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Everneath #1.5
Neverfall
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?
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?
96 pages, ebook
First published December 26, 2012
73 people are currently reading
7117 people want to read
About the author
Brodi Ashton
19 books2,941 followersI write Young Adult novels. I eat cinnamon bears. I love me some Diet Coke.
My debut book EVERNEATH (the first in a trilogy) comes out Winter 2012 with Balzer and Bray (Harper Collins).
I'm represented by Michael Bourret at Dystel and Goderich Literary Management.
My debut book EVERNEATH (the first in a trilogy) comes out Winter 2012 with Balzer and Bray (Harper Collins).
I'm represented by Michael Bourret at Dystel and Goderich Literary Management.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 394 reviews
December 27, 2012
This book is similar to Tahereh Mafi's Destroy Me. Because both are in the "bad guys'" POV, and they pick up right where the previous books end. Not that I'm complaining.
January 27, 2013
Had a book hangover from finishing Everbound - found this. 
This was the best novella I have ever read. Can I give it 10 stars?
Brodi Ashton is an amazing writer. This is written from Cole's perspective, and his voice is so different than Nikki's! He's really funny.
Cole (whose real name is Coleson Stockflet, by the way, who knew?) is my favorite character in this series. If you wondered what was going on in his head in Everneath (and to better understand how he acted in Everbound), just read this book.
This novella gives you a whole new view of him, and it's really kind of fascinating.
I. Loved. It.
This was the best novella I have ever read. Can I give it 10 stars?
Brodi Ashton is an amazing writer. This is written from Cole's perspective, and his voice is so different than Nikki's! He's really funny.
Cole (whose real name is Coleson Stockflet, by the way, who knew?) is my favorite character in this series. If you wondered what was going on in his head in Everneath (and to better understand how he acted in Everbound), just read this book.
This novella gives you a whole new view of him, and it's really kind of fascinating.
I. Loved. It.
January 10, 2013
This review is also available over at my blog.
______________________
I like the cover, but I wish it had Cole in it instead of the same picture used in the Everbound cover. Wouldn't that be way cooler? :D
Anyways, my thing with Cole is that, I'm aware that he's immortal, yeah. But for some reason I'm just not really...convinced about it. I was excited when I heard this was going to be from his POV, and maybe I'll get a chance to finally get to know his past, since he's lived since like the beginning of time or whatever. But there was only one scene where we got a glimpse of his past, and they were all just extremely brief flashes of random things.
A perfect example of an immortal protagonist to me would be Nastasya from the Immortal Beloved series. In all three of the books, we get in-depth scenes of various things in her past, and it made me actually believe that she's an immortal, regardless of how, well, modern she acts. I never saw her as, say, 18. I saw her as 460.
Cole, on the other hand, the author doesn't seem to wanna show his past and keep him mysterious, and that kind of disappoints me. I'm not fully convinced that he's immortal because the way he acts is so...21st century teenage guy, you know? I thought the author would at least give us some of his memories since he's lived for centuries, but there was barely any mention besides that one scene I talked about.
Don't get me wrong, I really really like Cole. I'm just not fully convinced that he's immortal, and I just really wanted to see his past and learn of his backstory, like how he became an Everliving, mostly, and just basically what he went through all those centuries to make him the way he is now. Surely I'm not the only one who feels this way, right?
I liked this novella a lot, but the whole barely-any-mention-of-Cole's-past thing really did disappoint me and I sadly have to take away one star. So excited for Everbound!
______________________
I like the cover, but I wish it had Cole in it instead of the same picture used in the Everbound cover. Wouldn't that be way cooler? :D
Anyways, my thing with Cole is that, I'm aware that he's immortal, yeah. But for some reason I'm just not really...convinced about it. I was excited when I heard this was going to be from his POV, and maybe I'll get a chance to finally get to know his past, since he's lived since like the beginning of time or whatever. But there was only one scene where we got a glimpse of his past, and they were all just extremely brief flashes of random things.
A perfect example of an immortal protagonist to me would be Nastasya from the Immortal Beloved series. In all three of the books, we get in-depth scenes of various things in her past, and it made me actually believe that she's an immortal, regardless of how, well, modern she acts. I never saw her as, say, 18. I saw her as 460.
Cole, on the other hand, the author doesn't seem to wanna show his past and keep him mysterious, and that kind of disappoints me. I'm not fully convinced that he's immortal because the way he acts is so...21st century teenage guy, you know? I thought the author would at least give us some of his memories since he's lived for centuries, but there was barely any mention besides that one scene I talked about.
Don't get me wrong, I really really like Cole. I'm just not fully convinced that he's immortal, and I just really wanted to see his past and learn of his backstory, like how he became an Everliving, mostly, and just basically what he went through all those centuries to make him the way he is now. Surely I'm not the only one who feels this way, right?
I liked this novella a lot, but the whole barely-any-mention-of-Cole's-past thing really did disappoint me and I sadly have to take away one star. So excited for Everbound!
December 27, 2012
Novellas that take place between sequels in the YA verse have become increasingly popular. I remain a skeptic because I haven't seen many novellas that have added anything to the story. But every once in a while, I get surprised and impressed. Neverfall did both.
Neverfall is probably the best novella I've read, and is a must read for a reader of the Everneath series. Why? The novella adds essential information, changes the perspective to Cole's so we get to understand this enigmatic character better, and is well thought out. This novella focuses on Cole, probably the most fascinating character in this trilogy. We get to learn more of what happened in Everneath through his eyes-- and there are definitely some surprises there! Furthermore, the story gets propelled to the present between books, and we see what happens in the background, learn more about Cole and his motivations, learn more about the Everliving and Cole's friends.
The book is well written, and doesn't feel like a cast off or a vehicle merely to show a sneak peek of the next novel. It is a stand alone story, and adds a lot to the Everneath-verse. This is one of the rare cases that I would say that this book is a must read for readers of Everneath. It adds a depth and richness to the story, as well as gives us a glimpse at one of the most interesting characters, Cole.
Overall, a terrific addition to the story of Everneath, and a must read for those who are following Nikki, Jack, and Cole through their journey.
Neverfall is probably the best novella I've read, and is a must read for a reader of the Everneath series. Why? The novella adds essential information, changes the perspective to Cole's so we get to understand this enigmatic character better, and is well thought out. This novella focuses on Cole, probably the most fascinating character in this trilogy. We get to learn more of what happened in Everneath through his eyes-- and there are definitely some surprises there! Furthermore, the story gets propelled to the present between books, and we see what happens in the background, learn more about Cole and his motivations, learn more about the Everliving and Cole's friends.
The book is well written, and doesn't feel like a cast off or a vehicle merely to show a sneak peek of the next novel. It is a stand alone story, and adds a lot to the Everneath-verse. This is one of the rare cases that I would say that this book is a must read for readers of Everneath. It adds a depth and richness to the story, as well as gives us a glimpse at one of the most interesting characters, Cole.
Overall, a terrific addition to the story of Everneath, and a must read for those who are following Nikki, Jack, and Cole through their journey.
January 4, 2013
WHY DO I HAVE TO LOVE BOTH BOYS?? I always thought my undeniable obsession with Jack Caputo was enough, but of course Brodi Ashton has to make me fall for Cole too.
The way this was told from his perspective was GENIUS, and I loved -- as I always do with make POVs -- seeing Cole's adorable perception of Nikki. He's such a damn softie Ben though he pretends to play the tough rocker guy. And he loves her too much not to make me gush AWWWWWW (':
Also, that excerpt from Everbound at the end?? KIND OF KILLED ME, OH MY GOODNESS. Jaaaaaaaaack, I love youuuuuuuuuuu ❤
This was definitely a great fix to curb my addiction to this series for a moment... although it really only makes me crave Everbound even more afterwards!
The way this was told from his perspective was GENIUS, and I loved -- as I always do with make POVs -- seeing Cole's adorable perception of Nikki. He's such a damn softie Ben though he pretends to play the tough rocker guy. And he loves her too much not to make me gush AWWWWWW (':
Also, that excerpt from Everbound at the end?? KIND OF KILLED ME, OH MY GOODNESS. Jaaaaaaaaack, I love youuuuuuuuuuu ❤
This was definitely a great fix to curb my addiction to this series for a moment... although it really only makes me crave Everbound even more afterwards!
January 16, 2013
I suppose that, when compared to other YA Novellas, Neverfall is kind of amazing. Yet, taking into account that the novellas I usually read are either written by Australian Authors (Melina Marchetta's Ferragost) or Adult Urban Fantasy Authors (Ilona Andrews), Neverfall fell short of the exemplary novella-writing I've come to expect when I crack open these short stories. While it was entertaining and kept me engaged (for the most part), I struggle to find the real purpose in it. Is there a point, because really, I would have picked up Everbound with excitement even without this filler piece.
Neverfall is told from Cole's PoV and every few chapters or so, we are gifted flashbacks to Cole's meetings with Nikki and his perspective of their brief exchanges. In the present-day, however, Cole is desperately trying to find an answer to why Nikki was able to survive the Feed - and what the secret is to finding another human who can survive it too. Although the beginning of this novel is slow, and I did skim a few sections, it gradually picks up as Cole's quest takes him to places that we, as the reader, could have never imagined. In fact, I find myself being bowled over, once again, by the creativity Ashton uses throughout this series and her deft incorporation of Greek myth in a modern setting. I am still very much in love with it.
Where this story fell flat for me, though, is my understanding of Cole. In Everneath it is very obvious that Cole has no real or true feelings for Nikki. We don't really have a love triangle on our hands as Cole simply wants Nikki so that he himself can survive for thousands and thousands of more years and, of course, gain power along the way. In Neverfall, this understanding of Cole is only confirmed as he is truly only interested in Nikki for what she can offer him. When extenuating circumstances force him to question his life and his reason for existence, however, he rapidly comes to the conclusion that he is, in fact, in love with Nikki. Now, I still firmly believe that Cole has an obsession with Nikki - nothing more, nothing less - even at the end of this short story, which really proves that this novella is pointless. Cole doesn't change and although it says he changed, we have nothing to substantiate that claim and his change of heart is so quick that it is missed in one small sentence.
Nevertheless, I still enjoyed being back in this world, reading the banter between Cole and his best friend, Max, and re-familiarizing myself with the world Ashton created. If nothing else, Neverfall is a great reminder of what the Everneath Series offers and it throws in some creative new settings and mythology at the same time. Although I wouldn't have missed out on much - or lessened my understanding of Cole - if I had skipped this, Neverfall remains a must-read for all fans of Everneath.
Neverfall is told from Cole's PoV and every few chapters or so, we are gifted flashbacks to Cole's meetings with Nikki and his perspective of their brief exchanges. In the present-day, however, Cole is desperately trying to find an answer to why Nikki was able to survive the Feed - and what the secret is to finding another human who can survive it too. Although the beginning of this novel is slow, and I did skim a few sections, it gradually picks up as Cole's quest takes him to places that we, as the reader, could have never imagined. In fact, I find myself being bowled over, once again, by the creativity Ashton uses throughout this series and her deft incorporation of Greek myth in a modern setting. I am still very much in love with it.
Where this story fell flat for me, though, is my understanding of Cole. In Everneath it is very obvious that Cole has no real or true feelings for Nikki. We don't really have a love triangle on our hands as Cole simply wants Nikki so that he himself can survive for thousands and thousands of more years and, of course, gain power along the way. In Neverfall, this understanding of Cole is only confirmed as he is truly only interested in Nikki for what she can offer him. When extenuating circumstances force him to question his life and his reason for existence, however, he rapidly comes to the conclusion that he is, in fact, in love with Nikki. Now, I still firmly believe that Cole has an obsession with Nikki - nothing more, nothing less - even at the end of this short story, which really proves that this novella is pointless. Cole doesn't change and although it says he changed, we have nothing to substantiate that claim and his change of heart is so quick that it is missed in one small sentence.
Nevertheless, I still enjoyed being back in this world, reading the banter between Cole and his best friend, Max, and re-familiarizing myself with the world Ashton created. If nothing else, Neverfall is a great reminder of what the Everneath Series offers and it throws in some creative new settings and mythology at the same time. Although I wouldn't have missed out on much - or lessened my understanding of Cole - if I had skipped this, Neverfall remains a must-read for all fans of Everneath.
July 20, 2013
Absolutely heartbreaking.
This reminded me of when I read Destroy Me, except that Im pretty sure Cole has zero oportunnity to be the one Nikki chooses. Jack is so fucking perfect.
I dont love Cole that much, but I do like his personality better than Jack's.
This was an amazing short novel, it was great getting to know more about the plot through Cole's eyes. I recommend reading it just after finishing Everneath.
April 27, 2013
I kind of was looking forward to maybe a Jack POV, but Cole's will be interesting.
This is all so similar to Destroy Me by Taherah Mafi, though..
This is all so similar to Destroy Me by Taherah Mafi, though..
October 30, 2023
Yep, this is where things start to get bad. I will say that Cole's narrative voice shows his personality, and that makes this an easy read. However, his personality is "charming sociopath the author wants us to love" so I hated spending time with him.
August 11, 2017
Η οπτική του "κακού" παιδιού που όλοι λατρεύουμε να μισούμε και ν' αγαπάμε, μ' έναν τρόπο που η διπολικότητά μας εκτοξεύεται στα ύψη. Μπορεί να μην προσφέρει τρομακτικά πολλά στη δομή της ιστορίας, φωτίζει, ωστόσο, κάποιες ενδιαφέρουσες πτυχές ενός ακόμα πιο ενδιαφέρων χαρακτήρα.
December 27, 2012
An eerie stepping stone to book 2, I'm not a fan of Cole and through his point of view, I like him even less... My heart wonders what Nikki will do in the next chapter of her life...
February 4, 2019
I am in love with this love triangle and because of this novella, i think i’m closer to the team cole side.
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1.) Everneath ★★★★★
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1.) Everneath ★★★★★
July 10, 2013
Wow. Just wowww! Where to start?
I always liked Cole's character but just as equal as I liked Jack's! But now, reading everything he went through and his point view I definitely am starting to favor Cole more.
From Nikki's point of view, of course, Cole is seen in a harsher light and you can't get the real feel for Cole's love because Nikki only wants to love Jack, therefor you really only see Jack as the good guy perfect hero/boyfriend. Which is Nikki's point of view. But seeing the whole story now from both sides you get a real feel for what's happening with this love triangle and you can make a non-biased decision on which male lead YOU personally like more!
If most of you prefer Jack and haven't read Neverfall yet, I strongly encourage you to read this so you can see, firsthand, for yourself, how Cole really feels and thinks and what he was up to when Nikki wasn't around!
I felt so bad for Cole in this book where it kinda stung my eyes a little 0.0 but I didn't cry!
Reading from Cole's POV was great because you're in his head, where there is no protective walls or facades put it and you just get pure raw feelings and thoughts of Cole's.
Plus at the end you get a pretty good chunk of the next book, Everbound!! I, personally, couldn't read it and torture myself with wanting more because I already can't wait for the next book!
I really liked Neverfall a lot!! Definitely a must read if you've read this series!
I always liked Cole's character but just as equal as I liked Jack's! But now, reading everything he went through and his point view I definitely am starting to favor Cole more.
From Nikki's point of view, of course, Cole is seen in a harsher light and you can't get the real feel for Cole's love because Nikki only wants to love Jack, therefor you really only see Jack as the good guy perfect hero/boyfriend. Which is Nikki's point of view. But seeing the whole story now from both sides you get a real feel for what's happening with this love triangle and you can make a non-biased decision on which male lead YOU personally like more!
If most of you prefer Jack and haven't read Neverfall yet, I strongly encourage you to read this so you can see, firsthand, for yourself, how Cole really feels and thinks and what he was up to when Nikki wasn't around!
I felt so bad for Cole in this book where it kinda stung my eyes a little 0.0 but I didn't cry!
Reading from Cole's POV was great because you're in his head, where there is no protective walls or facades put it and you just get pure raw feelings and thoughts of Cole's.
Plus at the end you get a pretty good chunk of the next book, Everbound!! I, personally, couldn't read it and torture myself with wanting more because I already can't wait for the next book!
I really liked Neverfall a lot!! Definitely a must read if you've read this series!
December 27, 2012
First of all, I think a 100-paged novella is too short for a book to switch back and forth from past to present because the transitions were really choppy, and it kind of made it confusing.
While it gave us a glimpse (very short look) of what happened with Cole and Nikki first met, I think I preferred to think of Cole as some mysterious guy, rather than the mentality all-over-the-place guy we learn more about in this book.
And in the present tense, he spends so much time trying to figure out how Nikki survived the feed and kept coming up with dead ends - which wouldn't be so bad if the story hadn't been interrupted after each turn.
It's almost as if Ashton couldn't decide if she wanted to write a prequel or an in-between short story, and the decision to split such a short book did neither tense enough justice.
While it gave us a glimpse (very short look) of what happened with Cole and Nikki first met, I think I preferred to think of Cole as some mysterious guy, rather than the mentality all-over-the-place guy we learn more about in this book.
And in the present tense, he spends so much time trying to figure out how Nikki survived the feed and kept coming up with dead ends - which wouldn't be so bad if the story hadn't been interrupted after each turn.
It's almost as if Ashton couldn't decide if she wanted to write a prequel or an in-between short story, and the decision to split such a short book did neither tense enough justice.
August 22, 2016
I think its possible that I liked this novella more than I liked the first book, I love seeing things from the POV of Cole. My favorite scenes were the flashbacks between him and Nikki, I wish there had been more of them. In Everneath the flashbacks were also my favorite scenes to read. In this novella I think the flashback I wish we would have seen more from Cole's POV is the dance, I wish we could have seen first hand how he felt when he saw Jack and Nikki together.
I love how Cole is coming to accept that he's in love with Nikki, I also like how Max keeps claiming that he Cole is obsessed with Nikki and he keeps claiming that all he wants the throne. What that Oracle told him leads me to believe that Cole might die in the end of the series, I love Cole so I hope that isn't the case, I'll have to wait and see.
I love how Cole is coming to accept that he's in love with Nikki, I also like how Max keeps claiming that he Cole is obsessed with Nikki and he keeps claiming that all he wants the throne. What that Oracle told him leads me to believe that Cole might die in the end of the series, I love Cole so I hope that isn't the case, I'll have to wait and see.
August 23, 2015
İlk başlarda sıkıcıama ardından açılan bir kitap. Yerkara'ya dair çok az şey hatırlıyorum ve bu çok nadir olur. Nedenini düşünmek gerek. Yunan mitolojisini olduğu gibi aldığı yerler olsa da, yeni bir soluk katıyor ve bunu seviyorum. Karakteri hatırlamasam da, Max'e bayıldım. Max ♥ Ben.
Sonraki kitabı okuyacağım sanırım, hikayede geçen 'emanet'in ileriki kitaplarda kullanılacağını tahmin ediyorum. Bu merak bile bana okutur, tabiii sağlam bir spoiler bulmazsam.
Sonraki kitabı okuyacağım sanırım, hikayede geçen 'emanet'in ileriki kitaplarda kullanılacağını tahmin ediyorum. Bu merak bile bana okutur, tabiii sağlam bir spoiler bulmazsam.
December 22, 2015
hmmmmm
I think I have a crush on Cole!
SHES A TWAT .. I love him I pick him always
5 be still my ever living heart cole stars
this is totally in coles POV and yes I need it and I hope we get more of just coles POV you stop thinking of him as evil and actually romantic ...
the book makes you question... what would you do for love.. and we all pray there is a COLE out there that would make the same decisions for us
I think I have a crush on Cole!
SHES A TWAT .. I love him I pick him always
5 be still my ever living heart cole stars
this is totally in coles POV and yes I need it and I hope we get more of just coles POV you stop thinking of him as evil and actually romantic ...
the book makes you question... what would you do for love.. and we all pray there is a COLE out there that would make the same decisions for us
January 19, 2013
Awwwwww Cole, I MISSED YOU SO MUCH ... Absolutely loved it.. Only 4 days until Everbound
April 24, 2013
I think the novella is even better than the actual novel. Anyways, Team Cole!
I had to use that gif.
I had to use that gif.
December 17, 2017
So this a companion novel to Everneath. This follows our Antagonist-ish guy Cole.
Cole is bad but good. You would get it if you read the series.
This follows Cole during the setting of the events that happen during the first and second book of the series.
If you have read Everneath, you should read this book like you get to understand Cole more and it's just amazing!
If you have read Destroy me which follows Warner from the shatter me series, I would recommend you pick up the series because they are quite similar.
CHARACTERS-
You follow Cole and he's just the best. He's very snarky and flirty but only to Nikki which is very very cute.
He's also very sarcastic and it was so fun reading from his point of view.
ROMANCE-
The romance is very one sided in this book but it's still very beautiful and heart-warming
WRITING-
The writing was so cool, because you read the series from Nikki's POV and then to go Cole's. Which is so different and amazing to hear his voice. The writing, you could really hear Cole speaking it and it was the best!
Cole is bad but good. You would get it if you read the series.
This follows Cole during the setting of the events that happen during the first and second book of the series.
If you have read Everneath, you should read this book like you get to understand Cole more and it's just amazing!
If you have read Destroy me which follows Warner from the shatter me series, I would recommend you pick up the series because they are quite similar.
CHARACTERS-
You follow Cole and he's just the best. He's very snarky and flirty but only to Nikki which is very very cute.
He's also very sarcastic and it was so fun reading from his point of view.
ROMANCE-
The romance is very one sided in this book but it's still very beautiful and heart-warming
WRITING-
The writing was so cool, because you read the series from Nikki's POV and then to go Cole's. Which is so different and amazing to hear his voice. The writing, you could really hear Cole speaking it and it was the best!
January 21, 2013
I think we have another Warner on our hands here...this means trouble...review to come :)
"Great. There was no scenario in this whole damn thing
where Jack didn't come off looking as awesome as
the love child of Thor and Optimus Prime."
--Brodi Ashton, Neverfall
Ahh, do I love me a good enovella to keep me sated before the next book in a series comes out...especially when said novella centers around the resident villain of the story, re: Destory Me by Tahereh Mafi. As I said in my review for Everneath I wanted so badly to like Cole more than I did. I wanted him to not be so shady and have a little redemption for all he's done. And while this novella did that a little for me there were parts of his character that still have me questioning him. As we learned in Everneath *MILD SPOILERS OF EVERNEATH AHEAD, DO NOT READ, YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED*
Cole did do some manipulation of Nikki's feelings in the Jack department. This did not sit well with me. If he had not done this I would soooo be rooting for him so much more. However, thus is the plot of our story and I do think that I like Ashton's writing and arc better for it.
Again, as I've previously stated in my Everneath post, the idea of redemption is an underlying theme; can we get it? Does it exist? These are unanswered moral questions that we may never as humans know, but I love the discussion of it here. If Cole had never done this to Nikki would we ever have our story? Maybe, maybe not. BUT with this act of selfishness on Cole's part to have Nikki, we are able to embark on the argument of his redemption. He finally realizes what we all knew in Everneath, that he really does love her. Obvi. At least we are all on the same page now, thanks for showing up to that party Cole, took you long enough. Props again for a male being able to properly identify an emotion (hehe). Because of this he takes a journey of his own to answer his own questions about Nikki, and unbeknownst to him, a little bit of redemption.
I loved the story that Ashton gives us with Cole. While he may be the bad guy we see he does takes leaps in the morality department, which I loved. His inner monologues are absolutely hilarious and Ashton is able to give such a different voice to this story. Like with Destory Me, I wish Nikki could read this and see what Cole is really thinking and where his heart really is. I cannot wait to see where Cole's character takes us; it's quite obvious that no matter where he takes us it will be both witty and hilarious.
"Great. There was no scenario in this whole damn thing
where Jack didn't come off looking as awesome as
the love child of Thor and Optimus Prime."
--Brodi Ashton, Neverfall
Ahh, do I love me a good enovella to keep me sated before the next book in a series comes out...especially when said novella centers around the resident villain of the story, re: Destory Me by Tahereh Mafi. As I said in my review for Everneath I wanted so badly to like Cole more than I did. I wanted him to not be so shady and have a little redemption for all he's done. And while this novella did that a little for me there were parts of his character that still have me questioning him. As we learned in Everneath *MILD SPOILERS OF EVERNEATH AHEAD, DO NOT READ, YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED*
Cole did do some manipulation of Nikki's feelings in the Jack department. This did not sit well with me. If he had not done this I would soooo be rooting for him so much more. However, thus is the plot of our story and I do think that I like Ashton's writing and arc better for it.
Again, as I've previously stated in my Everneath post, the idea of redemption is an underlying theme; can we get it? Does it exist? These are unanswered moral questions that we may never as humans know, but I love the discussion of it here. If Cole had never done this to Nikki would we ever have our story? Maybe, maybe not. BUT with this act of selfishness on Cole's part to have Nikki, we are able to embark on the argument of his redemption. He finally realizes what we all knew in Everneath, that he really does love her. Obvi. At least we are all on the same page now, thanks for showing up to that party Cole, took you long enough. Props again for a male being able to properly identify an emotion (hehe). Because of this he takes a journey of his own to answer his own questions about Nikki, and unbeknownst to him, a little bit of redemption.
I loved the story that Ashton gives us with Cole. While he may be the bad guy we see he does takes leaps in the morality department, which I loved. His inner monologues are absolutely hilarious and Ashton is able to give such a different voice to this story. Like with Destory Me, I wish Nikki could read this and see what Cole is really thinking and where his heart really is. I cannot wait to see where Cole's character takes us; it's quite obvious that no matter where he takes us it will be both witty and hilarious.
December 19, 2017
2.5 Stars rounding up.
Cole's PoV was very good. I loved seeing how he looked at Nikki, and I loved how he saw how much of toxic douche bag that Jack was. But otherwise this novella kind of sucked. Like all the parts that were just Cole were boring and I honestly skimmed a lot of it.
Cole's PoV was very good. I loved seeing how he looked at Nikki, and I loved how he saw how much of toxic douche bag that Jack was. But otherwise this novella kind of sucked. Like all the parts that were just Cole were boring and I honestly skimmed a lot of it.
January 3, 2013
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
This review can also be found at The Starry-Eyed Revue.
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
This review can also be found at The Starry-Eyed Revue.
January 26, 2013
Loved this little POV from Cole.
Cole is one of those characters you love to hate. You know there is good in him, at least somewhere, but he's got a really hard time showing it, or wanting to show it for that matter. So this is where Neverfall helps me understand him a little better. It's great to see things from his POV. To see his reaction to Nikki when he first meets her. To see how he reacts when he is around her. It's like watching him lay before you what makes him tick. And this novella also gives us insight into just how determined Cole is to get the things he wants. Just how determined he is to come up with a solution that no one else has ever formulated.
The one thing we see from Cole growth wise is his realization that he does actually have feelings for Nikki, that he loves her, despite the fact that he has no physical heart. Funny how we all have aches in our chests when our hearts are broken, how is it that Cole is feeling? He's already empty inside, right? So how can he be having this heartbreak.
As in Everneath, this story is one of redemption. A look into how Cole would go about doing it. What his motives would be for even thinking it possible. And reading Cole's inner monologues as he argues with himself to try and come to terms with what it is he's really wanted all along is super insightful.
All in all I really loved seeing the past and present told from Cole's POV. I'll be interested to see where this takes us in Everbound.
5 stars.
Cole is one of those characters you love to hate. You know there is good in him, at least somewhere, but he's got a really hard time showing it, or wanting to show it for that matter. So this is where Neverfall helps me understand him a little better. It's great to see things from his POV. To see his reaction to Nikki when he first meets her. To see how he reacts when he is around her. It's like watching him lay before you what makes him tick. And this novella also gives us insight into just how determined Cole is to get the things he wants. Just how determined he is to come up with a solution that no one else has ever formulated.
The one thing we see from Cole growth wise is his realization that he does actually have feelings for Nikki, that he loves her, despite the fact that he has no physical heart. Funny how we all have aches in our chests when our hearts are broken, how is it that Cole is feeling? He's already empty inside, right? So how can he be having this heartbreak.
As in Everneath, this story is one of redemption. A look into how Cole would go about doing it. What his motives would be for even thinking it possible. And reading Cole's inner monologues as he argues with himself to try and come to terms with what it is he's really wanted all along is super insightful.
All in all I really loved seeing the past and present told from Cole's POV. I'll be interested to see where this takes us in Everbound.
5 stars.
September 4, 2013
5 STARS.
I thought this novella was a great and much needed addition to Everneath. For one, I love Cole. Though I love Nikki and think she is a great main character, it was nice to get out of her head and into Cole's.
This novella answers a lot of a questions that Everneath didn't. One big instance being that it shows Cole leaving a note from Nikki to her family before she goes to the Feed. It also answers a some more questions having to do with world building and the Everneath.. but it also creates more questions!
Neverfall is full of action! The timeline flips back and forth between past and present just like in Everneath. The present setting starts right were Everneath left off. There is a scene were Cole goes to visit Nikki at her house not long after the events of Everneath, still trying to figure out how Nikki survived the Feed without aging, but she basically tells him to get lost. Cole soon after decides to take it into his own hands to find out.
I really enjoy seeing some of the past events in Cole perspective. It really created an even more dimensional character in Cole for me, and I can't wait to see what happens to his character in the upcoming novel! Also, I just KNOW the events of this novel are going to have some great consequences in the sequels, and I really can't wait to see those unfold.
Short review for a short book. But fans of Everneath should definitely give this novella a read! It definitely solidified my obsession with this series!
I thought this novella was a great and much needed addition to Everneath. For one, I love Cole. Though I love Nikki and think she is a great main character, it was nice to get out of her head and into Cole's.
This novella answers a lot of a questions that Everneath didn't. One big instance being that it shows Cole leaving a note from Nikki to her family before she goes to the Feed. It also answers a some more questions having to do with world building and the Everneath.. but it also creates more questions!
Neverfall is full of action! The timeline flips back and forth between past and present just like in Everneath. The present setting starts right were Everneath left off. There is a scene were Cole goes to visit Nikki at her house not long after the events of Everneath, still trying to figure out how Nikki survived the Feed without aging, but she basically tells him to get lost. Cole soon after decides to take it into his own hands to find out.
I really enjoy seeing some of the past events in Cole perspective. It really created an even more dimensional character in Cole for me, and I can't wait to see what happens to his character in the upcoming novel! Also, I just KNOW the events of this novel are going to have some great consequences in the sequels, and I really can't wait to see those unfold.
Short review for a short book. But fans of Everneath should definitely give this novella a read! It definitely solidified my obsession with this series!
December 30, 2012
Neverfall takes place right after Everneath's ending, which is good considering Everbound will be due for release in around a month's time.
What I did like about this novella is that it gave us a look into the Everneath through Cole's POV and there was a new group of people being introduced (Delphinians) which would be a good prelude into Everneath's history, assuming that it will be delved into in the second book (more action and world building please!). It also allows us to see things from Cole's POV and we get some snarky lines from him, which I did love.
Having this novella in Cole's POV, I guess, is supposed to help him seem less of a villain and more of a contender for Nikki's heart but unfortunately, all this does for me is to remove the villain tag and put on a slightly obsessive stalker tag on Cole. I started off not really caring for Cole's character and after reading Neverfall, I still don't exactly care for him which makes me a bit worried as I'm pretty sure Everneath will be focusing A LOT on Nikki and Cole. This is also the main reason why I'm only giving this three stars.
Nuff said, bring on the second book!
What I did like about this novella is that it gave us a look into the Everneath through Cole's POV and there was a new group of people being introduced (Delphinians) which would be a good prelude into Everneath's history, assuming that it will be delved into in the second book (more action and world building please!). It also allows us to see things from Cole's POV and we get some snarky lines from him, which I did love.
Having this novella in Cole's POV, I guess, is supposed to help him seem less of a villain and more of a contender for Nikki's heart but unfortunately, all this does for me is to remove the villain tag and put on a slightly obsessive stalker tag on Cole. I started off not really caring for Cole's character and after reading Neverfall, I still don't exactly care for him which makes me a bit worried as I'm pretty sure Everneath will be focusing A LOT on Nikki and Cole. This is also the main reason why I'm only giving this three stars.
Nuff said, bring on the second book!
September 29, 2014
strangely my experiences and brush with reading all my favourite young adult novels re written and narrated through the eyes of male penned by of course female authors and their "wishful thinking" (a word coined and developed by my friend and book soul mate, swati)... have made me notice that every male point of view versions start with the male waking up after a heavy alcohol and passed out session as if that is what is needed to define the male species...oh wait...but then it is actually true...so yeah...whatever..
fortunately the male POV has some witty lines to keep my blood calm
either my coping level of male POvs by female authors have tremendously increased or it was actually better, i did find neverfall good... not the best ...but good
There is definitely a good plot and is interesting to read as well but for me it still bleeds from scar to the masculinity of the character that readers adored and cherished for being totally bad-ass and lack of emotional outbursts but still the fact remains that this is by far a better female written male POV in my opinion.
fortunately the male POV has some witty lines to keep my blood calm
either my coping level of male POvs by female authors have tremendously increased or it was actually better, i did find neverfall good... not the best ...but good
There is definitely a good plot and is interesting to read as well but for me it still bleeds from scar to the masculinity of the character that readers adored and cherished for being totally bad-ass and lack of emotional outbursts but still the fact remains that this is by far a better female written male POV in my opinion.
February 28, 2013
OH GOD SO TORN! Cole. Jack. Cole. Jack. Cole?
I'm a sucker for the victims of unrequited love :(. This book made me fall a little more in love with Cole. He's not the big bad I thought he was. His motivations for using Nikki are, well while not justified or reasonable, definitely understandable.
Jack though :( I both loved and loathed the retelling of several scenes from Everneath. Not only did I get to relive all my favourite moments and experience a second time the epic love between Nikki and Jack, but I got to see what Cole was thinking during all of those moments. And I feel kind of guilty about this but.. these scenes made me love Jack all over again.
I don't think Cole ever really understood love or its power before he met Nikki and Jack. Romantically speaking, he is very naive. Cole believes that Jack will die in the Everneath (eventually) and Nikki will just fall into his arms. Talk about a tortured hero :(
I'm a sucker for the victims of unrequited love :(. This book made me fall a little more in love with Cole. He's not the big bad I thought he was. His motivations for using Nikki are, well while not justified or reasonable, definitely understandable.
Jack though :( I both loved and loathed the retelling of several scenes from Everneath. Not only did I get to relive all my favourite moments and experience a second time the epic love between Nikki and Jack, but I got to see what Cole was thinking during all of those moments. And I feel kind of guilty about this but.. these scenes made me love Jack all over again.
I don't think Cole ever really understood love or its power before he met Nikki and Jack. Romantically speaking, he is very naive. Cole believes that Jack will die in the Everneath (eventually) and Nikki will just fall into his arms. Talk about a tortured hero :(
December 27, 2012
Neverfall isn't exactly as the summary describes, it's half flashback scenes from when Cole first convinced Nikki to be his Forfeit and half present day scenes of Cole trying to figure out why Nikki survived in the Everneath. The flashbacks put the story of Everneath in a new light, particularly with Jack, because the scenes are brand new, but don't really give away any new information I hadn't seen before. The present day scenes introduce a new group, the Delphinians, and expand the mythology of the books in a way, but there's not much of a plot so I'm not sure how it'll play out in the sequel. Cole has a wicked sense of humor with his descriptions of the settings though, even if the jumps are a bit awkward at times. Overall, it's an interesting if filler read. 3/5.
January 18, 2014
I'm not really sure how I feel about this.
I don't think I know Cole any better and if possible I like him even less. He is so selfish but maybe this is the author staging the scene for him to become a better person or some shit. I don't know.
But I am glad I read it & I liked the little bit we saw of Jack outside Nikki's house after the "incident" at camp.
I also liked the insight into the rest of the band. We didn't really get to know them up to now.
I will still continue on with this series & am curious to see where it goes.
I don't think I know Cole any better and if possible I like him even less. He is so selfish but maybe this is the author staging the scene for him to become a better person or some shit. I don't know.
But I am glad I read it & I liked the little bit we saw of Jack outside Nikki's house after the "incident" at camp.
I also liked the insight into the rest of the band. We didn't really get to know them up to now.
I will still continue on with this series & am curious to see where it goes.
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