I loved this book. As a romantasy reader, I was thrilled to find one about pirates. The book was romantic and absolutely fun to read. I had an absolute blast reading this! I’m thrilled to see it’s being traditionally published.

SUCH AN AMAZING READ.

I spent nearly all of one day reading this book, it was SO hard to put down.

The characters are so amazingly written, you love to hate most of them (especially The Ever King himself... SWOON.) Erik Bloodsinger is everything you would want in a morally DARK gray MMC. Jealous, posessive, protective. One who only shows his heart to his Songbird.

(Btw, I SO LOVE how the POVs are titled 'The Songbird,' 'The Serpent,' etc. instead of their names. To me this is a constant reminder that they were always part of each others stories.)

The magic system, the word building, the SPICE (again, SWOON), the tension between Livia and Erik? Amazing. Every, single, bit of it.

This was my first LJ Andrews book but it will DEFINITELY not be the last.

This is such a fun concept- it’s fae + pirates!
I really liked the FMC. She’s brave, curious, has a sense of humor, she reps anxiety and panic attacks, and she’s overall so relatable. Erik Bloodsinger is a divinely morally dark gray MMC. Their chemistry is excellent. This book is written in dual POV which gives so much insight into both of them. I also really like the side characters (Sewell!!). Really great world building and character development overall. It took me longer than usual to read this and it felt like it took a bit for me to become fully invested. I’m not sure it was me slumping or what. Also, the cliffhanger here is !!! But I can’t wait to continue the story with the next book, The Ever Queen.

Livia is everything a princess should be and the Ever King is everything she shouldn’t want. When she’s kidnapped by her father’s enemy to make right a generational grudge, the last she expects is to learn that her kidnapper is the same young king she told stories to in her childhood. As the two draw closer to each other—and face the many dangers of the Ever—Livia can’t help but wonder if the man she has always been told to hate is the one person who truly sees her. The Ever King is everything you could want from a pirate romantasy; characters you’ll fall in love with in a world you won’t soon forget.

Read if you like…
⚔️ A brooding MMC who’s mean to everyone but her
🪽A FMC who is gentle without being weak
𓆙 A rambunctious crew of unique pirates
⚔️”Songbird.” / “Serpent.”
🪽 He would give her the world if she asked for it
𓆙 True enemies to lovers
⚔️ He makes a “claim” to protect her
🪽Strong female friendships
𓆙 Realistic depictions of panic attacks
⚔️An MMC who knows how to talk her down from panic attacks
🪽Faeries! And nobles! And pirates! Oh my!
𓆙 Forced proximity for plot reasons
⚔️Healing scenes that turn to hurt comfort
🪽”I hate how much I care about you.”
𓆙 Found family that would go to the ends of the world for each other
⚔️Complex political systems that feel natural
🪽”Hurt her and you die.” (And he proves it!)
𓆙 She wants to share the burdens that he never reveals
⚔️”Your scars are beautiful.”
🪽FMC with healthy parental relationships
𓆙 A relationship built (mostly) on honesty
⚔️He loves it when she’s strong enough to challenge him
🪽He remembers all her hobbies
𓆙 Magic grants people last names
⚔️Emotional rollercoasters (you’ll giggle and cry and throw your book across the room)
🪽Heart-pounding pacing that will have you turning pages
𓆙 Jaw-dropping cliffhanger (get ready to run straight for book two!)

I didn’t expect to like this as much as I did! I’m usually not a huge fan of pirate books but I enjoyed Erik’s character a lot, how it balanced his darkness with his genuine heart. The cliffhanger has me hoping to pick up the second book as soon as possible.

I absolutely loved this book! This was my first LJ Andrew's book but certainly won't be my last.

The story was captivating and well-paced. It held my attention the whole way through and I didn't want to put the book down! The characters were well thought out and had depth and complexity to them, which made their chemistry real and believable. This book is how an Enemies to lovers book should be done! It didn't feel like insta-love at all, and because of this thr banter and how their feeling progressed throughout the book worked so well.

I really enjoyed the unique magical elements in this book and thought the plot was amazing. Overall I have fallen jn love with LJ Andrew's writing style, and she has instantly become an auto buy author for me!

If you love the following things then this is the book for you:
✨️Enemies to lovers
✨️unique magic
✨️Families at war
✨️She falls first he falls harder
✨️Easy to understand worldbuilding

I really enjoyed this book and immediately picked up book two because of the twist and cliffhanger at the end. I honestly did not see it coming and may need to do a second read through to figure out if I missed some hints along the way. The beginning was a little slow for me and there were some places where it felt like nothing was really happening to move the story forward but the characters are so enjoyable that its worth it. I love Erik and his insistence that he is a bad guy when his actions towards Liv and those he cares about say the complete opposite.

🙌🏻 The Ever King is EVERYTHING I love in a good romantasy! Plus it has pirates and seas which was a nice change. I love the edge of dark romance. The back story and how it plays into the main storyline is really sweet and swoony. You get a captive x captor romance with a protective MMC and a very special FMC. I absolutely loved this couple! There is a ball, adventure, political intrigue, magic, and uncovering true identities. Erik Bloodsinger is a top tier book boyfriend. This book is on my top list and I will most definitely read it again. Moving straight on to book two!!

