Typically, for me, a sequel is rarely better than the first book in any series. That was not the case for Embrace the Night Eternal by Joss Ware, the second book in her Envy Chronicles. It was more suspenseful, more romantic and more intense, ensnaring me from page one and never letting go.
Simon Japp will never forget his violent past. But when civilization is all but destroyed, he sees his chance for redemption. Blessed with a strange “gift,” he’s determined to help the resistance against the Strangers, the mysterious force that stalks them at every turn. He can’t afford to get distracted, even by the stunning, soft-spoken woman fighting by his side . . . Sage Corrigan has learned to be careful where she places her trust. But she sees something good in Simon, even if he can’t see it in himself. Posing as lovers to infiltrate a group key to their fight, they find that their staged affection soon develops into a desire that will leave them fighting for their lives in the night eternal . . .
Only a couple weeks after the end of Beyond the Night, Embrace the Night Eternal starts off setting the tone of the emotional, love triangle between Simon, Theo and Sage. To be honest, for a while I was completely Team Theo because every time that Theo left Envy, he would always return with clean books for Sage to read. (If that’s not true love, I don’t know what is.) Then Simon, with his rugged past and need for redemption, won me over and I became Team Simon.
While Simon and Sage had to go off on their own adventure, Theo was omnipresent in their thoughts yet that did not stop their chemistry from burning brightly. The drama of the love triangle, combined with the danger that Sage and Simon faced in their quest to stop the Strangers created a fast paced plot.
Sage was one of those heroines that looks like a timid mouse, but turns out to have a backbone of steel. Not that many people saw it, since they treated her like a child. Except for Simon. Despite Simon’s rough background, or perhaps because of it, he never coddled Sage instead treating her like an adult.
As I said before, Embrace the Night Eternal was more intense than Beyond the Night,(my review here) and if this is one of those series where each book gets better then I cannot wait to read Abandon the Night.
Read order:
Beyond the Night
Embrace the Night Eternal
Abandon the Night
Night Betrayed
Other Reviews: Obsessed with Books, Reading the Paranormal, Romance Rookie, Strictly Reviews, CK2S Kwips & Kritiques
I love this series! I can’t wait for the next installment. It’s a unique and original concept in these days of vampires, shapeshifters, etc.