Sara Holland takes the old saying “time is money” and creates an entire intriguing and complex world based off this idea in her novel, Everless. In Holland’s world, a person’s blood and time are able to be magically bound with iron which has become the currency of the realm.
We first meet Jules, a young girl struggling to survive with her father on the outskirts of a small town. Having left Everless, the large and prosperous city of her childhood, Jules and her father have traveled and survived, though not without the cost of Jules’ father selling his time to make ends meet. The story takes off as Jules, trying to earn time for her father, is forced to head to Everless again where mystery and danger run rampant.
I loved Jules as a character. While she was strong and courageous, she also felt very grounded. She knew what she wanted and she went after that, even if it didn’t always work out as she planned. Her bravery is also impressive as she stands up to some of the most dangerous people in the country.
But Jules is not perfect, which is what makes her a great character. She makes mistakes, she is wrong on a few major things, and she leads us on some twists and turns that will have you hanging onto each sentence.
Her cast of supporting characters also kept me on my toes. The Gerling family, the ruling family of Everless, provided us with a glimpse into what it would be like to live for hundreds of years without fear of not having enough time. Certainly we’ve all wondered what that would be like. I have and it was intriguing to see how people reacted to this abundance of time given to them.
Unsurprisingly, corruption and greed seem to thrive within the walls of Everless, but we see bright spots of compassion and kindness as well. Some of the main reasons for such compassion are the fellow servants of Everless who add entertaining shenanigans but also heartbreak to Jules’ story.
I highly recommend this book to any reader who enjoys a tale that weaves a vibrant world around our characters and surprises us over and over again.
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