The Ever King is book one in The Ever Seas Series by L J Andrews. It is an enemies to lovers, fated mates, romantasy that will have you addicted from page one. 

Erik is out for the blood of the enemy who stole his father from him. Unfortunately, he also has an undeniable pull to the enemy’s daughter, Livia. What starts as a scheme to get back at Livia’s father quickly turns to so much more as Livia slowly reminds Erik what it is to love. 

L J Andrews is one of my autobuy authors. I have yet to read a book of hers that was not exquisite, and The Ever King delivers in the best way possible. Erik is a villain you hate to love, but L J gives you (and Livia) no other choice; you will fall for him, no doubt. Livia is strong, independent, and not afraid to chase what her heart truly desires. Ripe with the politics, magic, and banter I’ve come to expect from Andrews’ books, I found myself absolutely enthralled and devoured the book in two sittings. There are twists and turns you will not see coming, which only adds to the thrill of an already spectacular book. If you enjoy fantasy, you’ll definitely want to check out this book! I cannot wait to read book two!

Thank you, Berkley Publishing Group, Ace, for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

✨𝒜𝑅𝒞 𝑅𝑒𝓋𝒾𝑒𝓌✨

“𝘏𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘥𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘵 𝘮𝘦. 𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘦 𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵.”

Stepping back into the world of The Ever King is like revising the fondest memory. This story will undoubtedly capture the hearts of romantasy lovers looking for an unforgettable love story between a morally grey villain who is as loyal as he is vicious and a heroine who is fierce yet compassionate.

While Livia befriends the young Erik during his capture, their relationship and fates are forever altered one night, ten years later. The fragile time of peace is shattered thanks to Erik’s thirst for revenge and they must now navigate dangerous waters of uncharted territory. With the turning tides, will the Serpent and Songbird sink or swim?

Tropes/themes:
👀 Dual POV
⚠️ Enemies to lovers
🫂 Forced proximity
🩶 Morally grey MMC
🚫 Touch her/him and 💀
❤️‍🩹 Mental health rep
🙋🏻‍♂️ He falls first
🏴‍☠️ Pirates vs Vikings
🌶️: open door

I was completely engrossed in Livia and Erik’s relationship- their connection in their youth, their unexpected reunion as adults, and their shifting bond thereafter.

While I lived for the snark and banter, the tender moments melted my heart. Glimpses of Erik’s past that shaped him into the ruthless and broken man he is now further inspired my own bloodlust for him. I’m looking forward to seeing if Livia begins to acknowledge and perhaps even embrace her inner darkness in the next book.

I was captivated by the unique magic of the fae and sirens in this story and the brutality of this world. The world building is impeccable, the pacing is perfect, and the romance is irresistible.

The Ever King is an epic tale that calls to your heart like a siren’s song and leaves you devastated with the most vicious book hangover! The bonus material exclusive to the hardcover is not to be missed!

Huge thanks to the author, Berkley Publishing Group, Ace Books, and NetGalley for the review copy opportunity! This is my honest and voluntary review

I love the Ever Seas series so much. I was thrilled to discover that my favorite books were being re-released in traditional publishing with an updated cover design and bonus content. I love both Erik and Livia. They are one of my favorite couples because they will also do anything for each other, their kingdoms, and their families/found families. I am a huge fan of LJ Andrews and her writing. She is a masterful writer, capable of crafting unique magical systems, expansive worlds, and amazing character arcs. Another favorite aspect of LJ Andrew’s stories is her ability to place just as much importance on the side characters. I find myself falling in love with them just as much as the main characters. Sewell holds a special place in my heart, and the bonus content in the rerelease had me feeling so many emotions! You are taken on quite the journey through The Ever King with swoon-worthy romance, morally grey characters, found family, Viking/Pirate vibes, and a whirlwind of emotions. Thank you so much to Berkley Publishing, Ace Books, and NetGalley for the gifted copy.

LJ Andrews is a goddess and a must read author for me!!!! I loved her Broken Kingdoms series and her newest Broken Souls and Bones so when I saw these were being rereleased as traditionally published I had to read them and OMG!!!!!
One of my favorite reads of the year!
Pirates, far, enemies to lovers, slow burn, villain gets the girl, second generation of royals I mean what else do you need!!! Go out and get this book!! You won't regret it!

