Everneath by Brodi Ashton

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Available January 24, 2012

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 best friend, her boyfriend – before she’s banished back to the underworld … this time forever. She has six months before the Everneath comes to claim her; six months for goodbyes she can’t find the words for; six months to find redemption, if it even exists.

Nikki longs to spend these precious few months forgetting the Everneath completely and trying to reconnect with her boyfriend, Jack, the person most devastated by her disappearance – and the one person she loves more than anything.  But there’s just one problem: Cole, the smoldering immortal who enticed her to the Everneath in the first place, has followed Nikki to the mortal world.  Cle wants to take over the Everneath’s throne and is convinces Nikki is the key to making it happen.  And he’ll do whatever it takes to bring her back, this time as his queen.

As Nikki’s time on the surface draws to a close and all of her relationships begin slipping from her grasp, she is forced to make the hardest decision of her life: finding a way to cheat fate and remain on the surface with Jack, or returning to the Everneath and becoming Cole’s queen.

So there I was desperately looking for a book to read. Wait. Let me restate that. I had plenty of books to choose from but when I finally came across Everneath, I was suckered in. 

This intriguing debut infuses Greek and Egyptian mythology into a modern day romance. The Everneath is a place between the mortal world and hell, where Everlings (immortals) Feed on the emotions of humans, or Forfeits as they’re called. Once fed upon, the Everling and the Forfeit are tied together. By the time Nikki wakes up, she’s been asleep for one hundred years in the Everneath with the Everling, Cole. But in the mortal world she’s only been gone six months. Cole wants her to stay but Nikki feels a strong pull to return to her former life. Because of her choice, she has been physically  marked by the Shades that reside in the Tunnels. Choosing not to go with Cole means she has only six months before they come to claim her and Feed upon her for the rest of eternity. Yikes!

But returning to her old life isn’t so easy when so many things have changed. She used to be vibrant and outgoing but now with all her energy drained, she barely resembles who she was. So she hides from crowds and avoids contact with people, including Jack, her boyfriend, who was the only thing tying her to the mortal world while she was in the Everneath. It was his image she kept seeing during her hundred years sleep. Though she returned for him, she finds it hard to reconnect with him and her friends knowing that questions will come and explanations are in order. All the while, she counts down to when she must return to the Everneath.

This may come as a surprise to some of you, especially BiblioJunkies Nat – this time I did not find myself swooning over the “bad boy”, Cole. He’s a hard one to figure out. The push-and-pull connection Nikki feels with him only complicates her last six months. He comes off as very self-serving and untrustworthy. He has moments of kindness, plenty of snarkiness and his few hostile moments are a bit unsettling.  

Jack on the other hand is someone to root for.  He is so in love with Nikki and was so devastated by her disappearance. He’s so heartbreakingly patient with her as she tries to recover from her ordeal. No matter what she does, he waits for her cue and then follows suit. He’s just so sweet and handles her so delicately. His reassuring nature provides Nikki exactly what she needs – a safe haven. 

With Everneath, the first in a trilogy, Brodi Ashton delivers a very emotionally stirring and tantalizing tale. Each chapter is a countdown clock that only emphasizes the urgency Nikki experiences. It's so gutting to see her endure all the pain she's going through as D-Day draws closer. If she becomes an Everling herself, she’d have to Feed upon humans the way Cole did with her. Is that something her conscience can handle? Or is she brave enough to face the Tunnels for eternity? Either way people get hurt and she has to decide between the lesser of two evils.

~ Bel

Name Of The Star by Maureen Johnson

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The Day Louisiana teenager Rory Deveaux arrives in London marks a memorable occasion.  For Rory, it’s the start of a new life at a London boarding school.  But for many, this will be remembered as the day a series of brutal murders broke out across the city – gruesome crimes mimicking the horrific world of Jack the Ripper in the autumn of 1888.

Soon “Rippermania” takes a hold of the modern-day London, and the police are left with few leads and no witnesses.  Except one.  Rory spotted the man police believe to be the prime suspect.  But she is the only one who can see him.  Even her roommate, who was with her at the time, didn’t notice the mysterious man.  So why can only Rory see him?  And more urgently, what is he planning to do about her?

In this edge-of-your-set thriller, full of suspense, humor, and romance, Rory will learn the truth about the secret ghost police of London and discover her own shocking abilities.

I have this horrible thing where I actually don’t mind spoilers too much.  Sometimes I can’t stand the anticipation so I feel justified in finding out what happens before I even get to it just to placate my curiosity.  With Name of the Star, I found myself doing the opposite.  For once I made myself wait and go through the motions and experience the events as they unfolded. 

Rory as a Louisiana transplant in London is a fun, quirky character in contrast to most of the more reserved English characters she encounters.  She’s a bit out of place but that makes her all the more likable.  Rory doesn’t seem to comprehend the significance of the Ripper-like murders taking place until one happens by her school.  This is when her life and that of the Ripper intersect and then all hell breaks loose.  The Ripper takes a particular shine to Rory and soon she finds herself embroiled in not only the Ripper’s morbid intentions but also in London’s secret police.  The mystery deepens and becomes more dangerous as more crimes are committed and cryptic messages are revealed.

London as a backdrop is simply amazing.  I enjoyed Maureen Johnson’s tour through the London streets and neighborhoods and the many “English” things that Rory was experiencing for the first time.  She was drinking tea so much that I found myself doing it as well. No complaints here – I love tea.  And London’s long and rich history lends itself very well for the mystery told in NOTS.  I also liked how Johnson incorporated the events as told through other random people’s points of view and tied them all together.  All those eerie moments definitely give you a sense that what’s happening is far bigger than just Rory.  Her friends at school, her roommates, Jazza and Boo are delightful characters.  I especially liked Boo who I picture as The Good Wife’s Archie Panjabi’s character from Bend It Like Beckham.  When you read the book and read how she talks, you’ll know what I mean.  She helps ease some of the tension that builds as the mystery progresses and provides a good shoulder for Rory to lean on.

I won’t say much else because that would mean giving away too many details.  This really was a fun mystery – suspenseful and quite creepy at times and I was thankful for something different.  I think Maureen Johnson did a fantastic job with the historical details.  Jack the Ripper will always hold everyone’s fascination no matter how graphic the nature of his crimes were.  While the absolute truth about who he was may never be discovered, I think people will always experience an uneasy mix of awe and repulsion for him.  I’m sure after reading this, some people will interested in learning a bit more about him themselves.  Name Of The Star is the first in the Shades of London series so there’s much more that Rory has yet to show us!

~ Bel