Thank you Hachette Children's Books, Australia for the review copy.

I've been on the lookout for a good YA fantasy for ages and EVERLESS really hit the spot! Looking forward to diving into the sequel!

Sara Holland's debut YA novel Everless is about seventeen year old Jules, who in order to care for her sickly father, becomes a servant at the Everless palace, home to the rich and powerful Gerling family and a place she has sworn to never return to.

From the synopsis, it seems Everless is your typical YA fantasy. A young girl, who struggles to survive day by day and look after her family (or what's left of it), moves to the palace in hopes of a better life but discovers much more than that and becomes embroiled in something bigger than she could have ever imagined. Things aren't what they seem and danger, secrets and romance ensue.

Although it does seem that way, Everless is a YA fantasy which though does not surprise, still manages to engage the reader. It depicts the inevitable cliches well and revolves around the refreshing concept of blood as time and currency.

The characters are written with depth and felt real, but I would have liked even more development of them besides the main character, Jules. However, this meant that her character was easy to understand and relate to which is important in the book.

The pacing is very good - there was never a slow patch and the climax at the end quickened the pace a lot. To be fair, I did find myself skimming or skipping some of the descriptions at times, but that was because I felt that I already had a picture of Jules' world in my mind.

The novel overall is quite light on the fantasy but it does set up nicely for the sequel, which should have more developments on the magical aspects.

In terms of plot twists and suspense, this novel doesn't really have much of either. However, it did a good job in making me feel like there was always something going on and that I had to read more to find out. It also manages to drop hints towards the big reveal, which made it fun to guess. This did mean I saw some of the connections coming but fortunately not all.

If you're someone who is not big on romance or fears it will overshadow other aspects, I am glad to say this book doesn't do that. If you read the synopsis it does mention romance, but it's not a major part of the story. The novel focuses mainly on Jules and the things she uncovers about herself and her past. If you read to the end, you do realise why the romance is needed and how it plays into something much bigger. The novel sets up the romantic relationship that will develop in the next book.

Overall, I am very satisfied with Everless, and especially the world it has introduced me to. I was particularly fascinated by the idea of blood that could be turned into coins and then consumed to lengthen one's life. I would highly recommend this novel as the writing is lovely and flows well, and I haven't been this excited about a novel for a long time.

This was a great start to the series, I loved the alchemy and sorcery in this book, I really feel like we need more alchemy in fantasy worlds. Can't wait for book 2.

I absolutely adored this book. It was fast paced and fun with just the right amount of drama and plot twists. It saved me from the dreaded reading slump! Five stars!

I went into Everless with mixed feelings. On one hand, I'd heard really amazing things about the concept of time being currency. On the other hand, I didn't really have a lot of insight into what the book was actually about except that there were a lot of mixed reviews.

I'll go through this in categories.

The characters – I felt a lot of them were surface characters, similar to each other but also their own person. I wasn't fond of the way everyone seemed to be incredibly helpful (except for those select few like Ivan etc.) and Jules, although working hard to get the answers she wanted, at times seemed to have been handed a lot of things. Ina Gold definitely a character I enjoyed reading about, as she contrasted a lot against Jules, which I felt was needed for the world-building.

I didn't see the appeal in Roan, or her feelings for him, but I think that's more a testament to the fact that it went straight into the story and only got their backstory as the book continued. I felt there wasn't a lot of connection between the two of them at all, so didn't really want to read about their encounters as much.

However, I really enjoyed reading about Liam! Not from the first time he was mentioned but later on when he first encounters Jules. I think that his and Jules' relationship was explored a lot better – essentially, I liked Liam more than his brother (and other characters in general) simply because he seemed to have a lot more depth to his character.

The story arc itself – the concept of blood as currency? I'd seen it before, in a movie, and found myself a bit wary of how Holland was going to do this. But it was intriguing, the process of blood turning into coins and I really enjoyed the way she described those blood lending scenes. They were detailed and I was fascinated by the mechanics behind it and hope we get to see more of that.

The storyline itself felt a little bit juvenile, but this was mostly due to Jules being headstrong to a fault – a lot of things wouldn't have happened the way they did if she'd not gone in without thinking (how many times can she say things she's not supposed to?). The only part of the storyline that I found moved it forward and kept the pace going was this underlying curiosity about her past.

