"Hate me, curse me, I cared little, so long as I was the first thought of her day and the last of her night."
Erik Bloodsinger, THE MAN THAT YOU ARE 🖤
Funny enough I read Curse of Shadows & Thorns first which is book one in the parents love stories. So to go from that to this book where Erik is kidnapping Livia for the wrongs of her father like 👀 I know damn well my man, Valen, did nothing wrong. So to say I was hooked from the get go is an understatement.
I LOVE an enemies to lovers and this hit all the points: kidnapping, threatening killing their father, making a crown out of the bones of their enemies..... YUP! I love the line:
"careful of your threats of my untimely death, love, or you might end up stealing my heart." top tier enemies to lovers 🖤🖤🖤🖤
Not to mention, I really enjoyed the world building aspect of it all. Feel like some romantasy books you're dropped into this world and trying to figure everything out. This book was super easy to follow along and so addicting!
Love Livia/Erik. Also read and loved Jonas & Skadi's story (if you love a cinnamon roll MMC, you'll love Jonas). Now please please PLEASE give us Mira & Tate 🖤🖤🖤🖤

I loved this book. The whole Ever kingdom seems so interesting. I love the magic system and the fact that there is an underwater kingdom. Bloodsingers blood being able to kill and heal people is also really interesting. Livia’s fury is super cool magic too and I really want to learn more about it next book. Erik and Livia’s whole story is interesting all the way back to when they were littles and Erik was a captive. Cannot wait to continue the series with The Ever Queen and then go back in the past to The Broken Kingdom.

Addicted from the very first page!

LJ Andrews has created a beautiful and captivating new world where I was entranced from the very first page.

Instantly I wanted to know the lore between the songbird and the serpent! We meet them so early on in a flashback when they were children before it flashes towards the present where they both have unfinished business with the other.

I love how the second they set eyes on each other in the present, even without really knowing who the other was, they were both immediately enraptured by each other.

Even though they both try to fight it and stay enemies, Livia and Erik both ended up being each other’s ride or die. I love how they both became so obsessed with the other and willing to fight anyone to the death for their love.

Don’t mess with Erik and his queen because the man is bloodthirsty and will surely do anything to protect her and their kingdom.

I fell head over heels for Erik and his undying love for Livia. I can’t wait to read the rest of the series.

Andrews has created such a cruel and captivating world that I would read anything from. She has quickly become an instant read author for me!

If you love Pirates of the Carribean but secretly wished Elizabeth would have chosen Jack Sparrow instead of Will Turner... this book is your new Roman Empire! You even get to ride on the black pearl. The romance is so good... if you like the spice levels of Fourth Wing and Quicksilver you will really enjoy the spice in this book! Erik is sure to make your list of top book boyfriends.

The world building and magic system is very unique and written in a way that is easy to understand, even if you are newer to fantasy books.

The bonus content was so cool! An amazing prequel, set before the story begins.

The Ever Kingdom is filled with Pirates, Sirens, and Fae. The world building is amazing. Can't wait to read book 2! Tropes include Enemies to Lovers, Magic, and Romantasy.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing House for the opportunity to read The Ever King.

The Ever King is an absolute standout, and easily one of my top romantasies! L.J. Andrews has crafted a captivating story that combines slow-burn romance, political intrigue, and intense emotional depth, leaving you glued to the pages from start to finish.

Erik Bloodsinger is one of my favorite MMCs! At first he seems cold and ruthless, but there’s a tenderness that draws you in — he’s a character you can’t help but fall for. He’s a wonderfully complex character, with such a rich background that ties perfectly in with his personality. And Livia? Liv is the perfect counter to Erik. She’s brave, intelligent, and shows incredible growth throughout the story. She’s strong and independent, but also kind-hearted and willing to fight for what she believes in. Watching her evolve was one of the most satisfying parts of this book, and I can’t wait to see what she does in book 2!

The romance between Livia and Erik is slow-burn perfection. The chemistry between them is undeniable, and the tension that builds throughout the book kept me on the edge of my seat. Their journey is full of twists and turns that makes every moment between them deeply significant to their foundation as a couple.

Another stand out for this series is found family. The connections between the characters are rich and emotional, and Sewell, in particular, adds so much charm and depth to the story. The way Livia and Erik’s circles of people support and challenge them creates such a strong dynamic, and it’s one of the things that makes this book feel so complete.

Beyond the romance and relationships, the plot is absolutely gripping. The world-building is immersive, and there are moments of action, suspense, and emotional weight that will keep you turning the pages. I couldn’t get enough of the twists and turns!

