The Ever Queen, L.J. Andrews (Review by Caitlin Winkler)

*This review is for the second book in the series and may contain spoilers if you have not yet read the first book- The Ever KingWow, what a world! This was not my first book by LJ Andrews; Broken Souls and Bones holds that honor. However, after reading that-and now not so patiently waiting for the sequel-I knew I had to dive into this series. I will admit, I had not yet read The Ever King when I acquired the sequel for review, so I immediately dove into the first book featuring Erik Bloodsinger and Livia Ferus book before reading its sequel-The Ever Queen. So, to say I have become immersed in this world and these characters would be an understatement. I found myself so consumed with the story, the setting, and the characters in the best way possible! While the story of Erik Bloodsinger and Livia Ferus-Serpent and Songbird-began a bit unconventionally, to put it mildly, their love has grown into a strong and world changing bond. But when traitors kidnap the first Ever Queen, they unknowingly unleash the full might of both The Ever King and his new allies. Erik Bloodsinger will get his revenge on those who took his Songbird from him. Livia will show those who seek to destroy her Serpent just how deadly and belonging of The Ever she truly is. They will not rest until those who seek to destroy them are nothing but bones. Overall, I really loved this duology and look forward to reading the next in the series-although focused on different characters within the world-as soon as possible! This book had everything! Wonderfully descriptive spicy scenes, excellent world building, amazing primary, but even more importantly, amazing secondary characters, and an all-consuming plot! Literally the perfect recipe for an amazing romantasy series! My only reason for not is because I did find this book to be a bit long and found that some spots felt a bit lengthy for me while others, such as the epic battle at the end, felt a bit rushed. LJ Andrews is quickly becoming a must-read fantasy author for me, and I think all that remains is for me to read everything she has written so far, especially the origin story of Livia’s parents! I highly recommend The Ever King and then The Ever Queen!