REVIEW: Everneath (Everneath #1) by Brodi Ashton

Author: Brodi Ashton

Pages: 370

Series: Everneath

Publisher: Harper Collins / Balzer + Bray

Amazon: Everneath

Synopsis. (Goodreads)

Last spring, Nikki Beckett vanished, sucked into an underworld known as the Everneath, where immortals Feed on the emotions of despairing humans. Now she's returned- to her old life, her family, her friends- before being banished back to the underworld... this time forever.

She has six months before the Everneath comes to claim her, six months for good-byes she can't find the words for, six months to find redemption, if it exists.

Nikki longs to spend these months reconnecting with her boyfriend, Jack, the one person she loves more than anything. But there's a problem: Cole, the smoldering immortal who first enticed her to the Everneath, has followed Nikki to the mortal world. And he'll do whatever it takes to bring her back- this time as his queen.

As Nikki's time grows short and her relationships begin slipping from her grasp, she's forced to make the hardest decision of her life: find a way to cheat fate and remain on the Surface with Jack or return to the Everneath and become Cole's.

REVIEW: 4 out of 5 stars

Everneath is the first book in the Everneath series by Brodi Ashton.

Nikki Beckett was missing for six months, enticed into an underworld known as the Everneath by an Everliving or immortal known as Cole who fed off her sorrow and fear.

Everneath is a place where immortals feed on the emotions of humans or Forfeits; they are literally sucked dry of all feelings and memories they have ever had, if they return they are usually old and emotionally broken. Six months away from home equated to a century in the Everneath.

On her return, Nikki has only six months to say her goodbyes and make amends to everyone she has ever loved; her father, brother, best friend Jules and ex-boyfriend Jack. After this time, the tunnels will return for her to pay her dues.

It took a little while for me to enjoy and actually like Nikki as a character, being sucked of all of her emotions left her empty and this certainly came across on the pages (a good thing) but I found as her relationship with Jack progressed she became stronger and more determined which I liked, her character growth from the beginning to the end of the book was wonderful to see.

Now Cole, I initially liked; I felt quite sorry for him but he was relentless in his pursuit of Nikki and trying to get her to return to Everneath with him as queen got a bit tiresome for me, he came across as manipulative and desperate.

Jack, I truly adored and felt sorry for what he had to endure after Nikki’s disappearance. He was selfless, capable and understanding and I am truly hoping everything works out for him. The romance Nikki and Jack once shared was so sweet and I liked that he didn’t just try to ignore her once she returned; he sought the answers he needed and stood by her.

I thoroughly enjoyed the mythology, I have always found the story of Hades & Persephone, Orpheus & Eurydice fascinating but this story was told in a unique way which I really liked.

I liked how the story alternated between the past and present; it showed the slow progression of how things came to be, initially I found this to be confusing but I soon grasped the concept of the storytelling. I was so anxious to find out why Nikki was so desperate to escape her life and what Jack had actually done to betray her; there was certainly some miscommunication along the way which was quite sad but it showed the place Nikki was in emotionally.

Ms Ashton’s storytelling was certainly creative and entertaining and the emotions evoked were very real and portrayed the characters perfectly. I enjoyed her writing style and the compelling plot; the pacing started off slowly for me but quickly picked up. There are still a number of questions I have which I hope will be answered in the next installment.

Everneath is a wonderful debut and I am quite eager to read the sequel.