Everless by Sara Holland

Starting the year off with a page turner is never a bad thing. Everless arrived in my December FairyLoot box. I’ve loved treating myself to a little TLC every month. Most of the time the books end up on my TBR list, and that list has grown terrifyingly long. However, Everless jumped straight into my hands. It’s a book I’d been seeing all over Goodreads, and Instagram so I knew I wanted to break my 2018 book fast with this little piece of fantasy.

I enjoyed the book, the characters had motive for everything they did, and their subplots added depth to the story that it needed. I truly enjoyed getting to see how the fairytale or legend of the Sorceress and the Alchemist came into play. A well done legend or religion brings so many layers to a novel.

The biggest drawback is the trope that Everless plays into. The tale of a young girl with hidden depths going to serve at an estate/castle which leads to the climax points. They’re enticing tales. Everyone wants to run away to a castle of some kind. I just feel like I’ve read book recently that was eerily similar in some ways.

However, tropes recur because they’re a) good plot devices and b) well loved. And I have to admit Holland brings in fresh ideas with how time is bought, used, and controlled. Additionally with the backstory of Jules, this literary device was expanded  upon into an enticing world, and I enjoyed the whole tale.

Turning to look at Jules and the characters of the Everless, to me it’s a slightly mixed bag. Jules is well done, interesting, and we gradually learn more about her as you go. She’s everything I want in a fantasy main character. However when it comes to the supporting cast, you either get a character who is just as fleshed out, and immaculately crafted as Jules, or some who seem to be slightly two dimensional. Perhaps it’s only in hindsight that I finished the book and wished I’d gotten to know some of the characters better.

The book had so much rising action and well detailed exposition, that the actual climax seemed to fly by, as in it felt the climax barely happened. I truly enjoyed the book, the characters, the details that wove a compelling tapestry, but I’m still baffled by the ending. For a story that had been running smoothly and I couldn’t put down (trust me I almost spilled green chili on it while I ate dinner), it felt as if the ending of Everless had ran out of time. I would have gratefully taken another 50-100 pages to extend the last quarter of the book.

Perhaps this is part of the reason that I’m so excited for the second book. While I was slightly disappointed in the ending because it was so rushed, there is so much opportunity in this series. I’m excited to see more world building, to learn more character depths, and to see where Holland takes it. This was a truly promising first foray into the world of Sempera. I believe the ending of Everless is where we leave the traditional fantasy, and journey into a complex epic in order to find out who Jules truly is. And I for one couldn’t me more excited. The potential here is tantalizing.

You can get Everless here through Bookshop.org, which supports local independent bookstores!

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