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Ever Rest
Twenty years ago, Hugo and Ash were on top of the world. As the acclaimed rock band Ashbirds they were poised for superstardom. Then Ash went missing, lost in a mountaineering accident, and the lives of Hugo and everyone around him were changed forever. Irrepressible, infuriating, mesmerizing Ash left a hole they could never hope to fill.
Two decades on, Ash’s fiancée Elza is still struggling to move on, her private grief outshone by the glare of publicity. The loss of such a rock icon is a worldwide tragedy. Hugo is now a recluse in Nepal, shunning his old life. Robert, an ambitious session player, feels himself both blessed and cursed by his brief time with Ashbirds, unable to achieve recognition in his own right.
While the Ashbirds legend burns brighter than ever, Elza, Hugo and Robert are as stranded as if they were the ones lost in the ice. How far must they go to come back to life?
A lyrical, page-turning novel in the tradition of Dear Edward by Ann Napolitano, Ever Rest asks how we carry on after catastrophic loss. It will also strike a chord with fans of Meg Wolitzer’s The Interestings and Taylor Jenkins Reid’s Daisy Jones for its people bonded by an unforgettable time; fans of Ann Patchett’s Bel Canto, for music as a primal and romantic force; and Jon Krakauer’s Into Thin Air for the deadly and irresistible wildernesses that surround our comfortable world.
Two decades on, Ash’s fiancée Elza is still struggling to move on, her private grief outshone by the glare of publicity. The loss of such a rock icon is a worldwide tragedy. Hugo is now a recluse in Nepal, shunning his old life. Robert, an ambitious session player, feels himself both blessed and cursed by his brief time with Ashbirds, unable to achieve recognition in his own right.
While the Ashbirds legend burns brighter than ever, Elza, Hugo and Robert are as stranded as if they were the ones lost in the ice. How far must they go to come back to life?
A lyrical, page-turning novel in the tradition of Dear Edward by Ann Napolitano, Ever Rest asks how we carry on after catastrophic loss. It will also strike a chord with fans of Meg Wolitzer’s The Interestings and Taylor Jenkins Reid’s Daisy Jones for its people bonded by an unforgettable time; fans of Ann Patchett’s Bel Canto, for music as a primal and romantic force; and Jon Krakauer’s Into Thin Air for the deadly and irresistible wildernesses that surround our comfortable world.
- GenresFiction
308 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 3, 2021
2 people are currently reading
63 people want to read
About the author
Roz Morris
25 books373 followersWhat do I read? Fiction that cares about characters AND plot. Although I'm a sucker for beautiful language, I like a story too, dammit. I'm a slow reader because I'm easily trapped by lovely sentences and ideas, and when I enjoy a book I'm reluctant to leave its world behind.
I live in London with my writer husband, and our house is mostly decorated with bookshelves - so much so that different rooms are devoted to different categories, like a shop. My study, where I'm writing this now, is the fiction room - and when I look up from my keyboard it's a pleasure to see the spines of novels that have been important to me.
I'm a journalist, ghostwriter, editor and writing coach, and I'm also coming out from behind the ghosting curtain with novels of my own.
I've got eight books in circulation (books that I can admit to, that is!) Four are about writing - the Nail Your Novel series. I also have three nailed novels. My Memories of a Future Life is a contemporary reincarnation story with a twist that asks as many questions as it answers. Lifeform Three is a science fiction fable in the tradition of Ray Bradbury. Ever Rest is an exploration of how we live after we lose the most important person in our world. And I have a book of true travel tales, Not Quite Lost: Travels Without A Sense of Direction.
Ever Rest will be published on 3 June 2021.
Sign up for my newsletter https://tinyurl.com/rozmorriswriter
I live in London with my writer husband, and our house is mostly decorated with bookshelves - so much so that different rooms are devoted to different categories, like a shop. My study, where I'm writing this now, is the fiction room - and when I look up from my keyboard it's a pleasure to see the spines of novels that have been important to me.
I'm a journalist, ghostwriter, editor and writing coach, and I'm also coming out from behind the ghosting curtain with novels of my own.
I've got eight books in circulation (books that I can admit to, that is!) Four are about writing - the Nail Your Novel series. I also have three nailed novels. My Memories of a Future Life is a contemporary reincarnation story with a twist that asks as many questions as it answers. Lifeform Three is a science fiction fable in the tradition of Ray Bradbury. Ever Rest is an exploration of how we live after we lose the most important person in our world. And I have a book of true travel tales, Not Quite Lost: Travels Without A Sense of Direction.
Ever Rest will be published on 3 June 2021.
Sign up for my newsletter https://tinyurl.com/rozmorriswriter
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews
March 24, 2021
“Ever Rest” by Roz Morris is the kind of book you sink into and emerge from in a state of wonder. This beautifully written story steeped in the majesty of music and mountains is balanced on the riveting concept of a rock star, whose presumed death after an accident while climbing Mt. Everest, casts a years-long pall over the many lives he touched when young and famous.
Twenty years after Ash’s disappearance, his former girlfriend, Elza, a once young and beautiful dancer, is now an artist whose boyfriend has little concept of the celebrity that continues to follow her as fans worldwide keep her former lover’s memory alive. Ash’s bandmate, Hugo, the musical genius behind the duo known as Ashbirds, is the man who talked Ash into climbing Everest. Now he’s a climbing guide who eschews fame and wealth.
Following these people, along with and another five characters on the periphery of Ash’s inner circle, creates a wonderful tension akin to that evoked by Daphne du Maurier “Rebecca,” where the once grand lady of the manor continues to rule with the power of a ghost ever-present in the lives of those who walk beneath her portrait. While not as dark as that classic novel, this story captures that sense of purgatory where each discovery of a corpse on Everest reignites passions about the idol’s death while disrupting the lives of those closest to him.
The question quickly becomes, will the now forever enshrined by tragedy and mystery rock star ever really rest and give the living peace? Hence the brilliant title that creates foreboding as the pressure builds with every new body found on the famous mountain; a threat of avalanche exacerbated by an eccentric investor who wants to draw Hugo back into the rock scene and see the Ashbirds live on.
The story seamlessly moves amongst the viewpoints of the various characters while producing prose that brings the narrative alive with rich, authentic details and sensory descriptions that convince you you’re in the room with these people, whose lives, and demons, are so real.
Twenty years after Ash’s disappearance, his former girlfriend, Elza, a once young and beautiful dancer, is now an artist whose boyfriend has little concept of the celebrity that continues to follow her as fans worldwide keep her former lover’s memory alive. Ash’s bandmate, Hugo, the musical genius behind the duo known as Ashbirds, is the man who talked Ash into climbing Everest. Now he’s a climbing guide who eschews fame and wealth.
Following these people, along with and another five characters on the periphery of Ash’s inner circle, creates a wonderful tension akin to that evoked by Daphne du Maurier “Rebecca,” where the once grand lady of the manor continues to rule with the power of a ghost ever-present in the lives of those who walk beneath her portrait. While not as dark as that classic novel, this story captures that sense of purgatory where each discovery of a corpse on Everest reignites passions about the idol’s death while disrupting the lives of those closest to him.
The question quickly becomes, will the now forever enshrined by tragedy and mystery rock star ever really rest and give the living peace? Hence the brilliant title that creates foreboding as the pressure builds with every new body found on the famous mountain; a threat of avalanche exacerbated by an eccentric investor who wants to draw Hugo back into the rock scene and see the Ashbirds live on.
The story seamlessly moves amongst the viewpoints of the various characters while producing prose that brings the narrative alive with rich, authentic details and sensory descriptions that convince you you’re in the room with these people, whose lives, and demons, are so real.
September 24, 2021
Disclaimer – I received e-copy of this book from the author, in exchange for review. Many thanks to author.
Ever Rest was beautifully written Literary fiction that revolved around a famous pop star’s death that changed band members’ life.
The story was about fame, music industry, struggle, band politics, grief, loss, guilt, presumptions, paparazzi, loyalty, betrayal, friendship, and mountaineering life.
This was very much different from what usually read. So it took time for me to get into book and slow pace wasn’t helping but I enjoyed complicated, flawed, and realistic characters and layered plot.
I didn’t like most of the characters except Hugo and Elza but they were all so very human and realistic. Multiple perspective gave more depth to characters giving new angle to events that happened in their life and made it easy to understand them. It also added tension between characters.
Best part of the book was Everest. It was amazing to read about mountaineering, how mountaineers train and acclimatise, what happens on their journey to summit, how hard it is to climb this highest peak of the world and fragility and frailty of humans against the nature and mountains.
