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The Everlasting
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite Fantasy (2025)From Alix E. Harrow, the New York Times bestselling author of Starling House, comes a moving and genre-defying quest about the lady-knight whose legend built a nation, and the cowardly historian sent back through time to make sure she plays her part–even if it breaks his heart.
Sir Una Everlasting was Dominion’s greatest hero: the orphaned girl who became a knight, who died for queen and country. Her legend lives on in songs and stories, in children’s books and recruiting posters―but her life as it truly happened has been forgotten.
Centuries later, Owen Mallory―failed soldier, struggling scholar―falls in love with the tale of Una Everlasting. Her story takes him to war, to the archives―and then into the past itself. Una and Owen are tangled together in time, bound to retell the same story over and over again, no matter what it costs.
But that story always ends the same way. If they want to rewrite Una’s legend―if they want to tell a different story--they’ll have to rewrite history itself.
Sir Una Everlasting was Dominion’s greatest hero: the orphaned girl who became a knight, who died for queen and country. Her legend lives on in songs and stories, in children’s books and recruiting posters―but her life as it truly happened has been forgotten.
Centuries later, Owen Mallory―failed soldier, struggling scholar―falls in love with the tale of Una Everlasting. Her story takes him to war, to the archives―and then into the past itself. Una and Owen are tangled together in time, bound to retell the same story over and over again, no matter what it costs.
But that story always ends the same way. If they want to rewrite Una’s legend―if they want to tell a different story--they’ll have to rewrite history itself.
309 pages, Paperback
First published October 28, 2025
6920 people are currently reading
168466 people want to read
About the author
Alix E. Harrow
48 books25.7k followersa former academic, adjunct, cashier, blueberry-harvester, and kentuckian, alix e. harrow is now a full-time writer living in virginia with her husband and their semi-feral kids.
she is the hugo award-winning and nyt-bestselling author of THE TEN THOUSAND DOORS OF JANUARY (2019), THE ONCE AND FUTURE WITCHES (2020), a duology of fairytale novellas (A SPINDLE SPLINTERED and A MIRROR MENDED), STARLING HOUSE (2023) and various short fiction. her next book, THE EVERLASTING, will be out on october 28th, 2025!
her writing is represented by kate mckean at howard morhaim literary agency.
newsletter: https://buttondown.com/alixeharrow
email: alixeharrow at gmail.com
insta: alix.e.harrow
bsky: @alixeharrow.bsky.social
**I AM NOT ON FACEBOOK OR TWITTER, nor will i ever offer to connect you with my "marketing team." this is a scam.
she is the hugo award-winning and nyt-bestselling author of THE TEN THOUSAND DOORS OF JANUARY (2019), THE ONCE AND FUTURE WITCHES (2020), a duology of fairytale novellas (A SPINDLE SPLINTERED and A MIRROR MENDED), STARLING HOUSE (2023) and various short fiction. her next book, THE EVERLASTING, will be out on october 28th, 2025!
her writing is represented by kate mckean at howard morhaim literary agency.
newsletter: https://buttondown.com/alixeharrow
email: alixeharrow at gmail.com
insta: alix.e.harrow
bsky: @alixeharrow.bsky.social
**I AM NOT ON FACEBOOK OR TWITTER, nor will i ever offer to connect you with my "marketing team." this is a scam.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 8,197 reviews
January 20, 2026
THIS IS WHAT I MEAN WHEN I SAY I WANT A REAL ROMANCE WITH TRULY PAINFUL AND AGONIZING YEARNING FROM BOTH THE MMC AND FMC!!!!! Oh my god. I truly don’t even know how to form the words to properly express how this sheer work of ART made me feel. I’ve been crying on and off since finishing this book because I’m so overwhelmed with emotions!!
“Take me however you want. Use me cruelly or kindly, as you like. Command me, if you can.”
Give me the longing gazes, his breath catching at the mere sight of her, the finger grazes, the anguished look in his eyes at the idea of not having her, the holding eye contact for just a second too long, his pained whimper by catching just a glimpse of her bare skin, OVER SMUT EVERY SINGLE DAY OF THE WEEK!!!!!
No I’m in agony over this love story. It has permanently altered my brain chemistry. I will never get over Una and Owen. One of my favorite books ever.
Okay are you ready for this. Una Everlasting is a legendary lady knight whose story has been told in history books for centuries for her heroism in sacrificing herself to save the dominion. And Owen is a scholar and historian and has been obsessed with Unas legend for years! When he is delivered Una’s book he finds the pages are blank so he gets sent back in time to meet Una and make sure her story unfolds as it was recorded. Her tragic story that ends in her death (not a spoiler learned in the very beginning). ONLY TO FALL IN LOVE WITH HER WHILE DOING SO!!! Una and Owen then find themselves in this time loop of them falling in love and reliving the events that lead to her death over and over and over and over AGAIN!!!! And the two of them become determined to rewrite history in the hopes that they can defy fate and change Unas ending. Oh. My. God. Pain. Pain pain pain.
I genuinely cannot wrap my head around how beautiful every tiny detail was about this story. Oh my god the way these two YEARN!!!!! I know I said it already but I just cannot get over it!!!!!
“I loved you by then, or would soon, or always had. It was inevitable, foretold: When I look up, I will see the sky; when I fight, I will win; when I meet Owen Mallory, I will love him.”
“Take me however you want. Use me cruelly or kindly, as you like. Command me, if you can.”
Give me the longing gazes, his breath catching at the mere sight of her, the finger grazes, the anguished look in his eyes at the idea of not having her, the holding eye contact for just a second too long, his pained whimper by catching just a glimpse of her bare skin, OVER SMUT EVERY SINGLE DAY OF THE WEEK!!!!!
No I’m in agony over this love story. It has permanently altered my brain chemistry. I will never get over Una and Owen. One of my favorite books ever.
Okay are you ready for this. Una Everlasting is a legendary lady knight whose story has been told in history books for centuries for her heroism in sacrificing herself to save the dominion. And Owen is a scholar and historian and has been obsessed with Unas legend for years! When he is delivered Una’s book he finds the pages are blank so he gets sent back in time to meet Una and make sure her story unfolds as it was recorded. Her tragic story that ends in her death (not a spoiler learned in the very beginning). ONLY TO FALL IN LOVE WITH HER WHILE DOING SO!!! Una and Owen then find themselves in this time loop of them falling in love and reliving the events that lead to her death over and over and over and over AGAIN!!!! And the two of them become determined to rewrite history in the hopes that they can defy fate and change Unas ending. Oh. My. God. Pain. Pain pain pain.
I genuinely cannot wrap my head around how beautiful every tiny detail was about this story. Oh my god the way these two YEARN!!!!! I know I said it already but I just cannot get over it!!!!!
“I loved you by then, or would soon, or always had. It was inevitable, foretold: When I look up, I will see the sky; when I fight, I will win; when I meet Owen Mallory, I will love him.”
