Jo
Written on Feb 17, 2013
I remember when I wrote my review for Under the Never Sky, I felt a little disappointed, yet I couldn't remember what I was disappointed about until re-reading my review. All I really remembered was reading a book that I really enjoyed. So after reading a number of positive reviews for Through the Ever Night, I was excited to read it myself. And I loved it!
The Aether is behaving unpredictably. Winter is over, and so the Aether should be calming down, but instead, it's getting worse, with storms striking every few days. Finding the Still Blue has never been more important, lives depend on it, so Aria makes the decision to go off and search out information about it, with the help of Roar. Now Blood Lord of the Tides, Perry has to stay at the compound and look after his people, whose lives are getting all the more difficult with the damage caused by the Aether. However, the Tides are beginning to doubt Perry because of his association with Aria, and Perry discovers leading the Tides isn't easy.
Aria and Perry don't spend as much time together in this book as they did in Under the Never Sky, as they both have different responsibilities, but they're both finding their individual tasks more difficult than they thought. It was brilliant to see each character away from the other, seeing just how strong they are on their own, yet just how much they feel for each other, as proved by how they struggle with the separation.
Seeing Perry with his tribe is just wonderful. No-one could care more about a group of people, except maybe Aria. He has a tough challenge ahead of him, and it's brilliant seeing him take up his role and taking it so seriously, every single option thought through, and doing what he feels best for the tribe, despite sometimes being disagreed with. We get to meet or get to know better members of the Tribe, and find out exactly how the tribe works. Being Blood Lord isn't just something that comes to you with a chain, it's something that has to be earned, through the loyalty and trust of the tribe's people. You can't help but feel proud watching Perry tentatively take his first few steps as Blood Lord.
Aria has come on leaps and bounds since her days in Reverie. She's stronger, more determined. She is more of sure of what's right; no matter who a person is, doing the right thing for them is what Aria is all about - Outsider and Dweller alike. Roar and Aria get on so well, they're such fantastic friends, and it's just wonderful the support they give each other at various points of their journey. Unfortunately, I can't talk too much about what their task involves, because it's kind of spoilery, but I can say we do meet a few blasts from the past, as well as a few new people.
I am so thrilled to say that the reasons behind the Aether and the Unity are actually explained in this book. I didn't really understand why things were the way they were when I read Under the Never Sky, but thankfully, Through the Ever Night gives a thorough explanation of all that happened in the past. Which is necessary because of the events that happen in this book. There is a great amount of action in various ways, and lots of excitment! A race against time, hugely sad moments, and powerful relationships! It's fantastic!
As I said, I loved Through the Ever Night, but it was only after accepting that I wasn't going to be blown away by this book did I really start enjoying it. I know that sounds strange, but I'm going to attempt to explain what I mean. I have read a number of dystopian novels now, and a lot of them have been so brilliant that they have taken my breath away. And there has been one I didn't like at all. The Under the Never Sky trilogy goes no-where near to being one I don't enjoy, but it doesn't take my breath away either. I know there are a number of people who absolutely adore this series, but it doesn't have exactly the same impact for me. There's something missing that I can't quite put my finger on that stops me from being completely wowed - yet I really love this series! For me, the series is the perfect beach reads of the dystopian world. Don't take that as a bad thing or a criticism, I love beach reads. When I think of beach reads, I think of enjoyable, light romances that bring a smile to my face, but aren't earth shattering. And sometimes, I'm in the mood for a beach read over a epic romance. The Under the Never Sky is the dystopian equivalent for me, and thinking of the series in that respect, it's fantastic! As a dystopian beach read, I adore this series, and I think it's amazing! Make sense?
An awesome sequel, and I am SO excited to read Into the Still Blue, the third and final book in the trilogy! If you loved Under the Never Sky, you definitely need to read Through the Ever Night!
Thank you to Atom for the review copy.
