REVIEW: ‘Ever the Hunted’ by Erin Summerill

 

In Erin Summerill’s stunning debut, ‘Ever the Hunted’ sets up an exciting world for readers!

In Erin Summerill’s stunning debut, Ever the Hunted sets up an exciting world for readers. There’s vengeance, clashing kingdoms, and a determined heroine who is willing to do whatever it takes to find her father’s murderer.

The blurb:

Seventeen year-old Britta Flannery is at ease only in the woods with her dagger and bow. She spends her days tracking criminals alongside her father, the legendary bounty hunter for the King of Malam – that is, until her father is murdered.

Now outcast and alone and having no rights to her father’s land or inheritance, she seeks refuge where she feels most safe: the Ever Woods. When Britta is caught poaching by the royal guard, instead of facing the noose she is offered a deal: her freedom in exchange for her father’s killer.

However, it’s not so simple.

The alleged killer is none other than Cohen McKay, her father’s former apprentice. The only friend she’s ever known. The boy she once loved who broke her heart. She must go on a dangerous quest in a world of warring kingdoms, mad kings, and dark magic to find the real killer. But Britta wields more power than she knows. And soon she will learn what has always made her different will make her a daunting and dangerous force.

Readers first meet Britta after her father has been gone for a while. She’s left to fend for herself since the king will take back her father’s land leaving her completely homeless. After being forced to poach, which is illegal, she’s arrested and taken to the dungeons. Britta only suffers for sometime though because soon a Lord offers her a deal in exchange for her life that she can’t refuse.

Britta is incredibly stubborn which made it hard for me to really like her. Her determination to never give up despite all her losses was inspiring though. Her deal with the Lord sends her on a mission that introduces us to more characters including Cohen, the one being charged as her father’s killer. I enjoyed all of the characters, even the evil ones! I wish we got more from King Aodren, but I’m hoping we’ll see him in future books.

I’ve read a lot of fantasy this year so it’s not surprising that I found a lot of the plot twists to be predictable. So, it felt like the story was going forward without actually moving forward making it a slow read for me. As for the romance, it was sweet and well-balanced throughout the story. Their shared history made it unique, but unfortunately it was too back and forth for my liking. There were moments that were unnecessary to tell the story.

The world continues to expand introducing more magic. I absolutely loved Erin Summerill’s writing because it truly captured this world through stunning descriptions. Honestly it was her writing that saved the first half of the book for me. The setting of these beautiful woods and the simplicity of it all was intriguing. After setting up this new world for readers, the plot grows more interesting by the end. It all began to wrap up nicely until that final scene!

Overall, I enjoyed this book. The characters were all interesting and each played a role in the story. I did end up liking Britta more than I did when we first meet her. Her strength after losing everything in her life made her a great heroine. Erin Summerill sets up so many possibilities for the future of this series, and I’m looking forward to reading more from her! I recommend Ever the Hunted for all the fantasy lovers!

Summary

3.9
Plot
Characters
Writing
Theme/Message

I found most of the plot to be predictable, but Ever the Hunted still left me intrigued while reading. Erin Summerill’s writing is stunning and I enjoyed how well she built this new world for readers. The characters were all interesting, but were a bit hard to connect with at the beginning. Britta’s strength despite all that she lost in her life was inspiring though, and I enjoyed that about her story.

"And she is the reader who browses the shelf and looks for new worlds but finds herself." - I'm a writer who enjoys telling you all about the things I love, which includes a lot of books!

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