I’m all for a good fantasy novel, and I understand this is the first in what will be a series.
The characters were good on their own, but somehow didn’t quite work together as the story went on.
There was an awful lot to take in, in the first half of the book. Probably a bit too much for me. Almost like information overload. I appreciate the attention to detail from the author in regards to setting the scene and the world building, but it was a bit to intense and concentrated ( I refer to the information overload here).
I feel that it could have been more interspersed throughput the whole book to balance it a bit more.
This is a good solid start to what’s sure to be an exciting series, however, it could probably be edited one more time to get the absolute best of this novel.

Two resourceful heroines, Kembral and Rika, have to set aside their personal animosity to save their world from the machinations of "gods" who seek to use these around them as pawns in a game of power for themselves.
Set in the final hour before midnight on the eve of a new year, the story unfolds at a glittering party where all the most influential members of society, in one way or another, have come to celebrate.
Literally, a story of many layers, a very special clock, chimes out and Kembral and Rika fall from Echo to Echo in a race to save their own world from the terrible carnage that they can see lies ahead for all concerned if the Empyreans succeed to name the coming year for themselves.
As the story progresses, the reasons behind Kembral and Rika's animosity are teased out and a fragile bond of love and understanding replaces the misconceptions which have gone before.
While this could easily be a stand alone novel, Caruso already has a second book in mind, presumably using the same characters and settings. I am sure that, it too will be as fast paced and engrossing as The Last Hour Between Worlds.
Thank you to NetGalley and thd publisher for an earc of this title and this is my honest review

This book had me hooked from page one! Melissa has crafted a unique world that makes you want to learn more about it. The characters are endearing and constantly full of surprises even though the majority of them are caught in a Groundhog Day type situation, and just when you think all the twists have been revealed, another one comes out the woodwork, leaving you constantly guessing.

The way she manages to drip feed the the necessary information throughout is perfect, giving you just enough knowledge to keep the reader in the loop rather than relying on huge “info-dump” segments keeps the flow of the story going.

I will be recommending this one to everyone I can for sure!

Kembral is attending her first event since the birth of her daughter months earlier, and finds herself drawn into a dangerous investigation.

I can't explain much more than that, because I still don't totally understand the world building or magic system in this book. I only understood about 70% of the plot too. However, Kembral was an engaging character and I still enjoyed reading about her and those around her, so whilst this book wasn't my favourite I'd still recommend that people give it a chance!

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Thank you to the author and publisher for the ARC, in exchange for an honest review. I liked this, it had such a great concept, characters and high stakes, but some plot elements were a little confusing for me.

"The Last Hour Between Worlds" is the first installment of "The Echo Archives," an adult fantasy series written by Melissa Caruso and currently in progress.

I love the cover of this title, I love the premise of the story, but the reading unfortunately left me unsatisfied. I found the writing a bit heavy, the world building too full of information, the narration at times rushed and with various convenient situations, and the characters rather superficial and detached. On the other hand, the pace is really fast and brisk, which prompted me to devour the pages without almost realizing it. I followed the narrated events with pleasure, intrigued by the interesting ideas, despite the various flaws that I perceived. In the end it was not a bad read, only I expected much more and instead it left me with a bitter taste in my mouth. I found it a cute novel, but nothing more.

Thank you to the Publisher and NetGalley for giving me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I would like to thank the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read and honestly review an advanced reader’s copy of this book.

The Last Hour Between Worlds is quite literally a reality bending story. Our main character attends a party, which slowly falls through layers of reality, getting weirder and more dangerous as time goes on. And honestly, so much happened, and I can’t explain half of it. We’re in the middle of a game between immortal beings, people keep getting killed and reset again without any memories, and we’re speed running rivals to lovers. Iconic.

This really scratched that Locked-Tomb itch where you feel like… you’re kind of following along, and it’s interesting and fucked up in the best way… but you also simultaneously have no clue what’s happening.

This feels like a modern fantasy classic, and it’s not even out yet. Fantastically fast paced, there are many characters without them blending together, and overall I just loved every second of this.

5⭐️

The premise of this book had me intrigued, but the end result wasn't quite my cup of tea. It was a fun and inventive ride, with fantastic world building and an intriguing mystery. The writing was more YA-toned than I was expecting, but it was well written and enjoyable. Perfect for anyone who likes Alix E. Harrow or Natasha Pulley.

Brilliant bones, but not quite well executed.

This book has an incredibly interesting concept. The idea that people, primarily children, can sink into another world/reality by accident and have to be retrieved by a "Hound" is brilliant. The concept that a grandfather clock ends up controlling this during the New Years event is great.

However, it's an overload of information in the first half. About halfway through, you don't get much new information. The first half is detail and information heavy, too much so. There's also more detail about Kem's baby than there is about Kem in the opening chapters which is kind of upsetting since the first couple chapters is when we're supposed to be introduced to the character and bond with them but... That doesn't happen.

If you want a fast paced read, with heavy detail, then you're set!
But if you're looking for an easy, well-balanced read - this might be difficult for you.

The premise of the book is fantastic. However, I felt like it was information overload for the first 50% of the book. World building, names, then once you've understood it, another lot of information etc. It was hard to real immerse yourself in the world when you keep getting new information.

There was no chance to bond with the central character, before you were thrown in the deep end. I was about 60% before I fully was committed to Pearson and her romantic interest (no spoilers).

There were so many cool side characters that didn't play a bigger role until the last few chapters. I wish these were developed from the beginning. Again, the idea is amazing. The world building too, it just was too much at the beginning and not enough character development so I could bond with the characters as a reader.

Posting review two weeks before release date unless approved by yourselves to the below.

https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/168591137-laura-cooper
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I think this was a solid 3.75 for me but didn't hit the 4 star mark. This was also partly my mistake as I want into it fully expecting another YA fantasy like Melissa Caruso's other fantasy trilogies. I did however really like the premise, I do love an almost one location murder mystery type book and on this front it really delivered. The characters are solid, the premise is wonderful, and I always love a level of politics intrigue in the books I read. The shifts (as you go through the book didn't feel quite there and I found I enjoyed more of the time we spent in the central location than anywhere else. I'm intrigued to see what else we get of the world in the other books.

Unfortunately this was a dnf for me at 43%. I loved the idea of this book and was really intrigued by the story and how travelling through worlds was linked to time, which was controlled by a magical grandfather clock.
I personally got too confused reading it. I feel I needed more things explained at the beginning to help me understand who and what people were. The book does reveal information as you go which I appreciated but that didn't help with my confusion. I didn't feel that the magic system was explained well enough for me to gain a full understanding on how it worked and who had what abilities.
The relationship between Kembral (the fmc) and Rika was interesting and I know there was going to be much more to their story which was the main reason I pushed through with the book. I wanted to know more about them and their history however the storyline just didn't grip me and I was becoming frustrated while reading.
The story was also very dejavu esk which is great if you enjoy that but unfortunately, I didn't enjoy the repetitiveness of parts of the book.

I appreciate and thank Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read and review this book honestly.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this eARC of 'The Last Hour Between Worlds' by Melissa Caruso.

I was disappointed in how much I didn't really enjoy this book. I was drawn in by the premise immediately but I don't know why but I just felt disconnected from the start. Which sucks because if I did enjoy it, it probably would have be a major book of the month for me.

I can see why a lot of people will probably enjoy this but it was not for me. Didn't really buy into the characters unfortunately.

"The Last Hour Between Worlds" is one of the most interesting fantasy books I have read recently. It is also very difficult to describe without spoilers. The entire story takes place at a single party that sinks through different layers of reality known as Echoes. Each layer is more dangerous and different from what we know. The transition from one layer to the next is controlled by a magical clock that also resets time. As the party guests sink into successive Echoes, they have no memory of what happened to them before. The only ones aware of the whole situation are the book's main character, Kembral, and her professional and personal nemesis, Rika.

As the book features very original but also rather abstract worldbuilding, it's not very easy to get into. In the beginning, you really have to concentrate to understand everything. It took me some time to catch on to the rules of the world and understand the magic system. About 25% into the book, everything became clear, and I really enjoyed my time in this offbeat universe.

When I started reading, I was afraid that I would find the confined setting and rather linear plot boring and predictable. Nothing could be further from the truth. With each new Echo layer, the stakes increased, and more information about the world and the magic system was delivered. In my opinion, the whole book is very fast-paced—there are no unnecessary lengths, and the reader is drawn into the vortex of action from the very beginning.

Another advantage of the novel is its well-written characters. Kembral is probably the first FMC I know who has just had a baby and is struggling with the challenges of early motherhood, from lack of social interactions to sleep deprivation. I also liked the romance subplot in this book. I think it was good that it remained a side plot, as the heroines had to act very quickly to save their lives and the lives of others. Pushing the romance between Kembral and Rika to the forefront would have been artificial and unrealistic in this context.

"The Last Hour Between Worlds" is probably not a book I would normally reach for, but I'm glad I did because I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. I will definitely read the sequel. I recommend this book to anyone looking for good "bottle novels" set in a fantasy world with high stakes.

My review will be published on Goodreads and on retailers' websites within two weeks prior to the release day.

Not so much Groundhog day as a party that just won't end. We've all been to one of those, right? Only not like this...

Sngle mother to a still new baby has been sent by her sister to a New Year party to get some much needed time out. But not only is Kembral finding it hard to relax without her baby, the party isn't as much fun as she expected. She's breastfeeding so can't drink, her boss is there and pressurising her to return to work as a Hound early, the party is full of people she would rather avoid including an important politician she knows is corrupt, oh, and her arch nemesis and one time love interest is acting very shady. The sooner the year ends and she can get home to her baby the better. But before the clock can strike midnight disaster strikes - and then the party restarts at the same time, everyone restored with their memories wiped, everyone but Kembral. Only the party isn't quite as it was, they have all fallen into an echo, an almost but not quite reflection of their world, where everything is different and infinitely more dangerous, the differences and danger increasing the further into the echo levels you fall. What is going on? Why are assassins targeting the party guests? What's the significance of the clock in the corner? And will Kembral solve the mystery and get back to her child?

Clever, inventive and very original The Last Hour Between Worlds is absorbing, exciting and unlike anything I have read before. Looking forward to the rest of the series. Highly recommended.

Really interesting concept that was executed well!

I enjoyed getting to explore a world with layered realms and a healthy dose of political intrigue. The romance subplot was an unexpected bonus, but loved the way it provided additional background info on the main characters and felt I was able to connect to Kembral more. The authors writing style is very engaging and I struggled to put this book down!

This was a gripping read, I thought the characters were intriguing and I'm going to keep an eye out for more from this author.

The Last Hour Between Worlds by Melissa Caruso
Rating: 4.5/5
Release Date: 21 November 2024

Kembral Thorne relishes her rare break from motherhood at the year-turning ball. However, festivities take a deadly turn as guests begin to drop like flies. Duty calls for Kembral, a member of the Guild of Hounds, as she senses trouble brewing. Complicating matters is her longstanding adversary, the notorious cat burglar Rika Nonesuch, also lurking amidst the chaos.

Central to the chaos is a mysterious clock, triggering the ballroom's descent into surreal and perilous realms with each chime. As the party navigates through increasingly hazardous versions of their city, Kembral must rely on her cunning—and begrudgingly, on Rika—to untangle the enigma before catastrophe befalls their world.

Caruso's latest fantasy mystery was a delight, I couldn't have been more pleased. It kept me guessing right up until the final page, and the world-building—where reality takes on wilder and more perilous echoes—was refreshingly original.

This story is a brilliant blend of cleverness, wit, and plenty of twists and turns. It also features a cast of characters who leap off the page with authenticity and empathy.

I highly recommend this read.

Thank you so much to Netgalley, Little Brown Book Group UK | Orbit, and the author,Melissa Caruso, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review.