Review: Everless by Sara Holland

Title: Everless (Everless #1)
Author: Sara Holland
Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: HarperTeen
Publication Date: January 2nd 2018
Hardcover, 362 pages

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.

From the first moment I saw the cover for Everless I was immediately taken away with this book. The idea of time be bound to money and being hoarded by the wealthy was a really cool concept that I was super intrigued by. Though I did find Everless interesting I did have quite a few issues with it. 

I found Jules be very bland and fit into the same cookie cutter mold of the heroine who got put into a position she didn't ask for and now she has to save her country. Only, Jules willingly went back to Everless, she sought out these answers and created many of these problems for herself. I also found her character to be super reckless and super selfish at times only caring about herself and the answers she was seeking. 

The idea behind Everless is interesting: time being bound to blood in the form of coins and then being used as currency. The concept was interesting and unique and it gave the book an air of uniqueness but that was about it for me. I found the story between the Sorcerer and the Alchemist interesting and liked how Holland used a children's tale to explain the story on how blood-irons had come to be. 

I feel there were plot points in Everless that were just added with no suspicion or forewarning. They kind of just popped up randomly and no one seemed to question it. Jules was super quick to not question what the letter said about her heritage. I also didn't understand the point of the queen as she really didn't have a grand role in the grand scheme of everything? I honestly thought her character wasn't needed at all. The ending was kind of predictable and I had guessed it pretty early on in the story upon the Queen's arrival and the alliances that were being made by characters. There was one character death that surprised me though and I am really sad with loosing this character. 

Overall, I wasn't crazy about Everless and I am more disappointed in the story then in love with it. I'm super torn on reading the next book in this series to see what happens next because I have a strange feeling I already know, but we shall see. I did request a copy for my library so maybe when it comes in...? In the end this one wasn't my cup of tea sadly. 

(2.5 Stars!)