So This Is Ever After by F.T. Lukens

Carry On meets Arthurian legend in this subversive, “delightfully original and whimsical” (Kirkus Reviews) young adult fantasy about what happens after the chosen one wins the kingdom and has to get married to keep it…and to stay alive.

Arek hadn’t thought much about what would happen after he completed the prophecy that said he was destined to save the Kingdom of Ere from its evil ruler. So now that he’s finally managed to (somewhat clumsily) behead the evil king (turns out magical swords yanked from bogs don’t come pre-sharpened), he and his rag-tag group of quest companions are at a bit of a loss for what to do next.

As a temporary safeguard, Arek’s best friend and mage, Matt, convinces him to assume the throne until the true heir can be rescued from her tower. Except that she’s dead. Now Arek is stuck as king, a role that comes with a magical catch: choose a spouse by your eighteenth birthday, or wither away into nothing.

With his eighteenth birthday only three months away, and only Matt in on the secret, Arek embarks on a desperate bid to find a spouse to save his life—starting with his quest companions. But his attempts at wooing his friends go painfully and hilariously wrong…until he discovers that love might have been in front of him all along.

It's probably more of a 3.5 though.

I was immediately taken by the premise of this story and the cover was cute too. It felt interesting to see what the story would be when the prophecy has been fulfilled and the evil king is dead but our hero isn't prepared to be the new king. But I ended up having mixed feelings for this one.

The humor is what you notice first once you start reading this book. The tone is sardonic and witty and hilarious and I couldn't stop giggling most of the times. Arek, our hero, is really clueless initially about how to be king because he never planned for it. But he is smart (also self deprecating) and quickly starts delegating tasks to his friends who are most suitable for them. He is mostly dense in terms of feelings but is kind and brave and just overall a very nice guy trying to do good. He is ably supported by his friends who all together make for a great found family.

But based on the premise, I was also expecting a bit more romance. Because we only get the POV of Arek, we can clearly see his pining and feel like shaking him for his stupid wooing ideas. But we have to decipher from between the lines if his best friend Matt reciprocates his feelings and while I think I felt it sometimes, I could also see why Arek would be so clueless. There is just too much pining and no communication for two people who have been friends since childhood and I can't say I liked the experience. I can usually appreciate a slow burn but I guess this was just way too slow for me.

Thankfully, the funnier elements of the writing and the camaraderie between the gang make up for some of the draggy pining romantic elements. If you don't go in looking for a love story (especially not the getting together sooner part), this is pretty enjoyable. The theme of what does happen once the chosen one fulfills their prophecy is tackled with quite a bit of thoughtfulness but couched in humor and it was very easy to finish this book in a single sitting and a few hours.

they're idiots and the main character is a brat but it's funny and cute so it's okay

A queer high fantasy with characters I loved from the beginning, though I will be honest - sometimes I wanted to scream at them to TALK IT OUT instead of being angsty and playing games. But the plot and characters drew me in and kept me there. Im excited to read more of Lukens books in the future, especially if they are anything like this.