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Ever the Night Road
IPPY Book Awards Gold Medal Winner
A Wishing Shelf Book Award Winner
Foreword Indies Book of the Year Finalist
B.R.A.G. Medallion Recipient
This is a fantasy. In a city of water and glass, seventeen-year-old Dagny Losh searches for some kind of connection to a changing world. What she finds is a fragment from her old life, before the river washed everything away. A fragment once thought forever lost, and it will take all she has to protect it.
A story of friendship and self-discovery. Of drowned things and crumbling slums; decaying oracle towers and a deep underground, all joined together by fate and the stars… For the Night Road connects all things, if one only knows where to look.
Ever the Night Road is the first book in a two part series.
A Wishing Shelf Book Award Winner
Foreword Indies Book of the Year Finalist
B.R.A.G. Medallion Recipient
This is a fantasy. In a city of water and glass, seventeen-year-old Dagny Losh searches for some kind of connection to a changing world. What she finds is a fragment from her old life, before the river washed everything away. A fragment once thought forever lost, and it will take all she has to protect it.
A story of friendship and self-discovery. Of drowned things and crumbling slums; decaying oracle towers and a deep underground, all joined together by fate and the stars… For the Night Road connects all things, if one only knows where to look.
Ever the Night Road is the first book in a two part series.
424 pages, ebook
Published November 21, 2022
56 people are currently reading
1647 people want to read
About the author
Michael Breen
2 books42 followersMichael Breen is an author of speculative fiction. He has a background in theatre, used to write simple songs with good friends, and still listens to the same punk bands that he did in high school. Michael likes truthful fantasy, books that are fearless, and British TV shows. When not writing, he is usually thinking about writing or trying to figure out how a mandolin works.
Michael has won the Gold Medal for Fantasy in the Independent Publisher “IPPY” Book Awards, the Gold Medal for Young Adult Fantasy in the Readers’ Favorite International Book Awards, the 1st place Outstanding Fantasy award in the Independent Author Network "IAN" Book of the Year Awards, and a Bronze Medal in the U.K.’s Wishing Shelf Book Awards, among other accolades.
He is also a member of the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers Association (SFWA).
Michael has won the Gold Medal for Fantasy in the Independent Publisher “IPPY” Book Awards, the Gold Medal for Young Adult Fantasy in the Readers’ Favorite International Book Awards, the 1st place Outstanding Fantasy award in the Independent Author Network "IAN" Book of the Year Awards, and a Bronze Medal in the U.K.’s Wishing Shelf Book Awards, among other accolades.
He is also a member of the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers Association (SFWA).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews
January 8, 2024
What the f...k! did that really just end like that, I don't know how I haven't thrown my tablet across the room. So I enjoyed this story and was going to give it 4 stars that is until the ending.
This book ended like it was book 1 not the whole story very disappointing ending.
OOPS THIS IS ACTUALLY BOOK ONE SO PLEASE DISREGARD THE VERY DISAPPOINTING COMMENT.
I GIVE THIS FOUR STARS ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Happy Reading 📙📚📙📚📓📗📚📚📓📙📕📘📒📒📓📙📕📗📒📘📖📚📗📖
This book ended like it was book 1 not the whole story very disappointing ending.
OOPS THIS IS ACTUALLY BOOK ONE SO PLEASE DISREGARD THE VERY DISAPPOINTING COMMENT.
I GIVE THIS FOUR STARS ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Happy Reading 📙📚📙📚📓📗📚📚📓📙📕📘📒📒📓📙📕📗📒📘📖📚📗📖
March 15, 2023
“Do you know the story of the Night Road, Max?”
Pros: vivid imagery, adventure, first love, found family, new friendships
Cons, Trigger and Content Warnings: Violence, Blood depiction, Death of family members, loss, orphan
📣CAUTION - CONTAINS SPOILERS📣
Dagny Losh is an orphan who lost her family, including her sister Gretchen, in a tragic flood. This story reminds me of a Peter Pan type adventure mixed with self discovery. I loved the complicated world that Dagny and her new friends live in. Dagny has experienced so much loss that you can’t help but root for her as she searches for her sister and finds her alive. There are magical creatures, Intriguing good and bad characters and of course the adventure. I love that the main character is a girl who is not afraid of the world around her and chooses to take chances despite the dangers
This is a fantasy adventure novel of self discovery, coming of age and finding one's place in a world where answers do not come easy. I found the world complex and the characters likable. I was sad that Dag left to find Gretchen once again and left her love, Max behind. I wanted them to have a happy ever after. I was truly sad when the book ended. I hope that Dagny’s adventures are not over and we see her again. After all the Night Road connects all things.
