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Married to Magic #1
A Deal with the Elf King
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.
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.
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.
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.
317 pages, Paperback
First published November 6, 2020
9901 people are currently reading
150085 people want to read
About the author
Elise Kova
50 books16.5k followersJoin Elise's mailing list to never miss a giveaway, release, sale, and more: https://elisekova.com/subscribe/
ELISE KOVA is a USA Today bestselling author. She enjoys telling stories of fantasy worlds filled with magic and deep emotions. She lives in Florida and, when not writing, can be found playing video games, drawing, chatting with readers on social media, or daydreaming about her next story.
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ELISE KOVA is a USA Today bestselling author. She enjoys telling stories of fantasy worlds filled with magic and deep emotions. She lives in Florida and, when not writing, can be found playing video games, drawing, chatting with readers on social media, or daydreaming about her next story.
Say Hello!
INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | FACEBOOK | TWITTER
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 14,625 reviews
October 23, 2020
Oh my GOD was this good! Not that I'm surprised--Elise Kova can't write a bad book. This has a Hades and Persephone feel to it, but it's not a retelling--and the world Elise has created! I seriously hope there are more books to explore the rest of it! SO GOOD!!
***
I’m literally only on the second page of this one, and I can already tell you all: you need to read this. I’m getting excited chills. This one is setting up to be a phenomenal story.
***
I’m literally only on the second page of this one, and I can already tell you all: you need to read this. I’m getting excited chills. This one is setting up to be a phenomenal story.
November 19, 2022
- Hades & Persephone
- Beauty & the Beast
- elves & faeries
What more could you want??? 😉
This was such a fun read! Going into this, I didn’t expect much. At first, the writing style didn’t appeal to me and nothing in particular stood out to me, but I’m so glad I continued reading because I was wrong! 😏 I ended up having a grand time with this!
Luella and Eldas definitely snuck up on me. I thought she’d be some average fiery heroine and he some average dark faery/elf/troll/goblin (dealer’s choice lol), but they actually really grew on me! Both as individuals and as a couple! It left me with a similar kind of joy that Cruel Beauty did. It also had some Stolen Songbird vibes. 🥰
PSA: While this is the first in the series (Elise Kova says there are four planned books in this world, at the moment), it is also a standalone, so you needn’t worry about cliffhangers...which I find SO REFRESHING! 😅
Despite how much I liked this, I simply couldn’t award this five stars because there’s not anything new about it either. It’s just pure enjoyment...which is honestly what most of us need this year, anyway. Sooooo...I’ll just sit here and wait for the next one! 😂
- Beauty & the Beast
- elves & faeries
What more could you want??? 😉
This was such a fun read! Going into this, I didn’t expect much. At first, the writing style didn’t appeal to me and nothing in particular stood out to me, but I’m so glad I continued reading because I was wrong! 😏 I ended up having a grand time with this!
Luella and Eldas definitely snuck up on me. I thought she’d be some average fiery heroine and he some average dark faery/elf/troll/goblin (dealer’s choice lol), but they actually really grew on me! Both as individuals and as a couple! It left me with a similar kind of joy that Cruel Beauty did. It also had some Stolen Songbird vibes. 🥰
PSA: While this is the first in the series (Elise Kova says there are four planned books in this world, at the moment), it is also a standalone, so you needn’t worry about cliffhangers...which I find SO REFRESHING! 😅
Despite how much I liked this, I simply couldn’t award this five stars because there’s not anything new about it either. It’s just pure enjoyment...which is honestly what most of us need this year, anyway. Sooooo...I’ll just sit here and wait for the next one! 😂
June 10, 2021
Edit: nvm dropping this to 1 star because i really did hate this :/
----
Nothing hurts more than having one of your most anticipated reads by one your favourite authors be a huge disappointment.
I guess my streak of 4/5 stars had to end eventually.
But wow, why did 338 pages feel like 1000 pages???
I don't know. It might just be me but the whole time I was reading this, I felt absolutely nothing. I was honestly bored out of mind and considered marking this as 'DNF' many times, but I thought "Oh, maybe it'll get better....?"
Spoiler . . . It didn't
Also, one thing to know about me is that very rarely do I give out a rating below 3 stars. It makes me feel like a cruelmonster human being who's being very harsh, but I just really couldn't love this as I thought I would.😬
I didn't feel attached to any of the characters. Luella was kinda alright in the beginning and had me laughing once, but in the end, I didn't care much about her. She was pretty boring honestly.
Oh and don't even get me started on Eldas. If possible, that guy was even more bland than the rest of the cast. You see, when I saw that the love interest would be an Elf King known to the outside world as ruthless and evil . . . I expected someone more dark, mysterious and wicked, but instead there was nothing at all interesting about him. I could care less about the guy.
ahahaha and the romance?!?! I never thought the day would come when I'd find another book with a romance I'd be bored with. I expected some amazing chemistry between the two, but NO, THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN.😤 Where was the angst??? Swoony moments??? I wanted to fall in love.😭 All I saw was the two constantly arguing over the most boring topics known to humanity.
^Okay, this scene here . . . it totally reminded me of my 4 and 5 year old sisters arguments I literally just pictured those two, when I was reading this scene and I couldn't stop laughing.I swear, I couldn't take these two 'adults' seriously
Also, you know how almost always with romance novels, when you're nearing the end and the two characters were together and in love, but then something happens to change that and get them in a fight, however by the end they realize they're hopelessly in love and get back together again?wow, my English teacher would be horrified with this run-on sentence haha
Well, if you weren't confused by that super long sentence, with this book—the beginning of that argument had to be one of the most stupidest I've ever heard in my life. It's so stupid that I couldn't help but start laughing over the fight they were having.
(Probably the only amusing part in this book)
In the end, if I had to choose a character that I actually liked, it'd be Harrow and that is hilarious considering how in this status update , the someone I was referring to was him. But at least he was actually pretty interesting, although he obviously didn't appear as much.
I think this was a hyped up a lot, so I had a super high expectations and when that was not met . . . well, it was super meh. I can say that I've never been so relieved to finish a book.
I'm still looking forward to the next book, especially since it's about a a rogue Fae (altho this time I won't have my expectations so high).
now that I look at this too, I realize how funny it sounds. oh god, i can't stop laughing now-
(1.5⭐) --> for the good laughs it gave me
----
Nothing hurts more than having one of your most anticipated reads by one your favourite authors be a huge disappointment.
I guess my streak of 4/5 stars had to end eventually.
But wow, why did 338 pages feel like 1000 pages???
I don't know. It might just be me but the whole time I was reading this, I felt absolutely nothing. I was honestly bored out of mind and considered marking this as 'DNF' many times, but I thought "Oh, maybe it'll get better....?"
Spoiler . . . It didn't
Also, one thing to know about me is that very rarely do I give out a rating below 3 stars. It makes me feel like a cruel
I didn't feel attached to any of the characters. Luella was kinda alright in the beginning and had me laughing once, but in the end, I didn't care much about her. She was pretty boring honestly.
Oh and don't even get me started on Eldas. If possible, that guy was even more bland than the rest of the cast. You see, when I saw that the love interest would be an Elf King known to the outside world as ruthless and evil . . . I expected someone more dark, mysterious and wicked, but instead there was nothing at all interesting about him. I could care less about the guy.
ahahaha and the romance?!?! I never thought the day would come when I'd find another book with a romance I'd be bored with. I expected some amazing chemistry between the two, but NO, THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN.😤 Where was the angst??? Swoony moments??? I wanted to fall in love.😭 All I saw was the two constantly arguing over the most boring topics known to humanity.
“You will respect me!” Eldas shouts.
“Be someone worthy of respecting first!” I slam the door behind me.”
^Okay, this scene here . . . it totally reminded me of my 4 and 5 year old sisters arguments I literally just pictured those two, when I was reading this scene and I couldn't stop laughing.
Also, you know how almost always with romance novels, when you're nearing the end and the two characters were together and in love, but then something happens to change that and get them in a fight, however by the end they realize they're hopelessly in love and get back together again?
Well, if you weren't confused by that super long sentence, with this book—the beginning of that argument had to be one of the most stupidest I've ever heard in my life. It's so stupid that I couldn't help but start laughing over the fight they were having.
(Probably the only amusing part in this book)
In the end, if I had to choose a character that I actually liked, it'd be Harrow and that is hilarious considering how in this status update , the someone I was referring to was him. But at least he was actually pretty interesting, although he obviously didn't appear as much.
I think this was a hyped up a lot, so I had a super high expectations and when that was not met . . . well, it was super meh. I can say that I've never been so relieved to finish a book.
