The Ever-Dark

by El Hoffman

Nineteen-year-old Violet Evans has always felt like an outsider, misunderstood by everyone in her life. One day, she stumbles into a world previously unknown to her, filled with magic and unusual people. But when she accidentally shuts the portal to her home world, everything changes—the land is cursed with the a sky that remains dark purple all day, with the sun frozen on the horizon, never rising, before shifting to black at night.

Determined to set things right, Violet embarks on a journey to reopen the portal, meeting unexpected companions along the way. Kazuki, her loyal pedicab driver, seems to sense her thoughts and emotions before she even speaks. Ruth and Goosey, an unlikely but steadfast pair, stand by her side in ways she never expected. And then there’s Allen—her immediate love interest—who travels with her through lands shaped by both classic fantasy and the strange, otherworldly places unique to The Ever-Dark.

But if she reopens the portal, what will be waiting for her on the other side? A family that hates her? A life she never truly belonged in? Or something far worse?

Genres: Fantasy

134 pages, Paperback

Published April 10, 2025

About the author

El Hoffman (born February 8, 2000) is an author, poet, and data expert. A lifelong writer, she debuted with The Ever-Dark, a literary fantasy novella. She is also the author of the contemporary romance novelette No Other Reason and two poetry collections: The Mirror, The Mask, and All I Ask and The Moon, The Tide, and All I Tried. Her writing has also been featured in anthologies.

Outside of fiction, El has built a successful career implementing HubSpot for businesses and earned her Master of Science in Data Analytics from Eastern University in 2024.

When she’s not writing or working, she enjoys reading ebooks, taking long walks, and hula hooping. She’s also passionate about video games, cooking, exploring new restaurants, and traveling.

Reviews

[Mrs Holm Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The Ever-Dark" is a captivating story with rich themes of self-discovery and resilience. Violet's journey into a magical realm offers a unique backdrop for her to confront her inner struggles while encountering new friends and challenges.

As she navigates this enchanting world populated by humans and mystical creatures, her character's growth will likely resonate with readers who have faced their own battles with mental health. The dynamic with the witch could introduce intriguing conflicts and lessons, pushing Violet to confront her fears and insecurities.

Exploring her relationships and finding a love interest can provide warmth and support, balancing her struggles with moments of joy. The quest to open the portal back home and recover lost memories adds an element of urgency and mystery to her adventure.

Would you like to brainstorm more about specific plot points, character development, or themes in "The Ever-Dark"?

[Matthew Burton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Diving into The Ever Dark felt less like entering a distant fantasy world and more like finding a place that already felt like home. From the moment we meet Violet, she’s instantly relatable. She is self-deprecating, struggling with depression, convinced she’s a burden, yet quietly resilient in a way that’s deeply inspiring.

After discovering a magical portal, Violet is pulled into a new fantastical land where she encounters unexpected friends, hidden enemies, and truths about herself she never imagined. When she’s manipulated into forgetting her pain, the portal is sealed, revealing the hand of a black witch who has been using her all along. Determined to reclaim what was taken, Violet sets out on a quest to reopen the portal by any means necessary.

For such a short novella, the character growth here is impressive. Violet’s transformation feels earned and deeply human. Some moments move quickly, but only in that way that makes you wish the story were longer, not because anything is missing.

At its heart, The Ever Dark is a beautifully written exploration of inner darkness, healing, and self-worth. It’s a story that will resonate strongly with anyone who’s ever struggled with their mental health, and El Hoffman delivers it with a poetic, compassionate touch. A powerful novella and a clear reminder that Hoffman is an author to watch.

[Soha Amer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Atmosphere, emotional introspection, and magical world-building. The Ever-Dark by El Hoffman is a beautifully melancholic portal fantasy that blends loneliness, self-discovery, and romance into a story that feels both dreamlike and emotionally grounded.

At its core, the novella explores what it means to feel disconnected from the world around you and how dangerous—and comforting—it can be to finally find a place where you feel seen. Violet’s emotional journey drives the story just as much as the fantasy elements, making the magical realm feel symbolic as well as immersive.

The concept of the ever-dark sky creates such a haunting atmosphere throughout the novella. The frozen horizon and endless purple daylight give the world a surreal, almost liminal feeling that perfectly matches Violet’s emotional state.

What stands out most:

* portal fantasy with emotional depth
* outsider heroine searching for belonging
* literary/reflective storytelling style
* dreamy magical atmosphere
* romantic tension woven into self-discovery
* themes of identity, loneliness, and home

The romance develops softly alongside Violet’s internal growth, making the emotional journey feel more important than dramatic plot twists. It’s introspective, bittersweet, and quietly beautiful.

[Stephen · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Ever-Dark is a new and different form of writing to what I've read in the past and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I got to experience new kinds of written characters, story pacing, and plot. I felt connected to the heroine and her troubles. Rereading it brings me a sense of comfort as I watch her tackle her obstacles (both physical and mental); reminding me that I can accomplish the same. There was a good feeling of mystery, mystical elements, and the various forms of technology. A number of revelations surprised and shocked me just as much as it did for the heroine. While the book is shorter than others I have read and the plot moving faster, I never felt lost once. I am eager for the sequel.

