{Blog Tour} MY LADY JANE by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton & Jodi Meadows: Fun Fact & Giveaway

Huge thanks to Alexa at Alexa Loves Books for putting this tour together! My Lady Jane was so much fun and I can't wait to share more about it with you guys! Be sure to check out the rest of the tour (schedule below) for more fun with The Lady Janies!


Title: My Lady Jane
Author(s): Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton & Jodi Meadows
Series: stand-alone
Publisher: HarperTeen
Publication Date: June 7, 2016
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Audible

For fans of The Princess Bride comes the comical, fantastical, romantical, (not) entirely true story of Lady Jane Grey.

Lady Jane Grey, sixteen, is about to be married to a total stranger—and caught up in an insidious plot to rob her cousin, King Edward, of his throne. But that’s the least of Jane’s problems. She’s about to become Queen of England. Like that could go wrong.

A fun fact about Lady Jane...

Get a taste of this novel by reading the prologue! And if you want to know how much *I* loved this book, check out my review: MY LADY JANE Was So Punny It Hurts.

About the authors:

We're the authors of the upcoming young adult novel, MY LADY JANE, which will be out with HarperTeen on June 7, 2016. Our group is made up of Brodi Ashton (author of the EVERNEATH series and DIPLOMATIC IMMUNITY), Cynthia Hand (New York Times bestselling author of the UNEARTHLY series and THE LAST TIME WE SAY GOODBYE), and Jodi Meadows (author of the INCARNATE and the ORPHAN QUEEN series). Between the three of us we've written thirteen novels, a bunch of novellas, a handful of short stories, and a couple of really bad poems, but this is the first time we've taken a stab at writing a book together. We're friends. We're writers. We're fixing history by rewriting one sad story at a time.

Find The Lady Janies:

Website | Twitter | Facebook

Enter below to win one of THREE finished copies of My Lady Jane as part of the tour-wide giveaway!

Open internationally as long as The Book Depository ships to your country.

a Rafflecopter giveaway


My Lady Jane Tour Dates:

June 6
Angie @ Lady Knight Reads
Sarah @ The YA Book Traveler

June 7
Sarah @ What Sarah Read
Lauren @ Love is Not a Triangle

June 8
Lauren @ Bookmark Lit
Stephanie @ A Dream Within a Dream

June 9
Mary @ Mary Had a Little Book Blog
Nori @ Read Write Love 28

June 10
Bonnie @ A Backwards Story
Gail @ Ticket to Anywhere

June 13
Kelly @ Belle of the Literati
Lisa @ Lisa Loves Literature

June 14
Lori @ Writing My Own Fairytale
Alyssa @ The Eater of Books

June 15
Mishma @ Chasing Faerytales
Sarah @ Aphonic Sarah

June 16
Jessica @ Step Into Fiction
Jen @ The Starry-Eyed Revue

June 17
Kassiah @ Swoony Boys Podcast
Lisa @ Lost in Literature


Happy reading!

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Labels: alternate history, blog tour, brodi ashton, cynthia hand, favorites, funfunfun, giveaways, harper-collins, historical fiction, jodi meadows, lady janies, my lady jane, promotions, retellings, the princess bride

MY LADY JANE Was So Punny It Hurts

Title: My Lady Jane
Author(s): Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton & Jodi Meadows
Series: stand-alone
Publisher: HarperTeen
Publication Date: June 7, 2016
Source: ARC received from publisher
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Audible

For fans of The Princess Bride comes the comical, fantastical, romantical, (not) entirely true story of Lady Jane Grey.

Lady Jane Grey, sixteen, is about to be married to a total stranger—and caught up in an insidious plot to rob her cousin, King Edward, of his throne. But that’s the least of Jane’s problems. She’s about to become Queen of England. Like that could go wrong.

This alternate version of the events leading up to and following the subsequent nine-day reign of Lady Jane Grey is equal parts hilarious and fantastical. I knew little of Lady Jane's rise to the queenship, but now I know the real story. *wink, wink* And it was ever so much fun!

I've read and adored series by all three of The Lady Janies, so I knew in my heart of hearts that this was going to be a worthwhile endeavor. They each have their own voice as they each write one of three perspectives: King Edward, Lady Jane, and Lord Gifford. I'm pretty sure I figured out which author wrote which POV early on, but I won't hazard a guess here because I don't want to spoil anything. Besides, it's more fun to guess!