I'm still looking forward to the next book, especially since it's about a a rogue Fae (altho this time I won't have my expectations so high).
"May tomorrow hold every possibility. And may we be bold and hungry enough to take them for our own.”
(1.5⭐) --> for the good laughs it gave me
December 21, 2020
There’s a reason why they call Holly Black the Queen of Faerie. I have yet to find something that comes even close to Holly Black’s faeries, especially as in her Folk of the Air series.
A Deal with the Elf King is a light fluffy romance trying to be fantasy, and not even trying hard. The only Elvish characteristics were in the name, The Elf King. It was easy to mistake all the characters for nothing more than human and easy to mistake the entire book for contemporary.
Character features and dress were rarely described and it was near impossible for me to draw up a mental picture of them.
I didn’t feel anything, I couldn’t feel the glittering magic of the Elf/Fae realm. I couldn’t feel the danger of it. I couldn’t feel the mystery of it. I didn’t feel the magic!
And the Elf King did not fascinate me. Did not captivate me. He was basic. Dull. Too human. I didn’t see him as an Elvish creature at all. He...he fries up bacon and eggs. And bored me even more than that.
This is definitely not dark, sinister and heavy. Which is obviously my thing. So if that’s youre thing too, and you’d rather pass on the “No, I love you more, schmoopy poops/But, I love you most, sugar toots”, I’d recommend White Stag by Kara Barbieri.
And if you’re looking for another Goblin/Elf/Faerie arranged marriage trope check out: Radiance
Elves, Faeries, Goblin Kings and arranged or forced marriage is what’s getting me through 2020 🙌🏼
A Deal with the Elf King is a light fluffy romance trying to be fantasy, and not even trying hard. The only Elvish characteristics were in the name, The Elf King. It was easy to mistake all the characters for nothing more than human and easy to mistake the entire book for contemporary.
Character features and dress were rarely described and it was near impossible for me to draw up a mental picture of them.
I didn’t feel anything, I couldn’t feel the glittering magic of the Elf/Fae realm. I couldn’t feel the danger of it. I couldn’t feel the mystery of it. I didn’t feel the magic!
And the Elf King did not fascinate me. Did not captivate me. He was basic. Dull. Too human. I didn’t see him as an Elvish creature at all. He...he fries up bacon and eggs. And bored me even more than that.
This is definitely not dark, sinister and heavy. Which is obviously my thing. So if that’s youre thing too, and you’d rather pass on the “No, I love you more, schmoopy poops/But, I love you most, sugar toots”, I’d recommend White Stag by Kara Barbieri.
And if you’re looking for another Goblin/Elf/Faerie arranged marriage trope check out: Radiance
Elves, Faeries, Goblin Kings and arranged or forced marriage is what’s getting me through 2020 🙌🏼
Read
November 6, 2020Stealing this review space to add a note or two about the book...
This book was a passion project for me. It was my first book back writing again after being near burn-out. And I started drafting it at the beginning of quarantine in 2020. I wanted to write a world that I could escape into... where everything was wrapped up with a happily ever after at the end. It's my earnest hope that others can find an escape in the pages of Eldas and Luella.
Some housekeeping/Book FAQ...
You can see all retailer links on my website: https://elisekova.com/a-deal-with-the...
Also on that page there is an exclusive, free sample of chapters 1-3 and a bonus scene that takes place after the end of the book.
A DEAL WITH THE ELF KING is a stand alone, fantasy romance. It sits right on the cusp of older YA and adult. There is some steam in the book. It's set in the Married to Magic universe.
Married to Magic is a universe I hope to write other stand alones in. These books can be read in any order and are each a complete story with no over-arching plotlines between them.
The cover illustrator was Marcela Medeiros. Her website is: https://marcelamedeirosarts.com/
Thank you for your interest in my work, and happy reading!
This book was a passion project for me. It was my first book back writing again after being near burn-out. And I started drafting it at the beginning of quarantine in 2020. I wanted to write a world that I could escape into... where everything was wrapped up with a happily ever after at the end. It's my earnest hope that others can find an escape in the pages of Eldas and Luella.
Some housekeeping/Book FAQ...
You can see all retailer links on my website: https://elisekova.com/a-deal-with-the...
Also on that page there is an exclusive, free sample of chapters 1-3 and a bonus scene that takes place after the end of the book.
A DEAL WITH THE ELF KING is a stand alone, fantasy romance. It sits right on the cusp of older YA and adult. There is some steam in the book. It's set in the Married to Magic universe.
Married to Magic is a universe I hope to write other stand alones in. These books can be read in any order and are each a complete story with no over-arching plotlines between them.
The cover illustrator was Marcela Medeiros. Her website is: https://marcelamedeirosarts.com/
Thank you for your interest in my work, and happy reading!
April 11, 2021
Am I expecting too much from a book these days? Or the books are just dull?
I mean, I expected an angsty, swoon worthy romance. I thought there's gonna be a lot of will they-won't they moment. I also expected a grumpy hero with a mysterious past (Yeah I'm that typical. Judge me)
But there was nothing in this book!
The hero was boring and plain and more boring. There was literally no chemistry between the two MC.
Most of the time they are just talking and arguing over lame stuffs and then he just cuts her off. Repeat.
The plot?
MC is talking with her new "elf friend" or reading journals. Again some talking about plants, short argument with the elf king, again reading journal (sounds exiting right?)
There's a few things I liked too. Like the protagonist wasn’t as annoying as I thought she'd be. I mean, she's bold and strong willed and admirable. I can't say the same about the author's previous protagonists. Even though nothing happens in this book but the writing was good. I didn’t feel bored for a moment.
It has a Hades-Persephone vibe but it's not for A Court of Thorns and Roses fans! If you want to read a cute fantasy romance? Sure go on.
But if you're looking for something like A Court of Thorns and Roses, here's a friendly reminder, don't let the synopsis fool you.
I mean, I expected an angsty, swoon worthy romance. I thought there's gonna be a lot of will they-won't they moment. I also expected a grumpy hero with a mysterious past (Yeah I'm that typical. Judge me)
But there was nothing in this book!
The hero was boring and plain and more boring. There was literally no chemistry between the two MC.
Most of the time they are just talking and arguing over lame stuffs and then he just cuts her off. Repeat.
The plot?
MC is talking with her new "elf friend" or reading journals. Again some talking about plants, short argument with the elf king, again reading journal (sounds exiting right?)
There's a few things I liked too. Like the protagonist wasn’t as annoying as I thought she'd be. I mean, she's bold and strong willed and admirable. I can't say the same about the author's previous protagonists. Even though nothing happens in this book but the writing was good. I didn’t feel bored for a moment.
It has a Hades-Persephone vibe but it's not for A Court of Thorns and Roses fans! If you want to read a cute fantasy romance? Sure go on.
But if you're looking for something like A Court of Thorns and Roses, here's a friendly reminder, don't let the synopsis fool you.
November 25, 2020
The way I don't know how to write this review... I haven't written a 2-star review in sO long (not since Shatter Me, which btw I read two years ago). Also, I was going to rate this 3-stars but I realized how unfair that would be to the books I've read and rated 3 stars out of 5. So, what was this book's crime?
It's boring. BOOO-RING.
Book had me like:
And the thing is, the plot isn't even tremendously horrible or anything. It's obviously unoriginal, but so is a lot of the YA fantasy genre, and I still enjoy tropey fantasy sometimes. This 338 page (WHAT???? HOW) book just felt like it was a thick ass 800 paged book to me.
The romance: didn't care. Plot: didn't care. Characters: didn't care. It's not that they were unlikeable or I hated them, I just wasn't invested at all in Eldas (btw his name sounds like it belongs to a grandpa) and Luella, or their relationship. For all the people I see who loathe love triangles, ohmygosh I'd take one over a bland romance aNY DAY. One of them could've died at the end and I still wouldn't find it in me to care. You know what, that would've caught me off guard a little though because this book was also predictable as hell. I'm a simple girl, even a book being predictable isn't repulsive to me. As long as I enjoy it. But the combination of dull + predictable (very much present in this book) was just too much for me to handle lol.
Because this book was in Luella's POV, let me sum up her inner dialogue for you:
" I have duties back home of healing people how will they ever live without me ⇨ Eldas is kind and not grumpy omg ⇨ oh Midscape isn't bad ⇨ But I have duties of healing people back home! ⇨ I want him to slam me against a wall (doesn't even do anything about it and they stay a bland ass couple ⇨ nO I have duties back home ⇨ This place isn't bad tho ⇨ but i HAVE healing duties back home! "
Like omfg sis I promise they will live fine without you (spoiler alert: they did) sorry the town didn't revolve around your existence.
