So This Is Ever After

December 1, 2021

Gr 8 Up-After defeating the evil usurper of the throne of Ere in the land of Chickpea, Arek agrees to temporarily become king while he and his party search for the true living heir to the throne. Unfortunately for him, the heir perished while locked in a tower, and Arek finds himself magically bound to the crown. Incidentally, the person who holds the throne of Ere must marry before their 18th birthday-and Arek turns 18 in just three months. Not wanting to pressure his best friend, whom Arek is in love with, the new king instead sets out to casually woo every other member of the party in turn, following the guidance of the long-dead princess's journal. Much in the way that TJ Klune's The Extraordinaries plays off superhero tropes, Lukens relies on the audience's knowledge of and expectations for fantasy to fill in much of the worldbuilding, orienting the story firmly around Arek's attempts to find a spouse. The attempts themselves are humorous, and since the plot is structured like a fairy tale, the ending is satisfying but unsurprising. Similarly, the characters have the same dynamic as a well-organized Dungeons & Dragons party and are well rounded and easy to root for. Most characters are queer, and there is no homophobia in the land of Chickpea. VERDICT Purchase for tabletop RPG fans and where fantasy titles are popular.-Austin Ferraro, Brambleton Lib./Loudoun County P.L., Brambleton, VA

Copyright 2021 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2022
King Arek pines after his court mage Matt. Arek's destiny was to defeat the Vile One and save the kingdom, but with that task done, he agrees to temporarily be the king until the true heir can be found. With the princess--the rightful heir--found dead in her tower, a magical inheritance clause keeps Arek tied to the throne. He must bind himself to his soul mate before his 18th birthday in three months--or die. Matt is his first choice, but, convinced that Matt doesn't reciprocate his feelings, Arek turns to the princess's diary for advice on courtship. While looking for love among his adventuring party-turned-royal advisers, Arek struggles to prove himself a worthy king to the mistrustful populace and avoid war with other kingdoms. A magical bard, prophecy-pushing wizard, and giant monster in a moat serve as a backdrop for a slow-burn romance. The casual acceptance of LGBTQ+ nobles and a central gay romance makes this a refreshing departure from the usual heteronormative feudal fantasies. Comedic moments abound without overshadowing or undermining the more high-stakes elements. Reading like the love child of a late-night D&D session gone awry and a romantic drama, Lukens' book is a delightfully original and whimsical narrative. Most characters default to White; one member of Arek's group has dark skin and black hair. An enticing read for both romance aficionados and D&D lovers. (Fantasy. 14-18)

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January 10, 2022
A queer teen navigates happily-ever-after in Lukens’s (In Deeper Waters) tropey medieval romance. Seventeen-year-old Arek did what the prophecy asked of him: assembled a troupe of skilled followers (bard, Fae, knight, mage, and warrior), quested his way to the castle, and beheaded the Vile One, saving the Kingdom of Ere. Now what? He never planned on being king, but since the kingdom’s heiress is dead, he’s stuck; moreover, it turns out that he, as monarch, must soul bond with someone before turning 18 in three months or he’ll wither away. The perfect candidate is Matt, his beloved mage, best friend, and longtime crush (who reads as white, like Arek), but Arek’s afraid Matt would bond out of obligation, not affection. And so begins a comedy of errors, as Arek tries to woo one (then another—and another) of his friends. The pacing can drag as Arek tries to figure out the business of ruling, and the mishaps bringing Arek and Matt together, then apart, continue, but queer love, nonbinary gender identity, and polyamory are all refreshingly accepted in this medieval-esque world in which determining whether love is reciprocated nevertheless remains as difficult as ever. Ages 14–up. Agent: Eva Scalzo, Speilburg Literary.

February 15, 2022
Grades 8-11 Arek thought he'd fulfilled his destiny when, with the help of his scrappy group of friends, he beheaded the evil king of Ere. Crowning himself interim king is just a temporary safety measure. But, whoops, the kingdom's lost heir turns out to be long dead, and now Arek's magically bound to a throne he never wanted. Worse, if he doesn't soul-bind himself to a life partner, he'll disappear into nothing. Arek's been in love with Matt, his mage and childhood friend, forever, but Matt's never shown any sign of liking him back, and Arek can't ask him for a lifelong commitment just to save his own life. So, putting his heart aside, he attempts to woo his remaining friends--any one of whom would be at home in a Dungeons & Dragons game--as the clock winds down. Lukens has created a magically expansive world where there's no homophobia and the only roadblock to romance is having the courage to delve into your own heart. An adventure that's both madcap and tender.

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