This is one of my most anticipated reads for 2024 and when I learned I was getting an ARC, I've been so excited! Suffice to say, it didn't take me long to read it once I got it!

This picks up pretty much right where the first one ends and is the conclusion of Erik and Livia's duet! But not the series! Livia was crowned Queen of the Ever but was taken from Erik when he was betrayed. Erik travels to Livia's home and the Earth Fae, and doesn't really get a warm welcome when he arrives.

I had read the Ever King first before discovering the Broken Kingdoms series, which is set in the same world but comes before this series. So after finished the Ever King, I went back and read that series so it was fun to see everyone again from that series in the Ever Queen!

I loved Erik and Livia's story and conclusion in this book. Seeing their relationship strengthen. Their sweet, and of course spicy, moments. Really enjoyed Livia's parents coming to terms that their daughter loves the Ever King. There were a couple of funny moments related to that! Livia's younger brother was also hilarious. I loved this second generation and how they are so close to each other. I hope we get books for all of them! I feel like we got some hints for future couples!

Overall, I absolutely devoured this book and loved this duet. Livia is such a strong FMC with such a supporting MMC! I'm excited to see how this series continues with the other characters and Jonas book next!

This is the second book in the Ever Seas series, a romantic fantasy about Fae and pirates. This series is based on the world established in the author’s Broken Kingdoms series and includes several characters from that series. While you don’t have to have read The Broken Kingdoms series to understand this series, this first book would spoil some pretty major plot lines from that original series. Tropes include found family, touch her/him and die, morally gray MCs and hurt/comfort. This book does include adult spicy content and is significantly darker in terms of themes and content.

The Lovely: I somehow love the characters and their relationship even more than I already did. Their love is so complicated and both are still conflicted about their relationship and what it means for them. This book was even more angsty than the first book, especially the first half. I enjoyed how much of a role the earth far played - especially Livia’s father.

Also Lovely: The plot and tension were again excellent. A lot happens in this book, in a good way, and the first half is distinct from the second half. The plot and characters fit together so seamlessly it’s hard to not get immersed in the experience of the story.

Rating: 5/5 Stars 3/5 Flames

Recommendation: I received an advance review copy and I am leaving this review voluntarily. I loved this second book just as much as the first and I’m a little sad my journey with Livia and Erik has come to an end. There will be at least one more book in this series but it will focus on a different pair of characters. I cannot wait to see how their relationship develops given it is going to start from a very different place. If you like romantic fantasy with a amazing characters and plot, and a focus on relationships, I think you would like this book.

I just finished the most memorable, action packed and romantic story about Liv and Erik. The story picks up where the Ever King stopped. The story has your heart is beating like crazy because everybody’s emotions are going all over the place. Everyone settles and Erik has help going back to Ever kingdom. The moment when Liv and Erik found each other was EPIC. The story and the author’s writing keeps you on the edge of your seat. I loved the private moments with Liv & Erik — the scenes were super hot. I totally adored Rorik and Sewell in this book. Like in all of LJ Andrews’ books it was impossible to put the book down until you finished it. It was one of my all time favorite books.

The Ever Queen re-release on 9/16/25

Bonus scene with Eric in the House of Ferus after The Ever Queen will be in the hardback copy.

ARC Review -
This bonus scene ties Erik and Livia lives together truly in all ways. I laughed, screamed and cried happy tears while reading this extraordinary bonus scene. It was a beautiful touch.

I like say thank you to LJ Andrews and NetGalley for the ARC and I’m leaving my review voluntarily.

“Your daughter is my beacon. I will never regret taking her, for she is my home. I love her, Queen. There is no part of me that would choose anything over her.”

We pick up right where book 1 left off. This book is action packed with betrayal, fighting, kidnapping, and unexpected twists. I loved learning more about the side characters like Celine, Gavyn, Jonas, and Mira. Livia steps into her power her and takes on the role of warrior Queen. She may not be the strongest but she certainly doesn’t back down either. The devotion these characters have for each other and their found family is perfection. Erik continues to be the brutish king we know him to be. He will stop at nothing to have his Queen back.

No cliffhanger in this one but it does set up the beginning of the next book in the series which is a standalone about a different set of characters we have already met. I highly recommend this series if you love fantasy, romance, pirates, and Vikings.

I was excited to dig into this book after finishing book 1. The ending of that book had me very worried for the Serpent. He did have a rocky start with this book and I loved every moment of it.