Basically this review is literally just me saying:
if anyone's still here one of the stars is for the cover tbh 😳
It's boring. BOOO-RING.
Book had me like:
And the thing is, the plot isn't even tremendously horrible or anything. It's obviously unoriginal, but so is a lot of the YA fantasy genre, and I still enjoy tropey fantasy sometimes. This 338 page (WHAT???? HOW) book just felt like it was a thick ass 800 paged book to me.
The romance: didn't care. Plot: didn't care. Characters: didn't care. It's not that they were unlikeable or I hated them, I just wasn't invested at all in Eldas (btw his name sounds like it belongs to a grandpa) and Luella, or their relationship. For all the people I see who loathe love triangles, ohmygosh I'd take one over a bland romance aNY DAY. One of them could've died at the end and I still wouldn't find it in me to care. You know what, that would've caught me off guard a little though because this book was also predictable as hell. I'm a simple girl, even a book being predictable isn't repulsive to me. As long as I enjoy it. But the combination of dull + predictable (very much present in this book) was just too much for me to handle lol.
Because this book was in Luella's POV, let me sum up her inner dialogue for you:
" I have duties back home of healing people how will they ever live without me ⇨ Eldas is kind and not grumpy omg ⇨ oh Midscape isn't bad ⇨ But I have duties of healing people back home! ⇨ I want him to slam me against a wall (doesn't even do anything about it and they stay a bland ass couple ⇨ nO I have duties back home ⇨ This place isn't bad tho ⇨ but i HAVE healing duties back home! "
Like omfg sis I promise they will live fine without you (spoiler alert: they did) sorry the town didn't revolve around your existence.
Basically this review is literally just me saying:
if anyone's still here one of the stars is for the cover tbh 😳
June 15, 2023
Not perfect but not bad either.
✔️ Hades x Persephone retelling
✔️ Beauty and the beast retelling
✔️ Slow burn
✔️ Arranged marriage
Things I liked-
1. It's fast paced and something that has the potential to get the reader out of a slump.
2. It's lighthearted with nothing too chaotic or dramatic. Doesn't have anything complex. It's a pretty easy read.
3. Harrow, the MMC's brother was trouble and a charming one at that too. I liked him more than the main characters. He came across as genuine and one with full of personality, which made me wish at times that he was the love interest 👀🤭
Things that could have been better-
1. The main characters- Eldas (MMC) and Luella (FMC) were okay, they did not have much depth to them, which is why they are quite forgettable. Eldas although has his sweet and sexy moments, he also comes across as rigid, and overpowered Luella. Luella, although is a selfless character but has nothing else to her personality. She is a healer and a queen but somehow she doesn't have anything to offer.
2. The world building and the magic system was weak. I would have preferred if it was more built on and explored. Half of the time I did not understand the hows and whys. So the conflict at the end got impacted cause of it.
3. The romance was slow burn. But there was no angst to it, by the time the two kissed it felt like a meh scene. Had there been more angst, I would've considered bumping it to 4 stars. The chemistry was okay-ish.
4. The way Luella and Eldas communicated with each other was too formal and it irked me. They talked to each other as king and queen, not husband and wife, not someone in love. Although Luella tries to get Eldas open up a bit but she herself is the same 😅
Overall, it's a decent read but nothing special. It's quite a forgettable story but an easy read. I haven't read any other books prior to this by this author so hopefully the rest of the series will improve.
✔️ Hades x Persephone retelling
✔️ Beauty and the beast retelling
✔️ Slow burn
✔️ Arranged marriage
Things I liked-
1. It's fast paced and something that has the potential to get the reader out of a slump.
2. It's lighthearted with nothing too chaotic or dramatic. Doesn't have anything complex. It's a pretty easy read.
3. Harrow, the MMC's brother was trouble and a charming one at that too. I liked him more than the main characters. He came across as genuine and one with full of personality, which made me wish at times that he was the love interest 👀🤭
Things that could have been better-
1. The main characters- Eldas (MMC) and Luella (FMC) were okay, they did not have much depth to them, which is why they are quite forgettable. Eldas although has his sweet and sexy moments, he also comes across as rigid, and overpowered Luella. Luella, although is a selfless character but has nothing else to her personality. She is a healer and a queen but somehow she doesn't have anything to offer.
2. The world building and the magic system was weak. I would have preferred if it was more built on and explored. Half of the time I did not understand the hows and whys. So the conflict at the end got impacted cause of it.
3. The romance was slow burn. But there was no angst to it, by the time the two kissed it felt like a meh scene. Had there been more angst, I would've considered bumping it to 4 stars. The chemistry was okay-ish.
4. The way Luella and Eldas communicated with each other was too formal and it irked me. They talked to each other as king and queen, not husband and wife, not someone in love. Although Luella tries to get Eldas open up a bit but she herself is the same 😅
Overall, it's a decent read but nothing special. It's quite a forgettable story but an easy read. I haven't read any other books prior to this by this author so hopefully the rest of the series will improve.
January 15, 2025
A Hades-Persephone with a mix of Beauty and the Beast retelling hmm. I'll start with the lack of two stars in the rating. Firstly, the quarter half of the book was boring as hell. Compared to the Air Folk Series, I stated how I find them pointless but the writing was spotless. Contrary to this book, I very much see the exposition to the rise of conflict but somehow, the writings sound too amateur. I'm saying this with the knowledge that this was not a debut book from the author, so I don't know what went wrong.
Then, we have the elf king himself. This was supposed to be some faerie/elf book but I never found one so humanoid. The couple had routines like a normal couple out there and the magic elements were not so evident. You were supposed to be the elf king, why so mundane (´д｀) I'm expecting him to act like the elf king he should be, somewhere more mysterious and complex. I wish he was a tad more mature and had all this brooding and poised composure but what was offered was quite disappointing.
I also do love the couple, but their story was weak. The book features a slow burn romance but somehow, I don't think it was working well with this book. Nothing interesting happened between them nor there any sexual tensions infused, making it unfulfilling. It does get progressive towards the end but with the initial slow burn, it suddenly feels too rapid, their dynamic fell short.
And I did say it was boring as hell in the quarter half of the book but as you go in the 10s chapter, it does get better. I think it starts when Luella met Hook! Love how the author accentuates Hook as a character even as a Fade wolf. The author made his presence promising, I love the interactions he had with other characters too. So yes, the sit of few chapters was insufferable but it worths it till the end as the climax and falling action looks favourable.
I enjoy getting to know Luella. I love all her remarks and retorts. She knows what she wants and is a wonderful herbalist. Luella is a compelling character who is internally conflicted but wants to see the good in everyone. I like other characters as well, I just had schism with the elf character only.
Lastly,not truly a problem but since I am an invested person, I like getting full ideas of the character I read. However, this book offers little to none on what the characters are supposed to look like. Aside from the illustration in the cover book, I can almost make up nothing for my imagination. The full picture came out too late and still with a vague description. That itself is a bummer.
Overall, an okay read.
Then, we have the elf king himself. This was supposed to be some faerie/elf book but I never found one so humanoid. The couple had routines like a normal couple out there and the magic elements were not so evident. You were supposed to be the elf king, why so mundane (´д｀) I'm expecting him to act like the elf king he should be, somewhere more mysterious and complex. I wish he was a tad more mature and had all this brooding and poised composure but what was offered was quite disappointing.
I also do love the couple, but their story was weak. The book features a slow burn romance but somehow, I don't think it was working well with this book. Nothing interesting happened between them nor there any sexual tensions infused, making it unfulfilling. It does get progressive towards the end but with the initial slow burn, it suddenly feels too rapid, their dynamic fell short.
And I did say it was boring as hell in the quarter half of the book but as you go in the 10s chapter, it does get better. I think it starts when Luella met Hook! Love how the author accentuates Hook as a character even as a Fade wolf. The author made his presence promising, I love the interactions he had with other characters too. So yes, the sit of few chapters was insufferable but it worths it till the end as the climax and falling action looks favourable.
I enjoy getting to know Luella. I love all her remarks and retorts. She knows what she wants and is a wonderful herbalist. Luella is a compelling character who is internally conflicted but wants to see the good in everyone. I like other characters as well, I just had schism with the elf character only.
Lastly,
Overall, an okay read.
July 12, 2021
“One thing you will soon learn is that the name of the bride quickly disappears off the tongues of the people. Whoever leaves will be forgotten as ever being a part of this town. She will become the ‘Human Queen’ for stories and nothing more.”
