Review: Everless by Sara Holland

Time is a prison. She is the key. Packed with danger, temptation and desire – a perfect read for fans of The Red Queen. 

In the land of Sempera, the rich control everything – even time. Ever since the age of alchemy and sorcery, hours, days and years have been extracted from blood and bound to iron coins. The rich live for centuries; the poor bleed themselves dry.

Jules and her father are behind on their rent and low on hours. To stop him from draining himself to clear their debts, Jules takes a job at Everless, the grand estate of the cruel Gerling family.

There, Jules encounters danger and temptation in the guise of the Gerling heir, Roan, who is soon to be married. But the web of secrets at Everless stretches beyond her desire, and the truths Jules must uncover will change her life for ever … and possibly the future of time itself.

I received a copy via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

My rating:

★★★★★

Welcome to Sempera, where time is bound to blood and iron and used as currency, the rich live unnaturally long lives while the poor live in poverty; bleeding their time to pay for food and the Gerling’s protection. A place ruled by Queen, who once led the Semperan armies to victory against invaders centuries ago and ruled ever since.

The story follows Jules, who lives with her father, Pehr in a village located on the outskirts of Everless. In order to prevent her father from bleeding the rest of his time to pay off their debts she returns to Everless against her father’s wishes. Where she is working as a servant in the run up to the royal wedding, to earn enough to clear their debts and help her father who is running out of time. As the days pass and Pehr turns up at Everless begging Jules to return home as she’s not safe so close to the Queen, Jules realises there might be more to her and Ina Gold than anyone realised.

Everless was everything I wanted and more, I was lost in Sempera from the first page. The worldbuilding is incredible and beautifully written, Its been a while since I have loved the worldbuilding in a book this much. I adored the character development, never being sure who someone truly is. It’s not without its tropes. I loved it anyway and for me they worked, especially the brooding Liam Gerling.  Everless is fast paced and full of twists, and that ending! I stayed up till four AM so I could finish it and then couldn’t sleep afterwards because it was that good. I’m already planning a re-read and I can’t wait for the sequel. I definitely recommend reading it.

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