Pros: vivid imagery, adventure, first love, found family, new friendships
Cons, Trigger and Content Warnings: Violence, Blood depiction, Death of family members, loss, orphan
📣CAUTION - CONTAINS SPOILERS📣
Dagny Losh is an orphan who lost her family, including her sister Gretchen, in a tragic flood. This story reminds me of a Peter Pan type adventure mixed with self discovery. I loved the complicated world that Dagny and her new friends live in. Dagny has experienced so much loss that you can’t help but root for her as she searches for her sister and finds her alive. There are magical creatures, Intriguing good and bad characters and of course the adventure. I love that the main character is a girl who is not afraid of the world around her and chooses to take chances despite the dangers
This is a fantasy adventure novel of self discovery, coming of age and finding one's place in a world where answers do not come easy. I found the world complex and the characters likable. I was sad that Dag left to find Gretchen once again and left her love, Max behind. I wanted them to have a happy ever after. I was truly sad when the book ended. I hope that Dagny’s adventures are not over and we see her again. After all the Night Road connects all things.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 24, 2023
Wow what an amazing book. Ever the Night Road, is subtle, building fantasy. It isn't in your face, it has characters that you can connect to and a plot that methodically takes you down a path, and just before you know it, you are on a journey. I liked how the characters felt like people you might know. I liked the duality of innocence and hope of youth, mixed with sorrow and realness of a world emerging from the dream of a path that somehow went wrong. Dagny and her crew are great companions, and it will be interesting to watch them continue to develop. Highly recommended. Can't wait for the next novel to come out.
December 18, 2022
I am always a fan of adventures, but pair that with orphans in a fantasy realm and you have the makeup for a great story. Dagny is a character you instantly feel compassion for. She's sad, alone, and searching for a way to connect with her lost brother.
This is a story of found friends, found family and growing up.
I enjoyed the world-building, character development, and suspenseful twists and turns in this story. I'm excited to read book two.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This is a story of found friends, found family and growing up.
I enjoyed the world-building, character development, and suspenseful twists and turns in this story. I'm excited to read book two.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
April 23, 2023
I was given this book in lieu of a review through voracious readers, but if there were to be a series, I would buy future installments. This book reminded me very much of RPGs such as Final Fantasy. I could see this book making a great game within that franchise. Dagny, the main character was well written. As I read, I could see myself in her shoes. While this book is likely targeted towards teen and young adults, I think anyone of any age would enjoy it. There is adventure, romance, drama, and suspense.
March 20, 2023
I came across Ever the Night Road through some incredible artwork. I was left in awe by Breens art for the book and after reading the blurb I was amazed and knew the book was for me.
The story is perfect for fantasy lovers of most ages (maybe abit dark at times for younger children). The characters, the world building, the plot was all very very good and Breen's writing was on point. He did such a good job at some of the more haunting/eerie scenes that I actually had to sleep with the light on.
Exciting, energetic, adventurous, nostalgic, eerie, suspenseful. It had it all.
Honestly I enjoyed every minute of this and can't wait to see what happens next.
The story is perfect for fantasy lovers of most ages (maybe abit dark at times for younger children). The characters, the world building, the plot was all very very good and Breen's writing was on point. He did such a good job at some of the more haunting/eerie scenes that I actually had to sleep with the light on.
Exciting, energetic, adventurous, nostalgic, eerie, suspenseful. It had it all.
Honestly I enjoyed every minute of this and can't wait to see what happens next.
February 25, 2023
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author via Voracious Readers Only.
Wow, I loved this story. Slightly put out I can't read book 2 now (thats why I normally wait till a series is complete before I start. Then get overwhelmed by 13+ books I need to read).
