*I received this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

Do you see how beautiful the cover is?! ....I should probably try NOT requesting books because of how pretty their covers are.

<i> Ever the Hunted</i> is not a bad book. Mostly, my rating is based off of my own personal preference for this one. If you like books with no slow moments, romance-based with angst, and don't mind cliches, then you should totally read it.

I know, I'm doing this review backwards than usual, but since I only read 25% of the book, I did not really get into it enough to find something I liked -- besides the map in the front.

So, what made me stop reading? Honestly, I was bored. I've been reading a ton of great books with amazing background and strong characters that when I was thrown into this I felt like I had gone from swimming in the ocean to sitting in a kiddy pool. Perhaps things would have gotten deeper, but when a female's thoughts are literally only on the male interest and her dead father and not so much on the tracking she is doing or trying to survive with her guards or even next steps in her life, I just *shrugs* I couldn't get into it.
Surprisingly, it was also too fast-paced for me. "What?!" Yeah, I <i> do like </i> some background information about what people look like or the scenery or even tell me how she tracks instead of 'she looked around and saw a foot-print' ....can't anyone find a footprint? It felt fast enough that I felt like I was skimming--which I wasn't for once, and I felt I was missing things.
Such as? Well, how about how Leif knew her personality and told her how amazing she is? That... how?! Been traveling together mere days with little talking because of the 'prisoner- guard' dymanic and yet he knows Britta is loyal? How? This might have more to do with explaining things and not showing...

All in all, I don't think it is a bad book, I think I'm just too advanced for it. Perhaps a young teen or something with little Fantasy reading experience might enjoy this.

Britta's father, the official Bounty Hunter of the King, has been murdered and her best childhood friend is the suspect. When Britta is caught poaching she has two choices: die or join the hunt for Cohen. If she finds him, she will get her freedom back. On her way Britta discovers clues that make her aware Cohen is around; and eventually they meet and run away together. Cohen vows he didn't kill her father and it is up to them to discover the truth.

There is nothing wrong with a basic plot; it only starts to form a problem when the author truly keeps it basic. The story fails to deliver something more. The characters are solid, the plot is predictable and the pacing is on the slow side. It all felt flat and uninspired to me.

Britta and Cohen are both unmemorable characters. In the beginning I imagined her to be a little like Brave. She is great at tracking and she knows her way with the bow. Her father has taught her many things, but most of the times she seemed clueless. There was nothing special about her and she had a slight damsel in distress syndrome. She faints and cries a lot. While I don't object to anyone displaying these emotions (because no, crying doesn't make you look weak), Britta doesn't seem to be able to pick herself up without having a guy around.

Cohen also lacks traits that make him stand out. He is the typical boy-next-door, so I didn't give a crap about their plain romance. I always like the friends-who-turn-into-lover-trope (although I prefer sarcastic/hate-to-love romance), but not if both characters bore me to death.

It's such a shame, because it could have been elevated to a higher level. The ending sort of made up for it, but the overall story wasn't enough to make me want to pick up the sequel.

I still have mixed feelings about this book, and it’s been weeks since I’ve finished it.

For one I was never as invested in the characters as I wanted to be. Britta could be really great at times, and then really dumb at other times. And right off the bat I disliked the love interest Cohen, who was the typical YA arrogant dick. Cohen had the whole “I loved you so I left you” complex going on which is a huge cliche and one of my personal pet peeves.

But I did like the world, I thought it was pretty well developed and would continue to be interesting in the second book. However by the time I finished Ever the Hunted I didn’t really care either way about what happened to the world, or the characters. There were weird things going on with the romance, on top of the author is pushing the “one-true-love” cliche.

And I mean…I didn’t hate this book. I wasn’t ever truly bored, I just didn’t care as much as I wanted to. “Meh” is a good word to sum up how I felt about Ever the Hunted.

I'm not going to rate this one as I've given up reading it for the moment. I'll try it again soon.

It had such a promising beginning! I am so upset by how much of a tumbleweed Ever the Hunted became. Aside from underwhelming rising action, characters that felt like such sticks in the mud, dialogue that was unentertaining and bland like eating a whole container of plain Greek yoghurt.

