Here is the review:
Liyana has trained her entire life to be the vessel of a goddess. The goddess will inhabit Liyana’s body and use magic to bring rain to the desert. But Liyana’s goddess never comes. Abandoned by her angry tribe, Liyana expects to die in the desert. Until a boy walks out of the dust in search of her.
Korbyn is a god inside his vessel, and a trickster god at that. He tells Liyana that five other gods are missing, and they set off across the desert in search of the other vessels. For the desert tribes cannot survive without the magic of their gods. But the journey is dangerous, even with a god’s help. And not everyone is willing to believe the trickster god’s tale.
The closer she grows to Korbyn, the less Liyana wants to disappear to make way for her goddess. But she has no choice: She must die for her tribe to live. Unless a trickster god can help her to trick fate — or a human girl can muster some magic of her own.
– Synopsis from Sarah Beth Durst’s Official Website
I loved Durst’s idea. Gods needing human hosts in order to walk the earth. The nomadic life of the desert people, who depended on the gods in order to survive was also well thought out. So when the Great Drought threatens to kill them all, each clan must sacrifice one boy it girl, a vessel, who will give up their body for their god or goddess. In turn, this deity will look after the clan. Our protagonist, Liyana, is ready to make the ultimate sacrifice but on the night of her ceremony, her goddess does not come. Abandoned by her clan, she is left distraught. Eventually she embarks on a quest with the trickster god, Korbyn, to find the missing gods.
Sounds promising, right? And it was. Unfortunately we spend half of the book gathering forces with the other vessels, which to be honest gets very dull after a while. I know finding the others was necessary but couldn’t Durst have spiced things up a not with an interruption? They could have made another detour or two to liven things up a bit.
My other complaint would have to be the segments with the emperor of the Crescent Empire. It wasn’t clear that he had some sort of involvement with the rest of the story and I was often tempted to skip his chapters near the beginning. Some hint that he was even in the same timeline would have been helpful.
Liyana was a strong character. She was smart, wise, and resourceful. I read a review on Goodreads that criticised her viewpoint in the ethics of gods killing mortals in order to inhabit their body. For the majority of the book, she is perfectly fine with this sacrifice and so this reader was frustrated that she didn’t question it and change her mind. Liyana is a very loyal character so if she believed that this was the only way to save the ones that she lived, the that’s what she would do. If you look at it that way, then you can only admire her. But towards the end, she does take a different perspective on things when she discovers that there is another way.
Atmitedly, the ending was not to my liking. A brief love triangle appears and after a showdown with some super pissed sky serpents, it’s all over. I don’t like how her relationship problem is solved but I’m glad that she didn’t die. It’s pretty clear to me that there won’t be a sequel which saddens me. No more Korbyn. Can I just state that he was my favourite character?! For a long time he was my only reason for continuing this novel.
So what do I rate it?
Well, it’s been a very long time since I have blogged. I have a very good explanation for that. It’s called A-Levels, that stage in the British Education system before university. It’s really stressful. I apologise for neglected this blog and it’s followers.
Anyway, quite some time ago, Riordan’s sequel to The Son of Neptune was published. As busy as I’d been, I completely forgot about it (shame on me!). Then I realised I was broke anyway :'(
But then I got some money from the BOD (Bank of Dad) for a school trip to Canterbury. It was not my decision. To go there and buy the book but there was a beautiful Waterstones store & the MoA was being displayed by the window.
All the books beckoned to me and I finally gave into my weakness.
But you don’t care about that! You want a review. Well here we go:
“Seven half-bloods must answer the call”
The very first thing that astounded me at the end of The Son of Neptune was the possibility that the Romans and the Greeks could actually work together. Both Percy & Jason had integrated themselves in the worlds of their opposing camps, and that gave the readers hope. The Mark of Athena see Percy and Annabeth finally reuniting. It’s so romantic and it just made me so happy.
But in classic Riordan style, something goes horribly wrong and the Romans and the small cohort of Greeks have a fall out and everything goes nuclear.