The connection between these two was such an amazing aspect of this book. It started when they were children and developed through the first book. That development went well beyond the magic that was at play in the beginning. One of my favorite parts of this book was the moment where their love was demonstrated so clearly. (Of course I can't give you anymore details than that. Hehe) Their connection drives this story and it was perfection.

So many characters in this story. We gain many from the beginning of book 1 and gain some totally new ones. They all blend together to conclude the songbird and serpents story and begin the story of two others. The overarching story of this Fae world continues. It was a nice blending that has me interested in continuing to read about this world.

I started this series after finishing the Shield of Sparrows. I was desperate for another really good book and this series did it for me. It's a great #romantasy with an interesting world that wasn't too heavy on world building (the right amount) and had characters I wanted to read about. Both book 1 and 2 are easy books that can be quickly devoured and enjoyed. The perfect book feast to get stuck in.

Highly entertaining and looking forward to ereading! listened to the audio while reading along to the Net Galley ebook.
feel like you an't say too much so you dont give it away.
Erik's obsession with Lilv is chef's kiss. loved how there was even more found family too.
These are such good quick reads.
really ike the lead up for book3. "m assuming I know who the couple is for that.

4.5 ⭐️

I loved this book so much. What i lived the most was getting to see the two realms collide. Seeing Livias family (Jonas, Mira, Sander, Aleksi, and her father) interact with Erik and his family was amazing. I loved that Erik was able to finally find a family bot only with Livia, but with her family and his own family/friends that he has been keeping at a distance. There were a few times when I felt the plot was moving a little slowly, and that's the only reason why it's not a 5⭐️. Overall, i loved this book and can't wait to read Jonas' book!!

I loved this so so much! This was the perfect continuation. I love LJ’s characters, and seeing all the Broken Kingdom characters interact with the new characters was so fun! The old characters feel mature, but still so much themselves! I absolutely adored being in this world again, and the conclusion, and then the cliffhanger for the next couple was fantastic. The writing style is fantastic, the plot is steady, and at no point did I find myself bored!

📖 Bookish Thoughts
I was excited to return to this world after The Ever King, but The Ever Queen didn’t fully land for me. The pacing was incredibly slow, and I found myself tempted to DNF more than once. While I loved portions of the book, overall the execution felt flat in comparison to the first book.


🗓 Pub Date: September 16, 2025
Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for the ARC. All thoughts are my own.

One of the many things that blow me away about LJ Andrews is that she does an amazing job of writing fierce, badass heroines who are also soft. LJ loves her viking and pirate worlds, enemies to lovers, and and dark, twisty magic. But she writes these incredible FMCs who are vulnerable and flawed and still learn to save themselves.

I loved this duology. I loved everything about Erik and Livia. Book two of the Ever Seas takes us even deeper into the Ever. I loved learning more about the different houses, powers, and politics. The connections between the worlds are so fun.

I can't recommend these books enough for romantasy fans of authors like Carissa Broadbent, Kate Dramis, and Stacia Stark.

𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓔𝓿𝓮𝓻 𝓠𝓾𝓮𝓮𝓷
ᴛʜᴇ ᴇᴠᴇʀ sᴇᴀs 2
ᴮᵞ ᴸᴶ ᴬᴺᴰᴿᴱᵂˢ
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 {🌶️x3}

ᴅᴀʀᴋ ғᴀɴᴛᴀsʏ ʀᴏᴍᴀɴᴄᴇ | ғᴀᴇ | ᴘɪʀᴀᴛᴇs | ᴠɪᴋɪɴɢs | ᴅᴀʀᴋ ᴍᴀɢɪᴄ | ᴠɪʟʟᴀɪɴ ɢᴇᴛs ᴛʜᴇ ɢɪʀʟ | ᴛᴏᴜᴄʜ ʜᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅɪᴇ | 🖤🏴‍☠️🌊🧜‍♀️🗡️

“𝐼 𝒽𝑒𝓁𝒹 𝓂𝓎 𝒷𝓇𝑒𝒶𝓉𝒽. 𝒜 𝓁𝒾𝑔𝒽𝓉 𝒾𝓃 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒹𝒶𝓇𝓀𝓃𝑒𝓈𝓈-𝒩𝒾𝑔𝒽𝓉𝒻𝒾𝓇𝑒. 𝐸𝓇𝒾𝓀 𝓌𝒶𝓈 𝓂𝓎 𝒩𝒾𝑔𝒽𝓉𝒻𝒾𝓇𝑒 𝓈𝑒𝒶𝓇𝒸𝒽𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓈𝑒𝒶𝓈 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝓈𝓀𝒾𝑒𝓈 𝒻𝑜𝓇 𝒽𝒾𝓈 𝓁𝑜𝓈𝓉 𝓁𝑜𝓋𝑒”

