The Everneath series by Brodi Ashton was my favorite YA paranormal romance reads that I've enjoyed in a really long time. While weaving familiar Greek myths into its overall plot arc, it brought a refreshing story to a genre that is usually filled with cookie-cutter character and plots. I have been looking forward to reading the series conclusion Evertrue after the jaw dropping ending to Everbound. While I was happy with the way the series ended, I didn't feel this was the strongest book in the series.

Description: Now that Nikki has rescued Jack, all she wants is to be with him and graduate high school. But Cole tricked Nikki into feeding off him, and she’s begun the process of turning into an Everliving herself... which means she must feed on a Forfeit soon — or die.
  Terrified for her survival, Nikki and Jack begin a desperate attempt to reverse the process using any means possible. Even Cole, who they expected to fight them at every turn, has become an unlikely ally — but how long can it last? Nikki needs to feed on Cole to survive, Cole needs Nikki to gain the throne in the Everneath, Jack needs Nikki because she is everything to him — and together, they must travel back to the Underworld to undo Nikki’s fate and make her mortal once more. But Cole isn’t the only one with plans for Nikki: the Queen has not forgotten Nikki’s treachery, and she wants her destroyed for good. Will Nikki be forced to spend eternity in the Underworld, or does she have what it takes to bring down the Everneath once and for all?

Review: Evertrue was a disappointing read for me. Unlike the previous two books in this series which I read compulsively, I found myself putting the last book down because I felt the pacing of the story and the characters that I've come to love felt off. Evertrue picks up two weeks after the events of Everbound and focuses on Niki's mission to destroy the Everneath. Thanks to Cole’s trickery, Niki is an Everliving and dying unless she feeds. Nikki is adamant that she would rather die than live at the expense of human forfeits, but her plans are in direct conflict with Cole’s, who still hopes to persuade her to join him in overthrowing the current queen of the Everneath and ruling it herself.
  One of the many things that bothered me about Evertrue is that the characters do a complete 360 degrees from their personalities. Cole, the trickster and possibly the most interesting villain I've read thus far, suddenly and conveniently turns vulnerable and nice in this book. I kept thinking this was a trick up Cole's sleeves and I was waiting for the "Gotcha! moment" when his evil plan was unveiled, but it didn't come and I was scratching my head in confusion. Also the lovable Jack, Niki's best friend and boyfriend, didn't get a chance to shine in this book. While we do get a few adorable flashbacks with him and Niki, Jack has morphed into the Hulk and he seems to be present only when his physical strength is needed. Niki, who I liked in the previous books, was also problematic for me. She wasn't nearly as strong as the other books but came off as a bit more whiny and accepted death, but I gave her some slack because, well, she is dying. 
  My other issue with Evertrue is that the plot was not strong enough. There were many lulls between the action scenes and problems were solved too easily. Even the showdown battle with the Queen was anticlimactic. Nonetheless there were things that I did enjoy about the book. I did like learning more about the Everneath and the author does a great job in bringing this mythological place alive. Overall, I found Evertrue the weakest book in this series and while I was happy with the end result, I felt it could have been written much stronger and better. I look forward to seeing what Ashton writes next.

Rating: 3 stars


Words of Caution: There is some language, disturbing images, and a scene of underage drinking. Recommended for Grades 9 and up.

If you like this book try: Radiant Darkness by Emily Whitman, Abandon by Meg Cabot, Goddess Test by Aimee Carter, Shadow Prince by Bree Despain

 Everneath by Brodi Ashton was my favorite paranormal romance read and one of my favorite debuts from 2012. While weaving familiar Greek myths into its overall plot arc, it brought a refreshing story to a genre that is usually filled with cookie-cutter character and plots. I have been looking forward to reading Everbound as soon as I finished the last page of Everneath and thankfully, it did not disappoint. Please be aware that Everbound has spoilers from the ending of Everneath but no spoilers from Everbound. Read at your own risk.  

Description (from Goodreads): Nikki Beckett could only watch as her boyfriend, Jack, sacrificed himself to save her, taking her place in the Tunnels of the Everneath for eternity — a debt that should’ve been hers. She’s living a borrowed life, and she doesn’t know what to do with the guilt. And every night Jack appears in her dreams, lost and confused and wasting away.
   Desperate for answers, Nikki turns to Cole, the immortal bad boy who wants to make her his queen — and the one person least likely to help. But his heart has been touched by everything about Nikki, and he agrees to assist her in the only way he can: by taking her to the Everneath himself.
  Nikki and Cole descend into the Everneath, only to discover that their journey will be more difficult than they’d anticipated — and more deadly. But Nikki vows to stop at nothing to save Jack — even if it means making an incredible sacrifice of her own.

