This has been on my TBR FOREVER! Started a little slow but it picked up and I ended up loving it. Definitely moving to book 2 in the series!

The Ever King by L.J.Abdrews does not disappoint! It's a gripping romantasy that follows Erik, the vengeful pirate king of the Ever Kingdom, who captures his enemy’s daughter, Livia, in a quest for revenge. The world-building is rich and immersive, blending pirates, sirens, and fae with Viking lore.

Erik’s character is a compelling anti-hero, torn between his desire for vengeance and the unexpected feelings he develops for Livia. L.J.Andrews does complex characters so well and I just loved how Livia owns her feelings for him in these books. One aspect I really liked is how Livia suffers from anxiety on page and Erik works through hard moments with her, they're really beautiful ❤️

I found the storyline well-paced with fun twists and evocative writing. The found family in these books is next level and I love that the side characters are getting their own stories. Overall Ever King is a must-read for those who enjoy morally complex characters and richly imagined settings, you can't get better!

The Ever King

Pirates, faes and poisoned blood…oh my! I felt the story started off strong. Then it stayed pretty level the rest of the time. I enjoyed the read and will likely read book 2 since this book ended in a cliff hanger.

~Enemies to lovers
~Pirates
~Fae
~Political intrigue

3.5⭐️

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley for a copy of the digital ARC. All opinions are my own.

Dnf@30%
Hear me out,I can tolerate a morally grey MMCs but THAT'S FREAKING PITCH BLACK. I swear to God every time this man open his damned mouth I want to freaking gag. He's so vile OMG 🤢. And don't let me start with the FMC like she KNOWS she FREAKING KNOWS BETTER. HE kidnapped her, threatened to let his entire crew of men R@PE her and she's like omg he's so handsome. GIRL......GIRL ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND!!!! Maybe if someone told me it's worth continuing I'll reconsider picking it up but for now I'm out, bye 🫡

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚𝕻𝖗𝖊-𝖗𝖊𝖆𝖉˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆

I've heard so many good things about this book and now I have the eARC from Netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group hope I love it 💖💖

I have seen nothing but good things about anything LJ Andrews writes. So, when I saw The Ever King on NetGalley with a BONUS chapter, I applied for it so fast. I am so glad I was approved because all the hype about this book is legit. I was hooked in from the prologue.

In a world where sea and earth fae are mortal enemies. The Ever King is out for revenge against the man who killed his father and trapped him within his kingdom. Erik Bloodsinger🥵 You know I love a good morally gray MMC. He was top tier in that category. His enemy's daughter, Livia unbeknownst to her, ends up being a pawn in Erik’s vicious game of revenge, or does she😏

“She’s innocent. He’s vicious. But he will take back what he lost, no matter the price.

Unless she steals his heart first.”

Thank you for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I love this book so much!

The magic system of The Ever is so cool, I love Erik's Blood singer magic. There were so many cool pirate elements to this story. Loved the actual bone ship. And I enjoyed the high stakes plot. The world building was fun! I loved how you traveled underwater from the mainland and The Ever.

As far as the romance, I love a villainous MMC with a tragic backstory. He was such a soft cinnamon roll on the inside, but then he would turn around make Livia jewelry from bones of her enemies. I feel like Livia was able to give Erik the tenderness he deserves. Their bond and how they support each other is so sweet. The romance could have been a little slower burn, but that's just a personal preference. Loved how he kept the songbird necklace from when they were kids. The characters are so fun. I love Erik, and I really love how the Ever magic is connected to song. And the crew of the ship! Sewell has my heart 🥹 I loved that bonus content!

I am absolutely OBSESSED with Erik Bloodsinger.
I’m so sad I waited so long to read this incredible piece of work. But it was worth the wait because I couldn’t put it down! Can’t wait to read the next!

The Ever King is romantasy at its finest. Pirates and vikings and make them fae. Count me in. Erik Bloodsinger is the king of the Ever Seas, and he has a debt to pay to the rival kingdom. When he decides to kidnap the opposing king's daughter as revenge, his plans quickly go awry.