ʙʟᴇᴇᴅɪɴɢ ʜᴇʟʟs... ᴛʜɪs ʙᴏᴏᴋ!! ɪᴛ's ᴀᴍᴀᴢɪɴɢ!! ᴇᴠᴇɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴅᴇᴅɪᴄᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ɪs ᴘᴇʀғᴇᴄᴛ

“𝐼 𝒶𝓂 𝒾𝓃 𝓁𝑜𝓋𝑒 𝓌𝒾𝓉𝒽 𝑒𝓋𝑒𝓇𝓎 𝒹𝒶𝓇𝓀, 𝓌𝑜𝓃𝒹𝑒𝓇𝑜𝓊𝓈 𝓅𝒾𝑒𝒸𝑒 𝑜𝒻 𝓎𝑜𝓊.”

ɪ ᴊᴜsᴛ ʟᴏᴠᴇ ᴇʀɪᴋ & ʟɪᴠɪᴀ...
𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒮𝑒𝓇𝓅𝑒𝓃𝓉 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝒽𝒾𝓈 𝒮𝑜𝓃𝑔𝒷𝒾𝓇𝒹

“𝐼 𝒹𝑜𝓃’𝓉 𝓂𝒾𝓃𝒹 𝒾𝒻 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝓈𝓉𝓊𝓂𝒷𝓁𝑒, 𝐸𝓋𝑒𝓇 𝒦𝒾𝓃𝑔, 𝓈𝑜 𝓁𝑜𝓃𝑔 𝒶𝓈 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝓁𝑒𝓉 𝓂𝑒 𝒷𝑒 𝓉𝒽𝑒𝓇𝑒 𝓉𝑜 𝒸𝒶𝓉𝒸𝒽 𝓎𝑜𝓊”

ᴛʜᴇ ᴇᴠᴇʀ ᴋɪɴɢ ᴇɴᴅs ᴏɴ ᴀ ᴄʟɪғғʜᴀɴɢᴇʀ... ᴛʜɪs ʙᴏᴏᴋ ᴘɪᴄᴋs ᴜᴘ ᴡʜᴇʀᴇ ᴡᴇ ʟᴇᴀᴠᴇ ᴏғғ ᴀɴᴅ ʜᴀs ɪᴛ ᴀʟʟ! ᴀᴅᴠᴇɴᴛᴜʀᴇ, ᴡᴀʀ, ʙʟᴏᴏᴅ, ᴍᴀɢɪᴄ, ʟᴏᴠᴇ, ғᴜɴɴʏ ʙᴀɴᴛᴇʀ, sʟᴏᴡ ʙᴜʀɴ, sᴘɪᴄᴇ, ᴜɴʟɪᴋᴇʟʏ ᴀʟʟɪᴇs ᴀɴᴅ sᴏᴍᴇ ᴏғ ᴍʏ ғᴀᴠᴏʀɪᴛᴇ ᴄʜᴀʀᴀᴄᴛᴇʀs ᴇᴠᴇʀ ᴡʀɪᴛᴛᴇɴ ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇʏ ᴀʟʟ ʙʀɪɴɢ sᴏᴍᴇᴛʜɪɴɢ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ sᴛᴏʀʏ sᴏ ᴘᴇʀғᴇᴄᴛʟʏ. ᴛʜᴇ ᴄʜᴀʀᴀᴄᴛᴇʀ ᴅᴇᴠᴇʟᴏᴘᴍᴇɴᴛ ɪs ᴏɴ ᴘᴏɪɴᴛ, ᴇsᴘᴇᴄɪᴀʟʟʏ ғᴏʀ ᴏᴜʀ ғᴍᴄ, ʟɪᴠɪᴀ. sʜᴇ ʀᴇᴀʟʟʏ ᴄᴏᴍᴇs ɪɴᴛᴏ ʜᴇʀ ᴏᴡɴ ᴀɴᴅ sʜᴇ ɪs ғɪᴇʀᴄᴇ!! ᴏᴜʀ ᴠɪʟʟᴀɪɴ, ᴇʀɪᴋ ʙʟᴏᴏᴅsɪɴɢᴇʀ ɪs ʀᴇᴀᴅʏ ᴛᴏ ʙᴜʀɴ ᴅᴏᴡɴ ʜɪs ᴋɪɴɢᴅᴏᴍ ᴛᴏ ᴘʀᴏᴛᴇᴄᴛ ʜɪs 𝓁𝑜𝓋𝑒.

