Community Reviews
4.5 stars
Through the Ever Night was one of my most anticipated releases of 2013. I must admit, I was expecting (fearing, really) it to suffer from "Middle Book Syndrome", as most second installments do. This my friends, is not the case. Full of heart ache, suspense and non stop action, Through the Ever Night is a wild ride you'll have difficulty putting down.
Rossi has done some growing in her writing. The world building is stronger, action scenes more exciting (minus the cannibals) and the romance that much sweeter. Yes, I'm still having that idle thought of "but what IS it?" about the Aether. While there is some elaboration, it's still pretty vague. It may just be one of those things that just IS. Which is OK with me, but may not sit well with other readers. We also learn more about life of the Tides and a little information about the Still Blue.
As much as I love Aria and Perry together, I liked how the romance took a back seat. Don't worry! It's there, just not over shadowing the action and plot as most YA novels have a tendency to do as of late. The moments they spent together were sweet. It's enough to remind you why these two are perfect for each other, and keeps you rooting for them.
As for the plot; there was a lot going on in this installment. Each struggling with their own obstacles, Perry as Blood Lord and Aria in search of Talon, their relationship struggles and not to mention the worsening of the Aether storms (which would be BADASS to see. Scary yes, but badass), everyone pretty much has their hands full at this point. It isn't overwhelming, which is due to Rossi's crafty writing. The balance between Aria and Perry's POV was smooth and so remarkably written. Another point to make; I love how she has stepped out of the "Everyone gets a HEA" zone (as I call it) and writes some horrific, saddening scenes. Just keep in mind that not everyone will come out on top.
Aria has done a complete 180! She is not a helpless little dweller any longer. She's this little fire cracker who has grown tremendously. Her devotion to the ones she cares about, her strength and her new take charge mentality, makes her one of my favorite protagonists. I love her friendship with Roar. The interactions between the two are hilarious, sweet and at times, heart breaking. As for Perry; I feel like he has taken a step back. Dealing with being the Blood Lord, his plate IS full, but he could have handled things a lot differently. He very insecure, which is the complete opposite of how he was initially. All the bologna that happened with ~name removed~ was a perfect example of this. It was selfish, careless and an insult to Aria. (She needs to GO. S'all I'm saying.)
Aside from those two, we see more of old secondary characters. Cinder. Roar. Hess (to name a few). As well as being introduced to several others. Some played minor roles, others were crucial. I was pretty much questioning EVERYONE'S intentions.
Overall~ Seriously LOVED. Whether or not you were a gushing fan of Under the Never Sky, I highly recommend continuing the series and reading Through the Ever Night. I will be anxiously anticipating the final book, Into the Still Blue.
See this review and more on my blog
Lilybloombooks
Through the Ever Night was one of my most anticipated releases of 2013. I must admit, I was expecting (fearing, really) it to suffer from "Middle Book Syndrome", as most second installments do. This my friends, is not the case. Full of heart ache, suspense and non stop action, Through the Ever Night is a wild ride you'll have difficulty putting down.
Rossi has done some growing in her writing. The world building is stronger, action scenes more exciting (minus the cannibals) and the romance that much sweeter. Yes, I'm still having that idle thought of "but what IS it?" about the Aether. While there is some elaboration, it's still pretty vague. It may just be one of those things that just IS. Which is OK with me, but may not sit well with other readers. We also learn more about life of the Tides and a little information about the Still Blue.
As much as I love Aria and Perry together, I liked how the romance took a back seat. Don't worry! It's there, just not over shadowing the action and plot as most YA novels have a tendency to do as of late. The moments they spent together were sweet. It's enough to remind you why these two are perfect for each other, and keeps you rooting for them.
As for the plot; there was a lot going on in this installment. Each struggling with their own obstacles, Perry as Blood Lord and Aria in search of Talon, their relationship struggles and not to mention the worsening of the Aether storms (which would be BADASS to see. Scary yes, but badass), everyone pretty much has their hands full at this point. It isn't overwhelming, which is due to Rossi's crafty writing. The balance between Aria and Perry's POV was smooth and so remarkably written. Another point to make; I love how she has stepped out of the "Everyone gets a HEA" zone (as I call it) and writes some horrific, saddening scenes. Just keep in mind that not everyone will come out on top.
Aria has done a complete 180! She is not a helpless little dweller any longer. She's this little fire cracker who has grown tremendously. Her devotion to the ones she cares about, her strength and her new take charge mentality, makes her one of my favorite protagonists. I love her friendship with Roar. The interactions between the two are hilarious, sweet and at times, heart breaking. As for Perry; I feel like he has taken a step back. Dealing with being the Blood Lord, his plate IS full, but he could have handled things a lot differently. He very insecure, which is the complete opposite of how he was initially. All the bologna that happened with ~name removed~ was a perfect example of this. It was selfish, careless and an insult to Aria. (She needs to GO. S'all I'm saying.)
Aside from those two, we see more of old secondary characters. Cinder. Roar. Hess (to name a few). As well as being introduced to several others. Some played minor roles, others were crucial. I was pretty much questioning EVERYONE'S intentions.
Overall~ Seriously LOVED. Whether or not you were a gushing fan of Under the Never Sky, I highly recommend continuing the series and reading Through the Ever Night. I will be anxiously anticipating the final book, Into the Still Blue.
See this review and more on my blog
Lilybloombooks
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