It’s
always tricky to write the second book in a series. In first books,
readers enjoy meeting the characters and learning about the book’s
world. The later books resolve mysteries and bring characters
together. Then there’s that second book, where certain events
need to occur before the big reveals and resolutions can happen.
In
many series, the second book feels like a chess maneuver, not a great
story in its own right. I’m always delighted when I find a
second book that I enjoy as much as the first, so I was thrilled to
discover Everbound, the second story in Brodi Ashton’s
Everneath series.
Where
Everneath fell solidly in the realm of paranormal romance,
Everbound shifts more to the adventure sphere. Everbound
begins shortly after Everneath’s conclusion. Good guy
Jack has taken Nikki’s place in the tunnels, part of the
mythical underworld called the Everneath, where it is slowly draining
him of his emotions, memories, and life. As he fades, Nikki gets more
and more desperate to rescue him. Cole, the immortal bad boy that
lured Nikki into the underworld in the first place, still wants her
as his queen.
Both
desperate, the two form a shaky alliance to journey through the
Everneath to rescue Jack. Through their adventures in the Everneath,
details about the world and the characters themselves are revealed at
a pitch-perfect and page-turning pace.
I’m
a big sucker for novelists that can use classic mythology, but still
make a world of their own creation. Once again, Ashton delivers. I
especially enjoyed her take on the labyrinth myth. Let’s face
it — when I think about mazes, I think about cheesy carnival
attractions, so I appreciate it when an author can make the myth seem
menacing and imaginative.
She
also continued her use of the Persephone myth and added some elements
of Dante’s Inferno in meaningful ways.
Although
the world and the adventure are solid, the characters are what make
this novel stand out. I love Nikki’s character development
throughout this series. She has clearly learned her lesson about
appropriate ways to cope with grief and loss.
She
mourns and feels pain, but now looks for hope and solutions. She
knows she sometimes has to wound people she cares about to do the
right thing, but she does it out of selflessness, rather than
selfishness. Nikki has become a resourceful and determined heroine
you can relate to and root for.
This
is a great book for girls that love a bad boy. Cole shines in this
novel. Ashton has created a villain that is complicated and devious,
yet vulnerable and sympathetic. A brief scroll of internet forums
shows that Team Cole is alive and well.
That
said, Jack enthusiasts don’t have to worry. Even though Jack’s
real time appearances in the book are limited, Ashton finds a great
way to keep him in the game through flashbacks. I don’t want to
spoil the plot, so I’ll just say that locating Jack involves
using emotionally charged memories of him, and they are tasty.
I
also have to praise the ending, even though it is a painful
cliffhanger. I’m a difficult reader to surprise, and although I
caught what causes the twist, I genuinely didn’t see the
consequence coming. Well played, Ashton. All around, I like that she
gave resolution to the current story, while setting up the next book
perfectly.
Evertrue,
the final installment in the (you guessed it) trilogy will be
released on January 21st, 2014. My next child’s due
date is January 24th, so here’s hoping for a prompt
arrival. I’ll be devouring this book as soon as I can get my
hands on it.
Read
this book if…
You want a guilty pleasure. Sometimes a girl just needs two boys to swoon over, dang it.
You can’t get enough mythology and retellings of mythology.
You love flawed protagonists that learn and grow throughout the series.
Erin
Cowles is a mother of two, living in the Washington D.C. suburbs.
Before motherhood, she used her masters in library and information
science in a law firm library. Now she uses it to find good books for
her family at her local public library. She teaches part time for a
SAT prep company, where she enjoys the challenge of making rather
dull subject matter interesting and making college a reality for her
students. During women's history month, she profiles Mormon women
that inspire her at ldswomenshistory.blogspot.com.
Erin
currently serves as a counselor in her ward's primary
presidency.