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.

Now before anything, you need to know that I have watched this story-line before with the movie In Time. I found the story absolutely fascinating because at the end of the day, the less money you have directly impacts your quality of life. This was one of the major reasons I wanted to read Everless, because I knew so much could be done with it.

However, this all culminated in me expecting a bit too much from the author. I liked the book very much but I was more attracted to life outside of court. I somehow thought that the author would tackle important issues through this corrupt system of blood for money. Yes, we saw a glimpse of what it meant to be low on blood (money) but we never got to discuss how to change that. I'm hoping we explore this in the next book because I know that Jules has a long journey to go. 

At the end of the day, the book was an introduction to Jules and this world. We discover that she is more than what she seems (big surprise) and her history at court might just be the answer to everything. It's a pretty standard story but I still found myself up late, dying to know what happens next. At times, Jules was quite naive and reckless but I've decided to give her a chance. I'm honestly intrigued by what Sara does next and how she turns this story into something bigger. 

I also loved that even though Jules was smitten with one handsome prince to be, the time spent on the romance was not all-consuming. Yes, Jules acted naively but the development of her relationships wasn't her main goal. That doesn't mean I don't want to know more about her future with another certain individual.

All in all, I found the book interesting enough to pull me through the night until the last page was turned. It was filled with mild mystery and easily detectable clues. Even though I was initially attracted to the life a court, this book has the potential to break out of that genre and become an epic fantasy series. 

Book was sent to me by Pan MacMillan Publishers in exchange for an honest review.