Title: Everless
Author: Sara Holland
Edition: Paperback
Rating: 4/5
In Sempera, time is magically bound to the blood of every person, and payment is made in the form of blood iron – days, hours, and years. The rich amass centuries of life while the poor struggle to survive, bleeding themselves to pay for rent and food. Jules and her father used to live at Everless, the grand home of one of the richest families in Sempera. Her father was the blacksmith, and she grew up playing with the sons of the Gerling family. A childhood accident led to the expulsion of the blacksmith and his daughter, and now Jules is worried that her father is bleeding himself to death to pay their debts.
When Jules disobeys her father and takes a servant job at Everless, she attempts to keep her presence a secret. But waiting on the boys she used to play with, and on the nobles who surround their family, she discovers secrets about her past that threaten her safety – and the safety of everyone she cares about.
Everless is an engaging story with a unique and gripping premise. The magical binding of time to blood forces the poor to risk running out of time with every debt they pay, while the rich can drink the time paid to them, and take risks with their lives knowing they have centuries left. Jules is an interesting character – practical, curious, and determined to find out what happened at Everless before she was forced to leave. Her relationships with her father, her childhood friends, and the other servants at Everless are sympathetic and warm. Jules cares about the people around her, and about protecting her family. She doesn’t give up, even when the secrets threaten to unravel the life she has built. She’s headstrong, too – I found myself shouting at the page when she made dangerous choices – but everything she does is rooted in her determination to discover the truth, and protect the people she cares about.
The book ends on a cliffhanger, but the sequel is waiting on my shelf.
Have you read Everless? What did you think of the story? Did you like the setting? Click through to the full blog to access the comments section, and share your thoughts! No spoilers, though – you can post those on GoodReads!
Full disclosure: I did not enjoy Evermore, the second and concluding book in the series, so I will not be reviewing it here.
Review cross-posted to GoodReads.
Please keep your comments YA appropriate. Be patient! We want to hear from you, but comments are moderated, and may take some time to appear.