artsy musings of a bibliophile

mythology

Review: Everneath by Brodi Ashton

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ABOUT THE BOOK

Everneath by Brodi Ashton
young adult mythology fantasy published by HarperCollins on 24 January 2012

first book in the Everneath series

Last spring, Nikki Beckett vanished, sucked into an underworld known as the Everneath. Now she’s returned—to her old life, her family, 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 good-byes she can’t find the words for, six months to find redemption, if it exists.

Nikki longs to spend these precious months forgetting the Everneath 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 home. Cole wants to take over the throne in the underworld and is convinced 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 her relationships begin slipping from her grasp, she is forced to make the hardest decision of her life: find a way to cheat fate and remain on the Surface with Jack or return to the Everneath and become Cole’s queen.

THE RATING


THE REVIEW

I went into Everneath with a very particular mindset: I wasn’t expecting anything extraordinary. I added it on my to-read list because of the mythology aspect as the story of Persephone and Hades is so intriguing. However, Everneath surprised me. A lot. Brodi Ashton captured the essence of the characters perfectly. I could feel the emotions that made Nikki go over the edge. I could feel Jake’s hurt and I just couldn’t bring myself to hate Cole.
At the beginning of Everneath, Nikki is waking up after lying in an uncomfortable position for a long time. She doesn’t want to let go yet a face is compelling her to. It made me curious. I like reading books where the main character’s fate is already written and the story is really a story of accepting that fate. Redemption, regret and the desire to make everything right drove Nikki. The core of Everneath is what humans go through: realizing the value of something after it’s gone.
Nikki is a complex character from the very beginning. Life has been tragic for her and she had to get away. The backstory is told in pieces; what happened in the past is synced with what’s happening in Nikki’s life now. It provided a refreshing perspective on how Nikki’s life took such a sharp turn. From having a whole life to feeling empty of emotions. I just felt that more focus should’ve been put on Nikki’s best friend, Jules.
Jack is the one who got left behind. He acts pretty normal when he sees Nikki after six months. He went through a hard time when Nikki disappeared but Nikki doesn’t know that. Their relationship dynamic is done so beautifully by Brodi Ashton: there are questions, there’s hurt, there’s love but there’s also patience. The true love of Eurydice and Orpheus shines through in Everneath.
Cole is as dark and hell bent on convincing as they come but he isn’t broody. He has accepted the sacrifice of humans in order for the Everlivings to survive which is where Nikki disagrees with him. I understood where he was coming from and how he tried to stop Nikki from spiraling into the Everneath with him in the beginning. So I know he’s just looking out for himself. However, I could feel his defences lowering when it came to Nikki. He’s deep that way.
Everneath is beautiful. The writing sucked me in, all the emotions in the book overwhelmed me and the characters felt real. The character of Mary was perfect the way it was and she added a little more substance to the essence of Everneath. A fantastic start to a series! Brodi Ashton weaved a perfect modern day mythological story. I’m glad to have read it. More, please.

THE QUOTES

‘Sometimes, when something hurts us, our hearts break a little-in a slightly more … literal way than for humans. Our pain sort of spills out and onto anyone around us. We call it a cracked heart.’
‘We’d both been stripped of all the evasiveness, all the lies, everything we’d ever kept from each other. Layer by layer, we had given up our defenses and our excuses and our demands for whys and hows, and what was left were two broken beings. Clinging to one last shred of hope. Tethered to each other.’
I read Everneath as part of Secret Readers feature by Paperback Princess.

Review: Uprising by Jessica Therrien Blog Tour

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ABOUT THE BOOK
Uprising by Jessica Therrien

Click the image for
the blog tour schedule.

yound adult fantasy published by ZOVA on 28 May 2013 

second book in the Children of the Gods series

Elyse has done everything she can to protect her friends from The Council’s reach. As long as they believe she’s dead, she has time to rest and train for war. And war is inevitable. 

When Kara arrives with the news that Anna and Chloe have been captured, Elyse is faced with the realization that no one is safe until The Council is stopped and Christoph is destroyed. She doesn’t need a prophecy to tell her to lead an army. Christoph has done the one thing that ensures she’ll fight to the death. He’s threatened the people she loves. 
It will take more than the words of an oracle to help them fight against the most powerful Descendant alive. To break The Council’s oppression and rise up against a plot so many years in the making, Elyse will need to get dangerously close to her enemy. So close, in fact, she may not survive.

THE RATING
THE REVIEW
Being one of the most anticipated books of 2013, I wanted Uprising to blow me away. And it definitely did. Jessica Therrien’s talent of weaving Greek mythology into Elyse’s story is so enchanting that I couldn’t stop reading. The book is a little short of going over 400 pages and so a lot of things happen. The plot was unpredictable and dangerous if I say so and so I never knew how it it would all turn out. In the end, that what made Uprising such an enjoyable read for me.
Elyse is definitely one of those characters who changes gradually and to see her go from a shy and reserved person to a leader who will ultimately might be the most important is amazing. I liked her strong will and how she acted under all the pressure and expectations of the other Descendants. Her life isn’t made to be an easy one and it only goes on to show her strength and capacity to handle herself in the worst of times. And boy, what worst of times they were!
William is a solid rock for Elyse to lean on at all times but it is war and anything can happen. It was interesting to read about William’s strong will fight over his protective one. He definitely wants Elyse to be the leader but when it means that she could get hurt, it tortures him. But I have to admire his character the most, he has definitely grown since Oppression and I was relieved to know that he doesn’t fall into any cliched scenarios.
The war is inevitable and with Christoph determined to get his way, it is clear that he wants something from Elyse. As the story progresses, more and more of Christoph’s intentions are revealed and the whole picture is a true face of evil. It also weakens Elyse’s into thinking that it’s all a futile cause and she’ll end up either alone or dead. But there are people who want out of the oppression, people willing to help Elyse with her cause.
And so it goes. The story is action-packed and the secondary character play important roles especially Kara and Alex. It’s also interesting to read about the abilities of Descendants introduced in the book. The war, the new oracle, the betrayers all come together in this explosive continuation of Children of the Gods series. I loved it! Three kudos to Jessica Therrien! So cannot wait for book three, mythology for the win.
THE QUOTES

‘I don’t think his love is the kind of thing that just goes away.’

