A Deal with the Elf King

For generations, in the world of this fun if familiar arranged-marriage romantasy from Kova (A Dance with the Fae Prince), one human queen has been chosen from among the young women in the town of Capton and sent to the elven lands to ensure the balance of magic. Luella, Capton’s only trained healer, feels she owes the town everything after the locals came together to send her to school. To pay them back, she’s hard at work trying to find a cure for the withering sickness known as the Weakness that is decimating Capton’s population. When the elf delegation arrives to claim their queen, almost everyone is shocked when they choose Luella and she must return with the elves to their land. There are hints of the Hades and Persephone myth in this setup, which Kova uses to great effect as she dives into Luella’s struggle to balance her newfound role with her deeply held values and lingering desire to do right by her people. Her blossoming relationship with the king, Eldas, is built on mutual discovery and respect as the pair work together to rebalance the worlds despite politics and generational trauma. The plot is fairly predictable, but Kova’s delicious attention to detail and elegant characterization keep the pages turning. The author’s fans will not be disappointed. (Apr.)