Monday, February 04, 2013

Review: Through the Ever Night by Veronica Rossi

From Goodreads: 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? 

My Rating: 4.5 hearts 

Thoughts on the Novel: Having read an ARC of Veronica Rossi’s Under the Never Sky, I can say that I’d been waiting over a year for the release of Through the Ever Night. When I have such heightened expectations for a sequel, I’ve found that those sequels – particularly if they're the middle book of a trilogy – have often disappointed me. That wasn’t the case at all with Through the Ever Night because the stakes were raised and the characters continued to develop.

One of the issues I had with Under the Never Sky was that Rossi was very vague about the Aether and the Still Blue. Although Rossi still doesn’t say much about the Still Blue in Through the Ever Night, she does describe the origin and initial consequences of the Aether.

With the Aether storms worsening, both Aria and Perry are under greater pressure to find the Still Blue. I assumed this would mean that the two would set out on another journey together. However, for a large part of the book, Aria is with the adorable and hilarious Roar instead. Their relationship remains purely platonic, and I loved that Rossi demonstrates that a guy and girl can be capable of being just friends and nothing more.

Aside from Roar’s increased presence, we also get to see a different Soren and more of the Six, my favourite from them being Reef. As well, we finally meet Liv. I didn’t like her at first, but she grew on me once I understood her decisions. I am still shocked though by what happened to Liv at the end; I can’t believe Rossi did what she did with Liv!

While Perry and Aria still alternate narratives, I feel like Through the Ever Night showed more of Perry’s growth than Aria’s – the opposite of what I thought occurred in Under the Never Sky as Aria became more confident in her abilities to survive outside of the Realms. Here, Perry slowly but surely becomes a true Blood Lord as he makes some tough decisions that others may not think or approve of.

A novel that’s just as amazing as its predecessor, Through the Ever Night was released by HarperCollins in January 2013. I can’t wait to see what Rossi will put her characters through in Into the Still Blue! 

Comments About the Cover: Although I like how the cover matches the cover of Under the Never Sky, Perry looks quite modern and well-dressed for an Outsider. He doesn’t resemble the Perry of my imagination at all!

6 comments:

  1. Wow, 4.5 stars?! This clearly exceeded your expectations, Z. I can't wait to read this one either. I'm super curious to see how Perry is handling his situation and his adorable nephew. And yes, Roar is awesome and I love that there's no triangle thrown into the second book. Can't wait to get my copy from the library!

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  2. SO EXCITED FOR THIS Z! I've heard nothing but amazing things about it and I'm dying to get back to Aria, Perry and Roar. Like you, I'm THRILLED that Aria and Roar are simply friends, and that Veronica shows how strong that bond can be without romantic feelings coming into play. Fabulous review:):):)

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  3. I didn't like Liv at first either, and I kept thinking, what on earth does someone like Roar sees in her?! But then I understood, just like you did.
    I am SO SO happy that you liked it! I absolutely adored this book and I simply can't wait to read the last one.
    Great review.

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  4. Wow, 4.5 stars! I'm glad the sequel didn't disappoint you. :) I have to confess to mixed feelings for the first book, but all the raves for book two are making me curious...

    Wendy @ The Midnight Garden

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  5. I loved that Rossi demonstrates that a guy and girl can be capable of being just friends and nothing more.

    I can't even begin to tell you how happy that made me! Honestly, I wish more authors would take a leaf out of Rossi's book. Anyway, brilliant review! Our ratings and thoughts match on this one. I really can't wait to see how things wrap up in the final book. :)

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  6. Awesommee. I feel the same about second books in trilogies - they're often my least favourite of the three - so I'm so glad to hear that you thought so highly of this one. So, I haven't actually read the first book in this series yet - there always seems to be another book that is more pressing - but I really appreciate how highly everyone seems to view it. I think it's the concept that intrigues me most. But from your review, I can see that the characters are quite good, as well! I also really enjoy platonic girl-guy relationships because they are so rare. Love this review!

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