Sara Holland’s Everless was a fresh perspective on time and living life to its fullest.

In the city of Sempura, time is exchanged for blood, and many of its citizens are constantly living in fear of displacement or death.

The main character, Jules Ember, is an audacious young woman who cares deeply for her father and their survival. All her life, he has sheltered her from the process of exchanging blood for money. When her father’s health declines, Jules must forge her own path and do what it takes to survive.

As a child, she was raised on palace grounds alongside the kingdom’s princes, until she and her father were suddenly forced to flee. When Jules begins work at Everless at the princes’ estate, she forms new bonds with them

Everless was a somewhat complex novel, as the realm was intricate and elaborate. As the reader understands Jules and how she perceives her life, reading the novel flows more easily.

Holland also presents the difference in social status and stereotypes in her novel. The contrast between the nobles and commoners are visible in the blithe actions of the nobility and the scrounging lifestyle of those in the streets.

Overall, Everless consisted of a thorough plot, exciting characters, and captivating ideas. This was a great book!

Everless by Sara Holland is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library.