Everneath

I admit it - I bought this book largely due to the gorgeous cover art. I have a habit of doing that. I haven't been disappointed yet, either.

Nikki "Becks" Beckett vanishes one day and doesn't return for six months. Gossip is that she was off doing drugs. Even her father believes this - he actually insists on random drug testing (and then promptly focuses on his reelection campaign, the jerk.)

However, Nikki was actually in Everneath, a magical underground dimension inhabited by the Everliving, immortals who feed off mortals. Every 100 years, the Everliving kidnap or lure humans away and then feed on them for 100 years. Normally, these humans (Forfeits) don't survive - but Nikki did. In fact, Nikki not only survived, but she did not age and actually returned to the surface. Nikki has six months to say goodbye to those she loves and then return to Everneath. Cole, the Everliving who lured Nikki away and fed on her, believes that she is special, and that with her help, he can become ruler of Everneath. However, Nikki wants none of that. She just wants her old life back. Cole has other ideas, though.

This is a very well-written fantasy novel with a strong female lead and an interesting, original plot. The bond between Nikki and her boyfriend Jack is strong and believable. I even liked Cole, who's actually the bad guy in all this. I can't say the same for Nikki's father, who comes across as self-centered and absorbed with his reelection campaign.

This is the first in a series of at least four books, including [b:Neverfall|15726305|Neverfall (Everneath, #1.5)|Brodi Ashton|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1349292198s/15726305.jpg|21403384], [b:Everbound|13115995|Everbound (Everneath, #2)|Brodi Ashton|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1359138201s/13115995.jpg|18289996], and [b:Evertrue|13626692|Evertrue (Everneath, #3)|Brodi Ashton|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1371053613s/13626692.jpg|19231983]. I haven't read the other three books, but I will definitely check them out.

Everneath took me by surprise. When I first started reading it, I expected the whole modern day Persephone and the Underworld type of story, but it turned out to be WAY different, though it was kind of similar. One of the things that surprised me about Everneath was that it's original. The main character is someone who... fights her impulses and is selfless, even knowing that not taking the easy way out of her VERY complicated situation means losing the life she'd had before forever. Ashton, to me, is talented. She brings to life in her writing this kind of difficult love triangle that's not really one. On one hand, Cole and Nikki's relationship is more of a "drug and user" type while Jack and Nikki have a real "I'll never give up on you and will always love you no matter what's changed" relationship. At the end of the day, it's a story that you've never read or even heard of before, but it's one of those tale's that you'll never forget either.