Swoon worthy romantasy. War, magic, kidnapping the princess, and of course all the adventures of the Ever Sea. You need this in your life!

# The Ever King
# 3/12/2025 ~ 4/19/2025
# 5.0 / 5.0

Wow…I tell you what WOW.
This will always sit at a top 5 read for me!

I’m definitely living in my pirate era so please point me to the nearest port where I may find my own Ever King. This ultimate enemies to lovers had my attention the whole time. I’m also realizing I’m a sucker for a slow angsty burn which is what we are given between our MCs Livia and Erik. And oh is Erik Bloodsinger our perfect morally grey but just a pinch of anti-hero. The world building was spectacular to me, along with all and I mean ALL of the characters. The depth of it all ignites my brain into movie mode and I’m fully captivated between the intimate moments of the characters building relationships to the battle scenes that give you that full pirate feel. This book was intriguingly a perfect mixed of a pirate romance with an ode to fulfill my love for magic and fantasy. I also appreciated the different take on fae in this story. Not the typical type I’m used to and I was pleasantly surprised by it. The cliff hanger had my jaw on the floor. So many shocks and I was awed.

The Ever King is one of my favourite reads, I love LJ's writing and this book brings everything together that I always enjoy when reading one of her books. Erik is the morally grey unapologetic pirate fae king who can be loyal but at the same time vicious, Livia is the daughter of his enemies a earth fae who grew up fierce and yet has compassion and surrounded by a loving family and friends.

I was instantly pulled into the story between Erik and Livia, their connection in childhood when a songbird befriended a serpent to their reunion as adults and how slowly the relationship changes between them. I loved the banter but at the same time I was living for the tender moments between them. To see into Erik’s past and his traumatic upbringing was heartbreaking and gave a clear understanding why he is now as ruthless as can be and I loved how he slowly changed from the broken man and become soft and loyal to Livia and how she gave him some lightness in a rather brutal world.

The writing pulls you in instantly the world building is exceptional and easy to understand,
I love the unique magic of the fae and sirens and how it is portrayed. The pacing is just right and the romance is beautiful and everything I’ve come to love from this author. I can’t wait to read The Ever Queen and see what’s to come after the ending we are given with The Ever King.

While The Ever King has connections to The Broken Kingdom series and to get the full experience of this world I would recommend reading it first, it is not necessary before starting this.

Bonus Content:
I loved the bonus content at the end and especially as it was about Sewell, I was such a fan of his from the moment he was introduced and to get a glimpse into his story and that of his children, broke my heart but it also was about courage and love.

Thank you to LJ and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this new tras publication with the bonus content. These are my honest thoughts and opinions.

“Hate me all you want, but don’t regret me. Promise me that.”

Ughhhhh. Liv and Erik. They are everything. I want to be Liv when I grow up. I love her strength, and I think we can thank her parents for that.

Between her backstory and Erik’s, there’s no doubting they were meant to find each other. He’s the pinnacle Doberman MMC to match her feisty energy.

Also, Sewell is hilarious. I know he doesn’t mean to be, but I love him so much. HIS STORY AT THE END! Wow. Did LJ really have to make me cry? I mean, I guess so. Was it worth it? Absolutely.

I absolutely loved The Ever King! The dark take on magic, breathtaking world-building, and unique mix of pirates and earth fae made this story stand out in the best way. It’s such a fresh and exciting twist on fantasy that kept me completely captivated.

And Erik Bloodsinger? Obsessed. He’s ruthless, powerful, and completely magnetic in a way that makes it impossible not to love him. There’s this perfect balance of darkness and intrigue to his character that had me hanging onto every word. The tension, the slow-burn romance, and the push and pull between him and the heroine were everything.

Speaking of the heroine, Livia was incredible. Her bravery and fierceness made me root for her the entire time. She’s the perfect match for Erik, standing her ground and refusing to back down, even in the face of danger. I loved watching her navigate this treacherous world with both strength and heart.