Erik is truly morally grey, and he's only soft for her. Livia is strong willed and sees the best in everyone, most notably Erik.

One of my favorite things about LJ Andrews' writing is that she expertly balances a big cast of characters. While this story is about Erik and Livia, I was constantly curious about the side characters. This aspect makes me very excited to see more from this series as we get more of their stories.

I highly suggest picking up this trad release because the bonus content at the end is incredible. I love seeing more from these characters, and this was perfect.

Ohhh I liked this one a lot. It’s definitely a fave fantasy this year for sure. The pirates, fae sirens plot in a romantasy is not something I read a lot of and it made it a more unique story. I liked the fmc who is this princess that is captured by the Ever King. The Ever King is the mmc and he’s a pirate with an earring and he’s hot. I liked the morally grey kidnapping part and how that came about. I liked all the lore and world building between the 2 main characters family. I liked all the time that was on a boat and on sea. The romance from the jump was banter and chemistry filled, even when they disliked each other they still has chemistry. It gets steamy and I loved the progression of the relationship, how they grew, secrets that were uncovered and learning more about the lore. The ending was a cliffhanger and I can’t wait to read the next book. Thanks to Ace books for the arc for an honest review.

Oh my GOD. Erik had me literally drooling and passing away from his arrogance and swagger. The man was FIRE. This entire story was FIRE. It gives Pirates of the Caribbean with magic, and what more could you ask for?! This story had me sucked in from start to finish. Honestly, I have been sucked in since the little teaser we get of Livia and Erik in the last book of The Broken Kingdom series. I just knewwww this was going to be a good one, and IT WAS. Watching Erik absolutely melt around his Songbird made my heart soar. We also love when a fantasy man has the "touch her and you die" vibes, and Erik has that tenfold. I am absolutely obsessed with this story and these characters, just like I was with the other series!!

It’s like pirate fae and the earth fae. It gives sexy Captain Hook vibes. It’s like if Jack sparrow kidnapped Elizabeth and she falls in love with him 😂.

It has some good 🌶️ scenes. Maybe 2? This is the first in a series and I am so happy that they are all published and I don’t have to wait for the next book.

I think this is a "it's me, not you" situation. The prose was lovely, and I can tell there's a lot to the world -- I'm always a sucker for big, broad worlds. I struggled with the dialogue, admittedly, and feeling engrossed in the storyline. I might pick this up at a later date. As to not contribute to a low rating, I'll leave this sitting at a 4 for now!

I originally read this when it was indie published so reading this again just makes me so sentimental. It was one of the first romantasy series I read as a baby bookstagrammer and I’m so honored I get to read it in a different capacity.

Livia and Erik remain one of my favorite book couples. I absolutely love the way LJ portrays anxiety and PTSD and how Erik’s helping her through the panic. I love love love their dynamic and how he’s only soft for her. He’s vulgar and sexy and everything we want in a morally grey man. 😮‍💨

Let us talk about "The Ever King" by L.J. Andrews.

”Such a beautiful little bird. What a pity it was that her serpent had come to ruin her.”

What a joy this was to read! To dive into the fathoms of this world, where the open sea, pirates, and deep dark secrets lie. Oh to feel the spray of the salt water, and to glimpse into the darkest of chasms of what was a truly fun ride, I so want to do again.

Our FMC, Livia - was strong, fearless, and had no shame in being herself. She was feisty, sarcastic, a treat to behold in her own right. Granted a princess, but this songbird was more than just a whimsical girl. She held her own against our broody MMC, made the crew of the Ever Ship fall in love with her, and held her own.

Erik, our beautiful and achingly traumatic MMC - you could not hate him, only want to take him, wrap your arms around him and take away all his aches, his worries, and his loathing. The serpent who stole the songbird from her home, who wanted to use her to get back what was rightfully his - would eventually fall.

“Hate me, curse me, I cared little, so long as I was the first thought of her day and the last of her night.”

With an exciting backdrop of islands and the open sea, magic that laces throughout the world, and characters that sneak their way into your heart and mind - I want to continue on this journey with Livia and Erik and to take on the high seas with all it's glory.

