In this week's episode of Being Bookish, I'm digging into the layers of The Ever King, the 2023 fantasy novel by LJ Andrews that made the transition from indie favourite to traditional publication in 2025.

While there's plenty of talk online about the relationships and the sea fae romance elements in this book, I'm much more interested in pulling apart the high-seas intrigue and evaluating the genuine mystery at the heart of the story. I'll be exploring how the character dynamics, the pirate sub-plot, and the Norse-inspired mythology connections hold up.

As all my episodes are always spoiler-free, I have taken the time to really look at the story, looking critically at how the book fits into the dark fantasy/romantasy genre. I am going so far as to ask the big question...is this really dark fantasy?

Whether you're a fan of Viking folklore retellings or you're looking to see how a character-driven story handles these specific tropes, I've got plenty of personal feelings to share on where this book might fit on your fantasy reading list.

It's a deep dive into a possibly dark world, so grab yourself a cuppa and let's get into the sea fae secrets together. I'm really looking forward to sharing my honest thoughts with you.

Episode Links

Blood of Hercules

Review of When Gracie Met the Grump by Mariana Zapata

The Stephen King Thing - Cujo Audio | Video