Review – Everless (Everless, Book 1) by Sara Holland (3/5 stars)
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Fantasy
Length: 368 pages
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release Date: January 2, 2018
ISBN-13: 978-0062653659
Stand Alone or Series: 1st book in the Everless series
Source: Borrowed from Library
Rating: 3/5 stars
“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.”
I was excited to read this book; the premise sounds incredibly creative and intriguing. The book itself was an easy read and the writing flowed decently and was easy to follow. However, I was disappointed in how predictable the story was. I was also disappointed in how similar to other YA fantasy books this book is despite the creative premise of time being money.
This is one of those books that I finished and the stared at thinking “well, nothing much happened there.” There is some intrigue and some magic; but generally speaking the plotline is pretty generic. The heroine is pretty generic as well and didn’t really stand out for me. There isn’t a lot of action, there isn’t a lot of mystery, there just isn’t a lot going on in this book.
Overall it was an okay YA fantasy read and it was a quick read. However, given the premise I was disappointed in how very ordinary and predictable this story was. I don’t plan on continuing the series.
This book goes towards the following reading challenges:
– New Release Reading Challenge
– Goodreads Reading Challenge
