A Deal with the Elf King (Married to Magic #1) By Elise Kova [Review]

RELEASE DATE: November 6th 2020
AUTHOR: Elise Kova
GENRE:  Young-Adult, Fantasy, Elves, Romance.
PUBLISHER: Silver Wing Press
SUMMARY: 

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 Beauty and The Beast meets Hades and Persephone. I love arranged marriage tropes between enemies, and I knew I had to read this book. I really liked it, but not as much as I thought I would. Although I was into the story, I wasn’t able to connect with the characters. The story was really entertaining! It was nothing new, but I sure had fun reading it. It was a stand-alone read, and appropriate for older teens and New Adults.

The story follows Nineteen Year old Luella who’s been studying Herbology her entire life. She’s the only healer in her village named Capton. Her life takes a shocking turn, when the Elf king arrives at her village, and chooses her as his Human Queen. To keep the peace between the Elves, and the Humans, Luella reluctantly agrees to wed him. After she arrives to the magical land of Midland, she learns about a dying world that only she could save. During her stay, she’s torn between her loyalty to her village, her new responsibility, and her new developing feelings for her captor.

Luella is a selfless, stubborn, and a brave heroine who cares for her village and her family. She’s pretty likeable character but she wasn’t as amazing as Belle. I have mixed feelings about King Eldas. His character seemed a little dull to me. I expected him to be more dark and intriguing but he’s way too domineering for my taste. The romance was a slow burn. There’s a lot of bickering but sadly I didn’t feel any chemistry between the characters. The supporting characters were pretty good though. I absolutely loved Harrow! I wish he was the main character. He was so much fun and complex. He’s definitely my favorite guy in this book. I enjoyed his character more than his broody brother. I also liked  Rinni, Luella’s personal bodyguard, and the palace healer named Willow. And last but not the least, I adored Hook, the mysterious wolf who  follows Luella everywhere she goes.

The plot was enjoyable, but it wasn’t anything unique. I honestly expected this to be more dark. The pacing was more on the slower side. If you’re hooked on the story, then you wouldn’t have any issue with that part. The writing style was good, but it wasn’t perfect. There are so many scenes that felt repetitive. The whole book was written in Luella’s POV, but I wish it has multiple POV to give better insight into the story, the world, and the characters. The world building was decent but not the best. I liked the magical elements, and the mystery of the curse surrounding the previous human queens.

Overall, I enjoyed this book! Even though It wasn’t a total perfection, It was a fun book to read and I’m definitely picking up the next book when it comes out. It features a handsome rogue fae and I can’t wait to read it!

Recommend it?
YES

I highly recommend this book if you’re a fan of Beauty and The Beast retellings, and arranged marriage trope.

MY RATING:                                  

[3.5/5 Stars]

So, What do you think of this book? Have you read it yet? Do you Plan to read it?
Please feel free to comment below!

See You In The Next Post and Have a Great Day! 🙂