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The Evie Chester Files #1
Lost and Found
A gifted slave. A cursed woman. Together can they gain their freedom?
Evie Chester is a slave with a precious gift. Living in a world that both marvels and fears magic and the unexplained.
Evie dreams of being free and of acceptance. When an opportunity presents itself for escape she finds herself pursued with a bounty on her head. Eyes are everywhere, nowhere is safe.
An encounter with a cursed woman brings about the promise of freedom in return for her help. Everything changes. Is the price of her freedom at too high a price?
Evie Chester is a slave with a precious gift. Living in a world that both marvels and fears magic and the unexplained.
Evie dreams of being free and of acceptance. When an opportunity presents itself for escape she finds herself pursued with a bounty on her head. Eyes are everywhere, nowhere is safe.
An encounter with a cursed woman brings about the promise of freedom in return for her help. Everything changes. Is the price of her freedom at too high a price?
193 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 2, 2020
62 people are currently reading
282 people want to read
About the author
Nita Round
28 books85 followersNita Round is a British author who creates vibrant and unique new worlds as quirky as she is. She takes inspiration from her studies of history and blends together ‘what was’ and creates fantastical worlds, ‘what could be’.
Monsters, heroines, magic, and the strange are all woven into tales of hope and courage. Where women battle evil, something with nothing more than a stout heart, and no matter the odds, ultimately prevail.
If you want to know more about new books, then subscribe to Nita's reader's list. Free short story Dark Mission available via website, and exclusive to newsletter.
https://www.nitaround.com
Monsters, heroines, magic, and the strange are all woven into tales of hope and courage. Where women battle evil, something with nothing more than a stout heart, and no matter the odds, ultimately prevail.
If you want to know more about new books, then subscribe to Nita's reader's list. Free short story Dark Mission available via website, and exclusive to newsletter.
https://www.nitaround.com
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
November 2, 2020
This was a good start to the series. I was excited to read this book. I’m a big fan of Round and I love her steampunk-fantasy books. While this is the start to a new series, this is a spinoff staring Evie Chester who is a secondary character in Round’s The Towers of Earth series. If you have never read her Towers series, you can still read this book with no problems at all. If you are already a fan of her Towers series, I don’t think you will want to miss this. I believe the time period of when this book takes place is maybe after the prequel of A Pinch of Salt. We do get a cameo from our favorite ladies Ascara and Magda, but this series is really all about Evie Chester.
Evie is what some people call gifted, others cursed. The world is dangerous for people like her as most people either fear her or want to control her. Sold into slavery as a child, Evie has grown up never knowing freedom. Will she finally get the chance to be free, or will the price be too high to pay?
I do have to be honest that I didn’t love this as much as the Tower series, but I still really enjoyed it. Evie has a hard life so there was a lot that wasn’t very pleasant to read about. Also, Evie is a young woman in this book, who is really beaten down, so she hasn’t grown into the kickass woman I know she will be when she is older. But, it was really interesting getting to know her origin story and how she learned all about her magic. Evie was my favorite secondary character in the Tower series so I’m really glad she finally has her time to shine.
This book was about Evie’s history but it was also a building block for the rest of the series. I loved the ending and it makes me really excited for what is to come. It feels like this series is ready to take off in book 2 and I can’t wait. For Tower fans, if you have read the book A Touch of Ice, you will know that Evie has history with a very interesting woman named Hesta. Let’s just say if you wanted to learn more about them, then this new series is a must. I would recommend this book to steampunk/fantasy fans and especially fans of The Towers of the Earth series. This book just opens up Round’s world even more and I have a feeling that The Evie Chester Files will only get better and better with each book. This book, and all of Round’s Tower series, is currently available on Kindle Unlimited.
A copy was given to me for an honest review.
Evie is what some people call gifted, others cursed. The world is dangerous for people like her as most people either fear her or want to control her. Sold into slavery as a child, Evie has grown up never knowing freedom. Will she finally get the chance to be free, or will the price be too high to pay?
