4 1/2 "Adventurous" Stars

Into the Hourglass is the second book in The Evermore series and it was absolutely wonderful. I think that sometimes I enjoy the sequels in a fantasy series more because the majority of the "world building" has already taken place in the first book. I don't know if that is why I enjoyed this one more, but I definitely fell into the storyline very easily and it kept my attention the entire time.

Everley is continuing to chase after Prince Killian in order to exact revenge as well as to retrieve the sword of Avelyn. This time she will journey to different lands and uncover even more secrets. Along the way, Everley's relationship with Jamison continues to develop - - even if she is in denial about her growing feelings most of the time. She continues to tell herself that a girl with a clock heart cannot love. My own heart may have skipped a beat or two when Jamison said “Everley is a person, not a trinket..." I loved that part! Then I equally melted when Everley thought to herself..."If I had a heart of flesh and blood, it would swell." Gah! I just love the two of them so much....admit your love already and let's move along!!!

Seriously, there is just so much I enjoyed about this book: Radella (the sassy little pixie), pirates, giants, mermaids (even though they are called merrows), a giant whale, elves, a sea hag, magical portals, magical spells and so much more. Of course, now I'm waiting for the next book which is due out in December. Notice that I did not say I was "patiently waiting" because I am definitely not patient.... I just can't wait to see what happens next to Everley and her friends.

Thank you to Netgalley and Skyscape Publishing for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Opening line:
"Once upon a time, before the worlds were crafted from the heavens, two competing stars each thought they were the greatest and brightest in all the cosmos."

Isn't that pretty?? I love Ms. King's writing style. She is lyrical and profound and unique. I love her use of fairy tales and their characters in this series.
I think I may like the 2nd book in this series more than the 1st! Is that possible? I can't wait for the 3rd!
Now. The adventures of Everley and Jamison continue. Because Everley has a clockwork heart, she views herself as different and broken, therefore, incapable of any sort of love, whether it is friendship or romance. But just like the sword she desperately seeks, Everley is special and unique, like a star. She is stronger than she knows and the way she fights and takes the lead shows how strong she really is. On the other hand, she's not strong enough to push her feelings for Jamison away, and that's just fine for me.
We get to read about a few of the characters from the 1st book and we get to meet more fun ones in this book. Ms. King weaves their stories in and around each other and pulls all of them into the world she created. And they are all as different as the worlds they come from. I couldn't put the book down! I wanted to know what happened next, but there were so many surprises and twists! Which is another talent Ms. King has in her writing!
I'm ready for the next book!!!

Thanks to netgalley for the early read!

These covers just keep getting better and better!! I fell so in love with the first one and this one is even more gorgeous! This story picks up and were off on a new story by King. I have to say that over the years a few author stick out more than others and King is definitely one of those. Her stories are just so engaging and vivid that when I start one I just can't put it down! Where book one has us set from one country to an island this one expands the world into seven worlds and man o man I can not wait for another installment. I think this could be one of those really long series that each stands on its own as a stellar title. I know that we only have one more title with this series but I really hope that chances and we get one for each of the worlds. I think that this world is just so vast and beautiful that I just don't want to leave it behind.

If you loved book one then you will fall head over heels with this one. It has the romance between Everley and Jamison blooming even more and other characters are back for even more of them. Everything was just pretty perfect in this second installment of The Evermore Chronicles and I need more NOW!!

This book has it all: Mermaids, Elves, Giants, Fairies and many more. This is the second book in The Evermore Chronicles and it is as exciting as the first one. Everley Donovan must cross worlds to find the Sword of Avelyn before Prince Killian uses it to destroy another world. She is however facing another challenge. Her clock heart is ticking its last ticks and she must return to her uncle before it beats its last tick.

This series is fantastic. I love the characters and the adventures. It is such an exciting story, full of surprises. I can’t wait to read the next book and find out what is next in this saga.

Thank you Skyscape and NetGalley for giving me an ARC of this exciting book.