This book had it all from action, betrayal, longing, and a world so immersive. If you love stories with rich magic, morally gray characters, and an irresistible romance, The Ever King is an absolute must-read.

I haven't read a lot of pirate books, but this book has me rethinking that completely. I also want to keep dramamine on me at all times so Erik Bloodsinger can capture me any day lol. He is the perfect man. I love a morally gray man who will do anything for the people he loves.

As much as I just want to talk about Erik, the other characters are also amazing! Livia was such a strong fmc and I love how Andrews wrote her so strong, but also showed she had anxiety. The anxiety rep was done well. And I loved all the character connections to L.J. Andrews' previous series The Broken Kingdoms. The Ever King can be read without reading the Broken Kingdoms but the connections between the series are amazing!

I was also lucky enough to get a copy of the book from Netgalley and Berkley that had the bonus content that is being added to the books now that they're being traditionally published. The bonus content was something I didn't know how much I needed. Sewell was such a wonderful character and getting some of his back story was better than I even imagined.

The Ever King starts off with our mcs as children having shared moments of empathy and purity. Ten years later, we meet our mcs, now grown and Erik Bloodsinger is back for revenge.

There are dark themes during Livia's capture, but there are also undertones of hope and self discovery. Watching Livia learn who she is and who she wants to be while trying to survive was a ride. She shows true strength in the hardest moments. I also very much love her family. Valen and Elise are couple goals and I want them to adopt me.

And Erik. Our Serpent. Now that man shows growth. He pulls a Grinch on us and we get to see his heart grow three sizes. I love his possessiveness, not only towards Liv, but his people. How he will stop at nothing to prove he is worthy of them and his land. The Ever sounds like a phenomenal place and I wish it was real.

The Ever King is a suspenseful fantasy full of twists and turns. I honestly had no idea how this was going to end and man, it got me good. What a cliffhanger!

Bonus Content:
I won't spoil it, but Sewell. Sewell deserves the world. I loved him the moment he was introduced and this absolutely broke my heart for him and his family. All of them deserve the world.

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

This series was recommended to me a few years ago by a friend of mine and I absolutely demolished it while on a flight to Japan. It was one of the best books I've ever been recommended and it opened me up to the incredible world that is LJ Andrews. I could gush for hours about her and her team as well as the powerful magnetic stories she creates. Now after falling in love with her as an Indie author I am beyond excited for her to move to the Traditional publishing world. To get to see these books that I champion so hard on shelves around the world for other people to stubble upon has me beyond excited. 
The Ever King is a pirate fantasy romance novel with a really epic storyline and captivating plot. It is an enticing enemies to lovers slow burn that has been written by norns in the times of the Broken Kingdoms before. It has morally grey men, touch her and die, magic and epic stories of fates, vikings, villain gets the girl, and lovely found family. 

LJ really builds the perfect enemies to lovers trope. The burn and tension delivers you all you could want while successfully keeping the dynamic fresh and interesting.  I hadn't read anything like it prior to picking up this story and I was hooked immediately. The beauty of this masterpiece is in the intricate and breathtaking world building. I will never be able to understand how LJ manages to keep so many complicated pieces of the story flowing together at once. All I know is that she has to be a genius because an insane level of intelligence was needed to bring a story of this magnitude to life, and she does it to perfection. It was intoxicating and I loved every minute of our songbird and serpent. 
The traditionally published version is coming out in August with even more bonus content and I promise you it's going to have you as big of a fan as I am.
Thank you @penguinrandomhouse
@penguinbooksaus for the incredible ARC of one of my favourite books of all time.

If you are looking for a story with pirates, swords, magic, witches and a hot love story of all times, this story is for you. The story gripes your heart and your attention until the very last page. Enjoyed seeing characters from the Broken Kingdom. Also finding answers to some questions from the earlier book series. LOVED this book!!!!!!

