time shenanigans are always so fun to read, i think the novel lends itself very nicely to the genre conventions. liked this a lot

This was a great story with lots to like - it's a kind of fantasy groundhog day with fairytale elements, set in a party that ends in a massacre only to be reset at midnight in a new, more scary reality. Kembral and Rika are the main characters, a Hound (investigator) and a Cat (thief) who are the only ones who can stop the demons from taking over reality. I didn't like this as much as the Tethered Mage series which felt more complex and richer but this was definitely an entertaining read. I think the only thing I found difficult to take seriously was that Kembral's dashing boyfriend is called Beryl. That in the UK is what we tend to think cantankerous old ladies are called!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC!

Oh dear god I loved this book. I'm exhausted and busy and so this will not be at all cohesive but I hope I can convince some of you to read this when it's out, because WOW.

First of all, the world. The concept of this world is fascinating and really creative. I haven't read anything quite like it, and I really REALLY loved the concept. I would absolutely love to read more in this world and I'm extremely excited that it's more than one book.

Another thing I really appreciated about this book is that although it is a part of a series, it doesn't really end on a cliffhanger. I could never read any sequels (and to be clear, I fully intend to) and I would be completely satisfied with the ending. This is my favourite way to end books in a series - I really dislike ending a book on a cliffhanger because I wholeheartedly believe that each book in a series should stand on its own with its own story and conclusion. I think it was done beautifully here! The ending itself was satisfying and sweet too!

I also adored the characters! For one, there's queerness which is always a win in my book, but god I just love books where the FMCs aren't 19 and naive. I love older MCs, and although I'm not sure if their ages are ever mentioned, I interpreted at least Kembral to be in her 30s. I appreciate that she's a new mother too, because it's a perspective not often seen unless it's to do with some sort of horrible trauma, which this is decidedly not.

I feel the character development was extremely well paced, and information was released to the reader at a good rate that kept me reading but didn't succumb to infodumping everything on me all at once. The same goes for the plot too. It's not a complicated story, and I really liked that. The limited scope allowed me to really exist in the world and take in all the characters, and I think also allowed the author to weave some really good political webs too.

Another quick compliment I have to give the author is that when you're writing women who are a little messy and a little all over the place, it's so easy to fall into the trap of making them so quirky and relateable! but not in a good way. Many times I've put a book down because I just can't stand listening to a character talk all about how much of a mess she is and how quirky and different that makes her. This book didn't do this, and boy was I relieved. Lots of women supporting women, and I love that a lot. OH AND THERE'S NON BINARY REP! AND the non binary character is VERY cool and I would like to become them.

In conclusion, if you are a fan of queerness, weird worlds, magic, and women being extremely cool, you will love this book. Oh, and yearning. PLENTY of angst and yearning, but not in a teenage way. In a very sapphic way.

I can't think of any trigger warnings that would be needed really- there's mention of blood and some descriptions of gore but I didn't find them too graphic. There's on page death too. Don't take this as a full list because truly I'm going off of memory, but I wouldn't consider this to be a high-risk book for most triggers :)

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.
4 stars book from me. Loved the plot and the storytelling in The Last Hour Between Worlds and relatable, likable characters,. Loved every single second reading it.

The premise…
When Kembral Thorne attends a ball, she is drawn into an investigation when her fellow guests start dropping dead.
Along with her rival and former love interest, Rika Nonesuch, Kem discovers the ballroom’s mysterious grandfather clock throws them into increasingly dangerous versions of reality and it becomes a literal race against time to discover the clock’s mysteries and save everyone in their city.

My thoughts…
The hook instantly had me clamouring for an ARC and it didn’t disappoint. Although the first few chapters were a bit slow, once things got going I found myself sucked into a unique world with a charismatic and diverse cast of characters!
I loved seeing a new mum represented in the romantic fantasy space. Seeing Kem’s struggle with her responsibilities and priorities at the same time as falling for someone was refreshing and made her so real and relatable.
Overall, this was a really fun read and something a little different!

Perfect for fans of…
Genevieve Cogman’s The Invisible Library series or for anyone looking to immerse themselves in a unique and fun new world!

This is a brilliantly written fantasy book. The world building is exquisite and easy to follow. I love the idea of echoes and how each echo is more dangerous. Action packed and full of descriptions so you can picture exactly what is happening. I liked the main characters and their bond. As a new to fantasy reader this drew me in from the beginning.

What a magical world , I loved the main protagonist Kembral fierce and grumpy . Lots of twists and turns , I'm looking forward to reading more

Whilst this is not a curriculum book my feedback is for a personal review.
The book was written in a language that was easy for YA as well as adults. It took a while to attach to the lead character. The constant reminder about childbirth etc didn’t resonate well with me and for childless people maybe over emphasised. It’s still a good read

This book was brilliant. Fantastical elements that are described really well so they don't become confusing. Great pacing and lots of action. It packs so many elements into it and you feel like you know what's happening until you don't. Loved the MFC, hoping to see more of her in future books.

Would recommend

I have mixed feelings about this.

