Review: Through the Ever Night by Veronica Rossi

Published: January 8^th, 2013 (HarperCollins)

Pages: 341

Rating: 5/5

Goodreads ~ Amazon

It's been months since Aria last saw Perry. Months since Perry was named Blood Lord of the Tides, and Aria was charged with an impossible mission. Now, finally, they are about to be reunited. But their reunion is far from perfect. The Tides don't take kindly to Aria, a former Dweller. And with the worsening Aether storms threatening the tribe's precarious existence, Aria begins to fear that leaving Perry behind might be the only way to save them both.

Threatened by false friends, hidden enemies, and powerful temptations, Aria and Perry wonder, Can their love survive through the ever night?

In this second book in her spellbinding Under the Never Sky trilogy, Veronica Rossi combines fantasy and dystopian elements to create a captivating love story as perilous as it is unforgettable.

[Description from Goodreads]

I’m going to be shallow and state that I *love* the cover of this book. Frame-it-and-hang-it-on-the-wall-of-my-bedroom kind of love. Perry is so…gahhhh he’s just so hot. There, I said it. Glad I got that out of my system.

Rossi is some sort of meanie that just wants to ruin our lives. I mean, why give us that cover, and then severely tone down the romance? It’s bookworm torture, I tell you! (And yes, the romance was kind of toned down compared to what it was in Under the Never Sky. Did it bother me a little? Yes. Did it make the story itself better? Yes.) The reason for it was because Perry and Aria were separated for nearly half (if not more) of the book. Thus less romance and more angst and worry and “What if he/she doesn’t love me anymore” kind of thoughts. But like I said, I feel it was good for the story structurally and whatnot, so I had to get over it, as will you. *shrugs*

Aria on the cover
of the 1st book,
Perry on the cover
of the 2nd,
who will be on the
3rd cover?

Perry is now Blood Lord of the Tides, and he’s nearly crushed by the responsibility. His people aren’t happy with him, and some even reject him as they did Aria. He’s got lives protect, but this is more than he’s ever handled. I liked Rossi’s emphasis on Perry’s worry over his new position- weakening strong characters make them stronger. Aria is suffering from the Tides’ rejection, too, as well as desperately trying to save back at the Pods, which are slowly deteriorating due to the Aether storms. We’re introduced to Liv, Perry’s sister and Roar’s lover. I’ll admit I didn’t like her at first (can’t pinpoint why) but she grew on me (probably due to a certain heart-pounding event that I won’t detail here). And Roar…oh my word, sometimes I like him even more than Perry. And that’s saying a lot. Rossi gives us a glimpse of his soft, vulnerable, hurt side, which I kind of loved. I liked that Aria got to spend a lot of time with Roar, because it’s so sweet to see them interact, almost like brother and sister.

I absolutely loved this installment in the trilogy- maybe not as much as the first book, but still. I was swept away in the writing and the action and the romance (the little that there was) and am so excited for the third and last book. I feel like every one of the characters grew in some way through the trials they faced in this book. Through the Ever Night portrayed each character’s own unique mission, but in the next book, they’ll all have one ultimate mission: to find the Still Blue. Together.

Quick Content Review: *may contain spoilers*

Language: Mild

Violence: Heavy

Sexual: Mild

Waiting on Wednesday #9

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

So today, I’m going to cheat a little. Well, I wouldn’t necessarily call it cheating as much as being creative. Yeah, that sounds much better. Let’s call it that.

 I say this because my Waiting on Wednesday book is actually a novella. The book I’m spotlighting today is an Under the Never Sky short story simply called Roar and Liv. This short, 60-pager comes out in e-book format on the 30^th of this month, and I can’t wait! It will be such a relief to have a little something to read before Through the Ever Night comes out in January. Check out the synopsis from Goodreads for Roar and Liv:
 

Before Perry and Aria, there was Roar and Liv.After a childhood spent wandering the borderlands, Roar finally feels like he has a home with the Tides. His best friend Perry is like a brother to him, and Perry's sister, Liv, is the love of his life. But Perry and Liv's unpredictable older brother, Vale, is the Blood Lord of the Tides, and he has never looked kindly on Roar and Liv's union. Normally, Roar couldn't care less about Vale's opinion. But with food running low and conditions worsening every day, Vale's leadership is more vital—and more brutal—than ever. Desperate to protect his tribe, Vale makes a decision that will shatter the life Roar knew and change the fate of the Tides forever.

