Thank you to NetGalley, Berkley, Ace and the author for the arc!

I am just beginning to dip my toes into the romantasy/fantasy world … but I absolutely loved Broken Souls And Bones by this same author, so I was excited to try out another one!

It’s a captor/captive, enemies to lovers saga with huge Pirates of the Caribbean vibes … and I wasn’t mad about that at all! Erik & Livia have great swoony, chemistry and the side characters burrowed themselves right into my heart!

The world building did lose me a little here & there, but I am going to blame that on my romantasy newbie status! It wasn’t so confusing that I couldn’t follow along with the plot tho and I still had a great time with the story!

The bonus content included at the end showed us more about the life of one of my favorite characters, Sewell … and although his story ripped my heart out, I loved reading more about him.

Oh, and this one ends on a huge cliffhanger … so be prepared for that! Bring on The Ever Queen … we need answers!!

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!

✨ARC Review✨
The Ever King || The Ever series, Book #1 by LJ Andrews
⭐️5 ||3 🌶️ || 🗣️ Dual POV, 1st Person || 🧗🏼 Cliffy Rating: 2/3

Read this if you like:
▪️Enemies to Lovers
▪️Morally Grey, Possessive MMC
▪️She’s the Daughter of His Enemy
▪️Soul Bond
▪️Vikings x Pirates of the Caribbean (but make it Fae)
▪️Revenge Plot
▪️Delicious Spice
▪️Grumpy x Sunshine
▪️He Kidnaps Her
▪️Forced Proximity
▪️Touch Her and He Will Make Jewelry from your Bones
▪️He is a Little Unhinged (& we love him for it)
▪️Childhood Crush
▪️”But Daddy I Love Him’ (more of this in book #2..)


As a die-hard LJA fan, I was absolutely honored to get this ARC via Netgalley so I can continue to support her in her trad publishing journey. She was my inspiration for starting a bookish review account because I wanted to shout about her books since reading the indie Ever King and the prequel series, The Broken Kingdoms. She deserves all the love and 5 star reviews.

Erik may have kidnapped Livia, but he kidnapped my heart back in October 2023 and has not returned it. I've read hundreds of books since then and he is still one of my favorite MMCs. He's both brutal and soft, depending on who is in his presence. The ruthless devotion he shows to Livia (which is shown tenfold in The Ever Queen) is one of my favorite things about him.

And Livia - also one of my favorite FMCs to this day. I can't say a bad thing about her. I love the anxiety representation we get with her character, as well as her growth throughout the story. She is equally devoted to him once she realizes he isn't her enemy. And I mean let's be honest, if Erik Bloodsinger kidnapped you, would you fight it? Some call it kidnapping, I call it heavily guided persuasion...

I cannot say enough good things about this book. It is the perfect romantasy recipe and I will eat it up every single time.


🗣️ "You were never supposed to matter, but you do. You ruined everything, and I don't care. Ruin me. Destroy me. As long as I have you."

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

🗣️ “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.”

🗣️ The draw to her was like a crawl for water after being lost in the blaze of the sun.

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

They stole his crown, so he stole their daughter….

The way this book held me captive, just like Erik held Livia captive… I could not put it down! Obsessed is an understatement, I think I found my new passion.

Erik Bloodsinger - the Ever King and a vicious sea captain. He’s also the most ruthless when it comes to getting what he wants, and once he sets his eyes on his target, there’s no turning back. His main focus, saving his cursed lands and getting revenge for his father. The only way how he can accomplish this, is by stealing his enemies daughter. His plan starts off flawlessly, until fate reveals its true nature.

Livia Ferus - Princess to the earth fae and beloved by her people, has nightmares of the childhood stories she told to an enemy once held captive. The only way to counteract these terrors, is to find the soothing touch of her mother. However when dreams start to feel too real, and signs point her to her nightmares becoming reality, it’s too late for her escape. The serpent has captured the songbird and in order to escape Erik’s grasp, she has to play along. She knows what he is after - however the truth she is keeping hidden might destroy everything he’s sought after.

