I really struggled with getting into this book. I read the first in the series but that was it. Although direct knowledge wasn’t necessarily needed to read it, it took me more than half way through the book to appreciate the plot and characters.

The Evergreen Heir is the fourth book in The Five Crowns of Okrith series. This book finally gives us Neelo's story and their character as they battle a journey to save their mother and future inherited kingdom all while dealing with an arranged marriage. I absolutely loved everything about this book. The characters, the plot, the twists and turns, and the developing relationship between Neelo and Tal was well written and fully immersed you into this world. I absolutely loved Tal's character and getting to see more of his true character than the first book gave us. And WOW.

Neelo's character development was tremendous. To watch them go from a bookworm stuck in their own world with no want to rule a kingdom to a confident and caring individual that learned their true potential. These two together really made it an amazing read. I enjoyed getting so much background story while watching their relationship progress into so much more.

"How did the hipster burn their tongue?"

"They drank their coffee before it was cool."

Look, I'm not here to brag (okay, I'm totally here to brag), but I can't wait to shout from the rooftops that I started reading the Five Crowns of Okrith series before it became a major pop culture franchise. If you've been living under a rock or aren't on BookTok (...because you live under a rock), The Five Crowns of Okrith series is the brain child of AK Mulford (she/they). AK started out as an indie-published author with the first two books in the series: The High Mountain Court and The Witches' Blade, which got so much attention on TikTok that Harper Voyager snatched her up to continue publishing the series traditionally. For good reason. AK is an insanely talented storyteller who immerses you in the world of Okrith and the court politics, evil takeover plots, and drug trade plaguing the nation.

The latest installment, The Evergreen Heir, is the book I've most looked forward to since I read The High Mountain Court in September 2021. It follows Neelo (they/them), the heir of Saxbridge, next in line to the crown of the Southern Court. If you're bookish, you have to know that Neelo is ALL OF US. They would 1000% rather hole up in the library than do any peopling, they're riddled with anxiety, and they feel lost in the expectations that the world has of them. So. Freaking. Relatable. 

Way back in The Witches Blade, Talhan Catullus, 1/2 of the Twin Eagles, has a near-death experience, and Renwick (insert all the fire emojis here for my bb Renwick) falls beside Tal and whispers *something* into Tal's ear...something that he has Seen. Something to keep Tal fighting to live.

From that very second (actually, before that, but whatever), I have been DYING for the "secret" to be that Tal and Neelo would end up together. While Neelo isn't necessarily grumpy, they are reserved, which is the polar opposite to Tal's social butterfly nature. Where Tal is bright, loud, and in the center of the dance floor, Neelo is wrapped in their beloved black ensembles, quiet, and hidden in an alcove with one of their many secret-pocket books.

The TENSION in this book FED ME FOR DAYS. It was torturously exquisite, probably because we've been feeling this tension in the books leading up to Neelo's. While I'm not going to tell you IF Tal and Neelo are endgame, trust me, you do NOT want to miss this book (or the entire series!!!) because it is so fantastically written that I'm forever in awe of AK Mulford.

Other things you may love? I GOTCHU: Found family, friends to lovers, epic fantasy, fae, spice that'll make you sweat. What more do you need?

This book was perfect in so many ways: for anxious bookish people, for fantasy lovers, for adventure lovers, and for romance lovers.

*Thank you to NetGalley and HarperVoyager for the e-arc in exchange for my honest review.*

The story follows Neelo as they try to figure out the impending threat to their country and crown...especially to their mother the Queen. Neelo also has to deal with blossoming feelings for a certain Twin Eagle.

AK Mulford doesn't disappoint as always. The story is cinematic, action packed but also sweet. The romance is wonderful and they really build up the tension between Neelo and their love. (No spoilers in case you have no idea what I am talking about!) This story was also a love letter to all those who simply cannot live without books.

I can't believe this is the 4th book in the series and Carys' story is the only one left.

I highly recommend this book if you are a fan of romantasy, nonbinary characters, bookish, action and magic this is the novel for you.

I love this book. Well, I love the whole series. A.K. Mulford is an amazing writer. I liked the non-binary representation. Thank you for letting me read the arc!

I loved the first two books in this series but unfortunately this fourth addition to the series let me down.

Quick Synopsis: Neelo is the future ruler of the Southern Court and her mother recently betrothed her to the infamous soldier called The Golden Eagle, Talhan. Now, however, Neelo has to find the source of a drug that is running rife through her court, and through her mother, while also navigating the start of a new relationship they’re unsure could actually ever work. d

Trigger warnings: Drug abuse; drug trafficking; abuse of power; possession

What I liked:
-I loved that we have a non-binary character
-I really liked Neelo as a character
-Getting a grumpy/sunshine trope in a fantasy was really fun

What I struggled with:
-The organization and structure of the writing was the aspect I didn’t love. The writing seemed all over the place and the syntax made it hard for me to follow sometimes.
-Some scenes that were long could’ve been shorter and some that were short, should’ve been longer
-While Neelo was a well developed character, I wanted more depth from Talhan.
-The plot was unorganized. I couldn’t follow the structure of the plot although I did like it.
-Neelo is supposed to be this incredible strategist but I’ll be honest, they seemed to miss a lot of the key things and didn’t really anticipate much.

I believe these are marketed as being interconnected standalones but there is absolutely no way you can read these independent of the other books. You definitely have to read each book in order to understand anything going on.

I'm completely hooked by this series so much. I love it. Every book I think it can't get better and it does. This author is amazing and if you haven't read this series yet you need to now.

