They took his Queen, his Songbird, and this Serpent will burn his own world down to get her back.

“I so look forward to the moment you realized what sort of monster you’ve unleashed. Erik will destroy you, and, gods, I hope he takes his time.”

Picking up right where The Ever King left off, Erik will not let anyone stand in his way including Livia’s father. Not a defenseless damsel in distress, Livia comes to embrace her own dark side and matches Erik’s ferocity in seeking to find her way back to him. As both fight to reunite, we learn more about Erik’s past, the history of the Ever and even (squeal) Daddy Valen.

From laughing out loud to anxiously turning the page to see what happens next, LJ Andrews’ intriguing characters and exciting world building kept me on the edge of my seat. I love the way the relationship between Valen and Erik develop throughout the course of the book and learning about the other children of the Broken Kingdom’s royals was an added bonus! You can bet I can’t wait to see their own stories unfold and get more Vikings and Sea Fae adventures. And phew! the spice🌶️🌶️🌶️! Erik and Livia’s passion definitely had me fanning myself more than once!

Dedicated to “those whose souls exit their bodies when the villain whispers, “Hello, love. . .”. , The Every Queen will transport you into the world of the Ever and keep you enthralled until the very end!

When I decided to review The Ever King and The Ever Queen I knew I wanted to do it as a joint review. For me, you can’t have one book without the other and I knew after the first few pages of The Ever King that I would be continuing my journey with the next book.

You all know I rate on vibes and this duet had ALL THE VIBES. The Ever King was angst, enemies to lovers, the villain gets the girl, wars between worlds. This book had it all. The Every Queen almost reads like a love letter between the two main characters: A villain who loses the girl and fights to get her back, and the girl who realizes she has a little bit of a villain in her as well.

One of the best things about this duet is that the side characters are priceless and you absolutely fall in love with them just as much as the main characters. You can already see who is (hopefully) going to get their own books.

*minor point: This series is set in the same world of LJ’s Broken Kingdom series. I did not read it first and do not think it is essential to read it before The Ever King. I will be going back to read it though, because I’m loving this author.

⭐️⭐️⭐️|🌶️🌶️|🖤🖤🖤

Thank you, Berkley Publishing Group,Ace Books, NetGalley, & LJ for the ARC.

*Updated Review*
Updated review for the bonus chapter. Thank you, LJ, for giving us this beautiful bonus chapter. We were able to love Erik & Liv a little longer.

“It’s how things are done. Brothers sail with brothers.”

“I would follow you across the skies and seas…”

SWOOOOON. CRYING. UGLY CRYING. MAGICAL.

Original Review:

“King, please.” My voice cracked; I hardly knew what I was saying. “She needs me to find her; she . . . she needs me to remind her to breathe.”

Once again, LJ beautifully wrote another book.
She jumped right in with the Ever King left us.
*thank goodness*
But if you’re looking for a fast-paced, action-packed book, you won’t find it here. Unfortunately, the Ever Queen pacing was very slow and drawn out.
While I love the relationships that were forged and made during this time, I couldn’t help but skim past some of the drag.
I also disliked Erik’s character change. I loved my alpha, broody, moody, dark cloud of meh Erik. He became a soppy, meek shell of himself. Ew.

The ending and wrap-up to Erik & Liv’s story was nicely done. I’m going to miss them. Although, I’m sure we’ll be seeing them again 💕

*Disclaimer: my darkness and spice rating might not be the same for you. Please do your own research before reading*

The Ever Queen

I felt the story was interesting and captivated my attention. I love the bond between Livia and Erik. I think some parts did drag on a bit, but overall I enjoyed the story!

Tropes:
Dual POV
Touch her/him and die
Pirates vs Vikings

3.5 stars

Ahh, Erik Bloodsinger 😍 you can sing my blood any day of the week. @authorljandrews wrote one of my all-time favorite book boyfriends, and I am absolutely feral for cinnamon roll Jonas to enter the chat. The Ever King and The Ever Queen are in my top reads for the year so far, and I'm absolutely going to be adding more to my LJ tbr for the year. Livia really stepped into her role as Queen in this book. It was so cool seeing her go from timid and uncomfortable with commanding people to COMMANDING people, and she did it with grace. And who wouldn't, with the Ever King standing by your side through all of it? I can't wait for more in this world!

This book, this duology has my heart. LJ Andrews has such a beautiful way with words. I absolutely adore Erik and Livia. The serpent and his songbird will forever be with me. I can’t wait to see where the Ever Seas goes next.

All the stars - every freaking one!