Britta, you poor, underwhelming woman. You had so much potential. You had so much and you threw it all away! For what? A guy. Per usual. No. I am just so fed up with characters who don't stand up and take their own feelings into account. Britta, you piece of butter, you were so promising in the first couple chapters. Then plot holes and boys and emotions threw you under the bus.

I just hated how complacent Britta was. Like, someone just apologizes and Britta forgives them for every single thing. Especially Cohen, who left her for dead in a town who outcasted her, starved her out, and did nothing when her father died. She forgave him and went off smacking lips for a good page. Girl! you said you could count every single rib you were that malnourished! and you're gonna go ahead and forgive the bastard because he said he was sorry and kissed you real good? I don't get it.

I didn't even see the appeal of Cohen, he was just plain dirt half the time. Keeping secrets and shit. Just a real stick in the mud kinda personality. I couldn't paint a picture of him if you asked me to try. He's just be the sheet of paper.

As far as endings go, I was confused. What even happened? It was not a cliffhanger that makes me excited for book two. It makes me feel awkward because Britta's powers(?) attached her hyperaware spirit to the king...? Who is now going to be a new love interest? And where was I when they announced the king was like super young? I thought he was this stocky old guy just dying in bed the whole time. Anyway, bring on the love triangle, because this story need that of all things.

*Review will be added to Instagram (www.instagram.com/storybookslayer), and blogger (www.storybookslayers.blogspot.com)*

I give the book three stars. I had high expectations for book but it fell a bit flat. I was confused by the main character she was supposed to be amazing tracker but kept getting lost or she supposed to be strong emotionally but came off as weak. I did like the descriptions of the world the author created. I am on fence about recommending the book.

An exciting and engaging debut from author Erin Summerill, Ever the Hunted highlights this author’s talent for storytelling and world-building, and starts us on a journey that will take you across kingdoms in the fight for truth.

Ever the Hunted introduces us to Britt, a young girl left to fend for herself after her father’s murder months earlier. Britt is a strong character and I loved seeing her develop throughout the novel, especially as she becomes softer in heart, yet harder in mind. Her prior relationship with her father’s accused murderer added an exciting element to the story, and I loved seeing how she had to question what the evidence suggested, and with what her heart was telling her.

There is some gorgeous world-building in this novel, and I loved the story behind the clashes of the two kingdom’s (something I’d like to see further explored in future books in the series).

Overall this was a superbly written adventure through foreign lands in search of the truth, and I am excited to see where the series will take us next.

4 Stars!

*Review copy was kindly provided by the publisher through NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review*

The first time I saw Ever The Hunted I fell in love with it already. The cover was stunning and the combination of white and gold is perfect. As I started reading, I already knew I won't be able to put the book down easily.

As a reader one of the things I love reading is about a female character who can defend herself from her enemies and this book has that character. Britta Flannery, smart hunter, strong and beautiful. She became the king's bounty hunter when she was arrested by the guards for poaching on the king's land, she had reasons why she did that but it wasn't up for discussion. And since she's known as one of the great hunters trained by her father Saul, she was hired to capture her best friend Cohen Mackay in exchange of her freedom. Cohen was accused of killing Saul, and he's hiding since that incident happened. His dagger was found together with her father's cloak. Britta's mission began when she had no other choice but to accept Lord Jamis' offer.

"Trust is a delicate thing, so easily broken and not so effortlessly repaired."

Did that summary catches your attention? I tried my best to give you all a hint. LOL

Another thing that I loved about this book is not just the medieval set up but also the magic and other secrets that this book can offer. I think it was amazing at least it's not just a normal castle soldiers. The twists of the story is something worth reading for! I can't avoid the curiosity on some parts of the book so I had to read it again. THE ENDING THOUGH! that's mind boggling!

Anyway, I had a really great time reading this book. It was one of my best read in 2016! and with that, I can't wait for the next book .... I don't mind waiting *tries to be patient*. This book is a MUST READ!

"Don't reflect on the negative. Think about all the positives in your life."