Elise Kova can do no wrong. I read Air Awakens and absolutely loved the series. When I heard about this book, I was nothing short of thrilled. Trust me, it’s worth it. The book is a very quick read and immensely satisfying. The perfect protagonist, the perfect plot for a standalone high- fantasy world, you simply can’t be disappointed. You know what to expect and the book delivers spectacularly.
In the blurb, the book is compared to Uprooted and A Court of Thorns and Roses, both of which I’ve read, and I understand the comparison, but it also diverges from those books in a lot of ways, so if you didn’t like those I would still suggest reading this one. Uprooted doesn’t really feature many characters other than the protagonist and the dragon, which is one of the ways this book is so different from it because the characters interacting with the rest of the world is such a monumental part of the foundation of this book. A court of thorns and roses features antagonists in a fundamentally different way than this book, the problems and the adversities this book features are very unique and require very different attitudes from the characters. The basic similarity would be that a human girl is taken to a magical world, but besides that, it’s safe to say this book is a whole new avenue in its own right.
The perfect protagonist. Luella is smart, brave, and curious, through her curious eyes the author is able to reveal so many intricacies of this world so much so that it feels like the world-building took place across a trilogy that didn’t explicitly focus on world-building, if that makes sense. She manages to introduce a depth to the world that I didn’t expect to feel with a standalone.
Along the same lines, I also feel like the supporting characters added so much to the book in this short period, unexpected from a standalone.
The perfect plot. I know of so many ways standalone plots tend to either be too complicated and begging to be spread out across a few books, and I know of plots that barely serve a purpose other than to bring the characters together. This book finds the sweet spot. You can tell that there was so much work put into the intricacies of this book because it is so easy to read yet so rich with details. Ideas flow together immaculately and the story moves forward naturally and gracefully. There was not one moment where I went, well that just shifted in another direction for no reason other than the plot didn’t feel substantial enough.
If you’re looking for a quick read between series or just having to switch between book after reading a chapter or two, this is the perfect book for you. It will grab your attention from the very beginning and hold it to the very end. It doesn’t lag on unnecessary, cliche plot points that everyone sees coming from a mile away, it is well-paced and will take you to the next chapter quickly but will give you enough information so that you don’t feel like you’re only focusing on one point to resolve the plot. 5/5 from me, all fantasy and romance lovers should try it out, quick read, you will not put it down.
Elise Kova can do no wrong. I read Air Awakens and absolutely loved the series. When I heard about this book, I was nothing short of thrilled. Trust me, it’s worth it. The book is a very quick read and immensely satisfying. The perfect protagonist, the perfect plot for a standalone high- fantasy world, you simply can’t be disappointed. You know what to expect and the book delivers spectacularly.
In the blurb, the book is compared to Uprooted and A Court of Thorns and Roses, both of which I’ve read, and I understand the comparison, but it also diverges from those books in a lot of ways, so if you didn’t like those I would still suggest reading this one. Uprooted doesn’t really feature many characters other than the protagonist and the dragon, which is one of the ways this book is so different from it because the characters interacting with the rest of the world is such a monumental part of the foundation of this book. A court of thorns and roses features antagonists in a fundamentally different way than this book, the problems and the adversities this book features are very unique and require very different attitudes from the characters. The basic similarity would be that a human girl is taken to a magical world, but besides that, it’s safe to say this book is a whole new avenue in its own right.
The perfect protagonist. Luella is smart, brave, and curious, through her curious eyes the author is able to reveal so many intricacies of this world so much so that it feels like the world-building took place across a trilogy that didn’t explicitly focus on world-building, if that makes sense. She manages to introduce a depth to the world that I didn’t expect to feel with a standalone.
Along the same lines, I also feel like the supporting characters added so much to the book in this short period, unexpected from a standalone.
The perfect plot. I know of so many ways standalone plots tend to either be too complicated and begging to be spread out across a few books, and I know of plots that barely serve a purpose other than to bring the characters together. This book finds the sweet spot. You can tell that there was so much work put into the intricacies of this book because it is so easy to read yet so rich with details. Ideas flow together immaculately and the story moves forward naturally and gracefully. There was not one moment where I went, well that just shifted in another direction for no reason other than the plot didn’t feel substantial enough.
If you’re looking for a quick read between series or just having to switch between book after reading a chapter or two, this is the perfect book for you. It will grab your attention from the very beginning and hold it to the very end. It doesn’t lag on unnecessary, cliche plot points that everyone sees coming from a mile away, it is well-paced and will take you to the next chapter quickly but will give you enough information so that you don’t feel like you’re only focusing on one point to resolve the plot. 5/5 from me, all fantasy and romance lovers should try it out, quick read, you will not put it down.
February 20, 2021
3.75 stars
tw: drug use
This is less of a Hades & Persephone retelling and more of an "inspired by" with Beauty & the Beast elements as well. I liked the contrast in magics we had between the two characters, with hers being nature magic and his being implied that it is tied to death (though not quite death magic). She had the spunk that I like to see with Persephone characters, with a mix of stubbornness but also very powerful magic and a desire to rule alongside him. I would say he leans much more into a Beast character than Hades, as he tends to be a little colder than I like my Hades characters, but overall I enjoyed their slow burn dynamic.
The additions that weren't related to either retelling were nice as well - such as Luella's wolf companion. I'm jealous tbh. But there were also some additional plot threads there that weren't really wrapped up for a standalone.
Also, if you enjoy H&P retellings for the Underworld elements, you don't really get that here as Midscape is not anything like the Underworld and Eldas truly isn't a death god/king/etc.
Overall, I enjoyed the inspiration this took from the myth and plan to read more books in this world as they are released.
tw: drug use
This is less of a Hades & Persephone retelling and more of an "inspired by" with Beauty & the Beast elements as well. I liked the contrast in magics we had between the two characters, with hers being nature magic and his being implied that it is tied to death (though not quite death magic). She had the spunk that I like to see with Persephone characters, with a mix of stubbornness but also very powerful magic and a desire to rule alongside him. I would say he leans much more into a Beast character than Hades, as he tends to be a little colder than I like my Hades characters, but overall I enjoyed their slow burn dynamic.
The additions that weren't related to either retelling were nice as well - such as Luella's wolf companion. I'm jealous tbh. But there were also some additional plot threads there that weren't really wrapped up for a standalone.
Also, if you enjoy H&P retellings for the Underworld elements, you don't really get that here as Midscape is not anything like the Underworld and Eldas truly isn't a death god/king/etc.
Overall, I enjoyed the inspiration this took from the myth and plan to read more books in this world as they are released.
dnf
March 10, 2021DNF at 23%
Life's too short to waste on books that bore me to death.
Life's too short to waste on books that bore me to death.
August 19, 2022
✅ Gorgeous cover
✅ Hades and Persephone retelling
✅ Arranged marriage
✅ Magic
✅🆗 Characters
🆗 Plot
🆗 Romance
❗️❗️Trigger warning: drug use
Because of a magical deal struck between elves and humans thousands of years ago, every 100 years, the elf king comes to Luella’s village to get his human queen. The human queen is the only woman in the village with magical abilities, so it comes as a shock to Luella to discover that she is the next human queen since she never even knew she had magic. The elf king must have a human queen to ensure that spring comes to his land and that life can thrive. Forced to leave her family and her life behind, she makes a promise to herself: she will not rest until she finds a way to end this unbalance in the elf king’s land so she can save his people and then go back home.
This story has elements that are clearly inspired by Hades and Persephone since Eldas’ magic is not death exactly, but it’s related to it, while Luella’s is about nature and life, but it also has Beauty and the Beast vibes. The plot and romance are quite straightforward and predictable, but not bad. The thing is, even though the stakes were high, I didn’t really feel it. I didn’t feel the stress or the fact that many people’s lives depend on Luella and Eldas finding an answer. I’m not saying it was telling and not showing exactly, but it lacked a little something to be really compelling.
Luella is a nice and selfless character. She is very tenacious and does not just accept her situation, she seeks to have control of her life and she is not afraid to confront Eldas. She is a gifted herbalist and I liked seeing her passion for healing, and she is driven enough to not just remain passive. She wants to be involved and feel useful, and she does not hesitate to take matters into her own hands if she needs to, which I loved. Sadly though, I can’t say exactly why, but she did not grow on me that much. Honestly, I think I liked Hook, Luella’s wolf, more than I liked her.