Into the Hourglass follows Everley’s quest to stop Prince Killian and obtain the Sword of Avelyn, even if that means travelling to the mysterious Land Under the Wave. She was greeted by a ship graveyard (and yes it’s as eerie as it sounds!), met some siren singing merrows and discovered a sea hag’s grotto filled to the brim with yup you guessed it, house cats. This book was quirky, hilarious and the perfect sequel to Emily R. King’s Evermore Chronicles Trilogy. It continued to have heart and charm mixed with adventure and sweet, sweet romance. King has an ability to get you emotionally invested in her characters as if you’re part of her story and it made for some strong storytelling!! This is one of the best examples I’ve ever had the chance to read and you know what the worst part is? I had no idea that these books even existed and that can’t continue. These have a heart and soul that I think many people would love to read. I’m thankful for Netgalley and Skyscape for giving me the opportunity to review such a great piece of writing. I look forward to the next book, Everafter Song especially with how things ended!

This book introduced quite a few new characters and I loved them all. The grumpy elf with the unhealthy obsession with apples much like Captain Barbosa from Pirates of the Caribbean was hilarious and a great addition which helped expand the world. Did I forget to mention that he also knows Markham from a past life? It shed light on Markham’s more human life from the past before his immortality kick and backstory is always an excellent addition to a story! That was a very interesting plot development and it gave some great comedic relief between him and Markham. Their relationship was kind of like Thor and Loki’s, Markham being the trickster. And boy did he get on Everley’s nerves! Their dynamic was strangely humorous.

Remember Radella? The spunky, cat-like pixie? She really got to shine in this book and there are so many awesome scenes with her that really showcased her heart on her sleeve personality. Her ever-changing mood was a different sort of humour, almost reminiscent of an indecisive child but her thirst to help never wavered from the morally just.

“Although we have established a friendship, my clock heart is metal and wood, a machine incapable of falling in love.”

This was one thing that got me a little angry. Everley kept saying over and over again how her clock heart makes it impossible for her to love Jamison and the first book proved that that was not the case. Yet here she keeps bringing it up, almost like it’s an excuse and Jamison didn’t deserve that. He was left in a cell after

Vevina took control of the ship at the end of book one and yet he still loves Everley despite her leaving him there. He loves you and clearly you feel the same! This made it a little annoying at times because it was an obvious thing to spot so it left me more frustrated. It’s just when you’re watching a tv show and you know they like one another (and everyone else knows it!) but you have to wait entire seasons before you get one simple display of affection (usually a kiss) before anything happens. By the end of this book I didn’t feel so annoyed by this as some of it was repaired but this just serves as a precaution. It’s another slow burn romance but let’s face it we all want a Jamison in our lives!

“Everley is a person, not a trinket,’ Jamison counters. His anger may be outmatched by Radella’s, whose fury has changed her normal bright-azure colour to the same purplish shade as a bruise.”

This man loves her and when he said this I swear he stole my heart too! Such a gentleman. It’s clear how much he cares for her and seeing him fight for her respect was so dashing!

I swear I’m almost done, bear with me. There was one scene that’s definitely worth mentioning and it was the palm reading with Everley and Jamison. They compliment and flirt with one another and they even develop these cute and sarcastic pet names. Watch out for this scene because it will definitely leave you swooning. Their chemistry seems to be so natural and their witty banter never comes off forced.

“He laughs, and I am certain there isn’t any better sound.”

This is coming from a girl who is clearly head over heels in love. Even if she won’t admit it.

Something that drew me into King’s books was her writing. I was extremely impressed by it in Before the broken star and her use of humour only strengthened this fun series.

“Nothing about this world should surprise me anymore, but a cat-eating merrow princess who has a fascination with blades sounds utterly dreadful.”

Her sarcasm matches very well with both her characters and her world she’s built. It allowed for an easy flow to her story and the over-arching plot for this trilogy. I devoured every word of it with efficiency, trust me. It was very easy to read and had minimal description. Both are plus’s in my book!

I seem to have a knack for appreciating well-written phrases in books and I found quite a bit to envy here.

“Gooseflesh flocks up my arms. We are in the Otherworld.”

Can we just sit here in awe for a second? Like I mean, we’ve all seen and felt goosebumps before but here King uses its physical look with the word gooseflesh and then draws the connection with birds when she chose the word ‘flocks’. Ugh, I just thought it was so smart. Bravo!

“The immortal prince has not changed; his face is still unfittingly handsome for his rotten heart.”

I liked the dynamic here between something deemed good (handsome) with another good quality (to have ‘heart’) and how she used ‘rotten’ to show his true personality. It must be my nerdiness showing. But King’s writing is brilliant and should be recognized!

I got one more great example. Because this was near the end I will not spoil the nature of the situation but I must highlight this excellent example of description with incredible use of adjectives. It paints a very vivid picture and conveys this person to perfection.

“The queen is not a woman of substantial stature or enviable beauty. Her power comes from the graceful control of her movements, her elegant mask of aloofness, and the iron influence of her carefully constructed words. Her calculating eyes do not seek the truth. She crafts lies as adornments and conceals them behind her grandeur. Her thin gold crown entitles her to interpret principles and enforce them with cruelty and bloodshed. I fear her, but I fear her propensity for distorting the truth more. Her condemnation would have pulverized the girl in the courtroom, but I understand that every word she says is deliberately chosen to fortify the decision she made before she walked into my cell.”

Every single word needs to be there and it all works so well. I hope to write that strong. It drips with personality and is full of keen observations that again leave me in awe! I can’t wait to see more scenes with the Queen because she seems like a real treat (sarcasm intended!)

Last but not least, being a history buff I’ve come to appreciate when an author goes out of their way to give secondary characters a backstory. They don’t need to per se but it adds to the story, at least for me it does. You get to know more about the character that way and in turn their motives, and that is definitely important in this series. King gave some background to our favourite duo, The Fox and The Cat. It was emotional and it added depth to their characters which seemed to elevate their status in importance. It was nice. it just made me love even more of her characters so well done! There is no doubt in my mind when I tell you that King is a master manipulator of a reader’s emotions. Using Everley’s clock heart malfunction (common throughout this one) was so clever. What are you going to do in her position if you feel like you’re living with limited time? Try and fix it? That’s exactly what she does and using that to transport her into the past to discover the origins of her new, faulty heart was ingenious! I loved how the twists all made so much sense and worked perfectly with the plot. I honestly don’t know how King does it.

A girl with a clock heart that doesn’t do well with water venturing into a place called, the Land Under the Wave is as thrilling as it sounds! So many obstacles were to be had and so many unknowns to discover in this sequel. You will feel elated, happy, sad even angry at points as you read but I guarantee that it’s all worth it! Another fantastic novel by Emily R. King!

⭐️⭐️⭐️
3 STARS

After reading the second book in King’s new series, I have come to understand her writing style a bit more. I enjoyed the first book, but I had stated that it started off slow for me. This second book was no exception to that. It started off SO SLOW moving for me. In fact, it didn't really pick up for me until halfway through. That being said, I still enjoyed it.

A few things I really loved in this book...

I still really enjoy the characters, and I loved the world-building. It is very complex. The only thing I don't enjoy as much about the world is how sometimes things 'just happen' and then it's hurriedly explained and we move on. I mean, I understand... magic is magic, but it felt like there weren't many rules to the magic if that makes sense?

I also loved that there was much more action (once the plot ACTUALLY started moving along) in this one than in the first. This meant that it was a more exciting plot, more action-packed scenes, and the plot I feel was more cleverly done with rich descriptions which bring the setting and atmosphere of the book to life. It was a very entertaining read.

So why, you ask did I only give it 3 stars? When I gave the first book 4 stars?

I truly did this because of the info-dumping in the first half. This is a series, so I'm unsure who would truly read the second without reading the first book first? We got repeat information and info of things that happened previously in the first book, so it just didn't feel like it flowed very well from book 1 to book 2. I am of the opinion that info-dumping is a necessary evil in first books, as you need a clear understanding of the world and background. But I feel that this was completely unnecessary for this second book. In fact, this info-dumping is my biggest dislike of this book.

Overall, still a great read, with a wonderful plot. I just wish we could have been pulled into the action earlier on in the book.

Special thanks to NetGalley, Skyscape and Emily R. King for generously providing an eARC in exchange for my honest thoughts and review.

I was a HUGE fan of the first book, however, I listened to the first book on audio, and I feel like that took away from the experience of reading the second book.

BUT I am a massive fan of this series! The world building, characterization and relationships are top notch. I have issues with second books taking too long to set everything up, but this book didn't fall to that fate. It starts right off with action, and follows through until the end. I love the secondary characters as much as I love our main characters. I need the next book now please!!

Thank you #NetGalley for this ARC for #IntotheHourglass by Emily R. King!
I will be updating this review once I've had time to digest that ending!

Into the Hourglass is the sequel to Before the Broken Star by Emily R. King. It's sort of a loose Pinocchio retelling but with much more world-building and a totally unique twist. I liked the first one, but wasn't totally in love. However, the sequel really made me more invested in the series.
The pacing of this book was SO good. I read pretty much the entirety of this book on my plane ride to Japan. It was so good I didn't want to put it down. It's one of those on the edge of your seat pacings, where so much is happening and it's a domino effect of new things that come to light. Our main character goes into a different realm this book to chase the antagonist and get her sword back for Father Time. 
Character ARCS and character development shined through in this novel. I wasn't totally a fan of the main character in book one but she really grew on me in this second installment. I did complain in my review of the first book that I thought the side characters didn't really do much in the first book and felt useless, but in the sequel they became more prominent and important characters, with more emotion and history to them and I loved that! Side characters can often make or break a novel for me and I was happy to have them more involved instead of background noise.
Anyways overall it was a very strong sequel and I'm definitely invested in the outcome of this series.

This book starts off great, it's fast paced and then all of a sudden it begins to drag, and get a bit boring. I didn't read the 1st book, so maybe that's why I'm a bit confused as to what's going on? Perhaps I'll read the 1st one and maybe I'll have a different opinion about this book. I did have potential.

I received this book free an exchange for my honest opinion through NetGalley. I really enjoyed this book, Emily R. King is a great author who knows how to weave a great story!

Afire this writer and thus book. Imaginative, creative, and amazing. Looking forward to more books from her. I’m always amazed by how well she crafts her stories.

Into the Hourglass, Emily R King
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my review in any way and the thoughts expressed are my own.

I’d seen this series around and excited to get the opportunity to read this. I was expecting a more scifi style time-travelling adventure and was happily surprised to find a unique realm hopping adventure with entertaining characters. Everly, a girl kept alive by a clockwork heart, must retrieve her magic sword from the man that murdered her family. To catch him, she and her friends must travel to The Land Under The Waves, a realm full of castaways and enchanting sirens.

I had to infer a lot from the characters’ interactions about what had happened in the first book. Luckily the author did a slight summary in the first few chapters. This universe is broken into several worlds, each different with unique inhabitants. The Land of The Living is where the humans (including Everly and her friends) are from. But Everly is a Time Bearer, Father Time’s chosen hero, and she will protect the world, all of them, and there is no greater threat than Markham. Not only did he kill Everly’s family but an entire world.

Not only did I love the world and magic system, but also the characters. Our hero Everly is strong, independent and determined and skilled with a sword (which I loved, fairytale-style heroines are often non-combatants). Jamison is a good man who is open about his feelings for Everly (they were forced to get married in the previous book) and is a nice match for her, they fit together so well and are both great in a fight. Laverick, aka The Fox, is sarcastic and funny and obsessed with explosions which made her one of my favourites. Radella is a pixie and like Everly works for Father Time and helps guide them through the realms. Despite being only able to speak in tinkling bell sounds, she still has so much personality. Claret, aka The Cat, is mischievous and more than willing to lead her friends into trouble. Markham was a great villain, conniving, manipulative and difficult to figure out. His heartless, self-centred nature made him an excellent contrast to Everly. Harlow, Markham’s girlfriend, is tough and stupidly loyal to him and they are a good display of an unhealthy, abusive relationship.

I loved this book’s mix of classic fairytale elements and its’ own unique flare. It had such a great ‘storybook’ vibe with modern pacing, action and characters. I’ve never found a book like this and it felt like a breath of fresh air which and I’m desperate for more! It reminded me of several books I read as a child, from Narnia to Peter Pan. The twists and turns where surprising and I loved how all the foreshadowed elements were brought together in the climax. I give it 5/5 and have already put the previous and future books on the top of my TBR!

3.5 Stars

This book started out really strong and didn’t quit manage to keep up the same high tempo after the first 50-ish pages. It went from action-packed sea adventure to a lot of one-off missions that just seemed to drag on. The pacing overall was better than in the first book as it didn’t suffer from the typical “have to set everything up” thing the first in a series usually do. Though that doesn’t mean there wasn’t exposition in this book that could have been a little better weaved into the story.
I had high hopes for this book as I felt the first one ended on such a note that it would be easy for the sequel to keep the pace of the story going in a better tempo. The story is nice in the book, don’t get me wrong, it’s just the pacing of it all is a bit off and could have benefited from some twerking so the story got a better grip on me as a reader.

One thing I did enjoy was the personal development Everley went through in the first book being shown so clear in this one. She has shed some of the hardest edges she started out with and now have a more “not everything is black and doomed” outlook on everything. This made me like her even more and I also liked the further development of her relationship with Jamison.
With that said I’m optimistic that the third book will have learned from both it’s predecessors and finally deliver a story with a nice tempo and energy.

Into the Hourglass, by author Emily R. King, is the second installment in the authors The Evermore Chronicles. The story begins about 2 months after the ending of Before the Broken Star. Everley Donovan continues her revenge tour de force against Prince Killian. Killian was swallowed by the beast known as the Terrible Dorcha as well as the ancient sword of Avelyn which is supposed to be Everley's to protect. Without it, she has been told that the 7 other-worlds and the fate of the world hang in the balance.

She had hoped to convince her alleged allies that going to the Land Under the Water in order to track down Killian and the sword is a good thing, and not some horrible idea that will end up with everyone dead or lost. Yeah, about that! Everley, Jamison (who is the only other person who knows about her clock heart), Radella (pixie), Claret, Harlow, & Laverick find themselves in the Land under the Wave where Giants, Merrow, and Elves rule the world. Everley, however, seems to be having some issues with her heart in that it's not working as it should. Could her life literally be ticking away?

To make matters worse, the sword seems to have been taken to the mythical underwater city called Everblue and it will take some really interesting maneuvering to get there and beat Killian. Everything Everley has done up till now, has been thwarted by Killian. The same man who also killed her family and left her with a clock for a heart thanks to her Uncle and Father Time. I won't go into much detail, but while in the alternative otherworld, Everley's family's past comes to light which gives things a much more interesting perspective about who Everley is, as well as why she was chosen for the clock heart in the first place.

The author seems to be exploring new worlds in each of the books, so the third installment should be really interesting. Everley does pick up one ally in this story, Osric, an elf who has had an interesting past with Killian, and now feels as though he has the ability to help Everley in her goals. After everything that Everley goes through in this story, it might be the ending itself that really breaks my heart. No, not because she and Jamison end up on the wrong side. There is a surprising twist however. But, because she finds herself once again having to fight for her life after certain people discover her clock heart.

a fantasy story about a clockwork h eart, meermaids, elves,giants ,and many more. Easy to read,enteraining.

-- Disclaimer: I received a review copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for a honest review. Many thanks for the opportunity! --

After the amazing whores-turned-pirates ending of book one, this continues Everley's story as she travels to the mythical Land under the Sea to fulfill the quest given to her by Father Time. While the first book has fairy tale traits, the sequel goes full on magic. We meet many new creatures with their own motivations, my personal favourite being the sea hag Muriel. Sadly, everything seems to happen too easily for our protagonists. The obstacles are all easily overcome, except for the curve ball at the end (though that was utterly predictable). I'm curious where the last book of the trilogy will take our heroes, but I'm not in love with the series.

I received this book from Netgalley and Skyscape in exchange for my honest review. I thought this was a solid book 2. I really hope Everley and Callahan can make it work in this next book. The magical aspects are pretty cool and I love how everyone is coming together. I am hoping to see Markham defeated

A great sequel to the first book in the series. Strong Pinocchio/ Tinman vibes but our lead is obviously the clockwork girl. This was great fun and the continuing series looks very promising. Highly enjoyable.

This sequel starts with Everley and her friends looking for the terrible Dorcha and their way into the land under the sea. Immediately this gives us Pinocchio vibes continuing on the first books theme but in this other land you get Peter Pan too and a splash of The Little Mermaid. It's a strange mix but somehow it works.

This book had a little less on the romance front but the story trudged along at a good pace and more scenes may have felt a little forced anyway. But I like Jamison and Everley so I was a little disappointed.

But this book was very enjoyable and is being released so soon after the first one that it'll be easy to binge them both. I've just now got to wait for the third...

Continuing the saga of our favourite clockwork girl, her almost husband, and that darn Admiral Markham who has betrayed them all, but still hasn't given up all of his secrets, and wowsa, there are some doozies!
I loved the way the story opened up into other worlds, and added layers to the characters. Deepening relationships (Yass Queer Rep!), revealing history, and creating a rich tapestry of mythology and world building, the only thing that I didn't love is that gosh-darn cliffhanger of an ending! Please Sir, I want some more.

4 wooden stars out of 5