The world-building – it was a struggled start, with a bit of info-dump at the beginning that didn't make sense until you read past that confusion, but as the story progressed it got a lot easier to understand. I understand, particularly with the ending being left open for sequels (I hope), that a lot of the questions I have about the histories and mythologies will probably be answered as the story goes on. It wasn't perfect, but there's little to complain about it once you reach a certain point.

The plot twists – what can else can I say? Holland definitely delivered on plot twists throughout this entire book. Though not all of them were cliff-hangers at the end of chapters, the way they were weaved into the story as it progressed improved the pace incredibly. The end of the book held plot twist after plot twist, some more intense than others. I did find it plateaued there though, I think maybe because there's such thing as too much happening at once so not all of it is explained incredibly well.


Overall, I really did enjoy this book and I would recommend it to fantasy readers if they wanted something unlike a lot of other books out there.

•

I received this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

First Impressions (upon finishing):
I had no expetctations at all for this at the start. I requested it at random on Netgalley as well, since I just wanted some books to fill my kindle. The cover caught my eye, though that was the other cover, not the
Somehow I kind of consumed this all at once. I did put it down for a break every once in a while, but then I was completely drawn back to it with the need to finish it.
Everless has many marks of a debut novel and author. But it also, has the potentials of a good book.
And not just any good book, but a decent, YA, fantasy book.
If I flip through my memories and look for the best YA fantasy I read in the last year, then I would say VE Schwab’s Shades of Magic trilogy (though this book is a special kind of fantasy than what I’d class Everless), or Susan Dennard’s Witchlands. I’m probably closer to throwing this in with Susan Dennard’s lot since it’s the worldbuilding that gave me the same kind of feel. And if you’re a fan of worldbuilding, or at least some attempt at focussing on the world and the social ties of that world and not romance like Sarah J Maas’ works kind of do, then Everless falls in that kind of category. These days, I don’t find many outstanding fantasy under YA. I mean <i>yes</i> there’s plenty, and <i>yes</i> they’re all YA worthy, and to some extent throw the reader into some kind of world. But it’s just not deep or intense or whatnot—high fantasy. For YA, Everless comes across as high fantasy. It has the mythology potential of Laini Taylor’s Strange the Dreamer (but without Taylor’s way with words), and a hint of well maybe not Kestrel from the Winner’s trilogy, but the kind of main protagonist that actually fits into her world, and we’re given someone who’s against norms without breaking the social norms set by that world (unlike what I read recently, with the Vanishing Spark of Dusk, which in itself was not a bad book, but it definitely did this in the wrong way). This novel also has the same kind of feel at times to a fairy tale retelling, or even a fairy tale, but it’s also not precisely that either.
So yes, I definitely think this is a decent YA fantasy novel from a new author.

*I received this ARC via Net Galley in exchange for an honest review*

Actual rating: 3.5 stars

Oooh I really wanted to rate this higher but there were a couple of little niggling things that held me back.

Mmmm spoilery in parts below.

The world building was great, really interesting plot and concept etc. Jules as a main character for me lacked a little depth and her relationships with other people were a little thin for my liking. Also why all the secrecy from her 'father', I feel like that didn't help anyone to keep Jules in the dark about who she really is. It was all very special snowflake as well, which I mean, sure, not unheard of in stories like this but it does get a little old.

The romance was not a main plot point which was kind of unusual and kind of nice, but at the same time I feel like whatever was between Jules and Roan was a bit of a waste of time then. Liam's reveal that in fact he wasn't the bad guy was always going to happen and it was very obvious something would evolve between he and Jules, even if apparently we all have to wait until next book for anything to eventuate.

Lots of plot twists, even if sometimes it took a while for the main characters to catch up to where I was. But overall twisty and good.

The pacing of the book was also a bit much for me- everything was fine but it was just more and more questions building and I did wonder whether we'd actually get any answers before the book's end. We did, but only in the last 5 minutes or so. So I'm wondering whether this will be a trilogy or duology because I'm really not sure how things will progress from here and whether this story will have the legs for three whole books.

Idk this all sounds very critical, but it's just because I had a lot of hope riding on this and as a novel it was so close to being amazing but just didn't quite reach those heights somehow. Still definitely going to read the next book in the story though because I want to see where things head next.

Everless was such a stunningly captivating book! The plot twists absolutely blew my mind and I couldn't put it down for a second.

The premise of turning time into money is really awesome. I have seen the movie In Time, which did something similar. But I loved this more epic-fantasy-esque spin to it. And there was so much world building done around this that I was super impressed! It carved a unique culture, with class distinctions and an interesting political climate that I found very intriguing.

Jules was an interesting protagonist, although I admit a bit uninspiring. She was very brave and honourable, so a bit "perfect" for me. I would've liked to see her being a bit more relatably human instead of always the perfect lamb. And I still don't understand, when she lived in a world where they literally turned blood into magical coins, why she was so adamantly against believing in magic?! What else was that?!

Other things I really loved include:
• The villain reveals were SO GOOD. I was reeling and felt so betrayed!! EXCELLENT.
• Seriously plot twists galore.
• There is actually 80% focus on female friendships! Like good healthy ones that are fantastic.
• Complex females everywhere
• Liam was a complicated gift and I loved unpacking that.
• Everless, the super rich palace-like place of the nobles, was very interesting!
• Romance was there, but actually very minimal and Jules put her focus on the plot!
• World building was A+ and I really got a sense of the world, dynamics, culture and politics which is AMAZING.
• The moments were time slowed or were accidentally manipulated were really well written. Totally captivating!!

I definitely loved Everless and am so excited for the next instalment. It was face-paced and twisty and managed to even have some feels-punching plot twists there at the end to get your heart beating!

After a little bit of a slow start, this book totally sucked me in! I can’t wait to continue following the characters in this world. It took me a little while to get my head around some of the world-building, but once I did, I really enjoyed where the story took me.

In a world where the currency is literally the years on one’s life, Jules and her father struggle to make ends meet from one day to the next. After her father’s death, Jules goes to work at the Everless estate, home of the wealthy Girling family, where she lived as a child before she and her father were driven away. But the more times she spends there, the more secrets she uncovers about her past, and the more questions she finds that need answers.

I really enjoyed the way that Holland subverted some typical YA tropes. What I thought was surely going to be a love triangle turned out to not be. There is still a bit of romance and it does have some eye-roll-worthy moments that are typical of YA, but this is very much not the focal point of the book. Jules actually spends most of the book trying to figure out her past and her abilities, rather than swooning over anyone.

The last third of the book is quite twisty. I had figured out some of the reveals that came along, but certainly not all of them, and I was taken by surprise on more than one occasion. There is a good cast of characters and I really appreciated how many women and girls made up the supporting cast.

I really loved the world-building. The idea of blood-iron did take me a while to understand, but it is pretty well explained. There is also a lot of mythology and history of the Kingdom of Sempera, which Holland weaves into the story. Sometimes it did get a little info-dumpy, especially earlier on, but this didn’t bother me too much.

The ending is full of drama and leaves a lot for the second book to explore. I’m really excited to see how everythiing pans out.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of Everless for review purposes.

⚠️ Minor Spoiler Ahead ⚠️

“Snake,” said Fox. “what have you done?”

I’m always wary of books whose hype arrives before it’s on the shelves. Let me tell you, Everless is worthy of its hype - and then some! Before I’d even reached 15% one word haunted my mind without me consciously thinking it ... captivating. I was captivated from beginning to end, and I had so much adrenaline rushing through me during the second half that I pretty much feel like the Energizer Bunny right now.

By 30% I already anticipated/feared a sequel and came close to writing to Sara Holland begging for immediate access to it upon completion of her debut. Now that I’ve finished reading Everless I’m fairly convinced that I need get my hands on the sequel in a reasonable timeframe (say, the next 24 hours or so) or I may suffer Sempera withdrawals and if they’re anything like the punishments dispensed at Everless, it’s not going to be pretty.

I don’t want to ruin this one for you so I’m just going to cover a few points because I can’t help myself, then I’m going to tell you to read it for yourself because it really is that good!

The Cover: Kudos to the design team involved in this book. That cover is incredible! The blood dripping through the hourglass and the elements inside draw your attention and make you need to know what this book’s all about. I also really liked the design of the artwork at the beginning of each chapter.

Favourite Character: Hinton. May I please adopt him? Pretty please?

The Boys: I may be unpopular for saying this but quite frankly, Roan bored me. Sure, he’s nice to look at and all. He’s sweet, polite and behaves in a way that would make any mother proud. I’m sure I’d like to look at him along with everyone else, but his personality didn’t grab my attention. Liam, however ... I loved Liam. He had mystery and complexity oozing out of him. You weren’t sure who he really was beneath the grimace and his snarkiness kept me entertained.

Jules: I really liked her relationship with her Papa. It was gorgeous, despite her [minor spoiler: ⚠️ spending most of the book behaving in direct opposition to his wishes ⚠️.] Overall I liked, not loved, her character. I rolled my eyes every time she swooned over Roan. I’m not a fan of swooning - ever, and half expected her to faint and fall into his arms each time they crossed paths. I liked Jules’ story more than her character, and she didn’t make my top five favourite characters.

The Minor Characters: There were a few minor characters who came and went, and others who seemed as though they’d become more important as the story continued but faded into obscurity. I quite liked some of these characters (some of those did make my top five) and it felt like there should have been more to their stories than I learned in this book. I can only hope they return in the sequel as there are several whose stories feel unfinished to me.

The Mythology: The gradual unfolding of the mythology were some of my favourite passages. I adore mythology! The Alchemist and Sorceress. The fox and the snake. The stories told to children generation after generation. I wanted to know more, to go deeper, and while I’m certain there’s plenty more to come I’m also satisfied that a lot of my initial questions have been answered.

The Themes: The big three for me were loss, trust, and betrayal. I love novels where things are not always what they seem. It messes with your equilibrium as a reader when you’re unsure whose words you can trust and when you’re not quite sure if what you’re being told is the truth, part of a bigger truth or an outright lie. While some elements of this novel were predictable there were plenty that weren’t.

Time: Time really is money! I’m obsessed with the possibilities surrounding time travel (no, there aren’t flux capacitors but time is most certainly messed with) and the concept of time in general. Any book that twists my notions of time around into a reality that both ignites my imagination and turns something from improbable to possible and believable in my mind in under 400 pages grabs my attention.

Social Class: Servants and the elite. Higher and lower ranking servants. The whole idea of one group of people believing they’re better than another group for any reason disgusts me and I love that this was explored in Sempera’s society. The imbalance and abuse of power was integral to the way this society functioned and had done for centuries.

The Magic: It’s magic! Of course it was awesome!

Yay, me!: Although I didn’t know how it was going to play out my gut told me to trust one character and not trust another. For once I was right about both!

Okay, so maybe more than a few points. 😃 Now, off you go and read this book if you haven’t already!

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley (thank you so much to NetGalley and Hachette Children’s Books, Australia for the opportunity) in exchange for honest feedback.

Everless is a fantasy novel that focuses on time being used as a form of currency. The main character, Jules, is an individual who values family and friendships more than anything. The book kept me on my toes and new twists and turns continued to unveil.

The protaganist, Jules, is a very loving and selfless character. Jules has spent her life keeping to herself and taking care of herself and her Papa since they left Everless. Jules father risks his life attempting to pay his debts and Jules makes her own decisions in an attempt to ave her father. Jules is very determined to discover the truth about herself and why her father was so intent on stopping her in her path to Everless. Much of Everless was getting to know the MC, Jules and her background. Often, Jules is found in the path of danger. 

The romance aspect of this novel was well written and I didn't find it frustrating like some novels. Although, there is somewhat of a love triangle, it is not extremely evident and doesn't impact on the story. There were many other characters in this book who may become more evident further in the series. Ina Gold is another important character in the novel who should have had more development of her character, especially with the pivotal piece of information Jules finds near the end of the novel. Although, it did reveal a lot about the bloodlines of many of the main characters.

There are many great twists in Everless and I found myself needing to continue reading to find out what happened next. I loved the fantasy side and the addition of Alchemy was exciting for me. Everless is a great start to a series and Holland does a fantastic job of setting the scene early on and introducing the reader to the characters and providing background to build the world. The novel is very fast paced and the story flowed perfectly, leaving a great ending for the second novel to lead from.

Overall, the novel was very well written and the plot flows well. I was never confused about what was happening and every now and then, Holland cleverly reminded you of Jules' plans. The book was fast paced and the twists were very well written and I'm still shocked! I can't wait for book two!

If you are yet to read Everless, I highly recommend doing so.

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. 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 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 :)

Cover Art:
I really love this cover! I really like the simple colours on this cover. Also, the design is amazing and it fits the book so well! 

