Reviews with content warning for Murder - So This Is Ever After

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So This Is Ever After by F.T. Lukens

25 reviews

piperclover's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny inspiring lighthearted reflective fast-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? It's complicated

5.0

I cannot explain how much I loved this. I have to buy a physical copy as soon as possible. Lukens writing is phenomenal and Kevin R. Free is a phenomenal narrator. This is so much funnier than I thought it would be and the characters actually feel their age-theres plenty of cussing and crudeness but not so much that its uncomfortable to hear. I was never bored and once I got past the slightly bloody beginning, I was hooked. I have nothing bad to say except that I'm sad I can't experience it again for the first time. Id give up my first born to Lukens to have a sequel

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pagesofnay's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful lighthearted tense fast-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

4.5

Reading the synopsis, I knew this was going to be a book that I would enjoy. However, I did not expect to enjoy it as much as I did. This story is marketed as ‘Carry On meets Arthurian legends’ and let me tell you, I love both of those. As much as I love enemies to lovers, friends to lovers holds a special place in my heart. There were misunderstandings, but it wasn’t to the point where it infuriated me (I normally hate miscommunication and misunderstandings, unless it feels somewhat natural).

This character group was chaotic from the beginning. I loved it. Arek, the Chosen One, who is oblivious, very lovable, and responds to tense situations with humor. He is kind and would do anything for his friends. Matt, Arek’s best friend and mage. Lila, the rogue, loves to steal things and is very clever. Rion, the knight, incredibly witty and stoic. Bethany, the bard, clears up the messes everyone made. Sionna, the general and warrior, funny and sometimes stoic. This is not only a love story between Arek and Matt, it is also one of finding a family within a group of friends.

After ending the Vile One’s reign, Arek must take the crown. Being king was not something Arek had in mind, but in order to save the kingdom, he would. However, Arek must now find someone to soul bond with or fade away. Arek begins to plan ways to woo his friends and Matt assists him. These plans were incredibly hilarious and went wrong in every way. The way all these plans ended, it would seem like the universe wanted him with Matt, but they were both so obviously oblivious. I would consider this a very slow burn, but done very well. Normally slow burns feel unnecessarily drawn out, but this felt almost natural.

Overall this book was a fun and easy read. It was fast-paced and had lovely, enjoyable characters. Starting the book with the ending of the quest to end the Vile One’s reign was interesting and I think it worked very well. It left me wondering “So, what happens now?” and did not disappoint. This book is worth reading. Lila and Matt were definitely my favorite characters.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the digital ARC in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

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emily_mh's review against another edition

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adventurous funny lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Where to start with my love with this book??? It has been the first thing since Our Flag Means Death finished up to give me any strong emotion. It is the Merthur book I’ve always needed. It has almost all of my absolute favourite tropes. I simply ADORE IT.

I loved how satirical it was, because this meant the fantasy element could act as an interesting backdrop for the romance to shine from, and shine it did. The interactions and dialogue between Arek and Matt had my heart soaring; they really showcased the depth of their relationship and of course highlighted the pining, which was PERFECTLY executed.

On top of this there was a lovely found family element, and even though this book is only 350 pages, I got a good feel for the side characters. Also, Arek was an amazing MC to follow, as he brought so much humour into the story both through his wit and because he was such a himbo and completely oblivious to everyone around him.

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nutm3g's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted fast-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? It's complicated

4.0

So This Is Ever After was yet another cozy queer fantasy read by F.T. Lukens, this time with a heavy emphasis on DnD/Pathfinder style plot and characters. Arek's misguided and poor attempts at romancing his friends only ending in disasters, while also further proving him a great leader, made this book even more enjoyable. It feels like it was specifically written for queer ttrpg players, which I personally loved. It had so many great tropes: marry or die (the tamed version of a different or die trope), requited unrequited love, best friends to lovers, and much more!

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beforeviolets's review against another edition

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adventurous funny lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

Thank you so much to Simon & Schuster for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I don't think I can give this book a star rating.
Because is this book good or well-written? No.
But did I absolutely LOVE it? HELL YES.

Set post-adventure, this book follows Arek and his friends as they learn to rule a kingdom after fulfilling a prophecy. But when he finds out he has to soul-bond (forever!) with someone in order to stay alive, things get very complicated. Especially since he has major feelings for his best friend, who definitely doesn't feel the same way... right?

This book has absolutely no atmosphere, terrible world-building, and its general vibe is horny, which is not an ideal word to describe a book. (Seriously, there were like 5 or 6 boner mentions.) However, I am an absolute sucker for a slow-burn, friends-to-lovers romance featuring dense idiots with terrible communication skills, and if this book delivered anything, it delivered that! And it delivered it SO WELL!!

If you're expecting a book with strong writing, complex and adventurous plot, or high fantasy worlds, I would pass on this.
But if you're looking for a jaw-achingly cute romance with laugh-along dialogue and the general vibe of playing a D&D side quest with your friends, this book might be for you.

CW: violence, gore, death, murder, decapitation, blood, vomit, parental death (past, offscreen), alcohol, SA (brief mention, past), drugging (truth potion)

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