2025: 5 stars
Updated to add that the bonus chapter that is going to be included in the new traditionally published version is an interesting little snippet. I feel like this is the first we've really gotten to see of Tait's POV and that makes me even more ready for The Stolen Crown. Looks like the final version of The Mist Thief will have a teaser for TSC in it and I desperately need that!

Thank you Berkely Pub/Ace books for the eARC. My thoughts are entirely my own.

2024: 5 stars
Absolutely wonderful continuation of the Ever Seas series!

I will admit, I still enjoy Livia and Erik more, but Jonas was always a favorite character from their books and I got attached to Skadi pretty quickly here too!

Jonas and Skadi get married as a way to combine their kingdoms, but it's obvious from the very beginning that the heat between them is building. The banter and the wittiness from Jonas and Skadi was captivating. Jonas brought Skadi out of her shell and into who she is meant to be and it was so sweet to watch that blossom.

I loved exploring more of the alver lands. I haven't read The Broken Kingdoms yet and this explored a lot more of the characters from that series and really has me itching to dive into it. If you've read TBK, I guarantee this will leave you kicking your feet at all the interactions with the characters.

The ending will definitely leave you itching for the next book!

Read if you love:
-Burn the world for her/him
-Elves & Fae
-Pirates & Vikings

Thank you LJ & Berkley. In lieu of LJ releasing her new series this month, 𝓑𝓻𝓸𝓴𝓮𝓷 𝓢𝓸𝓾𝓵𝓼 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓑𝓸𝓷𝓮𝓼, I decided to reread one of my all time favorite series which is being traditionally published by Ace.

The Mist Thief is a beautiful tale woven with heartbreak, betrayal, found family, and putting yourself back together again. It gave me all the feels. The Eastern Kingdom is my favorite kingdom in LJ Andrews’ Broken Kingdom’s series. I felt nostalgic with all my favorite characters and the morally grey guilds. I am obsessed with Kase and Malin, so I knew I would be in love with their boys. Jonas gives me all the Kase vibes. The banter between Jonas and Skadi is amazing. I love a good enemies-to-lovers slow burn romance, loved watching their love unfold, and couldn’t help but say finalllllly! LJ Andrews continues to create epic love stories in this world, and I never want her to stop. The sense of finding your home and where you’re meant to be is absolutely beautiful.

Here, darkness was beautiful. Here, we schemed. Here, family didn’t mean blood. Here, was home.”

“𝓗𝓮𝓻𝓮, 𝓭𝓪𝓻𝓴𝓷𝓮𝓼𝓼 𝔀𝓪𝓼 𝓫𝓮𝓪𝓾𝓽𝓲𝓯𝓾𝓵. 𝓗𝓮𝓻𝓮, 𝔀𝓮 𝓼𝓬𝓱𝓮𝓶𝓮𝓭. 𝓗𝓮𝓻𝓮, 𝓯𝓪𝓶𝓲𝓵𝔂 𝓭𝓲𝓭𝓷’𝓽 𝓶𝓮𝓪𝓷 𝓫𝓵𝓸𝓸𝓭. 𝓗𝓮𝓻𝓮 𝔀𝓪𝓼 𝓱𝓸𝓶𝓮.”

𝓣𝓻𝓸𝓹𝓮𝓼 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓥𝓲𝓫𝓮𝓼:
✨ Romantasy
✨ Interconnected Standalone
✨ Enemies to Lovers
✨ Slow Burn
✨ Hilarious Banter
✨ Touch Her/Him and ☠️
✨ Arranged Marriage 
✨ Found Family
✨ “My Wife”
✨ Morally Gray MCs

“𝓑𝓮 𝓰𝓮𝓷𝓽𝓵𝓮 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓴𝓲𝓷𝓭 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓷𝓲𝓰𝓱𝓽𝓶𝓪𝓻𝓲𝓼𝓱. 𝓘 𝔀𝓪𝓷𝓽 𝓮𝓿𝓮𝓻𝔂 𝓹𝓲𝓮𝓬𝓮.”

