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3.38 AVERAGE
3.38 AVERAGE
You can find this and other review at: owlsandvowels.org
Plot: Britta is in the throws of grief and loss. Recently orphaned and soon to be homeless, she is presented with a complicated proposition: kill her father’s murderer and retain her family’s lands or be hung for poaching. The only problem: the murderer is her best friend and unrequited love.
Review: THIS book. I was basically a whirlwind of emotion reading it, and I will definitely snag the sequel, but it wasn’t all reading perfection. The breakdown:
Pros:
Likable characters saturated in mystery. While the majority of this story revolves around Britta and her childhood best friend, Cohan, they aren’t the only players in the game. Summerill gives you an extensive cast of characters to bond with, and bond you shall. I foresee many fandoms in this series future and quite a few ‘ship battles.
Ever the Hunted moves at a decent pace for a series opener. Plots are important, but so is everything else. Nothing will kill a book faster for me than a slow pace and poor world building. Thankfully, Summerill hits that magic sweet spot. She gives you enough information about Britta’s world to settle you into her surroundings and keeps things moving so you aren’t bored with the struggle. Her skill as a writer is evident, especially since this is her debut novel, so a t the very least she is an author to watch.
The ending. I’m not going to spoil anything for you, but I will say that when finished this book I immediately started digging for information about book two. The cliffhanger is strong with this one, and you will either be totally hooked for book too or completely annoyed. No in-between.
Cons:
It isn’t exactly original. Britta reads much like many other heroines in the genre. Shoots a bow, knows little about some element in her past, has a ton of teen emotional angst. The magic in her world is a lot like Leigh Bardugo’s Grisha series with it’s latent talents and elemental nature. In truth, it’s been done… a lot. I still liked it though, and in all fairness I read books from this wheelhouse on the regular. I might be more sensitive to the similarities found here than other readers.
Names can be powerful things, but Britta isn’t one of them. This one is a petty one, I know, but all I could think about was the water filter every time I read her name. Can be just stick with Britt?
Too many swoons and not enough dramatic buildup. To avoid spoilers, I’m going to be vague here, but there were moments where the romantic tension was a bit much. It got close to Belle / Edward territory, and I’m sorry but I just can’t go back to those dark days of swishy-washy lady drama.
Given everything, I am still locked into the series and would recommend it. However, I do hope that the next volume focuses more on Britt’s future battles and less on love.
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Who Should Snag It: If you are looking for a light fantasy that is dripping with romance, this one is for you.
*I would like to thank Edelweiss and the publisher for providing me with a free ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review*
Plot: Britta is in the throws of grief and loss. Recently orphaned and soon to be homeless, she is presented with a complicated proposition: kill her father’s murderer and retain her family’s lands or be hung for poaching. The only problem: the murderer is her best friend and unrequited love.
Review: THIS book. I was basically a whirlwind of emotion reading it, and I will definitely snag the sequel, but it wasn’t all reading perfection. The breakdown:
Pros:
Likable characters saturated in mystery. While the majority of this story revolves around Britta and her childhood best friend, Cohan, they aren’t the only players in the game. Summerill gives you an extensive cast of characters to bond with, and bond you shall. I foresee many fandoms in this series future and quite a few ‘ship battles.
Ever the Hunted moves at a decent pace for a series opener. Plots are important, but so is everything else. Nothing will kill a book faster for me than a slow pace and poor world building. Thankfully, Summerill hits that magic sweet spot. She gives you enough information about Britta’s world to settle you into her surroundings and keeps things moving so you aren’t bored with the struggle. Her skill as a writer is evident, especially since this is her debut novel, so a t the very least she is an author to watch.
The ending. I’m not going to spoil anything for you, but I will say that when finished this book I immediately started digging for information about book two. The cliffhanger is strong with this one, and you will either be totally hooked for book too or completely annoyed. No in-between.
Cons:
It isn’t exactly original. Britta reads much like many other heroines in the genre. Shoots a bow, knows little about some element in her past, has a ton of teen emotional angst. The magic in her world is a lot like Leigh Bardugo’s Grisha series with it’s latent talents and elemental nature. In truth, it’s been done… a lot. I still liked it though, and in all fairness I read books from this wheelhouse on the regular. I might be more sensitive to the similarities found here than other readers.