Writing:
The writing was pretty enjoyable. I feel like the book started a little slow and there were a few points throughout the book that was a bit slow and dull. But for the most part, it was interesting and there was a fair bit of action.
There was one part of the book that I found really predictable basically from the start but for the most part, there were a lot of things that were unpredictable which I really enjoyed. 
The world was also really well explained and I never had an issue when being introduced to it.  Also, the world was extremely interesting and I can't wait to see what else happens in this world!

Plot:
The plot was really well done besides the few dull parts that I mentioned earlier. I also loved that even though there was a slight romance vibe it was definitely not the main focus at all! Which if you know me? Is great as I'm not a fan of many romances and it's nice to see books with little to no romance! 

Characters:
Okay, so I won't be talking about my full feelings of a couple of the major characters as it would possibly give away some spoilers as there are a few characters that you start out with one opinion and then you find out that it's not as it seems. 

I really enjoyed Jules and she was an awesome MC to read from. She was kind and caring but also brave and kinda stubborn. 
Roan, I actually didn't particularly like. He seemed to change his mind a lot and there were hints at him possibly cheating on his fiance. Which I am not a fan of, even if it is an arranged marriage. 
Ina was just so sweet and innocent feeling. She was also kinda naive to some degree. Well, that is the way she was made out to be anyway.

Overall:
The writing is really good and the world building is amazing! I really enjoyed the MC as well! There are a few slow parts and a little bit of predictability too which I wasn't as much a fan of but not enough to really affect my enjoyment. 
I did really enjoy this book but I had a couple small issues that means that I didn't give it a higher rating. But still, a really good book and I'm keen to find out what happens next!

This books initial appeal was it's vibrant cover and then of course the concept of blood and time being intertwined.

The concept itself played out beautifully and the world made sense. Overall it was a very enjoyable read, though it did end on a  bit of a cliffhanger! I'm sure it will continue to improve as the series progresses.

Everless was incredible! I didn't want to put it down and when I had time to read it the story went by so quickly as if time sped up. I had no idea how fantastic this book was going to be before I read it. The beautiful cover drew me in at first and from the brief plot I read it sounded really cool but the actual story just blew me away. This book has an interesting idea behind it, great creativity and also friendships that were so much better than romantic relationships but there was even a little romance going on that was totally addictive! You guys should read it and then come back and talk to me about it. 

I loved the characters in this book because Jules was fantastic clearly but the secondary characters were also great and Ina and Caro in particular really stood out for me as well as Liam. Those were my four favourite characters of the book and I think they got the most attention story-wise for a very good reason in the end. I wish we learned more about Ina but I'm sure we'll get more backstory on her past and the way it fits into the story in the sequel too because while a lot of my questions were answered I'm still not sure where she stands on a lot of things. I was also so surprised at the way it went with Liam and I love books that drop you into one thing and then change it completely. 

So now I just want to read this book all over again now that I'm talking about it because I'm remembering how great it was! Everless was just so easy to read and it was also completely fascinating. I spent the entire time that I was reading it just thoroughly enjoying each chapter and looking forward to what would happen next. Jules became caught up in a dangerous game of deception as she tried to find answers in a place she always ran away from but there's also a really cool concept of time and life. I love that their form of payment and way of life is by earning and selling the time of their life through blood-irons (coins made from their blood) because it's creepy to think about people putting that in their tea but also so awesome and this needs to be a movie! 

There was also some awesome twists I didn't see coming so I'm pretty eager to find out how this will pan out in the second book so hopefully, the wait isn't too long after this book is actually released! I'm looking forward to hopefully having more Jules/Ina interaction in the next book and I'm definitely shipping Jules/Liam now even if I disliked him at the start because I just can't resist that sort of chemistry in bookish relationships!

<b><blockquote>...Power has nothing to do with position. Especially if you’re weak.</blockquote></b>

<b>Everless is a debut YA Fantasy that managed to tick a lot of boxes for me.</b>

☑ Absolutely stunning cover that drew me in even before I read the synopsis
☑ Original and unique premise
☑ Well thought out world building
☑ Well written and immersive
☑ Not entirely predictable

The blurb really explains the premise well - Everless is a world where the time of a person's lifespan can be extracted from their blood and bound to iron and this is used as currency and consumed to add time to another's life. The poor are taxed heavily and give up their life spans for the rich who can, in theory, live forever.

After a slight hiccup in the beginning where the book reminded me of so many of my beloved YA fantasies ( a girl out hunting to feed/save her family in the scary woods that she knows so well) Everless managed to take off and <b>even though there are familiar tropes present [author:Sara Holland|16022936] has managed to tweak and re-imagine what would otherwise be an all too recognisable and mundane theme</b>. I loved that I didn't immediately pick out the romance and the antagonists which, let's be honest, is pretty refreshing. It was also nice that this first book at least didn't focus on any real romance although the setup is definitely there.

Jules, the main character was equal parts endearing and frustrating for me. She is headstrong and intrepid and was a great YA heroine, but she was also naive and foolish and it was very frustrating when I saw her go against all advice and common sense time and time again. It wasn't enough just to see her thought process while making these decisions - I wanted to <i>feel</i> the motivation and I wanted to be rooting for her choices however I often felt annoyed.

<b><blockquote> ...maybe I am a mystery— a secret— that needs unravelling...</blockquote></b>

<b>There were a few 'debut moments'</b> where things became somewhat confusing in parts but I'm hoping this will be ironed out in the second book. I also felt that the ending was a bit rushed and too much happened in quite a short time. I can understand the need to prepare for the sequel, but I felt that some things lost their impact because there was just too much going on at the same time. It was less climactic and more of an overload for me.

Despite the abovementioned issues, I really did enjoy this book and I especially enjoyed the first 75% which is why I rounded up from 3.5 stars. <b>[author:Sara Holland|16022936] managed to weave a world full of small details that really drew me in with the richness and severity of this harsh world</b>. It was a well thought out world and <b>I loved how far the premise was explored</b> with so many little details being intertwined in the narrative.

<blockquote><b>There was a man in the village we called the Ghost, always with a shiver and a lowering of eyes. A gambler, he bled almost all the time from both himself and his small son, and beat Edwin Duade at a hand of poison—winning two hundred years, enough to restore his squandered time and more for the both of them. But when he arrived home, the heavy purse of blood-iron on his belt, the boy was crumpled on the floor. His heart had given out midbeat. For all his luck with cards and coins, the Ghost had misjudged—bled off too much of his son’s time in chase of fortune.</b></blockquote>

With chilling scenes like the above - little stories about the world's history - building a dark and evocative picture of the world of Everless, it's easy to find yourself lost in the book with all your senses reeling.

<b>I cannot wait to see where [author:Sara Holland|16022936] takes us next.</b>

Reading the first couple of pages I wasn’t sure I was going to enjoy Everless much, it seemed like it was going to be a bit trope-y but I was wrong and ended up devouring this novel. It’s the quickest I’ve read a book in a while!

Everless follows Jules as she takes a job at the Gerling estate against her father’s wishes in a desperate attempt to save him from bleeding too much of his time. After all the collectors don’t care if you’ve run out of time, they take what they’re owed and in the world of Everless time is drawn from the blood and used as currency. The rich live for centuries whilst the poor bleed themselves of their time and years just to get by. But if there is anything her father has tried to teach Jules, it’s to stay away from Everless and the Gerlings who rule from it with an iron fist.

But Everless is full of secrets and enemies and what starts as a means to buy her father some time turns into an ancient game of cat and mouse. Unsure of who to trust and amidst fears she’s being used Jules must navigate through the treachery and politics of the castle as the stakes turn personal.

Everless keeps you clued to the page (or in this case my kindle), I could not put it down. The plot is well-paced and as more and more of the secrets and myths are revealed the harder it gets to put the book down. There are twists and turns and the world building is beautifully wrought. Holland pulled off the concept of time being bound in blood and the use of blood irons really well. This could have easily become info-dumpy or difficult to follow but she avoided that and built a fascinating world where time is currency, really lending a new meaning to the phrase time is money!

There was a great cast of supporting characters with their own secrets and plans in motion. One death at the end surprised me, I was expecting it to be undone but it worked well.

Overarching the story is the history and myth of the Alchemist and Sorceress. There was a twist to it that I didn’t see coming but absolutely loved how it played out.

Everless was a brilliant debut with enchanting characters and world building. I am already eagerly awaiting book two!

Jules Ember lives in Sempera - a place where the currency is blood and time really is money.

Unable to pay the rent and struggling to make ends meet, Jules makes a decision to save her and her father - return to Everless, the royal estate her family fled from years ago, to work.

Upon arriving at Everless, Jules is flooded with memories from her past there and warnings about the Queen - don't look her in the eyes, don't touch her. But why?

I really enjoyed this book - the writing is so beautiful and descriptive; it really captures each scene and makes it feel realistic for the reader.

Also, there is a touch of romance in this book but it does not rule the plot or the character's motives! What a relief and a breath of fresh air for a young adult novel.

I just can't find anything to fault which is so rare.

Am interested to see what Jules gets up to in the next novel and how the whole story will progress.

Overall:

Characters - 9/10

Plot: 9/10

Cover: 10/10

Rating: 10/10

This book was absolutely fantastic and blended all the best parts of an exciting and mysterious young adult novel into a brilliant fantasy. It felt like a mix of myth and dystopian, it would be perfect for fans of the Hunger Games and Red Queen. Sara Holland created a really wonderful combination of different things many readers enjoy and can relate to. This book hooked me from the very beginning and I found myself wanting to continue reading and just make it to the next chapter. Sara built a really strong and magical world and characters and it was something I didn't have to work hard to imagine.

Jules is a young girl in a world where everyones blood is counted and can be used as currency. You can take and give time to people or use it to pay for things, such as food and rent. This was a nice new fresh spin on fantasy mixed with myths and legends. I really enjoyed the direction the book went, and it was nice to see that the plot could still surprise me in the end. At times I felt I was a bit annoyed with Jules, often doing things that people told her not to do, but overall she was a good heroine. Her friendships with other characters were really nice to see grow throughout the book, however on her first meeting with Ina, I thought it was a bit rushed and forced, but I liked how it developed further. I secretly loved Liam just a tiny bit! The ending of this book totally threw me. The scene towards the end with Roan and Caro was unexpected.

Overall I would certainly recommend this book to my friends, other reviewers and readers. It was an enjoyable read and I can't wait to see what Sara Holland comes up with next!

What if time was money? What if the only way to pay your debts was to drain time from your body? Everless is a creative and original fantasy novel that takes alchemy and sorcery and speculates what would happen if it was possible to turn blood into coin.

Jules knows only hunger and a desperate fear that she will be unable to stop her father using the last of his time to pay off their mounting debts. It wasn't always like this. Once, she and her father lived at the grand Everless estate - as servants, but never hungry or drained of their time. But they had to flee Everless and now her father insists they must stay hidden from the Gerling family. When the opportunity arises to return to Everless for work, Jules can't resist, especially as she feels it is the only chance to save her father's dwindling time. However, what she discovers at the Everless estate will change forever her life and how she views her family and her future.

I loved the idea of Everless - time turned into money. The concept is clever and original. The writing is well done. Unfortunately I did not greatly enjoy this novel. While I cannot fault the writing and the idea is genius, I couldn't connect with the characters nor the story. The majority of the book is all about buildup, laying the foundations of the story and the world. While there are no chunks of information overloading, it seems the entire story was simply laying the path for future events and filling in the backstory. I was disengaged from the story and the characters. It wasn't until the very end that things actually start to become interesting, and I'm sure the next book in the series will be more engaging and exciting.

Everless has a historical feel and I can see the appeal for fans of shows such as Downton Abbey, and readers who enjoy intrigue and fantasy with that historical feel. Everless certainly focuses more on mysteries slowly uncovered and secrets long buried, rather than fast-paced action, but this suited the tone of the novel.

Jules is a stubborn character, determined to make her own way in life and angry at the state of her world. However, I found it hard to believe Jules' anger towards the aristocracy, to view her occasional thoughts about their waste as authentic, as she spends the majority of her time swooning over Roan, and seemingly idolising Ina and the Queen. I didn't understand Jules' quest for vengeance, nor her haphazard plans - no thought, no real action. I had no love for Roan and didn't understand Jules' infatuation with him. A silly crush that doesn't match the years spent cold while he literally sat around burning time. Why is Jules (sometimes) so angry at the rich, but this never extends to the equally wasteful Roan?

Readers who enjoy fantasy that is quietly paced and focused on political intrigue, mysteries, and secrets are sure to enjoy this creative story.

The publishers provided an advanced readers copy of this book for reviewing purposes. All opinions are my own.