The prophecy (or two):
So obviously you can’t go through a Heroes of Olympus book without referring to the Greay Prophecy, and so our Seven demigods (one can only assume at this stage that the are the Chosen Seven) seek to close the Doors if Death. There also happens to be another prophecy directly referring to The Mark of Athena, and it’s no spoiler that it has something to do with Annabeth. But what is The Mark of Athena? Well, I can’t spoil that one for you. Riordan is cryptic about his prophecies (as usual- but then, all prophecies should be!) and neither one seems to have a definitive ending. The cliffhanger at the end will attest to that. It’s so amazing many fans have dubbed it the ‘Rickhanger’. You’ll have to read the book to find out why.
The Characters:
One of the the things that strike me most about this book I’m afraid is the cover. This isn’t just me being superficial. Like many fans I waited a year for this book with not much more to go on but the book cover for quite some time. So when I saw Percy and Jason going head to head like that I felt like I was being torn apart. Is Riordan going to make us choose between them? It turned out that the reason for that fight was different to what I had imagined. Having said that, it was pretty clear throughout the book that the two demigods had a sort of alpha male rivalry going on. Both were used to being leaders and so when they end up on the same quest, it’s hard for them to adjust. You should see the tension emanating between them when they both try to sit at the head table! No wonder Zeus and Poseidon don’t get along. Both were born to lead.
What can I say about Annabeth in this book? Brave would be an understatement. She knew the risks that she would face; knew of the enemy that awaited her but still she had enough courage to do what needed to be done. Separating herself from Percy when they had just gotten together must have been heartbreaking. And when two certain children of the Big Three had their Alpha Mall stand-offs, she was there to do the leading. Gotta give her a lot of respect in this novel.
Leo, Leo, Leo. He had to put up with a lot of stick in this one. From the word go he’s being blamed for something that wasn’t his fault. He feels like the seventh wheel… I mean, you’ve heard of the 3rd wheel so being the 7th must REALLY suck! Then of course there’s the weirdness between him and Hazel. Sorry, I can’t elaborate on that one.
There are some interesting characters that appear of the godly variety, such as none other than Nemesis herself. You know, the one that took her kid’s eye out as payment. You remember Ethan Nakamura, right?
Then there’s the matter of finding out about what really happened to Sammy and how a certain demigod fits into this link.
The Plot: Unfortunalty I can’t say I remember much about this book now, having read it in October or November or something. Seems so long ago! I can however tell you that I thoroughly enjoyed it and I know you will too! (Well, I hope so anyway). One of favorite parts (spoiler alert!) is when they meet Dionysus’ Roman version, Bacchus. Totally awesome 🙂
And now I will leave you with these nice pictures I found online about how much I want the sequel, The House of Hades:
In a desert world of sandstorms and sand-wolves, a teen girl must defy the gods to save her tribe in this mystical, atmospheric tale from the author of Drink, Slay, Love.”Liyana has trained her entire life to be the vessel of a goddess. The goddess will inhabit Liyana’s body and use magic to bring rain to the desert. But Liyana’s goddess never comes. Abandoned by her angry tribe, Liyana expects to die in the desert. Until a boy walks out of the dust in search of her.
Korbyn is a god inside his vessel, and a trickster god at that. He tells Liyana that five other gods are missing, and they set off across the desert in search of the other vessels for the desert tribes cannot survive without the magic of their gods. But the journey is dangerous, even with a god’s help. And not everyone is willing to believe the trickster god’s tale.
The closer she grows to Korbyn, the less Liyana wants to disappear to make way for her goddess. But she has no choice: She must die for her tribe to live. Unless a trickster god can help her to trick fate–or a human girl can muster some magic of her own.
– Goodreads Synopsis
Coming Soon:
September 11th 2012
This is a stunning cover. The colours are appropriate, what with it being set in a dessert, and I love the way her cape flaps around in the wind. I’m not too sure what to think of the moon. Somehow it seems a bit out of place, and it just makes the cover look too busy. I’m glad that the model is not in a close-up shot. I’m sick of close-up shots. I love her tattoos, hinting at her tribe upbringing.
