Evermore (Everless #2)

Synopsis

*Warning: SPOILERS in this Synposis!**

Jules Ember was raised hearing legends of the ancient magic of the wicked Alchemist and the good Sorceress. But she has just learned the truth: not only are the stories true, but she herself is the Alchemist, and Caro- a woman who single-handedly murdered the Queen and Jules's first love, Roan, in cold blood- the Sorceress.

The whole kingdom believes that Jules is responsible for the murders, and a hefty bounty has been placed on her head. And Caro is intent on destroying Jules, who stole her heart twelve lifetimes ago. Jules must delve into the stories that she now recognizes as accounts of her own past. For it is only by piecing together the mysteries of her lives that Jules will be able to save the person who has captured her own heart in this one.

Loved

• Liam! This is the perfect love interest for a dark, twisty fairytale- he's mysterious and reserved, but also very passionate about history, his people, and, of course, Jules ;) I really enjoyed our journey getting to know him- at first we are terrified of him, and then he becomes our favorite character. I love his intelligence, intuition, and his thirst for researching and finding answers. His loyalty to Jules makes their relationship deep and vivid against the dark forces they are fighting. 

• The chase. Wow, this book is so fast-paced I really couldn't turn pages fast enough. Every page we get more clues, which leads to more answers, which leads to more danger. I had to stop and catch my breath a few times running to catch up with Liam and Jules in this cat-and-mouse type of intense chase.

• The ending. I won't spoil the ending, but it was beautiful. This wasn't just a regular fantasy ending where the heroine kills the villain, this was about reconciliation, forgiveness, and love in spite of lifetimes of hurt. I *may* have had some moist eyes by the time I put this book down after reading the ending. I thought it was moving and a refreshing deviation from regular fantasy wrap-ups.

• The mythology. We learn a little about this in Everless, but the mythology behind this world and its characters is fascinating and expansive. The author skillfully laid out clues from history, accounts, and obscure characters that eventually led us to understand how the mythology was a much more significant part of the present than any of the characters realized (except Liam, who is a genius and figures everything out :)

Didn't Love

• The only complaint is that Jules sometimes drove me crazy. She was selfless and smart, but so reckless that some of her decisions put herself and others in unnecessary danger. I may or may not have shaken the book a few times and yelled at Jules for being stupid ;)

Content

• Language: 
• No swearing.

• Sexual content: 
• Two main characters kiss in bed while she's lying on top of him, just mentions of kisses and him comforting her. No sex or clothing removed.
• Two main characters have another passionate kiss where his shirt is removed, talk of kissing neck, collarbone, etc. Feelings are described, feeling bodies pressed against each other and feeling his bare back under her hands. Nothing else is described, but when the plot resumes they wake up in the same bed together.

• Violence:
• Lots of hunting down and running from violent huntsmen.
• Since blood is used as currency, characters frequently cut their hands to use their blood.
• Jules uses her magic by cutting her hand to access her blood. She also uses her magic of time to stop people chasing her, which results in injuries.
• Main character stabs another character with a dagger.
• Disturbing scene where one woman is caught in a time loop and keeps dying over and over again.

Overall Thoughts

Overall, I loved this series! This world of time-currency is fascinating and unique from other fantasy worlds and magic systems. The mystery is masterfully laid out and keeps readers turning pages as fast as they can. I loved picking up all the clues tied into mythology and watching the characters put pieces together. This book especially was very intense and fast-paced, escaping one danger after another and putting pieces of the puzzle together as they go. The sweet romance was a perfect cherry on top of this dark fairytale-like world. If you're a fan of fantasy and you're thirsty for a new magic system and world of mysteries, definitely give this one a try!