Review: ‘The Ever Queen’ by L.J. Andrews
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The Ever Queen
by L.J. AndrewsSeries: The Ever Seas #2
Published by Ace on September 16, 2025
SubGenres: Fantasy Romance
Format: eArc
Pages: 513
Narrator: Lucy Rivers, Will Thorne
Length: 13 Hours And 9 Minutes
Source: the publisher via NetGalley
Audience: 18+/Adult
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The second in the TikTok sensation Ever Seas series!
With his queen missing, the king’s wrath knows no boundaries.
Captive. Challenger. Queen.
Enemies took her from the man who holds her heart. They might see her as weak, as a pawn in wicked games, but they’re no match for the first Ever Queen.
Let them think they’ve won. Her heart belongs to a beautiful monster, and she will never stop fighting until she’s back in his arms.
Captor. Villain. King.
They’ll die for touching her.
His heart belongs to a stunning little bird. He will never stop searching for her light across the skies. Not until the blood of his enemies spills at her feet, and his queen wears their bones around her neck.
Fair warning: You need to read The Ever King before The Ever Queen, as their storylines are directly connected. The Ever Queen is book two in L.J. Andrews’ Ever Seas series, picking up where The Ever King left off. I was anxious to read how Erik Bloodsinger would get his Queen back. This series feels like an adult version of the Shadow and Bone Trilogy, with heightened violence, blood, political and power struggles, and added spice featuring Erik and Livia. While I’m enjoying this series so far, The Ever Queen didn’t grip me like the first. I’ll explain why later, but first, let me highlight what I enjoyed.
I appreciated Livia’s growth and development even more in the second book. She is determined to return to Erik and her family, despite the harsh challenges she faces during her captivity. She ends up having something devastating happen to her in this book, but that won’t stop her from loving Erik.
I admired Erik’s resolve to rescue his Queen. He even collaborates with Livia’s father, despite an initial lack of trust (between both of them). Erik’s devotion to Livia is clear; he will do anything to protect her, demonstrate her status as their Queen, and keep her by his side for the rest of their lives. He definitely lives up to that morally grey hero that I love to read in stories.
I liked learning more about the fae and the intricate magic systems, as well as discovering old and new characters, some of whom may be featured in future books.
Here’s where I struggled: the story sometimes felt scattered, even though the central focus, recovering Livia and confronting the main antagonist, remained. It was all over the place and kept confusing me at times about where the story was going. Unlike the first book, this one just didn’t hold my attention, especially during the final battle, which felt hurried and underwhelming. I expected more, but that might just be my perspective. I am glad that things worked out for Erik and Livia, and they will get their happily ever after, though.
In summary, The Ever Queen didn’t engage me as much as the first book, but I still enjoyed it and rated it 3.5 stars. Though I haven’t yet started L.J. Andrews’ The Broken Kingdom series, which inspired The Ever Seas, I’m sure I’d enjoy it, especially as its characters appear here. Perhaps soon I’ll binge that series, but for now, I look forward to the next Ever Seas book.
Single/Dual POV: Dual POV (First Person)
Standalone or Part of Series: It’s part of The Ever Seas Series and should be read in order.
Would I recommend this book? Yes. If you enjoy reading Dark Fantasy Romance, with the Enemies to Lovers and Forced Proximity tropes, then you’ll enjoy the first two books in the series.
What to Expect:
✔️Fantasy Romance
✔️Enemies to Lovers
✔️Forced Proximity
✔️Anxiety Rep
✔️Morally Grey Hero
✔️Touch Her and I’ll Unalive You
✔️Found Family
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