Echoes of reality each one more sinister than the last, compelling characters and a truly unique world- The Last Hour Between Worlds was such a fun read.

I have to say that it took me a while to connect with the story and feel invested in the characters. Both the characters and the fantasy world painted by Caruso have a wonderful complexity compounded by a sense of mystery and intrigue. By halfway I was truly immersed in this world, and felt myself being rocketed through the echoes with Kembral and Rika. The contrast between the fast paced action and quiet moments of reflection was both satisfying and exciting. I loved Kembral and Rika’s relationship and Caruso’s prose is intelligent, witty and thought provoking - I can’t wait for the next in the series.

I enjoyed this both as an audiobook and ebook. The audio production was excellent, creating an immersive and emotional experience. The narrator did a wonderful job of bringing the breadth of characters, and the depth of story, to life.

Thank you Hachette Audio for a copy of this book. Opinions expressed are my own.

The Last Hour Between Worlds offers an intriguing premise that immediately draws you in. The time-looping aspect, often a risky narrative device, is handled deftly, avoiding repetitiveness and maintaining the story's flow. The pacing is well-executed, keeping the tension and engagement high throughout.

However, I found the heavy focus on the protagonist's relationship and experiences as a new mom to be a bit much for my taste, overshadowing some of the broader potential of the story's premise.

The narration, though, was a highlight, delivering a performance that enhanced the emotional nuances and atmosphere of the tale. While the story didn't fully meet my preferences, fans of character-driven narratives and maternal themes may find it particularly compelling.

The Last Hour Between Worlds by Melissa Caruso is a surreal, atmospheric plunge into chaos, where reality bends and ballroom elegance collides with deadly supernatural forces. It’s part murder mystery, part cosmic horror, with a dash of reluctant partnerships and razor-sharp wit. If you like your fantasy high-stakes and mind-bending, this story will keep you hooked—though it might leave you slightly dizzy.

Kembral Thorne is a fantastic protagonist—resourceful, clever, and just exhausted enough from juggling motherhood and her Hound duties to be entirely relatable. She’s the type of character who can sniff out danger in a crowd of nobles while simultaneously lamenting her lack of a good drink. You immediately buy into her perspective: she didn’t want to spend her rare night out saving everyone’s lives, but here she is, unraveling a cosmic puzzle because no one else can.

Then there’s Rika Nonesuch, the infamous burglar who is as slippery as she is charming. Rika’s antagonistic-but-flirtatious dynamic with Kem is one of the book’s most delightful elements. Their banter has bite, and while they don’t trust each other in the slightest, their begrudging teamwork is what keeps the story grounded amidst the chaos of shifting realities. The chemistry is undeniable, adding a much-needed human heartbeat to a plot that could otherwise be overwhelmed by its high-concept world-building.

The world of the Echoes is both dazzling and terrifying. Caruso’s descriptions of the unraveling ballroom—the way it morphs from opulent to grotesque—are some of the strongest parts of the book. Each layer of reality becomes more twisted and deadly as the night progresses, with brilliant, eerie imagery: walls dripping with blood, music that distorts into something monstrous, and entities with "eyes in their teeth." The escalating horror is palpable, and Caruso excels at creating that creeping sense of dread as the partygoers realize they’re pawns in something far bigger than they could imagine.

However, the novel’s strength—its ambitious, reality-bending plot—can also be its weakness. The constant shifts in reality make it hard to get your bearings at times. Some sections feel disorienting rather than immersive, especially when the stakes aren’t fully clear until later. The middle third, in particular, drags as Kem and Rika navigate increasingly strange Echo layers without much narrative momentum. If you’re a reader who loves puzzles, this will be more of a feature than a flaw, but for others, it might feel like spinning in place.

Moira Quirk’s narration is a highlight. She nails Kem’s dry humor and fatigue while giving Rika that smooth, cocky energy that makes her so dangerous and appealing. Quirk’s ability to bring tension and warmth to even the most surreal passages helps anchor the listener, making the story more accessible despite its complexity.

At 3.5 stars, The Last Hour Between Worlds is a creative and ambitious tale that sometimes gets lost in its own layers of reality but still delivers a thrilling ride. The witty dynamic between Kem and Rika, combined with Caruso’s knack for unsettling, vivid imagery, makes this worth a read for fans of unconventional fantasy. Just be prepared to get a little lost in the Echoes—but hey, that’s half the fun.

"The Last Hour Between Worlds" is book 1 of the Echo Archives by Melissa Caruso. It is a fantasy sci-fi thriller with some romance.

I found the book interesting and entertaining, but way too long with a 14+ hour long audiobook. Moira Quirk does an excellent job narrating this book that has many characters. I am sufficiently intrigued by this book to continue reading the rest of the series.