“𝓌𝒽𝒶𝓉 𝒹𝑜 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝓃𝑜𝓉 𝓊𝓃𝒹𝑒𝓇𝓈𝓉𝒶𝓃𝒹? 𝐼 𝒸𝒶𝓇𝑒 𝓃𝑜𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝒻𝑜𝓇 𝓂𝓎 𝓁𝒾𝒻𝑒 𝒾𝒻 𝓈𝒽𝑒 𝒾𝓈 𝓃𝑜𝓉 𝒾𝓃 𝒾𝓉.”

ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴀᴛᴛʟᴇ sᴄᴇɴᴇs!!! ɪ ʜᴇʟᴅ ᴍʏ ʙʀᴇᴀᴛʜ ғᴏʀ ᴀɴ ᴇɴᴛɪʀᴇ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ᴀs ɪᴛ ᴘʟᴀʏᴇᴅ ᴏᴜᴛ ɪɴ ᴍʏ ʜᴇᴀᴅ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴀ ᴍᴏᴠɪᴇ! ɪ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ɴᴇᴠᴇʀ ʟᴏᴠᴇᴅ ʙʟᴏᴏᴅ sʜᴇᴅ ᴍᴏʀᴇ 😂 sᴏ ᴡᴇʟʟ ᴡʀɪᴛᴛᴇɴ, ɪᴛ ᴄᴀᴘᴛɪᴠᴀᴛᴇᴅ ᴍᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ʙʀᴏᴜɢʜᴛ ᴍᴇ ʙᴀᴄᴋ ᴛᴏ ᴘɪʀᴀᴛᴇs ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄᴀʀɪʙʙᴇᴀɴ ᴅᴀʏs... ғᴇʟᴛ ʟɪᴋᴇ ɪ ᴡᴀs ᴡᴀᴛᴄʜɪɴɢ ᴀ ᴡʜᴏʟᴇ sᴄᴇɴᴇ ᴘʟᴀʏ ᴏᴜᴛ ɪɴ ғʀᴏɴᴛ ᴏғ ᴍᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ɪ ғʀᴇᴀᴋɪɴɢ ʟᴏᴠᴇᴅ ɪᴛ! 🏴‍☠️

“𝒯𝑜 𝓂𝑒, 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝓌𝒾𝓁𝓁 𝒶𝓁𝓌𝒶𝓎𝓈 𝒷𝑒 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓂𝑜𝓈𝓉 𝒷𝑒𝒶𝓊𝓉𝒾𝒻𝓊𝓁 𝑜𝒻 𝓂𝑜𝓃𝓈𝓉𝑒𝓇𝓈”

ɢᴏ ʀᴜɴ ᴀɴᴅ ᴘʀᴇ-ᴏʀᴅᴇʀ ᴛʜɪs ʙᴏᴏᴋ, ᴀɴᴅ ɪғ ʏᴏᴜ ʜᴀᴠᴇɴ’ᴛ ʀᴇᴀᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ᴇᴠᴇʀ ᴋɪɴɢ... ɢᴏ!!! ɴᴏᴡ!!!! ᴡʜᴀᴛ ᴀʀᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴀɪᴛɪɴɢ ғᴏʀ?

I don’t know what to do with myself now that the story of Erik and Livia is over! I will keep this spoiler free, but the story picks up right where The Ever King ends. Livia embracing her morally grey side is everything! And there is nothing better than a reunion scene after the main characters have been unwillingly separated.

I appreciated the mental health representation in this book, including how Erik, and all the royals, help support Livia through her anxiety. It is also shown how several of the characters are impacted and cope with traumatic situations.

I love King Valen’s fierceness for his daughter, and the begrudging bond he forms with Erik. I need a Mira & Tait book ASAP…the banter is already top tier. However, the epilogue makes it clear who the next book will be about. It was interesting to be introduced to the world of the Elven and their magic, and I can’t wait to learn more!

**𝗣𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗕𝗲𝗹𝗼𝘄**

𝗕𝗼𝗻𝘂𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄: I loved this bonus story of Erik & Livia’s Earth fae vows. We get to revisit some of our favorite characters and have some fun banter between them. I loved Alistair’s snappy comebacks, Rorik’s excitement to be on the seas, and of course the ceremony.