This story is not historically accurate; it's not intended to be. But the aspects from history that were included made it feel as if this could have been how things really happened. It's a flight of fancy, I know, but I would like Jane to not have lost her head in the whole ordeal. There was entirely too much of that "off with her head" business back in those days for my liking, anyway.

That Eðian business was particularly refreshing, though. It's not mentioned in the synopsis, but it's apparently on the back cover, so I don't feel I'm revealing too much by discussing it. Besides, it's essential to the plot and also the dividing factor in the realm at this point. [In this version of history, at least. ;0)] Which means it should be as much up for discussion now as it is in the book. Where all the citizens of the queendom do is fight about it or try to master their animal change...or both. It's all rather mysterious and hush-hush, but in the best way possible. I wish I could change in to an animal at will. I would just prefer to pick which animal. =)

My Lady Jane is remarkably hilarious. It pays homage to favorites like The Princess Bride and Monty Python and other classics, while also including quips from more recent obsessions of mine, like Tangled. ("Frying pans. Who knew?") I alternated between loving these allusions...and not. They were funny until they became a little forced, a little too much for the specific moment. But most of the time, I treasured their wit and playfulness amidst the direness of the situation. The horse jokes DID NOT QUIT and they were perfection. And the remarks from the narrators (read: authors) throughout the story were equally funny and definitely made me feel like I was Fred Savage while reading this book. (If you don't get that reference, I don't think we can be friends.)

This was quite a story. It was just missing that je ne sais quoi that would have made it a five-star read for me. Maybe it was the fact that Lord Gifford wanted to be called G? That just did not feel right at all. Maybe it was the fact that it felt like the nods to other comedies were overused, that I would have loved to see more of the authors' own brands of humor integrated into the story? I'm not certain. But the voices were distinctive. The characterization was neatly done. The romance was pretty adorable, as well. And the story was clever as all get out. So it must just be me.

I think this story will resonate with fans of historical fiction and fans of the comedic genius of those movies listed above, alike. It's punniness sure had me cackling like a lunatic from beginning to end. I hope The Lady Janies collaborate like this again, to much ensuing hilarity.

GIF it to me straight:

About the author:

We're the authors of the upcoming young adult novel, MY LADY JANE, which will be out with HarperTeen on June 7, 2016. Our group is made up of Brodi Ashton (author of the EVERNEATH series and DIPLOMATIC IMMUNITY), Cynthia Hand (New York Times bestselling author of the UNEARTHLY series and THE LAST TIME WE SAY GOODBYE), and Jodi Meadows (author of the INCARNATE and the ORPHAN QUEEN series). Between the three of us we've written thirteen novels, a bunch of novellas, a handful of short stories, and a couple of really bad poems, but this is the first time we've taken a stab at writing a book together. We're friends. We're writers. We're fixing history by rewriting one sad story at a time. See THE AUTHORS tab for more information.

Find The Lady Janies:

Website | Twitter

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Labels: alternate history, brodi ashton, cynthia hand, favorites, funfunfun, harper-collins, historical fiction, jodi meadows, lady janies, my lady jane, retellings, the princess bride

{WOW} My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton & Jodi Meadows

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's WoW selection is...








's Pick:



Title: My Lady Jane
Author: Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton & Jodi Meadows
Series: n/a
Publisher: HarperTeen
Publication Date: June 7, 2016

For fans of The Princess Bride comes the comical, fantastical, romantical, (not) entirely true story of Lady Jane Grey.

Lady Jane Grey, sixteen, is about to be married to a total stranger—and caught up in an insidious plot to rob her cousin, King Edward, of his throne. But that’s the least of Jane’s problems. She’s about to become Queen of England. Like that could go wrong.

Mentioning The Princess Bride in the summary of any book will almost certainly guarantee that I will be picking it up. But I'm also on a huge historical fiction high right now -- and the more with humor and banter the better. So, this collaboration sounds all kinds of awesome and there is no doubt I will be grabbing a copy as soon as humanly possible.


What are you desperately waiting for this Wednesday? Let us know in the comments or share a link to your own WoW post!