Review:  On a very rare occasion the second book in a series, generally a trilogy, surpasses the first book. Everbound is an excellent example of this. The book picks up a short time after Everneath finishes and moves the story to its suspenseful climax. Everbound doges the pitfalls of middle book syndrome effortlessly and reassure its readers that they are in for an enthralling read. Ashton hones her skills as a writer. The story line is more focused and the flashbacks used in the story are integrated and allow to show relationship development while moving the plot along, but most importantly there is significant and evident character growth and relationships are solidified . Although the plot of Everbound is very simple, but it isn't under any circumstances boring. I was sucked in right away from the beginning and could not put the book down.
  Once again I found the incorporation of mythological ideas and metaphors that play a substantial role in the story to be absolutely captivating. Our return to the Everneath is vividly brought to life as we get to visit the actual realms of the Underworld and witness first hand of its dangerous allure. The world-building, albeit still unfinished in places, is completely original and I'm very excited to see it complete in the final installment.
  Nikki proves to be an admirable character. Though wrecked with guilt over Jack's current fate, she allows her time to wallow, but is soon spurred to action to save him rather than mope and circle into a fetal position. Her fidelity and feelings for Jack are true and drives her to take action. I absolutely loved how Ashton took advantage of flashbacks and memories to not only get us glimpses of Jack but further show how Nikki and Jack's relationship developed over time. I thought this approach to be refreshing instead of just telling the reader how much they loved one another.
  As I mentioned, Jack isn't fully present in the story as much as we like, but his absence allows us to see how Cole and Nikki interact with each other. Some readers have mentioned that there is a love triangle in this trilogy but I would argue there really isn't one. Nikki is very much decided on Jack, but it's difficult to ignore Cole’s role in the plot and his apparent feelings for Nikki. Though Jack’s presence is realized in dreams, Everbound essentially gives us an opportunity for Cole and Nikki to draw closer together. Cole is a still a character that is hard to define. Intriguing, enigmatic, alluring, and dangerous, Cole is brilliantly developed. He manipulates emotions, those of Nikki and of us as readers, to make us see him in different lights.
 Everbound nicely plays on the heartstrings. We have several heartbreakingly emotional scenes give the romantic plot some appropriate substance, as do a few cheerier flashbacks. We know that Nikki's goal seems impossible, but we can't help but root for her. Her passion and determination are genuine. Just when we think there may be a happily ever after on the horizon for our hero and heroine, a cliffhanger ending- so perfectly shocking that me wonder how I completely overlooked the steps that lead to it- temporarily closes our story. Without a doubt, I am anxiously waiting for the final book to come out.

Rating: 4.5 stars

Words of Caution: There is some language, underage drinking, and some disturbing images. Recommended for strong Grades 8 readers and up.

If you like this book try: Radiant Darkness by Emily Whitman, Abandon by Meg Cabot, Goddess Test by Aimee Carter

 I've heard lots of great buzz surrounding Brodi Ashton's debut novel, Everneath, since last year. I've been very curious about the book, especially in how it would retell the Hades and Persephone myth which has been very popular recently. I was thrilled that the galley for the book was available on Netgalley and I was able to read it. I'd like to thank Harper Collins and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity. Everneath was released on January 24th.

Description (inside of book's panel): Last spring, Nikki Beckett vanished, sucked into an underworld known as the Everneath. Now she's returned - to her old life, her family, her boyfriend - before she's banished back to the underworld . . . this time forever. She has six months before the Everneath comes to claim her, six months for good-byes she can't find the words for, six months to find redemption, if it exists.
  Nikki longs to spend these precious months forgetting the Everneath and trying to reconnect with her boyfriend, Jack, the person most devastated by her disappearance - and the one person she loves more than anything. But there's just one problem: Cole, the smoldering immortal who enticed her to the Everneath in the first place, has followed Nikki home. Cole wants to take over the throne in the underworld and is convinced Nikki is the key to making it happen. And he'll do whatever it takes to bring her back, this time as his queen.
 As Nikki's time on the Surface draws to a close and her relationships begin slipping from her grasp, she is forced to make the hardest decision of her life: find a way to cheat fate and remain on the Surface with Jack or return to the Everneath and become Cole's queen.