‘Every nerve seared with sharp unrelenting pain. My bones felt like they were splitting and splintering inside my body. I went into shock. I couldn’t stand or fall or breathe or cry.’

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jessica Therrien is the author of Oppression and Uprising, book one and two in her YA paranormal romance/adventure series, Children of the Gods. Oppression was published by ZOVA Books in February of 2012 and Uprising was released in May of 2013.
Jessica is a graduate of San Diego State University. She lived in Taiwan for a year where she learned Chinese, but she lives in Chula Vista now, where everyone speaks Spanish instead. Although she spends most days in a cubicle at her day job, her alter ego is a writer, who loves the arts with a passion.
Jessica is currently writing book three in her Children of the Gods series.

Jessica Therrien can be found at
Buy Uprising (Children of the Gods, #2)
Thanks to Jessica Therrien and ZOVA for providing me a copy of Uprising for review.

Review: Oppression by Jessica Therrien Blog Tour + Giveaway

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ABOUT THE BOOK
Oppression by Jessica Therrien
young adult fantasy published by ZOVA on 28 February 2012 

first book in the Children of the Gods series


Elyse knows what it means to keep a secret. She’s been keeping secrets her whole life. Two, actually. First, that she ages five times slower than the average person, so that while she looks eighteen years old, she’s closer to eighty. Second, that her blood has a mysterious power to heal.
For Elyse, these things don’t make her special. They make life dangerous. After the death of her parents, she’s been careful to keep her secret as closely guarded as possible. Now, only one other person in the world knows about her age and ability.
Or so she thinks.
Elyse is not the only one keeping secrets. There are others like her all over the world, descendants of the very people the Greeks considered gods. She is one of them, and they have been waiting for her.
Among so many of her kind, she should not be very remarkable–except for the prophecy. Some believe she will put an end to centuries of traditions, safeguarded by violence, which have oppressed her people for centuries. Others are determined to keep her from doing just that. But for Elyse, the game is just beginning–and she’s not entirely willing to play by their rules.

THE RATING

THE REVIEW

Once in a while you get to read a book that completely and utterly takes your breath away. Oppression was that kind of a book for me. It is just perfect the way it is and I never expected it to be so good. I am so glad I got to read it! Elyse and William, the protagonists, go through such character development that it is astounding to see them grow to adjust in a flow.
Elyse is such a beautiful name for the heroine (although, I read in an interview of the author that at first, it was supposed to be Ruth which, in my opinion, is equally beautiful). Whereas, William is the kind of a guy who has a perfect combination of everything from emotions to the take on life. I love it when the characters offer an aura of mystery and depth to the reader. I could actually feel why Elyse did what she does and why William thought like he did. The rest of the characters gave a little to the story as well and build it up so well that it felt good to read about them all. I actually am in anticipation of how things will go for the Descendants from now.

The prophecy and the oppression that has been a part of life for the likes of her makes things dangerous for Elyse, William and the others. But is Elyse willing to play by their rules? Think again because she’s one hell of a tough girl when she wants to be. I never liked a female protagonist more than I like Elyse. William is charming and a perfect hero to read about. I liked reading about the scenes involving the persuasion.

I took Mythology a year back but reading Oppression made me fall in love with it all over again and seeing what Jessica Therrien did with it is just awe-inspiring. I never could stop reading and well, I finished the latter half in a single sitting! Each of the powers are so creatively thought up from their respective ancestors that it is very enjoyable to read about them.
Oppression is a beautiful start to an awesome series and it offers so much potential to grow in a universe of its own. The ending is just perfect and is a complete story as far as the first book goes. Jessica Therrien created a universe that I would love to read about. A new favorite of mine, and one of the bests 2012 has to offer, I highly recommend Oppression to fans of young adult fantasy.

THE QUOTES

‘The oracle can see all things that will be, but only the things that will cause profound change stay in the forefront of her mind, things that will change the course of the future. It’s a hard job, knowing what will happen. When things don’t play out the way they should, do you watch the sequence of unfavorable events unfold or do you step in and try and change the tide?’

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jessica Therrien is the author of Oppression, book one in her YA paranormal romance/adventure series, Children of the Gods. Oppression was published by ZOVA Books in February of 2012.

Jessica is a graduate of San Diego State University. She lived in Taiwan for a year where she learned Chinese, but she lives in Chula Vista now, where everyone speaks Spanish instead. Although she spends most days in a cubicle at her day job, her alter ego is a writer, who loves the arts with a passion.

Jessica is currently writing book two in her Children of the Gods series.

Jessica Therrien can be found at
Buy Oppression (Children of the Gods, #1)
| Amazon | B&N | Book Depository |

Click the image for the blog tour schedule.

THE GIVEAWAY
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Thanks to Jessica Therrien for providing me a copy of Oppression for review.