| Title | : | Everless (Everless, #1) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0062653652 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780062653659 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages | : | 362 |
| Publication | : | First published January 2, 2018 |
No one resents the Gerlings more than Jules Ember. A decade ago, she and her father were servants at Everless, the Gerlings’ palatial estate, until a fateful accident forced them to flee in the dead of night. When Jules discovers that her father is dying, she knows that she must return to Everless to earn more time for him before she loses him forever.
But going back to Everless brings more danger—and temptation—than Jules could have ever imagined. Soon she’s caught in a tangle of violent secrets and finds her heart torn between two people she thought she’d never see again. Her decisions have the power to change her fate—and the fate of time itself.
Everless (Everless, #1) Reviews
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What if the person to be feared is me?
I know you shouldn't go into a book expecting the worst, but these days it's hard not to approach any new YA fantasy without some trepidation. The genre is often tropey and unoriginal. Publishers churn out versions of the same old story again and again. It's hard to find the hidden gems among the pile. But
Everless really surprised me.
It's not a perfect book by any means and Holland does fall into some traps commonly fallen into by debut authors - namely, the huge infodump in the first few chapters, and some confusing descriptions of the world-building and mythology that I didn't really understand for a long time. But it's okay. Because the mysteries here are interesting, the premise one I haven't come across before, and many things are... not what you first think.
Everless introduces a world where time is currency and a person's time can be drained or added to through blood. Punishments often involve bleeding a person's time from them, which in this world is the morbid equivalent of paying a fine. The richest, of course, have the most time and can, in theory, live indefinitely. While the poorest - like Jules Ember and her Papa - must literally bleed themselves dry to pay rent, cutting their lifespan down further and further.
Jules watches her father sicken day by day as he gives up more of his time. In order to save him, she takes a job as a servant at Everless, the estate of the Gerlings - one of the wealthiest and most important families in Sempera. As we soon find out, though, Everless is a big part of Jules's past, as well as her future. There are many secrets to be uncovered and Jules must find out the truth of why her Papa always warned her away from the place.
I found it extremely compelling. Holland introduces familiar tropes, but then she subverts and plays around with them. The obvious romance was not as obvious as I first believed, and the villains came as quite a surprise. Don't be so sure who are the bad guys and who are the good guys.
It is the kind of story that gets bigger and bigger as it moves along. The quiet mystery keeps on expanding and adding ever more questions. And I think the author really does this unique premise justice. She includes small moments, unrelated to the main story, that are deeply sad. Such as this:An older couple, two women with backs curved with too much work and too few years, hunch over a small table in the corner, taking turns cutting each other's palms and letting the blood flow into empty vials. I wonder if they're putting time away for their children.
How awful to imagine a world where people bleed themselves, take years off their lives, to give their children a better life. How awful and how... believable. It is the perfect metaphor for what many poor parents in our world do for their kids.
I thought it was a really interesting and engaging story. I enjoyed Jules's perspective and I'm excited by the hints of romantic possibility set up for the next book. I should warn you--
Everless ends on a particularly evil cliffhanger, but I wouldn't let that put you off. If you're anything like me, it'll just heighten the anticipation for the next book. Write fast please, Ms Holland!
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Ah yes, my first 1 star rating of 2018. I guess it’s that time of year again where I become 1% human and the other 99% is just crippling disappointment.
I can’t overstate just how much I don’t care about this book. I’m looking at everyone’s five stars reviews and wondering if maybe we all truly live in different realities and the internet is the only commonly shared space which doesn’t change across universes, because how is it possible to have such astronomically different attitudes towards a thing unless we’ve read different versions of it?? I really tried to find something really nice and from my heart to say about this book but I just ended up sounding like someone who has only vaguely heard of human emotions or seen them play out once or twice!!
Don't get me wrong, I'm happy for y'all but when I die and my life flashes before my eyes, 30% of it is just gonna be me staring at walls and wondering what the hell had I missed. No seriously, you know those renaissance paintings where people always look completely bored and disinterested through whatever significant scene they’re depicted in? actual footage of me reading this book.so what is this book about?
The story is set in a world in which time is the ultimate currency and people consume blood-irons – alchemical coins that extend people’s lives by anything from hours to years. In this world, members of the rich aristocracy tax the people to the hilt, extending their own lives by centuries and becoming essentially immortal, while the rest are left to beg, borrow or steal enough hours to make it through the day.
A premise that seems magical, but the reality is quite depressing. I’ll never forgive this book for pretty much taking the concept from the
In Time movie and then not even following through with the revolution. Justin Timberlake and Amanda Seyfried did not lead y'all to victory for you to turn away from battle.
But anyway, moving on.
At the top of the food chain, there's the Gerling family whom the heroine has vowed revenge against. Ten years before, she and her father were servants at Everless, the Gerlin’s estate, until they were impelled to escape in the dead of the night from the Gerling prince. So when Jule finds out that her father is dying, she risks everything to return to Everless in order to buy him more time.
An incredibly dangerous quest that's promptly forgotten in favor of ogling the hot mediocre white dude the heroine has last seen when she was 7 years old and for whom she still harbors feelings that she actually thinks are reciprocated, which was largely imaginary.
I've already repressed memories from two days ago, but you want me to believe that she still feels a child's crush from ten years before? The second-hand embarrassment I felt then was literally the most powerful and intense emotion that I've ever experienced. Like, you might as well have taken my suspension of disbelief and shoot a damn cannon through it.
She was presented with several opportunities to save her father, or at least extend his lifespan by a few days until she figures it out the how. For instance, she could have snuck out; heck, her father literally came looking for her and instead of being like, 'well first things first, here are some of those blood-irons I carry around in an actual purse to prolong your life by a day at least', she only half listens as her father sputters a bunch of nonsensical riddles about the dangers that are looming over her head instead of, you know, outright telling her what they are. I mean, why be direct and frank when you can communicate badly for dramatic effect???
Look, miscommunication as a plot device brings me ungodly amount of rage. No for real, I touch myself whenever I think about that scene. More specifically, I rub my temples because I get a headache from how awful it was. When the whole plotline could have been avoided if the characters just talked to each other, you know you have a problem. Honestly, I got secondhand exhaustion from the unnecessary drama in general. The plot twists were meh and didn't have any emotional impact beyond annoyance. I wish they could have at least given me some of that excess energy to do my college assignments and exercise and cook and just live in general.
Moreover, there's also the matter that I still have no idea what the MCs look like. In fact, the only other character whose skin color was repeatedly mentioned was Bea, who's the only woman of color. And I'm going to be blunt here: it felt a lot like tokenism.
Bad writing and little regard for her as an individual has led her to be a cardboard cut-out character with little purpose. Her potential was stamped on and her page-time minimized, and even worse, she was relegated to the pretty maiden whom the rich guy had slept with, which quite frankly pissed me off a lot.
Look, if you're going to include POC in your narrative, don't push them to the sidelines, with little individual worth and even fewer lines and make their storyline unimportant and always in relation to their white counterparts. You just can't claim diversity by sprinkling in a few non-white extras that are only shown briefly. It's lacking, to be honest.