Read
June 13, 2025i've never found an ideal place to list content warnings, but if you're googling this book looking for a list, hopefully this will pop up!
the everlasting is an adult fantasy novel about a big sad lady-knight stuck in a time loop, and the anxious historian trying to save her. it's not YA (if you're looking for a YA ladyknight book, try lex croucher's Gwen & Art Are Not in Love). it's not sapphic (if you're looking for a sapphic lady knight book, may i recommend tasha suri's The Isle in the Silver Sea? or caitlin starling's The Starving Saints!). it's not strictly romantasy, although it is romantic (if you'd like a ladyknight book more firmly in the romantasy genre, try rachel gillig's The Knight and the Moth).
content warnings for the everlasting:
please note that--as an adult book--it also includes things like sex and strong language. i do not choose to offer those as specific content warnings or rate them on a scale, because frankly the work of labeling books clean or dirty is the work of the censor and the fascist, and i shan't be helping them.
the everlasting is an adult fantasy novel about a big sad lady-knight stuck in a time loop, and the anxious historian trying to save her. it's not YA (if you're looking for a YA ladyknight book, try lex croucher's Gwen & Art Are Not in Love). it's not sapphic (if you're looking for a sapphic lady knight book, may i recommend tasha suri's The Isle in the Silver Sea? or caitlin starling's The Starving Saints!). it's not strictly romantasy, although it is romantic (if you'd like a ladyknight book more firmly in the romantasy genre, try rachel gillig's The Knight and the Moth).
content warnings for the everlasting:
please note that--as an adult book--it also includes things like sex and strong language. i do not choose to offer those as specific content warnings or rate them on a scale, because frankly the work of labeling books clean or dirty is the work of the censor and the fascist, and i shan't be helping them.
September 7, 2025
NOBODY SPEAK TO ME FOR TEN BUSINESS DAYS
February 6, 2026
No don’t be forever doomed to the cycle of violence where you die over and over again in my arms you’re so sexy aha
trapped in a time loop with a hot knight weary of her duty? a bespectacled man doomed to tell her tale and follow her to its bitter end?
Beneath the yew tree a knight and a historian meet, but they have no idea they’ve done this all before, the story is already written, and they're doomed to follow it to its bitter end. Spanning the course of a thousand years in a never ending time loop, Alix E. Harrow’s, The Everlasting brings a lens on the inner workings of a nation and the bedraggled battle-worn knight as its Atlas, upholding its gilded promises. Like a beating machine with a rotten core, Harrow constructs the kingdom of Dominion and its stronghold obtained through a simple story, The Legend of Una Everlasting. In this tale an orphan becomes a knight, becomes a legend, raised to the side of a queen and struck down to further her reign. Told through various iterations of the deaths of Una Everlasting, Alix E. Harrow unfurls the power of stories, the cost of bearing witness by way of the pen, and the agendas of tyrants written into the very fabric of a nation's history. The fantastical has its roots buried deep in Dominion and through this labyrinthine tale is the truth of a decaying land made known. The Everlasting is an Ouroboros, a tale with no true end or beginning, but for Harrow the cycle is a reflection of a violent nationalism and the story a sword to be wielded to further its complete and utter domination.
Read my review
many thanks to netgalley and tor books for the advance copy.
Bookstagram | Blog
trapped in a time loop with a hot knight weary of her duty? a bespectacled man doomed to tell her tale and follow her to its bitter end?
Beneath the yew tree a knight and a historian meet, but they have no idea they’ve done this all before, the story is already written, and they're doomed to follow it to its bitter end. Spanning the course of a thousand years in a never ending time loop, Alix E. Harrow’s, The Everlasting brings a lens on the inner workings of a nation and the bedraggled battle-worn knight as its Atlas, upholding its gilded promises. Like a beating machine with a rotten core, Harrow constructs the kingdom of Dominion and its stronghold obtained through a simple story, The Legend of Una Everlasting. In this tale an orphan becomes a knight, becomes a legend, raised to the side of a queen and struck down to further her reign. Told through various iterations of the deaths of Una Everlasting, Alix E. Harrow unfurls the power of stories, the cost of bearing witness by way of the pen, and the agendas of tyrants written into the very fabric of a nation's history. The fantastical has its roots buried deep in Dominion and through this labyrinthine tale is the truth of a decaying land made known. The Everlasting is an Ouroboros, a tale with no true end or beginning, but for Harrow the cycle is a reflection of a violent nationalism and the story a sword to be wielded to further its complete and utter domination.
Read my review
many thanks to netgalley and tor books for the advance copy.
Bookstagram | Blog
July 24, 2025
Superb. Alix Harrow is a poet. I sigh repeatedly as I read her pages, finding phrases I wish I'd written.
October 18, 2025
4.25⭐️ this was absolutely beautiful, alix e. harrow is a mastermind
November 30, 2025
2.75
Sadly underwhelmed by this one :(
I struggled to think what exactly didn’t work for me… because the concept is SO GOOD, the story is also very good, and the writing is BEAUTIFUL!
Ultimately, I just felt a bit bored? This is advertised as a story where we want to rewrite history because a historian falls in love with a knight who dies… but I didn’t feel the love story at all. The romance honestly felt more like the historian idolized and was just infatuated at the idea of the knight? I didn’t feel any personal development between the two of them.
Apart from that, this felt a bit like Our Infinite Fates, where we “iterate” too many times. I didn’t feel there was enough space for emotions to sink in per loop, and would have preferred less of them, but more time spent in each.
The second half is stronger than the first, but I think I was just too emotionally detached by that point to feel the impacts of the more intense moments :(
Really sad I didn’t love this one, I really thought I would!
Sadly underwhelmed by this one :(
I struggled to think what exactly didn’t work for me… because the concept is SO GOOD, the story is also very good, and the writing is BEAUTIFUL!
Ultimately, I just felt a bit bored? This is advertised as a story where we want to rewrite history because a historian falls in love with a knight who dies… but I didn’t feel the love story at all. The romance honestly felt more like the historian idolized and was just infatuated at the idea of the knight? I didn’t feel any personal development between the two of them.
Apart from that, this felt a bit like Our Infinite Fates, where we “iterate” too many times. I didn’t feel there was enough space for emotions to sink in per loop, and would have preferred less of them, but more time spent in each.
The second half is stronger than the first, but I think I was just too emotionally detached by that point to feel the impacts of the more intense moments :(
Really sad I didn’t love this one, I really thought I would!
December 7, 2025
the people said BRING BACK YEARNING! and Alix e. harrow said SAY LESS!
October 21, 2025
Lady knights (women knights, female knights, not-men knights, however you want to word it) are having a moment right now, and I love that for them (and us). This lady knight, Una, is having several moments — or, rather, the same moments, over and over, in an endless time loop that is sometimes frustrating, sometimes funny, always devastating, and aggressively unfair. Her death is required for the creation and stability of a nation a thousand years after it happens, except like, is it though? But Una is not the only person going through it — historian and scholar Owen has been tasked with not only documenting Una’s heroic death, he… also has to do other stuff, that may or may not be upsetting. There’s a lot of sadness in the book because there are a lot of terrible, relatable things happening that remind us, over and over, how much war and quests for glory and the optics of politics make promises they can’t keep. But there’s hope, too, because it’s a love story, and while the happy ending might be a little unconventional, too, who cares? Not lady knights, and not me.