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Labels: brodi ashton, collaboration, cynthia hand, favorite authors, harper-collins, historical fiction, jodi meadows, my lady jane, waiting on wednesday (wow)

Review: Evertrue by Brodi Ashton

Title: Evertrue
Author: Brodi Ashton
Series: Everneath, book #3
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Publication Date: January 21, 2014
Source:  borrowed from Sara
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Now that Nikki has rescued Jack, all she wants is to be with him and graduate high school. But Cole tricked Nikki into feeding off him, and she’s begun the process of turning into an Everliving herself... which means she must feed on a Forfeit soon — or die.

Terrified for her survival, Nikki and Jack begin a desperate attempt to reverse the process using any means possible. Even Cole, who they expected to fight them at every turn, has become an unlikely ally — but how long can it last? Nikki needs to feed on Cole to survive, Cole needs Nikki to gain the throne in the Everneath, Jack needs Nikki because she is everything to him — and together, they must travel back to the Underworld to undo Nikki’s fate and make her mortal once more. But Cole isn’t the only one with plans for Nikki: the Queen has not forgotten Nikki’s treachery, and she wants her destroyed for good. Will Nikki be forced to spend eternity in the Underworld, or does she have what it takes to bring down the Everneath once and for all?

In this stunning conclusion to the Everneath trilogy, Brodi Ashton evokes the resiliency of the human spirit and the indomitable power of true love.

Oh, my heart!  This series finale, while no more brutal than other recent series endings, left me desolate.  I devoured this book, but over the course of the novel, I think I distanced myself from the characters and the story.  I actually think I've been doing that with a lot of finales lately, to save myself from the pain, I suppose. But with Evertrue, I couldn't help how my heart was dashed to pieces.

I was numb for most of the book.  Cole was not Cole.  Jack was a bit over-bearing, and Nikki was just...well, her usual over-thinking self.  I loved Everbound, loved it sooo hard.  And even though we do return to the Everneath in this book, it just didn't have the same draw.  Nothing about this final book had the same impact, emotional or otherwise, as the previous two books.  Until that ending.

The amnesia plot in this book kind of drove me nuts.  As did Jack's caveman attitude.  I felt like I no longer knew these two boys, and honestly, I couldn't have cared less who Nikki ended up with.  I am all for the redeemable bad boy, and so I previously sided with Cole, despite his various misdeeds.  But I knew that ultimately that could never be.  I'd made my peace with that.  And with this final installment, I didn't really find him appealing anymore, as different as he was. Until that ending.

But this wasn't ever really a love triangle to begin with, so I don't want to focus on that aspect.  I think it was the overall plot that bothered me most.  I just didn't feel invested in where the story was headed, and the characters didn't help with that.  I read it quickly, but that was because I was trying to get to the end, to where I know Ashton's strengths really lie. The woman can write an ending, if the previous two books are to be believed.  And here again, she delivers.  I can't say I particularly love the turn it took, but it was fitting, if nothing else.  And Cole got some pretty good lines in there at the end.

Evertrue was not my favorite ending to a series, but when you never want your favorite series to end in the first place, that is a tall feat to accomplish anyway.  It hit me in the feels.  It made me want to bang my head against the wall.  It made my heart hurt.  And that's pretty much all I can ask from a finale:  that it makes me feel something...that it makes me reminisce over the entire series and want to read it again in one go.

GIF it to me straight:

About the author:

Because of two parents who were Greek myth geeks, I grew up thinking the latest fashion trends were inspired by Aphrodite, and a good conversational opener was, “So, which mythological character do you most resemble?” Despite these social shortcomings, I found a great husband who’s always my first reader. We live in Utah with our two young boys, who still have no idea why I'm at the computer all the time.

I received a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism from the University of Utah and a Master’s degree in International Relations from the London School of Economics.

Find Brodi:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

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Labels: afterlife, brodi ashton, everneath, harper-collins, mythology, paranormal, retellings, souls

Waiting on Wednesday: Evertrue by Brodi Ashton

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's WoW selection is...

Title: Evertrue
Author: Brodi Ashton
Series: Everneath, book #3
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Publication Date: January 21, 2014

Now that Nikki has rescued Jack, all she wants is to be with him and graduate high school. But Cole tricked Nikki into feeding off him, and she’s begun the process of turning into an Everliving herself... which means she must feed on a Forfeit soon — or die.

