The Evergreen Heir: The Five Crowns of Okrith, Book 4

**I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley (and then proceeded to buy the hardcover anyway) and this is my honest review** I've been waiting eagerly for Neelo's moment to shine and A.K. Mulford did not disappoint! In The Evergreen Heir we finally get to focus on a non-binary main character and their love interest. Neelo often feels out of place in the southern court, distancing themselves from the revelry and debauchery that their mother has made the focus of court life. But they must step into their position as the heir and find out how the violet witches plan on bringing down the southern court before it is too late. A.K. Mulford always manages to give us characters that leap off the page. By the end of this book Neelo and Talhan were like old friends. Each had their own relatable characteristics and troubles. The way that Talhan doggedly sticks by his friend but also knows when to give them space is beautiful. I also love that the side characters are as well developed as the MC's. We don't get as large of a cast in this book, but we still get to see some of our previous MC's and characters come back. A.K. Mulford also didn't shy away from providing us with spice but they wrote it in a way that honored Neelo's identity. Being my first spicy book with a non-binary MC using they/them pronouns, I wasn't sure if I would it difficult to follow. However after the first chapter, I quickly caught on and didn't have any issues with confusion due to pronouns. I feel like…

I am a huge fan of the world Mulford has created. I like all the different story lines and this one is no exception. It was fun to read and the character development... chefs kiss.

Thank you, Avon and Harper Voyager, A.K. Mulford, and NetGalley, for the ARC. I loved this book and this series. I've been meaning to read it for a long time, and when I received the ARC for The Evergreen Heir, I read the first three books over the weekend. This book follows Neelo, the Heir of Saxbridge, who is non-binary, and Talhan. I loved Neelo. I found them very relatable. I want to read in a corner without one looking at me. I hate being the center of attention. Unfortunately, they have no choice as their mother is not doing well, and they have to step into the role of Heir. Talhan has known Neelo for a long time. He is very loveable. He has golden retriever energy. Both of them are so cute together. I love that Talhan did not give up on Neelo. There are a couple of spicy scenes like in the books before. They were very well done. There are also many action scenes. I can't wait to see where the next book will go. I love all the characters, and they are all very relatable. I recommend reading this series. This book was one of my favorites in the series.

The Evergreen Heir is a beautifully written story with political intrigue, fated mates, and acknowledging that sometimes we are our own worst enemy. The main character, Neelo, is a nonbinary, neurodivergent heir to the Southern Court who is dealing with a chaotic mother who is ready to abdicate to fully embrace the Southern party lifestyle without any of the responsibility of ruling, a best friend/betrothed that Neelo doesn't want to admit they want (yet 👀), and a violet witch plot threatening to upend Okrith. The bookish heir traverses the Southern Court with their best guy Talhan in an attempt to save their mother (and the entire Southern Court really) from the witching brew that she is addicted to and identify the sources of the brew leads Neelo on an adventure that forces them to face truths about themself and some of the other important people in their life. We meet with some old friends from previous Five Crowns of Okrith books, have a massive, crazy plot twist, and end Neelo's story on a happy note, while the overarching, connecting threads of plot end on a cliffhanger. The pacing of this book was just right. We are given enough background and world building that someone picking this book up could read it as a standalone (with a few small gaps in the relationship dynamic between the kings, queens, and heirs to the courts). The diverse representation in this book was also so well done. The main character Neelo is nonbinary and uses they/them pronouns, but the story…

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 🌶️🌶️🌶️ 🌲🐈‍⬛📚👑⚔️ A.K. Mulford is the Queen of Romantasies! They absolutely slayed this one. I was so excited to read Neelo's story and I was not disappointed. I loved being inside their head and how they thought, why they acted the way they did and everything about them. Neelo's grumpy demeanour is explained so well, I understand so much more. I may not be non-binary, but I relate so much to Neelo, with their neurodivergence. I too hideaway in social situations to read my book, and just want to hang out with my cat. Neelo and Tal. Oh, my heart. The way that man loves his Neelo. It had me in tears with how he was so in love with them. Fated Mates is always a tear-jerker for me, but you could feel the love he had with so much passion, I would say it's one of the best love stories I have read. The spicey scenes. *Chef's Kiss* The plot continued to captivate me. It was exciting and nail-biting. I can't wait to see what the final book has in store for us. Thank you A.K Mulford for a gifted copy of the ARC. I leave this review voluntarily.