This book played on my emotions from the very first page, by the end of chapter 3 I was fighting tears and the roller coaster of the entire book put me through the wringer. If you’ve read book 1, you know our MCs have a journey in this book, and the dual POV allows us to see our characters develop and grow on their own while they are making the best of their evolving situation.

We see Livia grow into the beautifully vicious and confident Queen she was born to be, and we are given the treat of an emotionally growing and healing Erik. The chemistry, devotion, love and passion between these two is unreal, and is only amplified by the events in this book. Their relationship puts them as one of my top ten book couples.

The plot kept me entirely engaged from beginning to end, the side characters all have their own claims on my heart and while I did see the very end coming, it doesn’t make me any less excited for the next book in this incredible world! I didn’t think anything could top The Ever King, but I’m happy to say that this one went above and beyond anything I could have imagined for our Serpent and Songbird.

Andrews crafts a heroine who is far from passive. She's a captive, yes, but she's also a challenger, her spirit unbent and her determination unwavering. The tagline "Captive. Challenger. Queen." perfectly encapsulates her journey, showing a clear arc of growth and resilience. We see her strategic mind at work as she navigates treacherous court politics and uses her perceived weakness to her advantage. Her unwavering love for the "beautiful monster" she calls her king fuels her every action, adding a layer of emotional depth to her fight for freedom.
The king himself is a compelling figure. He's painted as a villain, a monster, but the intense possessiveness and fierce love he holds for the Queen hint at a more complex character. The promise of him tearing through his enemies to reclaim her and decorate her with their bones is deliciously dark and adds a thrilling layer of danger and anticipation. We are left craving to know more about his motivations and the depths of his monstrous nature.
Overall, the writing is engaging and evocative, dripping with a gothic atmosphere and promising a world filled with intrigue and brutal beauty. A story I would definitely recommend if you enjoy fantasy romance with a strong heroine, a possessive hero, and a touch of darkness.

✨𝒜𝑅𝒞 𝑅𝑒𝓋𝒾𝑒𝓌✨

The Ever Queen picks up immediately following the shocking revelations and events of the first book. If you have not yet read The Ever King, note this review will reveal a major plot point (noted in synopsis).

𝙋𝙧𝙚𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚 𝙨𝙬𝙚𝙥𝙩 𝙖𝙬𝙖𝙮 𝙗𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙨𝙩𝙪𝙣𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙨𝙚𝙦𝙪𝙚𝙡!

We find our Serpent and Songbird worlds apart and desperate to return to each other. Erik and unlikely allies join forces to find and rescue Livia. Thrust into a new kingdom with illusive and cunning opponents, Livia plots her escape while grappling with anxiety and navigating her magic and darkness.

Forged from a cold and unfeeling childhood, Erik explores his traumatic past and vulnerabilities while remaining unrelenting in his quest to reunite with his Queen.

Their hearts call to each other. Will their love be enough to save each other and their kingdoms?

Tropes:
👀 Dual POV
🩶 SHE goes Morally Grey
🫂 Forced proximity
🩶 Villain Gets the Girl
🚫 Touch her/him and 💀
❤️‍🩹 Mental health rep
🏴‍☠️ Pirates vs Vikings
🌶️: open door

Livia accepts every facet of Erik, her beautiful monster. For his brutal strength, brokenness, and darkness, Livia lends her softness, compassion, and light. Erik reminds her to breathe and encourages her to step into her own power. Their unwavering love embodies the devotion and passion you feel deep in your bones to the depths of your soul.

The Ever Queen takes the reader on a gripping journey and revisits familiar characters from The Ever King while introducing new characters. The unfaltering loyalty of this found family is profound and left me so emotional.

This book perfectly concludes Livia and Erik’s love story while paving the way for more stories to be told within this world. I am hopelessly obsessed with this series and cannot wait to read The Mist Thief!

Bristling with adventure, heartstopping action, and soul-stirring romance, The Ever Queen sends the reader through a chasm of emotional riptides into a most satisfying ending. A thousand turns would not be enough 🥹

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

The Ever Queen is an incredible and engaging sequel to The Ever King.

"She needs me to find her; she... she needs me to remind her to breathe."

Livia is missing, and Erik Bloodsinger - The Ever King - will not rest until his queen is by his side once more. Seeking allies, Erik turns to the one person he never thought he would speak to again. Livia may be their captive, but she is not weak. She will fight until she is reunited with Erik. Gathering information about their enemies, Livia and Erik will do whatever it takes to save their kingdom.