The main character is Kembrel Thorne, who is a type of agent called a LG S z She has a special ability to Blink Step, which means she can travel in the space between time She is also a new Mom with a little baby, and she's going out for the first time after giving birth to a New Year's Eve party.

Many of her friends are at the party, including long-time frenemy, Rita Nonesuch, who is a "Cat" and a professional burglar. They have a history and sparks fly. They have to work together and protect each other.

At 11 PM, something happens, and at 12 AM, the whole mansion drops down to another Echo, which is similar to a parallel reality. Each Echo level down gets more blurry and strange and dangerous with talking animals, grass on the floor, and poison gas, for example. Kembrel is the first to notice when the time resets and they are in a new Echo.

Characters - 4/5
Writing - 4/5
Plot - 4/5
Pacing - 2/5
Unputdownability - 2/5
Enjoyment - 4/5
Narration - 5/5
Cover - 3/5
Overall - 28/8 = 3 4/8 rounded up to 4 stars

I recommend this book for fantasy lovers.

Thank you to Netgalley, Hachette Audio, and Melissa Caruso for providing this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

WOW is all I can say after finishing that!! This is a complex fantasy - the magic system and world building are so intricate and fleshed out! I have to say that as a mom, the whole anxiety of Kembral needing to get back to her daughter was INTENSE. I listened to this on a NetGalley audio and the narrator was top tier!! I have definitely heard her in other audiobooks and she is one of my favorites. However, due to the complexity of the book I do think it would have struggled a bit were I not tandem reading with my Illumicrate hard copy. Due to the short chapters and constant "echo". shifts I had trouble putting it down to go to sleep!

I was significantly less in it for the romance than the actual plot. The plot moved so quickly and had so many players involved- Kembral and Rita made a great team and I can't wait to hear more about them, but it was definitely more a fantasy romance than a romantasy.

Firstly, this is way more fantasy than it is sci-fi, for those who want the proper expectations. There are time loops and parallel universes, but they function on what feels like magic much more than science. And this is a book with a fantasy heart.

This was a really fun time. There are some good characters and character work here, but this is a fast-moving, action-centered book. Each time loop is an hour long, and things change and go wrong differently each time. We also learn more about Rika and Kembrel's past, and watch them come together again as they try to solve the wacky shenanigans going on around them.

This wasn't a perfect five star read for me. It was pretty important that Kembrel was a new mother, but often I just felt her telling me about loving her baby, when I feel like there could have been ways to show me instead. That said, there was a little twist involving her newborn daughter (ish) that I absolutely loved, and that sort of pulled the rest of it together, though it did still feel shaky.

Mostly, I just had a lot of fun with this book. Moira Quirk does the audio narration, and always, she does a stellar job. I very much recommend this one!

An excellent combination of humour and suspense made this a very interesting read. Kembral Thorne From the hound Guild., and currently on maternity leave is invited to a New Year’s Eve party which turns to an absolute disaster. She pairs up with her nemesis Rika from the cat guild, and whilst they try to battle evil they also try to clear up their past misunderstandings.
A little bit long in the middle, but excellent characterisations and intrigue.

I very much enjoyed the audio book and all the different voices from the narrator.
Thanks to #NetGalley for the opportunity to have read/listened to this ahead of publication in exchange for an honest review

In general, I liked an appreciated this story. I'm always down for a sapphic story with magic. I did love that our FMC was an actual adult, what a breath of fresh air! I also liked that it felt like a perfect end of year read with it's timing. However, I just could not understand the magic.... I read a ton of magical realism and fantasy books, but I could not for the life of me figure out how that worked.

I received an audio arc, and I thought it was a solid performance. I wasn't wowed, but I also didn't have any critique. It was fine.

I was really intrigued from the beginning, but I did find that the magic got quite confusing and that made parts less enjoyable. I think I want to keep reading though so I might have to reread it when the next one comes out. I did love that it takes place on NYE which is right around the corner so reading it at this time of the year felt correct.

Thank you NetGalley and Hachette Audio | Orbit for this ARC Audio Copy!

I really had no idea what to expect from this book and I was so pleasantly surprised by our FMC who was so realistically an adult woman who had adult women problems, but was also extremely capable and strong and wonderful. It really is refreshing reading a fantasy book about someone who is not an overly confident 19 year old who is invincible and immediately can do anything. This book takes you on a chaotic journey through time and layers with a character who is battling with who and what she wants to be and I loved every minute of it. It also captured the feelings of new motherhood so well, the conflicting thoughts, feelings, and emotions just made me connect with the character so much. Cant wait to read more from this author.

“Of course, it’s not easy. You never do anything easy. If it were easy, you’d figure out a way to make it hard.”