Such engrossing characters and world building, almost a pirate style world with treasure plundering but not quite.
Great premise and well executed, amazing characters and plot twists. A glowing 5 gold stars.
Wow, I loved this story. Slightly put out I can't read book 2 now (thats why I normally wait till a series is complete before I start. Then get overwhelmed by 13+ books I need to read).
Such engrossing characters and world building, almost a pirate style world with treasure plundering but not quite.
Great premise and well executed, amazing characters and plot twists. A glowing 5 gold stars.
June 28, 2023
“Ever the Night Road” by Michael Bremen
I, thoroughly, enjoyed this book. Dagny was a very likeable character and I cared what happened to her. I appreciated the way I learned about her life and the lives of others through a plot led approach and I loved the ratio of drama and action with the quieter times in her life. I hoped her saving of the giant crow would be rewarded, and it was. There were dark and light characters, believably portrayed, and the Drowned Twins really made my skin crawl. The ongoing thread of Gretchen makes me eager for the next instalment. I received a complimentary book from the author via Voracious Readers Only.
I, thoroughly, enjoyed this book. Dagny was a very likeable character and I cared what happened to her. I appreciated the way I learned about her life and the lives of others through a plot led approach and I loved the ratio of drama and action with the quieter times in her life. I hoped her saving of the giant crow would be rewarded, and it was. There were dark and light characters, believably portrayed, and the Drowned Twins really made my skin crawl. The ongoing thread of Gretchen makes me eager for the next instalment. I received a complimentary book from the author via Voracious Readers Only.
May 25, 2023
This was a very interesting and unique story. It is multilayered which keeps the reader engaged, but also makes it hard to figure out the central point of the story. I liked the writing, character development and world building. The book felt too long though, and had some details that were unnecessary. The cover art and illustrations at the end are amazing. And, oh, that cliffhanger! I wonder what will happen next.
Thank you to LibraryThing for offering this title in their giveaways. Ever the Night Road was on my TBR before winning a copy, and I'm glad I read it.
Thank you to LibraryThing for offering this title in their giveaways. Ever the Night Road was on my TBR before winning a copy, and I'm glad I read it.
April 3, 2023
Ever the Night Road by Michael Breen - 5/5
Ever the Night Road by Michael Breen is a fantastic story. The author took their time creating this world and character growth that leaves you loving them and rooting for them. This story is about friendships, adventures, love and betrayal. The story comes full circle with all the details that the Author put in and the illustrations at the beginning are stunning!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Ever the Night Road by Michael Breen is a fantastic story. The author took their time creating this world and character growth that leaves you loving them and rooting for them. This story is about friendships, adventures, love and betrayal. The story comes full circle with all the details that the Author put in and the illustrations at the beginning are stunning!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
January 7, 2024
Nostalgic fantasy for adults; inspiring fantasy for youth
Kids today have NO idea what it's like to just go out, find new friends, and search for adventures. Sad...
Back in the day, we didn’t really have any other choice than to explore the world around us and to use our imaginations. We’d get into various troublesome situations, then have to think right quick how to get out of them. Occasionally, a tiny nugget of truth might be involved in the explanations. But boy, did we ever create some memories to tell the grandchildren!
This book reminded me of so many childhood exploits with my brother, boy cousins, random kids at the park, gal pals in high school, even my still best friend from university (not telling anything about those!). Thank you!
The author’s description of The Lounge was practically mesmerizing. I’m not a word-by-word reader (mental hyperactivity from ADHD), but I actually went back and re-read it three times. Other vivid nuggets like this pop-up throughout. Readers really get a feel for the physical environment, which adds to the darkness and tension. Here’s one that reached out to me and wouldn’t let go:
‘Their guide was a pretty child, but stunk like a wet animal. He resembled some kind of ashen beast with his metal ears and soft, filthy clothing.’
While there are past traumas and dangerous situations, this book is definitely appropriate for teens (and possibly even younger mature readers). The youths tend to discuss options and to seek out the help of adults as well as exercise some caution during their many adventures. Perhaps not perfectly, but certainly a lot more than in other books for this age group.
Books, storytelling, and family held important roles – as they should IRL.
