Everbound (Everneath #2)

I wanted to read this one because I enjoyed the romance with Nikki and Jack in the first as well as the premise and nothing like the second books, lol.
This one actually managed to keep going from the last and although I felt a couple of sections were a little repetitive, it kept a good pace and my attention. The roles are reversed because of Jack's sacrifice at the end of the last book and knowing the truth about where he is, Nikki searches high and low for a solution to get to the Everneath and rescue him. This isn't as easy as it may sound, and to me still kinda impossible, but she is so dedicated to trying, and just receives dead ends and bad news at every turn.
But I really admired her dedication and loyalty. I can totally feel her guilt and grief over what Jack did for her, and given how things played out, and it was her that should be there, it doesn't really get any easier for her.
This was a pretty action packed book, as Nikki tries to find Jack along with some unexpected helpers. She has to face the shades as well as some of her own fears and insecurities because there are lots of things in the everneath that feed on emotions and that will give you a skewed view of things.
The ending was wild and I have some suspicions about the changes in one of the characters and was completely taken aback by the actions of another character and if you look back over the story you see how far back the deception went and I was just beginning to gain some more respect.
I can't wait for time to read the conclusion and I am thankful it is already released.

Bottom Line: Good second book that kept my attention.

Everbound by Brodi Ashton
ARC received from HarperTeen
Release Date: 1-22-2013
Reviewed by: Middle Sis Jenn
The Sisters Say: Ever-lustful, Ever-heart-breaking, Ever-entertaining

I was scared to start this one because I am firmly in the Team Cole category (go ahead, judge me, I don’t care!), and I know that it can’t work out because he is, what I consider, the dark hero who will be responsible for Nikki’s freedom and her downfall. Jack is her man, her white knight, and it will always be him she loves---blah! So, there is where my hesitation came from, BUT I am so glad I read this one. It was fantastic! Brodi brought the Everneath to life (even though it is, technically, death), and I was drawn straight into this blood-thirsty, powerful, and upside-down world.

Besides Cole, the world that Brodi created was my favorite part of the book. In order to find Jack, Nikki must trek through the rings of the Everneath—all the while, facing darkness and dangers that are unthinkable and terrible. Brodi borrowed slightly from Dante’s description of the Underworld, but she gave it her own spin. The imagery was full and dimensional, and I really felt like I was watching it on the big screen as I was reading it. The rings were somewhat non-threatening at times, but you just knew it was an illusion and that around the next corner lurked something completely and irrevocably evil. The Everneath is full of amazing terror…I have no idea why Nikki wouldn’t want to rule it! But that’s my maniacal lust for power that apparently Nikki doesn’t share ? Cole, sweetie, I will rule with you any day!

Nikki was the same Nikki as the one we saw in Everneath. She is both strong and weak, depending on the situation, but it is her love for Jack that keeps her going. I truthfully am not a huge fan of her because I think she is too rash. She leaps head first without thinking about the consequences or even to see how far the fall might be. She leaves behind her family and friends, with no explanations, and that kind of bugs me about her. I admire her for risking her life for the person she loves, but I think there had to be a better way for her to handle everyone else. So…that’s my beef with her, but it might just be me judging her because I think she’s choosing the wrong guy.

And my favorite: Cole!!!! Even for those of you who are firmly in the “Kick Cole’s Butt” Category, I think you will like seeing a bit more from his background. I loved seeing things from his perspective, and I think you can really see that Nikki is everything to him. Now whether his intentions are pure are not—that’s yours to judge. I think he is truly in love with her and that will eventually bring out his true heart, but he is so afraid of something that he keeps those true feelings hidden. You can really see this in this installment because Cole’s friends are all concerned with protecting him from Nikki. So while he might have ulterior motives (I mean he does want to take over the world), I still think his actions come from the heart—even though he technically doesn’t have one! ?

And
The
Ending!!!

Looking back, I probably should have suspected, but I didn’t! I didn’t see it coming at all! And let me tell you, WoW! What an ending it is! I can’t believe I have to wait at least another year to find out how everything ends!!!!!

For fans of Everneath, mythology, and paranormal romance, this is a MUST READ!!!
I was sucked in from the very first page!

Betrayal.
Angst.
Heartbreak.
Revelations.

Everbound has it all!!!!!!!!!!!

I loved this book! If you enjoyed Everneath, you'll definitely love this book. Brodi Ashton wrote an epic sequel that I loved even more than the first. The continuation of the story along with the chance to learn more about each character made it awesome. I couldn't put the book down! I'm so happy with this book. Between the character development that we experience with Nikki, Jack, and Cole, the action-packed scenes, getting to go to the Everneath, the writing, and the memory sequences with Jack and Nikki, this book was definitely a five star book for me.

I was worried that Everbound was going to suffer from Middle of a Trilogy syndrome, and that Nikki would never get close to saving Jack from the Tunnels, but my worries were completely unfounded. Everbound is much better than Everneath! The story kicks off right away, and we get to enter the Everneath almost immediately! There’s next to no waiting around for the action to start, which was great, since I had no idea what to expect from this. Nikki is determined to get Jack back at any cost or die trying. She even attempts to travel the Everneath without Cole to help her! Needless to say, that’s a bust, so Cole agrees to take her himself to help ensure that she doesn’t get herself killed within minutes.

I loved this extended tour of the Everneath! Sure most of Everbound is spent in the labyrinth, but we also get glimpses of one of the Commons, a market, and a human sacrifice. Not a pretty site. There’s also more about how the Everneath is powered and a little on its history, which is all interesting. Probably the more interesting addition (aside from the labyrinth) are the Wanderers. They’re essentially the Everling equivalent of zombies, only scarier. Of course, Nikki and Cole had some run-ins with these creatures. I’m purposely not saying anything about the labyrinth. You’ll just have to read Everbound and discover it for yourself! It’s a pretty strange place.

There’s only a couple of issues that I had with this sequel. At first I was a bit frustrated with Nikki. Her determination to go after Jack was a little over-the-top. Her whole “I’d rather die than live with this guilt” attitude was annoying and selfish. If she’s dead she definitely can’t help him, and she doesn’t really think about what that would to her father. She essentially says he’s survived without her before, so he can surely do it again. Selfish. The second problem was all of the flashbacks. They’re necessary to keep Nikki connected to Jack, but I really didn’t care about how their love came to be.

The labyrinth and the very ending is where Everbound really shines! Cole’s admission at the end…I was not expecting that! I seriously did not see it coming! I had no idea how this would end so that there could be a third book, but that ending certainly does it! Finally Nikki stands up for something that actually makes sense, so I cannot wait to get my hands on the final book!