I didn't enjoy this one as much as the first one, especially the beginning, but I did really enjoy the ending. The mythology got a lot more complicated but I like where the story is headed. I expect there to be at least 2 more books with how things ended.

Into the Hourglass continues where Before the Broken Star left off. It was satisfying to find out what happened to many of the characters that I cared (and didn’t care) about in the first book. Many minor loose ends were tied up, but it felt like the plot moved sloooowly. It was an ambitious story that didn’t quite come together. I almost gave up at the 80% mark but forced myself to finish. It was okay (3 stars, maybe 2.5) but I think I’m done with this world.

I recieved an advanced copy from the publisher via Netgalley for an honest review.

I am so thankful for getting this ARC not too long after finishing the first novel! This novel picks up just a little bit after the last left off Everley and her crew are taking an adventure into another new world that may be far more dangerous then what they encountered before. Everley needs to focus on her mission and get the sword back for Father Time and stop the evil prince from destroying all the worlds.

This novel is action packed and lots of twists and turns as Everley and her crew learn to trust each other and that they have to work together if they are going to survive. I love this book with the MERMAIDS!!! Well, they are called merrows.... and just the visual descriptions put you in the middle of the worlds they are bounding through. You get a lot more answers of Everley's past and thank goodness for that last chapter, because I thought the book was ending with the chapter before (because it was beautiful). However, the final chapter smoothed out a few more things for me and made me much more at peace...and ready for the next novel! Another amazing work of art for Emily and I cannot wait for the next!

**Disclaimer: I was given an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. Please also note, there are spoilers below for the first book in this series, Before the Broken Star.**

Title Into the Hourglass

Author Emily R. King

Description from Amazon

Everley Donovan’s mission: retrieve the hallowed sword of Avelyn stolen by the wicked Prince Killian, who slayed her family and left her for dead. Should she fail, the seven worlds will come to an end, as could time itself. And no one treasures time more than Everley, whose lifesaving clock heart cannot beat forever. She has set sail with a rogue crew for the otherworlds, where the key to dethroning the prince lies deep within the Land Under the Wave.

But passage through these unknown seas—where horrors lurk and pirates rove—proves a treacherous gamble. The Land Under the Wave was not made for humans, particularly one with a fragile clock heart. Here, Everley’s tragic past resurfaces unsolved questions. Here, too, the prince has hidden secrets more precious than pearls, secrets that could fracture the future forevermore. Everley must take back her sword and break free from this watery world before her time runs out…or so will everyone else’s.

Initial Thoughts

While I fully admit that the first book in this series was a Bookstagram influenced purchase, I adored it and couldn’t wait to read the second book. I loved Everley’s character and her inner struggle to determine if the revenge she’s wanted for so long is worth the cost. While she might not be traditionally “morally grey”, I really enjoyed her storyline in the first book as she begins to learn that she does not need a beating heart to love.

Cover Art

I have this book preordered already. But I couldn’t wait to read it. I jumped at the chance to read it on NetGalley. I LOVE this cover too. I can’t wait to see the book without the jacket (because I’m sure it will be just as beautiful as the first). This cover has major shelf appeal and this is a series that I am very proud to have in my library.

Series Value

The first book had me totally sold on this series. After having read, Into the Hourglass, there is no doubt in my mind that this is an amazing series. So much potential and so many twists and turns. I love that this series is so captivating and so full of surprises.

I have read a lot of books. Like, a lot. But this series keeps me on my toes. Major props to Emily R. King for keeping me guessing. I love it.

Some Things I Loved

The addition of new characters. I was very pleased to meet Osric and learn his back story as well as narrowing down the characters from the first book. I really like the Fox and the Cat and I was glad to see that they were included in this story. Quinn was missed, but her absence opened the door for some very welcome background that came from new characters.

The scene with the sea hag and the princess of the merrows. I loved that scene. It gave me all kinds of polyjuice potion feels from the Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. I knew it wasn’t going to go perfectly and I couldn’t wait to see how it played out. That was definitely one of my favorite scenes.

Everley and Jamison’s countryside reunion. I’m so glad she finally admitted her feelings for him.

I also really love that the endings of both Before the Broken Star and Into the Hourglass are somewhat final. They both capture the end of a section of story and feel conclusive. While there are unanswered questions, I didn’t feel like there were any major cliffhangers (something I appreciate). I like that each book both wraps up neatly and transitions to the next part of the story.

One Thing I Wasn’t Crazy About

I hated that Everley walked right into Killian’s trap. Again. I was so disappointed in her during that moment. It’s not a plot flaw so much as it’s my disappointment in the hero of this story making, what I think of as, a stupid mistake. [Insert the shame bell from Game of Thrones]

Final Thoughts

I loved this book. Looking back, I actually love Before the Broken Star even more now because of it. Into the Hourglass made an already strong story, even better. Emily R. King has built a truly captivating and fascinating world with characters that I am heavily invested in. I cannot wait to continue to read this story.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Recommendations for Further Reading

Daughter of the Pirate King and Daughter of the Siren Queen by Tricia Levenseller – although Before the Broken Star is not a tale of pirates, a large portion of it takes place on the sea and travelling. Also, Alosa and Riden remind me so much of Everley and Jamison.
Everless and Evermore by Sara Holland – I think these books are similar to Before the Broken Star because of the time element. Everley constantly worries about living on borrowed time and not knowing when her time will run out. The setting of Everless has an interesting take on life, immortality, and the idea of borrowed time.
Dark Breaks the Dawn and Bright Burns the Night by Sara B. Larson – this is another story with an interesting concept of time. Also, there are strong parallels between the plot through elements such as romance, curses, and family legacies.

Release Date August 20, 2019

Don’t miss the final book in this epic trilogy coming out in December 2019!

Everley Donovan’s mission: retrieve the hallowed sword of Avelyn stolen by the wicked Prince Killian, who slayed her family and left her for dead. Should she fail, the seven worlds will come to an end, as could time itself. And no one treasures time more than Everley, whose lifesaving clock heart cannot beat forever. She has set sail with a rogue crew for the otherworlds, where the key to dethroning the prince lies deep within the Land Under the Wave.

But passage through these unknown seas—where horrors lurk and pirates rove—proves a treacherous gamble. The Land Under the Wave was not made for humans, particularly one with a fragile clock heart. Here, Everley’s tragic past resurfaces unsolved questions. Here, too, the prince has hidden secrets more precious than pearls, secrets that could fracture the future forevermore. Everley must take back her sword and break free from this watery world before her time runs out…or so will everyone else’s.

Great twists and turns, plus some heartwrenching surprises!

Thank you Netgalley and Skyscape for the advanced readers ebook!

This book picks off immediately after the events of book one in The Evermore Chronicles in which Everley is enlisted by Father Time to thwart the cast-away prince and retrieve the sword of Avelin. Their path is blocked and the World Under the Wave is entered creating its own difficulties. As time is both on her side and fighting against her Everley must push herself both physically and emotionally to become the person she is meant to be.

Once again Emily King created a magical and enchanting world that I could not help but be consumed in. Everley is an amazing character that has flaws that are relatable but an undeniable strength that shines through in every moment. I love the combination of Everley and Jamison is fantastic and the slow burn of their love and the chemistry that it creates it to-die-for! This combination of worlds creates such a unique story that I feel as though endless spin-offs could be created even if this is only a trilogy (I think??). I liked this book more than book one because we were able to see more character development both for Everley, who previously did not believe that she could love since her heart was broken, and for the side characters like the Fox and Cat who I also SHIP!!

I am in need of book 3 ASAP! December is too far away

📚 Review 📚 Into the Hourglass by @emily_r_king

This novel continues the story of Everly our heroine and Jamison as they continue to hunt for Killian. They find themselves in terrible situations consistently, in the land under the waves. After a deal with a sea witch goes wrong. They must race against time to head back to the land of the living before Killian is able to obtain an artifact that could unravel worlds, all while time closes in on Everly.
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I love this plot so much. The ability the characters have to travel through worlds, how everyone’s lives are entangled in one way or another is so beautiful. Seeing Everly open her eyes to her feelings for Jamison, the bond they share and how despite their unorthodox pairing brought them together they genuinely care for each other. The imagery is so vivid it makes me feel I am watching a movie not reading a book.
I can’t wait for the next installment of this series.

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Disclaimer: I received a free copy from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The writing was a bit messy for me, I had trouble grasping the general feeling of the scenes. Overall, the story is intriguing and for a fantasy world, complete.

Arc provided by the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.

This is a DNF for me. I instantly knew after reading the first page that it would be a DNF. Sometimes you just know.
For the most part, this is a quick read and a fast flowing book that kept me interested but it did not make the cut, unfortunately, =(

A great second installment. Be sure to read book 1 first. Everly and Jamison are fun characters and the worlds rich and interesting. A fun read.

Thank you to Skyscrape Publishing and NetGalley for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. Another treasure of a book! I'm so glad I found this series. Another magical book filled with awesome world building, magical creatures and wonderful characters. I absolutely loved the pirate vibes in this one and really enjoyed the mostly sea faring setting! There was once again nothing I'd change about this book. I cannot wait to see what comes next for this series! These are books I definitely need to add to my bookshelf.

Story was easy enough to follow however it didn’t hold my interest. I think a little more backstory for the characters at the beginning would have been extremely helpful. I had a hard time figuring out who each one was to each other and the story at the beginning of the book.

This novel was a good read for the next book in the series. It continues where the first novel left off, all from Everley’s point of view. There is the exploration of other lands while trying to catch up with Prince Killian, where more of his past is revealed and what he plans to do. Killian is several steps ahead, with allies whom he makes promises to and only cares for one person, himself. Everley and the others have to retrieve the sword from Killian, for it is needed for Everley to prevent a terrible future. Along the way, they make new allies and enemies. Everley’s time is running short, for her ticker cannot run forever. She discovers things about her past, but she needs to move forward from that and not keep going back to it. Everley battles her feelings for Jamison, whom she grows to care for deeply, but can she reveal her secrets to him and what Father Time needs her to do to save the realms? They will need help, for Killian has gained many allies with his promises and others refuse to see what is happening. A war is coming and time is running out for Everley. I cannot wait to read their next adventures!

An interesting retelling of fairytales, and entertaining overall. I would have preferred more focus on the romance, since it felt a bit like insta-love.

Likes
This was yet another book that hit it out of the park for me. I just freaking love this series so much! Everly is such a dynamic main character, and not just because she's got a clockwork heart. She just makes me feel like I'm in the story with her and not like I'm just reading about her adventures. She is passionate and curious and I love seeing the caring way she treats others around her. I thought that this book had a great plot line and it didn't feel stale at any time. The pacing is on point and didn't feel rushed, which is something I sometimes worry about with a shorter (to me) book. Okay now I'm gonna jump right in and say HOW MUCH I LOVE JAMISON. He is such a sweet cinnamon roll and he loves Everly so much and ashdfgskld. I just can't say enough good things about him and Everly's relationship! In book 1, I was like oh no this isn't going to be good, and that quickly turned into WOW MY OTP FOREVER. Anyway, he plays a small but good part in this book and I enjoyed that. I also enjoyed learning about the other world the group traveled to and all the new people (and beings) they met. It's a great mix of a time-traveling sort of story, with a pirate sort of story, mixed up with a bunch of fantasy elements. Even with all of that going on, I don't feel like it was confusing or cluttered or anything like that. Everything just worked so well with how Emily writes the story and all fits together perfectly like a finished puzzle. I feel like these books definitely deserved to be hyped more because it's the first new series that I have fallen in love with in quite a long time. 

Dislikes
I didn't dislike anything about this book. I thought that it was so well-done and I am excited to see on Goodreads that there is a third book in this series! I loved that I didn't have to wait that long for this one and I hope the same is true for book 3.