Eldas is the new Elf king and he needs to find his Human Queen because only her magic can keep their lands alive. He is dark and mysterious and of course, I liked him because I seem not to be able to resist dark brooding characters. I must admit though that it was disconcerting how he would go from the cold-hearted king to the insecure man that has been sequestered all his life, and back to the pretentious and emotionless ruler in the same chapter. I like that he is multifaceted, but those layers were not really developed so he ended up being kinda bland despite having the potential to be really interesting.
Obviously, Luella and Eldas’ relationship is chaotic and loud at first (because they scream at each other), but it does evolve into desire and love. While I appreciate the slow-burn, because I love the arranged marriage trope as long as it’s not insta-love, the evolution of the relationship felt weak at times. Not much of significance happened between Luella and Edlas besides researching and reading, and then Eldas went from being cold to openly carng about her. Sure we get hints that he’s interested and that he’s attracted to her, and I think the author was trying to go for a conflicted character because he likes her but he does not want to get attached to her, but to me, it felt more like a quite-sudden change of character. There was also a lot of drama near the end, and while I LOVE angst, this time it was just a big deal because of miscommunication between them so that annoyed me a little.
Overall, it is a good YA book, the world-building, and the concept of having a Human Queen bound to the land is interesting, and the hate-to-love/arranged marriage are two tropes that I really enjoy, but sadly the hate-to-love was not the best one I’ve read. The storyline is basic though and I would have liked to have more political intrigue or action… I feel that there is potential here that the author did not exploit. The ending is sweet and satisfying, but I was expecting more since I enjoyed the Air Awakens series so much and I was ecstatic when I learned that Elise Kova was writing a Hades and Persephone retelling. I would still recommend this book if you are looking for an easy and light read.
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✅ Hades and Persephone retelling
✅ Arranged marriage
✅ Magic
✅🆗 Characters
🆗 Plot
🆗 Romance
❗️❗️Trigger warning: drug use
There are only two reasons why the elves come to our world: war or wives. In either case, they come for death.
Because of a magical deal struck between elves and humans thousands of years ago, every 100 years, the elf king comes to Luella’s village to get his human queen. The human queen is the only woman in the village with magical abilities, so it comes as a shock to Luella to discover that she is the next human queen since she never even knew she had magic. The elf king must have a human queen to ensure that spring comes to his land and that life can thrive. Forced to leave her family and her life behind, she makes a promise to herself: she will not rest until she finds a way to end this unbalance in the elf king’s land so she can save his people and then go back home.
This story has elements that are clearly inspired by Hades and Persephone since Eldas’ magic is not death exactly, but it’s related to it, while Luella’s is about nature and life, but it also has Beauty and the Beast vibes. The plot and romance are quite straightforward and predictable, but not bad. The thing is, even though the stakes were high, I didn’t really feel it. I didn’t feel the stress or the fact that many people’s lives depend on Luella and Eldas finding an answer. I’m not saying it was telling and not showing exactly, but it lacked a little something to be really compelling.
“Some people can never be hidden; they are meant to be seen.”
Luella is a nice and selfless character. She is very tenacious and does not just accept her situation, she seeks to have control of her life and she is not afraid to confront Eldas. She is a gifted herbalist and I liked seeing her passion for healing, and she is driven enough to not just remain passive. She wants to be involved and feel useful, and she does not hesitate to take matters into her own hands if she needs to, which I loved. Sadly though, I can’t say exactly why, but she did not grow on me that much. Honestly, I think I liked Hook, Luella’s wolf, more than I liked her.
“At your core, you’re a good man, Eldas. But you’re very rough at your edges. You know that.” Her thumb strokes his cheek.
Eldas is the new Elf king and he needs to find his Human Queen because only her magic can keep their lands alive. He is dark and mysterious and of course, I liked him because I seem not to be able to resist dark brooding characters. I must admit though that it was disconcerting how he would go from the cold-hearted king to the insecure man that has been sequestered all his life, and back to the pretentious and emotionless ruler in the same chapter. I like that he is multifaceted, but those layers were not really developed so he ended up being kinda bland despite having the potential to be really interesting.
“You will respect me!” Eldas shouts.
“Be someone worthy of respecting first!” I slam the door behind me
Obviously, Luella and Eldas’ relationship is chaotic and loud at first (because they scream at each other), but it does evolve into desire and love. While I appreciate the slow-burn, because I love the arranged marriage trope as long as it’s not insta-love, the evolution of the relationship felt weak at times. Not much of significance happened between Luella and Edlas besides researching and reading, and then Eldas went from being cold to openly carng about her. Sure we get hints that he’s interested and that he’s attracted to her, and I think the author was trying to go for a conflicted character because he likes her but he does not want to get attached to her, but to me, it felt more like a quite-sudden change of character. There was also a lot of drama near the end, and while I LOVE angst, this time it was just a big deal because of miscommunication between them so that annoyed me a little.
Overall, it is a good YA book, the world-building, and the concept of having a Human Queen bound to the land is interesting, and the hate-to-love/arranged marriage are two tropes that I really enjoy, but sadly the hate-to-love was not the best one I’ve read. The storyline is basic though and I would have liked to have more political intrigue or action… I feel that there is potential here that the author did not exploit. The ending is sweet and satisfying, but I was expecting more since I enjoyed the Air Awakens series so much and I was ecstatic when I learned that Elise Kova was writing a Hades and Persephone retelling. I would still recommend this book if you are looking for an easy and light read.
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November 25, 2020
Juvenile dialogue. Emotional depth of characters is flaky at best. Hero is supposed to be this hard, powerful male who staggers when she expresses sympathy for him? Really? Heroine talks about being duty-bound all the time but thinks it’s okay to take off a few days after going to the otherworld realm simply because she doesn’t like it? Heroine is made out to be the only one to contest her fate because of her herbalist duties because almost 30 Human Queens before her were starry-eyed dumb bitches who didn’t have a life? Yeah, she’s special alright.
June 14, 2023
the magic system gave my head physical pain.
the main couple lacked any semblance of chemistry.
the love was just lust on steroids.
the drama felt like high school angst.
the worldbuilding made absolutely zero sense.
the characters I couldn't care less about.
the action was nonexistent.
even the cute wolf couldn't save it for me.
one star and i'm not wasting any more brain cells on this.
the main couple lacked any semblance of chemistry.
the love was just lust on steroids.
the drama felt like high school angst.
the worldbuilding made absolutely zero sense.
the characters I couldn't care less about.
the action was nonexistent.
even the cute wolf couldn't save it for me.
one star and i'm not wasting any more brain cells on this.
June 26, 2021
Because this is a standalone, it didn't feel as "epic" as most high fantasy novels. There wasn't a "big bad guy" and there wasn't a crazy plot twist/cliffhanger at the end. Instead, it was a very easy and straightforward read with a HEA ending. This isn't necessarily a good or bad thing, I just think it's good to set your expectations before you read.
❌ I JUST COULDN'T CONNECT with Luella as much as I wanted to. It's hard to explain... even though the book was written in the first person, to me, it almost felt like I was reading it in the third person. Idk.
✅ THE ONLY THING I LIKED about Luella was her drive. I loved how she wasn't willing to just accept a shitty situation like so many other fantasy heroines. Instead, she took matters into her own hands and actually tried to fix the problem
🆗 THE ROMANCE STEAM LEVEL was more than Elise typically has but not much compared to true romance novels. The slow burn was enjoyable. But overall, the romance didn't make me "feel" anything. Like... if there was not a HEA ending, I don't think I would have been too devastated
❌ LUELLA AND ELDAS weren't willing to admit their feelings for each other, which resulted in a lot of drama near the end that I could have done without
✅ THE WORLD BUILDING and the concept of "Human Queens" was really cool. The world of Midscape was a big mystery at first, but throughout the novel, we slowly learned more about the world and unravelled the mystery behind the seasons
Overall, I would recommend this if you're looking for a light/easy read and I'll be reading the other standalone novels in this series.
❌ I JUST COULDN'T CONNECT with Luella as much as I wanted to. It's hard to explain... even though the book was written in the first person, to me, it almost felt like I was reading it in the third person. Idk.
✅ THE ONLY THING I LIKED about Luella was her drive. I loved how she wasn't willing to just accept a shitty situation like so many other fantasy heroines. Instead, she took matters into her own hands and actually tried to fix the problem
🆗 THE ROMANCE STEAM LEVEL was more than Elise typically has but not much compared to true romance novels. The slow burn was enjoyable. But overall, the romance didn't make me "feel" anything. Like... if there was not a HEA ending, I don't think I would have been too devastated
❌ LUELLA AND ELDAS weren't willing to admit their feelings for each other, which resulted in a lot of drama near the end that I could have done without
✅ THE WORLD BUILDING and the concept of "Human Queens" was really cool. The world of Midscape was a big mystery at first, but throughout the novel, we slowly learned more about the world and unravelled the mystery behind the seasons
Overall, I would recommend this if you're looking for a light/easy read and I'll be reading the other standalone novels in this series.