November 13, 2025
If I couldn’t have you or heal you or save you—if I couldn’t love you—then I would make all of Dominion love you, forever and ever.
probably my fav so far of this year's era of lady knights, and one of the better time loops i've enjoyed in media. epic and emotional, the everlasting is the story about love, legends, stories, and sacrifice.
what worked for me: a strong romance, intriguing mystery, a layering and unraveling through time and perspectives. una and owen are both subversive to the typical gender roles of western society: una being tall, broad, strong, a warrior. owen being slighter, a higher voice, brain over brawn, self-described as cowardly for not reveling in the violence of war.
vivian brings extremely cutting but comedic lines into dialogue and much of harrow's writing is lyrical and matches the time periods well. i would've loved a little more sawbridge and hen!
my critique: the first half is slow, esp with how the time loops are utilized. i think there could have been either less detailed step by step reliving or if it were vastly different, it would have moved faster. i kept checking my page count bc i was v surprised this was only 320 pages, it took me longer than i expected to read (but the second half moves faster for me for sure).
i don't know if i fully buy into the villain's motives and kind of wish for more complexity with them.
overall though, i was very invested in the story, i loved the characters, and i definitely teared up in some sections.
For sometimes—when we could not run any longer, when all our choices had been whittled down to one—love made heroes of us.
an honest arc review ♡
probably my fav so far of this year's era of lady knights, and one of the better time loops i've enjoyed in media. epic and emotional, the everlasting is the story about love, legends, stories, and sacrifice.
what worked for me: a strong romance, intriguing mystery, a layering and unraveling through time and perspectives. una and owen are both subversive to the typical gender roles of western society: una being tall, broad, strong, a warrior. owen being slighter, a higher voice, brain over brawn, self-described as cowardly for not reveling in the violence of war.
vivian brings extremely cutting but comedic lines into dialogue and much of harrow's writing is lyrical and matches the time periods well. i would've loved a little more sawbridge and hen!
my critique: the first half is slow, esp with how the time loops are utilized. i think there could have been either less detailed step by step reliving or if it were vastly different, it would have moved faster. i kept checking my page count bc i was v surprised this was only 320 pages, it took me longer than i expected to read (but the second half moves faster for me for sure).
i don't know if i fully buy into the villain's motives and kind of wish for more complexity with them.
overall though, i was very invested in the story, i loved the characters, and i definitely teared up in some sections.
For sometimes—when we could not run any longer, when all our choices had been whittled down to one—love made heroes of us.
an honest arc review ♡
May 17, 2025
Loved this book loved this book loved this book.
my blurb went something like this: "The Everlasting is an incisive exploration of hero-worship and mythmaking across time, uncovering the naked hearts beating beneath the armor. It lives up to its ambition: it is perfect. I'll return to it again and again and again."
but also it's painful. it's sexy. sometimes, it's even hilarious.
Edit: And it has a new cover now!
my blurb went something like this: "The Everlasting is an incisive exploration of hero-worship and mythmaking across time, uncovering the naked hearts beating beneath the armor. It lives up to its ambition: it is perfect. I'll return to it again and again and again."
but also it's painful. it's sexy. sometimes, it's even hilarious.
Edit: And it has a new cover now!
January 14, 2026
The Everlasting is a sweeping, imaginative triumph that melds time-travel, mythmaking, and emotional depth into one of the most unforgettable fantasy stories I’ve read in ages. Alix E. Harrow once again proves she’s a master of her craft, weaving a tale that doesn’t just tell a legend—it dissects it, rewrites it, and dares to ask what truths are lost in the stories we idolize.
Following Owen Mallory, a tender-hearted historian who’s hurled into the past, and Una Everlasting, a fierce, reluctant icon whose legacy has been distorted beyond recognition, the novel blossoms into a richly layered journey of love, sacrifice, and rewriting fate. Harrow’s prose stuns as always—sharp and poetic, laced with sorrow, tenderness, and unexpected humor.
The narrative structure is ambitious and experimental, yet incredibly rewarding, echoing through timelines with a resonance that lingers long after the last page. I laughed, I ached, and I found myself dog-earing passage after passage. While the book boldly challenges expectations of heroism and history, it never loses sight of its aching heart: two souls determined to tell a different story, no matter the cost.
A very huge thanks to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group | Tor Books for sharing this addictive fantasy tale from one of my all-time auto-approved authors in exchange for my honest opinions. I’m completely addicted to Harrow’s brilliant storytelling, intricate world-building, and her uncanny ability to make fantasy feel both epic and achingly intimate. The Everlasting is bold, immersive, and utterly unforgettable.
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Following Owen Mallory, a tender-hearted historian who’s hurled into the past, and Una Everlasting, a fierce, reluctant icon whose legacy has been distorted beyond recognition, the novel blossoms into a richly layered journey of love, sacrifice, and rewriting fate. Harrow’s prose stuns as always—sharp and poetic, laced with sorrow, tenderness, and unexpected humor.
The narrative structure is ambitious and experimental, yet incredibly rewarding, echoing through timelines with a resonance that lingers long after the last page. I laughed, I ached, and I found myself dog-earing passage after passage. While the book boldly challenges expectations of heroism and history, it never loses sight of its aching heart: two souls determined to tell a different story, no matter the cost.
A very huge thanks to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group | Tor Books for sharing this addictive fantasy tale from one of my all-time auto-approved authors in exchange for my honest opinions. I’m completely addicted to Harrow’s brilliant storytelling, intricate world-building, and her uncanny ability to make fantasy feel both epic and achingly intimate. The Everlasting is bold, immersive, and utterly unforgettable.
medium.com
February 8, 2026
Another huge thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for an ALC of this book! 😭
Yassssssssssssssssssssssss *starts aggressively snapping fingers
If The War of Lost Hearts series & Our Infinite Fates had a baby it would be this book AND IM SO HERE FOR IT!!!!
I'll just say it because someone has to.. If you loved Our Infinite Fates, this book is for you, but not only that. If you wanted to love Our Infinite Fates but for whatever reason couldn't get into it (like myself), you're more than likely also going to absolutely love, love, LOVEEEEE The Everlasting.. While the stories are very different, they both share similar key notes. Personally for ME this was everything I wanted from Our Infinite Fates but didn't get.. The storyline is clean & easy to follow while still maintaining high levels of depth and originality.. It's actually impossible to not fall in love with the characters here. There's dragons, the writing is lyrical and spellbinding.. when you pick this up make sure you have a free schedule ahead of you. This book definitely has the potato chip effect.. You can't eat just 1 or 2 potato chips (or so they say) and you're definitely not going to be able to put this book down for a while after a couple of pages.. This is definitely one of those cases where the review should be better but I'm actually speechless.. It doesn't matter what sort of reading slump you're in this book will get you out of it. Especially too considering I'm still in a place where I need a tolerance from Fantasy in general, I am absolutely blown away by my enjoyment of this one!
Without a doubt an instant infinite star/God tier book!....That I will be personally recommending till my jaw falls off!
Until next time,
Hades
🩵
Yassssssssssssssssssssssss *starts aggressively snapping fingers
If The War of Lost Hearts series & Our Infinite Fates had a baby it would be this book AND IM SO HERE FOR IT!!!!
