Through the Ever Night

March 1, 2013

Gr 7 Up-Rossi continues the excellent saga that she began in Under the Never Sky (HarperCollins, 2012). Perry is still struggling with his new duties as Blood Lord of the Tides tribe when he is reunited with Aria. Although she is an Aud, blessed with supernatural hearing, Aria receives a cool welcome from most of the Tides because her mother was one of the Dwellers from the domed community of Reverie. She earns the acceptance of the tribe when she uses her hearing to rescue a child during an Aether storm but is still poisoned shortly thereafter. She slips away from the compound without telling Peregrine in order to keep him safe and to search for the Clear Blue, a place that is rumored to be immune to Aether storms. She hopes to trade its location to Consul Hess of Reverie for the release of Talon, Peregrine's nephew. Peregrine also believes that the Clear Blue may be the last hope for his people as the Aether storms are increasing in intensity, threatening the lands and lives of this tribe. Even apart, Aria and Peregrine's feelings for each other deepen while their struggles and tragedies only make their hope that much stronger. Rossi's descriptions of their supernatural senses add richness to her prose. This book doesn't stand on its own but builds strongly on the previous volume. It should appeal to readers of dystopia, fantasy, and romance.-Eric Norton, McMillan Memorial Library, Wisconsin Rapids, WI

Copyright 2013 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 15, 2012
Rossi returns to her dystopia, in which main characters Aria and Peregrine fight for survival in the face of unpredictable forces (Under the Never Sky, 2012). An orphan now living outside of her domed home, Aria is dependent on her new allies, the same people she once regarded as incorrigible savages. Having defeated his brother in the first book of the series, Perry is now Blood Lord, but he has yet to earn the fierce loyalty he yearns for from his people. Rossi splits her storytelling between each of these two characters' perspectives, but the resulting narrative is less engaging than readers may expect. Reminders of what has already passed are sparse; readers may have trouble orienting themselves. Driving action is limited during the first half of the book, until an incident in which Aria falls victim to treachery. This critical moment precedes a second half that is rife with twists and turns. The emotional voltage ramps up too, as characters grapple with betrayal, loss and temptation. The relationship between Aria and Perry, however, soars on a nearly unbroken trajectory throughout the story, dampening the excitement for readers with its predictability. Though it takes too long to get started, it delivers compelling drama in the end; whether that's enough to keep fans engaged for Into the Still Blue (coming in 2014) is debatable. (Dystopian romance. 14 & up)

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January 1, 2013
Grades 8-11 Months after their parting at the conclusion of Under the Never Sky (2012), Aria and Peregrine are reunited. However, their respite is short-lived as Aria is the victim of treachery at her Marking ceremony, and she leaves the Tides with Roar in search of Liv and the Still Blue. Meanwhile, Perry struggles as a new Blood Lord to keep the Tides together amidst the dissent, Aether strikes, and hunger. With Reverie crumbling, Soren reaches out to Aria behind the back of his father, whose cold machinations rise to new heights. Having previously established the characters and conflicts, this story of loyalty, survival, and love satisfies with its balance of action and emotional resonance. It does what all good sequels do: mines the core of the first volume to set the well-developed characters loose on a new task, with strengthened passions, motivations, and connections. The finale sets up the potential for the culmination of this trilogy to be the final test of Peregrine and Aria's future as leaders and partners striving to save two crumbling societies.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)