Title: Into the Still Blue
Author: Veronica Rossi
Series/Standalone: Under the Never Sky Trilogy (Book #3)
Genre: Dystopia, Young Adult, Romance
Pages: 389
Publisher: HarperCollins
Year Published: 2014
Format: Audiobook
"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.
Within the confines of a cave they're using as a makeshift refuge, they struggle to reconcile their people, Dwellers and outsiders, who are united only in their hatred of their desperate situation. Meanwhile, time is running out to rescue Cinder, who was abducted by Hess and Sable for his unique abilities. Then Roar arrives in a grief-stricken fury, endangering all with his need for revenge.
Out of options, Perry and Aria assemble an unlikely team for an impossible rescue mission. 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.
In this final book in her earth-shattering Under the Never Sky trilogy, Veronica Rossi raises the stakes to their absolute limit and brings her epic love story to an unforgettable close."
My Rating: 4.5/5
This ending was more than I could have expected and possibly my favourite book in this trilogy. I loved the storytelling and the plot, but also the way our characters reacted to things that had happened in the second book. I also really enjoyed the change of setting that occurred throughout this last instalment. I would definitely read more works by the author. I loved this series, and it reminded me of all that a dystopian really can be. So different and so heartwarming, but still so spooky to think about the what-ifs. I would recommend this series to anyone who enjoyed dystopian books in the past but felt like they've seen it all.
Thanks for reading,
Sidny
This whole series had really reminded me of what I love about dystopian. The ideas of what if and what would you do if are very strong in this series. But this story also has the idea of fate. Whether you are born as a dweller or an outsider, your fate was the same by the end unless you aligned yourself with someone promising, and even then odds were that you wouldn't make it out.
I've also enjoyed the more adult aspect of this series. This series doesn't go into explicit details, but it doesn't brush away the ideas of needs and wants. It helped me to connect with our characters and make me feel like they were real people.
Characters:
Perry: His passion for his people and for Aria knows no bounds. I loved that he was a passionate character and wanted the best for everyone overall. I also enjoyed the fact that he clearly cared about Aria and wasn't afraid to show it after so long being apart.
Aria: Aria grew a lot as a character in this last book, she thought about who she was and who she wanted to be. I also enjoyed that she was willing to stand for herself, but was able to ask for help if she needed it. I hope her future is bright, even better than anything that would have happened in the pods.
Talon: He deserves this bright future. And he made me smile.
Cinder: His loss hurt me deeply, but I also think that it was necessary for his loss. I really loved that he showed his emotion and his fear, it's important for us to realize that fear is important.
Roar: I think that Roar is my favourite character. He is charming and funny, teasing as many of my friends are. That being said, his heartbreak was evident in this story and played a very important role in this storyline.
Sable: He is the evil we never even thought of. I honestly thought that he was a Rhysand type, but boy was I wrong. I wonder what would have happened if he hadn't been so harsh and raised to be so Horns above all.
Hess: Can't say he'll be missed, he was the original villain and I still didn't forgive him for all he put Aria through.
Sorren: I think that Sorren grew a lot in this book as well, he realized it's not important about to be the head man if he wasn't going to live to see another month.
Brooke: I'm happy that she found someone else and was willing to be more friendly to Aria.
Thanks for reading,
Sidny
Title: Through the Ever Night
Author: Veronica Rossi
Series/Standalone: Under the Never Sky (Book #2)
Genre: Dystopian, Young Adult, Romance
Pages: 341
Publisher: HarperCollins
Year Published: 2013
Format: Audiobook
"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 and powerful temptations, Aria and Perry wonder, can their love survive through the ever night?"
My Rating: 4/5
This is a storyline I didn't think that I would enjoy after reading the description, but I really enjoyed the plot and the different parts of the world we got to see throughout this second instalment. Is this a slight cliche dystopian novel? Yes, yes it is. I really enjoyed the storyline though overall and it's a little different than other dystopian's I've read. I also enjoyed that this book didn't stray away from realistic content (no there was no explicit sexual things, but they outlined it so the reader knew what was going on). I also enjoyed the different narrator of the audiobook, he was a slower reader so I was able to increase the speed on my audiobook to complete the story quickly. Overall I really enjoyed this second book and look forward to continuing the series.
Thanks for reading,
Sidny
This series is really surprising me. It's different than other dystopian novels that I've read. The idea of people in a compound having technology to transport them to other places was an interesting idea. I also really enjoy the idea of the tribes outside. I also enjoyed the two perspectives that were so different. This audiobook also had a far better narrator and I appreciated it greatly. Overall I'm really enjoying this dystopian series and I'm excited to continue.
Characters:
Perry: I think that he found himself in a tough position for the majority of this book. He had thought for so long that being Blood Lord would be easy. And after seeing the struggles he was going to face, he realized that maybe it wasn't as simple as he thought. Especially having to choose between someone he loves and his duty. Which I'm sure Reef didn't help with.