I'll just say it because someone has to.. If you loved Our Infinite Fates, this book is for you, but not only that. If you wanted to love Our Infinite Fates but for whatever reason couldn't get into it (like myself), you're more than likely also going to absolutely love, love, LOVEEEEE The Everlasting.. While the stories are very different, they both share similar key notes. Personally for ME this was everything I wanted from Our Infinite Fates but didn't get.. The storyline is clean & easy to follow while still maintaining high levels of depth and originality.. It's actually impossible to not fall in love with the characters here. There's dragons, the writing is lyrical and spellbinding.. when you pick this up make sure you have a free schedule ahead of you. This book definitely has the potato chip effect.. You can't eat just 1 or 2 potato chips (or so they say) and you're definitely not going to be able to put this book down for a while after a couple of pages.. This is definitely one of those cases where the review should be better but I'm actually speechless.. It doesn't matter what sort of reading slump you're in this book will get you out of it. Especially too considering I'm still in a place where I need a tolerance from Fantasy in general, I am absolutely blown away by my enjoyment of this one!
Without a doubt an instant infinite star/God tier book!....That I will be personally recommending till my jaw falls off!
Until next time,
Hades
🩵
January 2, 2026
Maybe Alix E. Harrow didn't invent yearning, but she sure as hell brought it to perfection. Yearning through all times and yearning beyond death and yearning that remakes the world. Phenomenal.
November 23, 2025
A romantasy for everyone who is tired of romantasy.
Add this to your fall TBR immediately. It was book #63 of 2025, but the first to snag a 5-star rating.
I will copy the excerpt directly from the author to share that this is "an adult fantasy novel about a big sad lady-knight stuck in a time loop, and the anxious historian trying to save her." (Repeat: Not YA.)
The narrative style is unique: Dual-POV but written in the 2nd person, where both characters refer to the other as "you", and we as the reader are observing them speaking to each other.
The tone is atmospheric and melancholic. The writing is heart-achingly beautiful. I was highlighting furiously, which is already a sure sign the story is going to stick.
The comedic relief is provided by a horse that terrorizes everyone. As a bona fide "horse girl", I also enjoyed reading the author's note at the end where she mentioned her mother left her copious editing notes "describing everything I'd gotten wrong about horses."
Would recommend to: Fans of T. Kingfisher, Rachel Gillig, and Juliette Marillier. Readers interested in fantasy that is romantic, but doesn't have the corny dialogue of most popular romantasies. People that enjoy historical legends, folklore, and the like.
Not much else to say really, save how rare it is for me to give out the elusive 5 stars. But this was entirely enthralling and there was no other option. The story was so well-crafted, it's worth experiencing for yourself.
Huge thanks to NetGalley, Tor Publishing Group, and the author for this eARC!
Add this to your fall TBR immediately. It was book #63 of 2025, but the first to snag a 5-star rating.
I will copy the excerpt directly from the author to share that this is "an adult fantasy novel about a big sad lady-knight stuck in a time loop, and the anxious historian trying to save her." (Repeat: Not YA.)
The narrative style is unique: Dual-POV but written in the 2nd person, where both characters refer to the other as "you", and we as the reader are observing them speaking to each other.
The tone is atmospheric and melancholic. The writing is heart-achingly beautiful. I was highlighting furiously, which is already a sure sign the story is going to stick.
The comedic relief is provided by a horse that terrorizes everyone. As a bona fide "horse girl", I also enjoyed reading the author's note at the end where she mentioned her mother left her copious editing notes "describing everything I'd gotten wrong about horses."
Would recommend to: Fans of T. Kingfisher, Rachel Gillig, and Juliette Marillier. Readers interested in fantasy that is romantic, but doesn't have the corny dialogue of most popular romantasies. People that enjoy historical legends, folklore, and the like.
There are only two kinds of stories worth telling: the ones that send children to sleep, and the ones that send men to war.
Not much else to say really, save how rare it is for me to give out the elusive 5 stars. But this was entirely enthralling and there was no other option. The story was so well-crafted, it's worth experiencing for yourself.
Huge thanks to NetGalley, Tor Publishing Group, and the author for this eARC!
January 7, 2026
i’m ruined
October 29, 2025
5.0 ★— (Read and listened to this! Both experiences included below:)
Revisiting Thoughts
Oh, The Everlasting! completely swept me away the first time I read it, and hearing it again in audio form just reaffirmed how much I love this story.
Told in second person, which definitely takes some getting used to, this book surprised me completely with where it ultimately led. It takes a bit to build up and has a slow start, but once you settle into its rhythm, it becomes such an enjoyable journey.
Una Everlasting is the tall, dashing lady knight of my dreams, and having the other half of the story be a nerdy, glasses-wearing, anxious academic who’s utterly captivated by her was everything.
If I had to compare it to something, I’d say it blends the flashiness and playful weirdness of Doctor Who at its best with the heartfelt, mysteriously lush storytelling of old folktales. Just gorgeous all around.
🎧 Audiobook Note
🎙️ Narration Style: Dual
This was an amazing way to experience the story! Hearing the narrators bring Una and Owen to life added so much, and it definitely made the slower beginning easier and more fun to get through.
My First Read
I just finished this book and I’m sitting here in stunned disbelief — laughing, somehow — because what the actual hell did I just read? I’m floored. Awed. A little emotionally concussed.
I’ve never read anything by Alix E. Harrow before — not for lack of interest, I just hadn’t gotten to her work yet — so I had no idea what to expect going in.
It started off a bit slow. While I enjoyed the prose and absolutely loved the descriptive writing, I wasn’t completely hooked during the first quarter. I’m sorry I underestimated it, but honestly, I’m also kind of glad I went in blind. Without any frame of reference for her writing, I hadn’t formed any expectations of what this story would be. And let me tell you: I did not see this coming. At all.
This book is folkloric and beautiful, inventive and completely unhinged (in the best way). It’s sad, heartwarming, funny, thoughtful, haunting all at once. I could list twenty more adjectives and still not do it justice.
I’m not even going to touch the plot, because I don’t want to ruin a single moment of the experience for anyone else. I don’t even want to hint at spoilers.
Let me just say: Fucking hell. This book took me on a journey.
And finally: Alix E. Harrow, I’m so sorry. I will now be reading your entire catalogue, and I sincerely regret not doing so sooner.
_____________
Thank you to Tor Publishing for the ARC, and Macmillan Audio for the ALC, both in exchange for my honest review.
Revisiting Thoughts
Oh, The Everlasting! completely swept me away the first time I read it, and hearing it again in audio form just reaffirmed how much I love this story.
Told in second person, which definitely takes some getting used to, this book surprised me completely with where it ultimately led. It takes a bit to build up and has a slow start, but once you settle into its rhythm, it becomes such an enjoyable journey.
Una Everlasting is the tall, dashing lady knight of my dreams, and having the other half of the story be a nerdy, glasses-wearing, anxious academic who’s utterly captivated by her was everything.
If I had to compare it to something, I’d say it blends the flashiness and playful weirdness of Doctor Who at its best with the heartfelt, mysteriously lush storytelling of old folktales. Just gorgeous all around.
🎧 Audiobook Note
🎙️ Narration Style: Dual
This was an amazing way to experience the story! Hearing the narrators bring Una and Owen to life added so much, and it definitely made the slower beginning easier and more fun to get through.
My First Read
I just finished this book and I’m sitting here in stunned disbelief — laughing, somehow — because what the actual hell did I just read? I’m floored. Awed. A little emotionally concussed.
