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Under the Never Sky is a 2012 novel I’ve been eagerly anticipating, and when I got the opportunity to read it early you could say I was a little excited! It definitely lived up to my dystopian expectations and made for a fascinating and exciting read. Aria is a Dweller, living in Reverie and enjoying the easy life she has in the Realms, virtual environments that have replaced the storm ravaged world outside the community walls. When Aria and her friends sneak into an abandoned Pod, they have no idea what their actions will lead to. Destruction, death and conspiracy find Aria dumped in The Deathshop, the outside world that could bring death in many ways. It's only when she runs into Perry and they strike a bargain, that she discovers the will to live, and embarks on a journey that will change her life. The world of Under the Never Sky is a fascinating one. It's been nearly destroyed by Aether storms, pure energy that rips apart anything in its path. You don't know much about the Aether, but along with the pure power it carried, it also brought about plagues that wiped off populations and mutated others. The writing describes it in such a way that it seems beautiful as much as terrifying. What I was also intrigued by was the technology that Aria was surrounded by. Every person has a Smarteye, a device that transports their mind to the digital realms, places that are only limited by your imagination. At the speed of thought they can be in another world, surfing the internet, sending messages or whatever else they could ever dream of doing. The Smarteye takes them from the real ravaged world, to a better digital one. Outside Reverie is another story. Bands of survivors, tribes, are struggling to survive day by day. Food is scarce, water isn't clean, and for Perry, he has to come to terms with his little nephew Talon's sickness, the same that killed his sister-in-law. When Talon is kidnapped by Dwellers, Perry can't face his brother, the tribe leader, and takes his guilt and runs away. I thought Perry, Peregrine, was a pretty likeable character. Underneath the hunter exterior, he's a guy who loves his nephew and wants the best for his tribe, even when it means taking down his brother. He's also Marked, which means he's got the ability of an increased sense; in his rare case it's night vision and scent. He can literally smell feelings, and the descriptions of coloured tempers and fear and embarrassment was so creative and unique and it made his chapters a lot of fun to read. Aria starts out fearing and loathing Perry, and he her as well. They're so different and have these predetermined misconceptions about each other and it takes time and a couple close calls until they begin to trust and depend on each other. It took some time to warm up to each of them though. They were both very defensive at the start but when they open up is when you really get a sense of what kind of (good) people they are. The only other qualms I had were related to the last couple chapters. Aria and Perry's relationship seemed to take a turn for the better and it had me taking a step back at the sudden change. And shortly after that, Aria has her own little mission but I was a little lost because time seemed to surge forward and then I was thrown back into the story feeling like I'd missed something. It was somewhat disconcerting but the events that led up to it had me wanting to learn more. Bottom Line Under the Never Sky was a fascinating look at a futuristic and divided world. Seeing Dweller Aria come together with Outsider Perry was both frustrating and exciting as they grew closer and more trusting of each other. The science aspect and the research that is briefly brought up is sure to make way for some more reveals, and I'm eagerly anticipating more of Aria and Perry! Definitely give this one a read!

2022-11-14 13:47