Overall, Ever Rest was touching, heartfelt, thought-provoking and beautifully written fiction.
I recommend this if you love,
book about music and bands
slow pace
flawed and complicated characters
life of fame
music industry and its politics
mountaineering
Full review - https://booksteacupreviews.com/2021/0...
Ever Rest was beautifully written Literary fiction that revolved around a famous pop star’s death that changed band members’ life.
The story was about fame, music industry, struggle, band politics, grief, loss, guilt, presumptions, paparazzi, loyalty, betrayal, friendship, and mountaineering life.
This was very much different from what usually read. So it took time for me to get into book and slow pace wasn’t helping but I enjoyed complicated, flawed, and realistic characters and layered plot.
I didn’t like most of the characters except Hugo and Elza but they were all so very human and realistic. Multiple perspective gave more depth to characters giving new angle to events that happened in their life and made it easy to understand them. It also added tension between characters.
Best part of the book was Everest. It was amazing to read about mountaineering, how mountaineers train and acclimatise, what happens on their journey to summit, how hard it is to climb this highest peak of the world and fragility and frailty of humans against the nature and mountains.
Overall, Ever Rest was touching, heartfelt, thought-provoking and beautifully written fiction.
I recommend this if you love,
book about music and bands
slow pace
flawed and complicated characters
life of fame
music industry and its politics
mountaineering
Full review - https://booksteacupreviews.com/2021/0...
October 13, 2024
wow!!! beautifully written with characters who are all so complex and sympathetic in their own ways. totally blew me away - would highly recommend.
April 13, 2021
Stories about pop stars are a bit like how Elliot sees Ashbirds' songs before the Hyde Park concert in Ever Rest – so overfamous that he doesn't even like them anymore. Until he hears them live in concert. And so is with celebrities we see and hear on every step these days, until you read Roz Morris's Ever Rest. She imbues the god-like superstars with so many human emotions, motivations and sensitivities that I couldn’t but feel with them, and they stayed with me long after I finished the book.
The entire narrative is built on the tension between the people that Ashten left behind when he died in the Himalayas. The conflicts are so well-written and nuanced (as are the characters and their actions) that they sustain the story till the very end, with the pace never slacking. More than just an insight into celebrity life, Ever Rest’s main appeal is in its demonstration of how fame changes even something as basic as grieving, as the sense of guilt, of uncertainty, of being unable to find closure and move on – and at the same time, how the famous feel the same way mere mortals do.
I was fascinated by Elza’s and Hugo’s characters and how they’ve each reacted differently to the situation. Elza is so contained and stoic in the face of the public scrutiny and I kept expecting her to either break down or fly into a rage at some point. And Hugo distances himself completely from his previous life as a rock star, finding purpose in exactly that which killed his bandmate. To pay for his inability to see the trouble Ashten was in by perfecting his skills and helping others? Who knows.
In Ever Rest, the music and climbing are both a way to lose oneself in (or find themselves). All that vivid detail brought back recollections from when I used to know musicians and that awakening of the memories made the story so much more raw and real.
Five stars from start to finish!
The entire narrative is built on the tension between the people that Ashten left behind when he died in the Himalayas. The conflicts are so well-written and nuanced (as are the characters and their actions) that they sustain the story till the very end, with the pace never slacking. More than just an insight into celebrity life, Ever Rest’s main appeal is in its demonstration of how fame changes even something as basic as grieving, as the sense of guilt, of uncertainty, of being unable to find closure and move on – and at the same time, how the famous feel the same way mere mortals do.
I was fascinated by Elza’s and Hugo’s characters and how they’ve each reacted differently to the situation. Elza is so contained and stoic in the face of the public scrutiny and I kept expecting her to either break down or fly into a rage at some point. And Hugo distances himself completely from his previous life as a rock star, finding purpose in exactly that which killed his bandmate. To pay for his inability to see the trouble Ashten was in by perfecting his skills and helping others? Who knows.
In Ever Rest, the music and climbing are both a way to lose oneself in (or find themselves). All that vivid detail brought back recollections from when I used to know musicians and that awakening of the memories made the story so much more raw and real.
Five stars from start to finish!
June 10, 2021
Ever Rest is a highly unusual novel, and a highly captivating one, for a number of reasons. First, in a literary world determined, apparently, to pitch novels to readers with the emotional intelligence of teens, this is a novel for adults. It asks questions of real import, such as what makes life worth living, in a contemporary, secular society? Is it fame, glamour, and riches - which the Ashbirds band have in abundance (at least the two main members) - or is it the thrill of danger and physical challenge, as exemplified by mountain climbing, which both Ashten and Hugo take up, and a third member later flirts with? Or might it be something as simple and old-fashioned as love?
Second, among all the trendy novels with their victim narratives, this one doesn't demand either your pity or your guilt. It's about successful people, and what complex, fascinating characters they are. Roz Morris eschews the well-trodden path of the traditional rock 'n' roll novel (like The Commitments), the saga of sex, drugs, egos and quarrels, and instead focuses on how creativity actually happens, both in the recording studio, and to some extent in art. She explores the relationship between the founder members of the Ashbirds, Ashten and Hugo, which is less like Lennon-McCartney or Jagger-Richards than like Daltrey and Townsend - that is, a charismatic singer, and an eminence grise musician who does all the real creation. Because Ashten is a narcissist and to an extent a fake, we sympathise with Hugo, at least until we see how autocratically he treats the ambitious musicians who make up the rest of the band, at least in their own view.
Third, although most people prefer not to think about death, it's ever present in this novel, informing the life particularly of Elza, the ex-girlfriend of Ashten, who suffers bereavement right at the start of the action (and so, I hope, this is not a terrible spoiler.) Although she was only with him for six months, she was so young (nineteen) that the relationship marked her, and left her with illusions about Ashten that it takes her most of the novel to demystify. A reserved, deliberately down-to-earth Australian dancer turned commercial artist, if there is any protagonist in this complex ensemble cast, it's her.
I hope I've given a hint of the complexity of the characters, but it's also the case that the plot is highly compelling. While not exactly a thriller, since we know from the start that Ashten had a fall on Everest many years ago, Roz Morris makes great use of suspense, not only to keep us on tenterhooks about whether the body will be recovered, and if so what its effect will be on the band's comeback, but also, more importantly, on the fate of the characters. Will Hugo, who has given up music to climb and work for Nepalese charities, return to music? Will Robert, the session player who was attempting to write songs with Ashten just before his death, manage to finally break into the big time of the music world? Will Elza remain with her newfound love, Elliot, a wonderful but unadventurous guy, or will her head be turned again by the glamour of the rock world, and the discovery that her youthful love was perhaps misplaced?
It's also fair to say that I seldom read such a masterfully-crafted novel as this one. It's taut and tight and Roz Morris makes ever word count. She's very deft at capturing a moment with a sensory image--often one that's very memorably, and lyrically described. The pace is swift but not rushed. The research she must have done is very impressive. I've trekked twice (but not climbed) in the Himalayas, and I found the details of life in the mountains completely convincing. I've also been a semi-professional musician and didn't ever doubt her descriptions of the band recording or performing (and usually I do!) This is an author you trust. And even if you are not particularly interested in either mountain climbing or rock music, you are likely to be enthralled by the characters as Roz Morris takes you on an unforgettable journey with them.
I feel honour-bound to mention that although I have never met Roz Morris, I have interviewed her before, for her brilliant travel memoir, Not Quite Lost, and plan to interview her again, indeed very soon, for this novel. However, I've tried to be completely frank. I've just finished reading the book for the second time, and honestly enjoyed it even more the second time than the first. This is surely one of the best novels to appear in Britain this year.
Second, among all the trendy novels with their victim narratives, this one doesn't demand either your pity or your guilt. It's about successful people, and what complex, fascinating characters they are. Roz Morris eschews the well-trodden path of the traditional rock 'n' roll novel (like The Commitments), the saga of sex, drugs, egos and quarrels, and instead focuses on how creativity actually happens, both in the recording studio, and to some extent in art. She explores the relationship between the founder members of the Ashbirds, Ashten and Hugo, which is less like Lennon-McCartney or Jagger-Richards than like Daltrey and Townsend - that is, a charismatic singer, and an eminence grise musician who does all the real creation. Because Ashten is a narcissist and to an extent a fake, we sympathise with Hugo, at least until we see how autocratically he treats the ambitious musicians who make up the rest of the band, at least in their own view.