Terrified for her survival, Nikki and Jack begin a desperate attempt to reverse the process using any means possible. Even Cole, who they expected to fight them at every turn, has become an unlikely ally — but how long can it last? Nikki needs to feed on Cole to survive, Cole needs Nikki to gain the throne in the Everneath, Jack needs Nikki because she is everything to him — and together, they must travel back to the Underworld to undo Nikki’s fate and make her mortal once more. But Cole isn’t the only one with plans for Nikki: the Queen has not forgotten Nikki’s treachery, and she wants her destroyed for good. Will Nikki be forced to spend eternity in the Underworld, or does she have what it takes to bring down the Everneath once and for all?

In this stunning conclusion to the Everneath trilogy, Brodi Ashton evokes the resiliency of the human spirit and the indomitable power of true love.

After that nasty trick Cole pulled at the end of Everbound, I just have to know what Nikki and Jack are going to do.  And even after Cole's deception, I still feel some kind of devotion to him...like he's just misunderstood or something.  Gah, I can see why it was so easy for Nikki to fall into him and the Everneath when things seemed so dire and desperate before.  January is so. Far. Away.  :(

Now that you know what I'm dying to read, what are you waiting on this week?  Feel free to share it in the comments or leave a link so I can stop by!

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Labels: afterlife, brodi ashton, everneath, favorites, harper-collins, souls, waiting on wednesday (wow)

Review: Everbound by Brodi Ashton

Title: Everbound
Author: Brodi Ashton
Series: Everneath, book #2
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Publication Date: January 22, 2013
Source: ARC received from publisher
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Nikki Beckett could only watch as her boyfriend, Jack, sacrificed himself to save her, taking her place in the Tunnels of the Everneath for eternity — a debt that should’ve been hers. She’s living a borrowed life, and she doesn’t know what to do with the guilt. And every night Jack appears in her dreams, lost and confused and wasting away.

Desperate for answers, Nikki turns to Cole, the immortal bad boy who wants to make her his queen — and the one person least likely to help. But his heart has been touched by everything about Nikki, and he agrees to assist her in the only way he can: by taking her to the Everneath himself.

Nikki and Cole descend into the Everneath, only to discover that their journey will be more difficult than they’d anticipated — and more deadly. But Nikki vows to stop at nothing to save Jack — even if it means making an incredible sacrifice of her own.

In this enthralling sequel to Everneath, Brodi Ashton tests the bonds of destiny and explores the lengths we’ll go to for the ones we love.

First, if you haven't read Everneath, please read no further, as I will not be able to help myself.  Spoilers possible abound from this point forward.

Second, to the author:


After that torturous ending in Everneath, I thought Brodi Ashton was done tormenting us for a bit.  I thought we might catch a break in Everbound and find a happy medium until she delivered the final gut-wrenching blow.  But all she does is lull us into thinking we're safe and sound, almost comfortable with Cole as we search for a way to bring Jack back.

If the conclusion of Everneath taught us anything, it's that even though this series is a retelling of the Persephone myth, the author doesn't stray too far from her mythology.  That is to say, much like the Greek myth it's based on, this story is rife with tragedy, sacrifice and betrayal...and I don't even think we've seen the worst of it yet.  Actually, after that last page, I know we haven't.


I read Cole's novella, but even before that, I knew that his feelings for Nikki were more honest and sincere than anything else about him, even if he and Nikki hadn't figured it out yet.  Honestly, though, it might take hitting Nikki in the face with a baseball bat that reads, "Cole is in love with you!" for her to get it.  Girl has a one-track mind and it is set to Jack.  But with Jack gone, the only person she can turn to for help is Cole.  After much persuasion, he reluctantly agrees to take Nikki to the Everneath to search for Jack, leaving us to wonder if he's doing it because he loves Nikki or for some ulterior motive, say his unending quest to make her queen of the Everneath, maybe?  Because he can't be doing it from the goodness of his own heart...he doesn't have one.

And this is where it starts to get good.  Nikki's been blaming herself for what happened to Jack, but she finally feels like she's doing something about it.  Gone is the moping, infuriatingly sad Nikki we saw in Everneath and the beginning of this book.  She's on a mission, she's focused on the task at hand, and considering she survived the Feed, she might just have a chance of succeeding.  With Cole's help, of course.

The bond between Nikki and Cole was already unbelievably strong after the Feed, and despite Nikki's love for Jack, she still feels the pull to Cole.  The longer they are together on this journey to the center of the earth, the more Nikki begins to see Cole as an ally, a friend, instead of the jerk who ruined her life.  But they don't always play nice.  There is plenty of angst and hurt feelings as they try to come to terms with everything they've done to each other since first meeting.  It doesn't help that in order to track down the location of the tunnels, they have to rely on Nikki's memories to tether herself to Jack, a tether that acts like a string, leading them straight to Jack's location...hopefully.  As Nikki replays memory after memory of Jack, and Cole's frustration with the situation continues to grow, it becomes increasingly evident that Cole's feelings for Nikki are growing ever deeper, especially since he doesn't seem to have the ability to hide them from Nikki in the Everneath like he does on the Surface.  There is definitely more to Cole than meets the eye; that guy is seriously complex.


So, yeah, I started to ship the Cole/Nikki romance, even though I know Jack is truly what's best for Nikki.  This triangle -- if you can call it that...doesn't Nikki have to be on board for it to actually work? -- is one to rival that of the Unearthly series, in terms of how much I personally like both of the love interests.  Nikki doesn't really believe that Cole loves her, but just in case, she makes sure to take advantage of his would-be feelings at every opportunity.  Normally, that's why I despise love triangles...the person in the middle has too much power and someone is going to get hurt (or killed, if the author determines that the pain of death is less than the pain of rejection) before all is said and done.  But I guess because one of the key players is written as a villain, I find the whole thing less appalling...kind of like the Shatter Me "triangle".  Plus, Jack is absent from most of the book, except in Nikki's memories, so it was easy to hope that Nikki would fall for Cole while he so gallantly aided her in her rescue of Jack.

Besides writing a love triangle that doesn't make me want to yak, you want to know what else Ashton excels at?  Building a world beneath a freaking world.  Her descriptions of the Everneath through Nikki's eyes were  impressive to read and even more amazing to imagine.  The second Cole drew the map for Nikki, I was transported there to the outer ring of the Everneath, wondering what the next step was right along with Nikki.    And then there was that insurmountable maze to get to the center of the Everneath and all of the obstacles along the way.  Yes, this is a retelling of an ancient myth, but once we traveled to the underworld, it almost felt like a fantasy novel, so lush was the world-building.

Dire circumstances, evolved characters, action sequences aplenty, and double the emotional impact of the first novel...these are the things you can expect from Everbound.  You should also expect the unexpected.  Things to remember for your trek to the Everneath:  (1) don't forget your mythology lessons, (2) never take anything at face value, and (3) keep your friends close and your (fri)enemies closer.  If you keep these things in mind as you read, maybe you won't make the same mistakes as Nikki did on her journey.


Favorite Quotes:

He leaned back in the sofa and put his hands behind his head.  "There's the old Nik.  No 'How do you do,' no talk of the weather.  Just a good swift kick to the balls."
"A kick to the balls is an option?"
He frowned.  "Now, that doesn't sound like you."
"People change."
"Not you.  Not that much."
"You don't know me."

I looked out the window, to where he'd signaled, but I didn't see anything.  "What, did you alert the authorities or something?" I mumbled.  "Unauthorized attempt to eat hair at the Shop-n-Go?"

I shook my head.  "Just what do you think I'll owe you?"
He leaned closer to me.  "For saving the love of your life?  Everything."
There was this incredibly tense moment, and I wished I could see Cole's face.  But then I felt him relax against me.  "And then you'll just run away again, and I'll have to find another way to impress you; and that, Nikki Bennett, is the eternal loop."

He lifted his head so that his eyes met mine.  "I always wait for you."  He took a deep breath, my ankle still in his hands.  "I'm always waiting for you."
In an embarrassingly breathless voice that didn't sound like my own, I said, "Because I'm so slow?"
He smiled.  "Yes.  But not in the way that you think."

Rating:  

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Labels: all the feels, book trailers, brodi ashton, everneath, favorites, harper-collins, must-read, mythology, retellings

Short Story Sunday #5: The Witch of Duva by Leigh Bardugo & Neverfall by Brodi Ashton

Short stories are awesome.  They give us in-depth insight into characters, providing anecdotal proof of why some characters are they way they are.  They entertain by creating a certain mood or focusing on a singular effect...some instance in a previous body of work (or one to follow) that might have been glossed over or ignored completely in a longer novel. 

