Evertrue by Brodi Ashton

Evertrue is the final installment in the Everneath trilogy by Brodi Ashton. This much anticipated finale had a lot to live up to, especially after the surprising ending to the second novel. So the question is, did it live up the the high standards? That's debatable. 

Let's start with the characters. This is the first book where Jack and Nikki are together the entire book. In the first two they were separated by something for nearly the entire book, so we finally get to see them as a couple. I'd say that overall they are good together. They know each other, and you can almost believe the intense commitment they always profess to each other. Heres my issue. I don't feel like the emotions were real. Nikki's attachment to Cole seemed more profuse than her loyalty to Jack for some reason. 

Cole. Quick spoiler, he loses his memory about of a third of the way through the book, and all he can remember is how much he loves Nikki. I think this was a bad choice for Brodi Ashton to make. Having Cole lose his memory turned him into a different person, and it was like a new main character was introduced in the final book! Readers have grown attached to Cole, despite his scheming, and taking him out of the picture was a bad idea. I can see how Ms. Ashton thought it was necessary for Nikki to forgive Cole, but in the end, it was Cole that Nikki still loved, not the version that had lost his memory. It was distracting to the plot of the story, and I didn't enjoy it. The first book is the story when the characters are scrambling around, trying to figure everything out, not the third. This book felt pretty frantic, and didn't provide the closure that should have been there after all the build up.

If you don't want to read a spoiler about how the book ends, stop reading now.

The final scene was far too short. You want my to believe that this hundreds of year old queen is defeated by Nikki in a matter of minutes when all Nikki could conjure up was a straw? Nope, I don't think so. The climax was extremely short compared to how long they spent dithering about the Everneath and the world, trying to figure things out. Like I said, there wasn't the relationship development that I needed to feel like the story came to a good end.

So Cole dies. I'm not sure why, but I always root for the underdog, for the guy you're pretty sure the girl won't choose. But so what? I didn't connect with Jack the way I connected with Cole, and I honestly think that Cole was better for Nikki than Jack was. But I still can't decide if this was a good ending or not. My heart tells me no, but my brain tells my yes. The lack of closure with Cole is what really throws me off I think. He (or at least the version of him with his memory) isn't in most of the story, and when he finally comes back, he saves them all and helps them destroy the Everneath! Cole is a really good person, and I wasn't happy with him dying like that in end. 

Not the ending I was hoping for, to be honest. I don't know if I wanted Nikki to choose Cole, or what should have happened, I just know this wasn't it.

After all the months of waiting, I hate to say I'm disappointed.

Three Stars

Evertrue on Goodreads