Reviews with content warning for Drug abuse - A Deal with the Elf King

Reviews tagging 'Drug abuse'

A Deal with the Elf King by Elise Kova

24 reviews

beckyyreadss's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

This book has been on my TBR for a while, and it was on my wishlist so it was bought for me for my birthday this week. This book was all over the book community when it was released, and I was looking forward to reading it. For a first book, it was a bit weak, and I was wanting more.

This book is based on Luella, she thought she’d known everything about her life and herself, but it is all a lie. 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 moan from Luella’s village to be their Human Queen. To be chosen is seen as a mark of death by the local townsfolk. Luella has dedicated her life to studying herbology and becoming the town’s only healer, but now the Elf King unexpectedly arrives for her. 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 on another . . . but what will truly break her is a passion she never wanted.

This book had such potential to be amazing and it just fell flat in some areas. I know that this was the first novel in the series, but that is supposed to get you hooked and keep you hooked. This book had something in it which I'm blaming entirely on wanting to know these brothers more – Eldas, Harrow and the other brother who only appeared to more the story along. The brothers are the reason I read to the end. Harrow was all dark and mysterious and broken which is what we girls love to love. Eldas was a typical broken male who had a heart of gold in the middle. I will admit I was rooting that Lucella would fall in love with Harrow rather than Eldas, but the love story was the main concentration and to save the Lucella from dying. Luke was a complete asshole and I'm glad he wasn’t the focus of this story.

The world building didn’t feel complete, and it could have been done over the 300 pages. I enjoyed the enemies to lovers with the forced marriage aspect, but also felt could have been more. I feel like if there was dual POV, this could have been the thing to solve this. I felt like it went from Eldas treating her as property to loving her within a couple of chapters, what changed? He saw her as more than the human queen, I don’t know.

I loved the aspect of retelling beauty and the beast, and I will probably read the next one in the series, but I just wanted more from this book.

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acogna's review against another edition

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adventurous medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

This book was filled to the brim with fantasy cheese and I, surprisingly, enjoyed every word of it.

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lycaenide's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

After hearing reviews if this I was pleasantly surprised to find I really enjoyed it. Yes, it's dramatic and a little confusing at times. But the slow burn romance was good, the world was fun, and it's a series I look forward to continuing.

See full rating breakdown below:

Spoiler

Characters: 8/10
I did really like both lead characters, and liked the side characters for the most part too. I would have loved to see stronger differences in character voices, as some did seem to blend together into a few archetypes. Higher score because of Hook, for sure.

Atmosphere: 9/10
Really enjoyed the setting of a grand castle, greenhouse, and the occasional atmospheric jaunts around the non human realm. Lovely mentions of plants too.

Writing style: 7/10
Very easy to read and not put down. But I found the pacing fluctuated, with some events being described in a sentence where it felt like it could have benefited from more.

Plot: 8/10
Strong "find a solution before the time runs out" combined with arranged marriage/close proximity trope. The addition of herbalism/gardening was a nice touch.

Intrigue: 8/10
I was definitely invested and needed to find out what happened, even if it was a little confusing and convoluted.

Logic: 6/10
Logic and continuity let this book down a little. Also the plot would lead us to a revelation, dangle a tid bit then not reach a conclusion. Revelations were delivered in a confusing way, making them feel anticlimactic.

Enjoyment: 8/10
Altogether I did really enjoy this. Would have rated it higher in enjoyment but the sex scenes were all in veiled language and cutaways, which aren't my preference.

Overall rating: 7.71/10

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kiwifay's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I liked this book a lot more then I thought I would. It’s been sitting on my shelf for a long time and finally decided to pick it up. The ending had no right to make me cry like that. I loved the premise and the elves and magic system. Overall a good read!

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