The Ever King by LJ Andrews

Unfortunately, this one is landing in my DNF pile—but probably not for the reasons you’d expect.

I actually really enjoyed the story while I was reading it. The world-building is captivating, and the characters are so well crafted. It’s clear why this book is so well-loved, and I genuinely see the appeal.

However, I struggled with the author’s narrative tone. It’s not about grammar, spelling, or little mistakes—the tone itself just didn’t vibe with me. It took me almost 20% to pinpoint why I felt disconnected.

I soft-DNFed at 10% previously but tried again for a buddy read. I made it to 65% this time before deciding to DNF for real. And honestly, it’s a tough call because I am curious about where the story goes.

Part of the issue is personal: I’m not the biggest fan of pirates or ocean-themed settings. Pair that with my clash with the narrative tone, and I just don’t think this book and I are a good fit. I’d devour it while reading, but I dreaded picking it back up once I set it down.

An anticipated release dropped while I was mid-read, and I found myself in a day of limbo—torn between wanting to jump ship to my new book and feeling guilty about DNFing a story I still enjoyed to a degree. Ultimately, I don’t think I’ll come back to it if I step away now, so this is where I’m calling it.

That said, I still highly recommend you give this one a shot! My issues were entirely personal, and you may not share the same hangups that impacted my experience.

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