The first third or so was really enjoyable. I loved the chaotic setting and the job and abilities of the main character - blink stepping is really cool. The inciting event and the first few echoes, in which the protagonist Kembral pieces out what's going on, were fun and intriguing, setting up an unusual mystery.

But then the plot settled into a repetitive, predictable cycle where the same things happened over and over. I also got very sick of Kembral's inner monologue. Lots of page time is spent on her thinking about the same two things - namely, her uncertain relationship with her love interest Rika, and her baby, whether it was wishing she were with her or thinking about how she never got any sleep because of her, or how she had less stamina since she gave birth. So many times she would tell us that she would have done [something reckless dangerous] but not now that she had a baby to worry about! She also spends a lot of time deciding when/if she should come back from maternity leave. This may be a personal issue but the maternal motivation was completely boring to me.

The characters are decent. Kembral is a bit lacking due to the tedium of her thoughts, but the side characters are all fleshed out enough to be both distinguishable and memorable. I stopped reading the book for like a week and could still tell them apart when I came back to it, which is a good sign (I have a shit memory). The villain sucked though. Everything he said was some stock phrase you might find in any other book, and because Empyreans are meant to be mysterious his motivations were never entirely clear.

In the end I don't regret reading this, and I definitely think you should give it a try if the description sounds at all interesting to you. I am not sure if I'll be reading the sequels though.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital ARC.

Very interesting concept with an execution that got a bit lost in translation for me. It was a very interesting premise, but it is a book that requires you to really focus, and that's not what I really want from a YAish novel. I also thought the writing style felt a bit juvenile, so, overall, not my favorite.

I had high hopes for the book - and I wasn't disappointed!
The world that Melissa Caruso builds is a must for every Doctor Who fan. We have a consistent time system and because these are often boring, it's just the accessory to a journey through different levels of reality. These are unusual and stretch the imagination. However, Caruso makes it easy for us to find our way around the bizarre places.
The characters, whether human or not, all invite us to want to know more about them. Be it the strange merchant with a snappy sack or a gender-neutral raven.
Which brings us to the topic of diversity. Aside from the obvious, namely that the protagonist is bisexual and in the story, along with a female love interest, is on to the ‘players’, I loved that she is a young mum. Although I'm not one myself and found it difficult to identify with her at first, I think it's incredibly important that there are more perspectives like this. I also want to get to know different realities of life in fantasy - apart from the fact that it is mandatory that everyone - including young mothers - find themselves represented in one book or another.
I would love to see more books in this world and by this author. Thank you for this extraordinary excursion!

3.5 stars rounded up to 4!

With thanks to Little, Brown Book Group and NetGalley for the ARC’

This is a unique book and I liked the whole building done at the beginning. I enjoyed the character introductions too. It’s almost like a closed door murder mystery that keeps repeating itself in different “echoes” and I think that’s something I haven’t read before! Very unique and I really loved the beginning.

Around the 60% mark I noticed my attention starting to drift, but things sped up again around the 80-90% mark and captured my attention again! The ending was lovely.

Overall, I’m glad I read this ARC, and I would totally recommend this to people because of the very unique concept and the amazing cast of characters.

A very powerful story following a single mum trying to have a break with work acquaintances, but with a magickal twist. She was meant to be on leave, but all hell breaks loose, and finds herself moving through echoes.
It was a bit slow for me, but still enjoyable. There's a lot to absorb and I think it will be a fab series.

Thank you to the author, publisher and netgalley for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately not for me! Not a fan of the writing style at all, and I did give it a good go. I think this will be really popular though. It's also great to see representation of single motherhood!

Thank you for sending me this free advance copy of The Last Hour Between Worlds to read and review.

I’ve just finished reading the story, which I found very imaginative. I loved the slow build up to the main character’s friendship with her perceived foe. All the different alternative realities, called Echoes, were described well and I could imagine being there. So happy with the ending and I would most definitely be happy to review the next part. Thanks.

This was my first time reading this author. I really enjoyed this so very much. Fantastic plot and great characters. I an definitely looking forward to more and highly recommend this book.

While the premise of the book was exciting, the execution fell short for me. It was hard for me to really get into as I didn’t particularly enjoy the writing style or first person perspective. The main character was very likeable however and I appreciated the action scenes.

The book is quite lore-heavy, but it's done in a really good way so you have all the information when you need it without hurting your brain. All of the characters are done in a really good way and all the twists and turns really draw you in.

This lore-heavy book can be a hard read at times and requires the reader to fill in a large chunk with their own theories before being corrected later on. Although I personally love getting stuck into lore-heavy books, I don't enjoy having to create my own theories before them being correct chapters later. The lack of background information and setting left me feeling like this was book 2-3 rather than the first book.



The universe that surrounds this book is fabulous and with the right descriptions earlier in the book could have been the start to the best series iv read all year, if not for years.

The book itself is very quick paced so leaves the reader gripped and the plot becomes appernt very quickly also captivating the audience. The characters however are lacking depth and will be quickly forgotten now I've finished the book.

For the correct target audience who doesn't want to read chapter upon chapter of lore setting and history, this will be a much loved book. However, for myself it was not one I found myself becoming addicted to.