A Deal with the Elf King

Married to Magic

By: Elise Kova

Narrated by: Elizabeth Evans

Length: 11 hrs and 47 mins

Publisher's summary

Perfect for fans of A Court of Thorns and Roses and Uprooted, this stand-alone, fantasy romance about a human girl and her marriage to the Elf King is impossible to put down! 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 19-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.

©2020 Elise Kova (P)2021 Elise Kova

Beautifully well written

I can never get enough of beauty and the beast retellings but this one tugged at my heart and i cried with Luella so many times. There was so much of this story i fell in love with i found i had to stop to catch my breath sometimes. It was well written and so well told i cant put it into proper words!! If i could give it more than 5 stars i would, this will be one of my top reads for a long time.

I was so swept away by this story.

I absolutely loved this. I was so swept away by this story and it put such a huge smile on my face.

Elise Kova never disappoints me with her brilliant and creative writing. I loved the original and engaging plot. I was so immersed in the story that I couldn't put the book down. The world-building was vivid and very atmospheric. You could just feel yourself surrounded by this story.

I typically don't prefer standalones because I tend to feel cheated out of what could have been excellent character development. I was actually surprised that I didn't feel cheated at all while reading this book. Yes, I felt that if this book had been made into an ongoing series (as opposed to a series of standalones) that there could have been so much more to the story. That said, I also felt very satisfied with the depth of the characters in this book. Yes, there could have been more but the book definitely wasn't lacking.

I quite enjoyed these characters. Luella was a breath of fresh air. I always enjoy bold and fierce female characters and Luella was just so admirable. Both Luella and Eldas were characters that valued their responsibilities and honored their duties. Where Eldas was a little rough around the edges, mostly due to his upbringing, Luella was there to soften him up and put him in his place when he got out of line. I really loved how Luella stood up for herself in a world that seemed to resent her. Both Luella and Eldas had great character development. The secondary characters were very strong in this book. I love the depth that they added to the story.

The romance was so tantalizing. Enemies-to-lovers is my weakness, especially in fantasy stories. This book's synopsis boasts that this book is inspired by Hades and Persephone as well as Beauty and the Beast. It doesn't directly copy either but I can definitely see the loose comparisons. I loved the slow-burn nature of the romance. The build-up was perfect. I love how Luella and Eldas slowly warmed up to each other and eventually fell in love.

I really loved the narrator for the audiobook and felt like she was a perfect fit for this story. I loved her performance. It was perfect.

Overall, this was an excellent fantasy romance that ticked all the boxes for me. If you enjoy compelling plots, memorable characters, and effortless storytelling then you'll want to pick this one up!

SO GOOD!!!!!

wasn’t sure what to expect from this author, but so freaking good!!!!! nicely done Ms. Kova!

Great Book

I absolutely loved everything about this book!!! I fell in love with all the characters!!!

Has to be my favorite narrator

I loved the book but the best part is the narrator. I love all of the books she narrates.

Great Story

Sweet fantasy love story if you’re looking for one. I read into the story differently than the narrator, however, still enjoyed being read to. It was a pleasant escape.

Excellent story

I enjoyed reading and became part of it as I continued. I will get the rest of the books and add to my favorites to listen to. I fully recommend this series to everyone. Thank You.

An easy but wonderful read

This book was a great book to read I feel it was not too endepth but for a story that I could listen to off and on it was wonderful the descriptions and world building were not too much but not too little it emersed you without drowning you this is a great book if you need Just a moment to escape and then you can always come back to it at another time

Good

I thought it was a good story, slow at points, but entertaining. Even more detail about the world would have been nice.

Cute story

The story is cute, but it doesn’t compare to Sarah J Mass books. It more in line with The Cruel Prince series. If you enjoyed that book then you would enjoy this one as well.