Now for my thought on the actual story. Personally, I think it sounds very intriguing. In a year where we have seen the rise of the Dystopian Genre, I’m glad to see something more original. I’m a sucker for books based on mythology, and I’m even more interested as this mythology seems original. The whole idea of a ‘vessel’ isn’t completely original though, not that I think that it’s a bad thing that Durst has used it. The original idea is called an Avatar. And I don’t mean the movie by James Cameron, although once again, it’s a similar idea. An Avatar is a human that hosts a god, much like a Vessel. Although, it Durst’s version it seems that the human dies in order to allow the god to take their body. One novel where this idea is used is in Rick Riordan’s Kane Chronicles series. In this series, the Egyptian gods can take possession of a magician and they can become the ‘eye of the god’.
The one thing I’m looking forward to the most is this trickster god as I am an avid Loki fan ever since Thor and The Avengers.
“I am loudmouth, the blogger, and I am burdened with glorious purpose”
It’s been seven years since The Lightning Thief was published and now much loved author Rick Riodarn is about to have The Mark of Athena published. This will be the third in his follow up series, Heroes of Olympus.
I stumbled upon this clip on YouTube and thought that it would be perfect to post. Sometimes we need to be pushed by the ones that care about us most, and that’s exactly how Riordan started off writing The Percy Jackson series:
Rick Riordan has seen his novel The Lightning Thief go from print to movie screen, with Logan Lerman portraying the troubled demigod. It is believed that there will be a sequel, which should be out in 2013. I am in equal parts fear and equal parts awe.
Say what you will about this movie. Not all authors get to see their ideas on screen. Riordan had nothing to do with the poor execution of this movie, which I believed had so much potential.
And of course, he didn’t stop there, as Riordan proved that he had more than just Greeks up his sleeves by getting the Egyptian Myth series inspired, Kane Chronices trilogy.
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| Official artwork of the main characters |
For me, Riordan’s best trait is his humour. Here are a couple of much-loved quotes from The Kane Chronicles:
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| Source: kanechroniclesmoments.tumblr.com |
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| Source: kanechroniclesmoments.tumblr.com |
Then there is the way he seamlessly weaves myth with modern. I have tried reading other books based on mythology before and I will continue with my pursuit, but I must say that no one does it like Rick Riordan! I commend you, fine sir! Having finessed The Serpent’s Shadow, I see that he is hinting that the magicians and demigods may cross paths. I don’t really know what you’re up to, Riordan, but I’m on board! Carry on the good work. I’ll be reading your books until my hair starts greying. Whoops, too late. I started when I was 10.
And now I shall leave you with this YouTube clip of Riordan reading the first chapter of his upcoming novel, The Mark of Athena.
I apologise if the quality is not try high. I suggest that if you wish to read it for yourself that you go to the website: http://disney.go.com/disneybooks/heroes-of-olympus/the-mark-of-athena/
Rick Riordan, I salute you!
Okay, so I’m a little late on the cover reveal. Okay, over a month late. In my defence, I have been very busy at various university Open Days and stressing about what I want to do with the rest of my life. So here is the awesome cover. And the UK version. Meh.
So as usual, I’m loving it! The owl is essential as it is the symbol of Athena. Typical that the Romans and the Greeks won’t get along. I love the graphics. The storm for Jason, and the tidal wave for Percy. Now the thing is, I’ve grown to admire them both. If I were forced to choose, however, I’d side with Percy because I feel closer to him. It’s like I’ve been on so many adventures with him. Which is actually kind of sad. But still. You get what I mean. I hope. Funny that both of their horses are black. Well, Percy’s as a Pegasi. I can’t recall if Jason’s is a Pegasi too. He was something like the world’s fastest horse after the original Pegasus, or something. And the most foul-mouthed one. Or am I getting my story confused? Oh, it’s been a whole year!
