Review: Action-Packed Fantasy/Romance
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 11 18, 2013
4.5 StarsWhen I read the first book in this series, Eternity, I compared it to riding a roller coaster blindfolded because of its intensity, and Everlasting is just the same. Immediately I was immersed back into this creative, imaginative realm of vengeful ancient Egyptian gods wreaking havoc in the human world.  I actually went back and reviewed Eternity because there are so many characters and story threads that have been introduced, I wanted to make sure I remembered the crux of the overall plot. However, I found that I really didn’t need to do this because Stephens takes readers back to the relevant scenes that set up the storyline for this next installment that focuses on Reign Nicolis, the twin brother of Roman whose story was featured in Eternity.Based on the events in Eternity, I knew this book was going to be about Reign and Detective Alexis Lever who has become involved in the case to find a serial killer connected to the Nicolis family.  This book opens with the two relevant scenes from book one that bring Reign and Alexis together and are described in much greater detail.  Reign has been enslaved by Nephythys, goddess of the Egyptian underworld of the dead. Unhappy in her marriage to SET, the evil and malicious god of Duat, she has kept Reign imprisoned as her lover and companion for centuries, until circumstances force her to temporarily release Reign back on Earth to help save his brother, Roman, from the beast, Alamut, who has been stalking Roman and Stella. In order to be released, Reign must vow that once he has killed Alamut, he will return to Nephythys and love her as he once did.However, once Reign returns to help his brother and gets a taste of freedom, he is determined to never return to the goddess he now loathes. Ironically, after Reign intervenes to save Alexis from the beast, a connection is formed between them that tethers him to her so that he can never be more than 100 feet away.  Neither he nor Alexis is happy with this situation, and throughout much of the story, they fight the mutual attraction and emotional connection that strengthens, leading to an intimacy that neither could ever have imagined possible. Their love story is beautifully written and the intense passion and love for each other bleeds through pages, and it is both touching and heartbreaking because of the sacrifices they are willing to make for the other. So, you can expect steamy love scenes in the second half of the book.What I like most about the series is that it is packed full of action and narrated from multiple characters’ POVs, and Stephens ties all of the multiple conflicts together and weaves them into a complex plot full of startling revelations as secrets are exposed despite the veil of deception each character must face head on and tear apart. I was so excited about Roman and Reign finally reuniting again, but their first encounter is nothing like I expected, and instead of becoming a family once again, Reign’s personal demons and limited choices keep driving them apart.There is so much drama and conflict, this book just consumed my attention, yet at the same time, I had to force myself to take breaks just to process what was happening and the ramifications of each character’s decisions. The conclusion doesn’t have the traditional HEA for Reign and Alexis; they will face greater danger in the days to come. After all they have gone through, I have no doubts they will stand together stronger than ever.  These two characters experience life-altering events that enable them to move beyond the emotional pain of their pasts and watching these characters grow was both a nail-biting but inspiring experience.  My only complaint is that the book needs one more proofreading. Despite the errors, though, this series is fantastic!I received a copy of this book from the author for an honest review.