I’m VERY interested in reading this author’s other works. Until then, I’ll just have to dream about cities of glass and water.
'Jud' is expected 13 January!
Kids today have NO idea what it's like to just go out, find new friends, and search for adventures. Sad...
Back in the day, we didn’t really have any other choice than to explore the world around us and to use our imaginations. We’d get into various troublesome situations, then have to think right quick how to get out of them. Occasionally, a tiny nugget of truth might be involved in the explanations. But boy, did we ever create some memories to tell the grandchildren!
This book reminded me of so many childhood exploits with my brother, boy cousins, random kids at the park, gal pals in high school, even my still best friend from university (not telling anything about those!). Thank you!
The author’s description of The Lounge was practically mesmerizing. I’m not a word-by-word reader (mental hyperactivity from ADHD), but I actually went back and re-read it three times. Other vivid nuggets like this pop-up throughout. Readers really get a feel for the physical environment, which adds to the darkness and tension. Here’s one that reached out to me and wouldn’t let go:
‘Their guide was a pretty child, but stunk like a wet animal. He resembled some kind of ashen beast with his metal ears and soft, filthy clothing.’
While there are past traumas and dangerous situations, this book is definitely appropriate for teens (and possibly even younger mature readers). The youths tend to discuss options and to seek out the help of adults as well as exercise some caution during their many adventures. Perhaps not perfectly, but certainly a lot more than in other books for this age group.
Books, storytelling, and family held important roles – as they should IRL.
I’m VERY interested in reading this author’s other works. Until then, I’ll just have to dream about cities of glass and water.
'Jud' is expected 13 January!
December 17, 2022
Well written and fast paced. Breen has crafted a great story with engaging characters. I am not usually a big consumer of the fantasy genre, but I kept turning the pages to see what would happen to our heroine! Definitely worth picking up to read something different and satisfying. Look forward to sequels and prequels in the future!
February 8, 2023
I don’t typically read fantasy books, but I was intrigued by the haunting cover art and blurb. I am so glad I read Ever the Night Road. The author draws you into the lives of these characters and quickly makes you care about them, especially the strong female lead Dagny Losh. The plot is not predictable, and I was impressed with all the twists and turns. Some of the more intense scenes are nail-biters that stick with you. When a lot of other authors describe locations, I tend to get bored. But not with this book. I found the location descriptions to be so vivid and interesting that I could easily visualize them and enjoyed them as much as the dialogue. I know it’s a really good book when I’m a bit sad when it ends, and that’s just how I felt. Can’t wait for the sequel!
February 23, 2023
Ever the Night Road is such a great book. It kept me engaged throughout. While there are a few grammatical errors, it doesn't take away from anything, and most people probably won't even notice. I love Dagny and how despite her internal fears, the people around her can only see her courageousness. There are a multitude of stories that intertwine in this book, be it the different groups of people, the side characters and their struggles, and the before the flood times. Michael created quite an amazing, adventurous dystopian story that I will happily suggest to anyone who is looking for a new read. I am also looking forward to reading more from Michael in the future.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
February 7, 2023
This is a very imaginative fantasy. A story about friendship, love and betrayal. The atmosphere is well painted and totally unique. The drawings are beautiful and at the beginning of the book show the layout of the town and local area. I appreciate being able to read such a well written adventure.
February 8, 2023
If Mr. Breen offers a class on world building, take it. I'll be in it, and will have dragged several authors and story tellers along.
This is a comfortably post-apocalyptical (not earth) world where legend and myth are wound into the history so intricately that it's impossible to tell them apart. Everything is slightly broken, lost, or abandoned, but has a story which makes it special, and that's the important part, like the treasures in your grandmother's jewelry chest. My mental map of the world is not just spangled with the things these characters did, but with the stories they uncovered, about the hints of magic, monsters and myth, about legend.
The world is the protagonist and the characters are foils that allow it to reveal itself more and more fully, dripping with history, and flashing enticing hints of magic and monsters. In other books this might be a criticism, but this one pulls it off.