Third, although most people prefer not to think about death, it's ever present in this novel, informing the life particularly of Elza, the ex-girlfriend of Ashten, who suffers bereavement right at the start of the action (and so, I hope, this is not a terrible spoiler.) Although she was only with him for six months, she was so young (nineteen) that the relationship marked her, and left her with illusions about Ashten that it takes her most of the novel to demystify. A reserved, deliberately down-to-earth Australian dancer turned commercial artist, if there is any protagonist in this complex ensemble cast, it's her.
I hope I've given a hint of the complexity of the characters, but it's also the case that the plot is highly compelling. While not exactly a thriller, since we know from the start that Ashten had a fall on Everest many years ago, Roz Morris makes great use of suspense, not only to keep us on tenterhooks about whether the body will be recovered, and if so what its effect will be on the band's comeback, but also, more importantly, on the fate of the characters. Will Hugo, who has given up music to climb and work for Nepalese charities, return to music? Will Robert, the session player who was attempting to write songs with Ashten just before his death, manage to finally break into the big time of the music world? Will Elza remain with her newfound love, Elliot, a wonderful but unadventurous guy, or will her head be turned again by the glamour of the rock world, and the discovery that her youthful love was perhaps misplaced?
It's also fair to say that I seldom read such a masterfully-crafted novel as this one. It's taut and tight and Roz Morris makes ever word count. She's very deft at capturing a moment with a sensory image--often one that's very memorably, and lyrically described. The pace is swift but not rushed. The research she must have done is very impressive. I've trekked twice (but not climbed) in the Himalayas, and I found the details of life in the mountains completely convincing. I've also been a semi-professional musician and didn't ever doubt her descriptions of the band recording or performing (and usually I do!) This is an author you trust. And even if you are not particularly interested in either mountain climbing or rock music, you are likely to be enthralled by the characters as Roz Morris takes you on an unforgettable journey with them.
I feel honour-bound to mention that although I have never met Roz Morris, I have interviewed her before, for her brilliant travel memoir, Not Quite Lost, and plan to interview her again, indeed very soon, for this novel. However, I've tried to be completely frank. I've just finished reading the book for the second time, and honestly enjoyed it even more the second time than the first. This is surely one of the best novels to appear in Britain this year.
April 30, 2021
“Twenty years ago, Hugo and Ash were on top of the world. As the acclaimed rock band Ashbirds they were poised for superstardom. Then Ash went missing in a mountaineering accident, and the lives of Hugo and everyone around him were changed forever. Irrepressible, infuriating, mesmerising Ash left a hole they could never hope to fill.
“Two decades on, Ash’s fiancée Elza is still struggling to move on, her private grief outshone by the glare of publicity. The loss of such a rock icon is a worldwide tragedy. Hugo is now a recluse n Nepal, shunning his old life. Robert, an ambitious session player, feels both blessed and cursed by his brief time with Ashbirds, unable to achieve recognition in his own right.
“While the Ashbirds legend burns brighter than ever, Elza, Hugo and Robert are as stranded as if they were the ones lost in the ice.
“How far must they go to come back to life?”
Many years ago, when I was a bookseller, one of my staff used to judge books by their physical properties and hand feel. This book would have passed her test. Jo would have loved the way the pages fan so softly and flop open beautifully with no hindrance from the beautifully supple spine. The jacket design is just right and draws one in. Oh, and the book smells just right.
Before I delve into the characters and the crafting of this story let me provide two short quotations. The first is describing one of the characters and paints such a vivid picture in my mind; the second describes a scene to perfection:
“…a floor-skimming coat that made him look like the last survivor of a Byronic battlefield.”
“…a crumpled tinfoil sea of blue and silver mountains.”
I have already told you how easy the pages are to turn. Please take this metaphorically as well as literally. It has been a long time since I had the pleasure of reading a book where the words pour into my soul so effortlessly.
The various settings and technical aspects of the writing are evidence of careful and meticulous research.
I can relate to all the characters in this tale and understand them. I may not like all of them but they ring true. They are developed and fleshed out in a very natural way without any intrusion of the writer’s craft and slowly the layers of complication of characters, plot and motivation are peeled away to give us a fuller understanding of the dynamics in this small group.
I came to what I thought was the resolution of this tale and realised that I still had one hundred pages left to read. I wondered what might be left to resolve or explain. Fear not, surprises and revelations continue until the very end. This is a very satisfactory and satisfying novel.
I do not wish to provide any plot spoilers other than those in the blurb from the back cover quoted above.
Your soul will love you if you read this book; trust me, I was a bookseller.
“Two decades on, Ash’s fiancée Elza is still struggling to move on, her private grief outshone by the glare of publicity. The loss of such a rock icon is a worldwide tragedy. Hugo is now a recluse n Nepal, shunning his old life. Robert, an ambitious session player, feels both blessed and cursed by his brief time with Ashbirds, unable to achieve recognition in his own right.
“While the Ashbirds legend burns brighter than ever, Elza, Hugo and Robert are as stranded as if they were the ones lost in the ice.
“How far must they go to come back to life?”
Many years ago, when I was a bookseller, one of my staff used to judge books by their physical properties and hand feel. This book would have passed her test. Jo would have loved the way the pages fan so softly and flop open beautifully with no hindrance from the beautifully supple spine. The jacket design is just right and draws one in. Oh, and the book smells just right.
Before I delve into the characters and the crafting of this story let me provide two short quotations. The first is describing one of the characters and paints such a vivid picture in my mind; the second describes a scene to perfection:
“…a floor-skimming coat that made him look like the last survivor of a Byronic battlefield.”
“…a crumpled tinfoil sea of blue and silver mountains.”
I have already told you how easy the pages are to turn. Please take this metaphorically as well as literally. It has been a long time since I had the pleasure of reading a book where the words pour into my soul so effortlessly.
The various settings and technical aspects of the writing are evidence of careful and meticulous research.
I can relate to all the characters in this tale and understand them. I may not like all of them but they ring true. They are developed and fleshed out in a very natural way without any intrusion of the writer’s craft and slowly the layers of complication of characters, plot and motivation are peeled away to give us a fuller understanding of the dynamics in this small group.
I came to what I thought was the resolution of this tale and realised that I still had one hundred pages left to read. I wondered what might be left to resolve or explain. Fear not, surprises and revelations continue until the very end. This is a very satisfactory and satisfying novel.
I do not wish to provide any plot spoilers other than those in the blurb from the back cover quoted above.
Your soul will love you if you read this book; trust me, I was a bookseller.
March 11, 2021
This is a perfectly crafted novel of music and mountaineering and mourning. The characters live on in your head long after the novel is finished, such is their vitality and truthfulness on the page. Their grief is necessarily played out among callous paparazzi requiring stratagems for self protection over and above those needed by ordinary people dealing with loss. The minor characters are equally authentic without delaying the flow of the narrative.
The different arcs of the plot move fluidly from one to the next, from pop concert to Base Camp, from lyrics to mountains. The writing is pacy, dynamic; the sentences short and sparse, not a word wasted. A recommended read.
May 24, 2021
A sensitive, stylistically impeccable dramatization of how fame distorts not only the lives of the famous, but of those caught in their immediate orbits. Morris has constructed her novel’s astute plot around the black hole created in the lives of three people — his partner, his fiancée, and a star session player — when acclaimed musician Ashten Geddard perishes during a mountain climbing expedition. Like any good novel, Ever Rest casts its thematic net far wider and deeper than any plot summary can faithfully convey, which isn’t to say that it’s not a page-turner. While I was impressed with its depth of character psychology and stylistic virtuosity, I also found Ever Rest thoroughly entertaining. A fine, compelling, serious novel.
April 10, 2021
From the very beginning of “Ever Rest” characters get under your skin and stay there; so well defined, so well explored. Mount Everest has taken a life, but somehow it seems to yearn for more, whether it’s lives in Nepal or London, like an avalanche waiting for a new set of victims. The tension is real. Roz Morris is masterful with her use of flashbacks; taking readers from sea level to the highest point on earth and back again. Thoroughly researched; one feels the chill of the mountain and the throb of rock music throughout. Great read. Totally engrossing. Loved every minute of it.
April 15, 2021
I found myself so engrossed in this book that I would open up the internet and expect news stories about Ashten and Elza, Hugo and Robert. It is all so real and heart-wrenching. Roz takes the story to unfathomable depths and reaches unbelievable heights. The richness of the characters' individuality and their internal thought processes, as well as the fact that they kept things from each other and yet from each perspective things shone with their version of correct, simply blew me away. It is written like one long song where every other lyric sparks shivers down your spine.
June 1, 2021
4.75/5 to be totally honest!
