EVERHAVEN: A PARADISE BUILT ON SURVIVAL, DATA AND DECEPTION

by SCOTT A. STOWELL

In an age when billionaires fund the future and artificial intelligence governs progress. Everhaven was built as the ultimate promise — a sanctuary where technology ensures harmony, security, and endless prosperity. More than a city, it is a living a self-sustaining paradise where longevity, health, and contentment are guaranteed, free from financial burden and sustained through flawless biometric precision. Designed to erase uncertainty, Everhaven offers its residents a life without worry — a perfect balance between human ambition and technological intelligence. But perfection comes at a cost. When irregularities in the city’s death reports begin to surface, a corporate insurer launches an internal investigation that unravels far more than financial discrepancies — it exposes a machine learning system.

AI, Billionaires, Broken Promises, and Corporate Investigations vs. Humanity

214 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 30, 2025

About the author

About the author
Scott A. Stowell is a writer and creative producer whose storytelling spans music, film, and fiction. Before turning to novels, he served as Executive Producer on an album by the classic rock band "Zoid" and helped raise production funds for the Hollywood film "Lady in White". His earlier works include two books on finding love and personal fulfillment. He crafts thrillers that ask unsettling questions about the future we’re building—and who’s really in control.
His debut novel, Everhaven, merges high-stakes investigation with the eerie pulse of artificial intelligence, exploring how greed, data, and human ambition intertwine in a world that feels just one step ahead of our own. His storytelling exposes the human cost of innovation and asks one question that lingers long after the final page: What happens when the machines we build start to understand us too well?
He lives in North Carolina and is at work on his next novel in the Everhaven universe. With Everhaven, Stowell channels his passion for human connection and his fascination with the power—and peril—of technology into a gripping sci-fi thriller that explores how far we’ll go to control our destiny.

Reviews

[Ashley Oliver · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book was archived before I was able to download and review on NetGalley. However, I was able to read on kindle unlimited, and loved it!!
The author’s writing style is impeccable, and thoroughly descriptive so you’re able to visualize every detail.
Very glad that I was approved to read this amazing book!

[Tammy · Rating 4 out of 5]

📚EverHaven
✍🏻Scott A. Stowell
Blurb::
In an age when billionaires fund the future and artificial intelligence governs progress. Everhaven was built as the ultimate promise — a sanctuary where technology ensures harmony, security, and endless prosperity. More than a city, it is a living a self-sustaining paradise where longevity, health, and contentment are guaranteed, free from financial burden and sustained through flawless biometric precision. Designed to erase uncertainty, Everhaven offers its residents a life without worry — a perfect balance between human ambition and technological intelligence. But perfection comes at a cost. When irregularities in the city’s death reports begin to surface, a corporate insurer launches an internal investigation that unravels far more than financial discrepancies — it exposes a machine learning system.

AI, Billionaires, Broken Promises, and Corporate Investigations vs. Humanity
My Thoughts:
The story pulled me straight into this eerie, high stakes world where nothing is what it seems.Sarah Carter, completely stole my heart. She's the kind of heroine you root for - strong, vulnerable, and deeply human.The slow unraveling of secrets aboard the ship kept me turning pages, This was a quick, thought provoking read.
Thanks NetGalley, and Author Scott A.Stowell for the advanced copy of "EverHaven" I am leaving my voluntary review in appreciation.
#NetGalley
#ScottA.Stowell
#EverHaven
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[A Mac · Rating 1 out of 5]

Actual Rating 1.5

The premise of this work was promising, with the use of AI and commoditizing a utopian retirement community. But the execution just wasn't there. The characters were flat, with no real development or personality beyond their function in the plot. We get some glimpses behind the curtain as the book goes on, with Julian and the AI, and these parts were a little more interesting than watching the residents, but not by much.

The author's writing was odd, including some weird words and phrase choices like, "seems too real to be true." There was a lot of repetition in the writing and being told how certain characters were feeling, that added to the flat, clunky feel of the writing. There were also a distracting number of typos and errors aside from the odd phrasing, so this work would highly benefit from some editing.

Though this work is pretty short, it ended up feeling much longer. My thanks to NetGalley and the author for allowing me to read this work. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

[Laila · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a great read and easily one of my favorite books of 2025. EverHaven pulled me in with its quiet tension and thoughtful approach to post apocalyptic science fiction. The concept of generation ships carrying humanity’s last hope felt immersive and unsettling, especially as the story explored what happens when people begin to question the truth they were raised to believe. The slow unraveling of secrets aboard the ship kept me turning pages, and I appreciated how the book focused just as much on ethical dilemmas and human behavior as it did on survival.

The pacing is deliberate, which worked well for the atmosphere and allowed the themes of control, legacy, and truth to fully develop. While a few sections leaned more heavily into reflection than action, the payoff was worth it. Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC, as I really enjoyed this book and will definitely be thinking about it long after finishing.

[J.D. Bennett · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very strong story, and I loved the world-building of the insidious retirement community of Everhaven.

I do wish the story were longer so the reader could sit in the discomfort with the characters as they began to unravel the mystery behind the 'utopia'. This type of 'things are not as they seem' story would really benefit from a slower burn, as the atrocities are slowly revealed.

With a longer story, readers could get to know the character better as well. The cast of characters we follow seemed to have suddenly relevant skills or backgrounds, or had backgrounds that felt like they should have been relevant but weren't; both unsatisfying as a reader.

I would like to read more about Everhaven with a cast of characters that we have time to get to know and become invested in.

[Abigail L. · Rating 5 out of 5]

EverHaven pulls you into a sleek, near-future utopia where retired citizens trade freedom for “perfection.” What begins as a dream of debt-free bliss and biometric harmony slowly morphs into a chilling investigation of control, mortality, and the price of progress. Following journalist Sarah Carter’s awakening from awe to alarm, this thought-provoking thriller blends the tension of a corporate cover-up with the heart of a human-versus-machine morality tale. I couldn’t stop turning pages—half horrified, half fascinated—as Everhaven’s flawless design cracked wide open to reveal what paradise really costs.

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

When paradise tells you to “sync,” you’d better run before it rewrites you!
Okay, wow—EverHaven had me clutching my smartwatch like it was about to spy on me. It’s glossy, creepy, and totally addictive—the kind of story that makes you question every “smart” gadget in your house. Sarah’s hunt for the truth behind this AI-run retirement dream had my heart doing its own biometric freak-out. If you like your sci-fi with equal parts mystery, menace, and “oh-no-they-didn’t,” welcome to Everhaven… just don’t drink the lemonade. 🧠⚡🏙️

[ReneeReads · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is scary because I can just see this type of "utopian" society existing in the not too distant future. It's terrifying to think what could happen in these types of scenarios. The point is to make a "better life" but often that is just a facade.

This was a quick, thought provoking read.

Thank you NetGalley for access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Daniel Rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

Everything sounds to good to be true. And Everhaven is a community that is a mecka for the retiree. The only stipulation is you must have a million or more life insurance policy and Everhaven has to be the beneficiary. When people start dropping like flies. It starts some. Panic. I felt like the last 1/4 of the book felt rushed.

[Paige Turner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Welcome to Everhaven—Population: Doomed (But Make It Digital)
EverHaven is the kind of sleek, sinister sci-fi that makes you side-eye your smartwatch and wonder if your “wellness tracker” is secretly plotting world domination.