ACOTAR COULD NEVER

A Deal with the Elf King (Married to Magic #1)
by Elise Kova
Silver Wing Press | November 26, 2020

      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 nineteen-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.

 Purchase via Bookshop

THE ROMANCE & CHARACTERS:

I enjoyed how Luella and the Elf King's relationship progressed. They joke with each other, they smirk, they chuckle, they pine, etc. It is a slow-burn that drives people crazy. I thought they had great chemistry, but I've seen some reviewers say they don't have any. I mentioned in my Goodreads updates that their relationship reminded me of Mr. Darcy and Lizzie. It starts off as "you are the last man I could ever be prevailed upon to marry (even though they're already married)" to "I love you most ardently." Luella is a strong female protagonist accustomed to freedom and making her own choices; she is not shy about voicing her dissatisfaction. The Elf King had a rough upbringing where he was taught the importance of duty over desire. Through their relationship, he unlearns, becomes more open: he makes changes to become a man Luella is happy to be married to. Though I appreciate Luella's strong will, I found her little spiels about her duty to her people, or how people can go against expectations tired and repetitive. It was the same exact speech on different occasions. I also felt as though she lacks an understanding that not all people have the same liberties.

THE PLOT:

I am always open to a Beauty & the Beast retelling, and I applause Elise's twists to the classic story. I also love the retelling of Hades and Persephone (even if the technicalities of the original myth are questionable.) I am ashamed I didn't realize it earlier. The Elf King is a "harbinger of death," and a red-headed Luella brings life. After reading another review, I concur the pacing was not as perfect as I claimed in my Goodreads review. The beginning/middle is a tad clunky, and it suddenly speeds up. I just thought time passed by really quick. The break the curse "main-plot" was a sub-plot until the end of the story. There was progress initially, but it was put on the back-burner to develop the romance and show political issues. 

THE WORLD:

I wish there were more descriptions about the world and the elves. I agree with the reviewers that say the elven characters weren't that well-developed; readers don't see other elven characters asides from the core characters in the castle, and these elven characters don't seem any different from humans. Elves have magic, but we don't see many other elves, other than the Elf King or Luella, performing magic. Most of the elven magic was introduced and discarded after use: single-use plot device. I like the history of the world and the different beings that live in the world. I'm guessing the introduction of other species is for the other standalone installments. 

Overall: I liked the story. I couldn't put it down; I just had some minor dislikes.