Names can be powerful things, but Britta isn’t one of them. This one is a petty one, I know, but all I could think about was the water filter every time I read her name. Can be just stick with Britt?
Too many swoons and not enough dramatic buildup. To avoid spoilers, I’m going to be vague here, but there were moments where the romantic tension was a bit much. It got close to Belle / Edward territory, and I’m sorry but I just can’t go back to those dark days of swishy-washy lady drama.
Given everything, I am still locked into the series and would recommend it. However, I do hope that the next volume focuses more on Britt’s future battles and less on love.
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Who Should Snag It: If you are looking for a light fantasy that is dripping with romance, this one is for you.
*I would like to thank Edelweiss and the publisher for providing me with a free ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review*
I loved the idea but the execution was... less than fulfilling. Enat's death was not very emotional for me because of the way that scene is written. More than once throughout the book did I want to put it down because of the writing. Alas, I was actually compelled to read it for the storyline and enjoyed it very much. The ending cliffhanger leaves me wanting more, yet I do not think I will read the second one.
This book was enjoyable. I'm not sure if I'd like to finish the series though. The protagonist is not as interesting as she could be, and the story is mildly tropey. I still recommend giving this a go.
I loved the world and the characters. The way Summerill crafts the emotional plot throughout the book feels really close to heart. The writing is a little awkward, but it's still a good book and worth a read.
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Now, I loved this book. Truly I did. I put this book on my tbr list after seeing it all over the instagram and youtube bookish community. Then, I heard it was meant to be a Beauty and the Beast retelling. I finally started reading it this month. But, after seeing it 'hyped-up' my expectations were high... too high.
Let's start with the world building. I love the conflicts between the two lands- though it's not something that hasn't been done before. I wish there had been more of it. I couldn't completely picture where they lived and the differences between the two lands. I'd also love to learn more about Channellers though since it isn't a stand-alone novel, I'm sure (and hope) we will learn more later on in the series.
I wish there was more character development. Our main character is Britta, a young girl who lost her Mother at a young age due to the conflicts between the two lands. We also have her love interest, Cohen.
Now, I did love the two characters don't get me wrong. But, I wish there had been more development between the two of them. I don't want to spoil anything but I will say that I felt like something was off between the two of them.
Overall, well... I just found the book way too fast paced. Everything happened so quickly that by the end of it I was left slightly disappointed. I know this is only the first book in the Clash of Kingdoms series and I am looking forward to the next installment. I guess I was just expecting a LOT more from a book that was so hyped as it was for me.
Let's start with the world building. I love the conflicts between the two lands- though it's not something that hasn't been done before. I wish there had been more of it. I couldn't completely picture where they lived and the differences between the two lands. I'd also love to learn more about Channellers though since it isn't a stand-alone novel, I'm sure (and hope) we will learn more later on in the series.
I wish there was more character development. Our main character is Britta, a young girl who lost her Mother at a young age due to the conflicts between the two lands. We also have her love interest, Cohen.
Now, I did love the two characters don't get me wrong. But, I wish there had been more development between the two of them. I don't want to spoil anything but I will say that I felt like something was off between the two of them.
Overall, well... I just found the book way too fast paced. Everything happened so quickly that by the end of it I was left slightly disappointed. I know this is only the first book in the Clash of Kingdoms series and I am looking forward to the next installment. I guess I was just expecting a LOT more from a book that was so hyped as it was for me.
Britta is alone in the world. She used to track and hunt with her father and his apprentice Cohen, but her father is dead, and Cohen left. She knows she is about to lose her home as well since she has no legal right to it according to the laws of the land. Her only chance for survival is to hunt food and trade it for shelter. Caught hunting in The Ever Woods, Britta now faces the noose for poaching. Until she is offered a choice. Hang, or track the only friend she's ever had and turn him in. I really liked this book. Britta and Cohen are great, and I look forward to the next one. I received a copy of this book from Net Galley.
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated