Into the Still Blue (Under the Never Sky Trilogy, 3) Hardcover – January 28, 2014

This review is for the conclusion of a trilogy. Spoilers for any previous novels may be present.At a time when series endings occasionally leave a bitter taste in the reader's mouth, here arrives INTO THE STILL BLUE by Veronica Rossi like a ray on sunshine on the horizon. INTO THE STILL BLUE is a superb ending to a trilogy that has entranced this reader from the very beginning. In fact, it is - without a doubt - the most satisfying series conclusion I have read this year.I am praising the ending to this series, not because it fulfilled my own needs/wants as a reader, but because it brings the story to a realistic and well-plotted conclusion. Suffice to say, there is plenty of sadness (and not to mention, tears) to be had in this installment. Not to spoil the previous two books to those reading this review right now (To those who have not yet read the first two books I say this: "What are you doing?! Stop reading this review and go get those two books, Under the Never Sky and Through the Ever Night, NOW!") - I think it goes without saying that the ultimate goal of reaching the "land beyond the aether", what the people call the "Still Blue", is not without its risks. If you expect everyone to make it to the other side alive - or for anyone to make it at all - well, you need to adjust your thinking before you dive INTO THE STILL BLUE.What I loved most about the characters in this book is the way that their relationships and personalities have evolved due to the events that have occurred previously, as well as because of the events that have yet to happen in INTO THE STILL BLUE. Aria, most of all, has progressed beautifully beyond the spoiled, ignorant girl she was Under the Never Sky, and has learned from her insecurities and the knowledge she gained in her journeys Through the Ever Night. The relationship between Perry and Aria has also undergone the same evolution. While Aria still outwardly displays a bit more confidence than Perry, gone are their melodramatic and petty issues from the previous books. Their relationship is stronger than ever - and I enjoyed reading about how they deal with their ongoing worldly problems together on a more "grown up" level.Still, their romance is put on the back-burner for much of the novel, allowing for more action in this aptly described "heart-pounding" installment. INTO THE STILL BLUE is, without a doubt, the most exciting of the three books. The author provides plenty of twists and turns, driving her story along its most natural course, leading up her character's inevitable plight into the Still Blue. Veronica covers all bases in ensuring that it won't be easy to get there. History shows that exploration and the discovery of "new land" has often led to war in the past - and the quest for the Still Blue will be no exception. While reading, I often found myself wondering: "Why can't they all just get along and go together?!" - Until I remembered that there is a very, very good reason as to why these guys don't get along... Argh!! So much tension, guys. So. Much. Tension...My heart pounded harder with every page is turned in INTO THE STILL BLUE. I cannot say this about either of the previous two novels.There were some discoveries and surprises along the way that I honestly did not see coming. A character that I hadn't even thought of in the past (and probably should have thought of) makes an unexpected appearance. This character also adds some secondary drama and further difficulty in Aria's life as well as for the decisions she is forced to make. Rest assured, this is 100% non-romantic related drama. It is something I'm sure that Veronica had planned all along, but she finally addresses it in this book because 1) it was the right moment and 2) in order to dot her "i's" and cross her "t's" before typing "THE END". And that is all I will say about that.Oh, and suffice to say, even Roar and the aftermath of his tragedy that occurred in Through the Ever Night is dealt with in an appropriate manner. Veronica really knew where to take her story - for all of her characters.If you're already a fan of this series, you will be pleased to know that it comes to a thrilling and satisfying end with INTO THE STILL BLUE. If you haven't yet started the story of Aria and Perry - perhaps you should get on that, and rest assured that jumping into this series won't lead to a conclusion that leaves you with a sour taste in your mouth.Without a doubt, I am likely to read anything that Veronica Rossi writes from here on out - even if she decides to write obituary notices for the local newspaper.