I loved this story so much! I’ve read it a year ago, and just finished reading it again prior to the new publication release on August 5th! This book held me captive all this time and forever will. The story unfolding between Erik and Livia is astoundingly beautiful. The passion you feel for each of them, and the side characters throughout the entire story is breathtaking. I felt like I was in their world living their moments and that’s hard to feel as a reader - truly feeling like you’re a part of their story. It’s beautiful and all encompassing. I will always recommend this book to readers because it is without a doubt one of my favorite books of all time.

To the serpent and his songbird - I will always find you.

The Ever King is being re-released so I took the opportunity to read Erik and Livia’s story again. The reasons I fell in love with them are still there. Livia is a kind FMC, but has an inner strength that shines through even in some of her darkest moments. Erik is the perfect morally grey MMC - hard to the world, but melts in the presence of his Livia. There is something magical about this book (real magic aside), as once you start reading, you cannot possibly put it down. Watching the songbird and her serpent fall in love on the pages still makes them one of my favorite book couples. This new edition comes with bonus content and a beautiful new colorway/cover, so definitely worth reading the re-released version! Here’s to MMC calling their FMC “love”and hearing “hello, love” again!

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🌶️

This book was so enjoyable! I will admit, 20% of the way in I was feeling a bit “meh” and worried I’d DNF. But I think it was a mood thing because after setting it down for a few days, I went back to it and ABSOLUTELY DEVOURED IT! I love how it navigates trauma, love through the “ugly”, and who can say no to pirate vibes?!

I’ve already started reading the second book and can’t wait to see what happens next!

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️

Erik Bloodsinger’s personality is everything I should run away from, but I couldn’t get enough. I adore a protective / morally grey MMC. This was my first pirate romance and I loved every minute!

The side characters, world building, tension, magic, and spice were immaculate. Sirens, Fae, and pirates?! It was a voyage I didn’t want to end.

Livia and Erik were such a dynamic pair. I admired how caring, powerful, and fierce Livia was. She is the beacon of light in Erik’s dark storm. The cliffhanger has me wanting to run to book two!

Favorite Quote: “You were never supposed to matter, but you do. You ruined everything, and I don’t care. Ruin me. Destroy me. As long as I have you.”

Thank you Net Galley, authorljandrews, ace books pub for this ebook!

The Ever King by LJ Andrews 💚
The Ever Seas, Book 1
Series

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️
Adult • Romantasy
ARC Review
480 Pages
🗓️ August 5 (Reprint)

🏴‍☠️enemies to lovers
💚morally gray MMC
🏴‍☠️pirates + fae
💚he’s her monster
🏴‍☠️bounded mates
💚touch her and ☠️

❣️“Unfortunately, I notice your absence as much as I notice your presence.”

❣️“You’re not my hero, Bloodsinger. You’re my beautiful monster.”

❣️“Don’t regret me, Songbird.”
“I never will, Serpent.”

He’s Eric Bloodsinger and she is his.
I’m Jessica de Sa-Mota and this series is my new obsession.

I could sing you dark songs about love and obsession. About need and destiny. I could. But if you pick up this book you will understand why my adoration runs deep, and how I can only think about the Serpent and the Songbird.

There are now two girls in the storyline of my life as I was a girl who didn’t care about pirates and now I’m nothing but. Pirate fae sang to my soul, captured it and law mandates I stay with forever.

The arc in these characters is absolutely incredible. I was holding my breath but also feeling this odd comfort of just knowing they would be more than what meets the eye, that they would find the truth behind their walls, that they would see what was always there to find.

This is my second book by LJ Andrews. I’m now a fan for life. This was consuming and was consumed with the brightest smiles and the most grateful of the hearts. Thank you for this. It was epic. I can’t wait to read book 2.

The Ever King, Erik Bloodsinger, lost everything to the Land Fae. When something breaks the spell separating the land and sea realms, he seizes the chance to take back what they stole. As a young girl, Livia secretly visited Erik in his cell, forming a bond that has lingered in her thoughts ever since. Now, when Erik storms back into her life and abducts her from all she knows, Livia is torn between the memory of a fragile boy and the reality of a ruthless king. As she uncovers the reasons behind his actions, it becomes clear that the cost of this war may be her heart.