[Megggg · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really lovely short read about finding where you belong. The world is moody and magical, and I was pulled into Violet’s journey a the element of mystery and magic of the story. I really enjoyed this read

[iris muller · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a different type of book than I usually read but it was definitely interesting. It took me a bit to get into it but I really liked the details in the story and how it was told.

[Jax · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Ever Dark tells the tale of Violet, who stumbles into a fantasy realm through a portal when unhappy with her life and the way her sisters treat her. But it quickly takes turns for the worse when a witch curses the realm and herself out of hatred for Violet, and she fights to unravel the curse while learning many things along the way.

This was an intriguing novella. It’s a bit slow to me personally at first but the tale quickly gets more fast paced and intricate as time goes on. Violet learns a lot about life, love, her real family, and more. And the plot was very interesting. I enjoyed this!

[ThatReader]

What a mess. Sorry, but that's what I feel about this book: a total mess. The plot - is there one? - is all over the place, nothing makes sense, it's like the author had all these cutesy ideas and put them all to paper without properly thinking them through or going over the entire thing once it was finished. Though the prose isn't bad, the writing having something of an old fairy tales kind of vibe, the entire thing fails completely. The characters, though adults, behave like 7 yo all the time, the MC is dull and flat without really having any agency - everything happens to this poor girl who makes the most innane, stupid choices through the entire book, like a child without discernement (it's a choice the author made, to have a character like this, but at least do it well enough that the reader understands where it comes from, because there is absolutely no backstory and no background to the entire thing, we're just dropped into the events without any sort of context whatsoever.) There is no conflict, either, they embark on quests and adventures having to beat the big ole badies and... well, they just get there and do it and it's all so easy and so quick and so clean cut, the baddies don't even fight back. wow. at some point, i was just skimming because the book was just a continuous repetition of the same thing over and over again, and though adult themes were feature - but never really explored - it sort of read like a book for little kiddies. For me, this was an utter waste of time. Maybe for other readers this will be the book of their lives, i dunno.

[Phoenix Fyreheart · Rating 4 out of 5]

Violet Evans is a nineteen-year-old outsider in her town. After a deep betrayal, she finds Circa dull, boring, cold. Anywhere would be better than home. Right? Her first accident was stumbling into a world she'd never heard of, full of magic. Her second accident was closing the portal home. An unfortunate chain of events is the result, and now she must find a way to set things right again. But one doubt remains...what waits for her back home? Is it as simple as an unloving family and a life she never felt like a real part of, or will it be something even worse?

Violet brought out a lot of buried things for me. The self doubt, the self loathing, the feelings of being a burden, the depression. She's relatable in all the ways, yet she also serves as the proof we all secretly seek: that we're stronger than the darkness that can't kill us, and when nothing and nobody can be trusted, we can trust ourselves.

The story did feel a bit rushed in places, but not enough to outshine the beauty of the story itself and the messages it had to share with its readers. For this, I am happy to give it four NEVER-dark stars.

Ravenheart Rating: 8/10

[CeeReads · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this book would be for me, but sadly that was not the case.

The book was very fast paced, but I honestly couldn't tell you the plot because there were just so many, maybe I'm missing something, maybe I just didn't understand the overall story, who knows.

Because everything was so fast paced there truly felt like there were no character connections throughout the entire book, there was no true backstory or one that made you feel for the main character in anyway, there was so much context missed out between characters, it felt very rushed and a little childlike.

That being said there was definitely potential for a longer and more in depth story where we could have had the chance to connect with the characters on more than a surface level. Violet herself felt as though she could be relatable if we only had more time with her.

[The Book Ssirren · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Ever- Dark was a good story. I loved the idea behind this. and i think it was an original concept making the other world have a purple sky. maybe simple things amuse me. but i thought it was cute.
the only thing I wish for this, was that it was longer. i feel like more story more detail, would've really made this story so much more. but overall I really enjoyed it.

I was given this book as an ARC and I'm leaving a voluntary review

[Enola Anderson · Rating 2 out of 5]

It’s more like 2.5 just don’t have the option! It definitely has potential the storyline and the characters were good ! It just felt rushed and I would have enjoyed to get to know the characters better. I hope in the future the book could be revised and made into a longer book that the story deserves!

[Amy Wethers · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF.

This was not my thing. I am entirely new to the fantasy genre and this felt a bit juvenile and I knew about 1/3 in that I’m probably not the intended audience. I did not like the concept of family dynamics or *how* the portal was closed. Everything felt a bit “surface level”.

I couldn’t invest myself into this story and choose to DNF unfortunately.

[Heather Hoffman-Seifert · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the best book I've read so far this year. It's a 6-star read for me! The storyline will captivate you and keep you engaged until the very last page. The Ever-Dark takes place in a unique world that will entice you and make you want to finish the book in one setting.

[Sam Bolano · Rating 5 out of 5]

"the Ever Dark" is a fantastic read, taking you on an exciting adventure through a dark and whimsical world of witches and magic. If your looking for a fantasy novel that explores the complexities of love, family and friendship then look no further.

[El Hoffman · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Ever-Dark has been a long time coming, and I would highly recommend it to anyone who wants to read a fantasy book touching on mental health and family dynamics.

[Ethan · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF. This was not my thing.

[Niyacia · Rating 1 out of 5]

Rule number one: Show, don’t tell