Review: Everneath surprised me in many ways, all good. I had expected your average paranormal romance with an angsty heroine, an adoring love interest, and the inevitable bad boy. While the book has that, it also has a lot of depth and avoids most common tropes of the genre by exploring the consequences of choices that the characters make. In most of the paranormal romances that I've read or learned about, the choice and its associated consequences are often discussed. Impulsive decisions eventually end up being the right one and the characters have a happy ending, but what happens when you make the wrong decision? Is there a way to correct your mistake or is it too late? These questions are the foundation to Everneath and what made the book such a compelling read for me.
  Eveneath is steeped in melancholy and Greek mythology, particularly about the myths of underworld. Nikki Bennett, commonly called Becks by her loved ones, has been gone for six months in the Everneath (aka the Underworld), a place where Everlivings, immortal beings, feed off the emotions of humans to survive. Nikki has come home to say a proper good-bye to her family and friends, most of all to say good-bye to Jack, the love of her life and her best friend. Nikki has six months on the surface before the Everneath reclaims her for good to serve either as essentially their battery in the dark tunnels or to become an Everliving with Cole, the Everliving who took her. 
  When the book begins, you are aware that Nikki willingly made the choice to go with Cole. The reason behind her choice is cloaked and slowly revealed throughout the story. The narrative switches between two time periods, before and after the Feed. I hadn't expected the narrative to switch, but the transition felt smoothed, well timed, and flowed nicely. 
 I wasn't sure what to think about Becks. I felt sorry for her and knew something drastic must have happened that lead her to the Everneath. As I learned more about her rough life, I really liked her. Becks is a steely, quiet girl who is not perfect and has insecurities that we all have, but what I loved most about her is that she admits her mistakes and is resolved to correct them. She took the easy way out the first time, which ended horribly and now she's ready to fight, determined to win. Ashton weaves the metaphor of drug use and addiction quite well into her story especially as we witness Becks' downward spiral.
  The romance in Everneath is done very well. I loved the fact that it wasn't an instant romance and that there is no love triangle, two plot devices in this genre that are overused constantly. Becks' relationship with Jack and Cole are very different. Each of the male characters are fleshed out. Jack is the loveable boyfriend, but he is also Becks' strongest supporter. I guess you could argue his is the angel sitting on her shoulders guiding her, representing happiness, hope, and light in her life. Damaged, yet loving and courageous he battles to keep Becks from being dragged back into the Everneath. I liked that their relationship isn’t always strong and that they work on it together. There’s so much honest emotion and history with these two characters that their relationship arc is solid and real. I ached for their story and desperately wanted to see them happy. Needless to say that I absolutely loved Jack.
  If Jack is the angel, then Cole is the devil that constantly tempts Becks. He is dark, seductive, yet more complex than your average hot bad boy. I didn't think his character was romanticized. You got to see all of him, yet he isn't a one dimensional villain either. It's really easy to hate Cole, and believe me I did, but there was a small part of me that felt bad for him. I wondered how he became an Everling and despite his bravado, if he ever felt guilty about his job. I took notice whenever there was just a shimmer of humanity in him that came to the surface. There is definitely more to Cole than meets the eye and I look forward to learning more about him. Cole has a strange relationship with Becks. He depends on her to live yet he also relies on her for companionship. Though Cole declares he has feelings for Becks, I don't consider them romantic but rather a longing for something that he can never have, which is being truly alive. 
  I found the pacing of Everneath was pretty slow but fans of action and adventure books will probably find themselves wanting to speed things up. Everneath is mainly a character driven novel so I didn't mind the slow pace, but I think the pacing is a reflection on how people grieve, heal, and learn to trust one another. The rushing timelime looms on each chapter, which made me bite my nails in anticipation of how everything will end. I was in the wee hours in the morning finishing the book because I couldn't put it down. Ashton’s writing is strong and serves well for this novel. Her use of imagery is great and she manages to create a rather unique world while staying true to mythology in this book. I will warn you that this is a beginning of a trilogy and the book ends in a cliff-hanger that made my jaw drop and left me teary eyed. I am eagerly awaiting the sequel.


Rating: 4.5 stars

Words of Caution: There is some language, underage drinking, and some disturbing images. Recommended for strong Grades 8 readers and up.

If you like this book try: Radiant Darkness by Emily Whitman, Abandon by Meg Cabot, Goddess Test by Aimee Carter