*I read this in March 2017. I wrote this review the same day I finished it. I read it as an arc. It was a struggle to finish it. As always, this is my honest review.

I’m going to be honest guys, I finished this book simply because the publisher suggested this book to me through Netgalley, so I gave it a shot. But right away, I knew this book wasn’t the one for me. I gave it 1.5 stars on Goodreads simply because this book is probably one of the most generic, bland, boring books I’ve read in a long time.

Summary:

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.

This novel is a prime example of what happens when you tell instead of show: you get a bored reader. I guessed every plot twist, said words before the characters said them, and generally spent my time rolling my eyes at Britta’s ramblings or else, face palming.

I’ve never read a character with such slow reaction times. Bella Swan has better deduction skills. It was honestly frustrating because this story had potential of being a good fantasy novel. It wouldn’t have been anything extraordinary, but it would have been a fun fantasy read. As it was, it was just…meh.

It’s hard taking a book seriously when there are lines like:

“Somehow I free myself of the guards.” (This is an arc quote, so it might have changed when published. I don’t have a final copy on hand to verify this). The casual use of somehow pained me when I read it. This is right at the beginning, too. SOMEHOW?!

“”My name is Essa.” It’s all I could come up with on the spot and immediately regret as my response pricks through me. It’s too close to Enat.” (Also arc quote subject to change). I read this to my sister. Her reaction was along the lines of….”IN WHAT PLANET ARE THOSE EVEN REMOTELY RELATED?” Apparently, since it’s a 4 letter word, that starts with E, and has an A in it, the names are close.

“It seems so obvious now, but I swear, it never entered my mind.” (Also arc quote, subject to change). This is after a “big” reveal that I saw coming from a mile away.

Quite frankly, this novel reads like the author was making it up as she went, which is fine, but then never edited it before publication. There’s a good story in here…somewhere. But no one took the time to mine it out, which is sad.

This week, I finished reading Ever the Hunted by Erin Summerill. It was a whirlwind read, one that made me forget all the other books I was reading, and life in general, while I sped through its pages. While there were a couple of plot points that didn’t make sense to me, fit in with the pace of the plot, or seem entirely plausible, it was overall a very compelling read.

The story follows Britta Flannery, an orphaned teenager in an unruly kingdom. While her father taught her well to defend and provide for herself before he was murdered, she is not prepared to find out that the person who killed him is none other than her only friend, her father’s apprentice, a boy she hasn’t seen in over a year. When she’s told she must find him and turn him in to be executed for the crime, on pain of her own life being forfeit, she feels she has no choice but to agree. She’s assigned three guards who push her relentlessly to find him, but when she does everything changes.

And it does, in more ways than one, but in order to tell you how they change and discuss those plot points that didn’t make sense to me, I’d have to spoil most of the story, and I don’t want to do that. I want you to read this book too, and then comment on this post, so that we can have a discussion about it. Maybe they’ll make sense to you. They concern Captain Omar, one of the three guards, the wandering they do, and Britta’s motives in the final scenes. They also concern the cliffhanger ending.

You’d think, with this being said, that I wouldn’t have liked the book, but I did, very much so. I can only give it .5 out of two stars for plot, but everything else–characters, setting, style, etc.–is wonderful. I think Summerill’s writing is what really makes this book stand apart. Her style is so original and intense, it’s like pure, cold mountain water. It’s flowing, bracing, and invigorating. Take this line for example:

“We travel along the hills, hiding in the brush and patches of trees running parallel to the road. Clouds form in the west, gray beasts that slink away from the ocean, growling in an untamed approach.” It’s not hard to envision the setting she portrays, even though it’s imaginary and unlike modern day.

It’s even less difficult to relate to the roil of emotions Britta experiences in her journey to find her father’s murder and then reclaim her life and even those of her countrymen, even though very few readers of this book are orphaned teenagers seeking their father’s murderers. She seemed not only real and relatable, but worthy of my encouragement.

So, out of ten stars (the way I rate books), I give it 8.5. Read it too, and let me know what you think! Be forewarned that it’s part of a series, and the next book Ever the Brave doesn’t come out until December, but know also that the moment I finished Ever the Hunted, I pre-ordered Ever the Brave.

