Was super interested in the thinking for this story, with blood and magic. A brave main character and a puzzled backstory make this an interesting read. Perfect for the start of a new series. I can't wait to read the next one!

A standard, but enjoyable, YA fantasy book. Moves at a quick pace, writing is serviceable, ideas are good. Fun.

Occasional repetition & slightly obvious plotting aside, this is a totally gripping & imaginative fantasy with strong characters & convincing world building. Can't wait for the next one!

The trouble with this book is that I sort of felt like I'd read it before.

This is probably unfair, because the central concept is actually very original and not one I've encountered elsewhere: it's set in a world where time can be bound into coins, and the poor pay tithes in their own time while the rich are effectively immortal. The worldbuilding relating to this, the role of those involved in 'bleeding' time and so on, was interesting and engaging, and definitely a highlight for me.

However, there were some tropes that I recognised from a few too many other YA books -- for example, the now-familiar opening of a teenage girl out hunting to feed her family, because she's the only competent one and they'll starve without her plucky hunting skills. There's nothing *wrong* with the trope, but I've seen it so many times now that it creates a familiar-feeling opening, a mood that never really went away.

As well as this, I found aspects of the romantic plotlines to be extremely predictable. The book itself was billed as being for fans of 'Red Queen' by Victoria Aveyard, and I could see why, because I definitely got a similar vibe from it. (That book really didn't do it for me, either, but I've forgotten so much about it that I'd have to reread it to remember why. I just remember not being entirely won over the way others were.)

That said, it wasn't entirely predictable. In places it managed to surprise me; while I saw a couple of the twists coming, there were still a couple that caught me out, which is something.

Maybe this just suffered from the fact that I've read a *lot* of Young Adult fiction at this point. Like, I read hundreds of books a year, and a good proportion of them are YA. It's inevitable that I'd see some of the same tropes over and over again. And of course, some of them I'm happy to keep seeing, but others lose their charm. This, sadly, fell more into the latter category.

I did enjoy the worldbuilding and premise, though: that was a highlight.

This review appears on Goodreads, and may be cross-posted to my blog in December ahead of the January publication date (in which case I'll update with a link).

I'm really glad that I got this book. When I first tried to download it, it didn't work, but the publisher fixed it, and I'm really happy. I usually am wary of YA books, but this one was really good. There were definitely predictable, standard YA tropes, but it was very well done. I would definitely recommend giving it a try!

I haven't read much YA fantasy recently because it often feels quite similar. This book has some features in common with other YA fantasy, but it also has a fresh perspective that made the story feel unique and interesting.

The concept of this book is brilliant. The power of the ruling classes in fantasy is a familiar idea, but Everless took this to a new level. It was a gruesome and disturbing idea that people in need could sell their time, and this interesting premise underpinned the whole plot.

Another thing I liked about this book was that the plot and characters surprised me. Not everything or everyone turned out how I expected, and that doesn't to me very often!

I liked Jules as a character. She didn't just get swept along by the world; she had agency and she wasn't afraid to stand up for herself as others.

This is a fresh new take on YA fantasy and a compelling start to a trilogy. How long do we have to wait for the next book?

This novel had such an intriguing concept I had no choice but to read it. In the world of the book, time is bound to blood, and the years of your life can become currency for your survival. Like all dystopian fantasy novels, it's the elite that benefit from this situation: using their accumulated wealth to extend their life into centuries while those they draw their time from find their lives ever shortened. However, because the concept is so powerful I did think that the world-building suffered slightly. I couldn't really picture Sempera in any wider sense, although I thought the Briarsmoor town was described wonderfully and I loved the temporal distortion isolated there. This book was pacy and mysterious, though in places the writing was a little too 'teen' for my personal taste (although I am aware that this is a YA book). However I most definitely did not foresee events unfolding in the way they did, especially with the reveals towards the end, and I will certainly be looking out for the next in the series.

I was so pleasantly surprised with this book! From the moment I started reading the very first pages I was instantly engaged in this amazing world that the author has created. I loved the way she uses time as a currency. I also really liked all the characters. I sort of had a soft spot for Liam from the beginning - I don't know why. There were some parts of the story that I had some issues with, but overall a very very good first book of a series. Can't wait to see what happens next ;)

I went into this with high expectations and I'm so happy that it was even better than expected.
This was nothing like I expected but in the best way.
The tropes that I usually see in Ya thankfully didn't really happen or be more important than the actual story.

I loved this book - it gripped me throughout and I will be recommending it.

I liked the character of Jules - she felt well rounded and believable. You felt as though you were going on a journey with her learning more about her past and her potential to change events. I did not expect the events leading up to the end of book one and will eagerly await book two.

It is hard to find fantasy books with a new angle but this one offered just that.

I bring you a review of an amazing debut novel that is coming out January next year and that's Everless by Sara Holland. Due to technical issues, I don't have a picture but I received a free copy of this book through NetGalley and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Everless is a YA fantasy that focuses on Jules, a girl who winds up returning to work for the family she and her Father had run away from years ago so her Father wouldn't trade the rest of his life to pay the bills. Time is currency in this world and though that sounds a little like the film In Time, this book is nothing like it. I will add the film is still good though!



What I Liked

I'm someone who does need romance to really obsess over a book but when it happens in book one of a series...it can seem a little sudden. One of the good things about Everless that though there was a little bit of romance, it wasn't a major thing. There are hints of it and you can see where the romance can go in the future but it isn't the be-all-end-all.

Because the romance isn't the main focus, it means that Holland leaves plenty of room to work on the mystery and world building. These are probably the best parts of the book. Holland has done such a great job of world-building and the mythos is incredibly interesting. All the stuff about the Alchemist and the Sorceress is really interesting and I'm excited to find out more.

I also liked a lot of the characters though no one stood out in particular.

What I Didn't Like

My only problem is partly to do with me. I've not really been in the mood for reading recently so I need a book that I don't want to put down. I didn't have that with this book.

Though when I was reading I could get through a lot quickly. I could also easily put it down and I wasn't desperate to pick it back up and read again. That doesn't mean the book is bad, it's just not as addictive as I need at the moment.

Overall Thoughts

An original and compelling new fantasy novel that is bound to be all the rage.

5/5 Stars

Definitely of a type, but there's nothing unoriginal about this. Jules's story goes way beyond these pages, and it was great to get an insight into what has been revealed so far.

This book gripped me from the start!

I love the concept of the buying and selling time from blood, and Sara Holland created a world meticulously that hooked me in from the start. The characters are well developed and the main character Jules is likeable from the start. You meet several characters throughout the book and one in particular I despised at the start but loved in the end all through how Sara wrote him.

You have mystery, suspense, good and evil along with fantasy and heartbreak in this book and it kept me up until the early hours reading until I knew what was happening. I cant wait to read the next book.

I could not access this file, but would be interested in purchasing and reading this book, upon publication.

Couldn't review it as couldn't download it. Shame , description and cover was interesting

I have heard so many great things about this book already and was so exited to start reading it. Unfortunately I wasn't able to download it and so I'm just going to have to wait until January like everyone else!