April 2, 2021
3.5/5⭐️ Totally binged this entire book on my 3 hour flight today. Fun story following a Hades/Persephone storyline. Quick read that kept my interest throughout.
February 13, 2023
Si les soy sincera, no esperaba la gran cosa de este libro y terminó superando mis expectativas.
Un trato con el rey de los elfos es el primer libro de la serie Married to Magic. De todas formas tengo entendido que cambian los protagonistas en cada uno de los libros así que pueden tomarlo como un autoconclusivo. Además de que es Retelling de Perséfone y Hades.
El reino de los elfos elige a una reina humana en cada generación para que se encargue de mantener la primavera y mantener el acuerdo entre ambos reinos. Esta reina es la única humana capaz de hacer magia y apenas es detectada debe casarse con el rey de los elfos y vivir en su tierra.
Luella ya tiene 19 años y no se espera de ella que sea la reina humana porque no tuvo ninguna manifestación de magia durante su niñez, sin embargo todos se sorprenden cuando es elegida para ser la siguiente reina. Tendrá que abandonar todos sus sueños y empezar una vida para la que nunca fue entrenada.
No es el mejor libro del mundo y hay un millón de cosas que me faltaron. Sin embargo lo disfruté un montón, Luella me caía mal al principio pero a medida que fui leyendo pude quererla más. El romance me encantó, hubiera esperado toxicidad de parte del rey de los elfos (lamentablemente esto es a lo que nos acostumbró la literatura juvenil) pero todo lo contrario. El rey elfo es un amor y es súper bueno y amable. Lo llegás a querer un montón.
Si quieren un libro para leer en una tarde y para vivir una linda historia de amor se los recomiendo un montón. ☺️ Fue una lectura súper grata.
Yo leyendo Un trato con el rey de los elfos: 🥰🥺☺️😊🙈
Un trato con el rey de los elfos es el primer libro de la serie Married to Magic. De todas formas tengo entendido que cambian los protagonistas en cada uno de los libros así que pueden tomarlo como un autoconclusivo. Además de que es Retelling de Perséfone y Hades.
El reino de los elfos elige a una reina humana en cada generación para que se encargue de mantener la primavera y mantener el acuerdo entre ambos reinos. Esta reina es la única humana capaz de hacer magia y apenas es detectada debe casarse con el rey de los elfos y vivir en su tierra.
Luella ya tiene 19 años y no se espera de ella que sea la reina humana porque no tuvo ninguna manifestación de magia durante su niñez, sin embargo todos se sorprenden cuando es elegida para ser la siguiente reina. Tendrá que abandonar todos sus sueños y empezar una vida para la que nunca fue entrenada.
No es el mejor libro del mundo y hay un millón de cosas que me faltaron. Sin embargo lo disfruté un montón, Luella me caía mal al principio pero a medida que fui leyendo pude quererla más. El romance me encantó, hubiera esperado toxicidad de parte del rey de los elfos (lamentablemente esto es a lo que nos acostumbró la literatura juvenil) pero todo lo contrario. El rey elfo es un amor y es súper bueno y amable. Lo llegás a querer un montón.
Si quieren un libro para leer en una tarde y para vivir una linda historia de amor se los recomiendo un montón. ☺️ Fue una lectura súper grata.
Yo leyendo Un trato con el rey de los elfos: 🥰🥺☺️😊🙈
August 3, 2024
1.5 ⭐️ dnf at 77%
This was a big fat NO. I’m sorry, this was?…it was tragic . What in the confusion was this?
I’m going to try keep this spoiler free/spoiler light. I just want to explain the ✨ magic ✨ system so you guys can tell me if im crazy or not. I won’t include spoiler scenes or anything else.
It was just so unnecessarily detailed and complex:
There’s three parts of an ‘unnatural world’ split by something called the ‘Fade’ and to keep the balance between the beyond, the elf, and the human world. Her power gives to the earth whilst his power maintains the fade. It mentions how their powers ‘balance’ the unnatural world so that they can have natural seasons like spring, winter and summer. To do this, she must marry the elf king and enter his world….(but no one from his world has to go to hers to do the same?) oh, and she can only go back to her world for a few days to “recharge”. He uses his power to manage these “fade keys” and it’s just all A MESS . There’s a lot more about plants, and roots, and dreams, and mirrors, and BALANCE BLANCE BALANCE, statues, and an ancient treaty that doesn’t really explain why there’s a fade in the first place. The explanations are all over the place. I have no idea how this was meant to make sense. *
Then the romance? Boring and lacklustre at best. It’s a poor enemies to lovers…good tension in the beginning no but their relationship then focuses on them working together to undo the ancient magic that makes the world unnatural? One day he’s just like “okay I’ll help you” and then they like each other. Guys I’m sorry I cannot.
Spice was meh. Everything was meh. And her desire to go back home was stupid.
Oh God. I can’t even remember these MCs names.
* omg I almost forgot! There’s something called ‘the Knowing’ which is when they find out another elf’s ’true name’ and then something called ‘the being’ when an elf is so evolved they have the mental strength to ‘change their true name’….i promise you I am not making this up.
This was a big fat NO. I’m sorry, this was?…it was tragic . What in the confusion was this?
I’m going to try keep this spoiler free/spoiler light. I just want to explain the ✨ magic ✨ system so you guys can tell me if im crazy or not. I won’t include spoiler scenes or anything else.
It was just so unnecessarily detailed and complex:
There’s three parts of an ‘unnatural world’ split by something called the ‘Fade’ and to keep the balance between the beyond, the elf, and the human world. Her power gives to the earth whilst his power maintains the fade. It mentions how their powers ‘balance’ the unnatural world so that they can have natural seasons like spring, winter and summer. To do this, she must marry the elf king and enter his world….(but no one from his world has to go to hers to do the same?) oh, and she can only go back to her world for a few days to “recharge”. He uses his power to manage these “fade keys” and it’s just all A MESS . There’s a lot more about plants, and roots, and dreams, and mirrors, and BALANCE BLANCE BALANCE, statues, and an ancient treaty that doesn’t really explain why there’s a fade in the first place. The explanations are all over the place. I have no idea how this was meant to make sense. *
Then the romance? Boring and lacklustre at best. It’s a poor enemies to lovers…good tension in the beginning no but their relationship then focuses on them working together to undo the ancient magic that makes the world unnatural? One day he’s just like “okay I’ll help you” and then they like each other. Guys I’m sorry I cannot.
Spice was meh. Everything was meh. And her desire to go back home was stupid.
Oh God. I can’t even remember these MCs names.
* omg I almost forgot! There’s something called ‘the Knowing’ which is when they find out another elf’s ’true name’ and then something called ‘the being’ when an elf is so evolved they have the mental strength to ‘change their true name’….i promise you I am not making this up.
August 14, 2023
“And I’ve found I’m very fond of exactly the woman you are. I wouldn’t change a single thing.”
Spice Meter: 🌶️
⚠️Trigger Warning: Drug Addiction⚠️
I had high expectations for this one. The synopsis and the premises seemed promising, I am a huge fan of all Hades and Persophone/Beauty and the Beast retelling, and I love magic and elves. Also, that cover is gorgeous. However, it unfortunately did not deliver.
I can't say I did not enjoy it at all. Regardless of its flaws it is a fun read, and I am genuinely looking forward to reading the following books in the series. Yet there is no denying that the book is entirely mediocre. The plot is interesting enough, but the pace is all over the place, going from slow to fast in the span of only a few chapters. The dialogue is often cringy, although I found that funny rather than annoying. I don't mind it too much since it makes me laugh.
The characters are pretty flat for a lot of the book, with hardly any development, and I actually had a hard time connecting with them, although I did manage to do so after a while. That's not to say, however, that I didn't like any at all. There are several characters I liked, regardless of their lacking qualities. Luella and Eldas grew on me over time, and Willow, the healer, is adorable. There's also a particular pet wolf I have a soft spot that has my heart.
The romance isn't much of an improvement, either. While several moments had me aw-ing and swooning, there is hardly any chemistry between Luella and Eldas. In fact, it is nearly non-existent up until their first kiss. They even go from cold and distant to cutsie and in love, seemingly, in the blink of an eye. Thankfully, their relationship improves significantly after that, and I slowly begin enjoying it more.