Where it goes slightly astray, is when the exploring stops. The main character has a beautifully dichotomous upbringing, having started out poor and been elevated to idly rich, she is no longer comfortable in either world, and longs to escape both by following in her brother's footsteps and adventuring. However she is handicapped by her gender and easy life. Even though she longs for adventure, she has to be motivated to leave her comfortable stasis. This leads to many long pauses in the reader's adventure while we patiently wind the POV back up. Considering the length of the book, 540 pages in my version, it seems like, perhaps, some of this could have gone a bit faster.
My other, minor, issue is the ending. SPOILER AHEAD! Do NOT proceed.
When I come to power, any book that is written to be 'part one of some' will be required to have a warning on the cover in bold 14 point or larger font. I love a series, but I don't like to be tricked into starting one.
To be fair, Mr. Breen may not have intended this to be a series, but if not, I have bigger issues. This is one of those books where you get that sinking feeling, and for me, I got it twice. First, I had the realization that we had reached the happy ending, but there were still way too many chapters left. Then the opposite, that there wasn't enough book left to fix what had broken since the previous point.
I appreciate a story hook, and the need to leave yourself a path to a sequel if it becomes a thing, but there is that, and then there is this. After 540 pages, the adventure truly began, just as I ran out of book. Yes, I really enjoyed it. Yes, I recommend it. Yes, I will be looking eagerly forward to the next book (please and thank you, Mr. Breen). I'm still irritated though.
I received a free review copy of this book through Voracious Readers Only, for which I am eternally grateful.
This is a comfortably post-apocalyptical (not earth) world where legend and myth are wound into the history so intricately that it's impossible to tell them apart. Everything is slightly broken, lost, or abandoned, but has a story which makes it special, and that's the important part, like the treasures in your grandmother's jewelry chest. My mental map of the world is not just spangled with the things these characters did, but with the stories they uncovered, about the hints of magic, monsters and myth, about legend.
The world is the protagonist and the characters are foils that allow it to reveal itself more and more fully, dripping with history, and flashing enticing hints of magic and monsters. In other books this might be a criticism, but this one pulls it off.
Where it goes slightly astray, is when the exploring stops. The main character has a beautifully dichotomous upbringing, having started out poor and been elevated to idly rich, she is no longer comfortable in either world, and longs to escape both by following in her brother's footsteps and adventuring. However she is handicapped by her gender and easy life. Even though she longs for adventure, she has to be motivated to leave her comfortable stasis. This leads to many long pauses in the reader's adventure while we patiently wind the POV back up. Considering the length of the book, 540 pages in my version, it seems like, perhaps, some of this could have gone a bit faster.
My other, minor, issue is the ending. SPOILER AHEAD! Do NOT proceed.
When I come to power, any book that is written to be 'part one of some' will be required to have a warning on the cover in bold 14 point or larger font. I love a series, but I don't like to be tricked into starting one.
To be fair, Mr. Breen may not have intended this to be a series, but if not, I have bigger issues. This is one of those books where you get that sinking feeling, and for me, I got it twice. First, I had the realization that we had reached the happy ending, but there were still way too many chapters left. Then the opposite, that there wasn't enough book left to fix what had broken since the previous point.
I appreciate a story hook, and the need to leave yourself a path to a sequel if it becomes a thing, but there is that, and then there is this. After 540 pages, the adventure truly began, just as I ran out of book. Yes, I really enjoyed it. Yes, I recommend it. Yes, I will be looking eagerly forward to the next book (please and thank you, Mr. Breen). I'm still irritated though.
I received a free review copy of this book through Voracious Readers Only, for which I am eternally grateful.
February 11, 2023
Ever the Night Road is a well-written tale of an orphan trying to negotiate her way through an awful existence following the death of her brother and family. Dagny Losh is cared for by a family friend but never quite fits in. She longs for something to break the tedium, which leads her to an unlikely friendship with several local boys and an adventure to rescue a lost child.
This is where the story really begins. Shadowy beasts lurk in abandoned buildings where others fear to tread and on the way to returning the injured soul, she discovers more about herself and the truth behind the events of the past.
If you like your world-building, this book is for you. It is filled with descriptions and the author really paints a picture. There are strong themes of friendship and finding the resolve to fight/battle through adversity. There are also some surprising twists and turns and I never quite felt I knew where this one was heading (which pleased me). It's different, quirky almost, and if you are a patient reader, this should be your cup of tea.
