Review: Everbound (Everneath #2) by Brodi Ashton

Title: Everbound
Author: Brodi Ashton
Series: Everneath
Book #: 2
Pages: 368
Reading Level: YA
Book Rating: .5
Goodreads Rating: 4.38
Published: Jan. 22nd, 2013

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.

In this enthralling sequel to Everneath, Brodi Ashton tests the bonds of destiny and explores the lengths we’ll go to for the ones we love.

Taschima's POV:

I speculated a lot when it came to Everbound. What will Nikki do? How will she do it? Will Jack survive? Will Cole remain a romantic interest after all he did?! Will he help Nikki get Jack back? Let's just say Everneath was one of my top 2012 reads. So Everbound definitely delivered, just not quite as much as Everneath? It was good, believe me, I just liked Everneath a bit better because of well, Jack quite frankly. You get some Jack here but just in memories. He is still as cute as a button in memories, just not as romantically frustrated as he was in Everneath.

Things I loved about Everbound:

• The romantic angst. Oh sue me, sometimes, in some books, is entertaining and warranted. If Nikki were to be all happy and not sort of depressed for the story I would have screamed BULLSHIT! But she had a good happy medium of sad and determined that I admired. She didn't curl into fetus position once Jack was so rudely taken away from her (*cough* Bella Swan *cough*) but instead she constructed a thick wall around her heart, allowed herself to grieve while at the same time looking for a solution. You go girl!

• - Cole. Gosh darn all Coles of this world. They are all inexplicably attractive.
  
  
  
  
  (Cole from Charmed)
  
  Yum... Anyways. I don't picture the Cole of Everneath as this Cole but you get my point. Hotness runs in the name.
  
  In Everbound we get to see another side of Cole. He is vulnerable, sweet, and willing to help Nikki go into the Everneath to save her boyfriend, even if it is at the cost of his own happiness. Or, is it? Gosh darn it I love what Brodi Ashton did with Cole, specially when it comes to the ending of the story. It was just, right. I have to admit, he got to me. Specially in that scene with the Siren... You have to read it for yourself. It's good.

• The Everneath is... weird. I could sort of picture it in a grand scale. Endless. I liked the barriers Ashton constructed in the Everneath, made out of water, wind, and fire. I could picture it and it looked pretty cool. My only complaint is the way they went through the barriers... may be a bit too easy? Specially the "wind" part. I mean, it was supposed to screw with your head, but they didn't seem that screwed with. I was expecting a bit more of a challenge.
  
• The flashbacks to how Nikki and Jack's relationship developed. Oh bless his heart! Although it kind of annoyed me how the memories were more scrambled and not a linear tale. I would have liked a more linear tale when it came to the flashbacks. But since we are sans Jack in this book I really appreciated the flashbacks.

• THE ENDING. Hell, yes! Just when you think you might be getting a happy ending... Well, you don't. Not really. I loved how it makes you re-evaluate everything you have read since the very first page. Oh Cole... you are a bastard. Just saying! A lovely bastard!

Things I didn't quite care for:

• The Everneath! It's just... It's so bright and sunshiny. I was picturing something more deadly a la "My Soul to Save". To me it seemed more like what a faerie kingdom would look like really. Which is why I always forget this is more loosely based on Greek Myths. To me it seems a blend of both the Faerie and Greek myth.

• I had a few questions when it came to things that happened to characters that banished in one page and return way later with no explanation. I also had questions when it came to Jack, and the surprising ending. But maybe these will be answered in the next installment so... waiting on that.
  
•  I needed more Jack. There, I said it. Even though Cole was a nice distraction Jack is still one of a kind. Bring him back dammit!

Okay, now to speculate about the next installment... Can't wait!