🌊👑 Review: The Ever King (Re-Release Edition)
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️♾️
By LJ Andrews

I have no chill when it comes to this book.

THE EVER KING has officially claimed my whole heart (again).

From the very first line to the final breathtaking scene, this story wrapped itself around me and never let go. It’s everything I crave in fantasy: high-stakes political intrigue, aching slow-burn romance, a richly built world teeming with fae magic, pirate lore, and shadows of destiny. LJ Andrews didn’t just write a book, she carved out a kingdom I never want to leave.

Set ten years after The Broken Kingdom series, we follow the next generation of royals, and let me tell you: they did not come to play. The emotional depth, the secrets, the simmering tension between fated mates who shouldn’t want each other ⭐️ chef’s kiss ⭐️ This is enemies to lovers, but with that addictive, slow-building intensity that makes you want to scream into your pillow at 2am.

💥 You want fierce, layered characters who grow and bleed and fight for what they love? You got it.
💥 You want political betrayal, magical realms, and moments so tender they break you? It’s all here.
💥 You want a pirate fae king who steps onto the page and steals your soul with a single quote?

“Hello, love. I told you I’d come back for you.”
I. MELTED.

Tropes & Magic you’ll obsess over:
✨ Enemies to Lovers
✨ Forced Proximity
✨ Fated Mates
✨ Pirate Royals & Fae Courts
✨ Second Generation Royal Drama
✨ Slow Burn, But So Worth the Wait
✨ Hidden Truths & Broken Oaths
✨ Found Family & Fierce Loyalty
✨ Soul-aching Angst + Hope
✨ Deep Character Growth
✨ Beautiful, Lyrical Writing

This book felt like it was written for the romantasy reader who wants ✨more✨ more tension, more plot, more emotion, more world to explore. I was emotionally wrecked in the best possible way. I laughed, I swooned, I clutched my Kindle like it was life or death.

The Ever King is a fantasy experience. It's cinematic, poetic, and completely unforgettable. I already know I’ll be rereading this again and again. This re-release is the perfect time to dive in or return to the world if you’ve been missing it.

📚 If you love stories that leave a mark on your soul, LJ Andrews delivers it here wrapped in danger, sealed with a kiss, and carried by the tides of destiny.

Five stars!⭐️I eagerly picked this up whenever I had free time, and it was a 5-star experience from the start.

Pirate fae and a unique magical world where earth fae and sea fae are separated by the outcome of a past war. Great plot with a slow-burn romance, most questions answered in book 1, leaving room for more in book 2.

The dual POV between Livia and Erik, along with their lovable side characters, makes this forbidden love/enemies-to-lovers story with a softer backstory fantastic. I’ll definitely pick up book 2 soon!

Thanks to Berkley Pub/Ace Books Pub & NetGalley for the eARC. My opinions are my own!

LJ Andrews continues to deliver with strong female leads and violent but fiercely loyal and loving males. The world-building in this series is very rich and detailed without taking over the plot. The side characters really are truly 'characters' that are so easily seen in the mind's eye! I love how the layers of the whole Ever crew were slowly peeled back just as they were for our MMC Erik. We're met with a very rough and rowdy group of sailors that, as we slowly get to know them better, reveal themselves to be so full of heart, loyalty, and love for their king and their land. The ending is one that will have you begging to reach for the next book for sure!

The Ever King is hands down one of my top reads to date and LJ Andrews will always be my favorite author. When I found out this book was being republished with bonus content, I knew I had to go through a re-read and was lucky enough to be provided with an ARC to be able to read the bonus content before it was released. Reading through this beautiful, slow burn, enemies to lovers (or friends, to enemies to lovers, maybe?) again gave me all the feelings I find myself looking for in everything I read. The angst, the found family, LJ always knows exactly what she’s doing.

“Hello, Love…”

Sweeping across dark and mystical seas, The Ever King, Erik longs for revenge for the death of his father. He is desperate to find a way out and a way to save his kingdom. A long ago kindness sets Livia on an uncharted course away from her friends, family and homeland. Slow to start, but full of magic and intrigue The Ever King diverges from the mainstay romantasy worlds.

This story and these characters have a special place in my heart as someone who fell in love with the first generation in The Broken Kingdoms. Being able to continue experiencing these characters journey as adults instead of littles is amazing.

