NEVERFALL + EVERBOUND by Brodi Ashton Reviews and Giveaway!

To celebrate the release of one of my most anticipated books of 2013, I am posting a review to the novella, Neverfall, told from Cole's perspective along with my review of Everbound. Also, I am offering one lucky winner e-book copies of Neverfall and Everbound!

Neverfall
Brodi Ashton

Rating: A
Synopsis:
A thrilling new novella from the author of the Everneath series!

Jack is trapped for eternity in the Tunnels while Nikki has managed to evade Cole's grasp . . . for now. But Cole is more desperate than ever to find answers about Nikki, his best chance for taking over the throne of the underworld. How did she survive the Feed? Can Cole find another Forfeit like her who can survive it too?

Cole's quest leads him to the other side of the world, to a mysterious, dangerous society known as the Delphinians, whose price for information might be higher than Cole can pay—a price that could destroy Nikki. But when Cole attempts to steal the answers instead, his mission ends in disaster. Faced with centuries in a Delphinian dungeon, Cole is confronted with questions he's been too scared to ask himself: Is he really obsessed with the throne—or is he obsessed with Nikki? And can she really give him a new beginning as the Everneath's king . . . or will she instead bring about his tragic end?

My thoughts on the book:
Neverfall is an intense and short read from Cole's perspective. While this novella didn't totally win me over to team Cole (for some reason I have a soft spot for Jack), I do appreciate the fact that Ashton didn't feel the need to make Cole a completely sympathetic and perfect character, once we got to know him better. I love Cole, and I think that he's a fantastic character. However, I really wish he'd get over his selfishness. He made some improvements during this novella, and I look forward to see how he handles things in the future. For now, I'm holding off on deciding whose team I'm on. Regardless of my indecision, this novella is fast-paced and full of suspense. I enjoyed learning more about Cole and the world of the Everneath. It was also interesting to learn about the Delphinians. Overall, this is an excellent novella that adds to the series. 

Order your e-copy of Neverfall today!

Everbound

By: Brodi Ashton

Rating: A+

Synopsis:

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 thoughts on the book:

Ashton does not disappoint with the second book in the Everneath trilogy. Everbound hooked me on the first page and did not let me go until the very last word. I read it entirely in one sitting. Every time I tried to put the book down to do something, within a couple of minutes, I'd pick it up and start reading again. I just had to see what would happen next. This novel is full of surprises, adventure, and romance. Somehow, it's even better than Everneath. This is one sequel that can't be missed! 

There wasn't a ton of character growth in this book, but I felt as if I got to know all of the characters much better. I think Nikki grew some just because she was no longer running from things. She faced everything head on and was braver than any person her age (male or female) should be. I really respected her for that. She fought for what she wanted and what she believed in. Sometimes her thoughts were a bit immature, but she is a teenager, after all. More often than not, though, she was strong and mature beyond her years. 

I also enjoyed getting to know Cole better. Some of his actions surprised me, and some of them were typical Cole. I wish I'd gotten to know Max more because he was there a lot, but he wasn't really "active" in the plot. I would have liked to have known more about him, especially after reading the novella. A few new characters were introduced as well, including the queen and another of Cole's friends named Ashe. I'm looking forward to learning more about them in the next book. 

The plot was well-written and held a lot of surprises. I liked that Nikki's dad was present, but she just didn't care. She did what she wanted, consequences be damned. Because of that, the novel had a more realistic feel to it than a book with the typical missing parents does. The ending really shocked me, and I can't wait to see what happens next. 

Most of the story took place in the Everneath, and Ashton did an excellent job of describing that world. It seems like a scary place, and the fact that Nikki was willing to brave all of that in the hopes of finding Jack (she wasn't even sure if she could find him) showed how much she loved him. Some horrific things happened in that world, and by going through it with Nikki, I felt that I came to understand the Everliving a bit better. One would almost have to become numb to survive such horrible things constantly. Also, after seeing how awful humanity was for hundreds of years, I can understand one losing empathy. 

Overall, I'd recommend this book (and series) to anyone. If you love Greek mythology, paranormal YA, or paranormal romance, then this series is for you! 

Order your copy of Everbound!

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