4/17/25 - Bonus scene to be included in the re-release of The Ever King on 8/5/25 🩷

The Fleshripper

One of my wishes came through - the story of Sewell with his wife,Yulla and the younger two littles, Gavyn and Celine. It was a wonderful tale of love, courage, heartache, betrayal and survival. This tale ends and the story of The Ever Kings begins.

Thank you LJ Andrews and NetGalley for the ARC and I’m leaving my review voluntarily.

<strong>The Ever King</strong>

Wow! I was blown away with this story! It captivated me from the start. The characters instantly drew me in and it was easy to get lost in their story and this stunning new world of pirates, magic, darkness, and so much more!

I really enjoyed the world as a whole as well. The different types of fae and Magicks were intriguing and unique! I can’t wait to see more.

Songbird and the serpent… I don’t even know where to start. The nicknames were fitting and their story is really one for the stars as they say. I loved, loved their relationship and how it grew and evolved not only together but also how they grew stronger because of each other.

The ending leaves off in a cliffhanger so be prepared! I’m looking forward to diving into the next book and seeing what happens!

Need more reasons to read check out these tropes:

- enemies to lovers
- unique magic
- possessive morally grey MMC
- fierce FMC
- royalty
- ‘I’d burn the world for you’
- action packed
- pirates
- virgin FMC
- a whole lot of morally grey
- great cast of characters!

The bonus content oh man so good!! I absolutely loved this glimpse into younger Erik in addition to Gavyn’s past as well! Trust me if you love the series then you’re not going to want to miss this bonus material!!

I am so enamored with this world that LJ Andrews has created! Who knew that fae pirates with Viking vibes would be a thing but it works so well! The magic system is unique and the world building was super immersive. I am obsessed with Erik Bloodsinger, he is everything I love in a morally grey MMC. The banter between him and Livia was perfectly executed. The slow burn tension had me hooked from the start. I loved the fast paced story line that keeps you engaged. My mind was blown by the plot twist at the end. LJ Andrews truly outdid herself with this captivating, action filled and delicious romantasy!

I was already a fan of LJ Andrews writing, and I have adored The Broken Kingdoms series, but this book is on another level of excellence. I was gripped from the start, invested in the characters and their relationships. The world-building is excellent, with no random dumps of overwhelming information. The plot twists kept me guessing and theorising all the way through and I cannot WAIT for March to see how the story unfolds because that cliffhanger has me dangling over the edge begging for more!

Firstly, the characters, their development and growth in this book is just beautiful, it feels so natural and so well-written. Please read the content warnings because these kids are traumatised, there is darkness, there is anger, there is vengeance, but there is also the gooiest, softest caramel centre that I could drown in. Erik Bloodsinger is everything I never knew I wanted, he's a vicious and deadly king of an enemy kingdom, but he's also a scared, hurt, unloved little boy who has had his every weakness paraded in front of his people as a tool for vengeance. His growth through this book, through not only his relationship with Livia, but the revelations of his own past and hidden trauma is just beautiful, and so sad.

I could wax on all day about their beautiful relationship, but really you should just read it for yourself.
If you love morally grey, burn the world for her, hates everyone but her, fatedish mates, anxiety rep, nursing trope, and soooo much more you will love this book.

While I have read the previous series set in the same world, The Ever is a whole new kingdom, so I was not familiar with the lands, cultures, hierarchy etc, and yet the world building was so well done, I never felt overwhelmed with information or that anything that was mentioned was unnecessarily wordy. If anything, you were given just enough information to make assumptions and predictions and then watch them slowly unfold throughout the story which I adore.

All in all I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves a fantasy, romance, with elements of spice and darkness because it is just an excellent book. I would recommend reading The Broken Kingdoms to get the full impact of LJ's writing, the way she weaves little hints throughout the stories and ties them all together so beautifully is definitely worth experiencing. This can be read as a standalone, without spoiling much of the Broken Kingdoms, but there are little nuggets of information that just enhance the story of The Ever.