I honestly can't even with this book. The characters were SO BORING. Think of the most generic special snowflake female protagonist = the protagonist of this book. Think of the most generic super good-looking male love interest = the love interest of this book. The premise of the book sounded so interesting too! There was going to be conflict because her ex-best friend who she's had a crush on forever is suspected of having murdered her father and she's the only one who can find him! In reality, the book was just "I'm on a horse. Oh, I found the guy. Oh, I can tell when people are lying and so I know he didn't kill my dad. Oh, he's so handsome and still smells good even though we've been riding a horse for 50 days in a row. Oh, I need to save the kingdom now that I know I'm a special snowflake. Oh, but he really is handsome and really does smell good." That was basically the whole story so now you don't have to read it. You're welcome. In the grand scheme of things, the romance/relationship should have taken a backseat to the rest of the plot. Instead, it's shoved in our faces at every turn. Not a fan. I'm honestly surprised I didn't DNF it.

Note: I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Though this book has an absolutely stunning cover design (and I am a sucker for cover design!), my overall feeling about the story inside the covers was a resounding “meh.” I was tentatively interested and engaged in the beginning (world-building concerns were primarily what kept me from being fully interested and engaged), and then halfway through I got bored. The romance, which had an interesting hook and tension to start with, was resolved too quickly for me. Though the plot kept a tidy pace, it still somehow managed to feel mired and slow to me. The plot development on the last page was intriguing, but probably not enough to motivate me to pick up the next book when it comes out.

DNF.

I was really happy when I got this one as an ARC at NetGalley and wanted to start right away.

I tried.. but in the meantime I've tried like 10 times to get into it, but I just don't care. I'm not in the mood to pick it up again and I'm officially giving up.

- I did not like the MC; she was a bit whiny, and I don't like a damsel in distress. Man up girl !!
- Because of that I could not relate to her or get into the story.. which sucks
- I found it all a bit.. sexist?
- I did not like the romance, I could care less about them.

The theme of early 2017 seems to be reading books I’ve hyped myself up for only to be grossly disappointed once I read them. When I saw Ever the Hunted by Erin Summerill I instantly wanted it. The cover was absolutely gorgeous, it was a fantasy novel, and the main character was a girl with a bow. That was enough for me. I was so sold!

Then I read the book. And… Well, let’s just say I wasn’t impressed.

Britta Flannery is a hunter and tracker, trained by her father, the king’s best bounty hunter. When her father is murdered, her lands seized, and Britta caught poaching things look dire. But she’ll be given freedom and her father’s lands if she manages to catch her father’s killer. The only suspect is Cohen, her father’s former apprentice, Britta’s only friend, and the boy she loves.

The first thing that caught my attention with this book was the cover. This is probably one of the most beautiful book covers of 2016. It’s all silver, white and gold filigree that just oozes a beautiful fantasy setting. The book is also a quick read. I didn’t feel like I’d read nearly 400 pages, but I had. The prose itself flows fairly well as well.

The rest of the book? Well, it goes from trope-filled to downright problematic. Let me explain why.

First off, we have Britta, a very skilled hunter and tracker who was taught everything she knows by her father, the best bounty hunter in the kingdom. Learning this I expected a very strong, very competent woman who could really kick some ass. What I got was an angsty teenager who liked to whine a lot. At first, I was honestly unfazed about this. Her father was murdered and she nearly starved to death following the mourning protocols of the country. I fully expected this aspect of her to change as the story progressed. But the character development I was waiting for as she continued on her quest and healed from her father’s death never actually came.

To be honest, it wasn’t until I hit more than seventy five percent into the novel that I realized Britta was supposed to be two weeks away from her eighteenth birthday. Why? Because she acts very immature. Not only that, but it didn’t feel like she was probably nearing the end of her training with her father.

This is one of the things I found the most problematic early on. Britta is supposed to be one of the best trackers and hunters in the kingdom. Everyone respects her ability. She’s known as one of the best. Except more often than not she misses the tracks she’s looking for. This happens a lot in the book, from beginning to end. I’m not sure why Britta is touted as a great hunter and tracker. She very frequently misses the signs she’s looking for and she doesn’t actually use her bow that much. There was no real evidence she was actually very good at her job.

