The Last Hour Between Worlds is a fantasy involving secret societies, time travel, and trying to solve a series of murders before they actually start.

I don't usually like travel books so was a little worried about this one. I should have been worried because I didn't like the time travel aspect and at around 20% I realized that I had no idea what was going. This might be my bad because I'm notoriously bad at following fantasy plots, particularly with time travel, but even if I don't exactly know what's going on I at least can enjoy the vibes. The vibes weren't enough to hold my attention here.

I really feel like this is a me thing and that others will like this book! I just recommend that you should definitely like time travel before reading. I liked that the main character was a new mother and talked about the struggles of going back to work after having a child. I've never seen that in any kind of fantasy, and very rarely in other types of books, so I was happy to see it here!

I ended up DNFing at 30% because I realized this book just wasn't my cup of tea. I recommend trying it if you think it will be yours! Thank you to Orbit Books and NetGalley for the eARC of this book, my thoughts are my own!

4.5 stars! Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit Books for this advanced copy! You can pick up The Last Hour Between Worlds on November 19, 2024.

This book might have the most unique world and magic system I've read all year. The concept of the Echoes, Emperyans, the Moon and Void, blink-stepping -- I could go on about all the cool and badass ways Melissa Caruso wielded magic and science in this story. There was a fantastic blend of politicking, high-stakes, murder mystery, and sapphic yearning between Kembral, our MC, and her nemesis/ex Rika.

The slow-burn second-chance romance between Kembral and Rika was expertly done. I was fully invested in their history, and the way they grew closer once again while battling deadly beings was immaculate. This book goes right for the feels, and I'll eat it up every single time.

The action scenes in this story are also some of the best I've ever read. Kembral was CONSTANTLY putting that sword to use, and her years training to blink-step clearly paid off. I've never been so impressed yet found a protagonist so relatable -- her feats weren't inhuman, but were in fact flawed, and though a recent pregnancy changed Kembral's body and her relationship with it, she grew to see it as an adjustment rather than a weakness.

All in all, a super solid fantasy with incredible time-traveling, world-hopping magic and intense character work.

(Rounded up from 2.5)

Exciting world-building does a lot of the heavy lifting in this fantastical homage to locked-room mysteries. This isn’t actually a locked room mystery, and the reader isn’t given enough actual clues to “solve it” ahead of our characters, but it is a fun twisty mystery that blends action and urban fantasy. The world-building was really skillful, in that it never holds your hand and just throws you into this magical world, expecting you to understand it, giving out more information about the fantastical elements and also the political/social elements slowly, as they’re needed for the story. I really appreciated this trust the author had in the reader, it kept the story much more dynamic and exciting. The one potential downfall is that, having not ever fully explained the magic or fantastical systems, especially later in the story when we learn new things it can sometimes feel more like a plot necessity than and original component of this world. That feeling doesn’t come often, but it does sneak in at the edges, sometimes. However I would take that over lengthy exposition dumps or constant hand-holding. The world is enough like our own to be easily relatable yet different enough to keep you always engaged and guessing just what its boundaries might be.

The story itself is a fun idea, a twist on the Groundhog Day formula that feels fresh, especially since we learn the limits pretty early on, so we aren’t invested in figuring out how to break the time loops but are more interested in what we can accomplish in each. The addition that each iteration descends into a weird, more fantastical version of reality is an exciting twist, I almost wish that more was done with it. It felt like a deep reservoir left untapped, and a missed opportunity to increase the tension and stakes. Each level deeper of reality that the characters descend into is more dangerous, less stable, and sometimes those distinctions aren’t entirely clear. It was an interesting backdrop for this mystery story, and the pacing and narrative twists and turns did a good job of making sure that it didn’t feel repetitive as so much of the world around our main character reset itself.

I was a little hit or miss on the characters. I thought the cast of supporting characters were strong, they felt unique, and each brought an interesting dynamic to the story. The main character did fall a little flat for me. She just felt like a generic bad-ass over-achiever. So much of her character was picoting around the fact that she is a new mother, and she has a 2-month-old child, and this is the first time she has been away from her since giving birth…. And, unfortunately, this just felt like it was repeating the same things over and over again (she is constantly tired, she is struggling with work/family balance) but none felt like they had any real weight to them, they just felt like things this character was saying. Making her a single mom in this situation felt ripe for so much more exploration of her inner life and the expectations put on her given her job and her place in society, and these were all given lip service, but none felt like they moved the needle in any way. Maybe if the setup didn’t have such great unrealized potential it wouldn’t have felt as flat as it did, but I did want some more from this character other than some pretty stereotypical/common “strong bad ass female” tropes that didn’t really let her feel particularly unique or complex. She wasn’t offensive or anything, she just didn’t compel me.

Similarly, there was something about the writing that didn’t always work for me. Sometimes it felt like it was trying to be twee and missing the mark. When the writing and pacing were hitting, especially in the latter half of the story, they worked well. But sometimes it just felt like I could see the seams in the writing, so to speak. This is not a new author, she has written two other well-received fantasy trilogies, so I did want things to feel a little more seamless, less effortful. For instance, the various trade guilds are named after animals, and not only does that feel incredibly basic but then to be even more heavy-handed (and less interesting) our main character is a dog that has to team up with a cat? Those kinds of things stuck out like a sore thumb in a world that has so much other fantastical potential, and a little refinement could have given the story more jagged edges, more interesting surfaces that can reflect back their own shards of light.

The story does try to explore some interesting ideas, not simply about motherhood but about responsibility—to ourselves and to others, yes, but also responsibility we have taken upon ourselves compared to what is projected onto us or expected of us by others. Loyalty, intuition, and creativity are also ideas that are explored, and even with my occasional frustrations with what felt like a somewhat shallow or under-developed main character these themes shine through really well. The answers the story gives are a little more pat, lacking nuance, than I would have liked, it feels like too many neat bows are tied at the end, but the journey was a fun one. This is the first in a trilogy, and while it didn’t knock it out of the park for me it was enjoyable and it did set up a world with a lot of potential, wrapping up this mystery in a satisfying way while opening more doors for future stories. There are so many dangerous and weird place this story can go, I hope the author makes some bold choices, and leans away from the impulse to be twee (because it isn’t cozy but it feels like it maybe wants to be) and just leans into the absurd, the feeling of always being one step away from a the cliffs edge. All of the pieces are lined up that would let her really push things, both in terms of emotional development and world-building/exploration, and I am really hopefully she takes some bold, extravagant swings in future installments.

I want to thank the author, the publisher Orbit Books, and NetGalley, who provided a complimentary eARC for review. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This book could be a real hit for many people. The premise is fantastic, I love the idea of the echoes and the way they are layered, the elements of time manipulation. It was unfortunately not a book for me, and I could not look past my issues to truly enjoy the story.

There were several things that made this book a struggle for me. While I initially was excited about a FMC that was a new mother, because I almost never see this, it was almost surface level representation. I myself am a parent and experienced many of the things that were mentioned repeatedly- but for all the details it didn’t really add anything to the story.

I just didn’t care about the characters. I made it through a quarter of the books and while there was action going on, I just didn’t feel invested in the characters. For an almost Clue like cast of characters, I should have felt connected to one, but I had only spent a handful sentences with any one but the FMC.

I also found myself frustrated with the pacing. The way that the party resets every few chapters and then I have to read descriptions of how attire and decor change quickly became tedious and not quirky and fun. It felt like starting over so many times is what limited the character development and my ability to care about them.

Again, while it was not for me, it had elements that will really work for others.

The Last Hour Between Worlds was a wonderfully unexpected surprise.This saphic romance gets moving very quickly and you will be hooked from the very beginning! This was so good!!!

Melissa Caruso’s The Last Hour Between Worlds is a captivating blend of fantasy and adventure that delves into themes of identity, sacrifice, and the complexities of “interworld”relationships. Set in a richly constructed universe, this is a truly captivating story. I would recommend this story for readers of high fantasy/Sci-fi, who are used to reading stories with a lot of world building. It can be a little difficult to follow at times, but it is worth it!

Caruso’s ability to create a believable world filled with complex characters, which I found so refreshing. It’s a thought-provoking exploration of what it means to belong and the lengths one will go to protect loved ones.

Very cute concept but unfortunately a bit too slow pace for me! The first 10% of the book is the same scene and it’s not giving much information or world building to make up for how much of the books this bit takes up. I appreciate getting a mother’s perspective as it’s often an under represented group in books, but once we’ve heard she’s on leave a few times, we’ve got it.

The Last Hour Between Worlds, by Melissa Caruso, absolutely nailed the strange and fantastical settings that I love. I’m looking forward to a reread so I give each more attention, and not be as distracted by the highly entertaining characters and plot. Originally I though that this book was going to be a stand alone, but I understand that it is going to be a series, and I am not mad about it at all. Thank you NetGally for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review ( and cheers to Illumicrate for the special edition that I can’t wait to get my hands on).

I didn't fully know what to expect from this book, but I rather liked it. The worldbuilding was very interesting with the Echoes and the various guilds, and I'm definitely looking forward to learning more about it all in the next book.

