Everbound

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.

In this enthralling sequel to Everneath, Brodi Ashton tests the bonds of destiny and explores the lengths we’ll go to for the ones we love.



My Rating: ****

Warning: Spoilers for book 1!

 

Everbound was a big hit with me! I was immediately wrapped back up into Brodi Ashton's very clever, modern take on Greek mythology and I have to say that I liked this sequel even better than the original. Everything was more. There was more at stake for Nikki (she's being pressured from every direction about Jack's disappearance), more at stake for Cole (which I can't expound on without spoilers for book 2), and the absolute most at stake for Jack (Hello? Stranded and dying in the everneath here?).

 

Nikki continues to grow as a character. She started out in book 1 kind of empty (product of having the life sucked out of her for a hundred years of course, but I still thought she could have been less boring) but she has been on a very organic growth spurt ever since and I've really appreciated seeing her develop some guts and courage. And I was hanging on for the entire book, watching Jack fade from her dreams and panicking that she wouldn't make it in time (even though part of me knew there was no chance he would just die there). Then there's Cole who I thought was acting a little out of character at times, but a big reveal at the end... well, I won't say any more. And even though I suspected it, well done Ms. Ashton. Well done.

 

This book also digs deeper into the mythology and I could gush forever about Brodi Ashton's interpretation of the underworld (which we finally get to see and spend time in!). So original, so fresh, but so familiar - which is exactly what I like my mythology retellings to be.

 

There are some weaknesses here, mainly that it's a little predictable and that Nikki's quest through the Everneath is a little formulaic. I also think some of Nikki's relationships in the real world weren't very well done. Her best friend (can't even remember her name it was that bad), her dad, and especially her little brother all seemed kind of superficially drawn.

 

But still, this is an easy 4 stars (more like 4 and a half if I'm being honest with myself) because I really enjoyed the ride. :D Can't wait for book 3!