I'm so glad to be back in the Ever Seas series! And it was so fun getting to read about Jonas and Skadi. I feel like this book has bigger connections to the Broken Kingdoms series which I loved. I loved that we got more time in the Eastern kingdom with so many cross over characters. You can still read this series without reading the Broken Kingdoms series though.

I feel like this book was the perfect way to write an arranged marriage. It made the romance a slow burn but I loved it. I loved Jonas so much in previous books so the growth of Skadi was bigger for me in this book. I loved how Jonas accepted everything about her and helped her accept herself. She honestly fits with him, his family, and his friends so perfectly.

I got an ARC from Netgalley and Berkley that I am extra thankful for because it came with the bonus material that will be in the books when they are traditionally published. I loved getting the chapter from Heartwalker. It has me even more excited for The Stolen Crown.

The Mist Thief by LJ Andrews is book 3 of The Ever Seas series. This was by far my favorite book of the series thus far. I loved Jonas (the nightmare prince of debauchery and rizz) from when I first read of him back in The Ever King, I was suspicious of his plan towards the end of The Ever Queen, and I could NOT wait to read his story. I was so excited when I found out book 3 would revolve entirely around him. This is a story of arranged marriage of convenience, touch her and die, who did this to you, forced proximity and found family. The perfect balance of swoon worthy romance and kick-your-feet spice. The two main characters, our nightmare prince and elven princess are forced to learn to trust each other in their own darkness; the words fly off the pages and land right in your heart. An epic battle and one of the happiest happy ever afters I’ve ever read in a fantasy book, this story was wrapped up like a gift with a bow on top! This wasn't just a typical romantasy, this relationship evolved from convenience and duty to true trust and reading that evolution felt so raw and organic that it was genuinely emotional to experience. The main characters had trauma, they had depth, they were written like real people and the connection they had with each other developed in a way that didn't truly guarantee a happily ever after until they made it. They chose each other in more ways than one and because of that it felt more impactful than so many other books of similar style and genre. LJ Andrews is an artist, the imagery in her stories and the emotions evoked by them are genuine and a delight to experience as a reader.

This is my favorite book of the Ever Seas series and I absolutely adored getting Jonas and Skadi's story! The relationship between them seemed to develop without feeling too rushed and the banter and chemistry between them was fabulous!! I couldn’t help but swoon over Jonas every time he showed how much he cared for Skadi, even if it was before he realized it. My heart felt for Skadi as we learned more about her past and seeing her learn to accept herself made my heart so full. I loved everything about this book and will always love seeing the characters from the Broken Kingdom series have such a presence!

While this book can be read as a standalone, I am glad that I opted to read The Ever King & The Ever Queen before diving into this book!

⚔️ Arranged marriage
⚔️ Morally grey/cinnamon roll MMC
⚔️ Touch her / him and 💀
⚔️ Found family
⚔️ Who did this to you?

Thank you to Berkley Publishing for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

"And in that moment, when she is the only one you want standing with you against a foe, that is when you will know you've fallen in love with your wife."

I loved Jonas and Skadi and their messy journey of a marriage of convenience.

Skadi has been raised to believe her magic will only ever bring destruction, and she will never be truly loved; especially by the enemy, who she is now married to.

Jonas is the sarcastic, witty, cunning and sexy bad boy we all want on our side. He just needs to get over himself first 😂

I adore how fiercely he believes in Skadi and loves her for who she is at her core.

"Be kind, be gentle, and be monstrous. I will want you every way."

Jonas is the swooniest...

"I have been caught in the blaze of your fire, and I swear to you, I will never douse it."

And he has a twin 😉

A spin off of the Ever Seas duology (which also is related to the 12 book Broken Kingdom series) the Mist Thief follows Skadi and Jonas's story, and its just as delicious as the others.

Jonas and Skadi are my absolute favorites and theres AN ARRANGED MARRIAGE.

5 star book as usual!

Here, darkness was beautiful.
Here, we schemed.
Here, family didn’t mean blood.
Here, was home.