This was easily my favorite book so far in this series (that I love!). I thought it couldn't get better than The Rogue Crown (as Bri is one of my absolute favorite characters in this series) but I was wrong. I was looking forward to this one - I've been intrigued by Neelo since they showed up in the first book looking brooding and mysterious and bookish. Maybe I'm a biased librarian about it, but Neelo is my new favorite Okirth protagonist. The angst was absolutely choice in this one, and perfect, heartaching pining ensued. I'm an absolute sucker for mutual pining and this was so well done. It was an interesting take on the grumpy/ sunshine dynamic, and even though it hurt my heart every time Neelo pushed Talhan away, it made the little advances they made closer to him all the sweeter. I think of all the books in this series, this is the one that not only did I annotate the most, it's the one I will return to reread the most.

AK Mulford has done it again! I swear I am never disappointed by this author and her amazing writing skills! Neelo is the Heir of the Southern Court and everything I had hoped they would be! I really felt connected to them, especially for their love of books and desire to protect their mother and their court even when they feel it is the farthest thing from what they actually want with their life. And then we throw in Talhan, who has major scary dog vibes to those who would harm who he cares about, but also the most adorable golden retriever vibes for Neelo. Not to mention the amount of respect and awe he holds for Neelo as well. I loved this book so very much and would have read it quicker if it had not been for the fact that I had to work and didnt have the ability to skip responsibilities and just read. I cannot wait for the next book with all the twists and turns that took place and the build up. Something huge is going to happen and I really need to know now!

Oh. My. Goodness.

What a WILD RIDE of a book. I thoroughly enjoyed the three books prior in this series, and this installment kicked it up in every level. Neelo's personal turmoil and growth is so deep and sincere, it had me laughing and crying and everywhere in between. The way they're able to learn more about themself and open themself to Talhan without compromising who they are as a person? Incredible. The added layer of depth to Talhan that we haven't gotten to see in the other books is so delicious. Not to mention, the romance plot is just a touch slower than the other books, but that makes it even better in my opinion.

Mulford really hit it out of the park on this one, both on the character arcs and the overall build of the series. The way they upped the stakes has me absolutely frothing at the mouth for the last book of the series, both because things are getting SO SERIOUS and also because my favorite will be the MC. They're officially an auto-buy author for me. This is what fantasy romance is supposed to be about.

This may have been my favorite of the Crowns of Okrith so far. I loved Neelo as a hero and Tallahan is the greatest himbo ever. I love the diversity of this series. I’m assuming that Carys’ story will be next and I can’t wait. This is a wonderful addition to the story

Thank you, Avon and Harper Voyager, A.K. Mulford, and NetGalley, for the ARC.

I loved this book and this series. I've been meaning to read it for a long time, and when I received the ARC for The Evergreen Heir, I read the first three books over the weekend.

This book follows Neelo, the Heir of Saxbridge, who is non-binary, and Talhan. I loved Neelo. I found them very relatable. I want to read in a corner without one looking at me. I hate being the center of attention. Unfortunately, they have no choice as their mother is not doing well, and they have to step into the role of Heir. Talhan has known Neelo for a long time. He is very loveable. He has golden retriever energy. Both of them are so cute together. I love that Talhan did not give up on Neelo.

There are a couple of spicy scenes like in the books before. They were very well done. There are also many action scenes. I can't wait to see where the next book will go. I love all the characters, and they are all very relatable.

I recommend reading this series. This book was one of my favorites in the series.

Thank you to NetGalley, A K Mulford and Harper Voyager for the advanced copy of this book.

I originally saw this arc on NetGalley and the description made me read the entire series, which is how I fell in love with the Five Crowns of Okrith and A K Mulford. This fantasy series has incredible world building, plot, relationships, and queer representation which I think really allow it to stand out in the fantasy genre, a fantasy series I think everyone should read.

This book follows Neelo who is nonbinary, neurodivergent bookworm. Right away I was all about the bookworm, I loved Neelo in all the other books so far and was excited to read their book. I will say before this book I had not read a book with a nonbinary character before and was mildly concerned about the they/them pronouns and if they would get confusing. Newsflash, they did not so if the pronouns are holding you back from this book, don’t worry you don’t even notice them.

I loved to watch the progression and character development of Neelo through this book. They started off as the meek bookworm who wanted no part whatsoever with ruling their kingdom. However, Neelo really proved that they cared about their people and their kingdom and wanted what was best for them. Neelo become a strong, independent, dependable leader for their kingdom and I could not be more proud that they began to really stand their ground and stand up for themselves.

The relationship between Neelo and Talhan is the sweetest, best thing in the world. Their friendship beforehand really provided such a wonderful, strong foundation for their relationship and I was rooting for them the entire time. The things that Talhan does for Neelo to prove to them that they deserve love is just swoon-worthy. I LOVE this couple.

The plot that has continued through the whole series was just as good as the other books. There is a main plot but each kingdom has their own issues as well and I enjoy that. There were definitely some parts I was surprised by. And I always love when the rest of the characters come into play too!

Overall, I loved this book so much it’s officially may new favorite in the series. I cannot wait to see how it all ends but also don’t want to say goodbye to these characters.

-Opposites Attract
-Grumpy x Sunshine
-Fated Mates
-LGBTQIA+

I want to start this off and say I’m sure that this book is a good book and I am very lucky I was given the opportunity to read this arc . If you love fantasy or the acotar series this would definitely be a book I suggest reading . Thank you to the publisher, author , and NetGalley for this opportunity!

This series definitely deserves more hype. The world building is great and I have been waiting for the rest of the series. Perfect for people looking for a new series to get into after ACOTAR.

I’ve read a lot of books where there are characters who go by they/them pronouns. And when I tell you how refreshing it is to finally read a book where they’re part of the romance story! And have a spicy scene! Ugh. I love it. Makes me happy to have a fantasy world with representation especially by a bigger publisher. Can’t wait for more