Beyond having no visible skill in hunting or tracking past what the author tells us, Britta is dumb as a rock. She can’t see the obvious, even when it’s right in front of her. Despite being nearly eighteen she’s incredibly naïve. She’s whiny. She faints and cries a decent amount. I must admit that one of the ‘villain’ characters was correct when he referred to Britta as a “weepy girl”. Nothing about Britta makes me want to root for her. The only thing she makes me feel is the uncontrollable urge to smack some sense into her.[/paragraph]

Speaking of hunting and tracking, this is where I first knew I was going to have some massive problems with the book. Within the opening chapters we have Britta escorted by several guards to find Cohen. How do they go about this? Sitting on horseback wandering outside the castle saying ‘Okay, track him.’ Tracking isn’t magic, and it certainly isn’t done from horseback along a major thoroughfare. It was completely unrealistic and immediately made me question how much background research was done prior to writing this novel.[/paragraph]

Every single time something happens the reader can guess it long before Britta ever does, even if the answer is quite literally staring her in the face. This is an issue that permeates the book. The plot and characters are all very, very predictable. If you’ve read a fantasy novel before, especially a young adult fantasy novel, you know what’s going to happen next. The plot and characters are filled with tropes of the genre. Now, this isn’t always a bad thing. A book can be formulaic and still very enjoyable. After all, there is a reason writer’s today still use themes and story structures that have been around for centuries. They work. Always have and always will. This novel is not one of those. There isn’t any feeling of ‘I know what’s going to happen but it’s damn fun getting there’. It’s just stale.

The world building was lacking here as well. In the novel we have two kingdoms on the brink of war. However, I struggled to find any real differences between them. One hates Channelers, the book’s version of magic users, while the other one does not. At one point it’s mentioned that one of the countries speaks in a brogue, inferring the other does not. And that’s it. I honestly cannot tell you any other cultural, artistic, or political differences between the two nations.

The world of Ever the Hunted doesn’t feel like a world. It feels more like a zone in a video game. The characters get from place to place too quickly to give any sense of grand scale. One town is pretty close to another, and most of them seem to be of the same size. Things like the architecture of the buildings or the layout of the streets isn’t included, small things that often go a long way in making a fantasy world feel real.

One thing I am very, very happy about is the lack of a love triangle. I’m not sure this is still going to be the case for the next book in the series with how this one ends. But this novel, at least, doesn’t have one. However, the romance included here is still awkward and unrealistic. Britta doesn’t just get angsty about Cohen. She downright agonizes over it. The majority of the time she’s more interested in either smelling Cohen or whining about him than finding her father’s killer.

The plot point I was most interested in was the one we spent the least time on. I was honestly interested in the King and the plot surrounding him. After all, I was promised mad kings and dark magic in the synopsis. However, I there was very little of both. I felt as if that plot line, which was supposed to be one of the main focuses of the book was poorly fleshed out and rushed. We really didn’t get to spend any time with the king at all. Moreover, Britta never experienced any of this danger herself, merely taking Cohen’s word that something was wrong with the king. This removed all sense of danger for me and made what would otherwise be a very interesting plot feel like less of an issue than it truly was.

Overall, I was massively disappointed in Ever the Hunted by Erin Summerill. What had the potential to be a very good young adult fantasy novel just fell completely short of the mark. If you can push past the tropes and a whiny protagonist, you may like this novel. If you’re looking for a strong protagonist and a fully fleshed out fantasy world, you will probably want to skip this one.

This sounded good, and I was so excited to dive into my ARC, however I didn't like it. Only a few pages in and already I had so many questions. Who is Britta, why was she in the forest. Why was her dad murdered. If he was noble why is she starved and looking for food. Living in the forest? It took many pages to just get an idea of what was going on.

When she got caught for poaching she has two options. Be hanged of give up her dads killer. Well she doesnt want to die. And she isn't willing to give up the killer just yet. She knew him as her dads former apprentice and her only friend.