Oh. My. Norns! I swear LJ puts crack in these books... once you start them, they're impossible to put down. Jonas and Skadi 🔥 Seeing Kase and Malin again 🔥 The amount of quotes I saved could produce another book 😂 I absolutely love this world! Jonas is a whole new level of nightmare and I'm here for it!

I arc read this book for its indie release and LOVED it. I am so excited for its traditional pub release. I am so thankful to have gotten to do a reread and enjoy the bonus content as well. The Ever Seas is one of my top tier series.

A million thank you’s to LJ and her team for this ARC! This has probably been the most excited I’ve ever been to receive an ARC and it’s because of how much I simply adore LJ and her stories and characters she has created.

I started with The Broken Kingdoms in April and completely devoured them and the first two books of The Ever Seas in just a few weeks. I loved everything about all of them, but I think my favorite aspect across all these books is the epic found family.

Kase Eriksson is and continues to be my favorite character from LJ 🤌🏼 He just hits different. Him and Malin’s books in TBK were my favorite so when I found out their kids were getting a book I squealed. I absolutely LOVED how much we got to see of our favorite memory thief and Nightrender. I missed them so much and as if I didn’t already love this book enough, these moments with Kase and his Mallie just made The Mist Thief even more of a favorite for me. My face hurt from all the smiling and cackling I did in this book. There is one moment that had me kicking my feet and giggling bc it was SO them. And then you see what the moment is for (tiny spoiler (maybe??): his birthday gift that Mal got him?? UGH my heart) and I simply sobbed because I love them so much.

It was also so refreshing to see all the Guild of Kryv and the Falkyns again!! I missed them all endlessly.

JONAS ERIKSSON!! The man that you are! This guy is the perfect mix of his parents (with a little Ari sprinkled in hehe) and I ate it up. I have loved seeing glimpses of him throughout TBK and TES, but the fact that he got a whole book was just icing on the cake. His relationship with his clan, family, friends and Skadi was so wholesome to me. The fact that he recognized her power and never wanted her to shy away from it, encouraged her to be monstrous and always supported her wants/needs is the kind of man anyone could hope for.

My sweet little Skadi. I was intrigued with this girl from the moment we saw her in the previous books and I loved getting to know more of our mist thief. Her power is so damn cool and the fact that she has been raised to be fearful of it broke my heart. She has overcome so much and I was just so proud of her. I was obsessed with her and Jonas’s relationship and banter. One of my favorite things was her relationship with Kase 🥹 I’ve always said that Kase was meant to be a girl dad and Skadi is the daughter he never had. It was absolutely perfect.

If you couldn’t tell, I simply adored this book and I already know it’s going to be a favorite read of the year for me. I absolutely cannot WAIT for the next book (especially with THAT cliffhanger!! Come on now, LJ!) and I am so excited to dive back into the world of the Ever for it. 🙌🏼

I enjoyed the first duology. The world is very interesting, with complex history and magic system, and there is a large cast of interesting and endearing characters.

However, I think this series hovers just past the line of my preferences for the balance between fantasy and romance, leaning in favor of the romantic plot over the development of the actual plot. I'm a reader who really prefers more world building and character development, and a solid plot progression. I found myself several times feeling like the only things that were happening were in service to forcing the two characters to be near each other and deal with their feelings and physical chemistry. But it felt flimsy. As a result, the antagonists in this story didn't really feel substantial or complex.

The most interesting part of the story for me was Skadi's reckoning with her traumatic upbringing and finding her voice and self worth. I just feel like the whole conflict towards the beginning with neither one of them wanting to be vulnerable and making assumptions is too close to a miscommunication trope for me. I get frustrated. Like just sit down and have a conversation.

We are once again transported back to the Ever Seas, where we are introduced to Skadi and Jonas. Vowed to one another through an arranged marriage to bring peace. They were not meant to fall in love but were exactly what the other one needed.

I fell in love with Jonas!!! The way he says "Wife" has me swooning. And how Skadi called him nightmare!!! Their relationship was pure perfection and the banter!!