Anyway, I'm currently feeling my body wracked with 3 million preemptive headaches just remembering how mediocre this book was. I have so many regrets and not calling it a DNF is probably all of them.
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Maybe I am a mystery— a secret— that needs unraveling...
Or maybe, you are just one of a million special snowflake heroines.
I really, really wanted to like this one.
The premise is absolutely amazing - just riddled with poor execution and even poorer logic.
Jules Ember lives in Sempera - a country where time is literally money.
Lifetime can be extracted from blood and then is condensed into "blood-irons". The time can be re-absorbed or transferred if the coins are consumed.
Most of the rich eat the coins like candy so they remain young and beautiful forever while the poor slowly sell away their lives for a loaf of bread.
Jules used to live on the Gerling Estate (the blood-iron rich aristocrats) but was forced to flee with her father ten years ago.
She and her father have struggled to survive for years and recently, much to her horror, Jules realizes that her father has secretly sold his time to pay for their meager lives.
Despite his warnings, Jules decides to go to the Gerling Estate to earn enough blood-irons to keep her father alive and to find out what really happened ten years ago.
And yet, as she finds herself in a world of ever-increasing secrets, she begins to wonder if some mysteries are better left unsolved.
Overall, I wasn't too impressed.
Essentially, the book's entire plot consisted of pointless secrets, terrible character decisions and an annoyingly annoying true love.
Pointless Secrets
This book was chock-full of the kind of secrets that if the characters spent ~5 minutes and talked like normal human beings, the entire novel would've been around 40 pages (maybe 50).
And yet, the author managed to write an entire book on it. Just shoot me now.
Terrible Character Decisions
Jules constantly rushes headlong into danger - heedless of her father's warnings, society's warnings and any and all forms of common sense. It was maddening.
For example, she decides to go to the Gerling Estate despite many (many) (MANY - LIKE YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW MANY WARNINGS) by her dying father.
Allow me to repeat this - her father's literal dying wish was for her not to go and she decides to go anyway because:The idea takes hold of me, somewhere deep down, and I know that as soon as I can, I will have to find my own way to the town out of time.
And yet, she is surprised and betrayed when things go south.
An Annoyingly Annoying True Love
So, one of the main plot points was - Will Jules decide between Generic Hot Guy #1 or Generic Hot Guy #2???
But, even that didn't have much merit because Jules has had a crush on Generic Hot Guy #1 since she was seven. Seven. And to that I say, really? REALLY?
This was over ten years ago, and she's still wholly and completely "in love" with this guy. I could maybe (MAYBE) see this if the guy was something extraordinary or saved her from a fire but honestly, he just seemed like a benign, normal playmate.
I really think this was to the detriment of the book. Because Jules was already "in love" (yes, I WILL keep using quotes with that phrase), we never got to see her falling in love.
Instead we got her talking about being "in love" (constantly) made the experience feel false and prevented me from becoming emotionally invested in the plot.
That being said...
I do have to admit, the ending did surprise me and it was enough of a shocker that I am now tempted to read the second.
Audiobook Comments
Read by Eileen Stevens and it was a pretty good audio.
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3.35/5 ⭐
Full review on my Blog:
The Dacian She-Wolf 🐺
First things first, this world that Sara Holland has created is kind of untouchable. It is an interesting concept of a timeless world in which the most valuable thing is, you guessed it, time. People are born with time in their veins, time that can be extracted, materialized into blood-iron and then ingurcitated like it is effervescent vitamin C. Quite an interesting concept, I might say I declare myself a fan. But the whole atmosphere is just kind of sad if you ask me. And uncomfortable. I would hate to live in a world where I need to cut open my palms in order to get currency to survive. Ick. No, thank you.
Even though I felt kinda into the book while reading it, I have to admit that I couldn’t really feel anything about the characters. I didn’t have much connection to any of them and the least of connection I’ve had with the main character, Jules Ember.
I couldn’t quite grasp Jules' personality throughout the book. I really felt like it went missing at some point (the personality, I mean). She always experienced so many emotions, but she never expressed them but chose to shove them in some corner of her being and keep the obedient servant attitude on. My girl, if you feel that something is unfair, you shout it out!! You’re the main character, you’re not dying, trust me.
Even though there are certain things that I wasn’t a fan of throughout the book, it was kind of enjoyable overall, at least for me. But some parts were so full of blah tbh...
I am looking forward to reading the next book as soon as I find it. I do hope that after reading the next one, the whole Everless mass of feeling in my mind is going to get a better contour. So, for the Everless Duology, I have a message – You better shape up, ‘cuz I need a book who can keep me satisfied. -
Oh, I loved this. Full of mystery, intrigue, and the best kinds of twists.
The plot was super fun and unique, and for the life of me, I couldn't predict a thing. Friends, we have a page-turner here. I'm pretty sure I read the whole thing in almost 24 hours. I seriously couldn't set it down, especially after the 20% mark.
In a world where time is bound to blood, and people exchange blood/time currency to live, we follow Jules, the protagonist, as she makes the difficult decision to return to work at Everless, an estate owned by one of the most powerful families in the kingdom (and dangerous, I might add). Jules and her father previously worked there, but due to a nasty accident and threats from one of the Everless sons, Jules father was determined to keep her from ever going back.
But now she needs the money.
Sooooo Jules returns and works as a servant, though she is quickly noticed by the two sons she knew as a child. All the while, she discovers some big secrets about her past and why she was really kept away from the Everless estate. Craziness ensues when the Queen arrives. Jules's father shows up and begs her to run away and stay far away from the Queen. BUT WHY?! So basically, we have a very confused Jules who keeps finding tidbits about her past and how its woven through a mysterious history linking back to when time was originally bound to blood iron. Which probably makes no sense without reading. Just roll with it.
Anyway, I can't say anything else without giving up some major secrets, but I recommend going in blind. There are so many twists and turns, and wowzah, a major plot twist. I did NOT see it coming, and I always see them coming. Not to mention, the concept was SO COOL. Hats off to Sara.
Basically, all the stars for the crazy cool, totally original tale. One of the most unique magic system's I've ever seen. And if you're wondering about romance? Literally, anything I say will be a spoiler, but it was fairly minimal - but a really interesting set up for the sequel. I typically have to have a *smidge* of feels or someone to root for romantically, and you'll definitely feel that way here, so don't worry. And if you're someone who prefers romance to be minimal and not take over the plot, well... check. You'll be pleased as well.
Needless to say, I'm ready for book two...
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CLOSE UPS
I was totally thinking this was going to be my first DNF book! Boy did it prove me wrong and I'm glad I kept going.
At first I thought this was going to be like that movie, 'In Time.' Was that the name of it?
BUT.......
in this book you give your time in blood... gross!
It's crazy and I probably have this a bit wrong, but the rich people take from the poor as usual. They can take their blood for whatever reason they can think up and they also use it as punishment. They can take enough to kill you or just take a few years off. I mean, who the hell wants to live forever anyway?
Movin' on..
We have Jules who goes to Everless to work for the Queen and Lady Gold (Ina). Ina is to be wed to Prince Roan and since Jules has had a crush on him all of her life, it makes her sad.
Prince Liam is the evil brother that Jules loathes because he tried to kill Roan when they were little and Jules saved him. And he's just evil anyway.
I like Caro, she was the what's it to the Queen and Ina. The head honcho so to speak but she was nice and fun.
Jule's dad told her part of a secret and she's trying to figure out what in the world he meant by it. Then she starts having certain people telling her to get out of Everless, to run away and hide.
And the plot thickens.
Jules finds out she is not normal in the sense that we know it. She is something else!
I freaking loved it and am looking forward to the next book because that freaking ending!
PS-I said all kinds of things backward in this review to throw everyone off =) Read the book and figure it all out!
Happy Reading!
Mel ♥
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REVIEW -
ARC provided by the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
Maybe I would have really enjoyed this if I hadn't read so much YA Fantasy. Maybe a younger Melanie would have ate this up and asked for seconds. Sadly, I’m just at the point in my life where I feel like I’ve read this all before.
And the aspect of this story that is really cool and different is the everyone’s lifespan is their currency. In this world, you can bind your blood to iron to make coins. And they come in amounts of hours to years. Now this is absolutely amazing, and I love the concept completely, but my friend,
Em, pointed out how similar it is to the movie In Time starring Justin Timberlake and I just couldn’t unsee the similarities.
The last negative thing I’ll say is that the romance isn’t very compelling, swoon-worthy, or even that good. It was very obvious, over the top, and added nothing to the story for me. And towards the end of this book, there was an opportunity for the main character to be like “I love and choose myself!” or even “I love and choose my family!” but instead it reads like she’s just picking another boy, and it felt so ungodly bad to read. Like, a rotten cherry on a mediocre sundae, you know?
But I don’t think this is a “bad” book per say. And I don’t feel like the author is directly copying In Time or is breaking any copyright laws or anything along those lines. This just wasn’t the book for me, personally, but there are ton of high reviews for this book so maybe take my review with a grain of salt.
As for a synopsis, this is a story about a girl that has lived her life running from her past. Her and her father once lived in Everless, where her father worked as a blacksmith and she was able to play with the two royal brothers. But after an almost tragic incident, her and her father were forced to flee, in hopes to forever live their life in hiding.
But the cost of living is expensive, and it’s exceptionally pricey if you pay in the currency of your life. Wanting to protect her father, our main protagonist, Jules, runs away to Everless to work among the people her father has continuously warned her against ever seeing again. Jules tries to stay undercover half the time, but the other half she literally doesn’t listen, or care, or forgets, or something. But regardless, we get thrown into a world of lies and deceit, and prophecies and old story book tales.
Overall and again, I didn’t think was a terrible book by any means, it just felt like the same YA Fantasy story to me. Plus, it had an opportunity to be very powerful to young girls, and it just ended up reading like you always have to love a boy. Plus, I honestly couldn’t care less about any of the characters. Like, they felt so one dimensional to me, and Jules was the worst undercover character I’ve probably ever read about, despite her father’s very serious warnings. Again, I’m very much in the minority with my feelings towards this book, so hopefully if you pick it up you will enjoy it a lot more than I did.
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DNF @157
This conversation probably will happen when I have grandchild in the future.
Me: *reads a book on a couch*
My Grandchild : Grandma!
Me: Yes, my dear?
My Grandchild: Will you tell me a story, please?
Me: *puts the book down*
Me: Alright, I'll tell you a story.
My Grandchild: *sits down on a couch beside me eagerly*
Me: Once upon a time, there was a girl who loved reading books so much or rather too much. She spent all her free time by reading books, because she thought there was no better companion than books. But her great weakness was books with beautiful covers. She just could not resist the temptation to not buy them. One day, when she went to a bookstore, she saw this beautiful book and she could not resist it, so she begged her mother to buy a copy for her, because she had no money left from buying too many books and when her mother bought it for her, she was beyond grateful and excited and a few days passed and she finally read the book, she was very excited to read it, because the synopsis of the book sounded good and like something she would read but then day by day, she realized the book was not like what she expected.
My Grandchild: *gasps* was the book bad, Grandma?
Me: My dear, the book was beyond bad. It was awful and disappointing. Let me continue it. She realized the book was not like what she expected. She expected an action-packed story but the book did not give her that. The book gave her information and information, not the action scenes, she expected. The plot was boring, but she still thought it was fine and she still gave the book more chance, but then the girl was tired of waiting what might came, because she did not feel any connection to the story and to the characters. So, she closed the book with disappointed sigh and it was even painful for her to just look at the book, because the book had crushed her expectations and only left disappointment for her.
My Grandchild: Grandma?
Me: Yes, sweetie?
My Grandchild: The girl in the story, she is you, isn't she?
Me: Yes, my dear. She is me.
My Grandchild: Do you still have the book, Grandma?
Me: I don't know, sweetie. I don't even care for that book anymore.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~REVIEW TO COME TOMORROW. I just can't continue reading it. I am so freaking disappointed right now.
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The cover is absolutely GORGEOUS! I hope the story is as good as the cover or even better.
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A widely imaginative story, with awfully bland characters.
Everless was one of my most anticipated 2018 releases, I was really looking forward to reading it. My expectations were partially met, because
Sara Holland delivered a unique, original story that managed to stand out amongst other YA novels, but there was something amiss that didn't allow me to become fully invested in the fates of her characters.
Once upon a time, in the country of Sempera, the Alchemist and the Sorceress bound time to blood and metal. Now, a few hundred years later, time is still money. And money is extracted by the blood of the citizens. Jules Ember and her father are constantly fighting against hunger and eviction. When Jules was young, they used to live in Everless, the estate of one of the most powerful families, the Gerlings. But a tragic event related to the Gerling brothers made Jules and her father flee for their lives, hiding, and the hatred for this family kept Jules warm at night. But now that her father cannot make ends, Jules decides to return to Everless as a servant, despite the warning that she should never, ever come back. Because Everless is more seductive and dangerous than she remembered, and the Queen's presence opens the floodgates of answers Jules never knew she needed.“Snake,” said Fox. “What have you done?”
Everless was a rich tale laced with intrigue, deception and secrets. The whole concept of this novel was oustanding, albeit a little difficult to grasp it at first. The walls of Everless, its secret vaults and corridors and hushed conversations and rumors between servants and nobles alike gave it an eerie atmosphere, and you could feel the humidity giving you gooseflesh.
Sara Holland wove her story intricately, and led it to a climax you could never predict; the shocking plot-twist was the element of this book I admired the most. The hints were subtle all along, but your mind conjured different scenarios, until the truth was revealed and you gasped with surprise and elation, because - finally! - an author succeeded in keeping you in the dark until the time was ripe to serve you the answers.
While
Everless is undoubtedly a promising debut, I couldn't shake this feeling of unpleasant detachment from its main character, Jules. The only word I can find to describe her is indifferent. While I appreciate the fact that she wasn't presented as the fairest of them all, nor did she think herself as a natural born leader, some of her decisions were highly irrational. For example, the only person close to her died trying to warn her to stay away from the Queen. How did she honor this sacrifice? She thought it imperative that she should become the Queen's handmaiden (!) and search for the answers. I understand such decision was essential to make the plot go forward, but in all honesty it was simply dumb. And then there is her unjustified infatuation with Roan. She hadn't seen him for ten years, she knew of his various dalliances, and yet she was heartbroken over his impending wedding? I think I'm too old for this kind of behaviour.
The rest of the characters felt flat and boring. Roan was insufferable, and I couldn't care less about Ina. The ony ray of sunlight was Liam. He was intriguing, and even though he was portrayed as a villain since the first chapter, he was the only one with depth, and I strongly believe that he deserves his own PoV in the second book.“Fox”, said Snake, curling slowly around her friend's heart. “It's time we face the truth.”
The truth is that
Sara Holland is a talented author, and I will definitely read the next book, because the ending and the possibilities that unfolded made me yearn with anticipation. If Jules finds her own voice, and becomes a more reliable and vivid character, I'm almost certain that I will love the second instalment!
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3 1/2 stars. Okay. I fully admit that this is not the Most high quality thing I’ve ever read. But god, if it wasn’t entertaining. This is like... a better Red Queen. And honestly a whole lot wilder.
This is an odd book because it has some tropes but isn't completely those tropes - Everless sets up a few tropes and then proceeds to play with them, instead of falling into them so much that it feels predictable. I had several guesses as to plot twists at the beginning, but as the book continued, I realized this book was... not that easy to pin down.
I don't want to spoil anything. Obviously. But so much of this was fantastically subversive a couple of nice trope subversions surrounding the romance which as we all know if my aesthetic!! But guys, this book truly offers some new things. I guessed parts of the ending but the author really Went For It to a point I wasn't expecting. It was overall 👌👌
And another strength - I really like Jules!! I’m not a personal fan of first person pov, as I feel it can lead to underdeveloped characters, but Holland really did it with Jules' narrative voice. Towards the beginning, I felt she was a bit generic, but she seriously - and surprisingly - grew on me. Especially as the book progresses, she develops this sense of Mental Strength that I am very very into. if the ending were changed just a teeny tiny bit, it could’ve been my favorite character arc ending of the year. But oh well, it still got Almost There, and I feel as if this set up for more amazing from her next book.
I do think that Everless falls victim to a few debut novel issues. There’s the lack of character description for any character - I know I have a tendency to skim descriptions, but I don’t know what these people look like. And though on the whole this skimmed and subverted plenty of my expectations, I did think there were cliche moments with regards to the romance. Are those subverted later? Mostly. Was it a bit too little too late for a couple of cheesy things? Yes.
And guys, the missed potential. I've already mentioned the end of this book coming so close to brilliance and then skimming just over, but I think a few other areas could've been expanded on too. I loved that despite the love-triangle element, Jules’ “competition” is a sympathetic character in her own right and is never shamed by Jules. Girl hate just died a miserable death. But I honestly would've loved more focus on Ina's character and relationship with Jules. And while I utterly loved the sense of tragedy to this world and this concept, I felt as if the author could've gone further with it. Even more developed side characters could've added to the true pain of this world, the brutality of it, and made this book one of my favorites of the year.
But honestly, though I think the potential could've been more realized, I had so much fun reading this and wish I could read the sequel immediately. January next year !! I hope I'm not the only one reading it when we get there.
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i remember being so excited for this when i heard about it. luckily, my library had it, so i decided to check it out today.
i read it in one sitting.
here i am now, wishing i got another book instead.
no review to come.
i don’t wanna waste my time writing a pointless review for a pointless book. cause let’s me honest, my review will be pointless because it’ll just me ranting. that’s pointless. it’s me wasting my time writing a review for something i didn’t like. see my pointless point?
i got better things to do like um, read better books. -
**3.5-stars**
In a world where the old adage, time is money, is literal, Jules Ember is watching her dear Dad slowly waste away.
His remaining time is quickly being drained to pay for things as simple as rent and sustenance. In this world, time is currency. He won't allow Jules to help him, but she refuses to stand idly by while his time slips through their fingers.
When an opportunity presents itself for Jules to make a lot of time relatively quickly, she jumps on it, even though it means returning to the kingdom they were forced to flee 10-years earlier.
The Gerling boy, Roan, is due to marry the Queen's adopted daughter, so obviously they will need all hands on deck for a royal wedding.
Jules gets selected to be a part of the preparation crew and once inside the kingdom all sorts of memories flood back to her.
Jules once played with Roan in these very halls and upon seeing him again, a spark rekindles.
The past becomes clear as more and more pieces are revealed and Jules discovers her life is not at all what she thought. Buried secrets come to light that shake her to her core.
Soon, Jules finds herself in a fight for her life, and that of the kingdom, gaining unexpected allies along the way.
I really liked this book. It was a pleasant surprise, as I had heard some not great reviews.
Yes, I have watched the movie In Time with Justin Timberlake. No, it did not affect my enjoyment of this book in anyway whatsoever.
I feel like the concept of time as currency is not something that was first dreamed up with that movie.
I feel like that concept, with the wealthy being at a startling advantage over the poor, is something that has been explored in various forms in the science-fiction genre for a while. I could be wrong though.
In all seriousness, I did enjoy this. I thought it was fun to read and the writing kept me engaged. I very much enjoyed the legends of the Alchemist and Sorceress at the heart of the story.
Who else would love a prequel based on those legends?
I do have the second book, Evermore, gracing my bookshelves and plan to pick it up soon. I am interested to see where this story goes from here! -
DNF. Sorry, I can't do it. I know this review is going to be wildly unpopular, seeing as this book currently sits at a 4.17 average rating and most of my friends seem to be loving it, but I could not get into this book to save my life. The only "unique" thing about it was the whole time = currency aspect, which I hesitate to call original, seeing as I seem to be one of very few people who remembers that Justin Timberlake/Amanda Seyfried movie In Time. The writing feels trope-y, and I just couldn't bring myself to care about the MC or anything that was happening.
Thank you to HarperTeen for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review! -
![Jessi ❤️ H. Vojsk [if villain, why hot?]](https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/users/1646942374i/66224803._UX200_CR0,46,200,200_.jpg)
“It’s possible to feel joy and grief at the same time.
It’s possible to look forward to the horizon while mourning what you’ve lost.”
Story ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
In our world time is money. But what if money isn’t bound to our time, but our life. What if every drop of blood makes us weaker, older? What if we can give a few years to someone we love only to make us die younger?
In Jules life her family is losing time faster than anything. So she decides to go back to the place she ones lived - Everless - and help prepare a wedding for the princess.
But when she sets food into Everless again - after years of fleeing from it - she’s pushed into a dangerous world full of intrigue and blood.
Even though I had some problems with the story and the way of storytelling, I think the book was really good. All in all there could’ve been a better execution of such an amazing idea, but some parts were pretty brilliantly (the ending!).
I know that many readers say that they knew what was happening, that this book was so predictable, but I was pretty surprised about the ending. My favorite part were the last 30% of the book, because finally something big and dangerous happened.
Character ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I wasn’t really sure about Jules. I liked the way she was brave and always tried to care and save the people surrounding her.
But then she was also terribly naive and too trusting. She never really thought about the consequences of her doing (especially in the end). But still she was really likable in some way.
My favorite character - even though I don’t really have one - was Liam. I always have a weak spot for the “bad” mean guy. I’m not even sorry about it. In the end they’re always the most interesting.
I mean look at the love interest - Liam - he was handsome, sure thing, kind and had a dazzling smile but I had the feeling he was as naive as Jules and had a touch of a bad side (I mean guys like him aren’t the most loyal ones, huh? Especially when described like this. There’s nothing clearly mentioned in this book, but I still had a really really bad feeling).
Then there are also a few characters I couldn’t quite place. Ina, the queen, Caro etc. They seemed interesting, but I think they weren’t really developed much, they seemed a little plain.
World ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“The alchemist turned earth into lead and lead into gold. The sorceress made flowers bloom in winter. But the alchemist - who lived at this estate grew jealous. So he imprisoned them and demanded they discover a way to make him immortal as he’d seen the sorceress do with flowers and trees. It was deep in his forest estate that the sorceress wove time into blood, and the alchemist found a way to bind blood to iron.”
Do you want to life forever? Or at least a while longer? Then you should probably be rich and have a ton of blood-iron in your castle. Because that’s what the Gerlings at Everless have - tons and tons of blood-iron.
And the queen is like a nearly immortal ghost with a touch of ice that drains the life out of you.
I really liked the world building in it. It wasn’t perfect, there could’ve have been so much more, but it was still really interesting.
Relationships ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Oh, well. Some people would say there is a love triangle in this one - but I’m not really sure of it. I don’t want to spoiler you - so I won’t use names (I hope that helps a bit).
I didn’t really like the love interest in the first 80 % of the book. I guess I understand the whole childhood friends thing, but they didn’t see each other for years and she’s still madly in love with him? Oh please, that was your imagination, girl. Obviously.
But then the second part (or the last 20%) it seemed that Jules got an idea of real love. She sees who her real friends and enemies are. I liked the way her relationships changed and she couldn’t quite place her feelings.
Writing style ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
There were some beautiful, interesting parts. Especially the fairy tales in this one.
But there was also a lot of descriptive writing that encouraged a slow pacing and with it a little bit of boredom and lose of interest on my side.
But still, the world was awesome and I wanted to see what happens in the end.
And what can I say? I was pretty invested in this book and the characters. And why? Because I think this book had a huge potential, and even though it didn’t use all of it, it still made a good impression.
In the end I can’t wait to read the next book. 📚
Btw. I guess there is a guy that has a tiny bit of resemblance with Warner. (but no one is as wonderful and awesome as Warner, duh)
_______________________________________________________
I heard there is a character similar to Warner from Shatter me? *silently freaking out*
Hell yeah, I need to read this now.
Also, look at this gorgeous
bookish Trailer ♥️ -
I’m just sitting here STUNNED y’all.
I FEEL BETRAYED BY THE AMOUNT OF PLOT TWISTS THE AUTHOR THREW AT ME.
The last 80 or so pages are just plot twist, after plot twist, after plot twist, after, you guessed it ANOTHER PLOT TWIST.
Yes, there were that many. While I did see a few of them coming the vast majority I would have never guessed.
Things I liked:
-Liam. Honestly at this point is anyone surprised with me?
I knew there was more that meets the eye with him
If he was portrayed as a villain for this entire story I wouldn't have minded.
-The blood is time, time is currency concept. Overall I did enjoy it, but while most readers are freaking out about how unique and original it is, it's really not LOL. There's literally a movie with the same concept.
-Strong female friendships are the best friendships.
-ALL THE PLOT TWISTS. EVERY SINGLE ONE.
-Jule's father. LOVE THAT MAN. What a dad. Even though he could have just told Jule's the truth and this entire book would have never happened, but still a great dad nonetheless.
-The world building was pretty dope and I really enjoyed reading about Everless, sometimes reading about palaces and politics bores the shit out of me but not this time!
There really isn't much I can say that I didn't like besides the pacing felt a little off at times, otherwise I REALLY enjoyed this book and can't wait until next year to get my hands on the next one. A girl can never have too much Liam Gerling in her life. -
Really enjoyed this story. I have not read a fantasy in a while which feels unique. This ticked that box!
-
4.5 STARS!!!!
Buddy read with
someone who hates Roan's timestopping eyes
Everless is one of my most anticipated release of 2018 and boy was the wait absolutely worth it?!!?!?
I finished this so fast and I was sucked right in from the very first page. I honestly need the next book right now like wtf
✨What I liked ✨
1.The world-building
YASSSSSS YAS YAS YASSS I LOVE THE PLOT AND THE STORY AND THE WORLDBUILDING I LOVE IT SO MUCH I MEAN TIME AS MONEY? YES YES YES
2.The mystery
I was so invested in what is ya know the boom boom pow that my head spun so many theories and what ifs..... and I was actually spot on ok that was scary I think I’m a psychic
3.LIAM
LIAM DADDYYYYYYY TAKE ME BABY BOY I MEAN HELLO? BEAUTIFUL BLACK HAIRED MALE CHARACTERS RUINS MY LIFE AND I’D HAPPILY LET LIAM GERLING RUIN MINE.
4.The Romance (MILD SPOILER)
The reason why I loved the romance because shit hits home. I personally relate to how Jules felt about Roan. Because I had a childhood best friend who I was in love and eventhough he changed, it took me years to figure out that I was in love with the memory of a better time and the thought of him instead of who he is now. Jules might say that she loves him but in reality, she was just fantasizing her past and who Roan was as a child and not the man he is now. Truthfully, Jules doesn't even know who Roan grew up to become. And I noticed by how she always talk about when Roan was a kid and not how he is now. That's because Jules was in love with the thought of him
Honestly I had to pause and get a bit emotional because how the author portray this kind of romance was so accurate that it hits home so close that it got a bit hard to read. But boy I fucking loved it.
✨What I didn’t like✨
1.The pacing
It might get a bit boring in the middle because it spans so long without action. And I feel the ending was a bit rushed but it was still bomb .com
Overall
I want Liam Gerling’s brooding sexy ass and the next book by tomorrow. Thank you
and p.s -
Hmmm I felt like this was a very interesting plot but it could have been executed better.
The characters weren't very remember able and the book kind of drug on.
I may be getting burned out on YA fantasy though.. -
Okay. I think I’m ready to write this review. *takes a deep breath*
My plan is to write this as a letter to the book. Not to the author, mind you, I’m not rudr like that, but to the book itself. Here it goes. (Mild spoilers ahead but nothing too revealing )
Dear Everless,
I could sit here and cry for days about how good the world building was, how interesting the premise was, and how haunting some of the scenes were. This was a good book, you know? Time is money? How did you even think of that? It was brilliant! The fact that one can sell their time and then consume it as well, so either you live for eternities or you give away all your time. This was the case for Jules’ family, living in a poor town after she ran from Everless.
Speaking of Jules… ugh. This was your weak link in armour. This was the entire issue.
Jules was okay at the beginning, she was just like Feyre in ACOTAR, sacrificing herself to save her family.
Except she was soooooooo stupid. My head physically hurts when I think about her irrational decisions. Like why are you like this? You knew the damn girl for two days don’t give her forty years of your life! Don’t try to enter the vault when you know you’re going to get a death sentence! Don’t kiss Roan when you know someone’s going to catch you guys! Don’t! Don’t!
But here’s the thing. She didn’t listen to me. She just kept going on and on and on making crazy decisions and everything fell in place for her. Need to go to Briarsmoore? That’s fine, you can just leave, the guards aren’t going to question you. Like. Shut up. That’s not how life works.
Secondly, I question your pace. What were you thinking at that end? It was madness! Everything was in such a rush, things were falling all over the place and then boom our Ms. Perfect . ffs.
And then there was Liam.
What a wonderful character, evil and messed up and I LOVED HIM, OKAY? loved him because of his evilness, bc I needed another evil-turned-softie-only-for-the-girl-he-loves. Not because of anything else, okay? This was haters-to-lovers trope done all wrong. He turned into a little nice little puppy so quick, I was like, just tell me why there was even a need for a ROAN if you had Liam. zzzzzz.
So this, dear Everless, is why I’m giving you 2.5 stars. You had everything I needed and everything I didn’t. You had a brilliant story about the Alchemist and the Sorceress but it made no sense.
I wish I loved you, but I don’t.
and dear Jules, just cause he helped you escape you want to kiss him, eh? EVEN THOUGH U KISSED HIS BROTHER LIKE 5 DAYS AGO AND THEN DISCOVERED YOU DON’T LOVE HIM WHEN HE DIED. okay. whatever. this makes no sense. goodbye.
With much sadness,
Yusra
———-
what a stupid mess lol I’m regretting the time I took to read this book
rtc, prepare for a rant of the century! (or I might not even care and be like; cover porn!) -
This won Book of the Month on my blog for December 2017:
https://littlemissnosleep.wordpress.c...
Firstly, I think the cover is absolutely gorgeous. If it hadn’t been for the alluring cover, I may not have even been tempted to read this book. This thought now shocks me!
I don't read a lot of fantasy or young adult fiction, as my love for it seems to be a bit hit and miss. I sometimes find young adult fiction too shallow or angsty, and my ability to connect with fantasy really depends on how well developed the characters are or if there is a particularly interesting idea within the plot.
I had a good feeling about this book, and I’m pretty sure it wasn’t just based on the cover and the fact there is a fellow Jules playing a very significant part in this tale. The first lines of the blurb had me really intrigued:
In the land of Sempera, the rich control everything - even time. Ever since the age of alchemy and sorcery, hours, days and years have been extracted from blood and bound to iron coins. The rich live for centuries; the poor bleed themselves dry.
So, I thought I might like this book and I was right. I absolutely LOVED it.
Although Everless is set in a fantasy world of magic, with an evil Queen, and therefore has somewhat of a fairy tale feel to it, I had no problems projecting this story idea on to my own real world. In the book the idea is much more extreme and literal, but it did make me think about the value of money, and how much blood, sweat and tears many people put into earning money, while others live off the hard work of others, be that people living off their parents’ wealth while having a relatively easy life themselves, those committing benefit fraud or burglars stealing hard earned possessions from others. This story really did make me consider my own life, the effort I put into working, the impact it has on my health, and whether the coins in my hand are worth the time and wellbeing I’ve sacrificed to earn it. I imagine I’ll be thinking about this for some time.
I do love a book that keeps me on my toes, and this one certainly did, as no one is quite what they seem. Jules is a fabulous character, and I loved being on this magical and emotional journey with her. This book was so hard to put down, and having finished it a day ago and moved on to another book, I’m still missing the world and characters this author created. This book felt so real and came to life in front of my own eyes. I truly feel like I’ve been dragged out of another world and thrown back into my own. This book would make a fabulous film.
If you’re a fan of fantasy then I highly recommend Everless. I’d say it’s also young adult, but not on the particularly young end, in that the characters are mature and not annoying, so can easily be enjoyed by fans of fantasy who aren’t that keen on young adult fiction. As I said at the beginning of my review, I don’t read a lot of fantasy, but this is definitely now one of my all-time favourites! -
WHY EVERLESS MADE ME WANT TO RUN AT IT WITH A PITCHFORK
1. Cardboard cut-out characters
Jules, the heroine, is another Special Snowflake who was blind to any sort of practical reasoning, and decides to disregard everyone's advice because she thinks she knows what's best. The side-characters aren't developed AT ALL and basically have zero personality. We're always told about their characteristics, but never really shown these. *coughs* *coughs some more*
2. Typical storylines
Sure, we're given something different with the whole blood and time being used as money thing, but the flow of the story and the individual scenes gave me a sense of deja vu, which basically means that I've probably read something similar in the past.
3. A WTF-romance-love-triangle thing
See, I don't even know what to call it. In reality, we have this one dude who the heroine's been crushing on for ages, who is an absolute sweetheart (or so we're CONSTANTLY reminded throughout the book). Then, there are these creepy/weird hints of a possible love triangle with this dude's "mean" older brother. Pssh.
4. Bland/boring writing
I found it SO HARD to get into this book. The writing felt flat, since there was a LOT more telling than there was actual showing.
5. Weird twists
There was basically one "big" twist in the book, and it honestly felt like it came out of nowhere--it felt a bit forced, like there was no other possible solution to the problem/way to explain all the conflicts going on, so it came off as though any-way-is-better-than-no-way.
***
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Everless was my last read of 2017 and boy am I grateful that I am ending the year with such a great read 🌟The world building in this story is absolutely phenomenal and so unique y'all I loved the concept of combination of time into fantasy - science fiction and fantasy are two of my favourite genres and although Everless was purely fantasy, I still enjoyed the incorporation of time into a world of queens and magic very much. A big thanks to Netgalley for offering me an ARC for one of my most anticipated reads of 2018! The plot twists left me shook - especially those in the second half of the book because damn they just kept on coming! Liam was my favourite of the Gerling brothers from the first page which surprised me a little because I used to think Roan was more of my type lmao but I guess not? I am not sure what I was expecting before heading into this story but let me tell you, it wasn't disappointing in the least ❤️ Personally, I would have liked a little more romance or the addition of another POV but I am still excited to read about what will go down in the next book after that epilogue 😊
-
Reviews can be found at:
www.booknerdtan.wordpress.com
***Thoughts now that I’ve simmered down a little and my brain works***
Holy.
This book originally caught my eye a while ago with its’ interesting premise (and beautiful cover, let’s face it) and as soon as I started reading it, it drew me in SO rapidly I inhaled it in less than 24 hours.
Now, fantasy for me has never been one of my favourite genres. I usually find it a bit daunting learning new worlds, words and the mythology that comes with it and therefore I read at a slower pace than I normally would any other genre and that puts me off wanting to read fantasy most of the time. This year I decided to make a resolution to introduce a bit more fantasy into my reading challenge because I feel like I’m missing out on some seriously amazing stories.
And if Everless is anything to go by then, yeah, I seriously am.
This story was captivating, intriguing, full to the brim with mystery and absolutely heart-wrenching throughout. I, for the life of me, couldn’t tear myself away from it.
The author introduces the world to us in a coherent and understandable way and maybe that’s why I got so sucked in; the imagery was absolutely lush. All the way through as more clues were coming to light, I kept convincing myself that I had a grasp on what was the answers were, but I was fooled – I didn’t know anything. Through a lot of fantasy, I get half way (maybe less) before giving up as I often find the story to be way too slow with lots of beautiful sentences but not much content, however there wasn’t a moment in this story that I was left bored or distracted.
Despite being YA, all the characters were richly developed and mature–a very refreshing experience compared to some YA I’ve recently read. I’m even gushing about the potential love story the next book could have. The relationships Jules had with some of the characters, her father and Hinton mainly, absolutely melted my heart and the scene with the both of them…no... my heart.
This deserves all the hype it’s receiving.
The story left on such a cliff-hanger and there are so many questions left unanswered that I literally cannot wait for the next instalment in this series.
Hurry UPPPPP! So happy I’ve come across this series. -
Imagine a world where time is used as currency, extracted from the blood in your very veins (turned into blood-iron coins). A plethora of ideas may pop into your head including the possibility of robbers in the form of bleeders to steal time from you. The world building here is fantastic as
Sara Holland creates a world where the rich tax the poor, ultimately having centuries to live while the poor are continually struggling to get food on their table and pay their taxes or rent. The issue is..if you can't afford to pay, you must turn your blood into currency and lose time off your life. There's a certain point you can't go back from because once your time is out..you will die, but not before losing your mind.
Jules and her father are very poor. She knows her Papa has been bleeding himself to pay rent and can't bare to watch him die when she knows there is another way to get the time even if he won't let her bleed for it. Everless is an estate where the Gerlings reside, the very ones who their rent goes to. They pay their servants a great deal more than anywhere else - a year on the month. The catch is: it's not safe. Beside the rumors of harassment, mistreatment and harsh & cruel punishments among other things, Jules has a past at Everless. Ten years ago, she and her Papa lived there as servants until an accident occurred leaving Jules and her Papa fleeing for their lives.
AH. The plot just gets even better from there. It's a story that keeps giving. The premise has so many things that can be explored. Luckily for us, Holland tries to do just that. I can imagine the next book going even further. I loved the multi-layered characters and how realistic they actually felt. I could've used more of some of the secondary characters. That shows how much I enjoyed them. OH and the twists! They're glorious.
My one issue would lie solely in the fact that the mythology was a bit on the confusing side. I had to go back and re-read it to make more sense of everything at a certain point. If that had been re-worked, we'd be peachy. Because I'm still slightly confused but I also cannot freaking wait for the sequel. So there's that. -
This wound up being a really interesting fantasy adventure that touched on a lot of tropes but did it in a fun way. Jules has grown up in a poor village, daughter of the blacksmith, where your blood can be sold to give years of your life to someone else. The rich steal life from the poor, and when her father cannot pay the taxes on their house, Jules goes off to the castle to work as a servant to try to earn more “years” and save him.
The twists and turns kept coming. There were several interesting love potentials and some nice friendships as well. Pacing was nice with lots of cliffhangers and must-turn-the-page moments. I will definitely be checking out the sequel!
Please excuse typos/name misspellings. Entered on screen reader. -
Buddy Read marathon with
Scrill :)
_________________________________
"Your voice is an hour's rose; your soul a loving thief. I'll follow you through the fledgling woods, till your heart is mine to keep."
With vibes of Snow White and definitely a fairy tale-esque feel I was quickly swept away into the land of Sempera. Here time is of the essence, literally. Your time is payment for anything you might need, and ruling over the land is the Queen and the wealthy Gerlings who have time in abundance stored away in vault that is kept well guarded. Poor folk like Jules and her father do what they can to get by and when her father's time is running low she goes to desperate measures to save him. Returning to the Gerling estate to work for blood coins to send back to her father, she soon realizes she might be in over her head. And there are many more secrets behind the castle's walls than she remembered there being as a child.
From the beginning I really enjoyed this story, like I said, I was instantly swept up trying to puzzle out all the mysteries and wanting to find out along with Jules what exactly is happening with these rich and elite, because something is definitely amiss. Jules was an interesting character to follow, she did seem a bit dumb at times, doing exactly what she was told not to the ENTIRE book. But because of her hard-headedness she found out much about herself and the people around her. She refused to be put aside, or pushed away. And in that respect, I kind of liked her. But there were many many times when I felt the urge to reach in the book and shake some sense into her because she was frustrating me so much.
Everything was well written and I was really getting into the story but then towards the end, it all started to feel a bit rushed. I remember holding the last few pages in my hands and thinking, theres no way that it can all be wrapped up in this little amount of book left. But it all led up to one MAJOR cliffhanger that has me needing the next book ASAP!
I also feel like quite a few of the characters who were introduced to us throughout the book that could have been major key players, just dropped off the map. There were too many loose ends to feel really satisfied with the way the book wrapped up. I do hope that there is more to come, because I need to know if Liam and Jules ever meet again, and if they do, how that will turn out. THAT ENDING!!! UGH! I will be waiting eagerly to find out what happens next to these characters!
You can find the review on the blog here:
Full review can be found on my blog,
here.
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Meh... The more I think about it, the more it's a 3 stars...
Mini spoiler free review.
Buddy Read with
Jasmine
So... I'm just going to give a mini review because like I said, I feel so ill at the moment. The basis of the book was really interesting a persons time was represented by blood money, so often the poor would die young and the rich would live for many years. In the first few chapters a lot of information is thrown at you with different back stories and it was a lot to take in at some points.
Some of the characters seemed to disappear completely from the story which was a bit of a shame because I wanted to know more, Jules as a main character slightly annoyed me and I can't even explain why, it was just one of those things. Up until 300 pages I thought it was okay, the story was good and you could see that it was building up to something, but my god, those last 60 pages were incredible. I can't even begin to explain, but the twist I thought was coming slapped me across the face and was like not today satan! (10 points for anyone that gets my reference)
Anyway overall, it was enjoyable, I'm intrigued as to how the next book will carry out, which characters we'll see and how people will behave in the next book.
DUN DUN DUNNNNNNNN!
Everless - 3 Stars
Evermore - 2 Stars -
3.5/5
This was such a unique story! Seriously. The whole idea of being able to "drink time" to live longer was something I've never read about before. So yay for originality. However, the biggest downside was how the story started slowly; however, luckily, it picked up towards the middle and end.
Since this is Sara Holland's debut novel, I'm quite impressed with her originality. Normally, all YA fantasy novels have similar qualities (an obvious romance, similar plot, characters, etc.). Not with this one, though! At least, not all of it was similar to other YA fantasy novels.