I’ve never read anything by Alix E. Harrow before — not for lack of interest, I just hadn’t gotten to her work yet — so I had no idea what to expect going in.
It started off a bit slow. While I enjoyed the prose and absolutely loved the descriptive writing, I wasn’t completely hooked during the first quarter. I’m sorry I underestimated it, but honestly, I’m also kind of glad I went in blind. Without any frame of reference for her writing, I hadn’t formed any expectations of what this story would be. And let me tell you: I did not see this coming. At all.
This book is folkloric and beautiful, inventive and completely unhinged (in the best way). It’s sad, heartwarming, funny, thoughtful, haunting all at once. I could list twenty more adjectives and still not do it justice.
I’m not even going to touch the plot, because I don’t want to ruin a single moment of the experience for anyone else. I don’t even want to hint at spoilers.
Let me just say: Fucking hell. This book took me on a journey.
And finally: Alix E. Harrow, I’m so sorry. I will now be reading your entire catalogue, and I sincerely regret not doing so sooner.
_____________
Thank you to Tor Publishing for the ARC, and Macmillan Audio for the ALC, both in exchange for my honest review.
November 9, 2025
I deeply relate to being in love with Gwendoline Christie and having personal beef with a horse
February 10, 2026
I have mixed feelings about this book. The premise sounded great, but sadly the execution was lacking. The idea of a scholar and a knight finding each other in their many lives in the past was unique. The pacing was inconsistent, it was very slow in the beginning and too fast at the end. Additionally the plot was repetitive in the beginning and didn’t have much direction. The time traveling aspect was confusing and wasn’t explained clearly. The book focused a lot on the past which was interesting, but not enough happened in the present until the second half. I enjoyed that the main characters were able to find each other in different lives. The writing style was difficult to get used to at first, the author used both first person and second person point of view at the same time. I have mixed feelings about the characters as well. Una felt flat to me, I didn’t feel a connection to her and didn’t quite understand her either. Owen felt the same way to me, he didn’t have enough character development and didn’t show his personality very much. The romance was lacking too. I didn’t feel chemistry between them till the end and there was no development of their relationship. At one point they were strangers and then the next they were in love with no evidence that they fell in love. Overall, the premise of this book was unique but sadly the execution was lacking and I didn’t feel a connection to the main characters.
November 22, 2025
“Let us lie here forever. Let us be buried as wild things are, by tooth and claw and worm. Let the grasses grow up through the sockets of our eyes. Let them find us is seven years or seventy, and let their brows furrow, because they cannot tell my bones from yours.”
Did I finish this book, or did it finish me. Bravo Alix E. Harrow, bravo.
Did I finish this book, or did it finish me. Bravo Alix E. Harrow, bravo.
October 5, 2025
Wasn't quite the 'epic love story across time' that I wanted, to be honest.
The down side to a time travel story that revolves around the same chunk of time being done slightly different each time is that you get a lot of repetition.
I got bored. *shrugs*
We've got a nerdy lil guy from the present day, and a giant, Amazon-esque knight lady from Ye Olde Days. It's their 'love story across time' that we're witnessing, and it really just did nothing for me.
It's a unique pairing - not really the aesthetic duo you'd normally get, which I kinda appreciated to be honest. But the love never felt natural to me - it felt forced for the sake of the story. Like the moment they meet, there's a 'spark' or whatever, but there's actually no signs of them ever falling in love? It's essentially talked about more than shown .
Added to that, she's a knight that supposedly had all these grand adventures but we never witness any of them?? This book essentially TALKS about fun things and then delivers NOTHING.
The writing style bothered me - it's written as though the lovers are telling the story to each other, so it's all, 'you did this, you did that'. Did not work for me. Clever? Sure. Entertaining? No.
Also, time travel. It does my fkn head in and this was no exception. This felt flimsy at best.
I just found the whole thing to be quite bland, unfortunately. I was hoping to be drawn into an epic, 'our love transcends all boundaries' kind of story (I guess something along the lines of The Time Traveller's Wife) but this didn't even come close.
Maybe romance fans will get more out of this - I feel it's probably a little too weak for fantasy fans to get any real kick out of it.
With thanks to NetGalley for an e-ARC
The down side to a time travel story that revolves around the same chunk of time being done slightly different each time is that you get a lot of repetition.
I got bored. *shrugs*
We've got a nerdy lil guy from the present day, and a giant, Amazon-esque knight lady from Ye Olde Days. It's their 'love story across time' that we're witnessing, and it really just did nothing for me.
It's a unique pairing - not really the aesthetic duo you'd normally get, which I kinda appreciated to be honest. But the love never felt natural to me - it felt forced for the sake of the story. Like the moment they meet, there's a 'spark' or whatever, but there's actually no signs of them ever falling in love? It's essentially talked about more than shown .
Added to that, she's a knight that supposedly had all these grand adventures but we never witness any of them?? This book essentially TALKS about fun things and then delivers NOTHING.
The writing style bothered me - it's written as though the lovers are telling the story to each other, so it's all, 'you did this, you did that'. Did not work for me. Clever? Sure. Entertaining? No.
Also, time travel. It does my fkn head in and this was no exception. This felt flimsy at best.
I just found the whole thing to be quite bland, unfortunately. I was hoping to be drawn into an epic, 'our love transcends all boundaries' kind of story (I guess something along the lines of The Time Traveller's Wife) but this didn't even come close.
Maybe romance fans will get more out of this - I feel it's probably a little too weak for fantasy fans to get any real kick out of it.
With thanks to NetGalley for an e-ARC
October 28, 2025
This was so beautiful.
The writing is exceptional. This story could have been repetitive and terribly sad, but instead it gives us an epic tale of love, hope and courage.
Its tragic but it's also full of heart and even humour. The characters are fantastic and even the secondary ones are full of life.
I listened to the audiobook version and I loved every minute of it. The dual narration was absolutely perfect and gave the characters a unique voice.
Thank you so much Macmillan audio for this ARC.
The writing is exceptional. This story could have been repetitive and terribly sad, but instead it gives us an epic tale of love, hope and courage.
Its tragic but it's also full of heart and even humour. The characters are fantastic and even the secondary ones are full of life.
I listened to the audiobook version and I loved every minute of it. The dual narration was absolutely perfect and gave the characters a unique voice.
Thank you so much Macmillan audio for this ARC.
Want to read
July 23, 2025i’m ready for this book to save me and then kill me and then save me and then kill me and then
October 26, 2025
If you are a time travel fan, this book will be right up your alley. Owen finds himself locked in a timeloop with his all time favorite heroine Knight. The book is slow, but the writing is beautiful. I was eager to see how they would eventually defeat Victoria. Her story is actually an interesting one too. Not magic per se, but a magical journey full of hope, love, and loss this one will make you pause for a bit. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review this ARC.
November 12, 2025
Fair warning this is going to be one of ~those~ reviews. The type of review where I liked something so much I have to start typing in ALL CAPS.
HEY I REALLY REALLY REALLY LOVED THIS BOOK. THIS is what Romantasy could look like if people took Romantasy as a genre seriously and we stopped putting out copy paste regurgitated slop !!!! Anyway !!