Finally, Roz Morris writes a literary fiction novel, and I just found it so powerful. Find out more from my #bookreview on my blog here. https://tcl-bookreviews.com/2021/06/0...
Finally, Roz Morris writes a literary fiction novel, and I just found it so powerful. Find out more from my #bookreview on my blog here. https://tcl-bookreviews.com/2021/06/0...
June 4, 2021
The repercussions of Ash’s disappearance 20 years ago continue.
I had absolutely no idea what kind of book I was about to read when I picked up Ever Rest, but I hadn’t expected such an intense, beautifully crafted work of literary fiction. There’s a smooth sophistication to Roz Morris’s writing that makes for a really pleasurable read, especially when it’s coupled with natural dialogue and a variety of sentences where exposition and description are perfectly balanced. Ever Rest feels like a book of real quality. There’s a quietness somehow, that belies the intensity of emotion presented that I found quite mesmerising. Similarly, the description is frequently poetic but never self-conscious so that I had a truly striking image in my mind’s eye as I read.
There’s no fast paced thriller here, but rather an insightful understanding of character and the emotions we experience. I was fascinated by each of the characters, although I didn’t especially warm to any of them. This was because they are presented so vividly, flaws and all, so that the reader has a better understanding of them than the characters do of themselves. Roz Morris explores so deftly the way the past shapes our present, and how, like Ash, we can become frozen in the personas others impose upon us so that we lose sight of our true selves. I found Ever Rest a highly thought provoking read as a result. I found Ash’s presence so cleverly wrought. He’s been missing for years but is still the catalyst for the action here.
I loved Roz Morris’ authoritative presentation of the music world and the exploration of fame and its impact. From paparazzi to security, artistic endeavour to charitable fund raising, loyalty to betrayal, Ever Rest affords the reader a glimpse into an unfamiliar world and I finished the book feeling glad I have never been exposed to the pressures fame can bring. So many here compromise their lives because of the control and manipulation of others that Ever Rest is quite a disturbing book as well as an entertaining one.
I thought the title was inspired. There’s a convincing exploration of the risks and thrills of mountaineering with the need to provide Ashten with his ever, or eternal, rest. The things that happen to those who remain, or rest, behind, and the dominance of Everest the mountain itself, all swirl through this beautifully crafted book.
I thoroughly enjoyed Ever Rest. It’s sophisticated, written with sensitivity and aplomb and thought provoking too.
I had absolutely no idea what kind of book I was about to read when I picked up Ever Rest, but I hadn’t expected such an intense, beautifully crafted work of literary fiction. There’s a smooth sophistication to Roz Morris’s writing that makes for a really pleasurable read, especially when it’s coupled with natural dialogue and a variety of sentences where exposition and description are perfectly balanced. Ever Rest feels like a book of real quality. There’s a quietness somehow, that belies the intensity of emotion presented that I found quite mesmerising. Similarly, the description is frequently poetic but never self-conscious so that I had a truly striking image in my mind’s eye as I read.
There’s no fast paced thriller here, but rather an insightful understanding of character and the emotions we experience. I was fascinated by each of the characters, although I didn’t especially warm to any of them. This was because they are presented so vividly, flaws and all, so that the reader has a better understanding of them than the characters do of themselves. Roz Morris explores so deftly the way the past shapes our present, and how, like Ash, we can become frozen in the personas others impose upon us so that we lose sight of our true selves. I found Ever Rest a highly thought provoking read as a result. I found Ash’s presence so cleverly wrought. He’s been missing for years but is still the catalyst for the action here.
I loved Roz Morris’ authoritative presentation of the music world and the exploration of fame and its impact. From paparazzi to security, artistic endeavour to charitable fund raising, loyalty to betrayal, Ever Rest affords the reader a glimpse into an unfamiliar world and I finished the book feeling glad I have never been exposed to the pressures fame can bring. So many here compromise their lives because of the control and manipulation of others that Ever Rest is quite a disturbing book as well as an entertaining one.
I thought the title was inspired. There’s a convincing exploration of the risks and thrills of mountaineering with the need to provide Ashten with his ever, or eternal, rest. The things that happen to those who remain, or rest, behind, and the dominance of Everest the mountain itself, all swirl through this beautifully crafted book.
I thoroughly enjoyed Ever Rest. It’s sophisticated, written with sensitivity and aplomb and thought provoking too.
July 4, 2021
I am so glad I chose to read this book. I count it among one of my best reading experiences ever. The author immediately drew me in to the world inhabited by her characters. It is set in the world of Rock Star Icons, moving between two time lines of the present and the past. Roz Morris's writing style allows you to witness the interaction between characters driving the story forward, and at the same time gives access to subtext within the character's head reflecting their real emotions. I felt I knew them personally; a profound experience. The subject matter became almost immaterial, the experience was about what makes us human. I cannot recommend this book highly enough.
May 22, 2021
When acclaimed musician Ashten Geddard dies in a mountaineering accident, it will have a lasting impact on those he left behind. To generations of fans Ash will always be the real deal: broody, enigmatic, complex, a genius song writer with a haunting voice and an extraordinary gift for interpreting lyrics. His talent and premature death will ensure his rock star immortality, yet for those who knew and worked with him, feelings are mixed.
Ash was a ruthless manipulator who deceived to get his own way and lied to enhance his reputation as a maverick. Hugo Bird, co-founder of their band Ashbirds, had known this from when they were teenagers. Although he admired Ash’s determination to be recognised as a once in a lifetime exception, Hugo saw through the elaborate fib spinning that fooled everybody else. Yet it was that “opposites attract” quality which threw them together and spurred their creative brilliance, even if the talent was largely one sided. Ash may have had the voice and good looks but it was Hugo who wrote the music and songs, although the credits were shared! Would the band have succeeded if the public had known the truth, or would the journey to fame have been more strung out because of it? The question never crosses Hugo’s mind, even twenty years after Ash’s death on Mount Everest, which he not only witnessed but for which he was blamed by both the fans and Ash’s girlfriend Elza.
Time may have moved on but Elza’s life hasn’t caught up. Although she succeeds in reinventing herself as an artist, to the fans and media she will always be Ashten Geddard’s lover, the woman he would have married if fate hadn’t stepped in the way. What Elza will never know is that Ash didn’t love her. She happened to be in the right place at the right time when she was scouted by his bodyguard, who was ordered to find him a girl! Elza’s tragedy is that decades after his death, she is struggling to move on. In the social media whirlpool where fame is predicated on nothing and gossip peddled as fact, Elza does her best to avoid the spotlight. When the TV and radio news report that Ash’s body may have been found, she retreats into a shadow existence of hiding behind closed doors or disguising herself to avoid the paparazzi lenses. Elliot, the IT contractor she meets in a client’s office, offers her a genuine alternative to media intrusion, music industry duplicity and the burden of an unwanted “celebrity” status. Will Elza seize the moment, or are the bonds tying her to Ash too strong to break?
Session musician Robert is the third player in the Ashbird’s drama, with a link that is both a curse and a blessing. When Ash asked him to help out on a new album Robert jumped at the chance, reeled in by dreams of success and further collaboration – only for Ash to renege on the deal! The injustice of that moment is burned into Robert’s memory. Although he performed on the album his songs were never recorded and his one consolation is the interest his career receives whenever Ash’s name makes the headlines.
Ever Rest, Roz Morris’s latest work, is a beautifully crafted book with an intricately told story that never flags. The characters are authentic while the atmosphere crackles with a strained uneasy calm, qualities skilfully used to explore the layers of a haunting, compelling narrative. Ashten Geddard may have had the Messianic appeal of Jim Morrison but unlike The Doors frontman, there were limits to his talent and without Hugo’s brilliance he might never have made the cut. They both knew it yet for Ash, who had fallen into the trap of believing his pop star persona, Hugo’s talent could feel like a weight around his neck. Ash needed him creatively but couldn’t bring himself to admit it, although his callous abandonment of Robert was the closest thing possible to an admission.
The Ash/Hugo relationship is the story backbone. Why did Hugo stay with Ash when he could have found success on his own terms? Why did he tolerate his selfishness, or take the rap for his casual cruelty? Hugo was more than just Ash’s musical partner he was also his protector, the reliable backstop who could be trusted to take control when necessary. It’s a role he never relinquishes and one to which he naturally rises as rumours about the discovery of Ash’s body gather momentum. Hugo’s life could have fallen apart after the Everest tragedy, but it didn’t. His practical nature and all-round decency are his moral strength and his decision to live in Nepal, where he climbs mountains and donates his album royalties to charity, should be judged within that context. He has learned to draw a balance between using the music business to suit his needs while keeping a distance from the greed, opportunism and shallowness that underpin it.