This sequel to The Ever King is everything I wanted and more! Erik and Livia's story is one of my absolute favorites. I am so glad to have read this new edition with some exciting bonus chapters that wrap up this duology perfectly. We pick up right where The Ever King left off - Erik and Livia are trying to get back to each other, and new secrets about the Ever Seas are revealed. The tension in this book is HIGH. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time, frantically reading to find out what happened next. This book is an incredible romantic fantasy - the plot is intricately woven and fast paced, while the romance is steamy, and the character development is rich and multifaceted. I also love the anxiety representation with Livia, and how Erik's past trauma is handled. These scenes were emotional and really resonated with me. As someone who suffers from anxiety, the quote I shared above literally brought me to tears - just seeing how well Erik knows and understands Livia and what she needs was so perfectly done. We also see some familiar faces from The Broken Kingdoms series in The Ever Queen as well, and get some intriguing hints at future books in the series. I adore this series so much and cannot wait for more in this new world of the Ever Seas.

Thank you so much to LJ Andrews, NetGalley, and Berkley Ace for the advanced copy of this incredible book! All opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed The Ever King and was dying to know how Erik and Livia’s story would continue in The Ever Queen after such a crazy cliffhanger at the end of Book #1 of The Ever Seas.

The Ever Queen started off really strong continuing right where we left off from Book #1. There was plenty of action and LJ Andrew’s does a great job in those first few chapters putting readers into fight mode and instilling stress and anxiety for readers when tragedy strikes between The Songbird and The Serpent early on. I couldn’t stop reading because I just had to know how they would eventually be reunited and how the betrayal from his brother would be righted by Erik. I really enjoyed that The Elven were introduced into this story so we could see even more magic in this series. Andrew’s does a spectacular job of tying in different mystical creatures in this series under the different Houses, specifically how the Earth Fae are very similar to vikings, The Ever Kingdom has pirates, mermaids/sirens and sea witches within The House of Mists.

Once I finally got some closure from Book #1, the story between Livia and Erik’s family interacting was sweet. I liked seeing them build an alliance in order to rescue Livia and for both the people of The Ever and Earth Kingdom to see each others perspectives and different ways of living/customs. The battle and sex scenes were great as always, I don’t think LJ Andrew’s has any problems writing those in. However, I felt like the ending to the book went on a bit too long and seemed like she was trying too hard to tie in some information for The Mist Thief. While I was happy Erik was finding family in Livia’s family I found myself getting bored and the goodbyes in these series felt a little too long. I found myself skipping over some scenes and just reading the dialogue because some scenes felt like they were over explaining the newly formed bonds for characters.

I did enjoy the ending to Erik and Livia’s story, specifically him following through on his threats to have her wear the bones of anyone who threatened her again and seeing her be crowned as Queen and eventually reach her full potential and be seen as Erik’s equal. The bond between her and her family members in this book was something I didn’t expect but really loved to see especially when Erik came from so little love and he was able to see how families should really act.

This was a 3.75 ⭐️ for me but I rated it a 4 because I was reading several other books at the same time and I feel like it may have altered how much I enjoyed the book but still stand by my thoughts that it was a little too long and overly emotional/explained at the end.

4.5 ⭐️ & 2 🌶️- Transparency: I was gifted an ebook copy of this book by NetGalley. I loved it so much that I also now have a physical copy on my shelf.

This is book 2 in the enemies to lovers Ever Seas series. There’s plot, character development, lots of action, secrets, mysteries, found family, and spice. This was such a great book and immediately started this after finishing The Ever King.

This book dives more into Livia coming into her own than in book one. The story was addicting, the discovery of a lot of secrets, betrayal, and revelations...oh, and the spice was chef's kiss!

I absolutely loved the FMC, MMC, and entire cast of characters.!!!

Review update! I was so lucky to be able to read The Ever Queen again with the ARC of the traditionally published version. And all the feels hit just like when I read it the first time!!

There are certain books and certain authors written styles that seem to effect you on a visceral level. These books and authors are different from person to person, I know I have my top three, maybe four and LJ Andrews is absolutely on that list. I can appreciate that what I may love may not be the same as the person next to me but just hear me out on this one ok!

I fell hard for The Broken Kingdoms series and then fell all over again for The Ever King. I knew that there would be no way that I wouldn’t or couldn’t love The Ever Queen but the level of pure adoration I have for this book places it up there on my top favorite books/series list.

I’ve been trying to pinpoint why I have such strong feeling for this book and series. Is it because I love all the connections to the Broken Kingdoms and seeing those characters again? Is it the fun Vikings meets pirates vibes? The great spice? The fabulous world building and chapter building? The “I will ruin the world to get you back and not even blink an eye at my destruction” feelings? The amazing chemistry between Livia and Erik? And really it is ALL of this!