I definitely need to go back now and read the Ever King and the Ever Queen.

The Mist Thief by LJ Andrews
Rating : ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice : 🌶🌶🌶

“If only she knew she was a poison in my veins and I wanted to drown in it.”

💙⚔️💙⚔️💙⚔️💙⚔️💙⚔️💙⚔️💙⚔️💙

Tropes :
💙 dark fantasy romance
⚔️ marriage of convenience
💙 morally grey cinnamon roll hero
⚔️ forced proximity
💙 fae x Vikings x elves
⚔️ touch him/her and ☠️
💙 “my wife”

“Why did you never love, Jonas?”

“Because I was waiting for you, Fire.”

💙⚔️💙⚔️💙⚔️💙⚔️💙⚔️💙⚔️💙⚔️💙

Review :
This was everything I wanted and more. First off, I definitely say pause to read this if you haven’t read The Broken Kingdoms and the Ever Seas. While LJ has done an absolutely incredible job writing this where it could be read as a stand alone, you will feel so much more depth and emotional connections the the characters and the story if you have read these too.

I feel like I am a little biased going into this book because Kase and Malin were my favorite of the TBK couples and the Eastern Kingdom having my favorite magics, so I had zero doubt that I would enjoy this. It was really cool to learn more about the Elven clans and their culture and magics too. I absolutely adored Jonas and he is the perfect mixture of both Kase and Malin - also with some sprinkles of Ari in there - but he also stands on his own so well. Skadi is like an onion that we slowly pull the layers from as the story progress, and she balances Jonas’ emotional vulnerability with her guarded nature so well.

The banter between Skadi and Jonas was so so good. There was a lot of great tension, some miscommunication, and a lot of burn once they finally gave in. Jonas is the villain you fall in love for in every dark romance/fantasy romance who will not give a single thought to destroying the world if it means his girl is safe.

Getting to see characters I’ve known and loved so much from TBK as well as getting to see their littles as adult interacting made this read so much sweeter. I’m also positively feral for Tait and Mira. I cannot wait to read their book.

Also the little bonus scene at the end 😭🫶🏻 perfection.

Basically I just love this entire world from the beginning of The Broken Kingdoms through this book. These characters and this world will live forever in my heart and soul.

Thank you thank you thank you to LJ Andrews and Victorious Publishing for an ARC of this in exchange for an honest review.

“I would never get enough. She was branded on me, not only on the surface, Skadi was imprinted on my damn soul, and I never wanted to be rid of her.”

💙⚔️💙⚔️💙⚔️💙⚔️💙⚔️💙⚔️💙⚔️💙

The new bonus content has me gnawing at the bars of my enclosure. I have been waiting for Tait and Mira since they were first on the page together and she called him "Hearttalker" for the first time. LJ gave us the teeniest little crumb into Tait's head with the bonus sneak peek into The Stolen Crown and to tell you that I cannot wait for this book would be a gross underestimate. I can't wait to see everyone go feral waiting for these two with me.

Although The Mist Thief works perfectly as a standalone, it offers an even richer experience for those who have read The Broken Kingdoms and the earlier Ever Seas books. Familiar characters reappear in such meaningful ways, weaving past stories into the fabric of this one. For me, it was like being welcomed back into a world I love deeply—it felt like coming home. I found myself completely immersed in the story, finishing it in what felt like no time at all. It also reignited my desire to revisit The Broken Kingdoms, a series that holds a special place in my heart. That series was incredible from beginning to end, and now I feel compelled to relive every unforgettable moment of it.

Jonas was, without a doubt, the heart of this book for me. His humor, sarcasm, rakish charm, and deeply human vulnerabilities made him an absolutely compelling character. I couldn’t get enough of him! Every witty exchange and every moment of raw emotion had me completely hooked. And then there’s Skadi—her journey tugged at my heartstrings in the best possible way. Her resilience, her courage in the face of unimaginable challenges, and her determination to fight for the life she deserves had me rooting for her every step of the way. She gave Jonas a run for his money, and their dynamic was nothing short of perfection. The chemistry between them crackled on every page, and the way they challenged and complemented each other was a joy to read. Their romance was intense, beautifully messy, and ultimately deeply rewarding. I loved seeing them confront their fears and embrace both their own and each other’s darkness—a journey that felt authentic and transformative.