I do have to be honest that I didn’t love this as much as the Tower series, but I still really enjoyed it. Evie has a hard life so there was a lot that wasn’t very pleasant to read about. Also, Evie is a young woman in this book, who is really beaten down, so she hasn’t grown into the kickass woman I know she will be when she is older. But, it was really interesting getting to know her origin story and how she learned all about her magic. Evie was my favorite secondary character in the Tower series so I’m really glad she finally has her time to shine.
This book was about Evie’s history but it was also a building block for the rest of the series. I loved the ending and it makes me really excited for what is to come. It feels like this series is ready to take off in book 2 and I can’t wait. For Tower fans, if you have read the book A Touch of Ice, you will know that Evie has history with a very interesting woman named Hesta. Let’s just say if you wanted to learn more about them, then this new series is a must. I would recommend this book to steampunk/fantasy fans and especially fans of The Towers of the Earth series. This book just opens up Round’s world even more and I have a feeling that The Evie Chester Files will only get better and better with each book. This book, and all of Round’s Tower series, is currently available on Kindle Unlimited.
A copy was given to me for an honest review.
January 20, 2022
I was riveted by Evie’s story. Pulled into her world of dank streets, cruelty and magic, this is the fastest I’ve read a novel in a year. Set in a Victorian steampunk universe, Evie is one of the gifted. She is also a slave to a nasty man who values her gift for the money it makes him. The story opens with Evie having been rented out to a thug with even less care for her wellbeing than her owner has. And with that I was invested.
Evie is an interesting and alive character, her energy crackles off the page. The world building is wonderfully tangible, and some descriptions almost revoltingly too well expressed. Often fantasy is incredibly complicated to grasp because of so many things that differ from our own world, or names don’t stick because they are impossible to pronounce. I didn’t find that here at all. It might be that I have read some of the Towers of the Earth series which is set in the same universe. It is more likely that Round has taken the time to introduce Evie and let us get to know her fully before adding a myriad of characters.
It’s not a slow introduction either. It is fast-paced and exciting. I was drawn in from the beginning and one of the best parts is that I didn’t know where it was going. I think wanting something different from what I read this year is one of my goals and this book was the best start. And on a final note: beautiful cover design by May Dawney. On to the next in the series.
Evie is an interesting and alive character, her energy crackles off the page. The world building is wonderfully tangible, and some descriptions almost revoltingly too well expressed. Often fantasy is incredibly complicated to grasp because of so many things that differ from our own world, or names don’t stick because they are impossible to pronounce. I didn’t find that here at all. It might be that I have read some of the Towers of the Earth series which is set in the same universe. It is more likely that Round has taken the time to introduce Evie and let us get to know her fully before adding a myriad of characters.
It’s not a slow introduction either. It is fast-paced and exciting. I was drawn in from the beginning and one of the best parts is that I didn’t know where it was going. I think wanting something different from what I read this year is one of my goals and this book was the best start. And on a final note: beautiful cover design by May Dawney. On to the next in the series.
October 14, 2022
3.25 stars
This was my first Nita Round book and I chose it after being impressed watching narrator Stephanie Nemeth-Parker record it live on TikTok. I don't know if it was wise to begin here, though.
This was a bit like torture porn for me and I kept hoping that the horrible abuse of the "gifted" slave Evie Chester would stop. The book description only covers the last hour of this audiobook. Other than a few brief respites, the rest of her story is awful. And I don't mean the storytelling itself - I mean the circumstances.
I feel like I might have benefited from reading the Towers series to get a better idea of the culture, time and setting. At one time, the gifted were apparently revered, but the story didn't make clear why that changed and why society treated them as if they were subhuman, unworthy of care or compassion.
Evie's gift is definitely fascinating and while there was a good amount of focus on her practice and learning what she was capable of, I wish there had been a bit less of the horrific treatment. Yes - she's a slave, but good grief! I would like to read more of this author's work, but I'm hopeful there's less of this in other books.
Nemeth-Parker is a strong narrator and I enjoyed her performance of the work. I look forward to giving her another listen in the future.
This was my first Nita Round book and I chose it after being impressed watching narrator Stephanie Nemeth-Parker record it live on TikTok. I don't know if it was wise to begin here, though.
