Ever Winter by Peter Hackshaw is a chilling dystopian adventure set in a world ravaged by an eternal winter. The narration by Dan Stevens is superb, perfectly capturing the desperation and determination of the protagonist, Henry.

The story starts off strong, painting a vivid picture of Henry's harsh existence with his family on the frozen tundra. The sudden disruption of their lives throws Henry into a spiral of grief and rage.

The pacing was a bit uneven at times, with some sections dragging a bit. However, the brutal world-building and the mystery surrounding the antagonists kept me engaged.

Overall, Ever Winter is a solid post-apocalyptic tale that will appeal to fans of genres like Hunger Games or The Maze Runner. If you're looking for a fast-paced adventure with a strong emotional core, check this one out!

I don't know why but when I saw apocalyptic, futuristic setting, I was expecting a more modern writing style when in fact this was very reminiscent of reading a classic, like Treasure Island or Robinson Crusoe. In addition, it came across as something geared more towards middle school/young high school boys than something for an adult audience.

All this said, still an entertaining listen and the narrator Dan Stevens does a great job capturing this cold, frozen, apocalyptic world.

Thank you to NetGalley and Podium Audio for providing a audiobook copy in return for an honest, unbiased review.

I love apocalyptic fiction. This one was a particular stand-out. The story was fantastic, and Stevens' narration was superb. I highly recommend this one of you have any interest in those end of the world type stories.

What a great apocalypse story book! I read it when it was winter so… it was chillingly relatable in some moments! A total immersion experience! As all apocalypse stories, this one is about loss, finding, surviving and living one day more. It really intrigued me and I totally recommend reading it.

Dan Stevens is the perfect narrator for this book. He brought Henry's life and conflicting emotions to life from the start. I love post apocalypse stories and the synopsis on this one said "read me". I am definitely recommending to me reading circle. They will love it as much as I do, guaranteed.

In the aftermath of a devastating apocalypse, Earth has become a desolate ice world, in the grip of perpetual winter.
Henry and his family have managed to survive on the tundra of what was once a vast ocean, far from the savage remnants of humanity.
I'm not a big fan of dystopian novels but have always been able to engage with any book.
Unfortunately, Ever Winter just did not hold my interest, and the way the science felt forced alienated me even more.
I also would not put this in the horror category, as it was advertised. Sci-fi if you must, only because it takes place in the future where our world as we know it, no longer exists.
Thanks to @Netgalley, Monolith Books, and Podium Audio, for the chance to read this in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion

Loved it! Creepy & chilling. Dan Stevens has one of the best voices for narrations, which is probably why he gets so much work lately. Definitely a perfect listen to curl up with during a winter storm.

Interesting

I had to go back and look at my review of The Ice Lion because I felt like this book had a lot of the things that it was missing. Ever Winter did a good job of trying to explain what happened and referred to the generations that were gone allowing me to figure out what happened in a better way.

So, on the surface, Ever Winter is a story about a post-apocalyptic snowy/cold wasteland after another ice age. On the surface, it seems like it's going to be another Cli-Fi story, but it's so much more. It's a revenge story but also a story about growth.

The biggest thing that jumped out to me was the main antagonist. His character in general fits what you'd think of a slightly crazy person holding power via fear and fear alone. The funnier part to me was the accent and speech pattern that Dan Stevens went with. It reminded me a lot of King Julien from the Madagascar movies (who was a bit crazy and obsessed with being king as well) mixed a little bit with another character I can't put my finger on. While the random connection in my head with the kid's movies -- it didn't take away from the story but actually added to it. You could tell that he was not right and the way that he talked about and just reacted to things was helped by this accent/speech pattern.

The story itself was interesting but a few times it was a bit slow. I started this one near its release a while back - but put it down. I picked it back up and flew through the early scenes where we find out what happens to Henry. His training scenes and just overall growth was probably the best part of the whole story. Then it slowed down again (just when I thought it was going to pick up). Then, it sprinted towards the end. What I'm trying to say is that the action and fast-paced scenes seemed to ebb and flow with some slower scenes. It was okay but I was listening on a car ride and I almost turned it off because it was getting too slow.