Before I get into the details about why I LOVED this book and the trilogy as a whole, I need to put out a disclaimer: Under The Never Sky is a character heavy trilogy. It relies solely on the personalities, developments and actions of its characters. Just like many dystopias out there, it sets up a world for you but it does NOT extend beyond that. Do we know how the aethers came to be? No. Do we know how and why the PODS were set up? No. Why were the people separated to begin with? None of that becomes a focus. If you are looking for extensive world building and answers in regards to this dark, deadly, electrical storm ravaged world – this book is NOT for you.If you are looking for an array of interesting characters, leads worthy of rooting for, romance that never, ever, ever overshadows the plot, strong friendships, disturbing villains and a constant sense of danger, this trilogy IS most definitely for you.With all that said, Into the Still Blue left me completely satisfied. Coming from me, it’s a great compliment. To be fair, it wasn’t the most exciting book (Through The Ever Night remains the strongest in the bunch) but it did what it was supposed to do – conclude the story in the way that made sense to the text. Rossi never loses focus. Her writing is smooth, clear and descriptive enough. No purple prose here. In the current, oversaturated market of trilogies, too many authors attempt to stray in order to be “edgy” (looking at you Veronica Roth and that pile of garbage you call books.) What usually happens is plot convulsion, deus ex machine resolutions, character regressions that make you wish you never started the trilogy to begin with.One of the main reasons I loved Into the Still Blue is Aria. Aria is the shiny, bright star for me. The kind of heroine girls and boys can look up to. While her personality is not the most unique (she doesn’t really jump off page,) it’s her intellect, persistence, abilities (mental & physical) that make me love her so much. Aria is fiercely independent, capable and strong. In this book, she demonstrates incredible amount of growth. From a scared, prejudiced and spoiled girl, she evolves into a capable young woman that others grow to love and respect. With so many people depending on her, she looks at the bigger picture and not once does she demonstrate selfishness or assert herself as a victim while others are suffering.Perry gets darker this time around. He has lost so many people in his life and has become immune to the concept of loss. It creates a rift between him and people he cares for but this is where relationship with Aria comes in place. She encourages him, gives him support when he needs it, doesn't judge him and lets him figure few things on his own. Aria and Perry have the kind of romance many of us can dream of. Aside from physical aspects... (Their physical chemistry still burns quite hot) it’s the bond between them that makes their romance sweet and poignant. The best part? Their love never defines them. It’s never the focus of the story and it never overshadows the plot. Both Aria and Perry rise above just being love interests to each other and become lovers, friends and partners in crime. They treat each other as equals. Love is supposed to exalt and dignify you…and that’s what Perry and Aria have in each other: someone you can lean your shoulder on when necessary and someone who believes in you.Aside from LIKEABLE, strong leads, Into the Still Blue utilizes its supporting and side characters very well. They are not plot devices used to compel the story but rather people, like Perry and Aria, who just want to see the next day. Soren, for example, goes from just a douchey bully, to a funny, conflicted character with his own set of problems. Roar goes through a period of severe depression because of Liv but his loyalty & friendship to Aria and Perry always remains the focus. I always feared the dreaded love triangle between Roar Aria and Perry, but Rossi is not about manipulating her readers with cheap tricks and tropes.Another reason why I enjoyed this book? No cardboard villains. They ALL have motivations, beliefs and reasons behind their actions. Sable is delusional, power hungry and manipulative. In his heart, he truly believes what he does is for the good and he is excellent at inducing fear into his subjects that takes form of false loyalty.SPOILER: In the end, when they finally reach the Still Blue, his control & division of people in order to establish a new society felt terrifying. His attempts to manipulate Aria with promises of brighter future while justifying murder and bloodshed made me feel uneasy. END SPOILER.The ending wasn't spectacular, I’ll admit to it. I wasn't blown away. It didn't have any shocking twists or revelations and I saw more than few things coming, but I still felt happy and satisfied with it. It was a journey that came to an end…and the Still Blue itself is a story for another time.

A really satisfying finish to a world and some characters I really fell in love with. This final book has all the wit and charm of the previous two, but with some pretty explosive action scenes and an answer to the Still Blue to go with it.This book is basically a war of who has the bigger game plan - Aria and Perry or Sable and Hess. They all want the same thing, a way into the Still Blue, because they're running out of the same stuff - time. But unfortunately, Sable and Hess aren't up for sharing, so some pretty harsh compromises have to be drawn, least of which is that Cinder might be the only one who can gain them entry into the Still Blue. At the expense of his life.I love the games. The characters are constantly having to outsmart each other, and this is so much fun to read about. They're also so angry from the events of the previous book that they make hasty, often stupid, decisions which mess up their strategies. Not great for them, but this made the story so much more interesting. Again Rossi doesn't overcrowd her book with romance, instead having a small helping of it here and there to prevent it becoming too much. Rather, this book deals more with conclusions to the story but namely conclusions for each character as we find out what will become of each of them.The only drawback for me was that whilst Perry and Roar are grieving, they do so in entirely different ways, and this sees them at odds with each other; this aspect of the book, whilst probably quite realistic, was a little pointless for me. It seems obvious that the feud should be short-lived, given the extent of their friendship, and kind of detracts from the action happening in the main story. Particularly as this is the time when so much is at stake for everyone. Having said this, some of the funnier moments in this book really showcase what I love so much about these characters, so it's quickly forgotten! Perhaps the book could have been a bit longer to accommodate for both the grieving chapters and the character driven parts we readers love to make for a better final book because neither element really felt like it was given enough time to have impact. When I read the last book in a trilogy, after investing so much time in the characters, I want it tying up well.A nice conclusion though to a really amazing series. You won't want to miss it.

