I did it! I found the BEST lady knight novel of the year!

The Everlasting by Alix E. Harrow is set in the empire of Dominion, which has been built on stories of the heroic knight Sir Una Everlasting, from her fearless deeds to her unwavering devotion to the queen to her tragic death. Centuries have passed, but scholar Owen Mallery has always been fascinated by these tales. So when he finds himself contacted by a powerful politician, and that it has to do with his research, he’s intrigued. Little does he know he’s about to embark on a quest of his own, involving the very fate of the nation—though to succeed might be at a great personal cost.

I tried to keep this summary short and vague because honestly, I feel like it’s a good idea to go into this book without knowing much. Just let it sweep you away as it will.

But wow, this book is amazing. It’s probably my favorite book by Alix E. Harrow so far! The characters are so complex and lovely, and the narration of the audiobook (by Moira Quirk and Sid Sagar) is marvelous. I was immediately endeared to Owen, a meek but intelligent man with a romantic streak. And the tales of Una are so transporting (iykyk), and I loved the twist on typical medieval courtly adventures with the usual knights and dragons, etc.

Harrow proves herself so adept at not only twisting around common fantasy elements, but also playing with the very structure of narrative. The way we skip through time is so fluid and entertaining, and still maintains a sense of urgency due to the plot. This book was so hard to put down! From the first reveal of what’s really going on with Owen to how the characters are able to push back against their circumstances was amazing and satisfying. (Again, I feel like I’m being too vague, but so be it.)

Beyond the characters and the captivating plot, though, this book also explores such brilliant themes. It’s about the founding story of a ruthless empire. It’s about the nature of history: who tells it, how they tell it, why they tell it—and all the biases, manipulations, and other pitfalls that inevitably occur when recording history. It’s about the dangers of trying to force a historical event to fit a specific narrative. It’s about corruption in the government, and why it shouldn’t be up to them to determine the valid parts of the past. Harrow handles all this with such a deft hand, and I’m endlessly impressed.

And yet, for all that those themes sound intense and heavy, this book is ultimately a love story. I adore how both main characters are portrayed, how their romance progresses, how they challenge and hurt and uplift and love each other. It’s also fun to see two people, a man and a woman, who both struggle to fit into the idea of what their genders are “supposed” to be, and how with each other, those pressures fall away. This is one of the best romances I’ve read in a long time, and it’s what the romantic fantasy subgenre should be striving for.

I think I could say a lot more about this book, but I would hate to slip up and spoil something. So I’ll just say that in the end, The Everlasting blew me away, far exceeding my expectations, and is definitely one of my top five (maybe top three?) reads of this year. The characters, the narrative, the themes, the pacing—everything is stellar. I couldn’t put it down and didn’t want it to end. Harrow has outdone herself, and I can’t wait to see what she writes next!

The Everlasting is out as of today!