A Deal with the Elf King

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

Protagonist Dummy

The protagonist is supposed to be a powerful, smart queen but so many of her thoughts and actions are SO dumb.

The love story here is cute.

Decent story and I was entertained.

What kind of book...

At first this book felt like I read something I have read before but the more I went along the more I fell in love with the beautiful world. the character development it was as cheese an others have been.

Good story, better for younger audience

I read because it was recommended after reading ACOTAR series but it isn’t anything like Sarah J Maas books. Much more stripped down version of a love story and rated PG- 13 as opposed to SJM who I’d say is rated R. Not much character development but fun enough for easy quick reading.

A little hokey, but a whole lot of fun

This is a really cute story. Though I rated 5 stars, let me mention a few things that I didn't fully love:

I thought the pace was fast; things happen quickly, and not always with build-up. That isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it DID make certain things feel a bit too "convenient" at times. So just be aware of that.

Now that that's out of the way, here's what I loved:

The characters and dynamics are very good, and I really did find myself enjoying the lore of the world. The narrator did a wonderful job. And there's a (possible spoiler) lovely happy ending.

If you want a quick, sweet, but still substantial fantasy romance, I think this is a great pick. Looking forward to the next one!

Good but frustrating

I agree with other reviews. Main character is supposed to be very smart but she is very blind to things and it's frustrating.
It is a good story line but it's very predictable. Everything is laid out pretty early and you can pretty much predict what's going to happen.
The reader is pretty good but occasionally doesn't put the right emphasis on things.

Great YA

It’s a great YA book that had been on my TBR for a while. The narrator is one of my favorites.

This was a nice storyline

This storyline is wonderful and look forward to listening to the other books of this series. Please do add more books as It was a wonderful experience. Thank you for the opportunity Elise! For the others interested I am fairly picky and I approve and look forward to seeing more from this author.

A Cute Story

I thought this was a cute book - the gorgeous cover art is what drew me in. However, I did have some qualms. This book is something I would've enjoyed more in my late teens or early 20's. The story itself isn't anything new - human girl meets elf king. Most of the twists and turns you could see coming a mile away. It's not overly deep, and things ended up being resolved surprisingly simply. There were also times I felt I was being "told" things within the narrative instead of "shown" - some more detail about the settings would've been nice. All that said, it was a pleasant read. Not overly dynamic, but cute and still made you feel pretty good in the end. This book is something casual but full of whimsy, magic, and romance - I'd say probably best for late teens/early 20's who are new to the genre.

Inner Turmoil Exaggerated

I liked the idea of this book. The inner turmoil of the main character drives me nuts. She is so driven into so much thought and self doubt that it's too much drama and exhausting.

Unique fantasy story

I liked the uniqueness of the story and the character building. The story was a bit long winded at times but not boring.