Manipulation is the thread that runs deep throughout the narrative. Ash’s ability to exploit his nearest and dearest continues beyond the grave while the novel’s minor characters are ruthlessly chewed up and spat out by the business that made him. The shocking plot that’s hatched around the discovery of his body is further evidence of the industry’s amorality. Robert is the instigator in chief who draws a reluctant Elliot into the conspiracy, although Elliot isn’t the only one being played. Elza, framed by the media as the tragic girlfriend who will never find peace while the love of her life is missing, is caught in a toe-curling schlock narrative that puts a premium on website clicks and album sales. The lesson isn’t lost on superfan and millionaire businessman Oliver Jared, who buys his way into the Ashbird’s story by funding their “comeback” concert. Backing a dead rock star will reap dividends for him, the record company and Robert’s career, which is poised to ride a wave of success.
Ever Rest is a novel that intrigues, outrages and even amuses with its wry shades of humour, subtle character observations and the bitter sweet tone of its narrative. Yet it is more than just a scathing takedown of a ruthless industry exploiting a dead pop star’s legacy. This is also a novel about surviving trauma, the commoditisation of grief, leaving the past behind and prioritising the things that matter. Ashten Geddard’s immortality is assured, hence the pun in the book’s title, while those who knew him will be left in peace to reset their lives and embrace a future that had almost eluded them.
September 8, 2021
In Ever Rest, we explore the partnership between mountain climbing and rock music, which creates an unforgettable novel. The book revolves around Ashten Geddard, the rock star whose life and death change the futures of his girlfriend Elza, and the other two band members, Hugo and Robert, after he plunges to his death on Mt. Everest. Ash’s body rests within the mountain’s icy grip. Twenty years later, the trio still struggles to make sense of his death.
We discover how Ash and Hugo met as young boys, how they lived through their personal family traumas, and how neither one seemed to be a complete whole without the other. From the beginning, I sensed Ash needed Hugo more than Hugo needed him. Ash possessed the charisma, the glue that brings the fans in, while Hugo proves to be the musical genius behind the Ashbirds rock group.
The novel is a character study of the lives left behind after Ash’s death. The novel shares Hugo’s journey of coming to grips with his guilt over Ash’s death and becoming the man he always wanted to be. But the novel is Elza’s story, as well as Robert’s story, too. The threads of Ash’s death weave together each character’s narrative into the present. How will they move forward?
Now, each corpse recovered from Mt. Everest propels the characters into their own personal hell, wondering if this body will be his remains. I found it interesting that even in death, Ash commanded the show.
When an investor shows up to reunite the remaining members of the Ashbirds, Hugo finds himself drawn back into the rock scene one last time. Even Elza, now an artist, is pulled into the emotional whirlwind of the Ashbirds musical aura… until they find a corpse on Mt. Everest that only Hugo can identify. What will he find?
“Ever Rest” was not my typical read, but I found the characters to be solid and intriguing personalities. The more I learned about Ash, the less I like him, but that’s typical of larger-than-life characters. This book held my attention and I couldn’t wait to read more to find out what happened next.
If you’re looking for something different, this is the book for you. The story is engaging with characters that come across as genuine people, and there’s nothing fake about them. Something I would think rare in the world of rock stars. The plot is full of twists and turns—enough to keep you reading long into the night! I received this book as a gift from the author. I enjoyed the novel so much; I had to share my thoughts.
We discover how Ash and Hugo met as young boys, how they lived through their personal family traumas, and how neither one seemed to be a complete whole without the other. From the beginning, I sensed Ash needed Hugo more than Hugo needed him. Ash possessed the charisma, the glue that brings the fans in, while Hugo proves to be the musical genius behind the Ashbirds rock group.
The novel is a character study of the lives left behind after Ash’s death. The novel shares Hugo’s journey of coming to grips with his guilt over Ash’s death and becoming the man he always wanted to be. But the novel is Elza’s story, as well as Robert’s story, too. The threads of Ash’s death weave together each character’s narrative into the present. How will they move forward?
Now, each corpse recovered from Mt. Everest propels the characters into their own personal hell, wondering if this body will be his remains. I found it interesting that even in death, Ash commanded the show.
When an investor shows up to reunite the remaining members of the Ashbirds, Hugo finds himself drawn back into the rock scene one last time. Even Elza, now an artist, is pulled into the emotional whirlwind of the Ashbirds musical aura… until they find a corpse on Mt. Everest that only Hugo can identify. What will he find?
“Ever Rest” was not my typical read, but I found the characters to be solid and intriguing personalities. The more I learned about Ash, the less I like him, but that’s typical of larger-than-life characters. This book held my attention and I couldn’t wait to read more to find out what happened next.
If you’re looking for something different, this is the book for you. The story is engaging with characters that come across as genuine people, and there’s nothing fake about them. Something I would think rare in the world of rock stars. The plot is full of twists and turns—enough to keep you reading long into the night! I received this book as a gift from the author. I enjoyed the novel so much; I had to share my thoughts.
September 14, 2021
A very interesting read which made me think about things I haven’t previously considered, as well as being an enjoyable novel.
Twenty years ago rock star Ash was lost while climbing Everest with his band-mate Hugo, changing the lives of everyone around him. His fiancee, Elza, has been unable to move on with her life and the other band member find themselves living in limbo, but the press has never given up. What they need is closure – but how do they get it?
For most of us, a death is followed by a funeral and, whilst we may grieve for some time to come, we can at least begin to move on with our life; but when the body isn’t recovered there is no such finality. This novel follows the lives of close friends and how the tragic loss of Ash affected them for decades to come. I can’t say it’s something I’ve ever really considered before, but this book definitely made me think about how horrendous it must be to try and get up each day and continue with their own lives. While the rest of the world develops and moves on, these characters are stuck in a time warp. The author has created a fine cast, each with their own personalities and outlook on life. A lovely read and a bit of an eye-opener too. Well-paced and beautifully written, I’m happy to give this one 4*.
Twenty years ago rock star Ash was lost while climbing Everest with his band-mate Hugo, changing the lives of everyone around him. His fiancee, Elza, has been unable to move on with her life and the other band member find themselves living in limbo, but the press has never given up. What they need is closure – but how do they get it?
For most of us, a death is followed by a funeral and, whilst we may grieve for some time to come, we can at least begin to move on with our life; but when the body isn’t recovered there is no such finality. This novel follows the lives of close friends and how the tragic loss of Ash affected them for decades to come. I can’t say it’s something I’ve ever really considered before, but this book definitely made me think about how horrendous it must be to try and get up each day and continue with their own lives. While the rest of the world develops and moves on, these characters are stuck in a time warp. The author has created a fine cast, each with their own personalities and outlook on life. A lovely read and a bit of an eye-opener too. Well-paced and beautifully written, I’m happy to give this one 4*.
May 26, 2021
Having really enjoyed Roz Morris’s other two novels, I was looking forward to her latest and it more than lives up to my expectations. I was totally absorbed by this dynamic cast of intriguing characters against a background of the rock scene and extreme mountaineering.
On one level, this is a gripping and fascinating story about the legacy of adored 1990s rock band, Ashbirds, which came to an end after only three albums when enigmatic singer Ashten Geddard was killed on an expedition to Everest. In the blaze of fame and glory it was largely overlooked that even at the time the cracks were already showing between central band members Ashten and Hugo Bird, as well as other more peripheral musicians, mainly Robert Speed, considered a glorified session musician by others but who, embittered after decades of work making music for adverts and the like, considers his own contribution to the band to be far more significant.
The novel also focuses on Elza, Ashten’s girlfriend at the time of his death, revered by adoring fans as the grieving widow, but in fact trying to reclaim her own life and status as an artist.
A number of alleged findings of Ashten’s body have come to light over the years, which make it hard to lay the past to rest and thus have a devastating effect on those left behind. One such coincides with an attempt by a wealthy investor to revive the band’s success with a comeback album featuring, among others, former member Hugo who has since become a reclusive mountaineer, and Robert, initially nervous but fuelled by the opportunity of reversing his fortunes with a real career in music.
Beneath the surface this is a fascinating exploration both of ambition and the effects of fame on people, and of loss and the nature of memory and how it can idealise someone who is no longer here. Roz Morris seamlessly interweaves the various characters’ backstory with the present-day action, each enriching the other.