Overall, Ever Winter was an interesting story with a lot more under the surface. It's a story of revenge, redemption, and learning from the past. Along with probably 10 other subplots woven in for good measure. Throw in the excellent narration from Dan Stevens and you have a book I enjoyed but didn't love.

This is a suspenseful dystopian, revenge story with strong characters. My rating 4.5.

Henry is a teen raised with his younger sisters and brothers in a solitary family. His parents made a choice to go into the wilderness in the vast tundra, once an ocean, where they struggle to survive the perpetual winter. Henry’s father taught him to stay alive, scavenge, and provide food for the family. One day they found a recently dead body in the snow. They scavenged from the body as that is the way of the wild. This act led to another man showing up at their home while Henry and his father were out. They return to find the man charming the younger girls although their mother is cautious. Henry’s father sends the man on his way and warns the family that they need to relocate.

Henry, his sister Mary, and their father make a remarkable find of a supply ship frozen in the former ocean. Henry remains behind intent on opening a container. When he returns home, he finds the home on fire, his mother and infant son killed and his father dying. His siblings have been kidnapped and Henry swears to find and rescue them.

But what can a young boy do against a community led by brutal, evil men and women? His first attempt meets with failure and he is dragged out to the snow and left to die. Surprisingly, another young boy sneaks out to try to help. Then an android entity arrives to treat his injuries and bring him back to the ship to be nursed back to health. In the process, Henry is changed and trained to become a warrior who might be able to face the savage community where his sisters reside.

The story started just a bit slowly, but I was soon wrapped into Henry’s world and cheering for the family’s, specifically Henry’s, survival. I liked the AI companion and the other feline companion that Henry managed to befriend.

Peter Hackshaw created a fascinating, if brutal, world, and then added historic (to Henry but not the reader/listener) elements including a surprise vehicle. Admittedly the story is harsh with deprivation, violence, and evil. Some sensitive readers might be offended by some of the scenes. I cringed a few times but, overall, I appreciated the author’s ability to weave a tale of personal determination in a harsh world. I recommend this to readers who like dystopian and can handle the evil elements that might exist in a broken-down society. I would be interested in reading more by Mr. Hackshaw.

Audio Notes: Dan Stevens does an excellent job with the narration. He provides distinct voices and accents that fit the characters. The narration added to my enjoyment of the story and I would be glad to listen to more stories narrated by Mr. Stevens.

Source: 2021 NetGalley.

Dystopian futuristic world where winter remains 365 days a year. A fast paced adventure novel. Some graphic violent scenes. The narration was weird but that was intentional by the author who insisted on a weird combination of English with Spanish slang as the language of the future.

Set in a frozen post apocalyptic world, life is harsh and the book is just as harsh, it is gritty and gory and violent.

We follow Henry a young man, as he lives this harsh life with his family and then as he avenges them.

This is a future where there is no technology and the people are barbaric and the rules are basic and savage.

It is definitely not for the faint of heart, but I did enjoy it and the audiobook made it better. Narrated by Dan Stevens he did a really good job especially with the characters and the voices.

I at first had a hardctinevwithbthus story it paints a bleak picture of humanity in an apocalyptic scenario with little to no information about how it happened.

I love post apocalypticstories they are a big favoritebut I'm used to more information on how the world devolved into that condition. The thought live moves on into the degree if existencewithoutany knowledgeofcthecwhy's and how is a bit hard to believe. However, setting that aside it is easy to settle into the world and it sets a dark tale fueled by revenge and retribution. The book is gripping and well written.

Ever Winter is a revenge story set in a post-apocalyptic world where a perpetual winter has wiped out most human and animal life. Ever Winter follows a family that is trying to survive in this harsh world. However, when a group of thugs discovers the family, their lives are altered and broken forever, and it is up to the main protagonist, Henry, to seek vengeance.

What did I love?
Although the first half of this book feels predictable, Hacksaw introduced some exciting plot twists in the second half, which I enjoyed. Hacksaw also depicts the struggles and effects of living in isolation well. Furthermore, Ever Winter displays the cost of seeking vengeance and how a world will fall into anarchy when there is no government to keep law and order. Moreover, I enjoyed following the main protagonist Henry and his journey.

I listened to this book on audio and loved the performance. Dan Stevens does a phenomenal job at capturing the tone of this book and having distinct voices for each character. I can highly recommend the audiobook.

