I would like to thank the author for an advance copy of the audiobook version of this novel in exchange for a fair and honest review

Narrator – Kristin Atherton

Published – Out Now

Price - £9.99 paperback £5.99 Kindle £20.03 Audiobook

When the mists rise, the hunt begins.

For Maddie Lincoln, returning to her childhood home was an opportunity to retake control. Instead, she becomes trapped in an ancient struggle between mythic forces. A struggle in which her life—or death—might be the deciding factor. 

Pursued through Nottingham's mist-shrouded streets, Maddie is drawn into Eventide: a realm where legends walk and perception shapes reality. As the hidden dangers of Eventide bleed into the material realm, Nottingham falls under the sway of a vengeful, malevolent queen. It falls to Maddie to stop the chaos from spreading—no easy task when nothing and no one are precisely what they seem. 

Can Maddie discover the truth about the queen of Eventide before it's too late?

Its always fascinating that some legends gets used more than others. Arthurian legends get reviewed often and many time has it influenced stories set in our own time (Doctor Who even did it!). In a similar vein if all the fantasy sagas set in London were happening at once no storyline would happen without umpteen characters bumping into each other on the same few streets. It is always a refreshing when a story comes along taking a famous myth and location and doing something a lot more interesting. Matthew Ward in the thrilling fantasy tale Queen of Eventide (narrated perfectly by Kristin Atherton) delivers a fast-flowing, often surprising, and very smart tale set in modern-day Nottingham and links to one of the most famous legends…and also archers…

Maddie Lincoln returns to her hometown of Nottingham after a relationship has gone sour and seeks a fresh start. She was not though expecting to crash her car after a very strange event on the road. Awakening she finds herself pursued by a mysterious Huntsman and plunged into the mysterious realm of Eventide – a supernatural dimension that crosses into our world and has several points within Nottingham for access or escape. Maddie finds herself targeted by a malevolent force known as the Dark Lady who has for some reason decided to use Maddie’s face and now sends her armies of undead spirits to retrieve her body. While Nottingham gets influenced by the Dark Lady to have conflict and unrest on the streets Maddie finds herself under suspicion from the police and only has her secretive best friend Inga, a sometimes cheesy but always charming fortune teller names Charles King; a mysterious man named William who knows far too much about dark magic and finally in Eventide the enigmatic archer we these days call Robin Hood who has been battling the Dark Lady for centuries. Battlelines are being drawn for a final conflict with two worlds at stake.

This is a deliciously flowing story from Maddie’s not so welcome arrival in Nottingham and then we spend the next few days finding out about the dark magics that lurk within her city. Ward throws Maddie in the deep end and while this keeps the reader on their toes working out the story it also gets to show Maddie as a smart, brave, and very capable woman who while she was feeling a little lost in her life does know when it is time to take charge and do the best to help others. As we learn more about why Maddie is in danger, we get some really interesting character developments that add to her peril and also really impresses you when she takes a stand and over the course of the story she moves from puzzled bystander to taking charge. It feels a natural arc and I really liked this character who does not take anyone acting the fool.

The wider cast is also really engaging, and I’m impressed how Ward again ensure everyone themselves has a plot and arc to navigate. Inga gives Maddie some much need human support and we actually get to see them both as two young women who laugh and joke with one another before more magical chaos descends; Charles King is a larger than life character fond of puns but we soon see a more caring and occasionally violent side under the smart outfits while William is a sardonic mentor-like figure yet one who definitely is not a father figure but more likely one who will do anything they want to succeed. The cast all interact with each other and have their own dynamics and these engagements are always interesting and occasionally amusing. There is a lot to discover about everyone…

Lastly there is a fascinating mix of our modern world and Nottingham’s rich history and own myths and folklore. Ward of course throws in the tale of Robin but we get fascinating insights into the wider history of this city and the joy of Eventide is it is a magical world where anything can happen. We move from our world of police investigations and riots to a world where unearthly creatures hunt, souls can be trapped, and magical bargains must be made. I loved the shifts into the fantastical and then in the second half of the book the fantastical starts to shape our world and as the Dark Lady prepares her final moves it gets into an apocalyptic and dangerous version of our world as magic shows it is not to be just for parlour tricks. By the end we really do feel the future of the worlds are at stake and that is a testament to Ward’s skilful writing and plotting. Oh yes and then there is Robin…I will leave his story for you to discover but he’s not quite the one we know from legend and yet also very much who we would want Robin to be. He doesn’t take centre-stage; but he impacts the tale throughout and I think reminds us that this is a myth that itself has lasted a long time and really surprising how few now use it in modern fantasy today.

For audio fans the narration of Kristin Atherton is a joy and really cements the story. They bring Northern warmth and charm to Maddie while their voices for the wider cats are all varied and really suit who these characters are. Atherton knows when to bring the suspe4nse or pace to a scene and its very much a tale you can be swept up into the narration easily. I’m still slowly getting used to audio as a format, but this edition really impressed me.

Fans of contemporary fantasy stories should run and pick this supremely enjoyable and smart story up. The Queen of Eventide feels fresh and while there is darkness; we also have heroes who do what heroes must to keep the world safe and ensure nothing is forgotten. Robin Hood fans should keep their eyes peeled for a few easter eggs and for the wider viewer there are hints of further stories to come (or in other books by Ward). I was very impressed by this and wrong footed at to where the story was leading on several occasions which is always a pleasure to experience. I hope we meet Eventide again someday. Well worth hunting down!