Now that I’ve gotten that out of my system, The Everlasting:
Summary & Structure
If you’ve read or know anything about Alix E Harrow’s short story, The Six Deaths of the Saint, you know that Alix is nasty with a cyclical narrative structure and versed with The Lady Knight archetype. From what I can tell, Harrow took the bones of that 30 page short story, and made it a gazillion times more awesome. I am admittedly, partial to a 300+ page time loop medieval fantasy with doomed lovers delivered to me on a blood soaked silver plater. But that’s just me !!
The Everlasting is complex in a way that me explaining the complexity, might ruin some of the fun of the story. Know that you follow a “cowardly” historian tasked with going back in time to make sure a legendary lady knight stays the legend and national symbol she’s supposed to. And know that you’ll be in for some mind bending time loops. I didn’t think I was necessarily the biggest fan of time loop stories. I was wrong. Typically, inevitably, time loops feel repetitive to me. But The Everlasting’s cyclicality is built on a crumbling, rebelling foundation. There’s no room to get bored because you have to stay VIGILANT for change.
World & Atmosphere & Prose? I guess
The setting felt so quintessentially classic fantasy. Like if you went into my brain and pulled out the most perfect classic fantasy vibes (epic quests, elusive magic, delicious villains, triumphs of human (sometimes) perseverance, intense interpersonal connections, inevitable darkness and violence etc.) you would get at what Harrow is getting at. But to add a twist to your expectations, this also reads as an incredibly intimate conversation between two people…
But back to the medieval fantasy atmosphere: The way that Harrow lands such a harsh and brutal setting with some of the most beautiful language I’ve read in a long time ? A delight to the senses and proof to everyone that “old man fantasy” (well if you added a shit ton of romance to a book with old man fantasy vibes) CAN have writing that falls off the bone. There were sentences in this story that punched me straight in the heart and then stabbed me in the throat for good measure. I was simply not aware of how deeply Alix knew ball. I thank her for the pain she’s caused me.
Characters… and romance :)
I am a genuine champion of Romantasy. I think good fantasy and good romance can exist when mixed together. You can devote a lot of on page time to romance and not have the fantasy suffer and THIS BOOK IS A GREAT EXAMPLE. Deeply romantic and yet equally fantastical. You couldn’t have one without the other really as both elements are gorgeously intertwined.
I have to admit Owen Mallory and Una Everlasting had me from the start. As individual characters and as a pair I love them. They are both so cunty in their own way and the magnetism between them is palpable. I don’t know where else to put this commentary, but the way that stereotypical gender roles were just tossed into the trash in the story, actually made my heart sing. I have not read much with this amount of play and reversal of gender expectations, and that’s something I’d really love to change.
I do have to shout of the big bad of this story. Content warning for genuinely iconic female villain. Obviously she’s the villain, so she has got to be stopped ! but my god did I love to see her on the page.
Themes
Putting this last because theme sharing is inherently kinda spoilery to me? But I’ll let you decide if you dare read on.
The Everlasting has a lot to say about stories and who tells them, narratives and who shapes them, legends and who exactly they serve (you get the point). Specifically, this took “to tell a story is in some part to tell a lie” to a WHOLE new level. The fictional kingdom of Dominion (not very subtle, I love it) is supported by history and legend that is actively being manipulated, massaged, and cherry picked to serve the powerful. While this manipulation is by way of time loop, it’s not much of a stretch to say that the principle applies broadly…. don’t make me quote Churchill (history cough is cough sneeze WRITEN BY THE VICTORS). Pardon me.
I can’t really say it better than Robin’s review. “The Everlasting is an Ouroboros, a tale with no true end or beginning, but for Harrow the cycle is a reflection of a violent nationalism and the story a sword to be wielded to further its complete and utter domination.” Yes. This. Artificially inseminated historical narratives as a catalyst for patriotism and ultimately, as a weapon of control.
I also think there’s something to be said about the power of a love so molecular so eternal so predestined so… everlasting ( ha ha <3 ) that the cycle for creating a perfect tyrannical regime is broken. Loyalty, not to a nation, but to each other. Honor, not for what the powerful manipulate you into promising, but for the fight for freedom and simple good.
So ya. Loved this bad. This book was entrancing and surprisingly hilarious too. 5 stars, maybe higher.
HEY I REALLY REALLY REALLY LOVED THIS BOOK. THIS is what Romantasy could look like if people took Romantasy as a genre seriously and we stopped putting out copy paste regurgitated slop !!!! Anyway !!
Now that I’ve gotten that out of my system, The Everlasting:
Summary & Structure
If you’ve read or know anything about Alix E Harrow’s short story, The Six Deaths of the Saint, you know that Alix is nasty with a cyclical narrative structure and versed with The Lady Knight archetype. From what I can tell, Harrow took the bones of that 30 page short story, and made it a gazillion times more awesome. I am admittedly, partial to a 300+ page time loop medieval fantasy with doomed lovers delivered to me on a blood soaked silver plater. But that’s just me !!
The Everlasting is complex in a way that me explaining the complexity, might ruin some of the fun of the story. Know that you follow a “cowardly” historian tasked with going back in time to make sure a legendary lady knight stays the legend and national symbol she’s supposed to. And know that you’ll be in for some mind bending time loops. I didn’t think I was necessarily the biggest fan of time loop stories. I was wrong. Typically, inevitably, time loops feel repetitive to me. But The Everlasting’s cyclicality is built on a crumbling, rebelling foundation. There’s no room to get bored because you have to stay VIGILANT for change.
World & Atmosphere & Prose? I guess
The setting felt so quintessentially classic fantasy. Like if you went into my brain and pulled out the most perfect classic fantasy vibes (epic quests, elusive magic, delicious villains, triumphs of human (sometimes) perseverance, intense interpersonal connections, inevitable darkness and violence etc.) you would get at what Harrow is getting at. But to add a twist to your expectations, this also reads as an incredibly intimate conversation between two people…
But back to the medieval fantasy atmosphere: The way that Harrow lands such a harsh and brutal setting with some of the most beautiful language I’ve read in a long time ? A delight to the senses and proof to everyone that “old man fantasy” (well if you added a shit ton of romance to a book with old man fantasy vibes) CAN have writing that falls off the bone. There were sentences in this story that punched me straight in the heart and then stabbed me in the throat for good measure. I was simply not aware of how deeply Alix knew ball. I thank her for the pain she’s caused me.
Characters… and romance :)
I am a genuine champion of Romantasy. I think good fantasy and good romance can exist when mixed together. You can devote a lot of on page time to romance and not have the fantasy suffer and THIS BOOK IS A GREAT EXAMPLE. Deeply romantic and yet equally fantastical. You couldn’t have one without the other really as both elements are gorgeously intertwined.
I have to admit Owen Mallory and Una Everlasting had me from the start. As individual characters and as a pair I love them. They are both so cunty in their own way and the magnetism between them is palpable. I don’t know where else to put this commentary, but the way that stereotypical gender roles were just tossed into the trash in the story, actually made my heart sing. I have not read much with this amount of play and reversal of gender expectations, and that’s something I’d really love to change.
I do have to shout of the big bad of this story. Content warning for genuinely iconic female villain. Obviously she’s the villain, so she has got to be stopped ! but my god did I love to see her on the page.
Themes
Putting this last because theme sharing is inherently kinda spoilery to me? But I’ll let you decide if you dare read on.
