Amy's View: Everbound by Brodi Ashton

Everbound by Brodi Ashton
♦publisher: Balzer & Bray
♦release date: January 22nd, 2013
♦hardcover, 384 pages
♦intended audience: Young adult
♦series: Everneath, book 2
             (review of Everneath)
♦source: from publisher for honest review

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.

Review: 

Once again the Underworld calls for Nikki but this time in a different way. Instead of running from the binds of the Everneath, Nikki finds herself desperate to discover a way back into the underworld, once again being reminded she will be forever bound to the world that remains below her. Now that Jack did the ultimate sacrifice of taking Nikki's place in Everneath, Nikki finds herself determined in any way to find him and save him from his soul being taken forever.  She will do and say anything to have him back in her arms safe and only then will she be free from the guilt that plagues her every day. Even if that means she will have to find Cole and beg him to take her back.  Nikki is prepared to barter in any way necessary to have him to take her back to the Underworld.

This sequel takes you into the incredible complex world of Everneath, describing every level in intense detail as you are lead to the heart of their world. Time plagues Nikki as it continues to lapse in the two worlds, from the surface to Everneath and back again.  On the surface each night Nikki finds herself desperately clinging onto Jack’s image in her dreams trying to keep him alive as she searches for him. As well as having to frantically dodge her inquisitive father and meddlesome psychologist while on the surface. And if that isn’t enough being ripped back into the Underworld into Cole’s waiting arms every morning is enough to make a girl go crazy.

The love triangle continues to intensify as Nikki and Cole spend ample amounts of time together searching through the underbelly of Everneath where in turn they have to search their own soul’s fears, longings, and desires to pass through the levels of Everneath together, leaving their hearts exposed and once again opening up to one another.

This book will take you on a maze of twists and turns on its well developed and complex journey. Brodi Aston completely and thoroughly thought out the Underworld’s map and describes in a tremendous amount of detail. However, at times, I did find myself overwhelmed with the detail she needed to use to describe the Underworld properly which made it a little hard to follow. However if you are a lover of mythology you will most likely love this sequel.

For me it was 3 ½ cupcakes.

  Find Brodi Ashton online: Website  •  Twitter 

Purchase Everbound:  Amazon  •  BN.com  •  BookDepository