The Ever Queen (The Ever Seas Book 2)

Welcome back to the Ever Seas. This book is going to pick up right where we left off in the Ever King, but just to recap, here are a few details you’ll want to know.

Valen Ferus, the king of Night Folk fae, an earth bender, killed Erik’s father, Thorvald twenty years ago. The fallen Ever King attacked one of Valen’s family members when it was revealed that Erik had been brutalized during a capture of the earth fae to the point of scarring and destruction to one of his legs. The Night Folk king killed the Ever King for the attack.

Ten years after Thorvald’s death, the earth fae and sea fae collided in a great war in which the earth fae were victorious.

Unknown to her people, Livia Ferus, the earth bender’s daughter, would sneak to the prison cell of the young Ever King and read him fairy tales about a songbird and serpent who found friendship. Eventually, teenaged Erik was banished into the Ever Kingdom and barriers and wards were placed between worlds, the Chasm.

Another ten years pass before Livia touches the wards and unknowingly releases the hold on the Ever King. Erik and his crew attack the fort of the earth fae, and kidnap Livia as leverage for Erik to use against the earth bender. It was the belief of Erik that Valen Ferus had a lost power of the dead King Thorvald.

Livia’s fury magic heals the earth, and she begins to heal a plague of the Ever Kingdom called the darkening. Soon, Erik discovers with the help of Lady Narza, his grandmother and the ruler of sea witches, that the power he once believed was his late father’s does flow through Livia’s blood, simply not in the way he expected.

It is discovered that, after breaking a powerful talisman one of the nights Livia had gone to read to Erik after the war, the magic fastened a heartbond between the earth fae princess and the young Ever King.

By working to heal the Ever Kingdom, Livia finds a place among the sea fae. She finds friendship with Celine Tidecaller, the lone woman who sails the Ever Ship, and Sewell, the galley cook.

Gavyn Bonerotter (or Gavyn Seeker if asking Erik) is the lord over the House of Bones, and one of Erik’s most trusted people other than Celine, Larsson Bonekeeper, and his cousin Tait. Gavyn and Erik plan to ward the Chasm again, a way to keep Livia’s people from dying in their attempts to get her back.

Meanwhile, the longer Erik and Livia interact, the harder they fall and find love in each other. But some despise the Ever King. Assassins attempt to kill Erik and either take Livia or kill her, but through their bond, Erik and Livia survive the attack.

Shortly after, while Gavyn is attempting to re-ward the Chasm, Livia’s cousin Aleksi manages to latch onto the bone lord before he can use his ability to shift into water and is nearly killed when he’s ripped through the currents of the Chasm.

Erik uses his healing song to save Aleksi, and it is revealed to Livia this isn’t the first time it’s been done. During the war, Erik also healed her dying uncle as a repayment toward Stieg, an earth fae warrior who’d protected him when he’d been captured as a child.

With hatred beginning to shatter into a desire for unity between earth fae and sea, Livia shows her cousin her new place in the Ever, hoping Aleksi will stand by Erik when they try to convince her father to accept the Ever King.

To prove her place at his side, Erik places Livia on his throne, a show of equality to his people, and names her as the first Ever Queen.

Together, they make plans to unite the earth fae and sea realms as allies after returning to Livia’s people as king and queen. Before they can set sail, Larsson betrays them all, reveals himself as the half-brother of Erik, and plans to fight for the crown of the Ever. Livia is taken by Larsson and someone else she recognizes on his ship.

Desperate to find her, Erik sends Gavyn to search the Ever Seas, then takes the risk of sailing through the Chasm again, returning to the land of his enemies. Tait, Aleksi, and Erik are ambushed by Jonas, a prince of the earth fae realms. The book ends with Jonas telling Erik he will be taken to Valen Ferus to meet his end.