Holy melodramatics, Batman!
A lot gets unpacked in this 3rd installment.
The narrarators are great. For me, they're very reminiscent of early 2000 video game audio, having robust voices. The whole story/production gives 10th Kingdom and Once Upon a Time vibes, but make it darker and more lusty. All characters were portrayed well with different accents and tones, making them easily distinguishable from eachother. This was a fun listen!

Thanks to NetGalley, Dreamscape Select and House Valor Books Inc for the advanced audiobook!

This was incredible!!! I loved the major change in this. There was great tension and mystery. I honestly think this is the best book in the series!! I loved seeing the characters again try to navigate through their own struggles. It was an interesting concept that really was well done in my opinion! Thank you so much to the author and publisher for giving me an advance audio copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book was given to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I loved the first two books in this series, so I was super excited for this. Let's start with the good first: The audiobook narrators are both fantastic and give great performances. The bad: The narrators were not given anything good to work with. This felt like a book in a totally different series and it felt like half of the things that happened in earlier books got completely retconned or brushed under the rug, I had such a bad taste in my mouth after finishing this that I will not be continuing with the series if more get put out. I am only giving this two stars because I managed to finish the book and one star is reserved for things I can't finish.

I was very excited to receive a copy of Fate Calls the Elf Queen to review. I love this series and couldn't wait to see what happened next.

Nothing really went the way I expected it to with the new addition of Hel to the cast of characters, and other characters going through massive arcs that changed them as people. I did enjoy the writing and the story, but one of the events later in the story kept me from fully enjoying the story as a whole. I can see WHY that choice was made, but it was deeply frustrating for me. It felt like everything the first two books was building toward got thrown out the window. I will definitely continue to read and listen to works by this author, but cautiously.

This book was a rollercoaster from start to finish! I really was surprised by some of the twists and did not expect the love interest based on the first two books. The flow was a good pace and kept me entertained for all 17 hours of the audiobook.

I absolutely LOVED this series. With each book this story got better and better.

Format: I read the first two book (ebook) and relistened to the listened to the entire series once the 3rd audiobook released (Dec 28). The audiobooks at e duet narration and it was so well done that I didn’t want it to end.

This series has the perfect amount of fantasy, world building, character development and romance that it’s in my top 10 series ever!

The tropes: Enemies to Lovers, mates, Hades and Persephone, touch her and die, hidden powers.

I cannot wait to read what K.M. Kearl does next!

Thank you NetGalley for the audiobook ARC!

This was really fun. Book two had left me feeling a bit lacking because so many of the characters had lost some of their core traits that I had liked the most. While I saw the purpose, it did still sit like a bait and switch.

This book we saw them returning to their old selves, in more ways than one. We met new characters, and the new characters really stole the show here. We learned more about everyone and this installment did an excellent job of making the reader aware of the past and the impact on current events. The pacing was definitely off and a few times I felt like I was slogging through the story. But overall this was really good.

I was quite meh about the audiobook for book two, but this was MUCH better there. So that is another win and improvement for this series.

Bow Before the Elf Queen: ★★★★☆
Long Live the Elf Queen: ★★★★★

I adore this series so this is a biased review because this is my perfect feet kicking giddy binge read series <3 This book was my highest anticipated release of 2023.

This book balances the wacky vampire diaries style of ridiculous, drama, wonderful banter-ful romance, and high stakes danger. As a giant vampire diaries fan, even the later seasons, this truly could do no wrong. It's fun and funny but still that serious fantasy tone with a proper plot all the way through. I adore these main characters, special shout out to the fun side characters too, they're such a fun group to hangout with while they navigate the politics and danger. I love love.

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape for giving me the audiobook a few days before the release date so I didn't have to wait any longer! I'm in love with these narrators and the audiobook style, best Christmas present!

🧝🏻‍♀️Fate Calls the Elf Queen🧝🏻‍♀️
This was my fave of the 3
✨Enemies to lovers
✨Court Drama
✨Dragons
✨Love triangle
✨Touch her and ☠️
✨Who hurt you 😈
✨Only one bed
✨🌶️
✨Cliffhanger
✨Amazing audio
I love Tiffa. She’s the elven equivalent of Donna from Doctor Who.
I loved seeing more of the dragon court, and those who lead it.
Cons-There’s disconnect/inconsistencies throughout the plot/books. Idk it just doesn’t feel cohesive. It felt like they sat at a board and threw darts and went with whatever stuck to finish. I enjoyed it, I just wish it was more cohesive.
“You have something I need. And I’m not talking about your ass, I’ve already had that.” 💀
The news paper/mom and sister situation is fking ridiculous
“I want you to look at me and see me.” 🥺
“Hero? No love, I’m certainly the villain. I’m everything from your darkest nightmare. I will do things that would break your heart. I will kill whoever I need to fucking kill. And if it’s a sweet innocent human by mistake then it’s collateral damage and I won’t give it a second thought… The council of God’s has no mercy, and neither will I.” SIR 🥵

I loved the first two books in this series and was so excited for books three to come out.

I don’t know how to feel about this book though. Some parts I really liked, but others felt rushed and fell short for me.

Will definitely finish the series, but I hope the next book has more of what I loved in the first two.

I did love the narrators. Even on 3x speed their voices were pleasant to listen to.

Thank you to Dreamscape Select and NetGalley for an ARC of this audiobook. I read and enjoyed books 1 and 2 in this series earlier this year, so I was beyond excited to have the opportunity to read book 3.