I often think that one of the joys of fiction is that it can so often make you empathise and come to care for people you’d probably run a mile from in real life. This is certainly the case here. With the possible exception of Elza, most of the characters are, at best, difficult, yet truly fascinating and I really wanted to know more about them and cared deeply about what happened.
It can be difficult to convey music in a work of fiction convincingly, yet Morris uses the band’s songs to excellent effect, enriching rather than intruding on the narrative. On the foundations of an early discussion between Hugo and Ashten of their early influences (in a chapter that is also wonderfully revealing about their characters), built up with an interlacing of more or less successful lines from songs old and new throughout the story, you get a real feel for the band’s sound – so that when you come to the discography as an appendix to the novel you’re almost tempted to google the albums!
This was one of those novels I found hard to put down, and the characters are still with me days after finishing it.
On one level, this is a gripping and fascinating story about the legacy of adored 1990s rock band, Ashbirds, which came to an end after only three albums when enigmatic singer Ashten Geddard was killed on an expedition to Everest. In the blaze of fame and glory it was largely overlooked that even at the time the cracks were already showing between central band members Ashten and Hugo Bird, as well as other more peripheral musicians, mainly Robert Speed, considered a glorified session musician by others but who, embittered after decades of work making music for adverts and the like, considers his own contribution to the band to be far more significant.
The novel also focuses on Elza, Ashten’s girlfriend at the time of his death, revered by adoring fans as the grieving widow, but in fact trying to reclaim her own life and status as an artist.
A number of alleged findings of Ashten’s body have come to light over the years, which make it hard to lay the past to rest and thus have a devastating effect on those left behind. One such coincides with an attempt by a wealthy investor to revive the band’s success with a comeback album featuring, among others, former member Hugo who has since become a reclusive mountaineer, and Robert, initially nervous but fuelled by the opportunity of reversing his fortunes with a real career in music.
Beneath the surface this is a fascinating exploration both of ambition and the effects of fame on people, and of loss and the nature of memory and how it can idealise someone who is no longer here. Roz Morris seamlessly interweaves the various characters’ backstory with the present-day action, each enriching the other.
I often think that one of the joys of fiction is that it can so often make you empathise and come to care for people you’d probably run a mile from in real life. This is certainly the case here. With the possible exception of Elza, most of the characters are, at best, difficult, yet truly fascinating and I really wanted to know more about them and cared deeply about what happened.
It can be difficult to convey music in a work of fiction convincingly, yet Morris uses the band’s songs to excellent effect, enriching rather than intruding on the narrative. On the foundations of an early discussion between Hugo and Ashten of their early influences (in a chapter that is also wonderfully revealing about their characters), built up with an interlacing of more or less successful lines from songs old and new throughout the story, you get a real feel for the band’s sound – so that when you come to the discography as an appendix to the novel you’re almost tempted to google the albums!
This was one of those novels I found hard to put down, and the characters are still with me days after finishing it.
June 28, 2021
I didn’t have a clue what I was about to read here but what I got was interesting, insightful and perhaps a little special. If someone asked me to sum the book up using three words I would say music, mountaineering and mourning. There are many parts of the story that I felt were very real and I found myself checking to see if this was based on actual events – turns out it’s not but it certainly could be! I don’t think I would have any problems convincing somebody that this actually occurred at some point in history.
Our story takes off twenty years after the death of Ashten, who was one half of the successful rock band ‘Ashbirds’. We learn that Ashten had a fatal accident while attempting to climb Mt Everest with his friend Hugo, who is another member of the band. Ashtens body was unfortunately never found.
Ashtens friends and fans are still grieving, nobody seems to have moved on. I wasn’t convinced by this and I honestly didn’t understand why anyone would still be interested in and would recognise the girlfriend Elza after two decades had passed! The woman wasn’t in Ashtens life for that long – this is the only part of the story that I had a hard time with.
In every band there’s always a member that seems to be the odd one out, in this case it is Robert ‘The Rib’ who joined the Ashbirds for their third album as their bassist. Since the end of Ashbirds, Robert has been trying to make a name for himself but has failed miserably – I liked this character, it was interesting to see how he affected the dynamic within the group.
It was the characters that made this book for me, the author turned the rich and famous into real people with feelings and emotions. A-listers live in a different world, they have different realities and appear to always be in character for the cameras, press and fans. But here, we get to see what’s behind all of that. We see behind the mask, they are stripped bare and all that’s left is the person, the real normal person that came into this world the same way we all did.
A solid 4 star read!
I would like to thank the author for sending me a review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
Our story takes off twenty years after the death of Ashten, who was one half of the successful rock band ‘Ashbirds’. We learn that Ashten had a fatal accident while attempting to climb Mt Everest with his friend Hugo, who is another member of the band. Ashtens body was unfortunately never found.
Ashtens friends and fans are still grieving, nobody seems to have moved on. I wasn’t convinced by this and I honestly didn’t understand why anyone would still be interested in and would recognise the girlfriend Elza after two decades had passed! The woman wasn’t in Ashtens life for that long – this is the only part of the story that I had a hard time with.
In every band there’s always a member that seems to be the odd one out, in this case it is Robert ‘The Rib’ who joined the Ashbirds for their third album as their bassist. Since the end of Ashbirds, Robert has been trying to make a name for himself but has failed miserably – I liked this character, it was interesting to see how he affected the dynamic within the group.
It was the characters that made this book for me, the author turned the rich and famous into real people with feelings and emotions. A-listers live in a different world, they have different realities and appear to always be in character for the cameras, press and fans. But here, we get to see what’s behind all of that. We see behind the mask, they are stripped bare and all that’s left is the person, the real normal person that came into this world the same way we all did.
A solid 4 star read!
I would like to thank the author for sending me a review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
April 26, 2021
I rate the works of Roz Morris highly, especially sci-fi novel Lifeform Three and memoir Not Quite Lost. However, I raised an eyebrow Roger Moore style when I heard her new novel was relating to the lead singer of a 90s rock band being lost in a mountaineering accident. In the hands of the wrong author, that could feel manufactured and overblown (not unlike many musical acts of the era). From very early in the piece, it became evident that my concerns were unfounded.
The music and mountaineering scenes blend well. The band squabbles, hubris and power grabbing feel authentic. The climbing bits are well researched with a suitably bleak environment created. The prose is of a high standard and the characterisations bring to life the ambitions, selfishness, greed and yearning of the protagonists. The novel is a critique of press intrusion, Tinsel Gods and exploitation, with themes of love, death and grief. Another take on what it is to be human.
I can’t say whether Ever Rest is a classic, purely because I read so little fiction of the type and therefore have no frame of reference. I can say it’s a wonderfully emotive piece of writing that has both style and substance. Thankfully more Auteurs than Menswear.
The music and mountaineering scenes blend well. The band squabbles, hubris and power grabbing feel authentic. The climbing bits are well researched with a suitably bleak environment created. The prose is of a high standard and the characterisations bring to life the ambitions, selfishness, greed and yearning of the protagonists. The novel is a critique of press intrusion, Tinsel Gods and exploitation, with themes of love, death and grief. Another take on what it is to be human.
I can’t say whether Ever Rest is a classic, purely because I read so little fiction of the type and therefore have no frame of reference. I can say it’s a wonderfully emotive piece of writing that has both style and substance. Thankfully more Auteurs than Menswear.
August 26, 2021
I learned about Roz Morris and her book “Ever Rest” from Joanna Penn’s podcast, “The Creative Penn." After listening to the podcast, I immediately downloaded the book and started reading.
The story focuses on the band the Ashbirds, specifically the lead singer Ash who dies during an expedition on Everest. The family, friends and business people that support and surround the Ashbirds are the storytellers of life after Ash’s disappearance.
I was smitten with how Morris uses music and mountaineering as the book’s focus, two of my favorite things. And Morris is legit. Even though she has never climbed Everest, she sure did research it enough to come across as a natural alpinist.
If you love plot and characters, you will love “Ever Rest.” The storyline develops slowly, while new stories build throughout the book. Characters are constantly in conflict with themselves and others as each wrestles with getting over Ash’s disappearance.
I also enjoyed Morris’ use of a famous band to illustrate how to recover from grief with the public’s eye on you at all times.
The story focuses on the band the Ashbirds, specifically the lead singer Ash who dies during an expedition on Everest. The family, friends and business people that support and surround the Ashbirds are the storytellers of life after Ash’s disappearance.
I was smitten with how Morris uses music and mountaineering as the book’s focus, two of my favorite things. And Morris is legit. Even though she has never climbed Everest, she sure did research it enough to come across as a natural alpinist.
