#Review: EVERLESS by Sara Holland

EVERLESS

Author: Sara Holland
Series: Everless #1
Source: Won in a Giveaway from Indigo Teen
Publisher: HarperCollins Canada
Publication Date: January 2, 2018
Rating: 4/5 stars

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.

Purchase:

Amazon | Chapters | TBD

Disclaimer: I won a copy of this book in a giveaway through Indigo Teen's Twitter account. This in no way impacts my opinion of the book.

WOW. That was a really fantastic series opener for a YA Fantasy series. Filled with twists, turns, and great magic, I loved every second of reading EVERLESS. I know there are a lot of comparisons to other media (In Time comes to mind immediately) and it falls into the trap of a lot of tropes, but I REALLY enjoyed this one. 

I thought the beginning was a little slow and confusing - I had a hard time understanding exactly what was happening and why. I read the first 4-5 chapters multiple times because I just couldn't get a grasp on the timeline and setting. It moved quickly then slowly and I guess it just wasn't very ... strong? I thought that the reason Jules and her father left was pretty dumb.

Honestly, this probably would have been better as an Adult Fantasy novel. Because the "romance" was just kinda weird. Jules had a crush on a dude when she was like 5 and then still "loved" him ten years later even though they hadn't spoken throughout that time. That's just... weird. And one of the romantic plots at the end made me roll my eyes super hard. 

But other than those things, I really liked this one. I liked the magic system. I liked how it was set up, how it played out, and that there were so many twists and turns that incorporated the magic system. I think there is going to be so much more intricacy in the next novel with the magic. The ending of this novel set it up for there to be so much more to explore and I can't wait to do so.

I also loved how the plot twists came into play. There were a lot of tropes in this one but Holland really knew how to make you question everything you knew up until that point. The villain reveals were fantastically done and I liked how you never knew who to trust. 

This is a great start to a new fantasy series and I think if you enjoy novels by V.E. Schwab and Sabaa Tahir, this will be a novel you enjoy.