Dual POV, first book in a duology, enemies to lovers, k!dn@pping, pirate and Viking vibes, found family, mental health rep, touch her and 💀, he makes her jewelry from the bones of her enemies, morally grey MMC, mine, poison blood, unique world and magic system, land is cursed, fae/sirens/mermaids/witches, second generation from previous book series (can read first! I did!), forbidden love, banter, they save each other, cliffhanger!

"So who are you, Little Bird?" "Yours, for a while, I suppose."

Livia knows she should be as excited as the rest of her people who are celebrating the 10 year anniversary of when their people locked away their enemies, but she has a feeling something is going to go terribly wrong. And it does. While she and her friends are celebrating near the barrier that keeps them separated, she accidentally unlocks it.
Erik's kingdom is cursed and he needs the magic of an item that was left with the earth fae. When he senses the magic keeping him locked in his realm is lifted, he immediately sails with his crew to retrieve it. The king he needs is not available… but his daughter who once showed him kindness while he was their captive is. He takes her as a way to get to her father. But their shared moments in the past meant something to them both, and they start growing closer and find that maybe Livia can help them.

I loved this book! The pace of LJ Andrew's books is always a win for me with the mix of perilous situations and wins on our main character's side. Livia and Erik's journey toward trusting each other and falling for each other is wonderful and they are feral for each other! Definitely ends on a cliffhanger and even this second time reading made me want to immediately dive into book 2!

LJ Andrews does it again!! This book was so good! Such a slow burn. I really love reading books about pirates and this one didn’t disappoint. Two words - Erik Bloodsinger 😏 There were so many twist and turns that kept me really engaged and the romance throughout was perfect. LJ has a way of describing worlds that just speaks to me.

Really glad I read the broken kingdoms series before this book and liked how many details were tied in from that series.

✨The Ever King✨

You know how typically you start a book and about the first 100 or so pages you have to push through before things start to get really good? Well, The Ever King is NOT that way. From page one you’ll be hooked and enraptured in a broken world with beautifully broken people.

I love how LJ brings such vivid truth regarding the light and darkness that lives within all of us. And that it’s important not to dispel or condemn it but to embrace, love, and heal through it. And sometimes that healing and hope can even come through other people or events.

We follow 2 POVS: Livia, an earth fae princess captured by her people’s enemy, and Erik, the said enemy and pirate King who is bent on revenge for his people after being trapped for 10 years. The relationship that kindles and ignites is one for the dreamers. It is so raw, real, and beautiful in its flaws.

This is an adventure I would recommend to anyone. I’m beyond eager to begin book 2 and see what happens after that cliffhanger. I have a feeling this will easily slide into my top 10 series.

The Ever King includes a morally grey MMC, a sassy FMC, witty banter, found family, plot twists, political intrigue, intricate world and magic building, character growth, mental health rep such as panic disorder, “who did this to you”, touch her and die, unique bonds, pirates/Vikings, fae, moderate language, and spice 3/5.

Don’t put this book off any longer. You need these characters in your life!

“I am in your hands, I am at your command, for you have made me love you, and you will be my destruction because of it.”

This one is about Livia, a princess of the earth fae, who lives a sheltered life with her family and friends. Until one day, when Erik Bloodsinger, the King of the Ever Seas, comes to steal Livia away from everything she’s ever known as revenge for the death of his father. Livia should be terrified of this cold, violent king, but she’s inexplicably drawn to him. As certain truths come to light, Erik and Livia begin to realize they have a bond. One that formed before either of them realized.

Oh my heart can't take this cliffhanger! I need the next book right now!

Wow, this book had a lot of the tropes and elements that I go feral for: enemies to lovers, found family, pirates and vikings (but they're all fae)! I love the magic system, particularly the magic of the Ever sea people, their divisions into specific houses and distinctive talents were really cool. I also loved the banter in this. Despite Livia being scared shitless for a decent amount of the book, she could not help but mouth off and I respect that about her. She's a great heroine! And her powers are... a spoiler. But they are great. This book is right in the top of my favourite reads this year!