This is where the story really begins. Shadowy beasts lurk in abandoned buildings where others fear to tread and on the way to returning the injured soul, she discovers more about herself and the truth behind the events of the past.
If you like your world-building, this book is for you. It is filled with descriptions and the author really paints a picture. There are strong themes of friendship and finding the resolve to fight/battle through adversity. There are also some surprising twists and turns and I never quite felt I knew where this one was heading (which pleased me). It's different, quirky almost, and if you are a patient reader, this should be your cup of tea.
March 13, 2024
I was very pleasantly surprised by this wonderful book. The story grows and develops in a very organic way, so that your understanding matures and grows throughout the arc of the story. The heroin, Dagny, faces many challenges as she seeks to find her way towards her goals. It's never easy or perfect but each adventure leads her to a greater understanding of herself and her abilities. The world building ,action, and plot are all notable, but what I was left with after finishing both books (Ever the Night Road and Jud ) is the compelling complex characters. I may have loved them as much as the author.
May 2, 2025
4.5/5
I enjoyed this read! I felt this book had great pacing, and it definitely was entertaining. I love our main character, Dagny. She faces her fears and continues to grow throughout the book. At times, this book is a little spooky, and that kept me on edge. Breen is excellent at setting the scene and drawing you in. I will say that the reason this isn't 5 stars for me is because there are repeated elements like the Tavalrind game that SEEM really significant, but it is unclear how. Maybe it comes together more in the second book, which I will read. I recommend this!
I enjoyed this read! I felt this book had great pacing, and it definitely was entertaining. I love our main character, Dagny. She faces her fears and continues to grow throughout the book. At times, this book is a little spooky, and that kept me on edge. Breen is excellent at setting the scene and drawing you in. I will say that the reason this isn't 5 stars for me is because there are repeated elements like the Tavalrind game that SEEM really significant, but it is unclear how. Maybe it comes together more in the second book, which I will read. I recommend this!
December 28, 2023
Excellent!
I really enjoyed this deliciously dark fantasy! One of the best books I’ve read in a long time. Enticingly creative and just, well, great! A very strong female lead, with many such others in greater and lesser roles. All very good. Read this book and let it whisk you away to far off, strange, and captivatingly dark lands. What a treat! Looking forward to book 2….☺️
I really enjoyed this deliciously dark fantasy! One of the best books I’ve read in a long time. Enticingly creative and just, well, great! A very strong female lead, with many such others in greater and lesser roles. All very good. Read this book and let it whisk you away to far off, strange, and captivatingly dark lands. What a treat! Looking forward to book 2….☺️
February 21, 2023
I really enjoyed this book. It was fast paced but had a lot of detail and was an interesting read. I liked how Dagny's character was written as she is definitely someone you can relate to. I would recommend this book.
July 26, 2024
Awesome read!
Great characters and world building with just the right amount of suspense! Can’t wait to read the next one! Go, Dagny!
Great characters and world building with just the right amount of suspense! Can’t wait to read the next one! Go, Dagny!
February 13, 2024
This a two book series. The story is very dystopian. I couldn’t put any particular time to it. I really loved following our warrior explorer. I really appreciated her voice of self doubt and insecurities. She pushes on the cast of characters is very appropriate to the story. By the end you know that she is truly a warrior. What she gains most is a sense of herself that no longer feels she must sacrifice herself for others.
November 5, 2024
One of my favorite books this year and one I will think about for some time. A unique, dangerous new world with likable characters and creeping sense of eeriness. Well done on this one.
December 30, 2022
A fantastic fantasy full adventures, magic and just a sprinkle of horror! The characters, especially the main character (Dagny), immediately draw you in, they are so relatable and lovable! The author does a great job drawing you into the story and the lives of the characters. This book was full of action, adventures, twists and turns! A coming of age story about finding friends, finding yourself and growing up. I really enjoyed this fantasy!.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and I am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and I am voluntarily leaving a review.