This was a bit like torture porn for me and I kept hoping that the horrible abuse of the "gifted" slave Evie Chester would stop. The book description only covers the last hour of this audiobook. Other than a few brief respites, the rest of her story is awful. And I don't mean the storytelling itself - I mean the circumstances.
I feel like I might have benefited from reading the Towers series to get a better idea of the culture, time and setting. At one time, the gifted were apparently revered, but the story didn't make clear why that changed and why society treated them as if they were subhuman, unworthy of care or compassion.
Evie's gift is definitely fascinating and while there was a good amount of focus on her practice and learning what she was capable of, I wish there had been a bit less of the horrific treatment. Yes - she's a slave, but good grief! I would like to read more of this author's work, but I'm hopeful there's less of this in other books.
Nemeth-Parker is a strong narrator and I enjoyed her performance of the work. I look forward to giving her another listen in the future.
November 2, 2020
This intriguing novel kept me reading. It took me a minute to remember who Evie was, but once her gift was mentioned, then I recalled her. She has a hard life in this novel. When we meet Evie, she is a slave being rented to whoever pays to use her gift. The gifted are not well treated, which provides more insight into Magda’s crew in the previous novels in this world. In a cameo, Magda and Ascara rescue her. Evie gets caught again. Some of the scenes are hard to read, but they serve to give Evie impetus to learn. There’s an interesting twist near the end, which just makes me want to read more. This world certainly has a lot of different creatures and gifts. As usual, this is well written and a fun escape to another world.
November 7, 2020
I am so happy Nita Round found Evie Chester!
Evie appeared in an earlier novel and in Lost and Found writer Nita Round is beginning Evie’s story as a Gifted person. It is not for the faint of heart however Evie is a character you immediately care about and root for as the story unfolds.
I did not want this novel to end and admit I pouted a bit when it did. The story holds you captive by its originality and beautiful writing.
This is the first of three books in this series.
Evie appeared in an earlier novel and in Lost and Found writer Nita Round is beginning Evie’s story as a Gifted person. It is not for the faint of heart however Evie is a character you immediately care about and root for as the story unfolds.
I did not want this novel to end and admit I pouted a bit when it did. The story holds you captive by its originality and beautiful writing.
This is the first of three books in this series.
November 3, 2020
I love the Towers of the Earth series and was excited to see a new series for Evie, who appears in A Touch of Ice. This gives the background to Evie and also her first encounter with Magda and Ascara.
Evie is a slave and the gifted are not treated well. Having read about the future Evie I can appreciate and understand where she started from and how she becomes the woman she is later on. There is hardship and this is not romanticised as I have found in other books. Never the less a very gripping read, that left me waiting for the next installment.
Its a complete story. I’m interested to see how the characters develop and losing myself in this fascinating world.
Evie is a slave and the gifted are not treated well. Having read about the future Evie I can appreciate and understand where she started from and how she becomes the woman she is later on. There is hardship and this is not romanticised as I have found in other books. Never the less a very gripping read, that left me waiting for the next installment.
Its a complete story. I’m interested to see how the characters develop and losing myself in this fascinating world.
January 17, 2021
Gritty with a dark feel, and perhaps more historically influenced than any of the Towers. This is not a book for comfort, but there is some comfort in knowing that the dark doesn't last forever.
Evie grows so much here. There is a spark, hidden, and no matter how bad things are, she learns from every lesson heaped upon her. I like that she is not immediately some kick-ass heroine, but a more subtle one.
Diving into the next one.
Evie grows so much here. There is a spark, hidden, and no matter how bad things are, she learns from every lesson heaped upon her. I like that she is not immediately some kick-ass heroine, but a more subtle one.
Diving into the next one.
May 6, 2021
It was definitely interesting. I'm not exactly sure whether I liked it or not, but it captured my attention
November 4, 2020
Nita Round is a master of the serial story! Evie Chester is a character first introduced in “The Towers of the Earth” series and in this novel, some of Evie’s background is revealed. I found her intriguing and by the end of this story, I wanted to know more. I can’t wait for Nita Round to write the next instalment.
December 11, 2020
This book wasn't what I expected, having read the 'blurb' I assumed it would be about a young women who escapes abuse and slavery and develops into a strong 'kickass' heroine. However it just seemed it was really just about abusing women.