I discovered the Last Hour Between Worlds throught both its audio and ebook version. It took me a little while to get accustomed to the world, but it was SO worth it.
The narrator makes an incredible work to enhance Melissa Caruso’s words. There are a lot of alliterations and assonances that echo to each other, increasing the effect of the world building. She also adds a lot of dynamism to the story.
As you can suspect, I loved the writing style, as much as the world building (even though it is borderline horror sometimes, but it fits the story). That echo idea is brilliant, as much as the consequences in the deepest ones. I didn’t expect the mystery part, but it adds a great red line to follow, making the reader never stop turning the pages. It also introduced very interesting themes, especially around politics and morality.
Both Kembral and Rika are lovable and interesting characters, as much as the large cast of sides. I had no idea that this book pictures a sapphic romance (though it is very secondary) AND an ACE main character. It was such a great surprise to follow that, and I loved the representation. I also loved how Kembral speaks about her baby, with both incommensurable love and … a lot of tiredness. A baby changes everything and it’s not so frequent that an author pictures that in their book.
I cannot wait to read Kembral and Rika’s next adventure!

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. My opinions are my own.

Kimbral goes out for the first night after the baby has been born only to find herself in a dire situation and needs to work this case like a Hound.

She has to save everyone through 12 realms.

Kimbral finds out that her “ enemy” is not who she really is. And though the fighting for her life and everyone else’s find out the truth that has been haunting her for a year.

It was very adventurous and mysterious. The characters were definitely the highlight along with their relationships. I started off having a hard time relating to the main character because of her being a new mom. She kept worrying about her baby, and as a single childless woman, I don't understand what that need for your child is. Still, it didn't take away from the story and build up the characters' personality a lot.

This book is one of the most unique books I've read in a long time. I listened to this as an audiobook and thoroughly enjoyed it. The narrator did an incredible job!

It has the perfect elements of fantasy, action, and suspense with a sprinkle of sapphic romance.

Having an older fmc, who is a single mum, is so refreshing to see. It is so much more empowering and powerful to read about a woman with real issues, worrying about her child and having to prioritize her when she didn't have to before as the dangers and threats over her line of work loom ahead.

I loved the world building and the world itself, which encapsulates the concept of different realities stacked on top of each other. The idea of slipping between the veil of reality and having special items can alter things within each reality, too. Truly such an incredible and unique concept.

I really enjoyed the enemies to lovers' concept in this. How her biggest rival became her closest ally and blossomed into something more as they go down each reality was so well written. I was rooting for her and Rika the whole time.

The Last Hour Between Worlds is a masterful blend of a locked room murder mystery, science fiction, and fantasy. Set in an urban fantasy world, this plot driven tale features a sapphic romance and world-building that is rich and immersive. The characters and their arcs are highly compelling as they wrestle with both internal and external conflicts. Can't wait to read the next installment!

I am not one to generally go for sci-fis but this was so interesting to me that I gave it a chance, and I was not disappointed.
The main character being a new mother brings a new perspective to the call to adventure part of the plot.
I especially liked the worldbuilding as I found it unique and interesting and I am curious to explore more of it in the next books.
I also really liked the narrator, as I found her interpretation perfect for the character, it felt like a friend was telling me a story that happened to them.

Absolutely PERFECT performance by Moira Quirk. I was completely immersed in the story and didn't know which way was up half the time! Brava!

The Last Hour Between Worlds:⁣
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Thank you @orbitbooks_us @librofm @hachetteaudio for my gifted copies!⁣
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I felt at first this was going to be a fantasy book that I wouldn’t get or would make me feel like I wasn’t smart enough to understand. I pushed on and once I got the writing style, I really enjoyed reading this one. ⁣
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I think the coolest thing is that this is basically a locked room, but it happens at different time jumps. The fantasy part that comes in is cool because I was hoping it would be found and solved with the Groundhog Day type vibe. But honestly, Kembral being a new mom all postpartum and still trying to save the world was the best. Like c’mon now, what can’t a mother do? Ya know. ⁣
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THE Moira Quirk, our GUTS Queen herself, does an amazing narration on audio. I will always pick up a Moira Quirk audio. I liked the pacing on audio, much better feel that my physical print.⁣
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Anywho, I really enjoyed this one! Out now.⁣
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QOTD: 10 Day til Christmas! What’s a gift you need to buy for someone? (Yes I’m asking for ideas because I’m stumped)

I loved the idea and felt so interesting and unique I was immersed in the fantasy of it. Unfortunately I didn't get the storyline I was hoping for.

This was such a fun read! I loved the world created here. The mix of folklore and timelines was so good and each character was so different. I LOVED the sapphic friends to enemies to lovers vibe going on with the two main characters! I had a great time listening to this. The audiobook narrator and all the different voices they did only made the experience that much better. Would highly recommend and I cant wait to read the next book!