If you’re a fan of well-crafted fantasy with complex characters, a slow-burn romance that will keep you hooked, and themes of found family and loyalty, The Ever King is not to be missed. It’s a 5-star read, and I can’t recommend it enough.

This book had my attention from the beginning. Between the nature of their magical gifts (basically intense water and earth benders), abusive family dynamics, and war between their nations, Livia and Erik have some trauma to work through individually and some tension between them. The character development in this story is well done, and it intensifies the attraction building between Erik and Livia. Between the decks of viking pirate ships and mysterious island darkness spreading, the setting also added to the fast-paced action and unique and fasicanting nature of the story.

A solid, fun romantasy! Nothing breaks the mold here... It’s the same story you’ve read countless of times, but this one is on the stronger end of the spectrum for me. I had so much fun reading it, particularly in the first 2/3rds.

I loved the world of the Ever King! L.J. Andrews created a really cool universe with unique magic that follows rules/structure. Plus, I thought she built the world without too much info dumping, which is always an impressive feat.

I loved her side characters! I had no problem remembering who was who even though there were probably 10+ supporting players. Each one was super unique and I look forward to learning more about them in book two.

I enjoyed Erik and Livia’s relationship and thought it evolved naturally (but also predictably). Erik was such a fun “villain” in the beginning of the story. Dude has got charisma!

I’m such a sucker for a morally grey MMC who is obsessed but not controlling! What can I say, mutual respect just does it for me.

I really enjoyed reading the Ever King and plan to dive into book two very soon. I gasped when I turned the page and saw it was the acknowledgments. That cliff hanger!!!

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for my free advanced reader copy.

The beginning was a bit rough and choppy, but it soon picked up speed and became a worth Romantasy Read! Can’t wait for the next one!

Romantasy • Dual POV
Villain love interest • Spice
Pirates, fae, sirens
Nicknames • Forbidden romance

The Ever King is pirate fantasy perfection. I was completely hooked from the start!
Erik is the ruthless Ever King, bound to the sea. Livia is the earth fae princess he kidnaps for revenge.

“𝘏𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘧𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥, 𝘢 𝘵𝘺𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘵, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘧𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘮𝘺 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘩𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴. 𝘐 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘺.”

These characters are wonderfully complex. There’s more to Erik’s rough exterior than meets the eye and Livia might just be as morally grey as he is. The dynamic between them is everything. He is jealous and possessive, but also brings her peace. She knows what she wants and is bold in the face of danger.

“𝘉𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘥𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘸𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘤𝘩. 𝘈 𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘺 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘸𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘤𝘩. 𝘞𝘢𝘴 𝘪𝘵 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰𝘰 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮?”

The world LJ Andrews built is absolutely fascinating but still easy to follow. The mystery, tension, and captor/captive dynamic made this book impossible to put down. This was villain love like I have never read before - Erik Bloodsinger is one of a kind. 🖤
I’m not sure why it took me so long to pick this up considering how much I loved Pirates of the Caribbean. But I’m so glad I finally did! If a pirate romantasy with a dark villain MMC sounds good to you, definitely check out The Ever King. ⚔️✨

📖Thank you NetGalley and Berkley for my eARC.
The Ever King is re-releasing in hardcover on August 5th with six chapters of bonus content. It’s like a short story and I had tears by page two. Hearing more of Sewell’s story and learning even more of the character’s younger years was so great.

I am obsessed by everything LJ Andrews. I read this book when it was Indie published and loved it. I read it now and still love it. Getting to go back into this world was such a treat! I love the world, the characters, the romance, the plot... literally everything. I haven't stopped thinking about it & hope I get the chance to arc read the rest of the series as well!

Thank you so much to LJ, Berkley, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this arc!

Oh my, where do I even begin? This story took me on an emotional rollercoaster. This is my first LJ Andrews book, and it certainly won’t be my last! I was drawn in by the cover, title and description, but the captivating plot and characters made me stay. I had such a wonderful time reading this book. The pacing was fantastic, the world-building was immersive and the character development was phenomenal. Erik and Livia’s story, along with the other characters, truly stole my heart. I’m excited to see where LJ Andrews takes this series!

𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑬𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝑲𝒊𝒏𝒈 🏴‍☠️
by LJ Andrews

My (reread) Ratings:
4.5⭐️ 2🌶️ 5🎧

𝙰 𝚖𝚊𝚗 𝚑𝚎’𝚜 𝚗𝚘𝚝,
𝚠𝚎 𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚔 𝚠𝚎 𝚛𝚘𝚝,
𝙽𝚘 𝚜𝚕𝚎𝚎𝚙 𝚞𝚗𝚝𝚒𝚕 𝚒𝚝’𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚛𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑.
𝙰 𝚜𝚊𝚒𝚕𝚘𝚛’𝚜 𝚐𝚛𝚊𝚟𝚎
𝚒𝚜 𝚊𝚕𝚕 𝚠𝚎 𝚌𝚛𝚊𝚟𝚎.
𝚆𝚎 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝙴𝚟𝚎𝚛 𝙺𝚒𝚗𝚐’𝚜 𝚌𝚛𝚎𝚠.

I will never understand how every single one of LJ Andrew’s books are so captivating! They leave you on the edge of your seat, make you fall in love with characters, rip your heart out, and keep you longing for more!

The Ever King is no exception! Erik & Livia’s journey through this book is so fun, going from hating each other to completely confused to utterly devoted! BLOODSINGER this MAN! 😮‍💨 He is so down BAD for Livia! The bone jewelry gets me EVERY TIME! And his support of Livia’s difficulties and reminding her to breathe is just the sweetest thing ever 🫶🏻 And of course that cliffhanger 🥴 What a doozy!
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“𝚁𝚞𝚒𝚗 𝚖𝚎. 𝙳𝚎𝚜𝚝𝚛𝚘𝚢 𝚖𝚎. 𝙰𝚜 𝚕𝚘𝚗𝚐 𝚊𝚜 𝙸 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞.”
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Now aside from Erik & Livia there are COUNTLESS side characters that we grow to love, just in book 1! I will always stand by LJ being the QUEEN of side character development and found family! Sewell, Celine, Jonas, Aleksi, Taittttttt and so many more!
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And I have to also mention that I had the absolute PLEASURE of reading the *bonus content* that will be at the end of the new TRAD published hardcovers coming out on August 5th! YOU DO NOT want to miss it! It might just be a look into a certain Ever Ship cook’s past (like short story length - 6 whole chapters’ worth!!!) and a total tearjerker 😢 GO PREORDER TEK NOW so you have it in hand on release day!! I don’t believe this content will be anywhere else!

VIKING FAE PIRATES!!!! That is all you need to know

Have I just found my new favourite book??? I think so! I absolutely devoured this book and ignored all other responsibilities while reading it. I felt totally immersed in this world and my new obsession with Erik may just threaten my marriage.

LJ Andrews has firmly cemented herself as an autobuy author for me and she continues to write the most delicious men.

You know the characters are amazing when you start to have dreams about them! God that ending was painful and I am so glad I have the next book to dive right into

I fear the more I enjoy the book the less intelligible my reviews become and this is one that probably has me sounding like iver excited toddler. If you enjoy romantasy with enemies to lovers and some spice do yourself a favour and read this!

Although it definitely isnt necessary I am so so glad that I read her Broken Kingdoms series first which focuses on the parents generation.


EDIT TO INCLUDE NEW BONUS MATERIAL

I knew going in that reading more of Sewells story would break my heart and it certainly did. LJ has a way of writing longing in such a painful and believable way that it makes my heart ache. It may have only been a few extra chapters but they made me cry like a baby

The Serpent & The Songbird

The Ever King is an epic romantasy with brilliant world building, spice, pirates, and magic! It had literally everything I could hope for in a book and more. I was blown away by the intentional, well thought out prose and maturity of the overarching themes in this book. Erik, The Ever King, is a pirate king who has suffered his entire life at the hand of his own family and his family’s enemies. Livia has been treated as a prized possession her entire life, and everything changes for her when she’s stolen away by Erik. This enemies to lovers, he falls first, Pirates vs Vikings fantasy romance book will always be highly recommended by me going forward!

This was fast paced and full of gripping twists and turns! It’s a thrilling blend of romance, danger, and magic. With a captivating enemies-to-lovers arc, a strong heroine, and a brooding king, the story hooks you from the first page. The world-building is immersive, the tension is high, and the emotional stakes are real. It has a lot of love from me!!
4.5 ⭐️

The way this book quickly pulled me in and captured me. I’m obsessed 😍 it kept me on the edge of my seat and that slow burn 🤌🏻 the magic system and world building were phenomenal. Running to read the next book.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (Five Spellbound Stars)

L.J. Andrews did it again—and this time, she swept us into a tide of fae curses, pirate magic, and the kind of slow-burn romantic tension that makes you want to throw the book across the room (in the best way possible). As someone who became utterly enchanted by her Broken Kingdoms series, I had high expectations for The Ever King. Spoiler: it did not disappoint.