❤️‍🔥 Enemies to Lovers
❤️‍🔥 Touch Her and ☠️
❤️‍🔥 Magic
❤️‍🔥 Stolen Princess
❤️‍🔥 Forced Proximity
❤️‍🔥 Morally Grey
❤️‍🔥 Battles
❤️‍🔥 Revenge
❤️‍🔥 Burn the World

5+⭐️ read
2.5 🌶️ (open door descriptive)

I absolutely DEVOURED this book. It’s giving pirates of the Caribbean but make it spicy. I loved it SO MUCH!!! It got me out of a huge reading slump and I can’t wait to read more books by LJ Andrews! Literally perfection!

"i would follow your darkness across the skies and seas." "i'd cross the skies songbird."

BLEEDING BRILLIANT! this book is EVERYTHING you want in a brilliant story of pirate faes, magic, and the darkness that lies inside of us! thank the GODS I have the second book because this was incredible and I have loved every second of it!

Holy cow I finished this book in less than a day! LESS THAN A DAY!!!!
This book started out a little too slow then picked up speed and it was just so fast and so steamy!! Oh man! The crew reminds me of Pirates of the Caribbean! It’s so cool! And the love story is kinda insta love but not really, she loved him since they were kids when she read to him *swoon*

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 1/2
Burn: 🔥🔥🔥🔥1/2
Heat: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Dark: 💀💀
Ending: cliffhanger, where the MMC will have his revenge!
Genre: Dark Pirate fae romance 🏴‍☠️
Omg and 3 WHOLE chapters of steamy love! 😮‍💨❤️❤️

Wow this was incredible! I have heard about this series for years and finally got around to reading it and I’m so glad I did! The romance was literally one of the best I’ve ever read and the setting/pirate type vibes drew me in immediately! I cannot wait to continue and read the prequel as well. The pacing of this book was top tier and I will be recommending it to everyone at our library!

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

Any LJ book I've read has changed my life and this book is is no exception. I love the premise of the book so much, the characters had so much chemistry, and it had me hanging on the edge of my seat. Their sweet little nicknames? That made me giggle, kick my feet, and smile. They were made for each other and LJ does a fantastic job weaving their story together.

It definitely takes a second to get into the story, but once I did, I wasn't able to put them down at all!

Thank you NetGalley for an eARC!

Good fantasy romance, incredibly entertaining. Livia is brave, smart, as well as, vicious, clever and hard when she needs to be. She had growth over the course of the story and you can feel the emotions of Livia and Erik as their relationship develops. The book had all the favorites, enemies to lovers, romance, pirates, fae, magic and more. I cannot wait to continue the story in book 2.

I had this book on my radar for a while now and I am so happy that it is getting traditionally published soon. It is that version that I read, and not the auto published version. While I did already buy the original version for the library, I didn't have the time to read it before now.

So this is a fae pirate slow burn romantasy with a morally gray MMC and some spice. It took me a couple of chapters to get my bearing, like in any new fantasy book, but than, I devoured it. I haven't read much pirate books so it was refreshing. The world and magic system are well build and it is action packed. The dual POV did make some of the plot twist less surprising but I did get blindsided by that cliffhanger ending. Can't wait for book two!

Now, this book has trigger warnings. It deals with trauma, and the FMC suffers from panic attacks. This book might not be for everyone.

If you love pirates, Vikings, fae, and a darkly compelling romance, this book is for you. Imagine Pirates of the Caribbean, but with a darker, spicier twist.

From the very first page, I was hooked on Erik and Livia’s story. Their connection runs deep, shaped by their shared past and impossible circumstances. Erik Bloodsinger is the ultimate morally gray villain you can’t help but root for, and Livia’s bravery and sass make her the perfect counterpart to his darkness. Their dynamic is intense, filled with tension, longing, and some of the best enemies-to-lovers chemistry I’ve read in a while.

Beyond the romance, the story is packed with action, intrigue, and one of the best found family elements I’ve come across. The character development, particularly Erik’s, is beautifully done—watching his icy heart start to thaw for Livia had me absolutely hooked.

Thank you, NetGalley and Berkley, for the advanced copy!

Read the indie version and being able to dive back into the arc for the trad edition brought all the love I have for this book back!

Is there a way to fall even more in love with a book because that’s what happened with me and The Ever King.

Things I loved:
Enemies to lovers
Childhood meeting
Touch her/him and ☠️
He falls first

I will start off by saying I loved this book. It is a forbidden dark Romantasy that had me hooked from the beginning. I loved the morally grey MMC and his backstory. The found family was incredible, and the romance had me actually swooning.
The spice was perfection, and the vibes were immaculate.
There were pirates and fae, filled with magic and betrayal.
This book had it all. I am immediately starting The Ever Queen. 5⭐️

This book had be completely from the first chapter. I either started it at the perfect time for myself or I don’t know what but I felt myself craving a sea side adventure and how lucky I was to be accepted for a early copy of this one because that’s what I got but also so much more!

This was a sloww burn, enemies to lovers (forbidden romance?) with rival kingdoms involved 👀. Also our main male character, Erik, is quite unlikable in the BEST way!! I loved watching his story unravel and evolve, he truly is a man of secrets and mystery!

I haven’t had the chance to read the authors original series, The Broken Kingdoms, that The Ever Seas series is set in. However, that definitely didn’t affect my enjoyment of this story. If you’re looking for Pirates of the Caribbean vibes but where the morally grey character gets the girl and there’s fae Vikings involved.. read The Ever King! It’s easy to get lost in, the world isn’t confusing and I had so much fun while reading it!