Review: Evertrue

EVERTRUE
Everneath #3
Brodi Ashton
Paranormal Young Adult
368 pages
Balzer + Bray
Available Now
Source: ARC from publisher for review

THE STORY (from Goodreads)
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?


MY THOUGHTS
Evertrue is a thoroughly satisfying conclusion to the Everneath trilogy, returning us to Nikki and Jack as they struggle to come to terms with the shocking revelation at the end of book two. Ms. Ashton is oh-so kind to her readers, giving us a brief recap of the major points we need to remember from the last book as we head into this final one, and providing us with everything we need to hit the ground running with our striking couple and the young man who is the bane of their existence. While perhaps the least emotionally gripping of the three, this concluding story never lacks in action or adventure, taking us on one last epic journey before saying goodbye to a beloved cast of characters.

Part of the reason our hearts aren’t in quite as much danger of being shredded in Evertrue is due to the fact that Nikki and Jack are finally together physically as well as emotionally – an unbreakable team ready to take on everyone and everything standing in the way of their lifelong happiness – so the romantic tension is ratcheted way down from previous books. While the lack of tension is a mild criticism, it’s simultaneously a huge relief, the solidity of Nikki and Jack as a couple allowing us to focus on the more pressing matter of Nikki’s new connection to the Everneath (one I’m being deliberately vague about as to avoid spoilers for those who haven’t read book two).

As he has always been, Cole is yet again a highlight of this third installment, Ms. Ashton writing him so beautifully that even with all the things he’s done – the lies he’s told and extravagant manipulations he’s orchestrated – our first instinct is still to trust him. To give him the benefit of the doubt and search desperately for the good in him we’re hoping is actually there rather than simply being a figment of our romantic idealism and overactive imaginations. Cole is vulnerable in a way he's never been previously, any anger we may have harbored over past deeds unable to stand strong in the face of his newfound innocence, and somehow we fall even more in love with him than we were before. His love for Nikki is something we’ve questioned throughout, wondering if his feelings are genuine or if they’re simply tied to the future he so desperately wants for himself, and if his desire for her stems from the heart or simply from ambition. By the end we have our answer in truth, his place in our memories forever solidified as he, Nikki and Jack engage in the final battle.

Evertrue flows perfectly (if wrapping up a touch quickly with regard to the queen), moving forward quickly and smoothly to ensure we have trouble finding a point at which we can set the book aside and get back to our real lives. This series is a favorite, and I will be waiting with breath held to see what Ms. Ashton brings to life next.

Rating: 4/5

Find Brodi:

Website • Facebook • Twitter • Goodreads • Amazon

This book was sent to me by the publisher free of charge for the purpose of a review. 

I received no other compensation and the above is my honest opinion.

Super Six Sunday: Bad Bookish Boyfriends

Inspired by Top Ten Tuesday from The Broke and The Bookish, Super Six Sunday, a new feature from the fabulous ladies at Bewitched Bookworms, has different book-related topics each week and asks participants to address each one in the form of a list of six. Obviously.

This week's topic is bad bookish boyfriends, something those of you who read this blog with any frequency know is all-too perfect a topic for me. The hard part of course comes in narrowing this list down to only six–rather than say, one hundred–bad bookish boyfriends. *shakes fist at the Bookworms for limiting me so!* MY LOVE FOR FICTIONAL MEN CANNOT BE CONTAINED IN SUCH A MANNER! I have so very much to give you see, but I endeavored to adhere to the rules of this feature and picked only a handful. *exasperated sigh*

In order to help me compile this list, I narrowed the topic further and chose men who walk a fine line between hero and anti-hero, often saying or doing things that make me want to revoke their candidacy for Fictional Love of Jenny's Life, but yet I find them all the more interesting for their deep, and sometimes very dark, flaws.

1. RYODAN

The Fever Series (adult urban fantasy)

I know. I talk about him a lot. There's just so much to say! He has layers, my friends, LAYERS UPON LAYERS and I adore him. I'll spare you my fawning all over him because I already did that in a previous post, but suffice to say he pretty much owns the term badass and skates the line between someone I love and someone I could easily hate so very, very expertly. I need Burned in my hands as soon as physically possible.