If you love plot and characters, you will love “Ever Rest.” The storyline develops slowly, while new stories build throughout the book. Characters are constantly in conflict with themselves and others as each wrestles with getting over Ash’s disappearance.
I also enjoyed Morris’ use of a famous band to illustrate how to recover from grief with the public’s eye on you at all times.
February 19, 2022
It took quite a while to get started with Ever Rest. Before I was supposed to begin reading it, I went into a reading slump. I read a few pages and had to leave the book. I finally picked it up recently and am happy to say I breezed through it.
Ever Rest is literary fiction at its best. I often find this genre to be a hit or a miss (for me), but in this case, the story captivated me from the very start. I also found it distinct and read along without wondering what would happen next. I must say, it was truly refreshing just letting the author guide me and not have any expectations about what might or should happen chapter after chapter.
Most importantly, the story acts as a mirror to society and highlights grief in a beautiful way. It depicts how different people deal with it differently. I should, however, warn that Ever Rest is a moody read. You won’t appreciate it unless you are in a somewhat intense frame of mind.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Ever Rest is literary fiction at its best. I often find this genre to be a hit or a miss (for me), but in this case, the story captivated me from the very start. I also found it distinct and read along without wondering what would happen next. I must say, it was truly refreshing just letting the author guide me and not have any expectations about what might or should happen chapter after chapter.
Most importantly, the story acts as a mirror to society and highlights grief in a beautiful way. It depicts how different people deal with it differently. I should, however, warn that Ever Rest is a moody read. You won’t appreciate it unless you are in a somewhat intense frame of mind.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
October 29, 2021
Thanks (indie author) @Roz_Morris for a complimentary e-copy of #EverRest and the review request. All opinions are my own.
Hugo and Ash and friends formed the wildly popular and sensational rock band, Ashbirds. The day that Ash went missing and was presumed to have perished during an extreme mountain climbing expedition on Mt Everest, all their lives were changed forever. The current timeline begins twenty years after the accident as each member of the band and Ash’s girlfriend struggle to make a new life for themselves. A great deal of time is spent filling in the backstory of how Hugo and Ash and his girlfriend, Elza, first met, their journey to stardom, and the explanation of what really happened on the mountain.This is the story of grief, recovery, and moving on.
One element I really appreciate about this well-written story is the theme of recovering from catastrophic loss. Do we let one event define us for the rest of our lives or do we think of the event as something that happened, grieve, and move on? This question is complicated as there is more to consider here than just moving on from a tragic event. There’s the huge issue of fame and celebrity and livlihood to consider. As the group is grieving for Ash, they also have to come to terms with the loss of their band, their inspiration and driving force, and of their celebrity status and fame. Some might want to leave the music industry altogether while others might want to stay in music and duplicate their success with another band and lead singer. Moving on becomes extrememly difficult as Ash’s body is never discovered, so they are living in limbo….still connected but needing to move on. The survivors become as stranded and frozen as if they were the ones lost in the ice on that mountain.
I love a clever and multilayered title! Ever Rest works perfectly to sum up the main event and setting and to allude to the theme of finding peace and rest (eternal rest for the victim and peace of mind for the survivors).
While the main theme is poignant and compelling and the writing is powerful and descriptive, I am not especially drawn to stories about a rock and roll band and their drugs and alcohol lifestyle. To complicate my reading experience, the characters (with the exception of Hugo) are not especially likable, although they are certainly realistic.
I definitely enjoyed the unique premise, the quality of the writing and the structure of the story. Even though I’ve concluded that I’m not exactly the right target audience for this story, I’m certainly recommending it for others that might appreciate the subgenre.
Content Consideration: death of a loved one and friend (looking for the body, description of a body after twenty years in the elements); grief
For more reviews visit my blog www.readingladies.com where this review was first published.
Hugo and Ash and friends formed the wildly popular and sensational rock band, Ashbirds. The day that Ash went missing and was presumed to have perished during an extreme mountain climbing expedition on Mt Everest, all their lives were changed forever. The current timeline begins twenty years after the accident as each member of the band and Ash’s girlfriend struggle to make a new life for themselves. A great deal of time is spent filling in the backstory of how Hugo and Ash and his girlfriend, Elza, first met, their journey to stardom, and the explanation of what really happened on the mountain.This is the story of grief, recovery, and moving on.
One element I really appreciate about this well-written story is the theme of recovering from catastrophic loss. Do we let one event define us for the rest of our lives or do we think of the event as something that happened, grieve, and move on? This question is complicated as there is more to consider here than just moving on from a tragic event. There’s the huge issue of fame and celebrity and livlihood to consider. As the group is grieving for Ash, they also have to come to terms with the loss of their band, their inspiration and driving force, and of their celebrity status and fame. Some might want to leave the music industry altogether while others might want to stay in music and duplicate their success with another band and lead singer. Moving on becomes extrememly difficult as Ash’s body is never discovered, so they are living in limbo….still connected but needing to move on. The survivors become as stranded and frozen as if they were the ones lost in the ice on that mountain.
I love a clever and multilayered title! Ever Rest works perfectly to sum up the main event and setting and to allude to the theme of finding peace and rest (eternal rest for the victim and peace of mind for the survivors).
While the main theme is poignant and compelling and the writing is powerful and descriptive, I am not especially drawn to stories about a rock and roll band and their drugs and alcohol lifestyle. To complicate my reading experience, the characters (with the exception of Hugo) are not especially likable, although they are certainly realistic.
I definitely enjoyed the unique premise, the quality of the writing and the structure of the story. Even though I’ve concluded that I’m not exactly the right target audience for this story, I’m certainly recommending it for others that might appreciate the subgenre.
Content Consideration: death of a loved one and friend (looking for the body, description of a body after twenty years in the elements); grief
For more reviews visit my blog www.readingladies.com where this review was first published.
November 6, 2021
Novel set in LONDON and NEPAL
This is very much a novel that looks at the legacy of fame. Twenty years ago, Ashten and Hugo were at the height of their fame, part of the rock band Ashbirds. The two of them decided on a trek in the Himalayas to climb Everest and Ash went missing, presumed dead. Hugo survived but threw in the towel on his life of fame and settled in Kathmandu, where he is still based now and working as a guide, involved in a local climbing school. It gives him the opportunity to travel to mountainous regions around the world and test his skills. He is also confronted by the regular hazards of being in inhospitable terrain and has to manage the multitude of afflictions that can beset climbers.
Back in London, Elza – Ash’s erstwhile girlfriend – has been learning to quietly get on with her life. Every now and then a body will be revealed on the mountain, and the memories for her are brought into sharp relief once again and she has to manage the pain of memory and uncertainty each time; not to mention the images of random dead bodies, found in the snowy peaks, sent to her rather weirdly on a regular basis by anonymous people/fans. Feelings once again have to be processed. She is now with Elliott and working as an artist, but Ashten’s ghost still looms large.
In the present there is commercial pressure because the Ashbirds have been a cash cow for many over such a long period. A 4th album is mooted 20 years down the line and there are plenty of people who would like to see that happen.
The book moves between past and present and nicely evokes the process of stardom and shows how ordinary lives are transformed. It also demonstrates that the reverberations of fame never really diminish, they just change over time. The story moves between periods and for me this worked quite well, there were occasions when I had to take stock of the timeline. The characters worked their way through the narrative but I felt I never really got to know them as much as I perhaps would have liked.
There are various locations forming backdrops to the stories and London and Everest are of course notable.
This is very much a novel that looks at the legacy of fame. Twenty years ago, Ashten and Hugo were at the height of their fame, part of the rock band Ashbirds. The two of them decided on a trek in the Himalayas to climb Everest and Ash went missing, presumed dead. Hugo survived but threw in the towel on his life of fame and settled in Kathmandu, where he is still based now and working as a guide, involved in a local climbing school. It gives him the opportunity to travel to mountainous regions around the world and test his skills. He is also confronted by the regular hazards of being in inhospitable terrain and has to manage the multitude of afflictions that can beset climbers.
Back in London, Elza – Ash’s erstwhile girlfriend – has been learning to quietly get on with her life. Every now and then a body will be revealed on the mountain, and the memories for her are brought into sharp relief once again and she has to manage the pain of memory and uncertainty each time; not to mention the images of random dead bodies, found in the snowy peaks, sent to her rather weirdly on a regular basis by anonymous people/fans. Feelings once again have to be processed. She is now with Elliott and working as an artist, but Ashten’s ghost still looms large.
In the present there is commercial pressure because the Ashbirds have been a cash cow for many over such a long period. A 4th album is mooted 20 years down the line and there are plenty of people who would like to see that happen.
