REVIEW: Into the Still Blue (Under the Never Sky #3)

Into the Still Blue (Under the Never Sky #3), by Veronica Rossi
To Be Published January 28, 2014
Publisher: HarperTeen
Format: e-galley, obtained from Edelweiss
Genre:  young adult dystopian
To Buy: Amazon * Barnes & Noble

Rating:  5 STARS

(From Goodreads) Their love and their leadership have been tested. Now it's time for Perry and Aria to unite the Dwellers and the Outsiders in one last desperate attempt to bring balance to their world.

The race to the Still Blue has reached a stalemate. Aria and Perry are determined to find this last safe-haven from the Aether storms before Sable and Hess do-and they are just as determined to stay together.

Meanwhile, time is running out to rescue Cinder, who was abducted by Hess and Sable for his unique abilities. And when Roar returns to camp, he is so furious with Perry that he won't even look at him, and Perry begins to feel like they have already lost.

Out of options, Perry and Aria assemble a team to mount an impossible rescue mission-because Cinder isn't just the key to unlocking the Still Blue and their only hope for survival, he's also their friend. And in a dying world, the bonds between people are what matter most.

FINALLY. A series ender that did the story justice.

I don't know about you, but lately it seems as if the final books in series I follow - particularly dystopian series - have not even come close to living up to my expectations. Perhaps my goals are too lofty. I want drama, suspense, intrigue, tons of stress and frustration, but ultimately a satisfying HEA for the main characters and a resolution to the main problem that has plagued them for several books. I didn't think that was too much to ask.

Thankfully, Veronica Rossi and I seem to be of the same mind. Because, this fantastic author gave me my wishlist in Into The Still Blue. Especially the tons of stress and frustration. Oh, I felt those things in spades.

As the title suggests, the entire book is about the two separate factions of people - the Tides and Dwellers led by Perry and the Horns and Dwellers led by the evil duo Sable and Hess - trying to get to the Still Blue where the air and sky are clear and healthy. In order to do that, they need the help of Cinder, the 13-year-old boy that befriended Perry and has been kidnapped by Sable and Hess.

In addition to the plotting, planning, thwarting and executing of said plans, there was a lot of focus on relationships both old and new. Perry's and Roar's friendship seems irreparable since Liv's death. Perry and Aria are now together and resolved to make their relationship work no matter what. And the Tides and Dwellers need to find a way to get past their ingrained differences so they can live together in peace.

My love of Perry, Aria and Roar never wavered. Their choices and actions were in keeping with the characters Rossi has created over the course of two books and two novellas now. They are characters whose traits I admire - the dedication to family and the honor in the face of adversity is inspiring.

Leave it to Veronica Rossi to make me love characters I had previously resolved to hate. Soren, Brooke and Loren most definitely grew on me over the course of Into The Still Blue, until at the end, I was most definitely rooting for them to make it through the final dangerous confrontations.

The pacing was perfect. The action and angst almost non-stop. The character development was amazing. I thank Veronica Rossi for giving us the drama, suspense, stress, and yes, that elusive HEA, in this final book of the Under the Never Sky series. This is, without a doubt, one of the best dystopian series I've ever read.

COVER LOVING: The King, Into The Still Blue and Before Jamaica Lane

Just this week I've seen three new covers from three of my favorite series, and I'm just beside myself with all the gorgeousness. You ready for this?

1. The King (Black Dagger Brotherhood #12), by J. R. Ward

I know. Shut. Up. Although that's not exactly how I pictured Wrath, I still think this cover is so powerful and dominating - just like Wrath. I am so deliriously excited for The King to come out (and, we have such a long time to wait!). And, I think it's just going to keep getting better and better, too, because I hear through the blogosphere that the book that The Warden is working on now (#13) is going to be about... wait for it... Rhage and Mary. I KNOW!!

And, is it just me, or does he not look a lot like Alexander Skarsgard??

2. Into The Still Blue (Under the Never Sky #3), by Veronica Rossi

The Under the Never Sky series is my most favorite dystopian series of all time. I like it better than The Hunger Games. Better than Divergent. I think this world that the incredible Veronica Rossi has created is so alive and vibrant and scary and beautiful. And, Perry, Aria and Roar have completely captivated me and stolen my heart. Under The Never Sky's cover featured Aria, and for good reason. It was really her story of how she came out of her pod-created shell and really came alive. Through The Ever Night's cover showcased Perry, and as expected, it was all about how he took charge of his life for the first time ever and became the leader he was born to be. The fact that both Perry and Aria are on the cover of Into The Still Blue is very telling, isn't it?

I'm super sad to see this series end but super excited to see how they get Into The Still Blue.

3. Before Jamaica Lane (On Dublin Street #3), by Samantha Young

On the heels of the release of Down London Road (On Dublin Street #2) last month, Samantha Young just released the cover for Before Jamaica Lane (On Dublin Street #3) yesterday. The characters featured on the cover are Olivia and Nate, a couple who were introduced in Down London Road. One of the things about Samantha Young's books that I've loved so far is that characters are not forgotten when the story moves to a new couple. We saw lots of Joss and Braden in book #2. I expect to see plenty of Jo and Cam in Before Jamaica Lane - especially since Nate is Cam's BFF and Olivia is Jo's cousin. I can't wait to read their story!

So, now it's your turn! What do you think? Any new covers you've seen lately that have captivated you? I'm a total cover whore, so tell me about them!

REVIEW: Through the Ever Night (Under the Never Sky #2)

Through the Ever Night (Under the Never Sky #2), by Veronica Rossi
Published January 8, 2013
Publisher:  Harper Teen
Format:  Hardback - own
Genre:  Young Adult Dystopian

Rating:  5 STARS

(From Goodreads) It's been months since Aria last saw Perry. Months since Perry was named Blood Lord of the Tides, and Aria was charged with an impossible mission. Now, finally, they are about to be reunited. But their reunion is far from perfect. The Tides don't take kindly to Aria, a former Dweller. And with the worsening Aether storms threatening the tribe's precarious existence, Aria begins to fear that leaving Perry behind might be the only way to save them both.

Threatened by false friends, hidden enemies, and powerful temptations, Aria and Perry wonder, Can their love survive through the ever night?

In this second book in her spellbinding Under the Never Sky trilogy, Veronica Rossi combines fantasy and dystopian elements to create a captivating love story as perilous as it is unforgettable.

This one is a freshie. I just finished Through the Ever Night, literally, about 10 minutes ago, so if I seem a little stream-of-consciousness, I apologize. But, this book was so damn good, I had to talk about it right away. 

When I compare the first and second books, it seems that, although both are told from dual POVs (Aria's and Perry's), Under the Never Sky was really Aria's coming of age story, and Through the Ever Night is Perry's. Aria's already come into her own and she's on a mission to help Perry right some wrongs. Meanwhile, Perry is just starting to figure out his place in life and how to fill some very big, very grumpy shoes. And, how not to lose himself in the process. 

Aria, Perry and Roar are like the Three Musketeers. Them against the world. One of my favorite parts about this book is seeing how close Roar and Aria have gotten. Aria finally has a real BFF. One who would probably do anything for her. It's an amazing relationship - one we all should be envious to have. Roar is an incredible character. He loves Aria and Liv in completely different and perfect ways. You have to love him for that.

Perry has a rough time of it. In this crazy, dangerous world that Veronica Rossi has brilliantly created, it's hard enough to keep yourself alive, much less a few hundred others. He struggles with finding his rightful place among the Tribe, and with figuring out who he wants to be apart from his brother and his father. Not to mention his relationship with Aria is complicated beyond measure. 

There is a wonderful mix of tender moments and tense moments in Through the Ever Night. Those sweet times temper the stress that everyone is constantly under. 

Through the Ever Night, thankfully, didn't suffer from second book syndrome. Not by far. Not by a damn mile. This was an amazing book full of colors and life and heart. It's about finding yourself and finding out who the people in your life are that really, truly love you. Do not let this gem of a book pass you by.

Book #139 - Under the Never Sky (Under the Never Sky #1)

Under the Never Sky (Under the Never Sky #1), Veronica Rossi
dystopian
374 pages
Started 12/16/12
Finished 12/26/12
5 STARS

I tend to approach dystopian novels with some amount of trepidation. I've read some I really loved. I've read some that were just a little too far past the weird line for my taste. This is why I waited this long to read Under the Never Sky. I had heard lots of good things about it, but always found myself putting other books ahead of it in my reading queue. Big. Mistake.

Aria has lived a sheltered life. Literally. After she angers the wrong people in her enclosed society, unjustly I might add, she is dumped in the wild world outside her pod and is forced to try and survive on her own for the first time ever. Peregrine is on the outs with his brother after his nephew is taken by the "moles" from the pods. Perry leaves his tribe vowing to get the kid back. Aria and Perry meet under the most difficult of circumstances, but with each other's help, they each try and accomplish their goals despite the lot that fate has thrown at them.

Oh my goodness, I loved this book.

First, the world in which these two teens live is awful and wonderful and exciting. It always amazes me when authors imagine up these worlds so different from the one in which we live now. How do they do it?? The pods and the SmartEyes and the Sciers and the aether storms - they're these otherworldly things dropped in the future America. The strange married with the familiar. So creative and interesting.

I have to say, Aria threatened to bug me at first. There's nothing I hate more than weak female characters who are nothing more than lemmings. From the beginning, Aria tried to break from the mold in which her society cast her. And, when she was dropped in an unfamiliar, savage land, she tried to find the beauty in it and in the people she met.

My heart ached for Perry right from the start. He's a noble guy just trying to live in a hard world and do right by his family. Aria represents everything he detests. And, yet he helps her, and even starts to care for her. He finds it in him to find the good in her.

Great, well-rounded characters. A stunningly harsh and beautiful world. A unique mystery and problem to be solved. And, even a twist at the end that I didn't see coming. Oh yes - I loved this book.