What started out as a young princess of the Earth fae extending compassion and friendship to an enemy king of the Sea fae as children evolved into something so much more in this tale of star crossed, enemies to lovers. LJ Andrews took these tropes and understood the assignment. It was brutal, banter full, and beautiful! The Ever King is fast paced and full adventure; complete with a morally gray MMC who goes from wanting nothing more than to destroy his songbird’s people to a man willing to burn worlds down for her happiness.

This is not a book you read once and forget. It’s a world that will draw you in so completely, you’ll dive back in over and over again. It’s a story that is timeless and will leave you rooting for the villain without pause! I absolutely love this book and these characters, and getting to read more of Sewell journey at the end made it all the more special.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the free ebook in exchange for my honest opinions and review.

If you, like me, are a fan of when the villain gets the girl, you need to immediately go get this book. It had the perfect blend of romance & action, and a perfectly misunderstood villain. I am so excited to read the next book!

4.25⭐️

Erik Bloodsinger has been trapped in the Ever Seas since his kingdom lost the war to the earth fae. He has dreamed of getting revenge on the man who killed his father so when his daughter accidentally opens the portal between their realms, he steals her away. Livie should hate the Ever King, but she has been drawn to him since they were children. When she is taken to the Ever Seas, she uncovers a world very different from her own. She knows she needs to find a way back home, but soon they learn that she may be the only person who can save the sea fae from an unknown darkness.

I am so enthralled by the world of the Ever King! The magic system is so fun and unique, and I absolutely love the characters. LJ Andrews’ writing is incredible and she set up a truly captivating world. This story was so exciting and I cannot wait to continue the series. I also cannot wait to go back and read the Broken Kingdom series to learn more about some of the characters in this book. If you love dark romantasies, you need to add this series to your TBR!

What to expect:
🩶 Dark Romantasy
🩶 Enemies-to-Lovers
🩶 Captive Romance
🩶 Pirates, Fae and Sirens
🩶 Touch Her and ☠️

Thank you to LJ Andrews, Berkley and NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed how easy the world building was and appreciate the opportunity to review the bonus content!

The Ever King is a dark, romantic fantasy packed with tension, magic, and a broody sea fae king you’ll love to hate (and then maybe just love). The enemies-to-lovers dynamic is full of angst and banter, and the world feels rich and dangerous. It leans into mature themes and gets intense at times, but if you’re into moody, slow-burn romance with a twist of danger, it’s a fun and emotional ride. Looking forward to the next book!

Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the opportunity to read the eARC before it releases

The world building in this book is phenominal! I am not usually a huge fan of fantasy but this book has my heart. Erik and Livia are fire together. You can tell from the very beginning of the book that they are fated to be together. I loved how Livia has a quiet strength. She's not a powerful in-your-face female main character but that doesn't make her weak. The banter and angst is on point and the book ends on a cliffhanger. LJ Andrews has renewed my interest in the romantasy genre!

4.5 stars and my thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for the eARC!!

For years Erik, the scarred king of the Ever Kingdom, has thought of nothing but vengeance against the man who killed his father and trapped him beneath the waves, making him a prisoner in his own realm. Until his enemy’s daughter unintentionally breaks the chains on the Ever, and Erik makes her the unwitting pawn in his vicious game of revenge.
She’s innocent. He’s vicious. But he will take back what he lost, no matter the price.
Unless she steals his heart first.

What a great book! I wasn't expecting to like it as much as I did, but it held on to me the whole way through. I only wish there could have been more to the "I loved him the moment I laid eyes on him", bc lol girlie...the narrative does not agree with that..

I can't wait to get my hands on The Ever Queen!

4.5 - ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 💫

“Careful with your threats of my untimely death, love, or you might end up stealing my heart.”

The Ever King is the first instalment in the adult dark romantasy series, The Ever Seas. Written in dual first person POV, the story follows Livia and Erik, two fae born into enemy families that find themselves brought together by fate again...and again.

Erik may be trapped in the realm of the Ever Seas but, as king, he is determined to avenge his father by bringing down the Night Folk king. When Livia, the daughter of his enemy, accidentally breaks the barrier between Erik's realm and hers Erik realizes this could be the opportunity of a lifetime. Yet he remembers this girl and their brief connection years ago...will Erik be able to exact revenge by stealing back what was lost or will Livia find herself stealing the real prize of his heart?

Oh, I had so much fun with this book.

