Everley surrounds herself with clocks, a constant reminder of the clock that has replaced her heart. She is bidding her time for revenge against the man her killer her family and left her for dead. As we follow Everley on her quest, she realizes this is much more than a personal vendetta.

I very much enjoyed this first installment in Emily R. King's new series 'The Evermore Chronicles'. Some of the chapters ended on a twist/revelation that kept me reading on. The clock heart was an interesting concept, especially for someone out at sea. There was this background threat to her life that was a constant reminder of her mortality.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

E-Arc provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest opinion


This book was pretty good for me. I like the characters and the settings a lot. I especially loved the strong cast of female characters. Can't wait to read the next book now!

Wild boat rides, a prince in disguise and a huge whale.. you would think that all of these Poot points would lead to a fantastical tale and well, you are quite right! This tale tells the story of Everley, a girl plagued by not only emotional scars but a physical scar that has left her with a clock in place of where her heart once was. Everley was left an orphan after a terrible man in the queen’s army slaughtered her whole family when she was a child. Now growing up with her uncle, a clock maker, and also the man who saved her life by giving her a clock heart, she once again sees this man who she grew up hating for ripping her from her family and leaving her for dead.

Set on enacting revenge, Everley manages to get herself on a boat full of women prisoners setting sail to a colony of prisoners on order of the queen. Here she is given away into marriage to Colonel (Lieutenant?) Jamison, a young man with his own scars who sought to help out Everley. Upon reuniting with the Governor and man who slaughtered her family, it is revealed that not all legends are fake and not all is as it seems with this man. Forced to face one terrible thing after another, Everley embarks on a journey that will forever change her showing that sometimes, a huge whale will seemingly save you and have to break your loved ones hearts in order to save them.

I cannot wait for the next installment of this series that had me biting my nails right to the very end!

This is the first novel I have read by Emily R. King before and I really loved it! She is such a powerful writer! Her gift of prose is exceptional and the plot was full and engaging. Some stories suffer from undeveloped worlds and characters that are hard to connect with. I felt the magical world in this story was written in such a way that I felt as if I were there. Her characters were very intriguing and complex.

Everley serves as apprentice clockworker to her uncle, who took her in after her family was brutally murdered. She too was left for dead but was saved by a clockwork heart. Because of this unusual heart, she keeps her distance from everyone besides her uncle. When the savage murderer of her family comes into her uncle's clock shop for an order and doesn't recognize her, she begins her journey to avenge her families death and seeks to put her prior training to use to find and kill him. In order to get close to him, she ends up aboard a ship to a convict establishment island where women prisoners are given to the men and soldiers to wife and reproduce in order to populate the island. What will the girl of ice do when she finds herself in such a precarious situation?

With such amazing characters, plot and writing, I am anxious to read the sequel and find out what happens next! I didn't love the ending, as Everley appeared to revert to her former self and push those away that she cared about, but I hope that not all is what it seems and there is a bigger plan at works. I loved watching Everley's development and how she finally began to let people in as she realized there were some who care for her, clock heart and all, so her change of heart was a bit devastating to me. The ending definitely had some twists and a cliff hanger, though you will want to read the next before the cliff hanger anyways! Speaking of which, I already have it open to read, with King's other novels in queue, so I can't possibly spend anymore time typing when the fate of the worlds quite literally is hanging in the balance and Everley is timebound!

The idea behind this book was promising and intriguing: a girl with a clock heart seeking revenge from her family’s murderer. Its execution, though, was lacking in terms of character development, plot and pacing.

What I did like were Emily R. King’s world building and writing style. Her effort to construct a whole world with its own traditions, religion and mythology, a world influenced by 18th century England is obvious and admirable. The author knows her setting very well and doesn’t hesitate to enlighten us, pretty often, with bits of information to make us feel at home. The writing was lyrical and fairytale-like sometimes too heavy with complicated sentences, but still beautiful.

What I didn’t like were the characters and by that, I don’t mean I didn’t like their personality because they didn’t have one. All characters were trop-y and generic: the badass female, the good guy/love interest, the cunning/seductive thieves, the bad guy, the bad guy/pervert, etc. The author seemed to have an idea of what her characters should look like but she didn’t make them feel real. Instead, they felt bland, sometimes, annoying and their only purpose was to move the story forward. I was in the head of our protagonist and despite her “kickass-ness” and desire for revenge, I didn’t get anything else from her. Same goes for all the others, but I was expecting more from our heroine because we have her POV in a first-person narrative. A book may have many flaws but as long as the characters speak to me on some level–whether they are relatable or not–it can still be one of my favorites. Before the Broken Star, unfortunately, didn’t do well on the character department that I, personally, value the most.

The plot was predictable and, frankly, barely there. The conflicts and obstacles seemed to be mild and the protagonists weren’t sweating much to get out of dangerous situations even when they were facing a big threat. The pacing was off as the first half of the book was dragging; they spent so much time on a ship and nothing was happening. Also, we were getting a lot of information about the characters and the history of the world in a way that was delaying the plot. To be honest, reading the synopsis, I was expecting more action and what I got was only predictable battle scenes with one-dimensional villains.

All in all, I was disappointed by the first installment of the Evermore Chronicles and I don’t think I’ll continue with the series.

This ARC was provided to me by NetGalley in exchange for an honest opinion.

Emily R. King is a wonderful author and Before the Broken Star is as wonderfully twisty as her Hundredth Queen series.

I love reading a book with unexpected events and this one hits you in the face with a massive example halfway through, Emily has set up what will probably be one of my favourite series and I’m so excited for the next instalment, I NEED to know what happens next and I miss the main character already.

My full review is going up on my site at 12pm on June 20th - link will be included in links section!

He strides to me and daisies sprouting at his feet. With a willowy finger, he taps my ticker.
“Please don’t collect on the time I owe,” I say.

What a concept, time. The law that everyone abides by and yet it’s the law that everyone deems to break. Everley is a character with both too much and too little time. Her heart, a clock that counts by her life in seconds, minutes and tense silences is a reminder that she is living off too much borrowed time.

Before the Broken Star is a book that balances on the edge of a sword. Each character drives the story of dear Everley down paths she wasn’t expecting and as a reader, I wasn’t expecting either. Having the book start with such an emotional moment put together every ounce of motivation that Everley was using to drive her to the edge of her own sword. The delicacy of the clock shop, the nurturing uncle, the plot for revenge and the fear that this young girl was holding so tightly.

The characters drove this book. Emily R. King wrote magic when she wove together a band of misfits with only mutiny, gold and the bonds of a gang that fends for its own. Harlow, the fox, the cat and Vevina. Each one a side of the same coin. A gang leader, a terrifying duo and a ringmaster with plans A through the rest of the alphabet and dear little Quinn. The charm and clever wit of each character fused the atmosphere in the world of Her Majesties Colony.

Under the charming dialogue, however, like with the fox and the car, each character holds secrets and fears that come through from time to time. Since a home is so far away and for some not that much better then months stuck on a boat.

The world building that is told through stories of great whales and lost loves, adds a touch of magic to a story about a girl with a clock for a heart. Emily R. King is a wonderful storyteller and I can’t wait to read the next book in the Evermore Chronicles just to see what kind of gold one can find at the belly of a whale and the edge of a sword.

*I received an e-arc from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

I loved this book! It’s such a great fantasy. The storyline is wonderful and it’s well written. I was entranced in this story from the very first page!

I voluntarily read and reviewed a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own

It took a little while to get into this book but once I did, I was hooked. First person narrative is sometimes difficult to get in board with but I loved reading this book from Everly’s perspective. She’s a strong young lady who had a difficult start. Gifted or burdened, she was saved by her clockmaking uncle who gave her a clock for a heart, she’s set on vengeance for the death of her family, targeting Killian Markham, the man responsible for her family’s death. Though nothing is quite as it seems.

Loved the strong female characters, I would be interested to read more on Fox and Cat, they seem like a tenacious pair!

Emily R. King has created a beautiful world, filled with adventure, secrets, romance (albeit slow burning) myth, mystery and action.

I’m looking forward to the future books in the Evermore chronicles.

I thought of this novel as Pinocchio meets Pirates on a quest for revenge. What a beautiful tale of a young fierce woman with a clock for a heart. Greed, loss, love and revenge are some of my favorite aspects in a novel. There was a lot of emotions I felt during this tale as well as not being bored with the long periods of travel.
I look forward to the next book to continue this adventure.

