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eloquentmuse's review
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Long Live the Elf Queen by JM Kearl, the second book in the Elf Queen series, picks up as Layala, our fierce FMC, fights to unravel a dark conspiracy entwining her life since infancy when she was magically bonded to the brooding MC, Thane. Their connection deepens, but as they fall further for each other, their families are drawn into the legacy of turmoil caused by Thane’s father and his hunger for power. The haunting voice of the dormant Dark Mage begins to invade Layala’s dreams—what is he plotting, and can she hope to stand against someone so powerful even in his coma-like state?
I’m giving this a 3.5-star rating. Some parts dragged and nearly lost my interest, but the plot was strong enough to keep me hooked until the end.
I’m giving this a 3.5-star rating. Some parts dragged and nearly lost my interest, but the plot was strong enough to keep me hooked until the end.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Confinement, Death, Violence, Murder, and War
psychnp's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This book is everything I hoped for - so glad the next is out but dreadimg having to wait for the 4th because this series is immersive and addicting
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Sexual content, Violence, Death of parent, Murder, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Confinement, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Violence, Grief, Stalking, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, War, and Injury/Injury detail
varlot's review
adventurous
dark
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Death of parent, Murder, and War
shinyfox's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, and War
Minor: Death of parent
Starvationkoistyfishy's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
This review will contain spoilers… so read at your own risk…
Phew…. Let’s just say those last 150 pages of the book took this book from good to AMAZING! I was teetering on a rating between a 4-4.5 up until that point (for reasons I’ll explain later down in this review)… but those pages just cinch in the thought of “now THAT is how you write a sequel!”
Let’s get to the aspects I loved first…
The additional fantasy elements introduced in this book! Not only were there sirens… YES SIRENS… but a whole damn portion on DRAGONS!!! Absolutely perfection!
The world building definitely was taken up a notch in this book! As more of the world of Adalon is explored we see more of the different areas and races of the Realm.
The character development of the side characters was amazing! They were perfect! I wish I had my own little Tif following me around in my backpack telling me stories and being sassy and Piper and Fennan just reinforces the whole “found family vibes” from book1…
Now, while I loved this book and still give it a five stars as I gobbled it up; I did have some issues with certain things…. Mainly Thane….
The man I fell in love with in book 1 was a slight glimmer of this Thane. Firstly he had little to no character development while the other characters had plenty. He was super flat and one demential and it almost felt like he went backwards from who he was in book 1. He would let Laya see aspects of him in book 1 and that’s the reason she fell in love with him but none of that was present in this book.
All the scenes between Laya and him were one of two things…
1: He would get angry and violent over someone looking wrongly at Laya or attempting to touch her and go full “alpha” on their ass
2: Thane and Laya would be *at* the point of discussing something like adults and instead they would just “fuck like rabbits”…. And not have a conversation at all
I don’t mind an Alpha who has “touch her and you die” vibes nor do I mind a few smutty scenes but it almost felt weak to me that this couple that developed so much from book 1 just “loved” each other and that was that… and that they didn’t grow.
I also wish JMK embraced a little more description in her scene depictions. She tends to write very brief (often a paragraph or a page or two) of describing sites or scenes, when I feel like she has spent so long in this world… I wanna spend longer it it too and see more… you move on so quickly from scene descriptions to action that those scenes feel lost and brief and I know I wanted more…
I also feel like JMK did us dirty… I thought this was a duology and now there is a third book and I don’t know HOW I will survive!!!
Phew…. Let’s just say those last 150 pages of the book took this book from good to AMAZING! I was teetering on a rating between a 4-4.5 up until that point (for reasons I’ll explain later down in this review)… but those pages just cinch in the thought of “now THAT is how you write a sequel!”
Let’s get to the aspects I loved first…
The additional fantasy elements introduced in this book! Not only were there sirens… YES SIRENS… but a whole damn portion on DRAGONS!!! Absolutely perfection!
The world building definitely was taken up a notch in this book! As more of the world of Adalon is explored we see more of the different areas and races of the Realm.
The character development of the side characters was amazing! They were perfect! I wish I had my own little Tif following me around in my backpack telling me stories and being sassy and Piper and Fennan just reinforces the whole “found family vibes” from book1…
Now, while I loved this book and still give it a five stars as I gobbled it up; I did have some issues with certain things…. Mainly Thane….
The man I fell in love with in book 1 was a slight glimmer of this Thane. Firstly he had little to no character development while the other characters had plenty. He was super flat and one demential and it almost felt like he went backwards from who he was in book 1. He would let Laya see aspects of him in book 1 and that’s the reason she fell in love with him but none of that was present in this book.
All the scenes between Laya and him were one of two things…
1: He would get angry and violent over someone looking wrongly at Laya or attempting to touch her and go full “alpha” on their ass
2: Thane and Laya would be *at* the point of discussing something like adults and instead they would just “fuck like rabbits”…. And not have a conversation at all
I don’t mind an Alpha who has “touch her and you die” vibes nor do I mind a few smutty scenes but it almost felt weak to me that this couple that developed so much from book 1 just “loved” each other and that was that… and that they didn’t grow.
I also wish JMK embraced a little more description in her scene depictions. She tends to write very brief (often a paragraph or a page or two) of describing sites or scenes, when I feel like she has spent so long in this world… I wanna spend longer it it too and see more… you move on so quickly from scene descriptions to action that those scenes feel lost and brief and I know I wanted more…
I also feel like JMK did us dirty… I thought this was a duology and now there is a third book and I don’t know HOW I will survive!!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Physical abuse, Torture, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Death of parent