So This Is Ever After

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.

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.