The Evergreen Heir (The Five Crowns of Okrith, #4)
A.K. Mulford
From bestselling author and TikTok sensation A.K. Mulford comes the fourth book in the Five Crowns of Okrith fantasy series, following a bookish heir's fight to save their mother and kingdom when an unexpected romance blossoms. The crown is calling their name, yet can their head bear the weight when passion sets hearts racing? Perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas, Sue Lynn Tan, and Jennifer L Armentrout. A court of revelry. A bookish heir. An impending marriage. And a dark new power rising in the world... If allowed, Neelo Emberspear would never leave the library. Reluctant to take the throne despite their mother's faltering health, the neurodivergent bookworm craves escape from their arranged marriage to charming fae warrior Talhan Catullus. But they know their duty can be put off no longer when their mother, the drug-addled queen, disastrously lights the castle on fire. Fighting to save their mother's life and keep her on the throne, Neelo is astonished when bonding over the written word brings them closer than ever to their cavalier, soon-to-be husband. But the non-binary heir's growing affections may be cut short with witch uprisings threatening to topple the entire continent. Can Neelo claim both love and dominion before their court is reduced to ash?
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“The truth of who I am cannot be divined from something as simple as my physical form. I am the same person both dressed and undressed. I am confident in exactly who that person is . . . But I just don’t want anyone else to mistake me for something I’m not because of it.”
-Favorite quote from The Evergreen Heir
I received an advanced copy of this book for review purposes.
I’ve read both the previous books in the five crowns of okrith series, although I specifically avoided re-reading them before reading The Evergreen Heir. Some of the political machinations were things I forgot, but I was able to catch up pretty quickly so I think there was a good balance between re-capping what has happened in the past without going into so much detail as to feel repetitive.
Neelo was one of my favorite characters in the other books, but they fell a little bit flat for me in this book, and I think that’s pretty much only because of how they resisted their betrothal with Talhan. I don’t want to provide spoilers, but all the other aspects of the character that I loved were still there, but then there was also all this negative self talk and complete avoidance of actually having a simple conversation with Talhan, who was also their lifelong friend. It just seemed like a manufactured problem to me, for the sake of their being something to keep them apart. I would’ve expected someone as smart and logical as Neelo to handle it differently is all. & btw, Talhan is an absolute treasure. I love him so much and he actually deserved more from Neelo even though he NEVER got as selfish as I would have, he stayed patient and resolute the whole time, it was the flip side of Neelo constantly pulling away.
The violet witch based plot was really well done, and while Queen Emberspear was infuriating I loved how Neelo eventually stood up to her & stepped into their own. I’m guessing we may be going to the eastern court for the next book? I can’t wait!
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