The Ever King is a captivating romantasy that perfectly blends fantasy, pirates, and romance, scratching an itch for fans of these genres. The story features meaningful disability and anxiety representation, a delightful cast of characters with banter that had me giggling, a fiercely possessive male main character, and a subplot that kept me hooked beyond the romance. However, I did have some questions about the magic system and found the sudden onset of Livia’s panic attacks around the 40% mark a bit jarring. Despite these issues, I thoroughly enjoyed this read. If you’re searching for your next summer romantasy, The Ever King is an excellent choice. Thank you NetGally and Berkley for the eARC of this book.

Livia and Erik are *chef’s kiss*. This had enemies to lovers, pirates and a solid story, all rounded out with just the right amount of romance. My only wish would have been for the enemies part to have been longer. She definitely forgave him for kidnapping her way too quickly. I cannot wait to read more!

Erik king of the evergreen was banished to evergreen with his blood. Erik is known as a bloodsinger.Livia she is an earth fae. Her dad is king and has something that Erik wants. According to the way that livia was raised the evergreen are evil which is why he was banished. One day livia swam to the border and touched the line which opened the “portal” allowing Erik to come to her land. While in her land he finds out her dad wasn’t there. He decided to kidnap livia to get what he needs from her dad. What Erik doesn’t know at first is that what he wanted from her dad she destroyed which caused her to have an identical mark on her wrist just like him. This is the first time a mark like that was ever on a woman and typically just for kings.
Livia can turn soil into beautiful land which Erik and his crew thinks is fascinating as they have a lot of powers dealing with sea. They believe she can fix the evergreen. She makes a deal with Erik you do not kill my father and in return I fix the evergreen land. Something no one has been able to do.
The scar bonds Erik and Livia. They start to grow a relationship. Their magic start to combine. Erik met Livia when he was a little boy she read to him. They are soulmates.

I loved this romantasy. immersive world-building and the intense, slow-burn romance between Erik and Livia. The "darkening" curse and Livia's unique power to heal the land add a high-stakes element that makes their relationship feel even more significant.
Devoured this book in a day. Thanks NetGalley

Thank you to Ace Books for the eARC.

I read the Mist Thief last year and got 100% hooked, so before even reading the earlier books in the series…I bought multiple versions.

So good news…I loved this one so my money was not wasted.

The Ever King is enthralling. Erik and Livia are a great mix of so many of my favorite things: enemies-to-lovers, dark fantasy, fated mates, pirates. I love how drawn they are to each other, even when Livia tries to keep her distance. Erik is the kind of wounded hero, a little morally grey and a lot of adorable pining.

The cliffhanger has me by the throat and I’m off to go binge the next in the series!

Thanks so much for the ARC for the ever king trad release with added bonus content! There is something about pirate books that always draw me in and leave me satisfied and obsessed! This book flowed so well the pacing was super comfortable and led to great storytelling. The characters and world as a whole was captivating and kept me turning the page. Characters were well developed and I could have stayed in the story even longer! Can’t wait for the next one!

This book hooked me from the very first chapter! The Ever King is a magical, emotional, and thrilling romantasy filled with enemies to lovers tension, epic world building, and a morally gray hero you can’t help but fall for. Erik is a broody, vengeful king out to destroy the man who took everything from him. Livia, his enemy’s daughter, becomes an unexpected pawn in his plan, but also the light that slowly breaks through his darkness. Their chemistry is electric, and I loved the mix of intense banter and softer moments between them. The fantasy elements , sirens, sea magic, fae courts were so unique and well written.
Very grateful to the publisher @berkleyromance for my #gifted copy through @netgalley , opinions are my own

Re-release! New content. New covers. Same amazing story!! Can't recommend this series enough!

Pirates and Fae? Okayyy!

"Now, sleep, scream, beg, I care little, but accept that you're mine, and you always were" .....Yessss please.

"Erik killed for me" SAY LESS!!!

This book! 🥵
From, I'll kill you if you escape too I'll kill anyone who touches her.... my goodness. The enemies-to-lovers was 👌 and then the romance. The betrayal. The spicey-ness. 🤭

Perfection! Loved it. Can't recommend it enough.

Thank you Netgalley and Penguin Random House for a ARC for an honest review.

I was very intrigued with Erik when he was brought into The Broken Kingdoms, and his story did not disappoint. The way all of these stories are tied together but in no way repetitive or lacking is amazing. Erik and Livia are my forever favorites. Erik just is the perfect MMC and I relate to Livia so much. I would highly recommend them! And that bonus scene?! Perfection!

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!