My other problem was this was a Kindle Unlimited recommendation and I didn't realise that this book was an off-shoot of another series and there was no indication of this in the publicity blurb.
My other problem was this was a Kindle Unlimited recommendation and I didn't realise that this book was an off-shoot of another series and there was no indication of this in the publicity blurb.
January 12, 2021
3.75*
Liked it but the last chapters felt rushed
Liked it but the last chapters felt rushed
June 27, 2025
In this alternate universe steampunk version of England, Nita Round has crafted the beginnings of an interesting world and story.
The first chapter introduces us to this unpleasant world where the Gifted, people with supernatural abilities, are reviled and kept as slaves for coin.
Evie Chester is one such slave; it is through her eyes we glimpse two female characters, a tall blonde woman dressed as a man, and her dark companion who wields a sword. But there is no time to dwell on these mysterious characters, as Evie is set to work using her powers to absorb illnesses, before “purging” the toxicity in a viscerally horrifying scene. We feel for Evie and we are shaken by her circumstances, and utterly relieved when the two mysterious women – Magda Stoner and Ascara, members of the mysterious Order – save her and whisk her away to safety.
Unfortunately the excellent introduction is negated almost immediately. Disappointingly, we never see Magda and Ascara again. Evie decides not to join the Order, believing or fearing it would be trading one master for another. She is unsure of her path and allows fear to rule her into bad decisions: she attempts to disguise herself and run, but she is captured instantly by the villainous Bethwood, who enslaves her once more, leaving the reader wondering why Evie had even been rescued in the first place.
During her captivity, which is the entirety of the book, Evie is forced to work directly for Bethwood in absorbing illnesses from well-to-do members of the upper-middle class, for reasons Bethwood keeps close to his chest.
Curiously, Evie does not lament for her loss of freedom, or even really regret that she decided not to join the Order. It is unclear whether Evie’s lack of personal drive and autonomy is a result of being a slave her entire life, resulting in a lack of personal worth, or a flaw of the storytelling. She is a passive character, who rarely drives her own narrative.
At halfway through the book, little has changed for Evie from her circumstances in the first chapter, pre-rescue; it isn’t until she meets fellow Gifted woman Florie in captivity that she has a reason to keep surviving
The relationship is understated, ambiguous as to whether they are friends or something more, but it was a relief to receive a break from the relentless misery, and see Evie take comfort in a true friend. The bulk of the book is a grim read, with Evie suffering with her Gift that is more of a curse at Bethwood’s hands, with little personal drive to escape or fight back. It is not until the final chapter that Bethwood’s motives are revealed, and Evie finally starts to come into her own as a woman with autonomy.
Readers should be warned that there are frequent instances of physical violence towards Evie, at the hands of a character who is sometimes portrayed as an irredeemable villain, then sometimes portrayed as a sympathetic semi-partner to Evie (despite being her literal owner). Bethwood is both Evie’s cruel master and a curious teacher – someone who will abuse her and force her to use her magic for terrible deeds, while guiding her to push the boundaries of what she believes is possible with her own powers. Evie, for her part, doesn’t seem to feel very strong about her circumstances one way or the other until the very end.
While mostly decent and clear of typos and poor grammar/punctuation, from a technical standpoint there are flaws. The writing style suffers from frequent repetition – e.g. in the second chapter, the kindly Mrs Hickman, who sheltered Evie for her brief stint of freedom, tells Evie to eat her food four or five times in the space of a couple of paragraphs. Dialogue is often stilted, lacking a natural flow, and conversations about dark subjects like evil men’s perversions and survival in slavery are often bland and shallow.
My main complaint is that the entire book appears to be entirely set up for the “real” story, which is touched upon only when we get to the end.
Despite the dragging middle and the technical flaws, the intriguing turn that the ending takes changes the game and sets up what looks to be a nuanced and challenging dynamic for the next book in the series. Lost and Found is an origin story for Evie Chester; I expect it will be a more satisfying book to re-read when there are more stories in the series to balance it. I very much hope to see Evie continue to grow as a character, both in gaining independence and autonomy, and in developing her powers. I hope to see more consistency and better character motivations going forward. I am curious to see how Round will develop the supernatural elements of this grim world, and where Evie’s journey will take both her and the readers.