This book absolutely destroyed me, still has me reeling, and felt like a complete gut punch the entire way through. And, somehow, I think it’s my favorite in the series (so far)? The story progresses in this book, adding layers of complexity that really enrich an already intriguing plot. Best of all, the complexity never felt contrived, which is increasingly unique in a multi-book series of this kind. Truly, in many series book 3’s tend to be a lull, but this book was not at all. This book reminded me of watching details being added to a picture/painting my untrained eye considered complete, only to watch it transform from something good into something spectacular in a way I never could have conceived. Having those layers really enriches everything. As with the other books in the series, the writing and world building were good. The pacing was great. This became a compulsive read from the start, so much so that I literally finished in one day.

Here’s the thing… I didn’t love the direction the story took. Well that’s not true, I enjoyed the premise immensely. I don’t think it’s a spoiler to say we’re set up at the end of book 2 with the question of a prior identity in some way (with Hel calling Layla his wife) and thus for a possible love triangle. Here’s the thing, in general I do not love love triangles (ha! get it?), but I am here for the rest of it. I didn’t love the outcome, or maybe it’s more accurate to say I still don’t know how to feel about the outcome/ending. I do think there was room for more comprehensive character development either throughout the book to explain/justify things, or more insight into thought processes. I look forward to book 4 because I think/hope that will be forthcoming. Overall, in separating my feelings about that piece from the book as a whole, I can say with confidence that the book is great.

In terms of the audiobook itself, the production quality was great. I love love loved having two narrators for the male/female POVs and dialogue! I especially loved the way the narration felt layered, as if at times they were recording together. My only criticism is that I didn’t feel like the vocal differentiation between Thane and Hel was pronounced enough so there were times when it wasn’t readily apparent which of them was speaking, which was a bit frustrating. But that feels like a minor criticism in the context of an otherwise great narration, free of the glaring mispronunciations and stumbles evident in so many other audiobooks.

Overall, I definitely recommend the book (and the audiobook version of it).

Oh this story just keeps getting better and better! So looking for word to the next book! The narrators did a fantastic job with the story, and brought all of the characters to life. They really make unique voices for each character make it easy to tell who is talking. This book had everything you love in a fantasy. Oh gosh that cliff hanger! How I’m I gonna wight to know what happens next!

Thank you to NetGalley for sending me an audio-arc in exchange for an honest review.

HOLY SHEBFENALDNIWNXIDNWS

Okay, but, WHAT?!

I am speechless and my heart is broken and full and WHEN IS BOOK 4 COMING BECAUSE HOW YOU GOING TO END IT LIKE THIS.

Book 3 picks up a few months after the events of book 2, and we finally get the black mage aka Hel and he is absolutely FINEEEEEE.

Nothing in this book happened the way I thought it would. No one in the book acted how I thought they would. I was happy and angry and sad and confused and horrified and surprised al at once and it was absolute perfection.

•Release December 26, 2023

•I received this ALC for my honest opinion.•

-Review-
OMG! First, this is a duet narrator, which is simply amazing! Simply amazing! This is book three in the series and continues where the series leaves off. The narrator did a great job bringing these characters to lives. I love how the voices make it feel like you're there living the story as well and going through the motions. The "smutt scene" will get you hot and bothered lol, i swear these narrators did a phenomenal job. You definitely should listen to this book.
*cough, it doesn't end on another cliffhanger.

This book was fantastic and I had no idea which direction it was headed in. Never have a read a book that I had no clue who I wanted to be her mate. I was back and forth the entire time & I absolutely loved the ending and cannot wait for the next to release. The audiobook was phenomenal and the voice actors did a great job. Although I will say, the female voice audio was a bit different in the beginning? Almost as if the sound quality wasn't quite the same. I also found a few sentences here and there completely left out from the book on the male voices. Sentences I kind of thought were important. I just happened to be reading the physical book while listening to the audiobook to catch it,

I didn't realize this was a book in a series.
It was good but I would have liked it more if I had all the context.
I do think my husband would love this series. He would be so into this book!
The narration is wonderful!

Omg! I was hooked right from the beginning and never wanted it to end. Amazing characters and story and the narration made me feel as if I was there watching the events unfold.

Book three might have slightly broken me. The entire first half of the book I was frustratingly annoyed and angry. While the entire second half I was frustratingly giddily frustrated....in the most amazing way. I love when a book makes me feel angry. I enjoy the narration with good characters voices and great emotional depth. I didn't like the voice or interpretation of Tiffer Pine. It just didn't mesh with how I pictures her in the first two books, but other than that this audio was fantastic.

In this latest installment, we dive deeper into the complex and intertwined histories between Layala, Thane, and the notorious Black Mage, Hel. Secrets will be revealed and alliances will be tested. And if that's not enough, there's also a love triangle. So grab a cup of tea, get cozy, and prepare to be transported to a world of magic, intrigue, and romance.

***Thank you to NetGalley, Anneka R. Walker, Dreamscape Select, and House Valor Books Inc. for graciously sending me the audiobook to review. As always, all thoughts are my own.***

I have faithfully loved this series since the beginning, but this book leaves much to be desired. It is like the author totally tossed the characters out the window and invented a new plot. Although I love a good love triangle, the FMC has no chemistry with Hel, and a lot of the book is just miscommunication. I get that their memories have been wiped, but Hel withholding information serves no purpose other than to extend the number of pages in the 3rd book. I was disappointed and DNFd around 60% after giving the first two books 5 star ratings.