Under the Never Sky #1 Under the Never Sky

Friday 24 August 2012

Under the Never Sky #1 Under the Never Sky

A port-apocalyptic dystopia. Another view of how the the world might shape with our present actions gone wrong. Presenting Under the Never Sky #1 Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi.

Here is the summary of the book:

Since she'd been on the outside, she'd survived an Aether storm, she'd had a knife held to her throat, and she'd seen men murdered. This was worse. Exiled from her home, the enclosed city of Reverie, Aria knows her chances of surviving in the outer wasteland - known as The Death Shop - are slim. If the cannibals don't get her, the violent, electrified energy storms will. She's been taught that the very air she breathes can kill her. Then Aria meets an Outsider named Perry. He's wild - a savage - and her only hope of staying alive. A hunter for his tribe in a merciless landscape, Perry views Aria as sheltered and fragile - everything he would expect from a Dweller. But he needs Aria's help too; she alone holds the key to his redemption. Opposites in nearly every way, Aria and Perry must accept each other to survive. Their unlikely alliance forges a bond that will determine the fate of all who live under the never sky.

After hearing such raving reviews about this book I finally picked it up....and it was totally amazing. Dystopia is a rave at present and under the never sky totally makes a niche in this ever growing awesome list.This is the story of Aria, a dweller, better yet, one of them who went underground when the conditions above ground became impossible for them to live. And life thrived as thus but circumstances lead her to be wrongly thrown out of her pod. Out in the open, Aria is vulnerable, she has no idea what to do and how to get back to the pods. But one of her best characteristics? She is a determined person, very righteous and loyal. You can definitely sympathize with her throughout the book as she and her body goes through a lot of changes (there is one particular embarrasing change...that is explained by Perry when it happens ;) ).

But Under the Never Sky is also Peregrine aka Perry's story. Unlike Aria, Perry is an outsider. Roughened in these tough conditions he does not like what Aria's presence brings to him. Like Aria, Perry is also on a mission, he wants his nephew back and she wants to go back to her pod. So these two form a partnership of sorts. Again like her, Perry is also very stubborn and loyal...oh and with the added nose too ;) (sorry that was a spoiler).

Throughout the book the one thing that kept it interesting was the strong chemistry between them both. They are both angry at each other at first but as this journey continues, they start to know each other and slowly but surely their feelings change towards the better....definitely a welcome change.Then there is the dystopian atmosphere of the book. The author did a good use of the "rumored" fifth element "aether" and those electrical storms and the aether clouded skies gave it the nice dark background to the story of a destroyed world.

They formed a perfect driving factor in the book. Also a very good use of Darwinism in here....actually one of the basics of the dystopian genre is Darwinism...and it is the factor that forces the humans to adapt to survive....Totally looking forward to 'Through the Ever Night'.