I loved the first 60% of this book. I overlooked some things at the beginning because I really liked the story. I enjoyed the chemistry and banter between Luella & Eldas. The side characters were good and the world was interesting.

Shortly after the 60% mark, I couldn't overlook the bad anymore. The writing was clunky. Luella's thoughts droned on and become so repetitive that I started to skim over a lot of her inner dialog. The story felt like it was stuck in the same spot for 30 percent of the book. Even the chemistry between Luella & Eldas fell flat.

Ultimately. this book disappointed me. ( )

I forgot how good the world-building was. (I rarely say that for fantasy.)

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Skipped a chapter, but overall, not bad. I’ll be reading more of Kova’s books. ( )

I loved this book. You have Fairies and love and a captivating story at least for me. I own the audible as well as the physical book because I just loved the story so much. Sure it can be a bit cheesy but discovery this fae world and the characters was just so much fun.
It is a slow burn but it worth while and it being a stand alone you don't get that cliffhanger frustration of having to pick up in a sequel.

I agree with other reviews that noted this with vibes of Beauty and the Beast and Hades and Persephone, if you like those types of vibes in a book than this one is for you. :)

- Happy reading! ( )

Very good. A twist on Beauty and the Beast. If you continue this series make sure to download all the little bonus chapters they do connect but can be read separately. ( )

Luella has devoted her whole life to becoming her village's healer, until Eldas, the Elf King, arrives and she learns that she's the Human Queen, our world's payment for peace with the elves. Now, with none of the preparation that Human Queens usually receive, Luella must go with Eldas to his lands, which need her life force in order to live and bloom. Her only hope of freedom and returning to her family and village is to find a way to end the cycle of the Human Queens before it's too late.

A couple things attracted me to this book: the gorgeous cover art (Eldas looks very much like Hades in Linda Sejic's Punderworld) and a line I read somewhere in an ad or a review that said this had elements of the Hades and Persephone myth. "Elements of" is definitely more appropriate than saying this is an adaptation of the myth - the only thing the two really have in common is that Eldas, whose powers are linked to death, is essentially king of a dead land (Hades-like) and that Luella's powers are linked to life and growing things (Persephone-like). The seasons in Eldas' land are dependent upon Luella's presence or absence.

I expected to enjoy the romance more than I did. It didn't feel entirely organic, and Luella was a bit of an idiot at times. For example, she wouldn't say that she loved Eldas because she wasn't sure if she really loved him or if that was just a part of her resigning herself to being his Human Queen. By that point, though, it was pretty obvious she loved him. The bigger worry should have been how and whether they could still be together if they managed to break the cycle.

Eldas "smirked" way too much, and the solution to Luella's quest to break the cycle was fairly obvious, or at least the elements involved in the solution were. That said, despite this book's issues, it was still somehow very bingeable.

I wish the romance had been a bit stronger and that the author had spent a bit more time showcasing Eldas' powers and how they worked. Also, I had many unanswered questions about how this world was supposed to work after Luella and Eldas accomplished what they did. Still, this was an enjoyable read, and I plan on trying more by this author at some point.

(Original review posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.) ( )