⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 4 stars

A deal with the Elf King is a story about Luella, who lives in a town which has produced the Human Queen for the elves for three thousand years. The new queen still hasn’t been found and relations between the elves and humans is straining.

This book was such a quick and fun read! I didn’t really expect super much of it. I have heard a lot of good things about it, but in the past books haven’t been living up to their expectations, so I try to have non when trying new books or series. I have read more books by Elise Kova which I enjoyed and you definitely notice they’re written by the same author. They have the same fun, quick-read and fast-paced feel to them which I really enjoy.

This book managed to get me a bit out of the small slump I was in this month. I had a harder time focusing on reading and didn’t read as much, but I blew through this one! It was also really nice to read a standalone. I did think the ending was a bit quicker written than the rest. I understand why it needed to be written that way and why it happened, but I would’ve liked to see a bit more of the characters at the ending. I kinda hope we’ll see that a bit more in the next books to come.

I really liked the plot; it wasn’t too complicated or a plot that needed more pages to be told. It fitted just fine with the length of the book and all that happened. Nothing felt rushed or drawn out. All the events happened gradually and flowed naturally. I enjoyed reading it like that and learning along Luella about the land beyond the Fade.

Luella was a really interesting character. I liked how she had a purpose and goal in mind and was working towards that, instead of being someone who is trying to find her place in the world. While she needs to find it in beyond the Fade, she isn’t waiting around or doing nothing, which I really appreciate.

I liked the romance in this book. It was long known Luella and Eldas would get together. I was a bit frustrated with the communication between the two, but that was the charming point about them as well. I did think the romance/spice would lean more towards new adult than young adult. I wouldn’t have minded it being a bit spicier.

Overall, it is a really fun and easy read and I like how multiple books will be written in this world. I kinda hope we’ll see these characters are side characters in the other books.