Once again, I am disappointed to say the least. I don’t mind the colour. I have nothing against blue. The UK logo is actually alright and I’ve gotten used to it, but I’m still very fond of the US’s Omega symbol. Now is it just me, or is there just something not quite right about Festus’ head? I want to like the graphics, I really do. Heck, I’ll probably end up having to buy it as I’m in the UK. Still, something doesn’t look real about that fire. It’s much harder to tell who’s fighting on the New Argo. There are so many demigods, it really could be anyone. The UK cover doesn’t make the differentiation, as they are too dark. As for the battle stance, well, it’s not very convincing. But what really gets me is that there is nothing about the cover that screams ‘Mark of Athena’ apart from the title. Where is the OWL?! Oh woe is me!
What are your views on the UK vs US cover debate?
Three teenage descendants of Medusa, now united, must claim their heritage to fight the monsters escaped from the abyss.
Gretchen may have known she was a descendant of Medusa long before her sisters–after all, she’s spent her life fighting the monsters that escape the abyss–but that doesn’t mean it will be easy to teach the other girls the ropes.
Greer has pressing social commitments on her plate and precious little time to train in her newfound powers. But that wretched second sight won’t leave her alone, and her fabled heritage seems to be creeping into her fashionable life.
Grace has worries closer to home–like why her brother, Thane, has disappeared. He’s hiding something. Could it possibly be related to the secret heritage the triplets share?
– Synopsis from Goodreads
I have yet to read the first in the series, Sweet Venom, but I do plan to. This sequel is, Sweet Shadows is coming soon, by Tera Lynn Childs.
Coming: September 4th 2012
I like the title. It’s cool that the author is continuing the use of ‘sweet’. Once again, the hair twirls ever so slightly, suggesting snakes. If I’m honest, I’ve seen better looking people but the model looks beautiful nonetheless. My problem is that the air of mystery has been taken away. We did not see the protagonists’ face in the first book and now we do. It would have been nice if her face could have been silhouetted or something, to represent the shadows. Just an artistic suggestion.
I have loved Greek Mythology ever since I was taught about it in year 5 when I was about 9 years old. It was also on the curriculum when I was in year 7, at 11-12 years old. I remember having an argument with a friend of mine on the pronunciation of Persephone’s name. I said ‘Purse-eh-phone’, she said ‘Purse-eh-feh-nee’. We agreed to disagree but I am now forced to admit that she was right. Phone’s hadn’t even been invented them so I thought it was really funny.
So Greek adaptations have allegedly become the new ‘vampire’, as in they are all of a sudden very popular. This trend began last year in 2011 with YA books, though Rick Riordan writes children’s books and his series have been around much longer than this. These books include Meg Cabot’s ‘Abandon’, but here I’ll compare the greek myth adaptations that I have read up to date, YA or not.
Iris Messenger by Sarah Deming
This book was interesting and it had a very different angle to all of the others. In this book, the gods are all fading, whilst many are already gone. Iris comes across a magical… and visits a number of the gods. This includes Athena and Artemis who are now private investigators; Apollo the saxophonist (Yah! He’s playing my instrument.); Ares the lawyer (I couldn’t believe it either but I thought it was actually really smart), and so on.
Percy Jackson Series by Rick Riordan (Followed by The Heroes of Olympus Series)
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| UK cover |
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| US cover |
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| Movie cover |
Percy Jackson is about to be kicked out of boarding school… again. And that’s the least of his troubles. Lately, mythological monsters and the gods of Mount Olympus seem to be walking straight out of the pages of Percy’s Greek mythology textbook and into his life. And worse, he’s angered a few of them. Zeus’ master lightning bolt has been stolen, and Percy is the prime suspect.
Now Percy and his friends have just ten days to find and return Zeus’ stolen property and bring peace to a warring Mount Olympus. But to succeed on his quest, Percy will have to do more than catch the true thief: he must come to terms with the father who abandoned him; solve the riddle of the Oracle, which warns him of betrayal by a friend; and unravel a treachery more powerful than the gods themselves.