I am a sucker for a romantasy where the characters had a brief interaction in the past that left them connected in a way they never truly understood. I adore exploring that in the present as they try to deny this feeling and fail.

Livia is a sweetheart with a level and kindness and empathy that Erik needed in a world of brutality. This doesn't mean she can easily be walked over, though. She is strong and stands for what she believes. She learns to fight and I loved seeing her fierceness grow to protect those she comes to care for.

Erik is a man who has spent his life surviving by being as vicious as he can...at least on the surface. He may come across as cruel and indifferent at first but underneath is a man who cares and I loved seeing him become a fierce MMC with a focus. He challenges our FMC so well but I also like how he doesn't hold back himself from her. He suffers from insecurity around his scars but they make him so much stronger.

“I am in your hands, I am at your command, for you have made me love you, and you will be my destruction because of it.”

In terms of spice I would place this book at 3 spicy peppers out of 5 spicy peppers. There are about 5 spicy scenes throughout this book with the earliest spice around 48%. Our MCs start with a brief connection but years of animosity between their people meant their second meeting was bitter and angry. I loved seeing them exchange barbs before falling hopelessly for each other. It made the spice so much more satisfying. The spice itself is explicit and detailed with our characters exploring the bodies fully. I enjoyed how as the spice progressed we saw a level of intimacy and vulnerability in our characters because they were opening up to each other. They were passionate and dedicated to each other's pleasure. Livia is a virgin and Erik's focus on ensuring she enjoyed spice was perfection. The spice did a great job highlighting how well these characters worked.

The story itself is well paced and so easy to devour. I loved the introduction of this story as it really helped lay down the connection that grew so well between our MCs. I felt the lore and world was well established and I felt truly connected to the story as we slowly unravelled the animosity and rivalry between the Night Folk and Ever Fae; we also dig into the conflict within the Ever Sea! There are various plot movements that build up the story from the focus on the mantle, the curse on the realm, and the political intrigue as various figures chafe against Erik's rule. All blended well to keep me engaged. I really enjoyed the side characters who helped move our characters along - a special shout out to Sewell for being amazing and outstanding. There are some pretty big twists I did not anticipate that hooked me in. We get a good amount of action to balance moments of quiet and romance. The climax gives us a big cliffhanger but it has me so excited for book 2!

Overall, The Ever King offers us a dark pirate romantasy that draws you in from start to finish. I adore Erik and Livia and cannot wait for their story to continue!

Thank you Ace Publishing for this arc!

The Ever King re-releases as a traditionally published novel in just a few days, and I was fortunate enough to get an e-arc of the new version with the extra content so I could read it before the re-release.

I’m a huge fan of The Ever Seas and everything I’ve read by L.J. Andrews has been wonderful. There’s something special about The Ever King, though. Maybe because he’s unapologetically morally gray. Maybe also because he isn’t afraid of fighting for what he believes in. He’s raw and at times monstrous, and at times, the very best of men. Eric Bloodsinger is addictive, and for me, that was part of the reason The Ever King was a 5 star read.

The story is action-packed, but the action doesn’t overwhelm the character growth - it drives it. And it’s wonderful to see Bloodsinger and Livia grow over the course of the book.

The new trad version has bonus content, and I want to emphasize that content in this review. That content gives us Sewell’s backstory. We learn how he was injured and suffered brain damage, and why it is that Sewell, Celine, and Gavyn are so loyal to Bloodsinger.

This bonus content gives us a glimpse of a much younger Erik Bloodsinger, learning to deal with his uncle while holding fast to his values. Like the morally gray Ever King we know and love, young Erik is more than willing to lie to protect someone and take risks for those he cares about.
Sewell’s story is painful. The tragic tale is tempered for those who’ve read The Ever King, because we see Sewell’s future, but I still found myself welling up a little. Sewell is such a beloved character, and it was fantastic to get this insight into his family’s tragic tale.

As always, L.J. Andrews delivers a fantastic narrative that consumed me, and I hope more people discover just how incredible The Ever King is. One of my all-time favorite characters from one of my favorite series.

I didn’t know I needed a pirate romantasy book until I read this! This was a fun one and I can’t wait for Jonas’ story!

I had so much fun reading this, the world building was well done, the characters were interesting, and the romance was spicy! I love me a good morally grey mmc with pirate vibes, I can’t wait to get to the next book!