The book moves between past and present and nicely evokes the process of stardom and shows how ordinary lives are transformed. It also demonstrates that the reverberations of fame never really diminish, they just change over time. The story moves between periods and for me this worked quite well, there were occasions when I had to take stock of the timeline. The characters worked their way through the narrative but I felt I never really got to know them as much as I perhaps would have liked.
There are various locations forming backdrops to the stories and London and Everest are of course notable.
October 3, 2021
The stunning cover and the brilliantly clever title (for a book in which Everest is a significant focus) give the reader a taste of what they should expect from this book: a smart, thought provoking plot, richly imagined characters, and prose lush with vivid detail that adds to the story without distracting from it.
June 3, 2021
Twenty years after hearing the devastating news that her fiancée, Ashten Geddard had been lost whilst climbing Mount Everest, Elza is still mourning his loss, caught up in the limbo of never having full closure. At the time, Ash's disappearance sent shock waves around the musical world as he was the frontman of a phenomenally successful rock duo whose music is forever locked in time. Ash's partner in the duo is Hugo who, twenty years on, remains in Nepal, as much caught up in the tragedy as if happened yesterday. With a resurgence of interest in the Ashbirds, Robert once a session musician, finds himself caught with questions of what might have been if Ash had not disappeared.
Ever Rest opens up to scrutiny all the minutiae of what is left behind when someone leaves us, and shows that even after a number of years have elapsed, closure can be just as ethereal and out of reach as it was at the start. Each of the main characters in Ever Rest are beautifully described and the question of unresolved grief comes up time and time again. There is so much to be explored in all the relationships especially that between Ash and Hugo but also in the indecision which still surrounds, Robert and the way in which Elza finds it difficult to leave behind her memories of the charismatic, but somewhat mercurial, Ashten Geddard.
The author writes well and with an empathic way with words she describes the minutia of living life under the spotlight with a keen eye for detail and an interesting look at the shaping of lives as each of the main characters have their own particular memories and are all carrying their own burdens of loss and that age old questions of what might have been. Ever Rest is an interesting look at the vagaries of the music industry, the grief of those who are left behind, and of those who want to manipulate and exploit that loss.
Ever Rest opens up to scrutiny all the minutiae of what is left behind when someone leaves us, and shows that even after a number of years have elapsed, closure can be just as ethereal and out of reach as it was at the start. Each of the main characters in Ever Rest are beautifully described and the question of unresolved grief comes up time and time again. There is so much to be explored in all the relationships especially that between Ash and Hugo but also in the indecision which still surrounds, Robert and the way in which Elza finds it difficult to leave behind her memories of the charismatic, but somewhat mercurial, Ashten Geddard.
The author writes well and with an empathic way with words she describes the minutia of living life under the spotlight with a keen eye for detail and an interesting look at the shaping of lives as each of the main characters have their own particular memories and are all carrying their own burdens of loss and that age old questions of what might have been. Ever Rest is an interesting look at the vagaries of the music industry, the grief of those who are left behind, and of those who want to manipulate and exploit that loss.
July 24, 2021
Moving Past the Refrain of Loss – In Ever Rest, Roz Morris forges an unlikely alliance between rock climbing and rock music to create an absorbing novel about an outsized figure whose life shaped people’s identities and whose death leaves them hanging off a cliff, teetering over an emotional abyss, and grasping for an artistic foothold. Twenty years before the book opens, rock star Ash perished while he and his bandmate Hugo were climbing Mt. Everest. Ash’s body was never recovered, leaving his girlfriend Elza, Hugo, and another band member Robert, equally lost and bereft. Grief counselors use the term “ambiguous loss” to describe the absence of a loved one when there is no body to offer definitive proof they have died — they may have disappeared in a disaster, never come home from school, or not returned after running an errand. The book’s central question is whether recovering Ash’s body will allow those who revolved around him to move past the refrain of his death to compose new verses for their own lives. As a fiction writer myself who balances multiple points of view (see my Goodreads author page https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...), I admired Morris’s deft blend of perspectives, which provide insight into those driven by their obsessions and the loved ones they in turn drive to anxiety and despair, exasperation and confusion. Her impeccable research into music-making music and mountaineering ground this soaring novel in both worlds. The memorable characters in Ever Rest will remain on readers’ playlists long after the book’s last peak is summited and its final note is sung.
June 8, 2021
Cliff-hanging traverse, waiting for a corpse and closure.
Every character in this novel is so real I had conversations with them as the pages flashed past. I told Ashten he was the kind of man I despise, an egotistical mythomaniac who did not deserve his partners, in love or in the Ashbirds, his band. This would have been after I succumbed to his charms, the irresistible glamour of the frontman in a rock band with a voice to reach your soul. Who hasn’t been swept away by fangirl magic and felt that song was just for you?
Ash is dead somewhere on Everest and has never been as big a presence on the lives of those close to him as he is now, while they wait years for his body to be found. Revelations about the past and life-changes in the present are interwoven through many points of view.
The difference between what people think and what they say is achingly real. I loved the clashing perspectives, showing Robert’s wannabe songs as trash or potential hits; Gina’s professional approach to personal advice as tactful or insensitive bullying; Elliott as a kind, thoughtful man or boring; Hugo as Ash’s equal in musical brilliance or as the wrecking-ball to others’ careers.
Ah, Hugo. My favourite character, a mountain of a man.
If you’ve ever peeked behind the scenes at a rock concert, or wanted to; if you want to understand what makes people click and clash; if you want an adventure where you get to climb Everest and wonder whether life will ever be the same, then this is the novel for you. It’s among the best I’ve read this year and this is a great year!
Every character in this novel is so real I had conversations with them as the pages flashed past. I told Ashten he was the kind of man I despise, an egotistical mythomaniac who did not deserve his partners, in love or in the Ashbirds, his band. This would have been after I succumbed to his charms, the irresistible glamour of the frontman in a rock band with a voice to reach your soul. Who hasn’t been swept away by fangirl magic and felt that song was just for you?
Ash is dead somewhere on Everest and has never been as big a presence on the lives of those close to him as he is now, while they wait years for his body to be found. Revelations about the past and life-changes in the present are interwoven through many points of view.
The difference between what people think and what they say is achingly real. I loved the clashing perspectives, showing Robert’s wannabe songs as trash or potential hits; Gina’s professional approach to personal advice as tactful or insensitive bullying; Elliott as a kind, thoughtful man or boring; Hugo as Ash’s equal in musical brilliance or as the wrecking-ball to others’ careers.
Ah, Hugo. My favourite character, a mountain of a man.
If you’ve ever peeked behind the scenes at a rock concert, or wanted to; if you want to understand what makes people click and clash; if you want an adventure where you get to climb Everest and wonder whether life will ever be the same, then this is the novel for you. It’s among the best I’ve read this year and this is a great year!
Read
July 25, 2021I read this book on a recommendation, and I’m so glad that I did. Right from the start I was captivated by the characters and intrigued by the situation they found themselves in. The charismatic lead singer of a rock band has gone missing whilst climbing Everest; his girlfriend and ex band members are feeling the shock waves of his disappearance 20 years later. The story takes some twists and turns along the way, moving from the frenzy of the popstar life, to the challenge of the mountain climb in extreme and treacherous conditions. Will the mystery of what really happened ever be revealed?
The lead characters in this story are so well drawn that I felt should be able to look them up on the internet and find them there, along with the band and their recordings. This is a story that will stay with me for a long time.
A thoroughly satisfying read.
The lead characters in this story are so well drawn that I felt should be able to look them up on the internet and find them there, along with the band and their recordings. This is a story that will stay with me for a long time.
A thoroughly satisfying read.
June 26, 2021
Wow, I have just now finished this book and I am still processing. A hard book to categorise; on the surface it is about a rockstar who goes missing and how those who are left behind process that fact, but it is much more than that.
I found this story to be complex, sophisticated and composed of many, many layers. It is about love, obsession, friendship, jealousy......and assumptions.
This is a tale I won't quickly forget, that's for sure.
5 stars from me.
I found this story to be complex, sophisticated and composed of many, many layers. It is about love, obsession, friendship, jealousy......and assumptions.
This is a tale I won't quickly forget, that's for sure.
5 stars from me.
May 30, 2021
Lovely long story. Believable characters. Really liked Elsa! I never read what a books about before I start it and really enjoyed this. There was lots of great detail and I didn’t know what was going to happen. A couple of times I thought that bits of the story would never happen but I ignored them because the book was so good. I will look for more books by Roz Morris.
Thank you
Thank you
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