Average review for an average book. The action is slow, but by around page 200 I was stuck in, but mainly that was because it was because I was so damn determined to just finishing this series once and for all than it actually being gripping. The main sentence I can use to sum up this book is basically that Rossi is filling up another almost 400 page (!!) novel with just endless and meaningless events just so she could end the series and sell another book.Characters like Roar are what kept this book bearable for me - his pain at seeing his one true and only love, Liv, die was painful for me as a reader. Everyone’s pain and grief over Liv’s murder seemed to flow its way throughout the entire book, with Perry, Roar, Aria and even Brooke getting some time to discuss how it hurts them. As much as I like this, because grief is one good character developer, I hated that Liv’s death got so much booktime whereas Lumina’s in the first book got no more than a sentence. Lumina was Aria’s mother, and Aria was more focused on some girl she’d known for two days than her mother who she’d known for ?? sixteen, nineteen years? Who knows how old these people are. The timeline is really off, so I’m sorry for any inaccuracies.Considering this is the last book in a dystopian trilogy, we can all expect death and devastation. While the book lacked in any good action and devastation, there certainly was death. But the deaths were crap. They were so poorly written, I didn’t even understand that they’d been killed. Rossi basically skipped over deaths, which is what made them so bad, giving each death nothing more than a passing glance. She spent the most time looking at one characters death who I didn’t even care about at all, who had nothing to him/her, and wasn’t even an important character until very late into the series. Then, the one character every reader in this series actually wants to see blown to bits, gets nothing more than a shoddy death with little confrontation. It’s such a disappointment, because Rossi does make you care about what’s going happen, then she just lets you down. POINTLESS!Aria and Perry’s relationship also annoyed me to no end, and it has done throughout this entire trilogy. In all truth, I can’t see or feel the love between Aria and Perry. Rossi constantly tries to remind us that they do love each other, but all I see are two horny teenagers who want to have sex with each other at inappropriate times. They hardly even spoke to each other. Roar and Aria had a relationship that was a million times better - although I did like that they were just friends, because it provides a positive message that boys and girls can be just friends, which many writers seem to forget.Overall, I’m really pleased I’m finished with this book series. I didn’t really enjoy it, I just really wanted it to end so I could move on!

Into the Still Blue is the culmination of an adventure that started in Under the Never Sky. The story starts from when it left off at Through the Ever Night, the second in the trilogy: Cinder is taken, our heroes deflated, hurting, mourning Liv's recent death by Sable's hand and the pain causing fracture in their relationship. Everything seemed doomed at start. The Aether growing more dangerous day by day, the need to find the fabled Still Blue where there is no Aether storms killing the land more urgent than ever. Our gang of protagonists have a final desperate plan to sneak in and free Cinder from Sable and Hess's capture. At first they seem to succeed until they are captured too. Horrible things happen to them while in custody of Sable and Hess, but there is a secret ally that appears and helps them some. The remaining quarter of the book follows our favorite people as they make a desperate flee towards the Still Blue. But they have to cross an impenetrable wall of Aether first. And there is where Cinder has to play a major role. I wont give spoilers about the end, just say that it is everything i hoped for.This book has more action than the previous two, the pace is fast, the suspense gripping and the scene setting unforgettable. There are some amazing scenes where the stormy alien weather acts as a dramatic enhancer, scenes so strong that you can almost hear the suspenseful music in the background. The writing is beautiful, the plot keeps twisting and the characters' arches intense and often unexpected.What is amazing about this book is how strongly Rossi manages to make you care about the gang, Perry and Aria, Roar, Cinder, the Tides, even Soren, who at Book 1 was the most unsavory character. Even Hess gets a kind of redemption in the end. The only true villain is Sable and he is a formidable villain. Love, friendship, courage, betrayal, sacrifice, are how Rossi threads her story lines expertly into a tale as unforgettable as Hunger Games and The Hunt trilogy. It left me breathless and wanting for more.

This is the final book in Veronica Rossi's series, and I enjoyed it most out of the three. It's action packed, and unlike many other books in its genre, it manages to fold in tragedy, romance, despair and hope with a whole bundle of surprises, without ever losing its sense of direction. The deftness of delivery of the emotional pivots in the plot is extraordinary.Highly recommended.

This is the third in the Under The Never Sky trilogy, and it was amazing. A brilliant conclusion to an excellent Young Adult trilogy. Very enjoyable all round. Filled with action, suspense, and romance, it is definitely one of my favourite book series' to date.