Everless
Author: Sara Holland
Release Date: January 2, 2018
Publisher: HarperTeen
Format: eARC
Pages: 336
Source: Glasstown Entertainment
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Summary: In the kingdom of Sempera, time is currency—extracted from blood, bound to iron, and consumed to add time to one’s own lifespan. The rich aristocracy, like the Gerlings, tax the poor to the hilt, extending their own lives by centuries.
No one resents the Gerlings more than Jules Ember. 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 and finds her heart torn between two people she thought she’d never see again. Her decisions have the power to change her fate—and the fate of time itself. (Goodreads)
Review:
I received an advance copy of this book from the Glasstown Entertainment in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion.*
Turning time into currency. What a genius and also slightly terrifying notion. Imagine being able to pay off your debts right this second but in exchange you have to bleed yourself of days, months, or even years off of your life. The inner workings of the kingdom of Sempera are fascinating. Seeing the lavish living at Everless and their centuries to enjoy that life while the rest of the kingdom drains itself of years to basically pay to live. The imagery of the crowds at the time lender was particularly jarring/eye-opening.
I also love how time is intertwined with the magic and lore of Sempera. Flashes of time slowing down around Jules, the story of the Sorceress and the Alchemist, stories of time affected in other places within the kingdom. I felt it was really well woven into all aspects of the story. I’m very interested to see how it continues to develop in the best book.
The characters and their development throughout the book were also highlights for me. While there were a couple changes I saw coming early on there were also some that caught me completely off guard. I’m often either strongly for or against characters right from the beginning but Sara has somehow managed to leave me in limbo with a couple of them. This just makes me even more excited for Evermore because now I want to see what becomes of them in the continuation!
2017 was a tough reading year for me as I fell in multiple slumps. Even so, I flew through Everless as one of my last books of December and it was a great note to end the year on! I highly recommend this and will be anxiously awaiting 2019 for Evermore.
Guest Post
Thank you so much for having me on Brains, Books and Brawn! In trying to think of a less obvious guest post topic for today’s stop, it occurred to me that family/sibling relationships play a small but important role in EVERLESS. As the oldest of four myself, I’ve always enjoyed seeing sibling relationships depicted in YA fiction. Here are a handful of favorites–some close and protective, some fraught and thorny, and some both!
- Jace and Alec and Isabelle in THE MORTAL INSTRUMENTS by Cassandra Clare. Of course, any list of favorite YA sibs has to begin with the demon-fighting Lightwood clan of the New York Institute!
- Cal and Aaron in EAST OF EDEN by John Steinbeck. This classic, epic novel follows several families and individuals over the course of decades–and there’s more than one compelling sibling relationship in its pages–but at its heart are twin brothers Cal and Aaron, whose close but fatalistic relationship mirrors the Biblical story of Cain and Abel.
- Adam and Julian in A LIST OF CAGES by Robin Roe. The ties between foster and adoptive brothers can be just as important–as life-saving–as those between biological siblings, as this stark contemporary YA will show while it smashes your heart into a thousand pieces and then carefully pieces it back together.
- Dylan and Rudy in TEETH by Hannah Moskowitz. Though narrator Rudy’s little brother Dylan doesn’t get much screen time, their relationship is as beautiful and gutting as everything else in this harrowing contemporary fairy tale.
- Adina and Tovah in YOU’LL MISS ME WHEN I’M GONE by Rachel Lynn Solomon. Everyone I know is raving about this contemporary YA by my fellow debut author and bookday sister Rachel Lynn Solomon. I’m just a little ways in, but I can already tell that these fiercely different, independent, but lovable sisters deserve their spot on this list!
Brains, Books, and Brawns 