingdoms, magical chains, and court politics, but the emotional development struggled to keep pace. Erik's choices, especially around deception, seemed to exist more for the sake of plot twists than logical character motivation. And frankly, some of his behavior gave me pause. There were moments where he would grab her hair and shove her away that crossed a line from morally gray into uncomfortable territory, especially without narrative consequence.
That said, I did enjoy the pirate-fae aesthetic. It’s a fresh angle I’d love to see explored more deeply. And there’s definitely an audience for the dramatic, high-stakes romantic fantasy this book delivers.
If you love your fantasy romance full of tropes, drama, and sea-swept vengeance, The Ever King might work for you. It just didn’t quite click for me.
I went into The Ever King expecting the sweeping, swoony fantasy romance I’ve seen hyped all over TikTok, and while it had some standout elements like pirate-inspired fae, kingdoms at war across land and sea, and a broody cursed king, it didn’t fully come together for me.
The romance leans heavily into familiar tropes: fated mates, instant attraction, enemies-to-lovers with a vengeance edge. If you're into the “I hate you, but also I want you (and I’ll destroy the world for you)” dynamic, this will likely hit the mark. But for me, it felt more like a checklist than something organically built.
The worldbuilding had promise with underwater kingdoms, magical chains, and court politics, but the emotional development struggled to keep pace. Erik's choices, especially around deception, seemed to exist more for the sake of plot twists than logical character motivation. And frankly, some of his behavior gave me pause. There were moments where he would grab her hair and shove her away that crossed a line from morally gray into uncomfortable territory, especially without narrative consequence.
That said, I did enjoy the pirate-fae aesthetic. It’s a fresh angle I’d love to see explored more deeply. And there’s definitely an audience for the dramatic, high-stakes romantic fantasy this book delivers.
If you love your fantasy romance full of tropes, drama, and sea-swept vengeance, The Ever King might work for you. It just didn’t quite click for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Child abuse
Minor: Physical abuse, Torture
UPDATE: After reading the entire Broken Kingdom series, I changed my rating from 4 to 5 stars. It gave me a better perspective of this world and made me understand everything better.
I loved this book more than I thought I would. I think what shows it best is that this book led me to the author's other work, so now I'm reading her interconnected series.
I give it 4 instead of 5 stars simply because I reserve 5 stars for the books that resonated with me from within, and where I truly felt the emotional connection with the characters. The Ever King was a really good book, packed with action, morally grey characters, and pirates. I truly enjoyed it and it is a great start for the series.
I loved this book more than I thought I would. I think what shows it best is that this book led me to the author's other work, so now I'm reading her interconnected series.
I give it 4 instead of 5 stars simply because I reserve 5 stars for the books that resonated with me from within, and where I truly felt the emotional connection with the characters. The Ever King was a really good book, packed with action, morally grey characters, and pirates. I truly enjoyed it and it is a great start for the series.
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
The Ever King #review
This is probably going to be short because I am literally flying to the Ever Queen to see what happens next to Erik and Livia, especially when Valen comes into the picture 😰
I was sucked into this book right away. I loved how little bits we got hinted at way back in Kase and Malin’s books lead us to where we are now, but not in a way that would be even noticeable by someone who never read the precursor to all of this (being The Broken Kingdoms) and that it was more like getting little Easter eggs throughout.
I also enjoyed watching our Songbird and Serpents relationship grow into what it was at the end of the book. Knowing how poorly Erik was treated as a small child and how he had to grow up was awful, but provided so much insight to his character. It was cool to see the flip side of the coin for both these characters and how they really fit so perfectly together as two halves of a whole.
This has delayed me long enough, I’m going to crack open the Ever Queen during my last few nights in Scotland, and I can’t wait to see where this all is going to lead.
Overall story- 5✨
Spice- 3🌶️
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes