Novella Review: Roar and Liv by Veronica Rossi

Release Date: October 30, 2012
Author: Veronica Rossi
Publisher: Harper Collins
Length: 68 pages

"Before Perry and Aria, there was Roar and Liv.

After a childhood spent wandering the borderlands, Roar finally feels like he has a home with the Tides. His best friend Perry is like a brother to him, and Perry's sister, Liv, is the love of his life. But Perry and Liv's unpredictable older brother, Vale, is the Blood Lord of the Tides, and he has never looked kindly on Roar and Liv's union. Normally, Roar couldn't care less about Vale's opinion. But with food running low and conditions worsening every day, Vale's leadership is more vital—and more brutal—than ever. Desperate to protect his tribe, Vale makes a decision that will shatter the life Roar knew and change the fate of the Tides forever.

Set in the harsh but often beautiful world of Veronica Rossi's "unforgettable" Under the Never Sky (Examiner.com), this captivating prequel novella stands on its own for new readers and offers series fans a fascinating look into the character of Roar. Poignant and powerful, Roar and Liv is a love story that will "capture your imagination and your heart." (Justine on Under the Never Sky)"

Review:

Characters: This story features characters from Under the Never Sky, Roar, Perry, and Vale as well as Liv, who was only mentioned but never seen. Getting to finally "see" Liv is one of the highlights of this story. The readers get to know more about her strong willed and fierce characteristics which make her not only a lovable character, but a admirable one as well. Roar and Perry have been the best of friends ever since Roar came to live with the Tides, which means they are extremely protective of one another, which can lead to regret and guilt between the two, especially when Perry intervenes between his self-righteous brother Vale and the hot-headed Roar. Vale's role is minor as it is with Under the Never Sky, however, the moments he was featured his choices impact the storyline greatly.

Romance: The feature of this story is the romance between Roar and Liv. We get to see both some of the highlights of their relationship, as well as the moments it is the most tested. Even though this story was short it still had a great amount of depth to it which added to the romance through the thoughts of Roar, his devotion to Liv is so pure, so moving, it makes this story so rich in emotion and feeling. The only thing I would have wished for is that the readers could get Liv's perspective as well.

Predictability: If you've read Under the Never Sky you know what happens in this story. You can easily guess where it ends and it's not a big surprise what happens in it. However, that doesn't make this story any less enjoyable, as it gives insight not only into the lives of Roar and Liv, but into the life of Perry before he met Aria, from the perspective of his best friend as well. 

Ending: The ending to this story was solemn, yet hopeful. It leaves a cliffhanger that, while known, still stirs up emotion and left me hopeful for a resolution in future novels in this series. The only amount of action is in the end, which appealed to me as a guy. I loved the violence and wished there was a bit more, the fight at the end seemed a bit quick and I would have loved to see it drawn out a bit longer.

Overall this story is getting 5 out of 5 stars. For fans of this series, it gives a wonderfully different perspective of this world torn by Aether, and for those who haven't yet gotten into this series, this is a relatively cheap way to ease your way in.