Rating: 4.25 stars
Buy Link: Amazon | iBooks | Amazon UK
Length: Novel
Evander had lived for millennia, first as something close to a god and then as a man, much of his power stripped away. He dared to challenge Death itself and was banished for his efforts. It would have been easy to waste away, to vanish into the world of men, but instead, Evander continues his mission: to stop an evil power from overcoming the mortal realm. He does so in multiple forms, both as the unicorn, Evrard, and as the tutor, Rhys. But now, things are momentarily calm and his charges, Gray and Rory, are settling into their roles as rulers and partners. Evander is feeling out of place. And then his past returns with a sudden, dizzying force.
As the Guardian of War, Marcos is used to people underestimating him. He’s supposed to be a brute thug who thrives on chaos. He’s not supposed to have a brain. More than that, he has a heart and it has belonged to Evander since nearly the beginning of their existence. Evander has been blind to Marcos, but now he begins to see the truth of the Guardian. As both begin to explore the powerful connection they share, they will have to deal with the vestiges of evil that yet threaten the world. It’s a fight they can’t afford to lose but may not have the strength to win.
Yours, Everlasting is the direct follow up to Yours, Ever After and these must be read in order. Nearly all the characters from the first book do have a substantial carryover into Yours, Everlasting. When reading the first book, I wasn’t a fan of Evander/Evrard the unicorn. I found him to be withholding and arrogant and, while he obviously cared for Gray, he wasn’t above the use of manipulation to achieve his goals. It made him rather unlikable and I found myself struggling with his character. After reading Yours, Everlasting, I can’t say that I like Evander any more, but I do understand him better.
I think part of what makes Evander so hard to connect with as a reader is the fact that he’s essentially a god, in all but name. And the author has done a good job of making Evander, and to a lesser extent Marcos, seem inhuman, or at least they possess some measure of “otherness.” But when it comes to love and misunderstandings, the course for Evander and Marcos is as crooked and awkward as it is for humans. They are a sweet couple and work well together and if their romance reads as a bit rushed, then at least it never feels like instalove. I’m not sure the reason for Deimos’ (Death) focus on the human world ever makes a ton of sense, but the overall idea still works enough to keep the plot moving in the right direction.
Yours, Everlasting was a generally satisfying conclusion to the Enchanted Folklore series. It’s listed as a duology, but I wouldn’t being opposed to seeing this world expand further. I don’t think Evander will ever be a particularly favorite character of mine, but I do respect him more now and have a greater appreciation for his journey. He and Marcos work well together as a couple and it was nice to see Rory and Gray returning to action. If you enjoyed Yours, Ever After, I think you’ll find Yours, Everlasting to be a strong follow-up.
