New adventurous fantasy novel enchants readers

Shelby Foster

“Ever the Hunted” is an exhilarating new fantasy novel that follows teenage Britta Flannery in her adventure to find her father’s murderer, discover hidden abilities within herself, and save her land from evil. This book is a part of Uppercase Box, a program in which members are sent a new young adult book each month.

Dana Gould, Staff Writer
March 7, 2017

There is a certain beauty readers find in brand new lands filled with magic and supernatural beings. “Ever the Hunted” encompasses this extraordinary feeling along with nostalgia for classic fantasy stories. This novel immediately pulls the reader in and builds on the initial fascination, leaving readers entranced with the turn of every page.

Britta Flannery, a seventeen year old girl with an innate talent for hunting and tracking, lives with her father in the faraway, fictional land of Malam. She aids her father, the legendary bounty hunter for the king of Malam, in hunting down criminals and traitors. Although her father is revered in this land, her mother is a traitor to the country, and Britta is seen as someone to be avoided at all cost.

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Although her father is revered in this land, her mother is a traitor to the country ,and Britta is seen as someone to be avoided at all cost.

— Staff Writer Dana Gould

After her father is mysteriously murdered, Britta is caught trespassing and poaching on the king’s land. Because the penalty for poaching is death by hanging, Britta is taken to the king’s castle to await her fate. Instead of the noose, Britta is offered the chance to hunt down her father’s murderer and save her home and life. This plan may seem simple, except that her father’s supposed killer is Cohen Mackay, Britta’s best and only friend.

The only alternative to hunting down Cohen is Britta’s death, so she must hunt down her only friend to save herself. Soon after beginning the hunt, Britta discovers that Cohen was framed for her father’s murder and the real murderer will escape unscathed should Britta continue her current path.

Britta must abandon her original mission in order to hunt down her father’s actual murderer and discovers secret powers within herself such as the ability to heal humans and animals. While traveling to foreign lands and becoming a traitor to her country, Britta must also uncover her own hidden abilities, that if discovered would result in immediate hanging.

In a world where powers are feared and challenged, Britta must learn to control them in time to find her father’s killer and save her country from a war that could destroy them all.

This action-packed, fantasy-adventure novel contains all the characteristics of captivating fantasy novels such as magic, faraway lands with overly complicated names, and an intriguing quest. This novel encompasses all that is beautiful about the classic fantasy while adding details that are all its own.

One of the main details of this book that differentiates it from other fantasies is the view on magic. In most fantasy novels, people or beings with special powers are seen as superior and magic is revered. This book, however, focuses on a world where magic is seen as dreadful and an unnecessary evil to be avoided at all costs. It is always great to see what happens when specific characteristics are out of the ordinary and this novel achieves that.

While some standards may qualify “Ever the Hunted” as another stereotypical fantasy novel, it is beautifully written, displays a well-organized world with entertaining characters, and includes an intriguing plot. The way the author describes the environment in this amazing new world paints a detailed picture of the setting in the reader’s mind, while also not being overly structured. Britta and Cohen are relatable and charming as it is difficult not to create an attachment to both characters. The plot of the book seems simple at first but with each new detail it becomes more complex as Britta and Cohen must deal with more obstacles to achieve their goal, resulting in an action-packed book.

This book includes a little something for everyone whether it be romance, magic, action, or adventures. “Ever the Hunted” is a beautiful harmony between the plot, characters, details, and new world. This novel proves great for classic fantasy-adventure fans as well as for people with a faint interest in fantasy novels that enjoy a change in genre every now and then. People searching for a high quality fantasy-adventure novel should give this book a chance.