{Review} Ever the Hunted by @ErinSummerill @HMHKids

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.

Ever the Hunted is the first book in the young adult fantasy series, Clash of Kingdoms by Erin Summerill. Ever the Hunted is Erin’s debut young adult novel, and I have to say I really enjoyed it. I found the story to be very engaging and I love a good magic infused fantasy, so this was right up my alley. It kind of reminded me of Maria V. Snyder’s Healer series. The world that Erin created was very interesting and I can’t wait to read the next novel in the series. There are lots of interesting aspects to touch on in Ever the Hunted- there is magic, romance, political intrigue and action and suspense. Plenty for any fan of fantasy.

Ever the Hunted is the story of Britta, who is an outcast in her land. This was interesting because her father was so closely respected by the king. But because Britta’s mom was from a neighboring country, who they were on the verge of war with, Britta has basically been shunned her whole life. When her father is murdered and and all clues point to her childhood best friend as the killer, Britta reluctantly teams up with the kings men to find out the truth. I really liked the premise of the story, and I loved that Britta was a crazy good tracker. Supposedly, she is the best in the land. But I do wish we had been able to see a little more of her tracking prowess. I didn’t really see what made her so excellent because there were always so many other things going on that her tracking was not the sole focus. I hope to be able to see more of her skills in the next book.

What I really liked most about the world in Ever the Hunted was the introduction and explanation of the Channelers. Chennelers are painted as horrible evil people in Britta’s land of Malam, because they can do magic. I loved the description of them and their powers, and while this aspect of the story turned out to be a little predictable in terms of Britta, I still loved it and I can’t wait to see what develops in this regard in the next book.

I liked the variety in the whole cast of characters in Ever the Hunted as well. Some I hated, some I loved and some I am still a little undecided on. I liked Cohen well enough, but I really loved Britta’s unlikely friend Lief. I thought her was adorable. I think Cohen is a good romantic interest for Britta but I am not closing myself off for other possibilities, especially with the ending of this book. View Spoiler »I have no idea if this will turn into a love triangle or not with her little linking with the king. It may be nothing, but either way I think it will be an interesting development to explore in the next book. « Hide Spoiler

Bottom line: If you are a fan of young adult fantasy books, Ever the Hunted is one you should check out. It has a great quest style adventure, with lots of magic, romance, intrigue and a really cool world. I really enjoyed this one and I am looking forward to book two already!

Reading this book contributed to these challenges:

• Beat the Backlist
• Flights of Fantasy Reading Challenge 2017

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