Ever the Hunted by Erin Summerill has been on my To Read list since the moment I read the summary. Needless to say, once I started this book, I found I didn’t want to put it down!

The story begins with Britta. Because of her parent’s lineage, she is somewhat of an outcast in her village. While her father was Malam and accepted, her mother was from Shaerdan and because the border was closed and the people of Malam have a fear of the Channeler magic the people of Shaerdan have, Britta isn’t welcomed by many in her village.

There are one or two people she was able to depend on or work with to get what she needed but the one person she would have trusted her life to, Cohen, has left without a word and ever since her father was killed, she is in even worse shape. The first time we get to meet her is after the 2 months of isolation due to mourning tradition. As a child she learned everything she could from her father and it is her skill for tracking/hunting that helps her kill an elk which saves her from starvation but it also is against the law for her to hunt on the King’s lands so when she is caught she is taken to the dungeon.

When she is finally brought out of the dungeon she is taken to Lord Jamis, the military advisor and royal spokesman. It is this meeting that ultimately changes the path that Britta is on. One thing to mention is that Britta has always had a sense that she could tell when people were lying to her or telling her the truth so when what she finds out during the meeting rings true, Britta doesn’t know what to think. During the meeting, Lord Jamis shows her a cloak and dagger telling her that both items were found with her father. Both of the items belong to Cohen MacKay…her father’s apprentice and the boy Britta loved and trusted. In exchange for her willingness to hunt Cohen down, Lord Jamis is willing to overlook the poaching charge and with that, she heads out with three of the King’s Guard to hunt Cohen.

When Britta hits the road, she has to work out what is really going on. She knows and loves Cohen but how can she deny the truth of what Jamis told her and where has Cohen been all this time? When she finally does come face to face with Cohen she is definitely not happy with him.

Let’s talk characters for a moment. The thing I like about Britta is she is determined. No matter what, she will fight to the end to do what she wants/needs to. I think this is the only reason she survived the 2 months of isolation – she was determined to survive and find out what happened to her father and even the fact that she didn’t have any food wasn’t going to stop her from getting out of her cottage. Cohen is interesting. There were so many times that I loved him but there were also times where he just wouldn’t listen and did what he thought was right…instead of having a conversation with Britta. I think they could have worked together more through the course of the story if they only would have talked more about things. Instead he kept things from her and was all wishy washy with his feelings – there were so many times I wanted to shake him…but then he would call her “little dove” and the swoons would be there again.

The secondary characters were interesting. The guards that Britta was traveling with played a fairly large role in the whole story and one of my favorites was Leif. I wanted to know more about him but in the end, he was someone who could be counted on. There are a number of other characters that could be mentioned here but I don’t want to ruin anything of the story. Just know that they all help to move the story forward.

I thought the world building was done well in this story. Summerill explains the backstory between Malam and Shaerdan as well as develops the story around the forest and villages the characters visit. Of course the magic is a key part of this world. Channeler magic isn’t accepted in Malam and as we find out more about Britta and the things she is able to do, it is clear that the magic is an integral part of who she is and who she will become. She will definitely need the support of those around her and although not everyone makes it out of this book unscathed, the right people are there for her.

Sorry folks…I can’t say much more about the story for fear of giving something away. Just know that if you like stories with magic, deception, swoons and interesting characters, you will enjoy this book. Based on the ending of book one, you can bet that book two is on my ARC wish list and I will be patiently waiting for a copy to find its way to me. Go get this one when you can!

Thank you to the publisher for the review copy.