What did I not love?
Unfortunately, I only felt invested in Henry’s plotline and didn’t care about the other POV’s. The other characters lack depth which made it difficult to connect with them. Furthermore, I would have appreciated a bit more of a background story about how the ‘Ever Winter’ started and how it transformed the world.
Moreover, I feel there was a missed opportunity with the ‘group of thugs’. The reader never gets any background on how this thug group was formed or the characters past. This group is just ‘plain evil’, which just made the villain feel quite bland.

Lastly, there are some quite unrealistic scenes in this book, making it difficult for me to feel immersed in the story.

Conclusion
Overall, I thought Ever Winter is a decent book with a great protagonist, interesting ideas and plot twists. Unfortunately, the main villain and side characters were quite bland, and the world-building was not that great. However, if you do pick up this book, I can recommend the audiobook narrated by Dan Stevens.

3 / 5

Thanks to Peter Hackshaw, NetGalley and Podium Audio for an audio-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Full review to be posted soonish.
Dan Stevens did an exceptional work narrating this, as usual!

I would like to thank the publisher and netgalley for providing me a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was amazing on so many levels. The story was brilliant and so engrossing, I got really emotional with some of the deaths.. You could really imagine the story and get engrossed with it. I have read a lot of post- apocalypse books recently and this was up there with the best. This is my first exposure to this author but will not be my last.

Then we go onto the narration wow what a voice Dan Stevens gives to the story what a range of tones, you can really tell the drama training. I am now going to look for this narrator as well.

I was given a free copy by net galley and the publishers but the review is entirely my own.

Thanks to Netgalley and Podium Audio for the audio ARC of this book!
Henry lives in a post-apocalyptic, world with his parents and 5 siblings. Out on the ice, above what used to be a thriving ocean teeming with life, they spend their days hunting for fish and discovering relics of a world long forgotten.

When a visitor comes to their home, Henry’s life is upended. With four of his siblings kidnapped, Henry swears to both save them and get vengeance on his family’s attackers.

This tale of revenge, love, and loss, narrated by Dan Stevens, is a gripping tale that will leave you on the edge of your seat.

The Pros and Cons of Living During Ever Winter

Pros:
1. snow leopards who become your friend
2. ancient robots who are super handy in a crisis
3. that’s it.

Cons:
1. You only have access to one book for the first 15 years of your life (and that book is It, by Stephen King…but you don’t even know what a clown is).
2. It’s freaking cold all the time.
3. Sometimes you have to eat dead people to stay alive (seriously, like the first 10 minutes of the story has them eating a dead guy they found).
4. You can’t give a baby a name until you’re pretty sure they’re going to stay alive, because like I said above, it’s freezing all the time and there’s very little to eat.
5. Every adult except for your parents is a giant creep who wants to marry your pre-teen sisters.

Basically, living during Ever Winter would be a hard pass from me. Of course all of these points, even the cons, are what make this book so compelling. Dan Steven’s narration is spot-on; he makes even the most despicable characters come alive. And, gosh, was I rooting for Henry. He was dealt a pretty terrible hand. All I wanted was for him to get revenge on the King and his lackeys and make them pay.

TW: child/baby death, violence, child marriage

I'm not a fantasy-lover. Fairies and strange old men with tattered cloaks are not my jam, but the synopsis of Ever Winter by Peter Hackshaw leapt out at me despite being billed as a Fantasy/Sci-Fi.

The book follows Henry, our protagonist, living hundreds of years in the future while the world suffers through a perpetual ice-age.

Henry's world is turned upside-down when a stranger crosses his family's doorstep and he is forced to face another community trying to survive on the frozen earth.

I don't often cry in books, but this one had me weeping very early on. It's testament to Peter Hackshaw's intricate character development that I developed such a strong connection so quickly.

This book kept surprising me. The addition of strong post-apocalyptic elements including really inventive future technology as well as some really dark, almost horror elements, worked to create a really strong and emotional tale. One minute I was crying, the next I was cheering, and then I was gasping for air and staring horrified!

Amazingly all of these elements worked beautifully together, and instead of a messy, confused book I found it to be incredibly strong. The plot was inventive, the characters believable and the setting was harsh and haunting.