The Everlasting has a lot to say about stories and who tells them, narratives and who shapes them, legends and who exactly they serve (you get the point). Specifically, this took “to tell a story is in some part to tell a lie” to a WHOLE new level. The fictional kingdom of Dominion (not very subtle, I love it) is supported by history and legend that is actively being manipulated, massaged, and cherry picked to serve the powerful. While this manipulation is by way of time loop, it’s not much of a stretch to say that the principle applies broadly…. don’t make me quote Churchill (history cough is cough sneeze WRITEN BY THE VICTORS). Pardon me.
I can’t really say it better than Robin’s review. “The Everlasting is an Ouroboros, a tale with no true end or beginning, but for Harrow the cycle is a reflection of a violent nationalism and the story a sword to be wielded to further its complete and utter domination.” Yes. This. Artificially inseminated historical narratives as a catalyst for patriotism and ultimately, as a weapon of control.
I also think there’s something to be said about the power of a love so molecular so eternal so predestined so… everlasting ( ha ha <3 ) that the cycle for creating a perfect tyrannical regime is broken. Loyalty, not to a nation, but to each other. Honor, not for what the powerful manipulate you into promising, but for the fight for freedom and simple good.
So ya. Loved this bad. This book was entrancing and surprisingly hilarious too. 5 stars, maybe higher.
December 4, 2025
Am I just not meant to be a romantasy girlie?? I wish I liked this book more but the time loop concept was confusing and repetitive to me. The use of the second person as well as the romance generally felt a bit melodramatic. I could see the big feelings the romantic interests had for one another on the page though the way the story was set up made it hard for me to believe in the connection. The writing was smooth and easy-to-read, I’ll give it that, though I wanted more from the other dimensions of this book. Maybe I’ll find a romantasy book I actually like one day, maybe not.
October 28, 2025
4.5 stars rounded up. Absurdly poetic, drenched in questions of mythmaking and nationalism, and also chronicling a love that spans multiple lifetimes that aches with yearning, The Everlasting is a story that rhymes with The Six of Deaths of the Saints but also is a fantasy epic that stands alone. Bravo, Alix E. Harrow.
November 24, 2025
[ 2.75 Stars ]
well, this was a bit of a disappointment. my expectations for The Everlasting were set for a poetic, myth-infused tale that would weave fantasy and romance into a profound narrative. what I got instead was a beautifully written but uneven novel that felt more like a romantic drama with fantasy elements than an actual fantasy story. The Everlasting wants to sound profound, but its emotional architecture never catches up to its intentions.
Harrow’s prose is poetic and aesthetically pleasing, but also her biggest weakness here. the writing is distant, and shallow, more concerned with sounding beautiful than saying something true. the story often meanders, filled with repetition and ornate phrasing that never digs deep enough into its characters or themes. I admire her ambition, but it left me detached from everything that was happening.
the main character, Una, should’ve been fascinating, an immortal woman carrying centuries of memory, but she never feels real. she oscillates strangely between acting like a teenager and like a forty-year-old woman, and the narration keeps insisting on her “manly” traits in a way that becomes repetitive and awkward. Instead of nuanced gender exploration, it starts to feel forced, as if the book is performing it rather than embodying it naturally.
Owen, the love interest, doesn’t fare much better. he’s written almost like a damsel, fragile, hesitant, and oddly childish for a man in his thirties. their relationship is supposed to be timeless and profound, but it often comes across as awkward and unconvincing. their romance never fully convinced me, it felt less like an organic connection and more like a narrative requirement. from their first meeting, we're told about a "spark," but we're rarely shown the meaningful moments that would make their love believable. their relationship is summarized more than it is developed, making it difficult to feel invested in their bond. also, the constant “boy” endearment from Una gets repetitive, and many of their interactions border on cheesy or embarrassing. some “intimate” scenes gave me secondhand embarrassment, the emotional tone feels juvenile despite the adult content.
you can tell Harrow wanted to invert the usual gendered power structure, the immortal warrior woman and the delicate mortal man, but the execution ends up caricatural. It doesn’t feel like a natural dynamic between two distinct people; it feels like a symbolic gesture stretched too far.
as for the worldbuilding and plot, they’re surprisingly shallow. the supernatural elements feel more decorative than integral, existing to give atmosphere rather than to shape the story’s logic or stakes. It reads more like a romance with mythic flavor than a true fantasy novel. the villain, too, feels cartoonish, constantly explaining her motives and plans in a way that drains any tension. everything feels a bit too easy, too tidy, and too performed.
that said, the second half of the book is slightly better. the pacing steadies, the prose calms down a bit, and the final chapter in particular has a sweetness to it that almost redeems some of what came before. I liked how the story handled the passage of time and the echoes of immortality, those reflections were genuinely interesting. but even at its strongest, I never felt emotionally invested. I was curious to see how it would end, but not truly moved by the characters or their fates.
In the end, The Everlasting isn’t an extremely bad book, just a frustrating one. It’s lovely on the surface, full of potential, but hollow underneath. aesthetically rich, emotionally thin. I expected more, and I don’t think Harrow's books are for me at all.
well, this was a bit of a disappointment. my expectations for The Everlasting were set for a poetic, myth-infused tale that would weave fantasy and romance into a profound narrative. what I got instead was a beautifully written but uneven novel that felt more like a romantic drama with fantasy elements than an actual fantasy story. The Everlasting wants to sound profound, but its emotional architecture never catches up to its intentions.
Harrow’s prose is poetic and aesthetically pleasing, but also her biggest weakness here. the writing is distant, and shallow, more concerned with sounding beautiful than saying something true. the story often meanders, filled with repetition and ornate phrasing that never digs deep enough into its characters or themes. I admire her ambition, but it left me detached from everything that was happening.
the main character, Una, should’ve been fascinating, an immortal woman carrying centuries of memory, but she never feels real. she oscillates strangely between acting like a teenager and like a forty-year-old woman, and the narration keeps insisting on her “manly” traits in a way that becomes repetitive and awkward. Instead of nuanced gender exploration, it starts to feel forced, as if the book is performing it rather than embodying it naturally.
Owen, the love interest, doesn’t fare much better. he’s written almost like a damsel, fragile, hesitant, and oddly childish for a man in his thirties. their relationship is supposed to be timeless and profound, but it often comes across as awkward and unconvincing. their romance never fully convinced me, it felt less like an organic connection and more like a narrative requirement. from their first meeting, we're told about a "spark," but we're rarely shown the meaningful moments that would make their love believable. their relationship is summarized more than it is developed, making it difficult to feel invested in their bond. also, the constant “boy” endearment from Una gets repetitive, and many of their interactions border on cheesy or embarrassing. some “intimate” scenes gave me secondhand embarrassment, the emotional tone feels juvenile despite the adult content.
you can tell Harrow wanted to invert the usual gendered power structure, the immortal warrior woman and the delicate mortal man, but the execution ends up caricatural. It doesn’t feel like a natural dynamic between two distinct people; it feels like a symbolic gesture stretched too far.
as for the worldbuilding and plot, they’re surprisingly shallow. the supernatural elements feel more decorative than integral, existing to give atmosphere rather than to shape the story’s logic or stakes. It reads more like a romance with mythic flavor than a true fantasy novel. the villain, too, feels cartoonish, constantly explaining her motives and plans in a way that drains any tension. everything feels a bit too easy, too tidy, and too performed.
that said, the second half of the book is slightly better. the pacing steadies, the prose calms down a bit, and the final chapter in particular has a sweetness to it that almost redeems some of what came before. I liked how the story handled the passage of time and the echoes of immortality, those reflections were genuinely interesting. but even at its strongest, I never felt emotionally invested. I was curious to see how it would end, but not truly moved by the characters or their fates.
In the end, The Everlasting isn’t an extremely bad book, just a frustrating one. It’s lovely on the surface, full of potential, but hollow underneath. aesthetically rich, emotionally thin. I expected more, and I don’t think Harrow's books are for me at all.
February 2, 2026
I am probably the only person on the planet at this stage who has not yet read ‘The Six Deaths of the Saint”, so this was my maiden voyage into Harrow’s work, and I can understand why her writing has garnered the hype that it has.
I don’t know if I can even really describe the plot of this in a coherent way, other than to say that this is another entry into the time looping genre, featuring an enduring romance that persists through grisly accounts and unraveling timelines.
Harrow has a beautiful ability to turn a phrase; there were so many passages that I found myself highlighting just to appreciate how lovely the writing was and sit in the imagery of it. Further, given the current geopolitical state of the world the messaging throughout this story also felt especially poignant, with themes of dismantling the establishments and questioning propaganda sitting well in the forefront of the story.
I generally read predominantly queer stories as I have found that my ability to relate to MF romances has progressively fractured more and more over the years, but I like to dip my toe in a few times a year just to see how they’re going. I have to admit that I enjoyed Owen and Uma significantly more than any other MF story in recent times. I attribute this to the fact that neither Una nor Owen were described as conventionally attractive characters, nor did they subscribe to the traditional masculine and feminine roles or characteristics….also Una being a bisexual Brienne of Tarth from Game of Thrones had me in a chokehold. Their characters and dynamic was all just a bit refreshing to be honest.
I have to admit that inexplicably something about this writing kept me at a distance. I felt a bit like I was floating above a beautiful river, and I could appreciate its aesthetic beauty but I never dipped into the river itself. Even towards the end my emotional investment in, what was clearly deeply emotional moments, was kind of a bit lukewarm.
Honestly, I would recommend people read this just to experience Harrows writing alone. Even if you are like me and end up feeling like you struggled to invest on a deeper emotional level a bit, it was still a lovely piece of work to read. And remember kids, reading is always political.
It was the first time I’d seen you truly fight. I suppose I had grown used to the disappointing gap between myth and reality; I suppose I thought your skill had been embellished by time, exaggerated as all legends are.
It hadn’t been. You fell among the Hinterlanders like a mad dog cut loose from its leash, like a scythe across dry wheat, like a weapon wearing the skin of a woman.
You did not fight cleanly or prettily; it was nothing like a dance. It was an annihilation, brutal and inexorable, and the only beauty was in the sheer fucking speed of it.
Consider following my instagram
I don’t know if I can even really describe the plot of this in a coherent way, other than to say that this is another entry into the time looping genre, featuring an enduring romance that persists through grisly accounts and unraveling timelines.
Harrow has a beautiful ability to turn a phrase; there were so many passages that I found myself highlighting just to appreciate how lovely the writing was and sit in the imagery of it. Further, given the current geopolitical state of the world the messaging throughout this story also felt especially poignant, with themes of dismantling the establishments and questioning propaganda sitting well in the forefront of the story.
I generally read predominantly queer stories as I have found that my ability to relate to MF romances has progressively fractured more and more over the years, but I like to dip my toe in a few times a year just to see how they’re going. I have to admit that I enjoyed Owen and Uma significantly more than any other MF story in recent times. I attribute this to the fact that neither Una nor Owen were described as conventionally attractive characters, nor did they subscribe to the traditional masculine and feminine roles or characteristics….also Una being a bisexual Brienne of Tarth from Game of Thrones had me in a chokehold. Their characters and dynamic was all just a bit refreshing to be honest.
I have to admit that inexplicably something about this writing kept me at a distance. I felt a bit like I was floating above a beautiful river, and I could appreciate its aesthetic beauty but I never dipped into the river itself. Even towards the end my emotional investment in, what was clearly deeply emotional moments, was kind of a bit lukewarm.
Honestly, I would recommend people read this just to experience Harrows writing alone. Even if you are like me and end up feeling like you struggled to invest on a deeper emotional level a bit, it was still a lovely piece of work to read. And remember kids, reading is always political.
It was the first time I’d seen you truly fight. I suppose I had grown used to the disappointing gap between myth and reality; I suppose I thought your skill had been embellished by time, exaggerated as all legends are.
It hadn’t been. You fell among the Hinterlanders like a mad dog cut loose from its leash, like a scythe across dry wheat, like a weapon wearing the skin of a woman.
You did not fight cleanly or prettily; it was nothing like a dance. It was an annihilation, brutal and inexorable, and the only beauty was in the sheer fucking speed of it.
Consider following my instagram
Read
November 5, 2025This book requires a little bit of “trust the process” — it was about 30% before I was actually interested in the story. Once we hit that 30% mark I was pretty locked in and really enjoyed the storytelling. There are a few “odd” things (like the use of You) that you just need to lean into and trust — it all makes sense in the end.
This is actually a DNF for me (67%), but not because I’m not enjoying the book! I very much am. I predict this would be an easy 4-4.5 star book if I was to finish. Unfortunately some of the content is a trigger for me, and after speaking to a friend I think it is best for me not to continue.
Again, really enjoyed what I read of the book and think it is definitely worth a read if you can handle the heavier topics.
Audio Narration: 3.5/5 I really enjoyed the female narrator, pacing, inflection were all great - my only issue was that each pause at sentence end/comma were very exaggerated which makes finding a comfortable listening speed difficult. Male narrator was not my favorite but decent. I thought the choice to not vary the voice for dialogue of the FMC during the MMCs parts and vice versa was really odd and made it difficult to follow who was speaking. At first I thought it was for all dialogue but it seems it was just a production choice for their dialogue specifically? Overall it’s a solid audiobook but I may have enjoyed the print version more.
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Thank you Tor/Macmillan Audio for the gifted book. All opinions are my own.
This is actually a DNF for me (67%), but not because I’m not enjoying the book! I very much am. I predict this would be an easy 4-4.5 star book if I was to finish. Unfortunately some of the content is a trigger for me, and after speaking to a friend I think it is best for me not to continue.
Again, really enjoyed what I read of the book and think it is definitely worth a read if you can handle the heavier topics.
Audio Narration: 3.5/5 I really enjoyed the female narrator, pacing, inflection were all great - my only issue was that each pause at sentence end/comma were very exaggerated which makes finding a comfortable listening speed difficult. Male narrator was not my favorite but decent. I thought the choice to not vary the voice for dialogue of the FMC during the MMCs parts and vice versa was really odd and made it difficult to follow who was speaking. At first I thought it was for all dialogue but it seems it was just a production choice for their dialogue specifically? Overall it’s a solid audiobook but I may have enjoyed the print version more.
| IG | TikTok |
Thank you Tor/Macmillan Audio for the gifted book. All opinions are my own.
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