The family dynamics in The Mist Thief were another standout aspect of the story. It was such a treat to see Kase and Malin again! Oh, how I’ve missed them and their electric energy. Being thrown back into the schemes and heists of the Alvers and Kryv brought all the excitement and adrenaline I’d hoped for. The twists, turns, and layers of intrigue kept me on the edge of my seat, and I relished every moment. LJ has a way of making each character shine, and the ensemble cast added so much depth and richness to the story.

This book is an emotional rollercoaster in the best possible way. It made me laugh, cry, cheer, and even pause to reflect. The ending left me completely satisfied, as Jonas and Skadi's story was granted the happily-ever-after they so deserved. But even though their story reached a perfect conclusion, I can’t help but hope we’ll see more of them in the next book. The tease of Mira and Tait’s story already has me buzzing with anticipation. Mira is such a force of nature, and I can’t wait to see how she bends Tait to her will—I just know their journey is going to be phenomenal. And Sander’s story? Let’s just say, my excitement knows no bounds. LJ has created a world and a series that feel like they’re brimming with life, and I’m beyond thrilled to see where it all goes next.

LJ Andrews is now an easy auto-buy author for me. If you writes it, I’ll buy it. Each time I read another book by her my list of fantasy book boyfriends gets longer and longer. She truly writes such detailed and well developed characters it’s hard not to fall become enchanted.

The Mist Thief was no different.

Jonas and Skadi’s story is a category of its own. Jonas is equal parts cinnamon roll to morally grey. And the sweet sarcastic and strong willed Skadi. Together they are perfection. Ugh…my heart. I thought I fell for Erik Bloodsinger but touché Madame Andrews. Though I’m more of an action packed fantasy girl (there is still some along with schemes and trickery) I absolutely loved seeing this relationship build and with that unravel the depths of them both to building their relationship of trust, healing, and devotion. Skadi is a damn QUEEN. I found her relatable in her hesitation to trust and no matter what’s been thrown her way she still held her head high and persevered. She deserves it all! The love, the family, and the security. I absolutely LOVED her. I loved the development as well of not just our marriage of convenience couple but the supporting characters of the Ever and Klockglas kingdom. I’m already ready for more of this series.

Can I give it one millions stars? After reading The Ever Seas duet, which ended up being some of my favourite books EVER, of course I signed up to read an ARC of The Mist Thief. Thank you so much LJ Andrews for the ARC!

This book is about Jonas, a prince of the Alvers (they’re like fae and they have magic but they have round ears and definitely don’t call them fae) and Skadi, an elven princess. At the beginning of the book, Jonas and Skadi are engaged even though they barely know eachother (political marriage has entered the chat). Even worse, Skadi, while protecting her kin, nearly killed Jonas’ twin brother. However, Skadi possesses a powerful magic that can basically disappear anything, and if a rival elven Prince were to marry her and gain control of her power, the Alver, the Ever, and all of their allies would be in deep shit. So Jonas takes one for the team and agrees to marry her, with the intention to definitely not care about her. And she’s gorgeous but he will definitely not feel attracted to her. Well, maybe a little… 😏

I enjoyed every second of this book. I loved the journey that Jonas took from general carefree f*ckboy to devoted husband guy without sacrificing his playful nature. I absolutely love the two sides of Jonas, where he can be joking one minute, and then a wide-awake nightmare with blackened out eyes the next. And let’s not forget Skadi. Her magic, when used for nefarious purposes, bleeds her emotions away and turns her cold and dispassionate. It was really beautiful to see her slowly come back to herself and bring forth her inner fire in Jonas’ company. His nickname for her is “Fire”, like, SWOON. So much swooning! The banter in this book was top notch. The spice was a fantastic payoff to the delicious tension between them. Jonas is a fantastic book boyfriend, I love the darker aspects of the Alvers (side note, I will definitely be reading the prequel series for more of them!) and how Skadi slowly came to fit in perfectly with them!