First book in the entire series: Darkfever

First book in Dani's series in which Ryodan is a major player: Iced

2. KAIDAN ROWE

The Sweet Trilogy (paranormal YA)

Okay, like Ryodan, I may have mentioned Kaidan a time or two on this blog. Or possibly 23849203394 times, but that's completely beside the point. The point is Kaidan is the son of the Duke (think demon) of Lust, and he won me over the minute he came on page in Sweet Evil. He's more than just a bad boy who happens to ooze sex appeal; underneath the sharp wit, the British accent, and the devil-may-care attitude lies a young man stuck in a situation he's powerless to change, and he has perhaps more fear in him than he does cocky swagger if you take the time to really look, something very few actually do. If you couldn't tell already, I'll let you in on a little secret: I love him.

First book in the series: Sweet Evil

3. COLE

The Everneath Series (paranormal YA)

Oh, Cole. What a tangled web you weave my friend. Though Cole plays second fiddle to primary love interest Jack in this series, he remains the far more intriguing of the two (but my love for Jack is still epic!), his motivations for every action always shrouded in an untold number of mysteries, and just when I think I have a handle on the man he is, he cracks a sinister smile and laughs right in my face for being so dense. He is both kind and cruel, genuine and devious, and I simply cannot wait to see where things go with him in the third installment of this series.

First book in the series: Everneath

4. GREYFRIAR

Vampire Empire Series (adult urban fantasy/steampunk)

This trilogy completely and unexpectedly blew me away when I first picked it up a couple years ago, the world a welcome yet devastating return to a time when vampires were not the stuff of romance novels, but rather the monstrous killing machines of legend. The Greyfriar is one who hunts them, but as things unfolded in the first book I quickly realized the mask he wears hides far more than just his features from the world, and once I got a peek at what was underneath, I had to know everything there was to know. Like the others on this list he sometimes straddles the line between black and white, though he proves again and again that gray is a far more attractive and addictive color.

First book in the series: The Greyfriar (Vampire Empire)

5. PHOENIX

The Violet Eden Chapters (paranormal YA)

Phoenix has led me on a merry dance through this series (though like Cole, he is not the primary love interest, that honor falls to Lincoln). In one book I despise him and everything he is, but then in the next book he shows a completely new side to himself that has my fingers turning from claws that would slice him open to clutching digits that would pull him closer and never let him go. He can be brutal and plays a mean emotional game with Violet and Lincoln, but in the rare moments when his guard drops he shines brighter than any other character, and the glutton for punishment in me never fails to rejoice when he makes an appearance on page.

First book in the series: Embrace

6. RAPHAEL

The Guild Hunter Series (adult paranormal Romance)

Ooooo Raphael, you are a sexy bastard. I am an enormous fan of all things Nalini Singh, and though you've probably seen me gush most often about my love of alpha wolf Hawke from her Psy-Changeling series (YOU'RE STILL MY FIRST LOVE HAWKE!), I absolutely adore her Guild Hunter series as well. In these books we get to spend time with Raphael, the archangel of New York, a man who is all power and steel and immortality, and who time has hardened and shaped into someone unyielding and unrelenting. He is perhaps the most alpha of all Nalini's many alpha men, but when Elena enters his life we have the pleasure of watching the rigidity of him start to ever-so-slightly relax (though not much mind you), giving but the barest of inches before his archangel superiority snaps back into place. He's infuriating and intoxicating and if you've yet to meet him, you're missing out.

First book in the series: Angels' Blood

Review: Everbound

EVERBOUND
Everneath #2
Brodi Ashton
Paranormal Young Adult
384 pages
Balzer + Bray
Available January 22nd
Received from publisher for review

THE STORY (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.

MY THOUGHTS
A darkly thrilling sequel, Everbound is one of those stories where the title takes on a myriad of new meanings once we've experienced Nikki's search for Jack in its entirety, forcing us to tip our chins to Ms. Ashton in a nod of acknowledgement of a job well done. While this second installment could have easily fallen prey to many of the pitfalls that so often plague sequels given main couple Nikki and Jack are separated for nearly ninety percent of the story, Ms. Ashton adeptly prevents readers from getting frustrated at a familiar separation-of-main-couple-while-new-romantic-player-makes-his-move setup with her careful and beautifully executed handling of the various relationships. Emotional connections to both Jack and Cole are strengthened as we see new sides of them both, and we're riveted to Nikki's journey through the Everneath from first page to last, thoroughly impressed by Ms. Ashton's ability to so skillfully play with our hearts and minds.