– Goodreads summary for The Lightning Thief
This series is wonderfully written, and amongst my favourite books- ever! It is engaging enough for children as young as 9 but intelligently written enough for adults, which is something actually pretty rare. Riordan has a wit and flair that I have seen demonstrated by few authors, with Eoin Colfer being one of the others. This series does not tell the myths all over again like Deming’s Iris Messenger does, which is good because us educated readers won’t be bored stiff, but those who know nothing of Greek mythology can still learn some of the versions. Riordan instead incorporates these ancient myths into modern day America, with a strong and likeable character leading. Another awesome and very Rick Riordan thing is the name of his chapters. Tgey are just hilarious! His first ever chapter in this series is called ‘I Vaporise My Maths Teacher’ (though I believe it’s pre-algebra teacher for you Americans).
The Lightning Thief is followed by:
The Sea of Monsters
The Titan’s Curse
The Battle of the Labyrinth
The Demi-god Files (novella)
and The Last Olympian
The Goddess Test
EVERY GIRL WHO HAS TAKEN THE TEST HAS DIED.
NOW IT’S KATE’S TURN.
It’s always been just Kate and her mom–and her mother is dying. Her last wish? To move back to her childhood home. So Kate’s going to start at a new school with no friends, no other family and the fear that her mother won’t live past the fall.
Then she meets Henry. Dark. Tortured. And mesmerizing. He claims to be Hades, god of the Underworld–and if she accepts his bargain, he’ll keep her mother alive while Kate tries to pass seven tests.
Kate is sure he’s crazy–until she sees him bring a girl back from the dead. Now saving her mother seems crazily possible. If she suceeds, she’ll become Henry’s future bride and a goddess.
This is a very good book with Romance, a dash of mystery, and sort of Actual gods, unlike oh. my. gods. Sort of. Check my Archive for my full review.
NOW IT’S KATE’S TURN.
It’s always been just Kate and her mom–and her mother is dying. Her last wish? To move back to her childhood home. So Kate’s going to start at a new school with no friends, no other family and the fear that her mother won’t live past the fall.
Then she meets Henry. Dark. Tortured. And mesmerizing. He claims to be Hades, god of the Underworld–and if she accepts his bargain, he’ll keep her mother alive while Kate tries to pass seven tests.
Kate is sure he’s crazy–until she sees him bring a girl back from the dead. Now saving her mother seems crazily possible. If she suceeds, she’ll become Henry’s future bride and a goddess.
This is a very good book with Romance, a dash of mystery, and sort of Actual gods, unlike oh. my. gods. Sort of. Check my Archive for my full review.
Oh. My. Gods. & Goddess Boot Camp by Tera Lynn Childs
A modern girl’s comedic odyssey in a school filled with the descendants of Greek gods.
When Phoebe’s mom returns from Greece with a new husband and moves them to an island in the Aegean, Phoebe’s plans for her senior year and track season are ancient history. Now she must attend the uberexclusive academy, where admission depends on pedigree, namely, ancestry from Zeus, Hera, and other Greek gods. That’s right, they’re real, not myth, and their teen descendants are like the classical heroes: supersmart and superbeautiful with a few superpowers. And now they’re on her track team! Armed only with her Nikes and the will to win, Phoebe races to find her place among the gods.
-summary from Goodreads
This series promises something I don’t get very much from Riordan’s Percy Jackson series- Romance! It was an entertaining, light-hearted read where the fate of the world never once hung in the balance. Not even a single monster appeared. Whilst in some instances, this had me a little sad, but I enjoyed seeing the myth adaptation in a different angle. If you want the fun of Greek myth and romance, this is a book for you. I found the sequel: Goddess Boot Camp somewhat lacking in contrast to the first book but I liked the protagonist, Phoebe nonetheless. I do have to warn you though: NO GODS APPEAR- NOT ONCE!