December 28, 2022
A coming of age fantasy novel about Dagny, whose young life is based on survival. Through her journey, you can see her character’s growth and the author keeps the reader engaged into the story. A fantastic fantasy story with a cleaver plot and imaginative characters.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
January 1, 2023
Ever the Night Road, written by Michael Breen, is an adventurous coming-of-age story. Dagny Losh is an orphan who is taken in by her older brother’s best friend when she runs away following the tragic death of her brother. Dagny grows up in the town of Rork, though she quickly becomes an outcast. As she longs for more connection and adventure, Dagny meets a few boys who invite her to join them on a rescue mission. This journey quickly becomes an adventure of a lifetime and a means to discover a lost part of her life.
This book is a story about the importance of friendship and inner strength. It’s a phenomenal read that gripped me from the beginning – a hard book to put down! I loved reading about Dagny and her character’s health with so much heartbreak, though she learned how to turn things around and enjoy a wonderful life. The author does an exceptional job of creating a character I could relate to and anyone who feels isolated and needs genuine connection.
The character development is excellent, primarily how Dagny, Max, Sama, and Rodolph interact and challenge each other throughout the book. I found the story’s plot surprising, leading to some exciting twists I didn’t expect. Michael Breen is a creative writer, and I look forward to reading more from the author.
Ever the Night Road is a unique story that will keep you reading from one chapter to the next, with lively characters, plot developments, and great dialogue throughout the story. The book is adventurous and will keep readers interested and looking forward to the next book!
This book is a story about the importance of friendship and inner strength. It’s a phenomenal read that gripped me from the beginning – a hard book to put down! I loved reading about Dagny and her character’s health with so much heartbreak, though she learned how to turn things around and enjoy a wonderful life. The author does an exceptional job of creating a character I could relate to and anyone who feels isolated and needs genuine connection.
The character development is excellent, primarily how Dagny, Max, Sama, and Rodolph interact and challenge each other throughout the book. I found the story’s plot surprising, leading to some exciting twists I didn’t expect. Michael Breen is a creative writer, and I look forward to reading more from the author.
Ever the Night Road is a unique story that will keep you reading from one chapter to the next, with lively characters, plot developments, and great dialogue throughout the story. The book is adventurous and will keep readers interested and looking forward to the next book!
December 15, 2022
this was what I was hoping for based on the cover and worked so well with the premise. I enjoyed the way it was written and was invested in what was going on with this world. The characters did a great job in being real and working in the environment. I look forward to more from Michael Breen.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
December 21, 2022
Ever the Night Road feels like a coming of age adventure novel, driven very much by a main protagonist that feels lost about her place in the world, with what she wants being denied to her by the world. You add in some soft magic, some horror elements, and a grand sense of mysticism and lost histories, knowledge, magic, and grandeur and you have an excellent, and often evocative, setting for a young adventurer. From an upscale district, to the mysterious and secretive ruins or old, and the dangerous, ghost haunted underbelly of the main, we are presented with a grand variety of engaging places and scenes, most operating in a tangibly different way from the others, and evocatively described to elicit all the desired emotions.
Our main character is solid, likable, and well-realized. The secondary characters are solid as well, but lack the same amount of screen time. Despite this, the side characters still fit well into the story and world, helping to bring both to life.
One of my only real qualms is that the plot felt a bit lost sometimes; the core driving elements of the narrative don't appear in the narrative until after the first quarter or third of the book, and almost immediately supplant the narrative that the first third of the book was setting up. The first third of the book focused heavily on Dagny and her desire to be an adventurer, as well as her first real adventure; it's a little slow in places, but generally fairly light. The subsequent two thirds grow significantly darker, and Dagny's core desire to be an adventure is almost entirely forgotten in the light of the new driving plot elements. It's not that these new plot elements are bad or un-engaging (quite the contrary) just that they don't reconcile well with Dagny's desire to be an adventurer, either as a reality check showing her the reality of that life or as a beginning of the fulfill of that desire. Part of it is because Dagny herself undergoes a variety of adventures in strange places and yet remarks upon them, even when those adventures are actively frightening, or traumatic. (Something to praise in the book is that Dagny goes through a lot, and is both changed by her experiences, but also very much scarred by them in a believable way.)
