Book Review: Into the Still Blue by Veronica Rossi

I've put off writing this review for a while, and I just can't place my finger on why. After crossing off busyness (I lolled about watching TV when I had free time this week), sickness (a little runny nose never hindered writing), and laziness (I really did want to write about something, anything), I've come to the conclusion that I didn't really feel like there was much to say about this book. "Into the Still Blue" is the finale to Veronica Rossi's "Under the Never Sky" trilogy, bringing Aria and Perry's journey to an end. But was it as fresh and exciting as its two predecessors? I can't say I know for sure.

The race to the Still Blue has come to an uneasy stalemate. Sable and Hess have taken Cinder, the only person who can control the deadly Aether storms, but to no avail. The Dwellers and Outsiders, who are united only in their fear of their desperate situation, are confined within a cave they are using as their makeshift refuge. With Roar blinded by grief and loss, Perry and Aria know that it's up to them to do something. Out of options, they assemble an unlikely team for an impossible rescue mission, one that will test their loyalties, courage and love. With time running out, can Perry and Aria help those they love--and keep their love for each other intact?

Let me start off with the characters. The entire novel alternates between Aria and Perry's points of view, which I think was a good decision since it gives us a more holistic perspective of what's going on in the story and allows us to make connections as readers. Not to mention it provides ample excitement with lots of potential for dramatic irony! To me, both Aria and Perry are fairly interesting and engaging protagonists to follow throughout the entire trilogy. They come from two very different backgrounds, have different personalities and face different responsibilities. They're both mature at this point in the story, and I really liked the way they worked together as a couple in the face of such enormous responsibilities to lead the Dwellers and Outsiders to a safe haven. But what kept me from becoming really invested in these two characters was that they didn't entirely stand out to me. They kind of lost the "spark" that made them unique individuals in the first two books, though I guess given the great deal of character development in the previous books, it's understandable. This is not to say that they were flat, boring characters--they just weren't as exciting as they were before.

One of the characters I did find exciting, though, was, as always, Roar. What happened in the last book in the trilogy obviously has a huge impact on Roar, and the way he struggled with these feelings of loss and grief was really believable and saddening to read about. Yet what makes Roar, well, Roar, is his ability to still be himself, even if he's lost in anger and thoughts of revenge. Take, for example, his interactions with Sable's son (I can't for the life of me remember what his name is--sorry!). There's some humorous banter going on between the two, which reminds us of Roar's wit and dry humour. And that's what I love about Roar--he's such a three-dimensional character, with layers and layers of thought and emotion to him. I'm sure if you were to read this trilogy, you'd fall for him, too.

What I think ultimately let me down when I was reading "Into the Still Blue" was the plot. I just don't think it's all that memorable. Admittedly, Ms. Rossi does a great job with tying up loose ends and giving us a satisfying ending, but the storyline itself wasn't as compelling as it could've been. Sure, quite a few things happen, but they just didn't excite me as much as they could have. The climax, for example, wasn't as great of a climax as it could've been. From my recollection of the story, it was a lot of running around and shooting people. Don't get me wrong, the story was most definitely not boring nor did it induce yawns out of me--it just wasn't as scintillating, and didn't get me hooked.

Overall, "Into the Still Blue" is a fairly good ending to the "Under the Never Sky" trilogy, though I wouldn't say that it was the most memorable way to end it. I would still give it a read, especially if you've read the first two books, since you may find it more exciting!

Rating: 3/5

Book Review: Roar and Liv by Veronica Rossi

I picked up "Roar and Liv" the other day to give me something to read while I waited for "Requiem" by Lauren Oliver to come out. There's something about novellas that subtly add to the main series, and since I loved Roar and Liv's relationship in "Under the Never Sky" and "Through the Ever Night" (check out my review here!), I thought it'd be worth a quick read.

After a childhood spent wandering the borderlands, Roar finally feels like he has a home at the Tides. His best friend Perry is like a brother to him, and Perry's sister, Liv, is the love of his life. Roar doesn't know what he'd do without Liv, even if his friends' brother, Vale, the Blood Lord of the Tides, doesn't approve of their relationship. And when Roar discovers that Vale intends to marry Liv off to another tribe to save the Tides, he knows nothing will stop him from saving Liv and their love, even if it means his whole life will be shattered.

I loved the fact that the novella was told from Roar's point of view, because he's such a likable and strong character in the series, and it was interesting and great to get into his mind. Above all, I could definitely see his love for Liv, which I never doubted throughout the entire series. Roar's character is also clearly present in his narrative voice, with undertones of humour and wit that makes him all the more likable. And that's what I like about reading prequel or in-between novellas: they give you more depth and insight into a character you've never had the chance to get to know on such an intimate and personal level, and that was without a doubt the case with Roar.