The first chapter introduces us to this unpleasant world where the Gifted, people with supernatural abilities, are reviled and kept as slaves for coin.
Evie Chester is one such slave; it is through her eyes we glimpse two female characters, a tall blonde woman dressed as a man, and her dark companion who wields a sword. But there is no time to dwell on these mysterious characters, as Evie is set to work using her powers to absorb illnesses, before “purging” the toxicity in a viscerally horrifying scene. We feel for Evie and we are shaken by her circumstances, and utterly relieved when the two mysterious women – Magda Stoner and Ascara, members of the mysterious Order – save her and whisk her away to safety.
Unfortunately the excellent introduction is negated almost immediately. Disappointingly, we never see Magda and Ascara again. Evie decides not to join the Order, believing or fearing it would be trading one master for another. She is unsure of her path and allows fear to rule her into bad decisions: she attempts to disguise herself and run, but she is captured instantly by the villainous Bethwood, who enslaves her once more, leaving the reader wondering why Evie had even been rescued in the first place.
During her captivity, which is the entirety of the book, Evie is forced to work directly for Bethwood in absorbing illnesses from well-to-do members of the upper-middle class, for reasons Bethwood keeps close to his chest.
Curiously, Evie does not lament for her loss of freedom, or even really regret that she decided not to join the Order. It is unclear whether Evie’s lack of personal drive and autonomy is a result of being a slave her entire life, resulting in a lack of personal worth, or a flaw of the storytelling. She is a passive character, who rarely drives her own narrative.
At halfway through the book, little has changed for Evie from her circumstances in the first chapter, pre-rescue; it isn’t until she meets fellow Gifted woman Florie in captivity that she has a reason to keep surviving
The relationship is understated, ambiguous as to whether they are friends or something more, but it was a relief to receive a break from the relentless misery, and see Evie take comfort in a true friend. The bulk of the book is a grim read, with Evie suffering with her Gift that is more of a curse at Bethwood’s hands, with little personal drive to escape or fight back. It is not until the final chapter that Bethwood’s motives are revealed, and Evie finally starts to come into her own as a woman with autonomy.
Readers should be warned that there are frequent instances of physical violence towards Evie, at the hands of a character who is sometimes portrayed as an irredeemable villain, then sometimes portrayed as a sympathetic semi-partner to Evie (despite being her literal owner). Bethwood is both Evie’s cruel master and a curious teacher – someone who will abuse her and force her to use her magic for terrible deeds, while guiding her to push the boundaries of what she believes is possible with her own powers. Evie, for her part, doesn’t seem to feel very strong about her circumstances one way or the other until the very end.
While mostly decent and clear of typos and poor grammar/punctuation, from a technical standpoint there are flaws. The writing style suffers from frequent repetition – e.g. in the second chapter, the kindly Mrs Hickman, who sheltered Evie for her brief stint of freedom, tells Evie to eat her food four or five times in the space of a couple of paragraphs. Dialogue is often stilted, lacking a natural flow, and conversations about dark subjects like evil men’s perversions and survival in slavery are often bland and shallow.
My main complaint is that the entire book appears to be entirely set up for the “real” story, which is touched upon only when we get to the end.
Despite the dragging middle and the technical flaws, the intriguing turn that the ending takes changes the game and sets up what looks to be a nuanced and challenging dynamic for the next book in the series. Lost and Found is an origin story for Evie Chester; I expect it will be a more satisfying book to re-read when there are more stories in the series to balance it. I very much hope to see Evie continue to grow as a character, both in gaining independence and autonomy, and in developing her powers. I hope to see more consistency and better character motivations going forward. I am curious to see how Round will develop the supernatural elements of this grim world, and where Evie’s journey will take both her and the readers.
September 10, 2021
I'm all out of "tower" books to read so I picked up the Evie Chester spinoff. It's a little bit bleak in spots, as you would expect from her origin story, but it doesn't get as bad as it could, and I still found it enjoyable to read. I am particularly fond of the way even in such a terrible situation good people manage to come forward and shine through, so in a way this actually was a little bit uplifting despite the grim subject matter. Be warned if you're squeamish though, there's a LOT of vomiting gross things.
