Underworld by Meg Cabot

Underworld by Meg Cabot
"Seventeen-year-old Pierce Oliviera isn't dead.

Not this time.

But she is being held against her will in the dim, twilit world between heaven and hell, where the spirits of the deceased wait before embarking upon their final journey.

Her captor, John Hayden, claims it's for her own safety. Because not all the departed are dear. Some are so unhappy with where they ended up after leaving the Underworld, they've come back as Furies, intent on vengeance . . . on the one who sent them there and on the one whom he loves.

But while Pierce might be safe from the Furies in the Underworld, far worse dangers could be lurking for her there . . . and they might have more to do with its ruler than with his enemies.

And unless Pierce is careful, this time there'll be no escape."- summary from Amazon

I was so happy to get an advance copy of this and I devoured it right away. Cabot's retelling of the Persephone myth just keeps getting better and better. There were some interesting twists and turns here, and a killer ending that made me crave the third book, Awaken, so much! Cabot also does a wonderful job making this story really dark. It's quite a change even from her other paranormals. The way she writes the prose always makes me envision dark places, dark skies, no matter what's going on in the novel.

I loved seeing Pierce and John's romance deepen and they have to deal with quite a few obstacles along the way, most of them not of the supernatural variety. Pierce is still as fierce (rhymes, yay!) as ever, and John is still pretty darn hot. I loved all the periphery characters, especially Mr. Smith's partner who shows up for a scene. He was so funny. Meeting John's helpers too was interesting as well and I really enjoyed seeing them in scenes.

Overall, a fantastic second book and I am so eager for the final book! But, alas, I (and you too) must wait a year. :(

FTC: Received ARC from publisher. Link above is an Amazon Associate link; any profit goes toward funding contests.