Honestly, I think I'm more impressed by the originality of the story than anything else. I thought the characters were fine - I mean, Jules didn't seem original, but she wasn't annoying either. I didn't care for Roan too much though, which took a lot away from the story (to me) since he was supposed to be the main "romantic interest." On the other hand, his brother, Liam, is probably my favorite character; mainly because I did not see that change of character coming. When we are introduced to Liam in chapter one I thought, "Oh, here's the character I'm going to hate." Only, by the end, I ended up liking him the most. So, good job there Sara Holland. I truly didn't see that one coming.
Overall, I felt like so much more could've been done with the idea, but what was done with it was fine (besides, there is another book on the way!). Therefore, Everless was good but not great, because I felt like something was lacking throughout. Regardless, it certainly kept me entertained.
Can't wait to see what happens in book 2! I've only got a year to wait... -
2.5 Silver Stars
Plot: ★★★/5
it had been started boring & cliche. a village, then a castle & maiiiiiiiiids.... but as the story was going on, things were slowly getting better & better. I almost guessed all the surprising events would happen there, but it was still surprising when it happened.
my heart was pounding hard in the last 100 pages!
the Ending was exciting!
-
World building; ★★/5
the world was flat. poor village, rich palace, maids. blah blah blah.
-
Characters: ★★(★)/5
Jules was annoying, not completely but still...
not sure if I have a real favourite character... maybe that little boy?
-
Written Style: ★★/5
-
Idea: ★★★/5
in general, the concept of this story was good,
but how the story turned out,
Not so Much -
What. A. WONDERFUL surprise. I absolutely adored this masterpiece of a novel. When I try to think of what book I want to read next, a weekly occurrence, I immediately think back to this story time after time after time. I read this the first week it came out, yet I’ve been backlogged horribly on time with which to write a review it so rightfully deserves (I was sick, then husband, then daughter-then fast forward and daughter gets it again and BLAH just TOO MUCH)…so I waited. And I waited. And I waited. And do you know when I have finally found the time? While getting my hair done lol.
Yep. I’m processing right now and I’m just tap tap tappin’ away on the keys. So. ANYWAY. I am so happy I can finally express my thoughts on this beauty-and the amazing characters this author brought into existence.
I think when trying to find a YA fantasy, there are few and far between that really reach into my soul and make me pine for more, wish that, even though terrible things are happening repeatedly, there was more we could read, that the story wouldn’t end. Those books are a dime a dozen…but this story was one of them.
With its lush visuals and deeply flawed, intricately layered characters, I was a goner from the moment I met every single one of them. Vivid storytelling led to endless possibilities, causing me to guess every theory in the book-until I realized I had no way to truly guess what was happening and I just needed to chill out and enjoy the ride.A strange feeling flowers in me, like I’m standing at the edge of a cliff, looking out to the green-and-blue sea, which I’ve only ever seen drawn in books, its waves sloshing and beautiful and endless—and from this height, deadly.
Jules hates the Gerlings…chased from the castle when she was younger and still ‘in hiding’, she wants nothing to do with the royals that caused her and her father such pain and worry. She can stop time, but doesn't know why. Blood is the price for security, its value only worth something so long as you’re not paying with your whole life. When backed into a corner with house payments, Jules finds that her father has been paying with his blood to keep them afloat-but she sees that he’s withering away with each pull, years dwindling away into oblivion.
She decides it’s time to take action, and when news gets out that Prince Roan has chosen a bride, help is required to prepare for the big day and it’s the talk of the town-those hired get a hefty amount of money, enough that it would get Jules and her father out of debt. Jules’s father begs her not to go, for that would mean facing the Gerlings once again and maybe being found out after all these years-But we all know what Jules decides to do, don’t we? The next morning she’s off before her father has risen, hoping to be chosen so she can pay off their debts and perhaps find the mystery as to why her father said to NEVER go near the Queen. What is he hiding? And why can’t she be near the Queen?Lying feels like trying to hold an eel in my stomach: the truth wants to wriggle its way out.
I’m used to the feeling by now.
I’ll admit that I was all in for the romance. I mean, who would I be if not myself? I need a ship, and my ship was a lovely ship. My ship has/had promise. My boy was just…oh my gosh…ahhhh I need it. I just need it. And I need him. I love him. Adore him. I would do anything for him. But…unfortunately, I don’t think I should be saying any names. It’s a mystery until the end, I tell you, and it was a wonderful journey indeed.
Have I grown distracted, my head turned by Ina’s beautiful gowns, Caro’s friendly gossip, Roan’s smiles that seem just for me, and forgotten the promise I made by the lakeshore after ?
I’ll admit I guessed mostly who she might possibly be with or end up with or pine for or what have you (how many different ways can I say I think I know who she will end up with, in the end?), but I second guessed myself on EVERYTHING. And here I am, I find, trying to fangirl about a boy that I can’t say the name of and not able to tell anything that happens or why I like said person. I can’t really say her past or why she likes who she likes or who she stops liking or ends up liking or who she continues to like (holy hell this is confusing lol)….so I feel as though my normal review format is screwed and I’m just left a rambling mess. It sucks. I want to talk about my guy, dang it!!!!
And then all those characters. All these dark corners and twists and turns we go through. The stories and myths and childhood memories-it all builds up into this beautiful story, this seamless weaving of epicness, gripping you more and more with each passing page. I was sucked in until I was drowning, until I couldn’t breathe….and I STILL wasn’t prepared for the inevitably devastating (and STILL devastating) turn of events. I had my suspicions, but I tell ya, this author? She is the definition of epic. No holds barred, she goes all in. No tiptoeing around, she slits your throat and is in your face.
She wins. You lose. That’s all. This story is beyond your imagination. It’s new, imaginative-it seeps elegance out of every pore (eew). When I say this, I mean it-This book is the underbelly of the tainted royalty game. Who can you trust? Who SHOULD you trust? Is everything as it seems? And, almost always, the answer is no. Keep your head high and eyes forward, because you might just miss something. You might think you know where its going, but I can assure you, even if you’re partially right…you’re not even close. And if you are?? You’re a wizard, my friend, because this author is a wonderful, tricky mistress….and I adore her.
Liam doesn’t react for a moment. Then, to my shock, he grins, a wide, earnest smile breaking across his face like sun through storm clouds. It only lasts a moment, but smiling, he looks like Roan. No—he looks like someone all his own.
Sigh. I’ll shut up. But I just…I loved this book. I really loved it. And its been a month, so it’s so hard to write a nice review that’s worthy of such a strong book and a strong set of characters. It’s like…I don’t know. I am so frustrated because I’m reading all these amazing books that mean the world to me, but then I can’t put down my thoughts the next day like I used to…BEFORE. Lol. I love my daughter but UGHHH she puts a damper on mama’s reviewing skills. I like to think I can post a review about a book I’ve read now more than a month ago, but even I find it difficult these days. I’m reading so much faster than I can put out quality reviews and…it breaks my heart.
Oh well. I will continue to try and catch up on past reviews-even if they review is a shadow of what it could have been. I needed this on hardback after reading the ebook-so I got it (that and cruel prince). And if that’s not saying enough, I don’t know what will.
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