This book officially started my obsession with dark fantasy/pirate romances! The Ever King had me staying up reading until the early hours, I could not put it down. If I could give this book more than 5 🌟stars I would. Ya girl will accept ABSOLUTELY NO CRITICISM ON THIS BOOK or my man Erik BLOODSINGER. Our Ever King is everything!

The characters, the world building, the magic, the tension and SPICE are all on point. If you like fantasy, romance, pirates, fae, dark magic.. PLEASE READ this book.

What you’ll find in The Ever King;
- Enemies to Lovers
- Fantasy Fae / Other World
- Captured Heroine
- Dark Magic
- Pirates
- Anxiety Rep
- True Love

Right, this is definitely a Roman Empire of mine. When I say I am obsessed with this book, that’s an annoying understatement. This book has left a mark on my SOUL I love it so much.

Let’s start with the characters. Livia is a brilliant FMC. She’s unafraid to hold her own, clever, has a brilliant power and watching her embrace her darkness filled me with glee. I also liked how her mental health was dealt with and the way her anxiety was characterised and handled.

The there’s Erik. OMG when that man calls you ‘love’ you swoon. He’s swashbuckling, dangerous, smart and a new book boyfriend I’ve firmly added to my collection. Oh, and he’s the definition of morally grey (maybe even black).

All the characters were brilliantly written and well developed. Each has their own separate and distinct personality and all added something to the story.

The book hooked me from the very first page. I raced through it like a woman possessed. I needed to cram every word into my brain and absorb every element.

The worldbuilding was brilliant. I could picture every facet of the earth and sea fae realms.

And the plot? Well, let’s just say I never saw the twist coming. Plus, you know it’s going to be brilliant when it kicks off with some light (lol) kidnapping.

The only quibble I have? I wanted to read more. I could have got lost in that world for hundreds more pages. So no, I don’t have any quibbles with this book.

Overall? This book is AMAZING. Read it, you won’t regret it. And I bet you’ll end up wanting to be a pirate. 🏴‍☠️

The very first para says a lot about the book and here it made me very interested in unraveling the story further. The anticipation of war was thrilling as it all started with 'a war ending and the king being imprisoned in his own realm’ and ‘it will all start again’. The plot is solid with lots of action and a slow-burn romance in the way.

Livia and Erik are so different from each other yet they are bonded in mysterious ways. Their kid-self’s were so cute and innocent which gave hope for the future. The story is about Earth Fae and Sea Fae and how one revenge turns everything upside down for Livia. It all happened so fast and then the journey began.

The cliffhanger is really killing and now I want the next book, I completely DEVOURED the book. Livia won my heart for her kindness and Erik made space because of his darkness which hides so much of his good real shelf. The relationship growth is ALLURING. The story growth is SOUL SUCKING.

As a reader, I got so many aspects in this book like Fae, pirates, different worlds, different traditions, war, romance between enemies, secrets, magic, and everything that makes it all entertaining and leaves a need to know the next step, the next plot line. I am HOOKED.

Oh my my.. The bonus chapters this trad book has is such an insightful piece of the puzzle. Again it’s perfect and now I know more about The Sea Seeker. It was tragic yet captivating. Must must read.

I previously read TEK when it was still an indie book, well before the release of the sequel The Ever Queen and I’m blessed to be part of LJ’s street team.

🏴‍☠️"There is no world where she does not own me."
I absolutely loved this dang book. Great world building with a freaking epic love between Erik and Livia.
Neither of them knew it was coming, and by all accounts, they started out as enemies. The enemies to lovers was done perfectly. The character development for both of them was *chefs kiss* This story has pirates, fae, sirens, tidecallers and so much more. You get to learn about multiple forms of magic and capabilities that were intriguing. The ending left me absolutely dying for more.
I have so many beautiful quotes from Erik to Livia saved. I'm absolutely obsessed with them and the way that wholy love each other and all of their quirks and darknesses. Lots of secrets and betrayals are found out, especially towards the end and it's done so well that you're left wanting more.