Friday, January 13, 2012

Everneath by Brodi Ashton

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...
Everneath (Everneath, #1)Everneath by Brodi Ashton

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


What Ashton accomplished with the writing of this book was a seamless integration of Greek mythology with an Egyptian mythology twist. She also created a love triangle of questionable equal parts. In other words, how much can Cole really feel?

Above all, Ashton integrates my alma mater, Utah State University. It's a mere page or two but I she is endeared to my heart for that alone.

The story's organization is well thought out as Nikki is introduced as a recent Return. She is one of the lucky (?) ones who actually survive the Feed. It's not necessarily heaven and hell but simply an Everneath, a plane beneath the earth's crust, near the Rivery Styx where a shell of a person spends a century feeding off one person's emotions, getting recharged and leaving the mortal being a shell of her former self, thrown to the Everneath's Tunnels to act as an Energizer Bunny until she fades into oblivion.

Quite painful.

But the story is based on mythology and differing interpretations. Like Orpheus, another possible hero from mythology. Between Nikki and Jack, they are bound to find a resolution where Nikki is not sucked back down to the Everneath. At least that is the hope.

The ending is a cliff hanger although like Pandora's box, hope is still remaining. Sets up the next book well.

1 comment:

Paige Cuccaro said...

I listed this book as one of my Friday Finds.
I can't wait to read this book!! Thanks for the great review!