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A review by novelnchill
Bow Before the Elf Queen by J.M. Kearl
5.0
I finished Bow Before the Elf Queen by J.M. Kearl and oh boy, it was such an amazing and wild ride.
Tropes:
— enemies to lovers
— he falls first
— arranged marriage
— found family
— slow burn (brace yourself)
The introduction is masterfully done, and we are thrown into the lives of Layala and Thane right from the start. I loved the pacing of this book—when a main character’s tongue gets too sharp, there’s a bonding moment, or when it looks like happily ever after is close, the circumstances are turned upside down. Be warned, the book ends on quite a cliffhanger, but luckily the next book is out, and the third is releasing just around the corner on October 26.
Layala and Thane mix like vinegar and water at first. I loved that their relationship actually took time to simmer and evolve. Their banter made me giggle in public, and while the sharp edges of their words start to dull over time, it’s still wildly entertaining. Layala is feisty and unladylike, and I love that about her. She makes mistakes and sometimes feels like an outsider to Thane’s people. It’s hard not to like Thane, though he is frustrating sometimes. Tifapine the gnome is the best side character I’ve read in a long time and must be protected at all costs—I’m serious. I don’t know what happens in the next books, but I will be utterly devastated if something happens to her.
There’s a lot of tension between the FMC and MMC, but we only get a hint of spice before fade-to-black. I still dig the swoon worthy comments from Thane.
I read this book and listened to the audiobook. Not only that, but I have to say, the audio is superb. I love that the two narrators both act in the same chapter where their characters interact.
The cliff at the end is a steep one. I’ll be adding the next books in this series to my massive TBR.
Stars: ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice:
Tropes:
— enemies to lovers
— he falls first
— arranged marriage
— found family
— slow burn (brace yourself)
The introduction is masterfully done, and we are thrown into the lives of Layala and Thane right from the start. I loved the pacing of this book—when a main character’s tongue gets too sharp, there’s a bonding moment, or when it looks like happily ever after is close, the circumstances are turned upside down. Be warned, the book ends on quite a cliffhanger, but luckily the next book is out, and the third is releasing just around the corner on October 26.
Layala and Thane mix like vinegar and water at first. I loved that their relationship actually took time to simmer and evolve. Their banter made me giggle in public, and while the sharp edges of their words start to dull over time, it’s still wildly entertaining. Layala is feisty and unladylike, and I love that about her. She makes mistakes and sometimes feels like an outsider to Thane’s people. It’s hard not to like Thane, though he is frustrating sometimes. Tifapine the gnome is the best side character I’ve read in a long time and must be protected at all costs—I’m serious. I don’t know what happens in the next books, but I will be utterly devastated if something happens to her.
There’s a lot of tension between the FMC and MMC, but we only get a hint of spice before fade-to-black. I still dig the swoon worthy comments from Thane.
I read this book and listened to the audiobook. Not only that, but I have to say, the audio is superb. I love that the two narrators both act in the same chapter where their characters interact.
The cliff at the end is a steep one. I’ll be adding the next books in this series to my massive TBR.
Stars: ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: