A Deal with the Elf King - Book review
A Deal with the Elf King is a standalone (There are however, other books from the same universe - thus, making this book #1 of the Married to Magic series) written by Elise Kova that was published in 2020.
A fantasy romance inspired Hades & Persephone, this book will drag you into a world that feels both whimsical and adventurous! I listened to the GraphicAudio version on Libby (Big thanks to my local library once more).
In the next sections I will dive into what A Deal with the Elf King is about, my thoughts, and my final verdict. In case there are any spoilers, you will be warned ahead so you’ll get to decide whether you’d like to continue reading this blog post or come back after you’ve read the book. ;)
From this post onwards, you can also refer to my book rating guide that will be attached at the bottom.
The blurb
The elves come for two things: war and wives. In both cases, they come for death.
Three-thousand years ago, humans were hunted by powerful races with wild magic until the treaty was formed. Now, for centuries, the elves have taken a young woman from Luella's village to be their Human Queen.
To be chosen is seen as a mark of death by the townsfolk. A mark nineteen-year-old Luella is grateful to have escaped as a girl. Instead, she's dedicated her life to studying herbology and becoming the town's only healer.
That is, until the Elf King unexpectedly arrives... for her.
Everything Luella had thought she'd known about her life, and herself, was a lie. Taken to a land filled with wild magic, Luella is forced to be the new queen to a cold yet blisteringly handsome Elf King. Once there, she learns about a dying world that only she can save.
The magical land of Midscape pulls on one corner of her heart, her home and people tug on another... but what will truly break her is a passion she never wanted.
This section will include spoilers of the book. You have been warned :)
A Deal with the Elf King is a complete, stand-alone novel, inspired by the tales of Hades and Persephone, as well as Beauty and the Beast, with a "happily ever after" ending. It's perfect for fantasy romance fans looking for just the right amount of steam and their next slow-burn and swoon-worthy couple.
(source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55285911-a-deal-with-the-elf-king)
Thoughts on the book
I quite liked the book! To be fair, I think this is my third time reading a story that was loosely inspired by the tales of Hades & Persephone. Nonetheless, I do believe that the plot was executed well! I went into the story blindly and must admit that it only clicked for me when I finally read the blurb on Goodreads after finishing the book.
Our FMC (Female main character) Luella, a human chosen to be queen, had thoughts of her own and was genuinely likeable. I loved that she was an herbalist and genuinely cared for her patients and her village. Her character was well thought through and felt believable.
This bit might sound strange, but after reading loads of fantasy romances where parents of the main character are either dead or seemingly do not care about the whereabouts of their children - it was refreshing to read that Luella had parents that cared about her and that she cherished in return. She was only 19 in this book after all, just starting off in her career and aiding the sick, before fate befell her to become queen.
The love interest and second MC, the Elf King Eldas, was a gloomy man, albeit never cruel! This was not a sunshine x grumpy romance and I can’t tell you how happy that made me. Because in some cases, grumpy meant that the character would just be a mean bully - yes, an actual bully.
Eldas was a frustrated, yet dutiful king . He cared about his people. Truth be told, his approach to being with a new queen was a bit award, but we shall forgive him. His character development throughout the book was consistent and beautiful. Just as Luella, Eldas was believable - I believed his story, his pain, his motives, and his devotion.
I enjoyed that the romance between our main characters had time to blossom and unfold into something beautiful. Some may call this a slow burn romance, but I believe many of us have gotten used to instant love. Their love to me was well-paced. We had time to get to know them both and in turn they had time to get to know each other. Also, the fact that it was acknowledged that these budding feelings may heve resulted by forced proximity was yet again - positively surprising.
Something Elise did incredibly well was to give the side characters a real voice. They did not seem like the villager B type of characters, those you would and could easily forget, no. Each of them had their own backstory and added to the plot and big and small ways.
This section will include spoilers of the book. You have been warned :)
Ah yes, the childhood best friend that loves you but ends up being friend-zoned or turns out to have been the villain all along, a reoccurring theme I have been seeing quite a few time already. Not that is necessarily a bad thing. I just wished our main characters could have genuine best friends that would not turn on them.
Something I struggled with a bit more was how simple the answer to ending the human queen cycle was. Yes, it may have taken some time to find the first book of the first queen, but planting a flower and “yay, it’s over” came abruptly.
Memorable parts of the book
This section will include spoilers of the book. You have been warned :)
The friendship between Eldas and Rinni. Given the Elf King’s backstory, it made total sense why these two were close. Luella’s worries about the relationship between the king and his Head of Guard was also relatable.
Harrow’s addiction - a subplot I was not expecting, but one that was a beautiful display of show don’t tell when it came to character building
Luella’s parents: Bless their hearts and how much they loved and rooted for their daughter. They wanted nothing but for their kid to be happy.
Verdict
3.25/5 stars
2/5 spice
A great Fantasy Romance for young adults and up! The plot in its entirety may not be original, but the execution was fantastic. A well-paced story without loose ends, but leaves you perhaps longing for just a bit more still.
