Everdark
Everdark by Elle Jasper
The Dark Ink Chronicles #2
When Savannah tattoo artists Riley Poe is ambushed by an undead enemy, she inherits some of the traits of her attackers-and a telepathic link with a rampaging vampire. Now, she's experiencing murder after murder through the victims' eyes. And her new powers will not be enough to stop the horror-or the unending slaughter...
Riley's entire life was turned upside down when her brother was almost changed into a vampire in the last book. In order to save him she almost lost her life and now has some vampiric tendencies that can be hard to control. She's different from any of the others who were taken as she was bitten by not just one, but two of them. She still has her Dupre lover, Eli, at her side, but when one of the brothers who bit her starts messing with her dreams and her mind things get a little strained. Meanwhile, a vampire is on the rampage in a nearby city and it's up to Riley and all of the Dupres to help stop him before it's too late.
In Afterlight, Eli and Riley were struggling to stay apart, yet wound up together. In Everdark they are so together that at times it got quite annoying when they couldn't seem to function apart yet each had their own major insecurities. I mean Riley obviously loves Eli and he can read her thoughts, so he knows all this. But, do you think she could say it out loud? No. I didn't quite understand that one. I mean I get that her life was rough and that she has commitment issues, but come on, the guy already knows. Why try to hide it? Then on the other side of the spectrum is Eli, who loves her so much he tries to smother her. He was so overbearing in his protection of her at time that it felt like a major lack of respect. Personally I think the two could be a great couple if they both work through some of their issues, but since they have some really hard heads, it will be one heck of a challenge. That being said, I kind of have a feeling that Victorian could potentially be a better choice in the long run as he seemed to be more willing to let her fight her own battles. Perhaps I am wrong and Victorian really is bad news, but I just think something has to give in Riley and Eli's relationship otherwise he will be looking like a mighty fine alternative.
There is no real clear plot or path in Everdark. It's a lot of Eli trying to overprotect Riley, then Riley making stupid decisions to prove her toughness. At one point I remember saying.. Enough already! I get it, He thinks she is a fragile thing to be protected and she wants to be seen without any weakness. Then you add in the issues of Victorian's pursuit of her (Which I have yet to decide whether or not he really is legit or has an ulterior motive) as well as the monster that seemed to have no purpose other than to torment and the book did drag for a while. I kept waiting for the big climax, but when the end came, I just felt like there should have been more. I'm really hoping the next book helps solidify things a whole lot more and has more of a clear direction then Everdark did, as I think there really is so much more potential than this one showed.
While Everdark didn't live up to its predecessor, Afterlight, I still enjoyed it. I'm hoping some of my issues with this one won't continue on into the next book as it did get a little frustrating at times. Don't get me wrong, the book was still a decent read, I just some issues with it as I previously mentioned. Despite all that, if you enjoyed the first book, I would recommend reading Everdark so you can see the characters progress. I have a feeling that they are all in store for a whopper in the next book and a world of change.
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