Review - Into the Still Blue (Under the Never Sky #3) by Veronica Rossi

Title: Into The Still Blue

Author: Veronica Rossi

Series: 3rd (Under The Never Sky, Through The Ever Night)

Pages: 400
Published: January 28th 2014 by HarperCollins 

ISBN: 9780062072092

Source: Netgalley via Edelweiss

Description: 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. 

 First Line: Aria lurched upright, the echo of gunshots ringing in her ears.

I Give This ...

 There's be a number of book series that have ended recently, and it seem quite a number of them have leaned to the disappointing side.  I haven't read all of them, but it seriously lead to some trepidations on my part.  

Perry and Aria have been through so much at this point that I kind felt like they didn't have much of a plan to save all the people depending on them.  But, at least the recognize this fact.  It really was a game of chance and a lot was riding on Soren.  Who, we can all honestly say, we have no idea might decide to switch sides in the middle of the battle.   But, I loved the fact that Aria especially never gives up.  Even when it seems like all hope is lost, Aria will keep fighting.  I admired that she never took the easy way out and gave in to whatever twisted thing Sable might want.

There are some pretty gruesome scenes that are carried out in this edition.  We get to see how evil Sable really is.  He has everything planned out to the littlest detail and knows what to do to keep everyone under his thumb.  He's not above physical threats and killing those who might get in his way.  It's very evident that human life is only another means to be the ultimate ruler.  The only one he can't seem to control is Aria and I never could figure out how much that bothered him.

There are some loss of characters that don't carry the impact that you would expect.   One of them was not surprising, but it really seemed one minute this character was there and then they weren't. But, it was because of this I wasn't ever really sure they were truly gone.  

There are some great relationship development throughout this novel.  Rossi really fleshes these charcters out to the fullest point.  Perri and Aria become a real couple, and one that has way more substance based on mutual respect and love and not infatuation.  I also really enjoyed Soren by the end.  He's come full circle for the character we meet in book one.  

I was completely satisfied with how this trilogy ended.  I hope Veronica Rossi has great things in store for us next. 

 

  

Review - Through the Ever Night (Under the Never Sky #2) by Veronica Rossi

Title: Through The Ever Night

Author: Veronica Rossi

Series: 2nd (Under the Never Sky)

Pages: 352

Published: January 8th 2013 by HarperCollins 

ISBN: 9780062072061

Source: Publisher via Edelweiss

Description: 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? 

I Give This ...

 

I really enjoyed Under the Never Sky and eagerly awaited this sequel.  I had high hopes for it and was wishing that it did fall into the dreaded 2nd book trap.  I'm pleased to say, I think I liked it more than the first one!

I thought out time frame was interesting.  Perry and Aria haven't seen each other for a long time.  They've both been busy with their own lives.  Perry is trying to lead his tribe, but really struggling to do so.  Aria is working on finding a better life for the Dwellers.  But is bargaining with the very person who kicked her out the way to go?  They both face a lot of decisions over the course of the book.  And while they still make occasional foolish choices, nothing they do isn't for each other or the people they love.  

I honestly think Perry has the tougher situation here.  I don't think he's ever had the complete trust of his people.  He's young and they often see him as foolish.  He killed his own brother to take over the tribe (never mind the circumstances that led to that).  His sister is in hiding instead of committing to an arranged marriage that would basically save the tribe.  And the aether storms are getting worse.   They're losing precious ground constantly to fires, and they aren't the only ones.  Other larger and far more dangerous tribes have lost everything.  They're under the constant threat of being invaded.   I think the stress of it all is what leads him to think he can leave it all behind and help Aria find the Still Blue.

I greatly appreciated that Aria found the courage to know that she need to leave Perry behind.  His people needed him far more than she did.   I loved her relationship with Roar, so I was pleased to see him go with her instead.  Their relationship is refreshing in that's completely platonic.  Although I momentarily hated Perry for every thinking otherwise.  And I was heartbroken to see Roar go through what he does.  I hurt for him through so much of the book.  

The ending left us with a huge cliff-hanger and a very long wait to discover what happens next.  I can only imagine! 

Review - Under the Never Sky (Under the Never Sky, #1) by Veronica Rossi

Title: Under The Never Sky

Author: Veronica Rossi

Series: 1st

Pages: 384

Published: January 3rd 2012 by HarperCollins 

ISBN:  9780062072030

Source: Publisher via Netgalley

 

Description: Aria is a teenager in the enclosed city of Reverie. Like all Dwellers, she spends her time with friends in virtual environments, called Realms, accessed through an eyepiece called a Smarteye. Aria enjoys the Realms and the easy life in Reverie. When she is forced out of the pod for a crime she did not commit, she believes her death is imminent. The outside world is known as The Death Shop, with danger in every direction.  As an Outsider, Perry has always known hunger, vicious predators, and violent energy storms from the swirling electrified atmosphere called the Aether. A bit of an outcast even among his hunting tribe, Perry withstands these daily tests with his exceptional abilities, as he is gifted with powerful senses that enable him to scent danger, food and even human emotions.  They come together reluctantly, for Aria must depend on Perry, whom she considers a barbarian, to help her get back to Reverie, while Perry needs Aria to help unravel the mystery of his beloved nephew’s abduction by the Dwellers. Together they embark on a journey challenged as much by their prejudices as by encounters with cannibals and wolves. But to their surprise, Aria and Perry forge an unlikely love - one that will forever change the fate of all who live UNDER THE NEVER SKY. 

I Give This ...

 

It's so hard to write an adequate review of a book that is much more than the description.  I wasn't sure what to expect from this book, but ended up thinking it was an awesome way to wrap up my reading in 2011.  

We meet Aria in the midst of breaking the rules.  She hasn't had contact with her mother for awhile and she befriends the son of the leader of her city in hopes of gaining information.  When the fateful night goes horribly wrong, 3 people are dead.  And it's her word against the son's.  She's kicked out of enclosure, to certain death.  But, instead of dying, Aria survives and embarks on an incredible journey.

Perry comes across Aria and knows her to be a "Dweller".  He hopes she might be able to help him find who took his nephew.  What was interesting, is that these two have met before.  That fateful night in the dome, Perry broke in to harvest food.  They both blame each other from what's happened since then.  It doesn't help that years of hate and prejudice are feeding the feud.  

I liked the world that Rossi has set up here.  I was intrigued by the setup in the enclosed cities.   They've lived so long this way, the basic human nature has been driven right out of them.  The reality of the world is entirely fictional because they spend most of there time in the made up realms.  They have no idea what the outside world is really like.  I was confused by the world outside these enclosed cities.  I didn't understand what the Aether really was and how it effected the world around them.  This world did some particularly volatile.  It's more of a out for yourself type of thing.  

I think the best part was watching Aria transform in the outside world.  She learns to accept who she really is and the changes that are happening to her.  She also learns to trust Perry, even if his ways are a little unconventional.  I enjoyed all the connections between the characters and how they interacted.  By the end of the story, I really cared about each and every one of them.

There's a lot that happens in this story that I can't even begin to touch on it all.  It was a little confusing at first because the sequence of events don't feel connected.  But, I was able to catch on and fully immerse myself into the story.  Reading this so soon after reading Touch of Power by Maria V Snyder, makes me think the style is very similar.  I think fans of Snyder will like this as well!