Finally, Ever the Night Roads sticks it landing, providing the reader with a clear vision of the type of story future books in the series are intended to be. The ending is tense and incomplete (because series) while teasing the readers with a new, fantastical and unsettling adventure.
Our main character is solid, likable, and well-realized. The secondary characters are solid as well, but lack the same amount of screen time. Despite this, the side characters still fit well into the story and world, helping to bring both to life.
One of my only real qualms is that the plot felt a bit lost sometimes; the core driving elements of the narrative don't appear in the narrative until after the first quarter or third of the book, and almost immediately supplant the narrative that the first third of the book was setting up. The first third of the book focused heavily on Dagny and her desire to be an adventurer, as well as her first real adventure; it's a little slow in places, but generally fairly light. The subsequent two thirds grow significantly darker, and Dagny's core desire to be an adventure is almost entirely forgotten in the light of the new driving plot elements. It's not that these new plot elements are bad or un-engaging (quite the contrary) just that they don't reconcile well with Dagny's desire to be an adventurer, either as a reality check showing her the reality of that life or as a beginning of the fulfill of that desire. Part of it is because Dagny herself undergoes a variety of adventures in strange places and yet remarks upon them, even when those adventures are actively frightening, or traumatic. (Something to praise in the book is that Dagny goes through a lot, and is both changed by her experiences, but also very much scarred by them in a believable way.)
Finally, Ever the Night Roads sticks it landing, providing the reader with a clear vision of the type of story future books in the series are intended to be. The ending is tense and incomplete (because series) while teasing the readers with a new, fantastical and unsettling adventure.
August 10, 2024
Dagny Losh is an aspiring adventurer; however her biggest adventure to date has been escaping the neighborhood that flooded and killed the rest of her family. Dag was taken in by the Benzaga's, a friend of her deceased brother, Alex and now lives a luxurious life, but wants a purpose. Dag is in luck when she finds a group of adventurers who need her help to rescue a boy from one of the crumbling Oracle towers. With a successful adventure and renewed purpose, Dag joins the adventurers only to find out that her sister, Grete may be alive. Another adventure into the dangerous Limerstown reunites the sisters, but time has passed and Limerstown has changed Grete. Something that Grete has taken from Limerstown and carries within her has made her yearn for another place to hopefully give back what was taken. Dag wants to help Grete, but Grete's compulsion might leave her behind to follow the Night Road.
Ever the Night Road is a young adult fantasy adventure that creates a world of danger, intrigue and magic. I was really interested in Dag's world, the different neighborhoods, the people and what seemed like a lost realm and belief system. The story began a little slowly for me as Dag was introduced and we got to know about her family and her world. As the adventures began with Dag and her new friends in the Oracle Tower, the pacing picked up. I was very curious about the Oracle and the large crow that Dagny seemed to befriend on her adventure. The adventure continued as Dagny found out about her sister and embarked on a different adventure in a very different place. Limerstown showed a different side of their world and the inequities present between different areas and the dangers present. Grete's presence added a mystery to the mix with her distant and strange behavior as well as her insistence upon needing to return something that she had stolen from Limerstown created a sense of urgency and continued the adventure. I liked that Dagny's adventures helped her to find her own sense of family. With a new adventure beginning, I can't wait to start the second book.
This book was received for free in return for an honest review.
Ever the Night Road is a young adult fantasy adventure that creates a world of danger, intrigue and magic. I was really interested in Dag's world, the different neighborhoods, the people and what seemed like a lost realm and belief system. The story began a little slowly for me as Dag was introduced and we got to know about her family and her world. As the adventures began with Dag and her new friends in the Oracle Tower, the pacing picked up. I was very curious about the Oracle and the large crow that Dagny seemed to befriend on her adventure. The adventure continued as Dagny found out about her sister and embarked on a different adventure in a very different place. Limerstown showed a different side of their world and the inequities present between different areas and the dangers present. Grete's presence added a mystery to the mix with her distant and strange behavior as well as her insistence upon needing to return something that she had stolen from Limerstown created a sense of urgency and continued the adventure. I liked that Dagny's adventures helped her to find her own sense of family. With a new adventure beginning, I can't wait to start the second book.
This book was received for free in return for an honest review.
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