Thank you to Net Galley and Orbit for the ARC. I think the concept is really cool, but I need to start avoiding enemies to lovers romances, I did not like the characters.

The Last Hour Between Worlds is an amazing new book from Melissa Caruso. The first in a new series this book introduces an exciting magic system with a refreshingly new concept. I loved the reality-bending magic in this story and the errier new levels of reality we kept entering. They were delightfully creepy and I found myself wanting more and more. Perhaps my favorite part of this book is the main character Kem. It was exciting to get a new perspective I haven't read before about a new mom still recovering from pregancy and trying to find her new normal. There are so many things around pregnancy and post-pregnancy that aren't talked about and I absoultely loved that Caruso included these topics in her latest book. We love a mature main character that's also a woman. Full of unexpcted twists, an amazing supporting cast (also full of some badass ladies and possibly my favorite non-binary character to date) The Last Hour Between Worlds had me hooked and I just couldn't put this one down. It's released on November 18th so be sure to pre-order or request this one from your library!

3.5-3.75 stars...Have to think more about it

So the vibes, concept, plot, and atmosphere were all ON POINT. This is Groundhog's Day with a locked room murder mystery with world-shattering implications, and each "round" gets more and more bizarre. Each Echo you descend takes you into deeper into danger and Tim Burton-esque landscapes where anything could kill you. Between the Echoes, the factions, the politics, the guilds, the "game", the Empyreans, and the clock, there is a LOT to understand and make sense of. It's a bit of a mind melt at first, but it was fun trying to figure out the bad guys and how they could be stopped.
The book is a fast-paced race against time that keeps you turning the page and on the edge of your seat.

Where I struggled was the characters. Kembral's entire personality is overwhelmed new mom who loves her job, but did you know she just had a baby. Her entire internal monologue is constantly about the baby, how her body isn't the same as before pregnancy, and also the time that Rika (her rvial who she likes) betrayed her. Rika seemed to be constantly irritated that Kembral couldn't/didn't read her mind, but also never wanted to give up being secretive. The secrets and non-communication for most of the book drove me crazy. Their interactions seemed so stiff, and it was hard for me to root for them as a couple. There was a reveal I really liked, but even then it didn't have the emotional impact I wanted because of the characters.

I am not a mother, but a good author can usually make me empathize with literal monsters. However, being beat over the head constantly about Kembral being a new mom made me more irritated than anything. One of her choices at the end also annoyed me because MOTHER.
I think this could have worked great as a standalone, but there will clearly be more books in the series. TBD if I care enough about these characters to continue.
To be clear, the plot and concept and vibes were all great. But I also need some loveable characters. The party's host was probably my fav lol!

Many thanks to Orbit and NetGalley for the preview. All opinions are my own.

I could not put this book down. It starts off pretty normal, a new single mother going to this party, but there's a weird clock and they all start sinking through dimensions after a bit of time. Each of the levels down gets worse and more distorted with chances of horrific things increasing. To help she loops in her ex now rival nenemis. I loved the sapphic romance and horror aspects. I do wish we had gotten more on her being a mother and her kid, it feels a bit left out by the way the plot works.

One of the standout aspects of this novel is its characters, particularly Kembral. I found her well-developed and incredibly relatable, especially as a mother myself. Her struggles with going back to work after having a baby hit home and were portrayed in a realistic and heartfelt way. Her internal conflict, as well as her growing sense of confidence, made her a character I could root for. I also enjoyed Rika, who, while not as central as Kembral, brought an important dynamic to the story. The way their relationships deepened throughout the narrative was compelling and added emotional weight to the plot.
A strong feminist theme runs throughout the novel, and it was refreshing to see many of the powerful characters portrayed as women. The strength, leadership, and independence of the female characters stood out and added depth to the story. It’s rare to find a fantasy novel that makes such a concerted effort to show women in power, and it was one of the aspects I enjoyed most about the book.
While this is a fantasy novel, I found the world-building a bit sparse at the onset. Concepts like the Echos, Empyrean, and the different guilds weren’t fully explained early on, which made the start feel a little stark and hard to follow. However, as the story progressed, more of the world’s details were revealed, and I found myself more immersed in the setting. The pacing was slow at the beginning, likely due to the lack of immediate world-building, but it picked up quickly as the plot thickened and I gained more understanding of the world and its rules.

Overall, this novel offers strong character development, engaging relationships, and a refreshing feminist theme. While the initial world-building could have been stronger, the story ultimately delivers as it gains momentum. I’m excited to see where book two takes Kembral and Rika and look forward to deeper exploration of this intriguing world. If you enjoy fantasy novels with strong female leads and relationships at the heart of the story, this one is worth picking up!

Kembral Thorne is a badass new mother on mat-leave, out for one night only to a party. The guest list incudes her coworkers, members of the political scene and of course sexy enemies! Caruso has created a simple yet elegant magic system that really showcases creativity and care for detail. There is the prime reality and then there are echos of the prime reality, and are described through different levels and as you descend deeper into the echos more chaotic and more changes are made. The relationship built between Rika and Kembral is believable and filled with exciting tension and development. I would recommend this novel to anyone interested in a mystery, who-did-it, fantasy. Excellent fight scenes and I can't wait for book 2.

This was my first time reading Melissa Caruso's work, and I'm excited to dive into her other books along with the next book for this!

It definitely starts off slow to explain the world's magic system, and then when things start to get crazy you're learning about them as the main character does. I think it was an amazing concept between the actual story plot AND the world. Going into literal echoes of the world that's considered a part of the void? Hell yeah. So I would definitely say the first 30% of the book is rough cause it's a lot of information, but once I got past there, I was HOOKED. I couldn't get through it fast enough!

This was fun but not a hit for me. I was really excited to read a book about an older women who is a bad ass. She did have some moments but really she read like she was in her 20's. Pretending like she didn't know that she was in love with Rika got frustrating to a point.
One of my biggest annoyances is there are no explanations for some things. I might be crazy for this one but for a while I was confused on why a lot of people had the first name Dona and Signa. Turns out those are titles. Again that might just be that I've never seen it but I was really confused on why some people were calling the main character Kembral and some Signa.
My other big problem was there was a twist almost every single chapter. For some that might peak your interest and want to read the next chapter. I had that the first few times it happened. After that I wanted to put the book down for a while.
For a lot of people this is a fun read and I'm glad a lot of people liked it! I unfortunately was not one of them.

This book feels like the second or third installment of the series, but not in a bad way. I’m sure it’ll draw comparisons to ADSOM. I personally really enjoyed it— the stakes are serious, but it never gets overwhelmingly gritty or dark.

The Last Hour Between Worlds by Melissa Caruso is a sci fi story about a new mother, Kembral Thorne, who is spending her first night away from her daughter to attend a New Years Eve party. But at this party, things don’t go according to plan and with each chime of the grandfather clock, the party gets weirder and scarier. With only Kembral and her nemesis, Rika Nonesuch, able to fix this party and get everyone home safe, they have no choice but to work together.
I enjoyed this book, I usually read more fantasy than sci fi, but I found this book very fun and easy to read. I found the world and magic system easy to understand and get into. This felt almost like an adult Alice in Wonderland. There are a couple times we meet some very fun whimsical characters in this journey, but also there were some spooky characters as well. I really loved how fast paced this book was, there wasn’t a lot of filler and instead there was always something happening. I would love to see this book as a movie, I think with a large enough budget this could be a really wonderful film.
One thing I didn’t love about this book was the constant talk of motherhood, I get that it’s a large part of the main character, even if we never actually meet her daughter in the book, but as someone who doesn’t have kids and doesn’t want them I was just a bit un-interested in that part of the book personally.

Thank you to netgalley and orbit for providing me with an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

From the moment I heard about this book I knew it would be one I loved. The Last Hour Between Worlds, swept me away into a richly crafted universe where magic intertwines with intrigue and deeply resonant relationships. Melissa Caruso has truly outdone herself with this installment which is an introduction to me as a reader. I look forward to discovering more of her work.

The story centers around a gripping conflict that spans multiple worlds/echos, each brimming with its own unique charm and peril. Caruso’s world-building is nothing short of spectacular; the intricate details make every setting feel alive, drawing you in with vivid imagery and immersive landscapes. The stakes are high, and as the narrative unfolds, you can’t help but become invested in the fates of the characters.

Speaking of characters—what a phenomenal cast! Each one is beautifully developed, with complex motivations and evolving dynamics that feel authentic and relatable. The relationships that Caruso crafts are at the heart of this tale, and I found myself cheering for our protagonists while also feeling the weight of their struggles. The friendships, rivalries, and budding romances are layered and nuanced, making each emotional moment hit with intensity.

What I appreciated most was how Caruso navigated the dance between duty and desire, loyalty and betrayal. The way these themes are woven through the character arcs adds an extra dimension to the plot, making it not just an adventure story but a profound exploration of human connections.

When it came down to the final pages, I was left both satisfied but also with want for more. The cliffhanger at the end was expertly crafted, leaving me desperate for the next installment. I can’t wait to dive deeper into the relationships that have been so thoughtfully developed and to explore the new challenges that await our beloved characters.