Set in the harsh but often beautiful world of Veronica Rossi's "unforgettable" Under the Never Sky (Examiner.com), this captivating prequel novella stands on its own for new readers and offers series fans a fascinating look into the character of Roar. Poignant and powerful, Roar and Liv is a love story that will "capture your imagination and your heart." (Justine on Under the Never Sky)

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What are you waiting on this Wednesday? Leave me a link or drop a note in the comments!

Through The Ever Night Cover Reveal!

Eeeee! So gorgeous! *cough* Oh, you thought I was talking about the cover. Heh, no. I was referring to that dashing man on the cover by the name of Perry. Oh yes. *winkwink*

I can’t wait for Through The Ever Night (Under The Never Sky, book 2)! How will I survive until January 8^th? On the bright side, I’ll be able to buy this book as an early birthday present.

Who else is drooling over this cover? Tell me what you think- yay or nay?

Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

Publisher: HarperCollins

Published: January 3, 2012

Pages: 384

Star rating: 5/5

Since she’d been on the outside, she’d survived an Aether storm, she’d had a knife held to her throat, and she’d seen men murdered. This was worse.

Exiled from her home, the enclosed city of Reverie, Aria knows her chances of surviving in the outer wasteland—known as The Death Shop—are slim. If the cannibals don’t get her, the violent, electrified energy storms will. She’s been taught that the very air she breathes can kill her. Then Aria meets an Outsider named Perry. He’s wild—a savage—and her only hope of staying alive.

A hunter for his tribe in a merciless landscape, Perry views Aria as sheltered and fragile—everything he would expect from a Dweller. But he needs Aria’s help too; she alone holds the key to his redemption. Opposites in nearly every way, Aria and Perry must accept each other to survive. Their unlikely alliance forges a bond that will determine the fate of all who live under the never sky. [Book Description from Amazon]

My review:

“A million ways to die. One way to live.”

Oh my word.

This book is…

Oh my word!

It’s been a while since I’ve read a dystopian THIS good.

This book has left me speechless. At first I wasn’t that thrilled with Aria, but once she was on the Outside, I began to like her a lot. She was so confident in the Pod. She knew who she was and how life worked and nothing was beyond her ability. But once she got on the Outside, she changed completely. She was a different person. The world was a different place and everything that gave her confidence in the Pod was useless on the Outside. So she had to trust Perry. Gracious, I loved Perry. For one thing, he was HOT. I don’t usually go for the blondes, but Perry was wild and fierce but at the same time, sensitive and tender. And come on…you have to admit, that’s really attractive. Perry and Aria had the sweetest, rarest love story! It was such a contrast from the harsh world around them. Let me tell you, I savored every moment of it.  

There was so much beauty in the world Veronica Rossi created. The Aether was supposed to be harmful and hurt anything in its path, but it was beautiful to me. I imagined it to be like the bottom of a swimming pool when the sunlight shines through the water. Blue ripples and swirls. And I loved the Stone Age type theme of life that existed Outside. It was so different from the technologically- centered life inside the Pod. The severe contrast of life in the Pod and life on the Outside was intriguing and captivating.

In conclusion, Under the Never Sky was a fantastic read that captured my imagination and thoughts the whole time I was reading it. It cured my awful dystopian fever that I’ve been suffering from for so long. The journey is perilous and the love story is unforgettable. (And the cover is gorgeous! The US cover, that is. I didn’t really like the UK cover.--->)      But beware- the cliffhanger kills.

Quick Content Review:

Language: Mild (Only three words, if I remember correctly.)

Violence: Mild- Moderate

Sexual: Mild

Great news! Under the Never Sky is in the process of being turned into a movie! And the sequel, Through the Never Sky, is due out in 2013! How am I going to wait that long?!