The Nikki we first met in Everneath was a shell of her former self, keeping us at a bit of a distance until her time on the Surface restored the emotions Cole drained from her in the century-long Feed, but we start out Everbound with a tether to Nikki instantly in place, our hearts still reeling from the concluding events of book one. She possesses a strength we can't help but find admirable, holding herself together as much as possible even as an entire town sets the blame for Jack's disappearance on her shoulders with a meaningful glare or callous remark. She further earns our respect when Cole reenters her life and agrees to help her locate Jack in the Tunnels, refusing to play some of the games so many young adult heroines do when a second boy makes his affection for her known, instead remaining steadfast and true to Jack. Though her love for Jack never wavers, she's acutely aware of how her feelings for him pain Cole, and thus she makes it clear what role Cole has in her life and what role he doesn't with a consideration and thoughtfulness we don't see all that often.

Though Nikki's story is told from her first person perspective, Everbound is most certainly Cole's book, the complexity of his character deepened as we get not only a glimpse of his past, but also a quick look at Nikki through his eyes thanks to a quirk of the Everneath itself. Those who fear the development of a love triangle should rest easy though, because while we spend a great deal of time with Cole in this second installment, he is at no point a true threat to Nikki and Jack's relationship. Nikki's attachment to him is its own separate and unique entity, something that is strong and thriving but yet cannot challenge the love she feels for Jack, so we're able to enjoy his presence in Everbound without experiencing the lingering feelings of trepidation that he'll wrestle Nikki's affection for Jack away in his absence. Cole is a deeply fascinating character, the motivation behind any and all of his actions always deliciously murky, lulling us into thinking he's revealed something important about himself before we realize what a brilliant illusionist he truly is – only allowing us to see exactly what he intends for us to and absolutely nothing more.

Everbound is simply a delight to read, Ms. Ashton's ability to further a relationship between two characters despite one being physically absent while simultaneously developing a second relationship of equal yet drastically different emotional intricacy is hugely impressive. The end is something that brings a smile to our faces, not necessarily because we're happy, but rather as an admission to Ms. Ashton that in the game she's so masterfully playing with this series we are unworthy opponents, and she's currently bested us with a move in the final chapters we didn't see coming.

Rating: 4.5/5

Interview: Brodi Ashton + Everneath

Today I'm beyond thrilled to welcome young adult author Brodi Ashton to the blog! Her debut novel, Everneath, releases from Balzer + Bray on January 24th and I cannot adequately express in words how much I loved this book. My review took me 2385729834 hours to write (that may be a touch exaggerated) because the sentences I typed seemed to pale in comparison with how I actually felt so I kept deleting them. Needless to say, it's one I highly recommend and I hope everyone adds it to their lists if it's not already on there!

If you were facing the same fate as Nikki and only had a short amount of time left on the Surface, what are the top 3 things you would make sure to do before you had to go back?

Oooh. That's a good question. Hmmmm. I would eat my mother's meatloaf. As much as I wanted! Okay, I'm just now realizing that I should've said "hug my children and my hubby" first. So that's two... Number three would be to take my entire family to a beach house. Ugh, I'm so boring. :)

Given the experiences Nikki has when she returns–seeing the pain her disappearance caused friends and family–do you think she would make the same choice again after waking up from the Feed if she had to do it over?

Wow. Another good question! I don't know for sure, but deep down I think Nikki already knew how difficult it would be, but she didn't want to face it. I think ultimately her love for Jack would've overwhelmed any other feelings. But I'm not sure. What do you think?

*I honestly have no idea! If I were in her shoes I would want so badly to Return to say goodbye to my family, but at the same time, seeing how much pain it caused her loved ones makes me reconsider. SO HARD*

There are two very intriguing boys in this story, both of whom know Nikki in their own unique way. If they were both asked to describe her, what might each of them say?

Jack would say she's smart and sexy and everything he wants for forever. She's someone he could say anything to, but she's also powerful because she has a way of making him feel more vulnerable than he ever has.

Cole would describe her as bewildering, self-sacrificial and stubborn. But those are also the same qualities that make her so bewitching. He's not sure if what he feels is love, but he's never felt it before.

Were there any other names for Cole’s world you went through before finally deciding Everneath fit it best?