Reef: There's something about this guy that I just don't trust. I have a feeling he's trying to take over the Tides behind Perry's back.
Talon: I think that Talon is experiencing so many changes especially watching the compound that he was taken to fall apart around him. I wonder if he will continue to be healthy, or if his health will fail once again on the outside.
Aria: I loved that she grew into so much more than Perry's "girl". She was able to hold her own during fights and willing to do anything for her friends, something I can definitely appreciate. I look forward to seeing more of her growth in the last instalment of the series.
Soren: I wonder what will keep him from losing it again, is it just a matter of time or will he continue to be "nice".
Roar: To lose someone when you're so close to getting them back is horrible to imagine, and it's broke my heart to see him lose Liv. I also felt heartbroken when he thought that she was over him and didn't want to be with her anymore. His poor heart.
Cinder: When he finally thought he would be safe and accepted and then he was taken. I hope that he makes it through to the still blue, just not with Sable and Hess. He belongs with Aria and Perry... duh.
Liv: I wish we had gotten to know her better, and I think that there is a novella with her and Roar before the story of the first book begins. I'm curious about her relationship with Sable and how she got him eating out of the palm of her hand, to begin with.
Counsel Hess: This guy clearly has no conscience, or he can justify what he's doing to the extra people in the pods. I wonder what he'll do if Aria catches up with him.
Sable: I wonder about his backstory and how he was able to kill Liv so easily. I also wonder how he found the location of the still blue to start with
Thanks for reading,
Sidny
Title: Under the Never Sky
Author: Veronica Rossi
Series/Standalone: Under the Never Sky Series (Book #1)
Genre: Young Adult, Dystopian
Pages: 374
Publisher: HarperCollins
Year Published: 2012
Format: Audiobook
"Since she'd been outside, she'd survived an Aether storm, she'd had a knife held to her throat, and she'd seen men murdered.
This was worse.
Exiled from her home, the enclosed city of Reverie, Aria knows her chances of surviving the outer wasteland-- known as The Death Shop-- are slim. If the cannibals don't get her, the violent, electrified energy storms will. She's been taught that the very air she breathes can kill her. Then Aria meets an Outsider named Perry. He's wild-- a savage-- and her only hope of staying alive.
A hunter for his tribe in a merciless landscape, Perry views Aria as sheltered and fragile-- everything he would expect from a Dweller. but he needs Aria's help too; she alone holds the key to his redemption. Opposites in nearly every way, Aria and Perry must accept each other to survive. Their unlikely alliances forge a bond that will determine the fate of all who live under the never sky."
My Rating: 4/5
I had heard that this was an awesome dystopian series and this was a promising start to what looks like a fun trilogy. I really enjoyed the writing style and the world that was explored throughout this first book, but the audiobook narrator was not my favourite. I also found that some aspects of the book were cliche, while others were just unique enough to catch my interest. I'm excited to continue listening to the next book (I haven't been able to find these at my local library, so audiobook it is), and see where our characters take us.
Thanks for reading,
Sidny
This may be the year of highly hyped books or books I heard about on the internet. After the big dystopian craze (brought on by the Hunger Games...) this series became rather popular on the internet book community and I waited until now to see if it was really worth the hype or if it was just built up due to the trend of the time. I must say that this book stood the test. I really enjoyed the premise and the unique aspects of the storyline (having mutated powers based on being in the aether, the aether itself, podlife, etc). This book at some points gave me Illuminae vibes (without the space aspect). The characters were interesting but not as diverse as I would have hoped but who knows who we will meet in the next instalment.
Characters:
Perry: I think that he was an interesting love interest. Someone who is so opposite to his partner in most ways but finds themselves unable to resist them in spite of it. I also loved his loyalty to his nephew and the way he saw life on the Outside. The idea of being able to scent how someone felt and thought was interesting to me, I also thought that it was interesting to his two gifts combined both in everyday life and battle.
Aria: Nothing quite like being called Mole. I enjoyed that part a little too much. I also enjoyed the fact that she was part Outsider and that she gained an ability after being in her "natural" habitat for an extended period of time. I do wonder how she'll carry out the deal that she made at the end of the story and how that will affect her relationship with Perry.
Roar: A fun side character, reminded me a bit of Lucien in the first ACOTAR book and how his companionship helped Aria through tough times. I also enjoyed that the had similar skills.
Cinder: I wonder where he came from and what his original tribe thought of his gift. Is it possible there is a tribe who can just "use" the Aether?
Talon: While being in a pod seems to be helping his health, I wonder how long after the deal Aria made with the Counsellor. Will that affect his treatment?
Vale: Do we eventually get a backstory about how he felt toward Perry throughout his life, cause it's not like we can just learn about that now. Unless we learn that through Talon or others surrounding Vale. Also to sell out the children of your tribe in order to feed them? What a difficult decision to make, but to hire a hit man for your brother, that's a little overboard.
Marron: Another character I'm curious to learn about in the next book. One I hope to see alot more in the next book.
Thanks for reading,
Sidny
