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

After a year of waiting, imagine the excitement when Through the Ever Night was finally released and in my hands. Under the Never Sky, the first of the series by Veronica Rossi, had actually been one of my favorite books of 2012 – mostly because I fell in love with Perry’s story. In my previous review, I had been enchanted with Perry as a character – his actions and his thoughts. And his savage nature made him super appealing.

The boy on the cover? Not Perry. Not at all.  It distracts me when models are used for book covers. Through the Ever Night’s cover, in particular, didn’t show me a savage looking boy who could hunt and shoot a bow and arrow. Who was skinny, rough and uncivilized. Instead, I saw a boy that was pale enough to be in Twilight and…well…muscular and dressed like he belonged in some catalog. Not exactly the lean, starving boy that I had imagined when it came to Peregrine, Blood Lord of the Tides.

I’d love to know the process of how book covers are designed. I know that authors have very little say and that budget obviously plays a large role, but it’s no lie that I’ve seen two or more books that use same stock images and/or completely misinterpret the book entirely. I’m all about the details and with my love for all things colors, design and art, sometimes it really gets me when books have bad covers but I know they deserve better.

Through the Ever Night Summary

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?

In this second book in her spellbinding Under the Never Sky trilogy, Veronica Rossi combines fantasy and dystopian elements to create a captivating love story as perilous as it is unforgettable.  

Through the Ever Night by Veronica Rossi picks off right where we left off in Under the Never Sky with Perry and Aria running towards each other like no tomorrow. Their reunion is sweet but short and soon the two are torn apart again with Aria focused on finding the Still Blue and Perry trying to lead the Tides as their new Blood Lord.

What I absolutely loved most about this book – aside from Perry, of course – are the new characters that Rossi introduces to us readers. I don’t think there is a single one that I dislike. The Six, especially Reef, were extremely great additions. While some didn’t have big roles, their presence offered just enough for us to see how meaningful the group’s relationship was with Perry and how that helped Perry grow as a leader. I think a lot of that has to do with the way Rossi writes. As I’ve mentioned in the past, Rossi writes in simple clean sentences that provide just the right amount of detail you need. She never gets any deeper than she has to with the Six (and maybe she will later on), but from the jokes they tell to the way they treat each other, it’s enough to tell us how close they all are to one another.

Another character, who I actually really like and wished stuck around a bit longer, was Kirra. Right when she was introduced, I instantly imagined Ygritte from Game of Thrones, played by Rose Leslie. She was quick, smart and tough and I liked how she got to Perry – I especially liked how Rossi sprinkled in the little things that Perry noticed about her even more. I need stuff like that to keep me interested in the romance part of story because quite frankly, despite the fact that I really did love Under the Never Sky, I think Perry and Aria became an item a bit too quick for my liking. For me, there’s got to be more keeping them apart than just being dead or alive. I wouldn’t have hated Perry if he decided to be with Kirra for just a bit to add a bit of jealousy in the mix. It would have been interesting to see him caught between Aria and another girl for once. Unfortunately, it’s never the guy in the center of a love triangle.

As for how the plot developed, I think Rossi did a good job keeping everyone on track with their purpose. One of my biggest concerns after finishing Under the Never Sky was that Perry and Aria were going to be too focused on one another to be proactive about the search for the Still Blue. Rossi surprised me by keeping Aria and Perry apart for the majority of the book, which I think was a good and a bad thing. To explain, book two was less about survival and more about getting the facts and setting the stage for the final book of the trilogy. It wasn’t boring, but unlike the first book, Through the Ever Night was less of an adventure and more of an emotional roller coaster. Furthermore, what I loved about Under the Never Sky, was the concept of survival and the meeting of two completely different individuals who had to work together to survive. By the time I read Through the Ever Night, I’d almost forgotten that Aria was a Dweller.

Perry as a Blood Lord was great. His struggles, concerns…all of it I found very interesting. I was intrigued by the issues the Tides faced and was just as torn as Perry when it came to making the right choices for his people. Aria, on the other hand, could still use some character development but she has improved greatly. Her relationship with Roar was insanely intimate – which I found myself enjoying too – but while she was the one actually on an adventure, I felt like she accomplished very little. However, I really enjoyed her interactions with Soren and even Talon from time to time.

Veronica Rossi does an amazing job continuing Perry and Aria’s story and I seriously can’t believe it’s over. At least until next year. Definitely pick up your own copy of Through the Ever Night and let me know what you think!

Rating: 4/5

Theme Music: Legends of the Apocalypse by Gothic Storm

Photo Credit: As seen on VisualizeUs

Click here to read my review of Under the Never Sky (Under the Never Sky #1) by Veronica Rossi