When I saw the synopsis and the cover of this debut novel I jumped at the chance to request a copy. The idea of a state that uses time as money was too good to resist!

In the kingdom of Sempera time is bound to blood and metal to make currency. The rich can drink their endless bloodirons and live (almost) forever, but the poor are forced to live week to week, hour to hour. Jules lives in the impoverished town of Crofton with her father. His time is running out rapidly so Jules decides to seek employment at Everless, the grand estate of the Gerling family, from which they were both banished 10 years ago. Jules’ father pleads with her not to return but she is desperate. Days later she discovers her father in a cellar in the Everless castle with wine-stained hands, inches from death. In her grief, Jules is determined to find out what is going on and who she really is.

The original synopsis I read for this never mentioned a kingdom, so I didn’t realise Sempera was ruled by the monarchy. I was expecting the story to take place in a capitalist society and I think this would have been really interesting so I was more than a little disappointed when I read that this wasn’t the case. I couldn’t be bothered with another story of a servant girl running around a castle lusting after a prince. Thankfully, after a pretty slow start, it improves dramatically about a quarter of the way through and it gets much more interesting.

Jules isn’t very bright and she’s very over dramatic which gets irritating, but she is strangely likeable, as are all of the other characters. The relationships between characters are great and there is a lot of fun mixed in with the danger. Once the pace picks up it gets a lot more exciting and it is consistently intriguing, with a new surprise around every corner.

It takes a while to get going, and is odd and annoying in places but ultimately Everless is an exciting and original take on fantasy with a good bit of wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimey stuff thrown in which I really enjoyed. I would recommend it for your next YA read!

7/10

4.5 Stars in my Sky!

"tempus edax rerum."

I loved *ahem* was terrified of the concept of Everless. Jules lives a in a kingdom queendom called Sempera where time, or rather life-force time, is money. People can bleed themselves aka sell time directly from their blood to make blood-iron. In a very unequal society the poorer civilians are forced to sell years of their lives just to survive the now whilst the rich control the blood-iron coins and extra years.

Jules's father has been secretly selling time to pay rent and is in very poor health. To stop him from selling any more time Jules heads to Everless to work for the Gerlings. She can earn a lot of blood-iron but at great risk.

Jules finds herself plunged headfirst into the Gerling's intrigues and is much closer to the powerful Queen than she ever expected. She is befriended by Caro (the Queen's handmaiden) and her heir Lady Ina. They offer her comfort and a distraction from her affection for her former childhood friend (and Ina's fiancé) Roan. I have to admit I was more intrigued by her old nemesis and childhood tormentor Liam. Don't worry any potential romance takes a backseat to Jules's mission and the situation in Everless.

The world building is complex and interesting, if a little confusing at times. BUT I loved all the details and special insights Sara Holland provides into the mysteriously dark society. Once I got my head round the names and who could do what, I became thoroughly engrossed in Jules's story.

The book ends on one heck of a cliffy so I'm desperate to find out what happens next!

I received a review copy

The world of Everless is a strange and interesting one. It's hard to find an element of dystopia or fantasy that hasn't been done to death, but Holland has come up with a unique idea in her land of time. Unique isn't necessarily brilliant though, and for me the whole idea was a little bit hard to swallow. I like my fantasy of a type that can be believed, that could one day be reality, or else is so beautiful and fantastical that I want it to be reality. Everless was neither one nor the other, settling instead in a slightly uncomfortable place for me. If it wasn't for this, I would have loved it - the characters, the setting, the story, were all gripping and the darkness and twists intrigued me, but I just can't get into the whole blood/time world I'm afraid. This is purely a personal opinion, and I'm thankful to the publisher and Netgalley for supplying me with a copy in exchange for this honest review.

This book started a bit chaotic - reminding of other books mixed with a bunch of history and characters. But soon I started to understand all the things that were happening in the book and couldn't put it down. As things evolved I got really sucked in, the tempo was perfect. I admit that some things were predictable, but somehow when other books disappoint me by that, this one didn't.

Closer to the end of the book I got a bit disappointed after all - it seemed like time itself sped up and so much was happening - it seemed too much to comprehend and compute. But it was only a phase and it got back on track, being exciting, surprising and gripping.

I hope that the lowest points (for me) were just rookie mistakes and won't be repeated in future books. Otherwise, the writing seemed pretty good.

I was surprised when the ending suddenly came, which wasn't as resolving as I would have wanted and pretty much simply set up for the sequel... I was so surprised that I almost took off a star for this ending (and some other bits). But after battling myself I decided on 4 stars because after all I did stay up at night, didn't I?

I would like to thank the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a free ARC for this book, all opinions are still my own.

Thanks to Netgalley and Orchard Books for my copy in exchange for my honest review.

The idea of this book is fantastic, and first impressions based on the cover is intrigue. It made me take notice, and want to know more and more. Do you ever get that feeling about a book that says it’s going to be huge within the reading world? I get that from just the first few pages of this book. On the other hand though, I think this book will be one of those that people either really love, or dislike. I’m sat on the fence.

While the ideas and mythology, the backstory and characters were clearly thought out, I don’t actually know if I liked the story. There was so much potential, possibilities but it sort of just fizzled along. It took a while to get anywhere and then when it did, it finished. There was plenty of build up to something spectacular but as it got there, it just sort of failed. It didn’t hit the peak I was expecting it to.

The idea of using Time as a currency is something new for me. I don’t think I’ve come across it before, and I liked the idea. It was different, it was sort of shocking to think that you actually have the length of your life in your hands. You can do anything to increase it, and decrease it while desperately trying to survive.

The world that Sara Holland builds is spectacular, and she has definitely left space for growth and more magical world-building. I don’t think we barely scraped the surface with this book, and that we will be in for one hell of a ride with any future books. The places, and characters, that we are introduced to have all got the potential to break out in a huge sense and make this series a whole lot more awesome, and I love the fact that she has left the room for it.

The twist I can honestly say I didn’t see coming, that was a surprise but I wasn’t as shocked as I could have been. I didn’t really believe what she thought was to be a lie, I didn’t think that a character who is supposed to so central to the story would end up.. well, in that position but it happened. Thankfully, it wasn’t a character that I particularly liked. I think that the character I liked the most was Liam which I wasn’t expecting. I suppose it’s because he was put across as the villain, the rotten apple. But we see a side to him that we do no expect. Jules was a good character, and she definitely has room to grow.

As you can see, there are things that I didn’t like, but there are more things that I did like. I think with a bit more oomph I will love this series. I’m relieved that there is room for so much more in this series, as I said at the beginning of this review. I definitely see that this book is going to huge. It’s a spectacular addition to the genre.

I give this book a 4/5. If it didn’t just dawdle along, I think it would have been an incredible 5. I’m looking forward to the next book in the series, I hope it’s going to be a roller-coaster of a read.

I have been a Fantasy fan all of my life. There is something about Fantasy that makes it the perfect genre for confronting modern-day concerns as well as allowing for some beautiful world-building and escapism. It is a genre I love and I have partly been spoiled by genius fairy tales and genre icons like The Lord of the Rings, to the point where I am now often quite hesitant to pick up YA Fantasy books in the fear of being disappointed. However, Everless' blurb and beautiful cover convinced me to throw my fear in the wind and jump right in. Thanks to Hachette Children's Group and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

As said above, I go into a lot of YA Fantasy books with a sense of trepidation nowadays. The tropes abound, the cliches are stifling and the world-building is unimaginative. I know, I sound like a complaining old lady but I have gotten sick of reading the same story over and over again, knowing where a novel is going to go after less than a 100 pages. However, I found myself pleasantly surprised by Everless. I enjoyed the novel's main idea, your life time being bound to your blood and your blood being capable of becoming iron coins. It is an idea that allows an author to explore class and capitalism in a very interesting idea and Holland does do so here and there in the novel. Although there is a bit of an info-dump at the beginning of the novel, Holland starts her novel off very well by getting the reader attached to Jules. And that, I think, is where one of the strengths of this novel lies. You do genuinely find yourself caring for Jules, becoming as interested in her past as she is, as concerned about those she cares about as she is. And Everless is also actually concerned with her and her life, rather than in setting her up with some handsome prince or having her meet some other random genre trope. It's what makes the novel fly by and makes some of the clunkier examples of world-building fall by the wayside.

At the heart of Everless lies Jules' stay at the eponymous estate in her hope to find answers to some burning questions. I liked Jules' dedication to saving her father and to finding answers, even as the questions she asks change as the situation around her changes. That is what I loved about Everless: it starts out straightforward and then grows into something much more complex. Initially, Jules just wants to earn money so her father can stay alive. By the end of the novel Jules finds herself at the centre of web that has become incredibly intricate. Holland manages to complicate her novel without making the reading of it complicated. She adds twists and turns, managing to subvert some of the genre's conventions as she goes, but never does Everless lose track of who Jules was at the beginning. I think that why it is so easy for the reader to get sucked in by Everless and I know that I personally can't wait for the next book in the series to come out! Is it 2019 yet?

I really liked Sara Holland's writing in Everless. She doesn't linger on grandiose descriptions or dramatised conversations but rather lets the needs of the plot drive the novel forward. On the one hand this means that some events seem to happen very quickly, but on the other hand this means there is no chance to get bored. Although here and there I would have maybe appreciated some extra time to get to know some new characters or feel the consequences of certain events, I also liked the drive forward. Everless also has some stunning visuals and moments which really stick in your mind. Holland has a knack for adding in little details and little descriptions here or there that deftly support her world-building and characterisations and make the novel feel more realistic. That may seem like a strange thing to ask for when it comes to Fantasy, but actually Fantasy novels live or die by how real they are. If you can't imagine this world, then how can you believe in it enough to want to read about it? Everless felt real in a Magical Realism way, almost, where something ordinary like paying rent is elevated to something different, where a young girl's made up childhood stories are maybe something completely different. It is this balance between the fantastical and the real that will make you want to keep reading Everless.

I raced through Everless and am consequently heartbroken that the next book isn't coming out for another year, apparently. Although engaging in some of its genre's tropes, Everless and Sara Holland will consistently surprise you. I'd recommend this to fans of YA Fantasy ready to trust again!

This review will be posted on my blog, Foxes and Fairy Tales on 07 Jan 2018
https://foxesfairytale.wordpress.com/2018/01/07/review-everless

I was anticipating Everless so much and OMG it lived up to all my expectations!

Everless was my first read of 2018, and I couldn't have chosen a better book. The premise is really cool and the plot just gets better and better as the story goes on. The atmosphere was great, particularly once Jules settled into Everless itself -- at times I got a real "Jane Eyre, big -mysterious house full of secrets"-vibe while she was sneaking around. I loved the descriptions of the kitchens, the dormitories and the library of Everless. It's a location I'd love to explore for myself.

I thought the amount of romance in the story was just right, nostalgic memories of a childhood crush and little hints at attraction, but no insta-love or overblown dramatics. The thing about crushing her heart by killing the person she loves the most was a pleasant surprise -- I was completely expecting it to be Roan in a "they've only known each other again for a week, but whatever, YA-trope eyeroll" and I love that Holland didn't go down that route. With Jules so alone in the world I'm intrigued as to who it will be. I suspect broody Liam but I'm really hoping Holland will do something different, maybe familial rather than romantic love, or something completely unexpected.

If the sequel was available, I'd have moved straight on to it next, and that's always a good sign. As it is, I'll be looking forward to its release.

In the kingdom of Sempera, time is currency. The rich tax the poor to the hilt, extending their own lives by centuries. A decade ago, she and her father were servants at Everless, the Gerlings’ palatial estate, until a fateful accident forced them to flee in the dead of night. When Jules discovers that her father is dying, she knows that she must return to Everless to earn more time for him before she loses him forever. But going back to Everless brings more danger—and temptation—than Jules could have ever imagined. Soon she’s caught in a tangle of violent secrets. Her decisions have the power to change her fate—and the fate of time itself.



Time is a currency is such a weird and wonderful concept for Holland to play around with. I was instantly drawn in from the first page because I wanted to learn more about this magic system. How does it work? How did they bind time with blood and then currency? Why would you bind these together? and the more I read the more intrigued I was. There's old legends in Sempera which tell of the origins of this magic and I can't wait to learn more in the future installments. 

At the start though, I struggled with full comprehension as some descriptions were confusing. The pace was slow as the world building consisted of a lot of telling with little to no showing at this point. Even the legend of the alchemist was not clear at one point as my friend pointed out she wasn't sure whether it was referring to having multiple alchemists or whether it was a typo. 

The characters were extremely interesting and I wanted to get to know more of them. It wasn't clear cut who the good and bad guys are, and by the end of the book we know that some people are not inherently good or bad. We have these characters who do bad things but are good, and 'bad' characters who are doing some good. As we're on this journey with Jules, we see these things through her eyes, her prejudices and her judgments which makes me want to get to know the other characters more as we didn't fully know them, but only what they showed to Jules. 

The one thing that irked me when reading was that in this world time is quite literally money. But Jules spends way too much time swooning and thinking about a guy who doesn't actually seem all that great. She hates the aristocracy and their wastefulness but of course this one guy that she's madly in love with (See: obsessed) couldn't possibly be a worse person because of these same traits. It just wasn't something I could get on with and made me dislike Jules quite often. 

After the initial slow pick up this turns into a fast paced book full of mysteries to be solved and plot twists to smack you in the face. I enjoyed the build up to the end and how events unfolded to give you hints at what was to happen but the surprises are still there. Overall I think the excitement for this book was well earned as it is a very interesting read and it's got the excitement and mystery factor in. 

Positives
+ Intriguing magic system

+ Characters were interesting

+ Fast paced and full of mystery

Negatives
- Confusing descriptions at the start

- Protagonist spent a lot of time swooning over a guy

I received Everless* by Sara Holland from the publisher. This is an unbiased and honest review.

I absolutely loved this book and cannot wait for the next in the series to be published. Please follow the link below to read my full review of this book.

Thank you Netgalley and Orchard Books for this ARC it is honestly one of the best young adult novels I have read in a long time. I am so purchasing this on it's release.

When the next book is up for early review, I would love nothing more than to be given access.

This story is set in the Kingdom of Sempera - where time is currency. In layman's terms - if you need money, you have your blood extracted, and this takes time off of your lifespan. This could mean literally bleeding out your rent, if you are struggling financially, and is a chilling equivalent of paying a fine. But at the other end, if you are rich, like the Gerlings, you can consume the blood of another, to extend your own lifespan. In effect, they could live forever.

We are introduced to the main character, Jules Ember, who previously worked at Everless - the Gerlings' estate in Sempera, until she was forced to flee. However, when she finds out that her father is is catastrophic debt and is dying, she returns to Everless in order to try to extend his life, by earning more time. The drama really begins when Jules arrives back at Everless, where she is swept up in danger and violence, along with the twists and turns of a mystery which spans this story.

Overall, the writing style works well in terms of captivating you, through the mystery elements of this book and is well-done, especially for a debut author. However, I did find it quite difficult to get hooked in the first few chapters, mainly because of the over-description of the characters and the world-building, which, once you understand the basic foundation, is very well thought-out.

The characterisation is done particularly well in this book also, it becomes increasingly difficult to decipher who are the good guys and who are the bad guys - something which I applaud in a debut novel!

This book is also unique in terms of fantasy I've read, in that it focuses in on a lot of mystery. It would be difficult to put this book into the fantasy-genre 'box', when this is such a focus of the story. I feel as though, this is a welcome addition and led a page-turner of a book with an incredible PLOT-TWIST, which was hard to predict. The book also closes on a significant cliff-hanger and I can't wait to continue the story in Holland's next book.

Overall, I would very-much recommend this book, especially for fans of YA fantasy, but also to those, like me, who, perhaps, don't read a lot of this genre, and didn't expect much from this story. Give this one a go, I don't think you'll regret it. The unique plot is definitely interesting, and sets this aside from other books in this genre! Sara Holland is, undoubtedly, a talented debut author, and I look forward to reading more of her work in the future!

I received this E-Arc in exchange for an honest review and would like to say thank-you to Hachette Children's Group for providing me with an advanced-readers-copy of this book.

If I'm completely honest, I was not a big fan of the Red Queen series (please don't hate me!)  I read the first book and found it to be a pleasant experience but had no real desire to read the sequel to find out what happened in the next part of the story.  So when Everless was compared to Red Queen I had a pre-conceived idea of how I was going to feel about this book.  Luckily for me, I was pleasantly surprised!

Although, I agree and this book is definitely one I would recommend for fans of Victoria Aveyard's series, personally, I found so much more to enjoy in this book!

The story centres around Jules, who takes a job at Everless, the estate of the Gerling family, in order to protect her father from draining himself of his remaining time to pay off their debts.  While at Everless she discovers that there are so many more secrets hidden in its walls than she thought possible.

I love the concept of time being used as currency.  In Sempera, time is contained in your blood and can be drained to turn into coins. Punishments can involve having time taken from you.  But of course, not everyone is equal and some have more time than others, like the Gerlings who have enough time to potentially live forever.  Holland really makes the most of this idea and the imagery that goes along with it.  In one heart-breaking moment, Jules sees two elderly ladies draining themselves of blood to put time away for their children in the hope that it will give them a better life.

Yes, there is a romantic aspect to the story, but it is very much secondary to Jules' story, which I think is great!  I love a good romance as much as the next person, but it's nice when it isn't the centre of a story that isn't marketed as a romance.

Everless does suffer from some of the pitfalls that debut novelists fall into, such as the first two chapters being very information heavy.  Holland gives us a lot of information about her world by telling us, rather than letting us discover it ourselves.  However, this is an easily forgivable flaw in an otherwise very enjoyable and exciting story!

This is a great start to a promising series and Sara Holland leaves you with a lot of questions that I cannot wait to be answered!

Everless

Characters
It’s not often you find a book where you enjoy and relate to most of the characters. From the protagonist to the staff at Everless, each one is fully developed and invite you in to this world. They are likeable, unlikeable and with one in particular you will be utterly conflicted from start to finish.
Jules is strong, angry and the perfect protagonist to be on this journey with. Her voice is clear and strong, even when under pressure.
Interestingly, it is Liam who was my favourite character from the outset. For the first time, I’ve not trusted the protagonist’s opinion. I willed it to be false. I put that down, in part, to Sara Holland’s writing.

Plot
It’s a heroes quest unlike any I’ve read before. It pulls you in from the very start and you’re along for the ride as ? learns about herself and the dangerous world she lives in.
The addition of the time bleeding and blood iron is genius. Elements relating to time can often feel overwhelmingly futuristic. However, we are treated to what I would consider a delightful fusion of steam punk and Historical Britain.

Writing
Sara Holland’s first person narrative unlike anything else I’ve ever experienced before. The ability to develop other characters and imply that there is an alternative view is utterly seamless. It’s only reflecting that I’ve realised I questioned Jules’ understanding throughout the novel.
The only time I stopped reading was when i paused to text my best friend, Gem, to tell her that she has to read this book.
One thing that really hit home with me was this quote: “It’s possible to feel joy and grief at the same time.”
No one, not even myself, has ever been able to articulate how depression feels to me. Not only has Holland done this, she has done it in such a beautiful and haunting way.

It's set in a world where time is taken from your blood and used as currency - blood iron. It follows a girl called Jules, who lives with her ill father, and is struggling to pay rent. In order to try and get more blood iron, Jules decides to go and work for The Gerling Family, an aristocratic family who live nearby and are hiring people for the royal wedding they are hosting. Against her fathers wishes, she sneaks back to the estate she was banished from years ago.

The whole concept of the novel and the world that was built was incredible, and was developed and explained without simply dumping the information in the early chapters. The plot was very good, there weren't any parts that I found boring, in fact I could not put it down.

I very much enjoyed all of the characters, they were well thought-out and complex, and Jules made a very interesting narrator, because her curious nature meant that she explored the world and her environment and had a lot of very interesting interactions with the other characters. Roan and Liam were also two of my favourite characters, they almost represented the stereotypical love-triangle trope but with more complexity. Although Roan was perhaps more of a surface character, slightly under-developed, Liam was complex and interesting and I couldn't help loving him.

The entirety of the book was full of mystery and intrigue, with things being revealed throughout, however you never fully knew what was happening. The ending was full of twists and turns and exciting reveals and I cannot wait for the next book, it can't come soon enough!

I can't think of any real faults, so I gave it 5/5 stars, its one of my absolute favourite books of the year and I highly recommend it.

I went into Everless thinking it was a time travel/fantasy book but I was kinda wrong. It's actually about a girl who can manipulate (i.e. stop and slow down) time. It's not quite the same thing. I need to start reading synopses before I request things.
Everless isn't the most original YA fantasy I've read in terms of the plot. It's all very standard YA that wouldn't really standout from the crowd. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but if you read a tonne of young adult fantasy books then you'll know the formula and you'll know what to expect and when.

That said, I adored the world building in Everless and that is what made it so enjoying and stand out to be. The world building was completely solid and made up for the mediocre (too harsh?) plot. I adored the way Holland wove mythology and history into the present day, and I love how everything tied together. The stories about the Alchemist and the Sorceress were wonderful. This was a big plus.
I, somewhat surprisingly, really enjoyed the ship? It's exactly my kind of thing. I'm not going to say anything about it other than that because I think anything specific would spoil you, but just know that I am kinda picky when it comes to shipping (STOP ROLLING YOUR EYES AT ME) and this ship was good. I'm really looking forward to seeing where it goes in the sequel.

The main character, Jules, was decent, but she was absolutely crap at keeping secrets. Oh my god. I was rolling my eyes at her so many times because people told her over and over again to keep her mouth shut and not to do things and she did the complete opposite and blabbed to absolutely everyone. I hope she grows out of that in the sequel because she can't keep living like that. She's actually going to get herself and everyone else killed.

I'd definitely recommend Everless as it's a solid debut with some really good world building that I think (and hope!) Sara Holland can expand upon. There's a lot of potential for a really good series here! Also, it reminded me of Red Queen, if that helps at all.

This book is absolutely stunning!! First of all the concept behind this novel is so exciting. I've never come across anything similar to it and I am very hyped about it. But also the subtle touches intertwined in the plot were what truly blew me away. It was so well put together.

'And then... the world seems to slow. No, not seems. The branches really do stop whispering in the wind. Even the most inaudible crackle of the snow melting on the ground stops, like the world is holding its breath.'

The whole idea basically focuses on the concept of time being currency. The time is taken from your blood and the years you are supposed to live. So if you're rich, you may possibly live forever. But the poor find themselves selling their time away in order to pay rent and buy food. It's a very morbid thought and rather shocking to think about. But that was part of what made this book so great.

'He will be beautiful when I'm an old woman, if I live long enough to age. He'll be charming long after I'm dead.'

There is a slight case of the 'chosen' one trope but it was done in a very different way and I tend to enjoy that sort of thing in my fantasy books anyway. Apart from that I don't really have anything bad to say about the plot. It was fast pace and exciting to read. There were also plenty of twists that I didn't see coming. There are some aspects of the plot and certain characters that you can't help be wary of, but that made the story even better. The author created such a tense atmosphere and I was constantly worried about what was going to happen next. I've not had a book where I was quite so on edge as I was while reading this for a while. And Sarah Holland not only created a world and a plot that I loved she also created amazing, and intriguing characters to top it off.

'I remember seeing him force his own brother into a roaring fire. How twisted he must be, this boy who has everything.'

Don't take this as a definite but I feel like if you like Victoria Schwab's writing then you'll probably enjoy this; as I was reading Everless it gave me similar vibes to when I read the Shades of Magic series.

The characters are not at all how they first seem and even though it starts of a little slow things quickly take turns that you would never first suspect. The book follows protagonist Jules a girl who when she realises her fathers ill health decides to defy his wishes and go back to Everless a place they ran away from long ago. But all she has in mind is earning more time to help her father; at first not quite realising the danger that surrounds Everless. Everless is a place owned by one of the richest families in the Kingdom of Sempera; the Girlings. After an accident while she was young, Jules and her father were forced to flee. And soon after returning she is caught in the lies and political intrigue surrounding the court and she must face the consequences behind her decisions and what happened in the past.

'I see a sickening trail of blood behind me, red footprints on the dark earth. They are mine. I am wounded, clumsy. I cannot escape.'

Overall I am overwhelmingly amazed by how good this book was. I have never been as excited for a book to release as I am about this one. I really can't wait for everyone who doesn't already have it to get there hands on it! I don't have a clue how I'm going to be able to wait so long to find out what happens next.

Thank you so much for reading! If you've read this book I'd love to know what your thoughts are in the comments below!

RATING: 5 Stars

Thank you to; NetGalley, and Orchard Books for sending me the early e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Everless!!! One of the most anticipated books of 2018 did not disappoint! Thanks a million to the publishers for letting me get my hands on this precious!


Imagine a world where the currency is time and you can extract years from your life by converting blood to money. Ten years after Jules and her father were forced to flee Everless, they find themselves in depts with no way out. Jules' father can no longer risk selling his years for he is too close to descending into madness so it's up to Jules to get them out of this mess and when an opportunity to gain some years appears in the form of a job at Everless, she can't pass it up. She's never forgotten the Gerling brothers; Roan her carefree and kind friend whom she'd loved fiercely and Liam, the cold distant older brother who'd tried to kill Roan when they were children and also the one who chased her out of Everless. She's petrified to be in the same place as Liam again but her survival depends on it. Though her father doesn't want her to go back to Everless for very different reasons and as she spends time there, secrets unravel themselves and put into question her very existence. In the manor of familiar and unfamiliar faces, Jules struggles to find who to trust and unravel the secrets of her past.



First off THAT COVER.



When you think about it, immortality and whatnot isn't exactly a completely new concept and yet Holland managed to construct a whole society around it in a way that's never been done before. The originality was off the charts with the world building and the lore of the Sorceress and the Alchemist. The writing at first was a little too explanatory and it started off quite slow but luckily as the book progressed it totally smoothed out into a great prose! Every chapter just kept sucking you in-definitely a one-sitting read!




I would have liked more romance because I'm a sucker for that but I think this book is more of a stepping stone that could potentially lead to romance in book 2? Hopefully! Don't worry about a love triangle or anything if you're hesitant to pick it up because really romance is practically non existent but I LOVE the way in which things are heading in book 2 from the hints I've gathered. I think if there was no romance at all it could have been better but since there was some, it was a little underdeveloped.


I would say all the characters were quite compelling though it's much more of a plot driven story than a character one. Liam I loved from the very minute he appeared; there was just something about him that made you think that this character was much more than what he appeared. Maybe that's because the protagonist was so absolute in her opinion of him that you knew that he wouldn't be what he appeared to be in the beginning. Jules as a protagonist was an okay character but she wasn't particularly jumping out of the page. And she way way too naive. I'd expected that given her situation she'd be more careful about revealing her identity but she was just way too reckless.


I didn't quite get the point of Roan's character other than the fact that he acts like an opposite to Liam and I think that his only purpose in the book is to complement Liam's character. Roan is portrayed as the one saving the servants and being carefree and kind as opposed to Liam, and Jules constantly compares him to Liam so she can fuel her complete hatred for Liam.

And at some point I got really annoyed at Jules because she would not stop swooning over Roan over and over again describing how great and handsome he was. He was pretty bland and see through but somehow Jules couldn't get past her own opinion of him . She always criticises everyone but Roan even though it's so obvious he was a total player. Maybe she'd notice if she stopped fangirling over him all THE DAM TIME.




Some things were way too repetitive for example in the first half (?) of the book, every time Jules saw Liam she would explain how she felt this surge of anger at him for driving them out of Everless but at some point it's like okay we already know how you feel, we don't need to be told repetitively that every time you see him you get reminded of how he chased you out of Everless.


It did give off Red Queen vibes at first but the world building and the folklore completely sets it apart and I definitely found it better than Red Queen in terms of the plot. I can't express how much the world building, the story and the attention to detail completely mesmerised me. There were so may tropes with the poverty, the oppression and the like but still the author managed to make them original by revolving them around her concept of time as a currency.


So despite the minor blips, this book had a perfectly strong WOWZA ending. I did not see the plot twist coming at all. And even when I thought I did, the author throws in some crazy curveball that leaves you stunned! I'm still reeling and processing what happened!


I'm so happy to be back into blogging and this was a great book to break my reading slump! Great story, amazing twist that will leave you gasping for more! Definitely a book worth checking out and come on guys, I would spend money to get that cover on my shelf!

I received a free ecopy of this book for review purposes. Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity.

Everless is a Young Adult fantasy, which is becoming a rather hackneyed genre. It is becoming difficult to find new stories with fresh voice and perspective, so I did not have high expectations. I am happy to say that though my initial impressions were not favourable, I enjoyed the book and will look to the sequel for a continuation of the story.

Jules lives in poverty with her father. They fled the local lord’s palace when she was young, because she witnessed one heir trying to kill the other. She is also trying to hide the fact that She can stop time, a unique ability. The whole land lives on a currency of blood iron made by bleeding years from people’s blood. Bleed too much and they die. To save her father’s life Jules returns to the palace to work, just as the evil queen arrives for a royal wedding. Jules wants information about her family but must risk attention to get it.

When I first picked this book up I struggled. The premise of years of your life as currency though interesting was extensively over-explained in the early chapters and there are some well overused Young Adult tropes: evil rulers, girl with unique powers, moody boys. I will admit I did some eye-rolling early on, but once I got into the meat of the story I was glad I had persisted. The narrative drew me in. The characters were intriguing though not overly deep. The twists, though not particularly surprising, did raise questions that I wanted answers to.

If you like a good teen fantasy with handsome guys and evil queens, you should give this a whirl.

Original, addictive and frustrating as hell. This is one of those books where I just wanted to give the main character a good shake but couldn't put it down.

There seems to be a lot of buzz about this book and I have to admit I was a little bit skeptical going in. Is there anything truly original left to do in YA fantasy? But, actually Holland does somehow manage it. Yes there are a lot of the familiar tropes but the central concept that in this land time is used as a currency is absolutely brilliant. Add to that some wonderful writing and world building and this is a book that's definitely worth reading.

There is something instantly likeable about the authors writing style and the whole story feels very much like a fairytale, from the dark and dangerous woods, the poor peasant girl with the sickly father, powerful royals and secrets from the past. In the beginning it reminded me a little of beauty and the beast as Jules takes on her fathers debt in order to save him, venturing to the palace they ran from when she was a child to work as a servant. In Everless she finds cruelty, greed and excess but she also finds friends, old and new, and begins to uncover the secrets from her past.

The story is a little predictable, I saw pretty much everything coming, but while it's frustrating watching Jules do ridiculously stupid things and trusting the wrong people it does make for some addictive reading. I was literally shouting at the pages but I couldn't stop turning them.

Jules as you can probably tell drove me crazy. She is kind and brave but she's ridiculously naive and trusting and I'm not sure that really changes over the course of the story. The other characters are a bit more complex and many are not as they first appear, although again there are signs of what's to come.

The pacing of the story is pretty much spot on and the author creates a very believable and engaging world. There are a few areas I think the author could have developed a further, maybe that will come in subsequent books, but there are moments that are absolutely wonderful, shocking, touching, tragic or jaw dropping.

There is plenty of action and intrigue, a few twists and a little bit of romance to carry the story along to a pretty epic conclusion, although with this being the first in a series there are of course a few unanswered questions and a bit of a cliffhanger. .This is the authors debut novel so it's not perfect but it definitely shows a lot of promise and I will certainly be looking out for more.

Overall a great start to the series with a very unique premise and some wonderful writing. I'd recommend you give this series a try if you love YA fantasy and are looking for something a little different.

Jules and her father are struggling to get by, living the simple life. When her father falls into debt, Jules decides the only option is to work for the upper class. Which is about to be the most important, and dangerous, decision of this life.

I received a free copy from Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book, it feels like something completely original and new, which is rare in YA Fantasy.
In the kingdom of Sempera, the poor sell their lifespan to feed their families. An hour, a day, a year, whatever is necessary. There is no other option.
As with all corrupt countries, this "wealth" travels in one direction. The upper-class Gerlings hoard the time garnered from the poor, so they can live in luxury for centuries...

Jules is aware of how vile the Gerlings can be - she grew up in their household, where her father worked as a blacksmith, until they exiled him. She knows how they can abuse their staff, and encourage the next generation to be worse than before.
When Jules goes back to work for the Gerlings, she isn't naive about what could happen. She just intends to keep her head down, and earn enough time to pay off her father's debts.

The world of the time-stealing Gerlings isn't romantised. It is often dark and brutal. I was hooked with the shifting loyalties, and the hints at a different truth...

I don't want to say anything else, because I don't want to spoil a thing.
I very much enjoyed this book, and I am looking forward to the sequel.

THIS BOOK...UGH... THIS BOOK! 

I DIED WITH THIS BOOK! I cannot stress how INCREDIBLE this book is! This is one of the best debut fantasy's I've read in a long time.

Everless is an addictive fantasy that you will binge in one sitting. The twists and turns will have you screaming and probably throwing the book across the room. 

The pace and idea of the plot was perfect. The way mythology was built into the plot was fantastic and the way it formed the characters.

I could not recommend this book enough and I cannot wait for the sequel. I NEED IT NOW! 

so you know, Sara if you need someone to you know read the sequel, I'm here! and if you could please try and not rip out my heart with the sequel, my heart would be thankful!