After reading the synopsis I had high hopes for this. Alas it just wasn't for me. The book is well written but I couldn't get into it. I'd hoped for more of a draw into the world that Ms. King was creating but nothing grabbed me. I lost interest not long after the first few chapters. Maybe later on I will come back and try again but for now this is a no go for me.

I was lucky to be able to get an ARC copy of ‘Before The Broken Star’. The fantasy novel is written by Emily R. King, and is the first in a series. I was given the ARC from #netgalley in exchange for my review. The story is about a young woman called Everley, who is hiding a big secret. She may look like every other woman, but looks can be deceiving.

Everley has suffered great sorrow in her childhood, with the loss of her whole family, at the hands of a man that she has not seen since the night that he destroyed her family, and burned her home to the ground. A man that she has not seen, until he steps into the shop where she now works. Everley vows to avenge her family at all costs. She plans to find the monster that changed her life, alone, but doing things alone might not be possible.

Across treacherous seas to an island of myths; can Everley find the answers she seeks? Or will she be left confused and with more questions? Are the fairy tales Everley was read by her mother as a child really fairy tails, or was her mother, without knowing it, telling stories that could help her avenge her sorrow?

‘Before The Broken Star’ has danger, love, romance, fighting, myths and kick-arse women. I enjoyed reading it, although I felt some parts in the middle dragged a little bit. I am, however, looking forward to reading the next book in the series, and finding out what happens to Eversley next.

I rate this book 4 Zebras out of 5

🦓🦓🦓🦓

If you made it this far thank you for reading.
Love, Zebra.

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Before the Broken Star:

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Skyscape Publishers via NetGalley.

This book is a dark re-imagining and gender swap of Pinocchio, in which a swords-woman with a clock heart races across the high seas to avenge her family's immortal murderer before she runs out of borrowed time.

Everley Donovan lost everything when she was seven years old. The man who murdered them showed up in the clock shop she worked at ten years later and renewed a strong vengeance within her. She seems like a fragile little girl when he is there. She failed to take action, frozen in fear. But then, within a chapter, she shows us her true colors. She walks in the underbelly of society, fights, and when she is captured, she pleads guilty to crimes she hasn’t committed in order to find her family’s murderer.

I was engaged right from the beginning, and enjoyed the flashbacks to her past-it helped me connect with the main character. The world is captivating, unique, and bursting with magic. There’s lots of wonderful little Pinocchio references that readers will enjoy and plot twists they’ll never see coming! The writing style is dynamic and well paced. I loved this book! One of my favorite reads of 2019-I highly recommend it!

📚 review 📚 Before the Broken Star by Emily R. King.
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After witnessing the murder of her family Everly O’Shae (Donovan) is saved by her uncle a clock shop worker, and has been training her whole life to take revenge. She is caught in a raid of an illegal fight and gets sent to an island full of convicts. This gets her closer to her mark. While on her way to the island she is married to the lieutenant. A young man with a hard past of his own. As she gets closer to her goal her world is shaken by magic and tales she believed weren’t true. One of these tales can bring about the end of her world. Can she save her friends and her world or will time run out on her?
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This book was very entertaining, it took me a while to get used to Everly. She was very selfish and proud and headstrong. Revenge really played a strong part of her story, so much she risked her life for it. The premise that this world doesn’t necessarily posses magic but she lives when she shouldn’t is very interesting. Crossing worlds was also refreshing. Finding that old children stories are real was enjoyable. the sceneries are vivid, the villains are charming as treacherous, and the heroes lovable, strong and loyal. I really recommend this book if you like fantasy, plot twists, and chaos.
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ #Netgalley #beforethebrokenstar #emilyrking @emily_r_king

I adored this gender-bender take on Pinocchio! I love how flawed the main character was and the constant strong female presence was, as always, one of my favorite parts of a read. This one did not disappoint. The rag-tag characters kept me entertained and the adventure was absolutely awesome. But my favorite part of this story in particular was the world building. I was captivated with every page.

5/5 stars

“Beliefs make us strong and give us purpose, regardless of what they are.”

I have no words for this book! If you’re looking for a good old adventure with developed characters and an intriguing plot, you should definitely read this book. I have never focused too much on the setting, but the setting of the story (mostly on a ship and a deserted island) has been described so eloquently and so vividly that it felt like I was with the main characters. And speaking of the main characters.

We have our main character named Everly Donovan, a girl with many identities. She’s a shop clerk, helping her Uncle Holden sell clocks to townspeople, but also an experienced fighter, donning the nickname Marionette with a sword strapped to her hip. In terms of characterization, Everly is anything but a Mary Sue. She’s deeply flawed, but her grit and will shines through a series of hardships she had experienced. She’s definitely a stubborn character and very mistrusting, but it makes sense given that she’s trying to avenge the death of her family by killing their murderer, who happens to be the boss of Everly’s love interest, Lieutenant Jamison Callahan.

Jamison Callahan is the perfect solider. He’s clean, tidy, and gives and receives orders to a T. He’s very respectful of Everly, and shows honest to God intentions for her safety and well-being. Which makes this romance quite lovely, because seeing how Everly evolves from mistrusting his good intentions, to finally accepting it.

The story was definitely laid out at the right pace; it didn’t rush in to the journey the characters will definitely embark on in the middle to latter half of the book, and it built the main character’s relationships steadily, chapter by chapter. The romance didn’t feel rushed, the conflicts weren’t as black and white as it seems, and the adventure was an arduous one. All in all, although the story isn’t something we haven’t seen before, the characters and how they interact with one another make the story unique and interesting.

So if you’re looking for a fresh fantasy book, I definitely would give this one a look!

I received a digital eBook from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Skyscape Publishing and NetGalley for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. Wow, oh wow this book was a real treasure! I saw this on NetGalley and thought it sounded intriguing so I decided to request it and it was SUCH and amazing read! The characters all have something likable about them and even the villain has his own charm. I absolutely loved the originality the author brings to this book. The world building is absolutely gorgeous and I found myself completely enchanted by it's fairy tale setting. I also loved the idea behind all the mythology in this book! The fast paced adventure never failed to keep me enthralled and I managed to devour this beauty in one setting. This book was an absolutely wonderful surprise and I hope others will pick it up and enjoy it as much as I did!

This book is a gender swap retelling of Pinocchio. The premise right there is intriguing enough to pick up the book. And the story is pretty interesting, but I felt like the execution of it didn’t quite measure up. At least for me.

Synopsis: Everly is the only survivor after a murderer takes the life of her parents and siblings. She barely survives herself, and is forced to live with a clock heart to keep her alive. She will do anything to avenge her family, even if it means traveling to an island full of prisoners where she will be married off and forced to help build the new colony.

The marriage aspect of this book threw me off. It was not what I expected, and I didn’t like the way it played out. I feel like it got in the way of any potential romance.

Though I didn’t quite connect with the book, it was still an intriguing read. I haven’t read a Pinocchio retelling before, so I appreciated that. Also, the part where the whale shows up was actually quite satisfying. 😉

Thank you to Netgalley and Skyscape for a copy to review.

"In the beginning, there was no time, and no man or beast walked the world. Where the ocean met the land, an ivory mare was born, her mane crafted from sea-foam and her body from barnacles. She was the Creator, goddess of all conception and supreme ruler of seven worlds"

Wonderful world-building, clockwork heart, pixie, wooden soldiers, fantastical journey....this book hits all the right marks. I am looking forward to Everley's continuing adventures, and more of the Fox and Cat please!

I have read and loved The Hundredth Queen series by this author, so of course I jumped at the opportunity of reading her new series, The Evermore Chronicles, as well!

I can't say it disappointed. It's the journey of a girl with a clock heart, in search of the one who hurt her most. It's a story of revenge, but more than that.

Everley has been looking for the one who murdered her family. Finding him, she's willing to do anything to make him pay, even plead guilty to things she has never done. Thus, she embarks on one hell of a journey, where she makes sort-of-friends and finds that her clock heart is capable of loving, after all. Okay, so by the end of the book she's still not convinced of it, 100%, but the reader can tell. Believe me.

It has feels - win! Loved the hero of the story; loved that it started out as an enemies-to-more story - so no insta-love here! I also love that the author managed to create a whole new other world, where fantasy clashes with reality and The Evermore Chronicles are born! Oh and it's all based on a made-up legend - which was heartbreaking, to be honest. I can't wait to read more!

I voluntarily agreed to read an early copy via Netgalley. 4.5 stars.