Review -- Everneath by Brodi Ashton

Title: Everneath
Author: Brodi Ashton
Series: Everneath (1)
Publisher: HarperCollins
Release Date: 24 Jan 2012
Date Read: Dec 2012
Rating: ★★★☆☆


I love love love Greek myths but I know next to nothing about the Egyptian ones. I thought it would be confusing to say the least, combining the two since they're so different but it worked. It flowed nicely and it was a fresh interpretation. She spent the last six human months in the Everneath as Cole's sustenance. For a hundred years in the Everneath, he Fed on her, sucking in her emotions and energy to fuel his own immortality. Now, she's back with only six months to spend time with her loved ones, say good bye, find redemption, until she is forced to go back to the Tunnels and pay her debt. At first, I wasn't all that interested in the book and the pace of it was annoying me. It was slow and the story was told by alternating from the present time, and Nikki's time before or during the Feed. I don't like it when flashbacks are used like that. It ruins the pace for me. But looking back, the flashbacks were perfect for the story. The back story was revealed this way, in moderation, so there was always a bit of mystery and suspense over everything.

Nikki was a very different heroine. She was very self-aware and she knows that it's basically her fault that tings went to shit. She just wanted to spend the last of her time trying to make it up to the people she's hurt- her family, her friends, Jack. Like I said before, this is quite a slow book but that's because it was about Nikki and her character growth. It was actually very beautiful. She deals with all the pain she's caused everyone when she first left and the pain she's causing them now that she's back. You see her trying to put everyone back together and at the same time, preparing them again for her inevitable leave, especially Jack.

Oh, Jack. he's probably one of the sweetest, most loving love interests ever. He and Nikki used to go out but a misunderstanding caused her to make the rash decision to go with Cole to the Everneath. Jack never gave up on finding her though. For six months, he never gave up. Now that Nikki is back, things will never be the same for them but he still loves her. He's patient with her and caring and the kind of guy girls should be pining for. Not that jerkface Cole. He (mostly) tricked Nikki into coming with him to Everneath and basically ruined her life. Well, it was mostly his fault.  I hate him. I don't think I've ever hated a  character more than I hate him. Don't mistake my hatred of him as Ashton's fault though. In fact, she did a pretty bang up job of developing him. I think I hate him so much because I was never sure whether he was playing Nikki or he really did care for her. I'm pretty sure it's both. I don't know. He's just a very confusing person. I hate him.

I'm fond of character books- characters growing and developing and getting to know themselves better- but I wanted more from this. I wanted a little more action, a little more pace. I heard the next one is much better though.

P.S.
That is a beautiful cover.