Amazing as always, LJ! The Ever Seas is one of my top 3 series ever and I never want to leave. LJ absolutely came through with the "my wife" vibes and I was head over heels for Jonas. He was all about his wife even with it starting as a marriage of convenience. The banter, sexual tension and spice were top notch as to be expected! The found family we always get in her books is so so special and I always treasure that. The magic and knowing what group is capable of what is super cool to continue to learn about. Erik Bloodsinger will always be my top book bae, but Jonas definitely holds a special place in my heart and I truly adore them both. Skadi is a badass mist thief with a rough past but Jonas works through that with grace and patience. Loved these two!

“Be kind, be gentle, and be monstrous. I will want you every way.”

There is always a comfort I find in LJ Andrews books and The Mist Thief didn’t disappoint the way she can create such a world that you know and love but adds in so much more depth and feeling is outstanding.

The Mist Thief is such a wonderful edition to the Ever King and Broken Kingdoms series but also completely easy to understand and follow as a standalone and the recap in the beginning really helps if you are not familiar with the first two books of this interconnected world as it does have characters from those books/series.

Even though this was an arranged marriage there were a few fun twists that I wasn’t expecting and utterly loved! The relationship development between Jonas and Skadi was beautiful to see as they go from enemies to slowly finding that within each other they have found a home in which their darkness is accepted and loved. There was just so many good moments like how you could see that he was the one who fell first and the amount of times I was laughing with their banter and swooning with ever time Jonas mentioned ‘my wife’

The continue world building and plot development is one of my favourite things about these books and as the pacing was so well done it didn’t feel at all rushed which you can sometimes find with a standalone as there is so much to wrap up but LJ knows just what to do at the right time to give a satisfying conclusion.

I can’t wait to see what happens next as the ending has me very excited for what’s to come. Thank you LJ for writing such an amazing world and characters.

Thank you so much to the publisher for the opportunity to read and review before publication these are my honest thoughts and opinions.

Guys. This book. First of all, thank you LJ Andrews and Berkley Penguin Random House for allowing me to read this as an ARC. Jonas and Skadi’s story is beautiful, and has everything I love and expect from LJ Andrews books.

If you have read The Ever King/Queen or any of The Broken Kingdom books, do not hesitate. Read this. If you have NOT read any of those listed above, do not hesitate. Read this. It is not necessary for you to read the previous books, though it will add some context and maybe make you giggle a little more at the shenanigans (yes, shenanigans).

This is an open door, full scenes book, and I am here for it. 🔥🔥🔥 Spice and banter are there. Relatively slow burn, but it’s standalone, so you aren’t waiting around for two books to get to some spice, and when the spice hits… it’s good.

“We didn’t feel like a choice at the beginning, Skadi. But every day since, you’ve become the best choice I ever will make. I will never stop choosing you.”

Omg you guys. I don't have the proper words to explain how much I loved this story. If y'all know me, you know my love for The Ever King/Queen. I did not think anything could surpass that love, but the Nightmare Prince is giving Bloodsinger a run for his money.

This story is full of political schemes, Norse mythology, snarky banter, and yummy spice! I was a giddy little girl kicking my legs and smiling from ear to ear reading Jonas' and Skadi's back and forth banter. Watching them wear each other down was invigorating. I ate this book up in less than 2 days. It was THAT good.

Our nightmare prince believes this marriage will protect his people, while our shadow elven believes she's nothing but a mist thief monster. Will fighting against a common enemy bring them closer together or tear them apart?

We also get a little tease at the end which only made me love Heartwalker and his mysteriousness even more. I won't give it away, but HOLY SMOKES I NEED THE STOLEN CROWN NOW!

Thank you LJ, Berkley, and Penguin Random House for the eARC with the bonus content. This is my honest and voluntary review.