✨ Pirates
✨ Slow Burn
✨ Found Family
✨ Enemies to Lovers
✨ He Falls First
✨ Mental Health
✨ Unique Magical System

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Spice: 🔥🔥

Thank you NetGalley & Berkley Publishing Group for this ARC.

I liked this book a lot! I read Of Mischief and Mages by LJ Andrews and loved it so much and wanted to try another book by her. This story with fae and pirates was so fun and even if there was some slightly cheesy dialogue, the character development was amazing and I fell in love with everyone! Cannot wait to read the next book in the series!

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

There is something so magical about someone writing a book that transports me out of this world. I love love love learning new magic systems and different species, what divides people in this world and even the physical landscape of somewhere different. Teach me everything!

The Ever King delivered!

Expect 👉🏼 Romantasy, Enemies to Lovers, Captor and Captive, Royalty of Waring Worlds, Secrets, Spice, Revenge, Morally Grey

Livia has never forgotten the boy her family held captive. He’s been gone for years but suddenly he’s back in her world and ripping her away from family and everything she knows in a plot for revenge and to get back the mantle of his power that he left with her.

I couldn’t stop. This story captured my attention and I couldn’t wait to understand the world and why Erik had no sympathy for Livia. Erik is every shade of grey but watching him fall for Livia was magic. I would catch myself with the most satisfied little grin while I was reading this story.

And holy cannoli… that cliffhanger!! I’m obsessed with these two and I need to know what happens next!

Thank you Berkley for the #gifted arc!

4.5/5

Will I ever get over this book? Nope. I don't think so. And pirates with fae??? with spice??? Sign me up.

The world that LJ brings to us in the story is so beautifully done and the bond between Erik and Livia is perfection. I love that we got enemies to lovers with a back story, I thought that the prologue was a perfect introduction into the dynamic between the two main characters.

HOWEVERRRR, the cliffhanger was not cool and now I have to sprint to read book 2!!! I already miss Erik and Livia and am chomping at the bit for their story to continue!!


Tropes:
- enemies to lovers
- forced proximity
- "who did this to you?"
- touch her and die
- morally grey MMC
- pirates and fae


Thank you NetGalley for an ARC of this fantastic book!!

If you’re looking for a pirate romance, this is the one. It gave Pirates of the Caribbean vibes, large ships, mermaids and romance. The back stories were very interesting but I sometimes found them hard to follow as a lot of the characters from the memories were dead and I had limited context for them. I would definitely continue this series! Please note: this ends on a huge cliffhanger and I would NOT recommend reading it if you’re looking for a standalone read.

Thank you NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

“She was never theirs anyway. Not really. From the moment the songbird tried to appeal to a serpent, she was mine.”

Pirates + Vikings + Romantasy + Enemies to Lovers? How can you not??

This is such a great book and the start to a great duology. You can absolutely read this as your introduction to this world without having first read the Broken Kingdom series, even the ones that deal with Erik's backstory. (If you do do that, however, definitely go back and read the Broken Kingdom series next! They're great!)

I love the intense connection these two have with each other from the start. We definitely delve into the darker shades of morally grey with Erik Bloodsinger and his crew, but never go fully morally black. Livia finds her own morally grey space as she develops as a character, but still stays true to the songbird we meet at the very beginning.

Rating: 5/5
Spice: 2.5/5

Tropes:
- Vikings
- Kidnapping his enemy's daughter
- Fae
- Touch her and die
- Enemies to lovers
- Pirates
- Fated mate-esque
- Mind speaking
- Anxiety rep
- Morally grey MMC
- Masquerade ball
- Found family
- Dual POV
- First in a completed duology

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy.

I WILL NEVER NOT LOVE THIS BOOK!!!! The Ever King is quite literally the most under hyped fantasy book in the industry. Eric Bloodsinger is the most morally grey and romantic MMC of any fantasy book I’ve read. The creativity needed for the author to create this whole sea fae realm and land fae magic system sets the bar. And the spice? 🥵 But be warned, you will be desperate for book two at the end of this one! I cannot wait to read all LJ Andrews has in store for the Ever Seas!