Set in the same vivid world but with a new cast of characters, The Ever King plunges us into cursed lands and dark seas where secrets rule and loyalty is earned the hard way. The morally grey Ever King is every bit the brooding, tormented, "I’ll-burn-down-the-world-for-her" type, and his chemistry with our fierce, no-nonsense heroine crackles like lightning over stormy waters. Their dynamic is pure enemies-to-lovers gold—complete with verbal sparring, reluctant alliances, and just enough emotional gut punches to make your chest ache. (Seriously, L.J., who gave you the right?)

And let’s talk about the found family. Pirates, sirens, and fae misfits banding together in a world that wants to chew them up? Yes, please. Add in curses, daggers, and a lot of “who hurt you?” moments, and this becomes a romance that doesn’t just sizzle—it scars beautifully.

Andrews’ prose is as lush and lyrical as ever, and the way she blends danger, longing, and mythic grandeur? Chef’s kiss. Whether you’re here for the morally grey MMC, the vengeance-soaked stakes, or just to scream into a pillow over the “touch her and die” energy, The Ever King delivers.

Tropes You’ll Devour in This Book:
🤗 Found Family
❤️ Enemies to Lovers
🏴‍☠️ Pirates, Fae, and Sirens
✨ Cursed Lands
⛓️ Morally Grey MMC
🔪 Touch Her & Die
😡 Who Did This To You?

If you’ve ever wanted Pirates of the Caribbean to be a romantasy with actual emotional payoff and fae politics, The Ever King is your next obsession. Thanks to LJ Andrews and the publisher for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I started this, realized there was a series that came before it, and paused to go read that nine book series because my brain just needs to read things in order 😅 that being said….you’ll be just fine if you start with the Ever King. I’m happy I read the Broken Kingdoms series because I really enjoyed Valen and Elise, but again, not 100% necessary.

As for Erik & the Ever King book…I loved this. It’s really fun and sucks you in. I didn’t want to put it down.

I absolutely devoured this book! I pretty much spent my entire Sunday just reading this book! The Ever King kinda came out of nowhere for me. I saw an aesthetic video on booktok and it looked interesting but you never know with booktok as it can be a hit or a miss but this was definitely a hit! I also hadn't read the other series before so this world is completely new to me!

The FMC, Livia, is a earth fae princess. When she was a child, she came across another boy, a sea fae Erik, and their enemy, locked in their dungeon. She read him a story about a songbird and serpent and gave him her necklace in exchange for his mantle to keep safe that he promises he will return for. When she walked away, she tripped and broke it and got a rune on her arm that she's hidden since.

Fast forward to the present day, it has been 10 years since the war finished and the sea fae had been locked behind the chasm. Ever since that day as a child, Livia has been experiencing nightmares but has also been drawn to the sea. The earth fae celebrate the ending of the war with a festival and Livia has felt unsettled all day. In tradition with her friends, they party and Livia goes into the sea with her cousin to see the chasm and how it's locked in hopes to alleviate her concerns. When they see it, she feels drawn to it and touches it. Without realizing that she has opened it.

On the other side of the chasm in the sea fae kingdom, Ever, Erik the Ever King has been trying to save his kingdom as it has been dealing with a plague on the land, destroying the earth. He feels when the chasm that trapped them in the Ever broke and heads with his crew to the Earth kingdom to get back his father's mantle, as he believes it is the only way to save his kingdom. When he gets there, he is drawn to Livia, as he has never forgotten her from that night in the dungeons. Since there is a masquerade party happening, he pretends to be someone else and approaches the princess. Since they have been both drawn together, she goes with him and things start heating up until he shows who he is and steals her away from her kingdom.

I loved this book. The world drew me in right away. We got pirates, different types of fae, enemies to lovers, slow burn to some spicy scenes where the main characters kept getting interrupted as well as I think some fated mates. I cannot wait for the next one to this their story conclude!! It does end on a cliffhanger, that I was not expecting.

As someone who is obsessed with mermaids and Pirates of the Caribbean I absolutely loved this!

I love L.J. Andrews writing and she nailed it again! This story was the perfect true enemies to lovers and I devoured it!

Amazing yet simple worldbuilding, a found family you would do anything for, delicious banter and the perfect morally grey book boyfriend!

I did NOT see those plot twists coming and I need to dive straight into book two with that brutal cliffhanger!

In case it wasn't clear yet, I highly recommend this book!