The narration of the audiobook by Dan Stevens was exceptional, and I was genuinely sad for this book to end! I would recommend this one to anyone craving a gritty and wholly unique dystopian tale with some familiar fantasy elements. It triggered memories of The Dark Tower series - one of the most epic tales in existence in my opinion - but equally as genre defying.

I love science fiction, for the way science and technology can enhance a story. I did not enjoy this book because the science was so bizarrely pushed into such a gritty and barbaric apocalyptic story. Overall it seemed like the author was trying WAY too hard to merge people barely surviving in frozen tundra with old/retrieved technology.

What the heck was up with the children having to dive into freezing cold sea to pull things from sunken places? It's rare I can't engage with a book, but this one felt like sandpaper on my brain.

Ever Winter is a great revenge story that starts slow but engages with the gritty realism of its wintry post-apocalyptic dystopian setting.

I rarely pick up post-apocalyptic dystopian as my sub-genre of choice. In this case, I've to admit the narrator being Dan Stevens made a whole lot of difference. Fortunately, I was not disappointed in the least, both in the performance and quality of the story.

Ever Winter is a revenge story that is filled with brutality and violence, but also a lot of heart. Set in the future where perpetual winter covers the world, the story is mainly told from the perspective of a young man, Henry, who lived with his family in an igloo homestead on the 'Lantic (which I take it to mean The Atlantic ocean completely frozen over). Based on what I could gather from the narrative, this cold spell has lasted for about 100 years and life was difficult and harsh in the vast cold landscape where food is scarce.

When I say this book was brutal, I meant it in every sense of the word. Right from the very first chapter, we saw our main protagonist and his father carving up the dead body of a man as meat for the family to consume as food. Hackshaw did not pull any punches in portraying the grim reality of what life would be in a frozen world. The author has also created a very believable post-apocalyptic setting from the way that language has evolved to the mannerisms of speech and words used by the surviving people who became the new generation. Items from the time before the world was frozen over were also referred to as 'anteeks'. It was so paradoxical for while life seemed more primitive in this world, those items were considered as part of the old world even though it's technologically more advanced.

Shortly into the story, it was revealed that there was a bigger community of people living elsewhere when a stranger suddenly appeared in Henry's home; a stranger that heralded darker times to come for him and his family. I couldn't really say much more without spoilers. What I could say was that I really enjoyed it even though it took me about a third of the story before I became engrossed. The book took its time in the beginning to introduce its key characters, which I've always appreciated as this will only make me feel more invested later.

There was a section leading towards the midway point of the book which had me on tenterhooks. One scene here had me squirming so badly even before what was implied actually happened, as the very thought of it was horrifying. I also didn't expect the direction the narrative took after this part, and it started to become pretty darn fantastic. This marked the point where I found myself utterly hooked and invested in everything that was unfolding in the story. I have to stay vague so that it will not ruin the pleasant surprise that I felt at what transpired, and which eventually resulted in such an emotional beat for me at the end.

Now, as this is an audiobook review I have to talk about Dan Stevens' narration. As I've mentioned above, his narration was the biggest draw for me to listen to this book as he is one of my favourites. For a very good reason, as his ability to voice characters and imbuing the right personality into them is one the best in the audiobook business (that he's also an incredibly versatile actor is besides the point - ahem). The clarity of his enunciation made it so easy to listen and catch every single word. I could listen to that voice and accent all day, everyday. Hackshaw has written a great story with distinctive characters, and Stevens' stellar and nimble performance on audio made it even better. One more thing to note is that the audiobook also has two bonus chapters, which was not in the Kindle edition.

I do believe fans of a good revenge story will enjoy Ever Winter, although one does need to contend with a slow burn in the beginnning. It is also worth bearing in mind that there are some scenes in here which are unremittingly brutal and violent. The frozen post-apocalyptic dystopian setting is also not for everyone, but whether this is right up your alley or not, I do recommend checking it out.

I received an audio copy of Ever Winter from NetGalley for review. I was sold by Dan Stevens’ narration alone. I enjoy post-apocalyptic stories and this was a very unique addition to the genre. Generations after an apocalyptic event/freeze, Henry and his family are surviving in the ever winter of the north. They live a solitary existence until a stranger appears one day and sets off a series of events that changes the course of their lives. Just when you think the story is going one way, it veers off in different directions, always keeping you guessing. Very well done!