Elda's Bonus Scene:
"Luella. My love. My Human Queen is radiant in the moonlight."
Spice Meter: 🌶️
In all honesty, I genuinely enjoyed this. It has similar cringy dialogue, but Luella and Eldas have a lot more chemistry than the entirety of the novel, the romance is wholesome and sweet, and I have a weak spot for the main characters becoming parents. I don't know what it is about them having a kid that I enjoy so much, especially since I never want to have one myself 😂, but I don't question it.
Spice Meter: 🌶️
⚠️Trigger Warning: Drug Addiction⚠️
I had high expectations for this one. The synopsis and the premises seemed promising, I am a huge fan of all Hades and Persophone/Beauty and the Beast retelling, and I love magic and elves. Also, that cover is gorgeous. However, it unfortunately did not deliver.
I can't say I did not enjoy it at all. Regardless of its flaws it is a fun read, and I am genuinely looking forward to reading the following books in the series. Yet there is no denying that the book is entirely mediocre. The plot is interesting enough, but the pace is all over the place, going from slow to fast in the span of only a few chapters. The dialogue is often cringy, although I found that funny rather than annoying. I don't mind it too much since it makes me laugh.
The characters are pretty flat for a lot of the book, with hardly any development, and I actually had a hard time connecting with them, although I did manage to do so after a while. That's not to say, however, that I didn't like any at all. There are several characters I liked, regardless of their lacking qualities. Luella and Eldas grew on me over time, and Willow, the healer, is adorable. There's also a particular pet wolf I have a soft spot that has my heart.
The romance isn't much of an improvement, either. While several moments had me aw-ing and swooning, there is hardly any chemistry between Luella and Eldas. In fact, it is nearly non-existent up until their first kiss. They even go from cold and distant to cutsie and in love, seemingly, in the blink of an eye. Thankfully, their relationship improves significantly after that, and I slowly begin enjoying it more.
Elda's Bonus Scene:
"Luella. My love. My Human Queen is radiant in the moonlight."
Spice Meter: 🌶️
In all honesty, I genuinely enjoyed this. It has similar cringy dialogue, but Luella and Eldas have a lot more chemistry than the entirety of the novel, the romance is wholesome and sweet, and I have a weak spot for the main characters becoming parents. I don't know what it is about them having a kid that I enjoy so much, especially since I never want to have one myself 😂, but I don't question it.
February 7, 2022
NO SÉ TÚ, pero yo soy de tentaciones; paqué negarlo, y menos a estas alturas en las que caer en la tentación se ha convertido en mi deporte favorito de riesgo🪂 Vamos, que esta disciplina debería de tener su medalla olímpica. Es más, me veo compitiendo y llevándome unos batacazos en plan plancha que ni te digo🤭.
Así que cuando vi este libro, con tamaño portada😍, me calcé mis mejores zapatillas, me puse mis pantalones de deporte y salí disparada hacia el ordenador, para comprarlo. Ni te cuento lo que sudé en esos escasos cinco segundos! Es más, creo que hasta batí mi propio récord de salto de sofá y de esquinazo al perro para llegar al escritorio...
🍎Y cuando por fin lo tuve en mis manos, en ese preciso momento, la tentación se hizo libro! Vamos, es que tiene todo lo que me encanta: magia salvaje, un enemies to lovers de esos que desarman, un rey elfo frío pero muy y una heroína increíble!
🍒Y si solo fuera eso, tiene un pase, pero es que aún no te he contado lo más salvaje, mágico y especial... ¡Y es que alucina con los siguientes libros, porque no sabes la que se te viene encima!!!!!
Así que cuando vi este libro, con tamaño portada😍, me calcé mis mejores zapatillas, me puse mis pantalones de deporte y salí disparada hacia el ordenador, para comprarlo. Ni te cuento lo que sudé en esos escasos cinco segundos! Es más, creo que hasta batí mi propio récord de salto de sofá y de esquinazo al perro para llegar al escritorio...
🍎Y cuando por fin lo tuve en mis manos, en ese preciso momento, la tentación se hizo libro! Vamos, es que tiene todo lo que me encanta: magia salvaje, un enemies to lovers de esos que desarman, un rey elfo frío pero muy y una heroína increíble!
🍒Y si solo fuera eso, tiene un pase, pero es que aún no te he contado lo más salvaje, mágico y especial... ¡Y es que alucina con los siguientes libros, porque no sabes la que se te viene encima!!!!!
Want to read
October 16, 2020Hades & Persephone AND Beauty & the Beast?? Yes please
October 2, 2021
3 Stars ⭐️
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
Read
November 11, 2023A solid aetiological YA romp.
March 29, 2021
Welp. It’s 2am. That should explain the rating.
RTC after my book hangover slumber.
————————————-
Okay, my slumber is over. Time to review.
1. GURL A BUNCH OF MY FAVORITE TROPES ARE IN THIS.
I’m a sucker for enemies to lovers. It gets me every time. There are other popular tropes that appear in here that often show up in enemies to lovers books, but I won’t name them because spoilers. Just know they’re there. (Wow, this was so helpful.)
2. The slow burn. Ohhhhhhh THE. SLOW. BURN.
This is my #1 favorite thing in a book. The entire plot can be absolute garbage, but if the slow burn romance is good, I’ll keep hanging on every word. Thankfully, this book’s plot is NOT garbage and the slow burn isn’t either. 😏😏😏😏 This books uses a lot of subtleties when developing the relationship between the two main characters. Subtle looks, whisper touches, throat clearing, unfinished sentences, etc. It really goes all out on building the tension. My book club and I (lol my book club has two people in it...including me) were big fans of the MC always noticing the Elf King’s destroys hands. 😏
3. If you’re reading for bone town and are curious about the spice rating, it will stay PG-13.
The good stuff happens, but it’s not going to be super detailed. It won’t do the damn fade to black either (I FEEL SO CHEATED WHEN THAT HAPPENS), so don’t even worry.
4. The dialogue can be cringey at times.
This one is weird. MC Luella lives in the human world and then has to go live in the elf world (as you see in the synopsis). The dialogue is legit awful when Luella’s in the human world. It’s stiff and unnatural. It feels like an amateur wrote it. Then, as soon as Luella crosses over into the elf world, the dialogue morphs into writing that’s well-crafted and realistic. I don’t get it. I thought maybe I just thought the dialogue was a bit off in the beginning because I was getting used to the writing, but MC Luella goes back and forth between the two worlds and it was awkward in the human world EVERY SINGLE TIME. I don’t know. Maybe the author didn’t really bother to flesh out the human characters, so there was no way to make them sound less cardboard-ish? It’s bizarre. Maybe it’s just me. (Maybe it’s Maybelline.)
5. The plot was fun.
I enjoyed going along for the ride on this. It’s not the most complex plot you’ll ever read, so you can probably already guess where it’s going. However, that didn’t bother me one bit. I’m here for the journey of watching the characters grow as they figure out a way to solve their conflicts and I was pleased with where everyone ended up.
RTC after my book hangover slumber.
————————————-
Okay, my slumber is over. Time to review.
1. GURL A BUNCH OF MY FAVORITE TROPES ARE IN THIS.
I’m a sucker for enemies to lovers. It gets me every time. There are other popular tropes that appear in here that often show up in enemies to lovers books, but I won’t name them because spoilers. Just know they’re there. (Wow, this was so helpful.)
2. The slow burn. Ohhhhhhh THE. SLOW. BURN.
This is my #1 favorite thing in a book. The entire plot can be absolute garbage, but if the slow burn romance is good, I’ll keep hanging on every word. Thankfully, this book’s plot is NOT garbage and the slow burn isn’t either. 😏😏😏😏 This books uses a lot of subtleties when developing the relationship between the two main characters. Subtle looks, whisper touches, throat clearing, unfinished sentences, etc. It really goes all out on building the tension. My book club and I (lol my book club has two people in it...including me) were big fans of the MC always noticing the Elf King’s destroys hands. 😏
3. If you’re reading for bone town and are curious about the spice rating, it will stay PG-13.
The good stuff happens, but it’s not going to be super detailed. It won’t do the damn fade to black either (I FEEL SO CHEATED WHEN THAT HAPPENS), so don’t even worry.
