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A review by kayelina
Everless by Sara Holland
4.0
a spoiler free review
Sarah Holland doesn’t shy away from taking her time with her novel. No pun intended. Carefully crafting a society in which our precious time is a currency and can be used against us. Jules lives with her Papa and works various jobs to get them by, while her father drains himself of his time and years to keep food on the table. So when the only place they’ve ever truly been able to call home is threatened, Jules sacrifices everything and gets a job at the infamous Everless castle to pay her Papa’s debts, changing her and her Papa’s life forever.
I originally thought this novel to be a bit slow moving. In film, I know it’s exceedingly important to introduce your conflict as early as you can. Not sure if I can apply this to novels but that’s what I felt was missing. The protagonist’s need to entangle herself into trouble didn’t seem so immediate or impending and when the trouble did come face to face, it seemed nonthreatening. With twists and turns coiled throughout the entire final act, I can honestly say that this book quickly went from cliche and trite to intriguing and page turning. Don’t get me wrong, there were still some pieces that I could’ve done with and without. A lot of the scenes and characters lacked interaction with each other that seemed genuine and class-appropriate. For example, though explanations were given in the end, relationships and conversations between a future Queen and a simple maid as our protagonist aren’t convincing especially when they go out and party (with no guards or protection)! There were other things like this I could go on about but small issues like this makes it hard to suspend my disbelief and take the world seriously. This may be a fantasy book but that doesn’t mean everything needs to be completely unrealistic!
The whole danger that our main character, Jules, is supposed to stay away from is the city of Everless and the royal family. Her Papa has told her, ever since she was young and they fled the royal castle, that everyone will recognize her face and hunt her down but very little consequences come from this when she does just that. They caused little damage and all Jules got was a slap on the wrist most occasions. There were a lot of meandering and useless scenes meant to build character but were just filled with ordinary servant jobs. Her childhood friends, who are meant to serve as love interests and I guess create a love triangle, are flat and uninteresting and I don’t particularly care what happened to them in the end except for the one. The one who actually got full scenes with Jules that weren’t just them saying, “Jules, wait.”
All in all, when the conflict started to reveal itself, I was relieved and I didn’t want the story to end! I actually liked the cliffhanger. I think most authors try to cram everything into the first novel, leaving nothing for the rest of the duology or trilogy and end up pulling a new plot completely out of their ass. Holland, on the other hand, really planned her story and world out. As soon as I stop being broke, I would love to purchase the sequel and see the rest of the story play out.
Thanks for making it this far. Follow me on Instagram for future reviews and announcements @Kayelina
Sarah Holland doesn’t shy away from taking her time with her novel. No pun intended. Carefully crafting a society in which our precious time is a currency and can be used against us. Jules lives with her Papa and works various jobs to get them by, while her father drains himself of his time and years to keep food on the table. So when the only place they’ve ever truly been able to call home is threatened, Jules sacrifices everything and gets a job at the infamous Everless castle to pay her Papa’s debts, changing her and her Papa’s life forever.
I originally thought this novel to be a bit slow moving. In film, I know it’s exceedingly important to introduce your conflict as early as you can. Not sure if I can apply this to novels but that’s what I felt was missing. The protagonist’s need to entangle herself into trouble didn’t seem so immediate or impending and when the trouble did come face to face, it seemed nonthreatening. With twists and turns coiled throughout the entire final act, I can honestly say that this book quickly went from cliche and trite to intriguing and page turning. Don’t get me wrong, there were still some pieces that I could’ve done with and without. A lot of the scenes and characters lacked interaction with each other that seemed genuine and class-appropriate. For example, though explanations were given in the end, relationships and conversations between a future Queen and a simple maid as our protagonist aren’t convincing especially when they go out and party (with no guards or protection)! There were other things like this I could go on about but small issues like this makes it hard to suspend my disbelief and take the world seriously. This may be a fantasy book but that doesn’t mean everything needs to be completely unrealistic!
The whole danger that our main character, Jules, is supposed to stay away from is the city of Everless and the royal family. Her Papa has told her, ever since she was young and they fled the royal castle, that everyone will recognize her face and hunt her down but very little consequences come from this when she does just that. They caused little damage and all Jules got was a slap on the wrist most occasions. There were a lot of meandering and useless scenes meant to build character but were just filled with ordinary servant jobs. Her childhood friends, who are meant to serve as love interests and I guess create a love triangle, are flat and uninteresting and I don’t particularly care what happened to them in the end except for the one. The one who actually got full scenes with Jules that weren’t just them saying, “Jules, wait.”
All in all, when the conflict started to reveal itself, I was relieved and I didn’t want the story to end! I actually liked the cliffhanger. I think most authors try to cram everything into the first novel, leaving nothing for the rest of the duology or trilogy and end up pulling a new plot completely out of their ass. Holland, on the other hand, really planned her story and world out. As soon as I stop being broke, I would love to purchase the sequel and see the rest of the story play out.
Thanks for making it this far. Follow me on Instagram for future reviews and announcements @Kayelina