About half way, I couldn't take the book anymore. It was too boring and messy for me.

3.5 - 4 Stars - I recommend this if you enjoy YA fantasy. It reminded me a lot of The Hunger Games + AC Gaughan's Scarlet series + Three Dark Crowns.

This book follows Britta who recently lost her father (bounty hunter to the king), and her period of mourning is ending. She expects the king's men to show up and seize her land any day now. Her only hope of surviving winter is a good kill that she can trade at the market for lodging this winter. When she is caught with the meat she is taken on poaching charges by the king's men. She is given a bargain: either she will hang, or she will track down her best friend and bring him in for his crimes. She chooses to track her friend, and from there many things are not what they seem. (I don't want to spoil anything!)

This book started out pretty quickly, but I wanted more from the setting. I didn't quite get the world right away. After just a bit more reading I was hooked. It reminded me a bit of The Hunger Games meets that great Scarlet (Robin Hood re-telling) that I read last year! I didn't think I would continue to be interested in it.. but I couldn't stop reading! I liked that it was almost what would have happened with Katniss and Gale had there been no Peeta. About 60% - 65% through the book you find out more about the world, as well as some of the magic - which I really enjoyed. It added a lot of depth to the story. Toward the end of the book there are a decent number of twists and turns. Some of which I saw coming, but not the one on the last page! OMG! I want to find out what happens next, so I'll definitely read the next one once it comes out! :)

My latest visit into the land of High Fantasy takes me to Ever The Hunted and let me tell you, this was a very interesting story. The blurb and the cover managed to catch my eye, but I was really intrigued by the idea of a girl trying to catch her father's killer, who apparently is her former best friend.

Britta is a pretty interesting heroine. She has her moments when she kinda made me roll my eyes, but it was all explained to me at the end of the book. I liked the fact that she agreed to find out where her father's killer was, to find him and bring him to justice, even if that meant hunting down for her ex best friend. As I said, there were some moments that made me question her state of mind a little bit,. There's a beautiful moment in the book, when she tells Cohen exactly what his and her father's "protection" meant for her once she was left alone, without someone to be there for her, and I found myself a bit disappointed that that aspect of the story wasn't explored more. I can only hope that we'll see that aspect of Britta's life, how she suffered, physically and mentally, in the next book.

I wasn't so sure exactly why Cohen was so loved by Britta. He wasn't as charming to me as Britta made him out to be, and he didn't stand out as much as I expected him to stand out. The ending kind of explains Britta's infatuation with Cohen, and it's interesting to see how that aspect of their relationship will be explained in the next book.

The plot is pretty simple, and easily read. There are a few cliche elements to this story, but I wasn't bothered by them. I read this book pretty fast. All in all, Ever The Hunted was a good read and I'm very curious to see how the story will continue.

HMH Books for Young Readers and NetGalley provided me with an electronic copy of Ever the Hunted. This is my honest opinion of the book.

Britta Flannery is an outcast, stemming from a break between the leading faction and the lesser one. Two months after her father's death, when her mourning period has ended, Britta must break the law and hunt on King Aodren's land before she starves to death. Even since Cohen Mackay, her father's apprentice, left the year before to become one of the King's bounty hunters, Britta has longed to see him again. Caught for poaching, Britta ends up at the castle with a shocking proposition by the King before her. With her only choice to conduct a hunt for a traitor, will Britta place her own life before another? Will her past with Cohen help her or cloud her judgement? Britta's hunt turns into a quest for the truth, but will she be able to separate fact from fiction using her skills?

I like the quest aspect of Ever the Hunted, but I wish that the author had strayed from turning the book into a romance. The premise was strong, as it reminded me of a fantasy story in the tradition of Snow White. My issue is that, with her life on the line, I doubt that Britta would have had the time or energy to focus on anything but finding the truth. Ever the Hunted had such promise for me, but I was disappointed to see the magical elements get overshadowed by the romance. Readers who like fantasy with a clean romance may find this book to their liking.

Though the all of the "traveling" made the book a bit slow, it was still a decent read.