The Fire Thief Series by Terry Deary
To escape the gods’ revenge, Prometheus travels through time to Eden City in 1858. There, he befriends a young orphan, actor, and petty criminal named Jim. When Jim runs into trouble with the law, Prometheus is torn — if he uses his powers to get his friend out of trouble, he will betray his hiding place to the gods. Terry Deary masterfully interweaves two plots, with action jumping at a whirlwind pace from Mount Olympus to the seedy taverns and elegant mansions of Victorian Eden City. Packed with puns, wisecracks, and sarcastic footnotes, The Fire Thief turns Greek mythology into a laughing matter.
– summary from Goodreads
This series is very different from the others as it follows the story of Prometheus himself. Although referred to as a demigod in this series, Prometheus was a Titan. Though related to Zeus and the others as cousins, Theus (as he is referred to) is well known for being punished by Zeus himself for stealing fire from the gods and giving it to mortals.
Other books you might like that I have not yet read:
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| Abandon by Meg Cabot (This is the wallpaper, not book cover, but they look more or less the same. US cover) |
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| Pandora Gets Jealous by Carolyn Hennesy |
13-year-old Pandora Atheneus Andromaeche Helena (or Pandy, for short) has no idea what she’ll bring for her school project. By accident she discovers a simple box, said to contain something so terrifying and horrible that no one must ever, ever touch it for fear of inflicting all of mankind with the wrath of the Gods and Goddesses. This, of course, makes the box the perfect thing for Pandora to bring for her school project. Unfortunately, things don’t go quite the way she was hoping, and the box accidentally gets opened, unleashing all kinds of evil and misery into the world. Hauled before Zeus, Hera and the rest of immortals, Pandy’s given the task of collecting all the evils within a year’s time.
– Goodreads summary
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| Hippocampus by Tom Tancin- an E-book |
An Island that Shouldn’t Exist…
A Life He Didn’t Know…
A Destiny That Can’t Be Escaped
A Life He Didn’t Know…
A Destiny That Can’t Be Escaped
There was no turning back. We were going to set into motion a revolution that could either save Atlantis or leave it destroyed in the process.
Sixteen-year-old Trey Atlas’ known life is a lie. While he was raised in Miami, Trey was actually born in Atlantis. Sent off the legendary island as a baby for his own safety, Trey is the only living heir to the Atlantean throne. Whether he likes it or not, Trey has to go back to his birthplace and accept his role as the Ruling Prince and lead the revolution to defeat the Knights of the Abyss. Otherwise, thousands of innocent lives and his true family legacy could be lost forever.
– Synopsis from Goodreads
I give this one four starts
VERY GIRL WHO HAS TAKEN THE TEST HAS DIED.
NOW IT’S KATE’S TURN. It’s always been just Kate and her mom–and her mother is dying. Her last wish? To move back to her childhood home. So Kate’s going to start at a new school with no friends, no other family and the fear that her mother won’t live past the fall.Then she meets Henry.
Dark. Tortured. And mesmerizing. He claims to be Hades, god of the Underworld–and if she accepts his bargain, he’ll keep her mother alive while Kate tries to pass seven tests.Kate is sure he’s crazy–until she sees him bring a girl back from the dead. Now saving her mother seems crazily possible. If she suceeds, she’ll become Henry’s future bride and a goddess.
-Synopsis from Goodreads
So I finished this last week actually but it took me a while to write the review. This is yet again, another Greek myth adaptation novel, and I think in many ways it worked, in others it did not.
Once I finished this novel I loved it. I enjoyed watching the protagonist grow slowly, and of course the romance between her and Henry was good. For once, the couple did not fall madly in love all of a sudden, and they got to know each other instead before the protagonist fully made up her mind. The prologue captured my attention, making me ask a lot of questions, and one of the underlining mysteries is who is killing all of the girls? And is Kate next? Although some reviewers on Goodreads said that they saw the killer coming, others were more honest and were surprised. I am one of them.
