Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers
Published: 2016
Reviewer Rating: 
Book Review by SJ Higbee
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Having all the depth of a pavement puddle, I’ll confess it was the beautiful cover that had me clicking the Request button on NetGalley for a copy of this arc…
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.
It’s an intriguing premise, though it could have so easily slipped into yet another Hunger Games imitation — and it didn’t. Britta is a strong, likable protagonist and as I became engrossed in the story as she attempts to uncover the truth about her father’s killer, I relaxed into the narrative and enjoyed the ride. The inevitable romance was well handled, so while there was sufficient about her growing feelings for the object of her affection, it didn’t slow down the pace of the narrative or get in the way of the unfolding adventure. Meanwhile Britta’s search uncovers some shocks about her own family that she didn’t know. There were some moments of real poignancy with plenty of surprises along the way.
I didn’t guess who killed Britta’s father, though that doesn’t mean very much — I generally don’t bother to try all that hard, preferring to leave it to the author to reveal the suspect. My only slight niggle was that after a difficult hunt full of tension and adventure, I did feel the final act tidied everything away rather too hastily for the amount of effort it took to get there. However, it’s not a deal breaker — I really enjoyed the vivid world building, the unfolding political situation and learning about Britta’s backstory, so that I’ll definitely be on the lookout for more books in this series. Receiving a copy of Ever the Hunted from the publisher via NetGalley has in no way affected my honest opinion of this book.
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