𝘔𝘺 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘣𝘰𝘯𝘥. 𝘔𝘺 𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘣𝘪𝘳𝘥. 𝘔𝘺 𝘸𝘪𝘧𝘦.
𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘐 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘭𝘦 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘢 𝘕𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘍𝘰𝘭𝘬 𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘢 𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘯 𝘢𝘨𝘰, 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘐 𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘣𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘭 𝘮𝘦.
𝘋𝘢𝘮𝘯 𝘢 𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘥𝘰𝘮, 𝘥𝘢𝘮𝘯 𝘢 𝘤𝘳𝘰𝘸𝘯. 𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘐 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘪𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘭.

Thank you to Berkley/Ace for providing me with a copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

I’m so excited to be a part of LJ’s arc team for the new published editions from Berkley Publishing! Let me start by saying the ending to The Ever Seas duology is perfection! Erik and Livia definitely get the ending they deserve after being separated most of the book. It’s always hard for me to enjoy a book where the main characters are separated, but not this one. The action picked up from the beginning and never slowed down. Between Erik and Valen Ferus having their big reunion (which was amazing) to Livia seeing a new land and a new species??? I mean incredible! So much was happening to keep me invested the entire time.

For me the best part of this book was the character development for Erik and Livia. Erik is a true villain that has had a hard time letting people in. But we slowly see him really begin to trust and show his true feelings in this book. He has a rough time in this book but how he comes away from everything was amazing. Now I’m obsessed with Livia’s development. She truly becomes a queen in this book. She is strong, protective, and gains the confidence in herself that truly leads her to being a fierce queen.

This book was emotional, full of great plot and romance, and introduces us to some amazing new characters. This duology will always be one of my most recommended!

Yesssss!! Million times yes!

I cried way to many times at the beginning of this book (IYKYK)

Livia (MF’n) Ferus came into her own! That was my biggest concern in the first book was with Livia having so much potential but being scared to see how far she could go!

This book, to me, was about her coming into her own just like The Ever King was about Erik realizing he didn’t need to be like his father. There is a lot going on and this book sets us up for most if the couples to come in their own books.

Honestly so good! I loved it and cannot wait to continue with this series!

The author did a great job merging the Earth realm and the Ever kingdom together. We get to see how the characters work together and there are definitely connections that will eventually be explored as the series continues. Part of why I love this series so much is because of how strong the characters are. I love that they take the time to assess the situations and all of them are just so smart and so witty. I was definitely invested in all of the characters and I especially loved how consistent Erik and Livia are. Despite the circumstances in this book, Erik continues to be such a swoony, wicked, and devoted characters and Livia is so strong. It was so endearing to see how everyone worked together and it was very exciting to see how the secrets unraveled. The only thing was I felt like this book moved slower than the first one and there were some consecutive chapters where I felt like Erik and Livia spent too much time in the bedroom. Other than that, I love how this book wrapped up Livia and Erik's story!

The broken kingdoms was amazing and the ever seas did stand along with it!!please read both series if you have not. I enjoyed the conclusion of the serpent and his songbird. I love this couple and their chemistry together. I enjoyed Livia’s growth throughout this book and seeing her step into her own.

LIVIA FERIS!! the queen you are!!! The ever Queen is book two in the Ever seas duology and picks up right where the Ever King left off! LJ Andrews has some of the most magical and poetic and beautiful and absolutely mesmerizing writing ever especially when it comes to Viking inspired fantasy! It’s always so unique and easy to understand. Her world building is spectacular and I was so happy to be back in the Ever Kingdom! I loved Livia so much in this book, I think because LJ has this ability to make her female characters so soft yet so strong and powerful. I loved livias growth with her magic (Fury) and come into her own power, understanding it and using it for both good and a little viciously. Every character in this book was so good! Jonas and Sander and Aleksi, Mira and Tait and the entire crew! The adventures, the passion between Livia and Erik (god he’s so hot and top tier book boyfriend) was so good through the entire book. Rescue scenes are mt favourite and I loved that moment Erik finds his queen. I was kicking and screaming and giggling. I need more pirate fae!!!

While this book picks up right after the Ever King left off, the pacing was much different. The Ever King kept me riveted, and this one took me a very long time to get through. It wasn’t exactly boring — I did finish. But it wasn’t as captivating as the first. There was a lot of confusing moments where things jumped too quickly or scenes weren’t properly set up to convey adequate orientation. I enjoyed Erik and Liv’s story, and will be thrilled to read about Jonas’s, but definitely didn’t devour this one the same way I did the first.

Thank you for this ARC!

Dare I say it?? This book, along with Book 1, The Ever King are better then ACOTAR. Yup, I said it. Of course, you can't compare the 2 book series, but OMG, The Ever King and The Ever Queen absolutely have a chokehold over me. ANNNND... there's going to be a 3rd book?? What? How did I miss that? Yes, please, give me more of this world.
So to begin, if you enjoy fantasy romance with enemies to lovers, Pirates, Fae, Vikings, found families, magic, banter, spice, epic battle scenes, and a love that trumps all love stories.... then read this book (again start with the Ever King first).
This book has a satisfying ending to Erik & Livia's story (or beginning?, maybe?). I was happy in the end and of course there are teasers of characters for the next book. Absolutely fantastic!!
One other note about this story, it takes place in the world of the author's other series, The Broken Kingdoms. You do not have to have read that series to understand this one, but several characters do make an appearance and are a part of these 2 stories.

Rating: 4.5 🌟
Spice: 3 🌶️

Minor spoilers for The Ever King

Tropes/Themes for Book 2:
- DARK fantasy romance
- Fated mates
- Villain gets the girl
- Pirates collide with Vikings
- Fae and Sirens
- FMC goes morally grey
- Touch her and die

Additional tropes for the series: Morally grey MMC, Tortured MMC, Found family, Slowburn romance, Tension, Top-Knotch banter, Forced proximity, Enemies to lovers, Forbidden love.

The Ever King was one of my favorite reads of 2023 and I was so excited to continue Livia and Erik's story in The Ever Queen. This is a DARK fantasy romance. Book 2 contains more potential triggers than Book 1. I strongly recommend researching the content warnings.

Book 2 begins right after the ending of Book 1. Erik and Livia are separated after being betrayed by a former friend. Both characters are trying to find their way back to one another. Erik enlists the help of the Earth Fae Folk, and Livia must rely on her own skills and wits to escape her situation.

I absolutely loved this duology! This story has everything I LOVE in a great fantasy romance series. The author takes common and beloved fantasy romance tropes and puts a spin to them to keep the story fresh and interesting.

The character development for Livia and Erik were done so well. I especially loved seeing each of these character's vulnerabilities, particularly Erik's. We often see male characters in fantasy romance books as tough and emotionally unavailable, but it's not so with Erik. I loved seeing Livia coax out Erik's fears and worries, and express them in healthy ways. In return, Erik helped Livia face her inner demons head-on. You can tell that Livia's confidence grew as the story progressed, and she learned to trust her instincts more. They definitely bring out each other's strengths, and I loved seeing them work together as King and Queen. Seeing a couple actually communicate and talk about what is bothering them was so refreshing! Livia and Erik complement one another perfectly.

The highlight for me for this series were all the characters, especially in Book 2. Not only do we have a continuation of Livia and Erik's story, the supporting characters also shine in here as well. I always get worried that with a large cast of characters, the main couple will be outshined. The author did a perfect job introducing these characters just enough to keep the readers interested in what is coming next. I particularly loved that Valen had a larger role in this story. Fans of LJ Andrew's The Broken Kingdom series will particularly love this installment. Livia's royal friends and families also have a larger role in Book 2, and I'm particularly excited to see more of Jonas's story in Book 3!

The plot was intriguing and engaging. The detailed battle scenes will have readers on the edge of their seats! Overall, the pacing was good, but I did think it got a bit slow in the middle, especially given how action-packed the first third of the book was. However, I do see it being necessary to build up the final scenes towards the end. Livia and Erik get a nice and tidied up conclusion to their story, but there definitely are unresolved plot points that will likely be further explored in future books of the series. I did find the introduction of the Elves and their conflict a bit confusing, and I wished it was explained just a little bit more in this book, especially at the beginning. However, I know this sub-plot will be focused on in Book 3, given how this book ended.

This book also contains more spicy scenes than Book 1. In general, I think the "spice" should fit the natural progression of the couple's story arc. I did feel like 1 or 2 scenes could have been cut out completely, and we would still have the same story/conclusion, BUT each scene is written well and not gratuitous, which I appreciated. The emotional connection is apparent during these scenes, so I did not mind that they were included. (I would have a different opinion if it just felt too "physical", and lacked depth). You can feel just how much Livia and Erik love and care for one other in these scenes, which strengthens the romance aspect of the story. And I am always a sucker for a great romance!

If you are a fantasy romance fan, I highly recommend reading this series! LJ Andrews is definitely an author I will be following closely from now on!

***The newly published version will have bonus content!***