In this novelisation, the Greek gods are real, but not as we have known them. I wouldn’t have minded this idea if it had been executed better. So Aimee Carter changed how the Persephone story ended- and let me make it clear, Kate is NOT Persephone- and I was fine with that. But how is she to make me believe that the Greek gods are NOT the lustful, wrath filled gods I know them to be from mythology? Zeus’ speech in this novel was in this way incredibly hypocritical and I just didn’t get why Carter changed it all. I was able to guess half of the identities of the gods before I saw the list at the back (WHICH YOU SHOULD NOT READ BEFORE YOU FINISH THE NOVEL! Seriously it’ll ruin the whole damn book!).
I loved Kate’s relationship with her mother and her friendship with the mean girl was not one that I initially saw coming. Kate’s mum is dying from cancer and any day soon, she will be gone. Henry’s deal with Kate was incredibly moving, even if he didn’t see it as a big deal. Which brings me to Henry/ Hades…
Let’s face it, Hades in myth is bad-ass! Henry is not. I don’t want to give away too much but whilst in some ways he was a good god of the Underworld, sometimes I just thought that he was simply sad. I thought that the way he never stopped loving Persephone was sweet, but only to a point. The whole self-loathing thing I guess I can understand, but I wish he’d been more powerful. Sure he brought back people from the dead, but that is such an un-Hades thing to do. Still, I think the character stood on his own and I actually ended up really liking him! Thank you Aimee Carter! Next time add just a sprinkle- or a fist full- of bad-assery. Can’t wait to get my hands on the sequel!
I read this weeks ago but between procrastinating and revising for my AS levels, I haven’t had time to review this. So here it is!
I won’t even lie. I saw this at my local bookstore and just went ‘Wow! Fabulous cover!’ But at the time I had been looking for another book, so I took a note of this one and then googled it. After reading an excerpt, I was hooked. There were so many unanswered questions, left by the air of mystery. What was the Feed? Who was Cole? Enticed, I readied myself for another visit to the bookstore, and I was left spellbound. So here is the summary that I found on Goodreads:
Last spring, Nikki Beckett vanished, sucked into an underworld known as the Everneath, where immortals Feed on the emotions of despairing humans. Now she’s returned- to her old life, her family, her friends- before being banished back to the underworld… this time forever.
She has six months before the Everneath comes to claim her, six months for good-byes she can’t find the words for, six months to find redemption, if it exists.Nikki longs to spend these months reconnecting with her boyfriend, Jack, the one person she loves more than anything. But there’s a problem:
Cole, the smoldering immortal who first enticed her to the Everneath, has followed Nikki to the mortal world. And he’ll do whatever it takes to bring her back- this time as his queen.
As Nikki’s time grows short and her relationships begin slipping from her grasp, she’s forced to make the hardest decision of her life: find a way to cheat fate and remain on the Surface with Jack or return to the Everneath and become Cole’s…
So, my first disappointment was that this dress didn’t actually feature in the novel. Nikki wore the same black dress to two different events, but never the stunning red one that is on the cover. I can forgive Ashton for this, but I have a thing against unrelated book covers. Yes, I’m talking to you Stephanie Meyer. Neither her titles nor her illustrations have anything to do with her novels. Eclipse is the one exception as I believe it to be a metaphor for the love triangle. And they even tried to get the apple to link in during the first movie. But I’m getting off topic.
This book left me gasping and crying. So much for her happy ending. I don’t mean to give anything away, but if you intend to read this, be prepared for some heartache.
I loved the use of mythology in this novel. It’s funny that I read it right after The Kane Chronicles and it somehow managed to link, even though the other other trilogy is based on Egyptian mythology and I was led to believe that Everneath was based on Greek myth.
My favourite character was Jack, without a doubt. Cole was strange, but I liked him in a ‘I love to hate him’ sort of way. He reminded me an awful lot of Paul Slater from Meg Cabot’s Mediator series, as both characters seem to be infatuated with the protagonist, but she isn’t interested. And they are both very creepy.
I RATE THIS A 4/5! You can’t go wrong reading this. Unless you hate romance, then maybe you should try something else.