Let’s start with Livia’s relationship with her Daj, Valen. They are parent and daughter goals right there. The amount of adoration and respect Livia has for her father and the amount of unconditional love that Valen has for Livia is what any parent wants when they have kids. When we first met Valen in Broken Kingdoms he would level the entire world to ensure Elise was safe and that devotion has carried over to his kids. He puts aside all his feelings, working with his “enemy” to see that she is safe. And Steig he may not be anyone’s father but he feels deep for Erik and I am obsessed with this.

Then there is Livia and her “cousins.” They may not all be cousins by blood but these “kids” are absolutely family. Jonas and Aleksie are my favorites. Jonas and his banter and quick comments are amazing and his fierce loyalty to Livia is so sweet. I also love the little bachelor attitude he has. I love the direction Jonas’s character is heading im and am dying already for The Mist Theif. How can you not love Aleksie! He literally jumped into the chasm to get to Livia but was the first to see the The Ever was where she belong and fought for her and with her to keep it.

Sewell and Alistair are my absolute favorite Ever characters (besides Erik). Alistair is just so funny but loyal and Sewell is cute and vicious. Sewell deserves all the respect in The Ever for how he has helped his children, Erik and Livia.

And now the main event. Livia and Erik. Our Songbird and Serpent. Our Heartbonded young loves. Mates . Hjärtas. Their story was one started when they were young but that connection never broke. Even through unspeakable pain and elven magic their love held strong. They fought every day for each other. The love they have for each other is intoxicating. The shear loyalty and trust they have in each other is creates a bond stronger than one that the fates may have had in store for them. The fact the Erik can win Valen over I think proves that Livia and Erik are enemies to lovers, touch her/him and die, I will burn the world for you goals.

If you have lasted this long in my rambling then you must be intrigued and I would say that If have sparked even an iota of interest in you, then you should just go get The Ever King and The Ever Queen and see for yourself how great this story is.

I totally fell in love with the first book in this series: the Ever King. Therefore I couldn’t wait to read the sequel. The Ever Queen dives deeper into the relationship between the two main characters and really empowers the FMC specifically. Loved it!

The Ever Queen is an action packed sequel and a beautiful conclusion to this duology. While the Ever Seas world will continue, this perfectly wrapped up Livia and Erik's story.

If you were looking for an MMC who is only soft for her and would also burn the world for her, you need Erik Bloodsinger. The way that Livia softens his edges and loves him for his entire being is one of my favorite parts of this book. The Ever Queen also perfectly captured how fierce Livia is. Enemies to lovers at its finest!

I was fortunate enough to receive the updated version as an Advanced Reader Copy, and the bonus materials are incredible. I loved the bonus scene and am always happy to have more moments with Erik.

LJ Andrews and this series!!! The romantasy does not disappoint. She is a go to author for me in this genre and continues to prove why. The characters and the development are so exhilarating. I love the development and the character arcs. Her story telling and way that she is able to make me just vividly picture her world she is building her is so wild, like I am able to see a movie in my mind. I loved this book so much.

Enemies stole Livia from Erik, and they’ll pay in blood. Livia refuses to be a pawn—she’s ready to fight for her freedom, her kingdom, and her king. Meanwhile, Erik will tear the world apart to get her back. Their fiery reunion, epic battles, and raw emotion made this book impossible to put down.

❤️ What I Loved:
⚔️ Villainous, morally gray hero (Erik is EVERYTHING)
🔥 Intense enemies-to-lovers tension
🐉 Fantasy worldbuilding with sirens, fae, and Viking lore
👑 A fierce heroine who claims her own power
💀 Revenge, betrayal, and a romance that hurts in the best way

I have been a fan of LJ Andrews since I discovered The Broken Kingdoms over 2 years ago. I've fallen so in love with all these characters and the worlds she creates.

ARC REVIEW:

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌶️🌶️🌶️

This book picks up right where The Ever King leaves off and to say I was stressed was an understatement. I cried so many times throughout this book.
I love the way the OG characters from TBK were sprinkled in. Erik and Livia are just PERFECT! He's not a good man but he'll do good by Livia and only her. The way he slowly opens to others and allows love and laughter to come into his life after the way he was raised is so beautiful. Livia faces her fears and becomes a true queen and doesn't shy from the ferocity she's finding in herself. Their relationship is one for history books! There are so many twists and turns, it kept me on my toes. This was action packed with some spicy nuggets sprinkled in. The world and magic is so intriguing and I can't wait to keep learning more! I don't want to say too much and spoil anything. I'm so excited for Jonas' book next and what's next to come in The Ever Seas! I want to see so many more stories with characters in this Duet!

