by Veronica Rossi
Read: September 26 - 27, 2013
Published: January 28th 2014 by HarperCollins **UPCOMING**
Source: Edelweiss - THANK YOU HARPER!
Category: Sci-fi, fantasy, YA
Find: Goodreads | Amazon
NOTE: I made every effort to make this review SPOILER FREE for the series, though I'd recommend skipping the summary to the right of the book cover if you are new to this trilogy. Find my review of book two, Through The Ever Night, HERE.
Their love and their leadership have been tested. Now it's time for Perry and Aria to unite the Dwellers and the Outsiders in one last desperate attempt to bring balance to their world.
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.
Meanwhile, time is running out to rescue Cinder, who was abducted by Hess and Sable for his unique abilities. And when Roar returns to camp, he is so furious with Perry that he won't even look at him, and Perry begins to feel like they have already lost.
Out of options, Perry and Aria assemble a team to mount an impossible rescue mission-because 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 stunning Under the Never Sky trilogy, Veronica Rossi raises the stakes to their absolute limit and brings her epic love story to an unforgettable close.
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After reading Under the Never Sky and its brilliant follow up Through The Ever Night, I have grown so attached to Aria, Perry and Roar and their entire world that by the time I reached Into the Still Blue, I've completely lost the ability to think critically about their story. I've fallen in love with them and consider them to be friends, so honestly, how can I judge anything about them or their journeys Thus, I'm struggling to know exactly what to tell you about this book, because it seems like a disservice to them to start talking about things like plotting and pacing (not that I really do that anyway). I mean, Perry and Roar are real, right?
What I do want to tell you, is that if you enjoyed the first two books in this series, you're going to love Into the Still Blue as well. I've been wary of series conclusions lately, but this is not one that you should fear. Not only are our favorite characters back, but we also get answers to lingering questions.
This series features one of my favorite love stories. More than tender moments or hot kisses (although those are present and quite nice), we have seen a connection build and deepen between Perry and Aria over the course of the series. Their relationship has been tested, but their respect for each other and bond has grown steadily stronger without adding unnecessary drama or angst. Their relationship has made them each more confident as leaders and able to make tough choices, which they do to abundance in this story. Even when Perry and Aria are not together - or when they're disagreeing - they manage to remain in sync in a way that many couples can't manage on their best days.
In addition to romance, Rossi excels at creating one-on-one relationship bonds between many characters. The friendships between Perry & Roar and Aria & Roar are the most notable in this series, and both get some great page time in this story. But there are several others that stand out to me in this installment. Some that cropped up unexpectedly, some I was excited to see deepen and at least one broke my heart. I want to tell you about all of them, but most are spoilers. However, this has become one of my favorite aspects of this series and Into the Still Blue specifically.
The end of Perry, Aria and Roar's journey is not easy. This book nearly broke me in several places. Rossi does not hold back on what she puts these characters through, especially through the middle part of this book. There were several points where I was biting my nails and genuinely worried about whether key players would make it. Nothing is certain, lives are at stake, and an entire community of people is in danger of extinction unless they can make it to the Still Blue.
Some parts of this book were big and dramatic, some events seemed quieter than I thought they would, but I think that's what life is like for real, and I like this book more, because of that. Into the Still Blue, goes out on a quiet note, and though selfishly I wanted more and more, I closed this book with a satisfied smile.
Love Triangle Factor: None
Cliffhanger Scale: Series conclusion
Thank you for the no-spoiler review! I loved the first one but I haven't read the second (it's on my shelf...) now I can read them both and finish the series! Love when that happens.
ReplyDeleteI still need to read book 2 Lauren! I can't believe I fell behind on this series, I absolutely loved Aria and Perry in Under the Never Sky, and I can't wait to see them progress as individuals and a couple. I'm so excited about the friendship between Aria and Roar too. I loved him as well in the first book, and I'm so happy that Ms. Rossi gives us a male/female friendship that has absolutely no romantic undertones. They're just friends. WIN:) Beautiful review as usual my friend!
ReplyDelete"This series features one of my favorite love stories. More than tender moments or hot kisses (although those are present and quite nice), we have seen a connection build and deepen between Perry and Aria over the course of the series. " MY THOUGHTS EXACTLY. Why caps? Because these two give me ALLLLLL THE FEELS THERE IS TO FEEL. Lol. I kind of skimmed parts of your review, because I've still to read Through the Ever Night, but since you wrote spoiler free.. well :D I needed to know. I'm glad that it kept you on the edge of your seat. It's not every day that the last book can make you feel that way. Also, aren't you over the moon about there being zero love triangle things for Perry and Aria? Yes, there was Brooke, but she wasn't really any competition. Not really. You can write love in a way for it to be outstanding, painful, sweet, hot, memorable, soulful without there being any love triangles. Rossi is the queen of swoon :-)
ReplyDeleteSo glad that the ending was satisfying. The last book can definitely make or break a series and I was so hoping this one would end in a way that I could be happy about. I love the relationship between Perry and Aria and it sounds like the relationship continued to deepen and that they make each other stronger. Great review and I can't wait to read it! ~Pam
ReplyDeleteYou know I am about half way through this so I quickly scrolled down! I'll be back for sure though:)
ReplyDeleteGah! I cried. My only complaint is that there's never enough Perry and Aria for my taste. But I don't think there's ever going to be enough. I love this book so much. I describe it as the book that I needed it to be. I totally agree that Rossi was so brave and didn't hold back. I loved how I felt like everyone was a stake because they were!
ReplyDeleteI agree with everything you've mentioned, Lauren. I love this couple TO PIECES. Aria and Perry are incredibly well-matched, suited for their emotional needs and deeply respectful of one another. Moreover, their individual growth lends itself perfectly to their growth as a couple, which isn't always easy, but certainly is worthwhile. I also loved all the other friendships and relationships that this book explored. It was certainly a satisfying conclusion and though it wasn't WOAH like Deathly Hallows may have been, I can't complain one bit. Great review, my friend! :)
ReplyDeleteWhat?? It's on Edelweiss?? How did I not know this? Heading over there right now ...
ReplyDeleteI just wanted to say thank you for this blog! I absolutely HATE love triangles and this is one of the first places I go when deciding to embark on a new series to see the "love triangle factor." Lol. That being said, I completly agree with you and Author's series finalies. I have been soooo dissapointed with many seried finales lately, mostly becauase I feel like the author is trying to add "shock value" to their finales, even if it doenst match the story or the plot. It is like they know we are going to buy the book because we are that invested in the story, so they money is already in their pocket which gives them freedom to do whatever they want at the end. Glad to hear this one is not like that, because I absolutely adore this series, and I dont mine emotional turmoil, as long as the ending makes me smile :).
ReplyDeleteI think my heart slowly broke over your review. NOT because of disappointment or anything negative, but the fact that this is the end and that she made you emotional and didn't hold back so now I'm nervous, but DESPERATE to read it. I can't wait to see more of the great relationship between Perry and Aria (yay for deep and slow!) as well as Roar and Aria (yay for just friends!). Love, love, love the review, Lauren!
ReplyDeleteI hate to admit that I didn't love this one as much D: I think it's because I loved Through the Ever Night soooo much and was really really excited to find out about the Still Blue and then it just wasn't that epic for me. And a little bit that I wanted to find out a lot more about the Still Blue and was kind of sad that this is the end and we don't get to explore more, haha. I wanted there to be something crazy epic there ya know? *shrugs* can't win 'em all for me, hehe.
ReplyDeleteI really hope to get an arc of the next book before it is out! I dont really want to wait an entire year to know what happens! I loved this book so much!
ReplyDeleteBest One Way Links - for real