Even though I knew what was going to end up happening with the whole Roar and Liv situation from "Through the Ever Night", I still found myself caught up in the story. Seeing their romance and how they interacted just added layers of emotion and history to what I'd read earlier in the books, and I almost wish that I'd read the novella before reading the sequel!

I'm keeping this short and sweet (I'm letting myself get away with this since it's a novella!), but I definitely thought that it was worth a read, which is why I slipped in the time to write another review today! I'd highly recommend spending a half hour or two reading "Roar and Liv", no matter which point in the series you're at.

Rating: 4/5

Book Review: Through the Ever Night by Veronica Rossi

I don't know why I put "Through the Ever Night" off for a month. Maybe it's because there's always that trend where a lot of sequels in YA trilogies are really just points of rest and development of more boring aspects for the authors. Or maybe it's because I read the first book, "Under the Never Sky" too long ago to remember what really happened--or it wasn't as memorable. But I finally ended up downloading it onto my Kindle, and found myself pleasantly enjoying it!

It's been months since Aria and Perry were together. Their love is still strong, but their reunion is far from perfect. Perry is now the Blood Lord of the Tides, who don't take kindly to Aria, a former Dweller who's also been charged with the near impossible mission of finding the Still Blue. With the worsening Aether storms threatening everyone's existence and causing tensions to run even higher than before, Aria begins to fear that leaving Perry might be the only way to save them both. Aria and Perry are stuck in lands charged with fear and chaos, but can their love survive through the ever night?

I think the main reason I never really, really got into the first two books of the "Under the Never Sky" trilogy was the two protagonists. Aria is strong, determined and witty at times, but I never felt a real connection to her. Instead, she's a generally likable heroine who does the right things, but there's not a real spark or quirk about her that made me want to meet her in real life. Same goes for Perry. It might be because he's going through a hard time dealing with his new responsibility as the Blood Lord of the Tides, but I found him just serious pretty much throughout the entire novel and slightly boring. This is particularly a bit of a let down because the chapters are told from their points of view, and while it was interesting to see what was happening, it was more the events of the story rather than the characters themselves who kept me flipping through the page. It's a little disappointing because Ms. Rossi has set them up with great backgrounds and they have a lot of potential to be genuinely interesting, compelling characters, but they're ultimately a little bit too serious for my tastes--they're only teenagers, for goodness' sake! I understand that they're dealing with a lot to be carefree, laidback, normal teens, but a little humour or some sort of spark now and then might've helped.

That being said, a couple of characters really picked things up for me throughout the story: Roar and Liv. To me, Roar is the one with that 'spark' I keep talking about, someone who's strong yet vulnerable, funny yet serious, someone who has a lot of layers to him that I enjoyed peeling off as the book progressed. His loyalty for his friends is admirable as well, but it was his undying love for Liv that really clinched it for me--she's the source of his strength and his vulnerability, his driving force. And when I finally met the girl that had remained simply a name and a part of someone's story in "Under the Never Night", everything became that much more real. Liv is a character who actually almost shines in the book, someone whose willpower, strength and love is not only the driving force for Roar, but also for a large portion of the book itself. I loved the romance between Roar and Liv, and one of the things that I look forward to reading about in the final book of the trilogy is how everything (unfortunately must be vague because I don't want to spoil anything!) plays out.

One of the greatest things about the "Under the Never Sky" trilogy is its amazing world-building. The whole concept of the Aether and the Realms of the Dwellers is unique. You don't get any of the typical blood-sucking vampires or wars between two different groups of people here. Instead, you have the pods where the Dwellers live, shutting out the outside world in fear and complacency. You have the 'savage' tribes that have to deal with the consequences of the Aether, an almost otherworldly storm that perpetually looms above them, on a daily basis. And then there's the Still Blue--the fabled oasis and refuge that both the Dwellers and the tribes can only dream about. Ms. Rossi has definitely done an incredible job with constructing such a unique and beautiful world--the colours on the cover do it justice!

The plot of "Through the Ever Night", to me, was a lot more interesting and engaging than that of "Under the Never Sky". There's a lot that happens to Perry and Aria, both when they're together and separate, and watching the struggles of the Tides and the journey to find the location of the Still Blue from both of their perspectives at the same time really helped to build up the story. And the ending! The ending of this sequel really upped the ante, and it's the perfect segue into the final book in the trilogy.

All in all, "Through the Ever Night" is an exciting sequel to "Under the Never Sky", with compelling characters, an amazing world and an engaging storyline, despite the lack of a real 'spark' in the characters of the two protagonists. I'd definitely give the novel a go, as well as the entire series if you haven't read it yet and like dystopian/fantasy books! The final book is bound to be an explosion of tension and adventure--I really look forward to it!

Rating: 4/5