And so, every Sunday for the foreseeable future, I would like to highlight short stories and novellas set in worlds I've already come to love and learn a little more about some of the secondary characters in my favorite novels.  I'll be underscoring some of my favorite aspects of these short works of fiction, in addition to offering up a mini review of each work.

Missed last week's post (again) so I'm featuring two separate but equally awesome short stories this week:

Title: The Witch of Duva
Author: Leigh Bardugo
Series: The Grisha, book #0.5 (prequel/folk tale)
Publisher: Tor
Publication Date: June 5, 2012
Source: read online for free at Tor.com
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

There was a time when the woods near Duva ate girls… or so the story goes. But it’s just possible that the danger may be a little bit closer to home. This story is a companion folk tale to Leigh Bardugo’s debut novel, Shadow and Bone.

This short story set in the Grisha world is a Hansel & Gretel retelling that is equal parts dark and creepy and terribly enthralling.  It's been a while since I read Shadow and Bone so I can't really comment on how this short ties into that storyline without going back for a re-read -- which I will totally be doing soon in preparation for Siege and Storm -- but as a re-imagining of the old Hansel & Gretel fairy tale, it is fantastic.

The Witch of Duva isn't what I expected at all.  I was continuously surprised and completely flabbergasted by the turn the story took, but I also really enjoyed the realizations I was left with concerning character motivations and discerning true danger from that which is perceived.

I loved Leigh Bardugo's writing in Shadow and Bone and I once again found myself fascinated and utterly captivated with it in this short story.  And now I'm kind of hoping that she'll write a book featuring only her versions of folk tales...her spin on this one was incredible!

Rating:  

Title: Neverfall
Author: Brodi Ashton
Series: Everneath, book #1.5 (Cole's POV)
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Publication Date: December 26, 2012
Source: purchased
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

A thrilling new novella from the author of the Everneath series!

Jack is trapped for eternity in the Tunnels while Nikki has managed to evade Cole's grasp . . . for now. But Cole is more desperate than ever to find answers about Nikki, his best chance for taking over the throne of the underworld. How did she survive the Feed? Can Cole find another Forfeit like her who can survive it too?

Cole's quest leads him to the other side of the world, to a mysterious, dangerous society known as the Delphinians, whose price for information might be higher than Cole can pay—a price that could destroy Nikki. But when Cole attempts to steal the answers instead, his mission ends in disaster. Faced with centuries in a Delphinian dungeon, Cole is confronted with questions he's been too scared to ask himself: Is he really obsessed with the throne—or is he obsessed with Nikki? And can she really give him a new beginning as the Everneath's king . . . or will she instead bring about his tragic end?

So, pretty much the only reason I've been putting off reading my ARC of Everbound is because I was waiting to read this novella from Cole's point-of-view.  Well, that and my reading buddy Em will kill me if I start it without her.  =)  I knew it probably wouldn't add that much to the story, but doesn't every girl want to get inside of the guy's head and find out what he's really thinking?  I know I was curious!

This short story mostly focuses on Cole's unwillingness to admit to himself that it's not just his need to find another Forfeit like Nikki that fuels his obsession with her...it's also his desire for Nikki to be his and his alone that stokes the flames of his passion for ruling the Everneath.  After awhile, it almost seems like he doesn't even care about the throne, so much as making Nikki his.  He even gets himself into a spot of trouble because of it.  I liked seeing the inner-workings of this Everliving's mind, and because of that aforementioned trouble, there's plenty of time to figure out how Cole thinks and what he most desires.

As in the first book, there are portions of the story told in the present and those are interspersed with flashbacks to before the last Feed and a few memories from the six months after.  So, not only do we get to dig a little deeper into what makes Cole tick, but we also get to see key moments from Everneath from his perspective and see what hand he really had in the final outcome.  I have to say that I was more than a little surprised...I actually still held out hope that he orchestrated the entire ordeal, but I could still be further shocked because at less than 100 pages, it's hard to get the full picture.  That just means it's time to pick up Everbound!!!  :D

Rating:  

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Labels: brodi ashton, everneath, fairy tales, harper-collins, leigh bardugo, macmillan, novellas, retellings, reviews, short story sunday, the grisha trilogy, tor teen