Originally I called it the Underneath. But I realized I wanted a name that would encompass what exactly this place is, so my critique partner Bree Despain and I came up with a mixture of the words "Forever" and "Beneath". I think it really brings up the right picture, even though readers might not see it right away.

Is there anything about your characters or world that surprised you when it got on paper? Perhaps something about their personalities or pasts? Or details with regard to the Everneath that existed one way in your head but changed as soon as your fingers hit the keys?

Oh, so many things were unplanned for in this book. I don't want to give away many details, but I will say that the ending I envisioned was drastically different than the one that came out. But as I was writing it, I realized it couldn't end any other way. Oh, and I always thought Jules would be meaner to Nikki than she actually is, but she turned out to be a true friend who was facing her own pain because of Nikki's decisions.

Okay, that last one was totally a run-on sentence. Sorry. Thanks for having me!!

Thanks so much for taking the time to answer my questions Brodi! More information on Brodi and the Everneath trilogy can be found here:

Website
Twitter

Review: Everneath

EVERNEATH (Everneath #1)
Brodi Ashton
Paranormal Young Adult
384 Pages
HarperTeen
Available January 24th
Received from publisher for review

THE STORY (from Goodreads)
Last spring, Nikki Beckett vanished, sucked into an underworld known as the Everneath, where immortals Feed on the emotions of despairing humans. Now she's returned- to her old life, her family, her friends- before being 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 months reconnecting with her boyfriend, Jack, the one person she loves more than anything. But there's a problem: Cole, the smoldering immortal who first enticed her to the Everneath, has followed Nikki to the mortal world. And he'll do whatever it takes to bring her back- this time as his queen.

As Nikki's time grows short and her relationships begin slipping from her grasp, she's 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...

MY THOUGHTS
Eerily beautiful and haunting, Everneath is a story that wraps around us like the folds of a blanket, providing us something tangible to which we can hold on tight, but at times we find the edges of what should be comforting pulled so tight it causes our chests to constrict in vicarious pain and our breath to catch, and we are left swaddled in a cocoon formed of love, loss, and sacrifice. Each page turned brings us a little closer to the end of Nikki’s time on the Surface, the soft whisper of paper on paper echoing loudly in our ears as though trumpets were blaring to announce the imminent arrival of her dark fate in the Everneath. The countdown of days left in the present combined with flashes from before the Feed keep us intrigued and on edge, trying to sort through the pieces of a broken life granted a brief period of time in which to repair all damage caused by her abrupt departure. Our trust is fragile in this story, made so by a gloriously muddled before with both Jack and Cole and an exquisitely executed after where everything between the three of them changes, and we hurtle forward at a devastating speed toward an end where past and present meet to create a future never anticipated.

Nikki has been stripped of her emotions thanks to Cole when we first meet her, a shell of a girl driven to drastic actions by the influx of more pain than she’s able to bear. Her decision to Return seems like an obvious and simple one until we see the destruction left in the wake of her unexpected absence, and suddenly we find ourselves wondering as Nikki does if staying in the Everneath might have been more of a gift to those around her than her temporary reappearance to say goodbye. She tries so hard to make things easier for those she loves, but as so often is the case, succeeds in making them more difficult instead. Her story resonates through every fiber of our being, the inexorable ticking of the clock a spectral presence always felt though never seen, and our hearts shatter a little more each page as we draw closer to the moment she’ll disappear forever.

Though the synopsis for this book gives the impression we'll find ourselves in the middle of an all-too familiar love triangle, the reality is a far different, far richer experience that floods us with more emotional intensity than just an attraction to two young men. We understand so little of either Jack or Cole initially, knowing only that Nikki chose a century with Cole willingly after something with Jack drove her to make the decision to do so, and so we read feeling like we are standing outside in a world that’s uncomfortably quiet–ears straining to pick up even the slightest rustle to help us gather information, but the harder we try, the quicker the wind carries those sounds away. Slowly, bit by bit, those whispers find their way back to us though, and the truth of one character is revealed in all its agonizing glory, while the other remains a bit in shadow with only select facets of himself illuminated for our gaze. Both men captivate and intrigue, but one leaves us with a piece of our hearts missing, washed away in a deluge of tears and heartache.

Everneath is a truly outstanding debut, a memorable tale that earns itself a place on that special shelf for books that are destined to have pages crinkled and worn from having been read so many times.

Rating: 5/5