🏴‍☠️⚔️🏴‍☠️⚔️🏴‍☠️⚔️🏴‍☠️⚔️🏴‍☠️⚔️🏴‍☠️⚔️🏴‍☠️⚔️🏴‍☠️⚔️🏴‍☠️⚔️🏴‍☠️⚔️🏴‍☠️⚔️🏴‍☠️⚔️

“If I do not find her, I’ll offer my throat for you to slit. What do you not understand? I care nothing for my life if she is not in it.”

“No. They’ve made our queen their villain. And I cannot wait for them to realize their mistake.”

“King or not, Erik Bloodsinger, I would follow your darkness across the skies and seas. You are mine, a beautiful monster, a passionate lover, a loyal friend, a vicious king. All mine. And that is all I will ever want.”

“You want to taste me, Songbird? Want to choke on me? Want me to devour you?”

“Be fierce, little love.”

🏴‍☠️⚔️🏴‍☠️⚔️🏴‍☠️⚔️🏴‍☠️⚔️🏴‍☠️⚔️🏴‍☠️⚔️🏴‍☠️⚔️🏴‍☠️⚔️🏴‍☠️⚔️🏴‍☠️⚔️🏴‍☠️⚔️🏴‍☠️⚔️

TROPES:
☠️ Soul bonds/fated mates
☠️ who did this to you
☠️ Viking
☠️ Pirates/Sirens
☠️ Fae/magic wielders
☠️ Dual POV
☠️ Enemies to allies
☠️ Found family
☠️ Morally grey MMC

“I care nothing for my life if she is not in it.”
✨
✨
The Ever Queen concludes Erik and Livia’s tale. Livia is the Songbird. She’s been taken captive by the traitor in Erik’s crew. However, they’ll soon learn that Livia isn’t the frail queen they believer her to be. Erik is the Serpent whose enemies stole the woman he loves. Now they’ll die for making that choice. He’ll never stop searching until she’s back with him, and his Songbird wears the bones of their betrayers. Their enemies will soon learn, they made a big mistake crossing Livia and Erik.
✨
✨
Andrews has a talent for writing intense and brutal love stories. I didn’t think The Ever Queen could top The Ever King, but Andrews managed to do it. The Ever Queen took everything we loved about The Ever King and amped it up. The Ever Seas tales are fast paced and action packed mixed with toe curling spice. The Ever Queen does not disappoint on any of these. The element that really sealed it for me though was the supporting characters. The intermingling of those from Livia’s past mixed with Erik’s crew made for delightful banter and sass. I particularly loved watching the relationship between Erik and Valen change and evolve as they fought to save Livia. The best, though, was the bond between Erik and Steig as Erik realized the true depth to which Steig cared about him.
I also love how unapologetically brutal these characters will be to save the ones they love. Despite that though, there’s a wonderful juxtaposition to the tenderness Erik show’s Livia especially when dealing with her anxiety and reminding her to breathe. I can’t wait for Jonas to be featured next. I highly recommend picking up this series as it’s phenomenal.

“I need you to remember you are Livia Ferus, daughter of warriors, seducer of the Ever King, and . . . you are my heartbond. I need no magic, no spell, to tell me that you are written into every thread of my future days.”
🩷🩷🩷🩷

I’m giving this ALL the 🌟!! This is such an amazingly written masterpiece!!

Wow!! LJ Andrews has knocked it out of the park with The Ever Queen! I was blown away by this story; and I’m actually quite sad the our time with The Serpent and The Songbird is over!
This one, like the first, had me hooked from the first sentence! LJ’s words are so profound that it felt as if I was right there in The Ever alongside all the characters!

Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for giving me the honor and privilege of this ARC. And, thank you, for your beautiful words and sharing your worlds with us!
I’m looking forward to The Mist Thief and where the story takes us next! 🥰🥰

**Bonus Content**

Oh my holy heck! The two bonus chapters are everything! I felt ALL the emotions in these two small chapters! Bloodsinger stumbling over his words with Valen and Elise had me giggling out loud! The wedding - OMG - my heart just melted. The love and devotion Livia and Erik share just takes my breath away! I truly miss all the characters so dang much!

✨Thank you Netgalley and Berkeley for the incredible opportunity to read this advance copy of the soon to be re-released traditional publication of The Ever Queen!