4. The dialogue can be cringey at times.
This one is weird. MC Luella lives in the human world and then has to go live in the elf world (as you see in the synopsis). The dialogue is legit awful when Luella’s in the human world. It’s stiff and unnatural. It feels like an amateur wrote it. Then, as soon as Luella crosses over into the elf world, the dialogue morphs into writing that’s well-crafted and realistic. I don’t get it. I thought maybe I just thought the dialogue was a bit off in the beginning because I was getting used to the writing, but MC Luella goes back and forth between the two worlds and it was awkward in the human world EVERY SINGLE TIME. I don’t know. Maybe the author didn’t really bother to flesh out the human characters, so there was no way to make them sound less cardboard-ish? It’s bizarre. Maybe it’s just me. (Maybe it’s Maybelline.)
5. The plot was fun.
I enjoyed going along for the ride on this. It’s not the most complex plot you’ll ever read, so you can probably already guess where it’s going. However, that didn’t bother me one bit. I’m here for the journey of watching the characters grow as they figure out a way to solve their conflicts and I was pleased with where everyone ended up.
February 28, 2024
oh lordy
March 6, 2022
“Reúnete conmigo bajo las ramas plateadas,
no tiene porque saberlo nadie más.
Te veré bajo el velo de los secretos
antes de que el día expire.
Ahí, mi amor, robaré tu cara, antes de que nadie nos mire”.
Cuando encontré este libro tenía una idea bastante preconcebida de lo que me iba a encontrar, aunque tenía un poco de esperanzas. Sin embargo, no ha sido el caso.
El argumento, así como el sistema de magia y el desarrollo del mundo me ha parecido bastante interesante, pero al ponerlo en práctica le ha quedado muy simple. La autora podría haberlo desarrollado muchísimo más y le hubiera quedado una novela más completa.
“Mantendré las piedras angulares. Utilizaré los poderes conferidos a mi sangre por el destino para el mejoramiento de todos nosotros. Para la paz. Respetaré el orden que es tanto natural como creado”.
Pasando a los personajes. Aquí siento un poco de amor-odio. Por un lado, me han gustado en gran medida sin embargo por otro lado me han parecido muy planos y no entendía algunos de sus comportamientos a lo largo de la historia. También estaba el hecho que las interacciones pasaban de “conocidos” a “amigos” en medio de un capitulo y yo sinceramente no lo veía factible. La historia de amor tres cuartos de lo mismo, creo que necesitaba mucho más desarrollo.
"Veo vida. Él ve muerte. Dos lados de la misma moneda. Dos mitades que se necesitan mutuamente para existir."
Creo que si tuviera que destacar algo de la novela sería el carácter de Luella en algunos de los momentos. Yo pensaba que me iba a encontrar con un personaje mucho más sumiso y bastante tonto, pero a veces hacia y decía cosas que me sacaban una sonrisa. Eso sí, un párrafo más tarde ya lo volvía a fastidiar diciendo alguna tontería.
"-Brindemos por que mañana esté abierto a todas las posibilidades. Y por que seamos bastante atrevidos y tengamos la ambición suficiente para aprovecharlas".
Sinceramente no puedo decir que el libro me haya disgustado, sino lo hubiera abandonado. Probablemente leeré el segundo una vez que lo traduzcan al español.
no tiene porque saberlo nadie más.
Te veré bajo el velo de los secretos
antes de que el día expire.
Ahí, mi amor, robaré tu cara, antes de que nadie nos mire”.
Cuando encontré este libro tenía una idea bastante preconcebida de lo que me iba a encontrar, aunque tenía un poco de esperanzas. Sin embargo, no ha sido el caso.
El argumento, así como el sistema de magia y el desarrollo del mundo me ha parecido bastante interesante, pero al ponerlo en práctica le ha quedado muy simple. La autora podría haberlo desarrollado muchísimo más y le hubiera quedado una novela más completa.
“Mantendré las piedras angulares. Utilizaré los poderes conferidos a mi sangre por el destino para el mejoramiento de todos nosotros. Para la paz. Respetaré el orden que es tanto natural como creado”.
Pasando a los personajes. Aquí siento un poco de amor-odio. Por un lado, me han gustado en gran medida sin embargo por otro lado me han parecido muy planos y no entendía algunos de sus comportamientos a lo largo de la historia. También estaba el hecho que las interacciones pasaban de “conocidos” a “amigos” en medio de un capitulo y yo sinceramente no lo veía factible. La historia de amor tres cuartos de lo mismo, creo que necesitaba mucho más desarrollo.
"Veo vida. Él ve muerte. Dos lados de la misma moneda. Dos mitades que se necesitan mutuamente para existir."
Creo que si tuviera que destacar algo de la novela sería el carácter de Luella en algunos de los momentos. Yo pensaba que me iba a encontrar con un personaje mucho más sumiso y bastante tonto, pero a veces hacia y decía cosas que me sacaban una sonrisa. Eso sí, un párrafo más tarde ya lo volvía a fastidiar diciendo alguna tontería.
"-Brindemos por que mañana esté abierto a todas las posibilidades. Y por que seamos bastante atrevidos y tengamos la ambición suficiente para aprovecharlas".
Sinceramente no puedo decir que el libro me haya disgustado, sino lo hubiera abandonado. Probablemente leeré el segundo una vez que lo traduzcan al español.
January 31, 2021
First compelted book of 2021😘
A Deal with the Elf King was..okay. Unfortunately, it tends to lean towards info-dumping at random times; which was a bit unnecessary/overcomplicated. Also, The world building wasn't the best..I wanted more Cruel Prince Vibes; but was left wanting more. 🙈
The romance between our two main characters was nice ( the spicy scenes made it worth the read 😳).The story isn't perfect, but I enjoyed reading it. Its definitely flawed in terms of pacing (the book is too long; in my opinion). However, a broody king, and an unsuspecting woman (who doesnt know her own strength) is not a new concept. As far as standalones go this was just okay.
(3) 🌟🌟🌟
A Deal with the Elf King was..okay. Unfortunately, it tends to lean towards info-dumping at random times; which was a bit unnecessary/overcomplicated. Also, The world building wasn't the best..I wanted more Cruel Prince Vibes; but was left wanting more. 🙈
The romance between our two main characters was nice ( the spicy scenes made it worth the read 😳).The story isn't perfect, but I enjoyed reading it. Its definitely flawed in terms of pacing (the book is too long; in my opinion). However, a broody king, and an unsuspecting woman (who doesnt know her own strength) is not a new concept. As far as standalones go this was just okay.
(3) 🌟🌟🌟
November 18, 2020
Rating: 2.5 stars
This most definitely did not live up to my expectations. If you're looking for a relatively simple standalone fantasy novel then this will probably work better for you than it did for me. But I spent majority of this book disappointed over the massive amount of potential it had and failed to deliver.
This most definitely did not live up to my expectations. If you're looking for a relatively simple standalone fantasy novel then this will probably work better for you than it did for me. But I spent majority of this book disappointed over the massive amount of potential it had and failed to deliver.
November 18, 2020
Thank you so much to the author for sending me an ARC!
This book was just pure fun. It has all of the tropes I love, with Hades & Persephone vibes, and even a hint of Beauty and the Beast.
The world was fascinating, and I'm really excited to see more of it in later books (technically this is a standalone, but we'll be getting other books in this world with different characters!). The world includes almost every major type of magical creature you would want to see, and while we only got to touch on a small part of it, I really liked Elise Kova's versions of these creatures and can't wait to see the rest!
Our two main characters (Luella and Eldas) are interesting and well-developed. I especially loved Luella as a character. I feel like there's a certain type of heroine we've come to expect from these types of books, but she surprised me constantly and I admired her dedication and strength.
While A Deal with the Elf King isn't perfect- there were some sections where there wasn't much going on in the plot, and I feel like some of the side characters could use more depth-, I still couldn't break myself away from it. It was exactly the lighthearted fantasy romance I needed, and helped break me from a months-long reading slump!
This book was just pure fun. It has all of the tropes I love, with Hades & Persephone vibes, and even a hint of Beauty and the Beast.
The world was fascinating, and I'm really excited to see more of it in later books (technically this is a standalone, but we'll be getting other books in this world with different characters!). The world includes almost every major type of magical creature you would want to see, and while we only got to touch on a small part of it, I really liked Elise Kova's versions of these creatures and can't wait to see the rest!
Our two main characters (Luella and Eldas) are interesting and well-developed. I especially loved Luella as a character. I feel like there's a certain type of heroine we've come to expect from these types of books, but she surprised me constantly and I admired her dedication and strength.
While A Deal with the Elf King isn't perfect- there were some sections where there wasn't much going on in the plot, and I feel like some of the side characters could use more depth-, I still couldn't break myself away from it. It was exactly the lighthearted fantasy romance I needed, and helped break me from a months-long reading slump!
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