[A quick note: This was my first Elise Kova book. Iโve seen her books around and been curious about them. This did not disappoint. This edition came in my December Fae Crate. How gorgeous is the naked cover? Absolutely stunning. I decided to read it over Valentineโs weekend because I wanted a happily ever after romance. This was PERFECT.]
โ๐โ๐ฏ๐ ๐ ๐๐ข๐ง๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฐ๐ง ๐ ๐ง๐๐ฏ๐๐ซ ๐๐ฌ๐ค๐๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฅ๐จ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ฒ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ ๐๐ฏ๐๐ซ ๐ฐ๐๐ง๐ญ๐๐.โโElise Kova
Every one hundred years, the elf king comes to Luelleaโs village to take a wife. It is a mark of death, but necessary to uphold the treaty and maintain peace. Luella has dedicated her life to herbology. She is the townโs only healer. But when the elf king comes to collect her, she must leave everything behind. The elf kingโs kingdom is dying. Luella is torn between her duty for her people and saving the elf kingโs kingdom. She never expected the swelling passion that comes between everything.
This stand alone was everything I love in a fantasy romance! I ADORED it. It had Uprooted, Spinning Silver, and ACOTAR vibes. It also reminded me a lot of The Hollow Kingdom. All of which are all-time favorites. I love enemies-to-lovers. So I devoured this in two sittings. While it felt like a story Iโve read before, obviously, there were fresh elements with the magic that made it unique. I could NOT put it down. I loved Luellaโs sense of duty, her internal conflict, and the romantic development between her and the elf king. Plus the spice level was exactly where I like it for romances of this type.
โ๐๐๐ซ ๐ฐ๐จ๐ซ๐๐ฌ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ข๐ง ๐ ๐ง๐จ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ฅ๐ ๐ข๐ ๐ฌ๐จ๐ซ๐ญ ๐จ๐ ๐ฐ๐๐ฒ. ๐๐ญโ๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ฆ๐ ๐๐๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ฌ ๐ฐ๐ก๐๐ง ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐๐ซ ๐๐ง๐๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐๐๐ก๐ข๐ฅ๐, ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ฆ๐ ๐๐๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ ๐ก๐๐ ๐ฐ๐ก๐๐ง ๐ ๐ฅ๐จ๐จ๐ค๐๐ ๐๐ญ ๐ฆ๐ฒ ๐จ๐ฅ๐ ๐ซ๐จ๐จ๐ฆ. ๐๐ญ ๐ก๐ฎ๐ซ๐ญ๐ฌ ๐๐๐๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ ๐จ๐ ๐ก๐จ๐ฐ ๐ก๐๐ฉ๐ฉ๐ฒ ๐ ๐ฐ๐๐ฌ๐ก๐๐ซ๐, ๐ฒ๐๐ญ ๐ค๐ง๐จ๐ฐ ๐ ๐๐๐งโ๐ญ ๐๐ ๐๐ง๐ฒ ๐ฅ๐จ๐ง๐ ๐๐ซ.โ
Luella is a strong character. Sheโs a fighter. Sheโs learned to be independent. Sheโs made a life and a career for herself. She is a crutial part of her village. People rely on her. Sheโs got a deep sense of duty. These things make her VERY relatable. When she gets taken beyond the Fade and into the elf kingdom, it challenges everything. But sheโs the perfect person to challenge the elf king. Sheโs not someone who accepts what is happening. In the end, sheโs the one who cracks the elf kingโs frozen heart.
Who doesnโt like a story like that?
The magic was interesting. Every one hundred years, a magic-born human woman is taken to be the Human Queen in the elf kingdom. She must sit on a throne that leaches her power from her to feed the elf world, to keep the seasons moving. Otherwise it is perpetual winter, food doesnโt grow, the people starve and die. So the Human Queen is critical. However, the magic is growing weaker with each passing queen. And Luella is the right person to break the cycle. Using her knowledge of herbology and her intellect, she makes a deal with the elf king and embarks on a path to save the elf kingdom. In so doing, she will then have the freedom to return home to her old life. She wonโt be needed as the Human Queen. Everyone can live happily ever after...right?
Except...perhaps not.
Luella and the elf king are falling for each other. Hard. Maybe she wonโt be content to go back to her home after all? Perhaps love wins out? Youโll have to read it yourself to find out.
The plot was perfectly executed. The writing was lovely, with the right vibes for the type of magic Luella possesses. It was a simpler story, but the perfect level of complexity for a stand alone book. There isnโt anything I would have changed or improved upon. The story did exactly what it intended.
Even though I knew this was a happily-ever-after and basically knew how it would end, I STILL devoured it. It was sweet. I couldnโt get enough of Luella and Eldas. And when it ended, I was SO BUMMED to say goodbye to the characters. I cannot wait to read the next books in the series even though they will be with different characters. I know Iโll like them just as much. ๐ ๐ฌ ๐ฅ๐๐ง๐๐ก๐: ๐ฑ/๐ฑโญ๏ธ