February 19, 2022
Interesting premise. It might take more introspection than I took to bond with the main character and her struggles. The story was interesting, and she had her reasons to do what she did (survival), but by the end I wasn't the biggest fan of her decisions. There is probably a lot more to her story, and I want to know what happens... but there are other stories that interest me more. This was well written overall.
January 10, 2021
I did enjoy this, Evie is a nice character and i liked her a lot. My only problem with this was the scenes right through the end with Hesta and her 'brother', the whole think about controlling people and how they had to resort to slavery for survival's sake left me uncomfortable.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 14, 2021
Has potential
Do I ended up skipping over a good chunk of the book and before coming to the stepup indicated in the description and didn't feel lost at all. To often writers seem to include pages of stuff that don't advance the plot.
Do I ended up skipping over a good chunk of the book and before coming to the stepup indicated in the description and didn't feel lost at all. To often writers seem to include pages of stuff that don't advance the plot.
May 22, 2022
Evie Chester Files
While I wait the next Earth Tower book l decided to venture into another Round series. I really enjoyed this one as it in the same world of Earth Towers. Loved the characters and feel this is another winner. I strong recommend this series also.
While I wait the next Earth Tower book l decided to venture into another Round series. I really enjoyed this one as it in the same world of Earth Towers. Loved the characters and feel this is another winner. I strong recommend this series also.
March 9, 2025
Nita; I have to say that you are art for conjuring tales of nail biting sequences of mystery and mayhem. Also a talent for discriptive narration of the sapphic nature without the tawdriness of lewd wording. Keep Up the wonderful storytelling❗
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
December 16, 2020
I'm on the fence with this one but I'm going to give The Towers a try and see how that goes.
April 6, 2021
Well, it's good start for the back story of Evie. Let's see how it goes on, since knowing from the series Evie ends up alone on Magda's airship
April 25, 2021
Great Read
Really good story and I’m keen to read more about Evie although I did think some of her decisions were really stupid.
Really good story and I’m keen to read more about Evie although I did think some of her decisions were really stupid.
January 31, 2022
2.75*
I’m on the fence with this one. I’m not sure if I liked it or not. I will continue with the series, as I’m intrigued by the story. But I wasn’t hooked.
I’m on the fence with this one. I’m not sure if I liked it or not. I will continue with the series, as I’m intrigued by the story. But I wasn’t hooked.
November 5, 2022
Felt a little padded. A few typos but not many. Interesting story.
March 8, 2022
Second time read, and it was as fantastic as the first!
SAPPHIC BOOK BINGO: full-time writer, unusual job, out of your comfort zone, non-human character, not a romance (possibly other categories)
Evie Chester: I have many thoughts and feelings for her. I first read about her as a secondary character in The Towers of Earth series, and I knew that I'd love reading her own story. It didn't disappoint! She was broken away from slavery, only to be caught again. Her "gift" would drive her destiny to be a slave unless the right and perfect opportunity could come along. That chance might have finally happened, if only she could trust the woman involved and the conflict she just faced.
Evie and her story are my favorite steampunk/fantasy/gaslamp novellas. (I wouldn't be upset if she ever got full-length novels.) She's brilliant, caring, somewhat lost, and a true survivor. How could anyone not love her?
SAPPHIC BOOK BINGO: full-time writer, unusual job, out of your comfort zone, non-human character, not a romance (possibly other categories)
Evie Chester: I have many thoughts and feelings for her. I first read about her as a secondary character in The Towers of Earth series, and I knew that I'd love reading her own story. It didn't disappoint! She was broken away from slavery, only to be caught again. Her "gift" would drive her destiny to be a slave unless the right and perfect opportunity could come along. That chance might have finally happened, if only she could trust the woman involved and the conflict she just faced.
Evie and her story are my favorite steampunk/fantasy/gaslamp novellas. (I wouldn't be upset if she ever got full-length novels.) She's brilliant, caring, somewhat lost, and a true survivor. How could anyone not love her?
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews