Literarycat Review: Evermore by Sara Holland

 Title:Evermore (book 2 of Everless series)

Author: Sara Holland
Genre: YA Fantasy
Source: Paperback
Rating: 4 out of 5 paws


Everyone knows the legends of the Alchemist and the Sorceress and the magic they both possess.  But could those stories be true?  For Jules Ember the reality of those stories becomes all to real for her as she came to realize she is the Alchemist, and Caro, the Queen's lady in waiting (and also murderess), is the Sorceress.  The whole kingdom believes Jules is responsible for the death of not only the Queen but also Jules' first love Roan.  With a large bounty on her head Jules must escape Caro and follow clues to find a weapon strong enough to defeat the Sorceress.  By piecing together lost memories, Jules quickly discovers the truth behind the stories, and how to save those she loves.

I had read the first book last year and thought I had reviewed it, but must have missed it in my time away from media and dealing with life's changes.  I highly enjoyed the first book as it dealt with something very unique as time being currency and extracted from blood.  It took me a little while to get the chance to read book two and I loved it as much as I did the first some.  Though, I do wish there was more to the story.  There were times it seemed like things got rushed and "squished" into the story.  I would have liked seeing certain things be revealed to other characters and their reactions.  Other than that this is a duology that I think is highly underrated.

Jules is a wonderful character.  I mean she just found out she is this ancient alchemist she only thought of as a legend.  Then on top of that she is also battling a friend who has become her mortal enemy, literally.  She has a lot going on in her mind and she takes it on like a champ and does what she needs to in order to learn more about herself and how to defeat her enemy.  Though I would have liked to see more of her trying to piece things together and getting used to her new-found power.  She almost instantly knew how to use her power.  I am okay with the love interest, though again I would have liked to see more interaction between the two and something else to build their relationship other than stolen glances, soft touches.  She was just in love with his brother Roan, and flits to Liam easily.  There should have been some build up.  I definitely wanted more of Caro.  She's our big baddie but rarely makes an appearance.  She uses other people to do her work.

The world the Sara Holland builds is a beautiful one.  I want to more about it.  We see the different class systems and how each responds to the blood coins, and payment.  She even briefly mentions what would happen if someone ate or drank blood from someone who has died.  She created a well rounded world that I want to get lost in more often.  Again I wish this was a longer series with more interactions between Caro and Jules leading up to a bigger show down.

Overall I loved this novel and I look forward to reading some other books by Sara Holland.  She creates something interesting and unique.