My Five Word TL:DR Review: Another Contender for Best Book

Honestly, I’ve been reading some fantastic books just recently.  I mean books that are just so good they’re not only going to stay with me probably forever but I’m undoubtedly going to be ‘pushing’ them and recommending them at every and any opportunity.  The Everlasting is definitely one such book.

I went into this a little wary.  The reviews were glowing and so I started to avoid the book chatter in order to keep my expectations from going through the roof, and as I started the read I would describe my initial reaction almost as a little doubtful.  I think before I picked this up, although I’d heard the general hullabaloo, I had little idea what the story was about and I hadn’t quite expected it to take the turn it does in the first few chapters.  Now, take all this with a very large pinch of salt because as soon as the story took this ‘turn’ I fell head over heels in love with it in, literally, a New York minute.  In fact it’s ridiculous how much of a big pushover I really was given my initial thoughts that this wouldn’t be for me. I hadn’t expected this whole time loop, nor the Arthurian legend (with a twist) to poke it’s head above the parapet and then the love interest – the nerdy scholar who has read all about her exploits and is perhaps her biggest fan!.  It all works so perfectly.

I’m not even going to tell you about the plot because going into this story with no knowledge was a winner for me – so maybe it will be for you too.

So,

Are you enjoying your romantasy at the moment?  If so, this is about to knock your socks off.  This is the romantasy I didn’t know I needed in my life.  I don’t like romance and I really dislike it if the fantasy elements are tacked on rather than grounded.  That isn’t the case with this book.  This is a love story that puts a stupid smile on your face when you’re reading, it makes you want to turn the pages faster, it makes you want to skip the pages (don’t) so you can find out what’s going to happen, it makes you want to cry but more than that it delivers all the feelings.

Then we have this whole ‘Arthurian legend’ element.  The central couple work so well together.  The strong knight and the geeky, book loving scholar turned on its head by the fearsome, undefeated knight, being the female whilst the male brings his strength to the table in the form of ‘knowledge’.

Thirdly, the scope of the story is quite breathtaking.  This is a couple who know how to wait for each other.  They’ve been through so much together but actually trying to simply hold onto it, to retain their own little bit of happiness, is so difficult.  They’ve made themselves rules, they’ve broken the rules, they’ve loved, laughed, fought and died for each other but they keep trying and waiting underneath the old yew tree and believing that maybe the next iteration will succeed.

It helps of course that I liked all the characters.  Even the antagonist is the perfect fit for the story.  I’m not going to say too much about her because, again, I don’t want to ruin the discovery, but she has motivations that you can actually understand, even if you don’t sympathise with her, she’s trying to find her way and to succeed in an environment where she would most probably be cast out with ridiculous ease if not for all her own dastardly interventions.

The writing is, much as I expected from this author, quite beautiful and utterly beguiling to read. This element of the story I can truthfully promise was not a surprise to me.  I’ve read Harrow before and love her storytelling.  Okay, well, maybe she surprised me a little by not only delivering a first class romantasy to a sceptic but also managing to deliver a story that can at times be so beautiful and yet so dark and brutal.

In conclusion, come for the great writing and stay for one of the most deliciously unexpected romantasies that you’re likely to read.  This is a story about the power of stories, a story with many stories creating the whole and a story that truly shows the power that stories can wield.  Dare I say – the pen is mightier than the sword!?  Maybe not if the sword is wielded by Sir Una Everlasting.  Read it and weep people.

I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks.  The above is my own opinion.

My rating 5 of 5 of the most dazzling stars