Thank you to Orbit Books, Hachette Audio, and Netgalley for the chance to review this audiobook, all opinions are my own.

Going to start out by saying that this review is a bit all over the place as my thoughts on this book are a bit jumbled! Beware, there are some spoilers. Things I loved: the world (really interesting, I’m dying for more) and the characters (huge cast, I want to know more about all of them). Things that I didn’t love as much: The overall plot of this particular book, the pacing of the writing.

If you enjoy books where you slowly learn about the world and the characters as the book goes on then this is definitely a good one for you. I am totally that person that wants a whole chapter of info dumping because I get so curious about how a world works and I want to know all the little details right away! I did get a little impatient wanting to know everything about this book but I felt Caruso did a good job of explaining things as they became relevant and if I was confused about anything it was usually explained or resolved soon after.

The world itself was truly the most interesting part of this book. I want more! I want to know about the Elders and the Guilds and Echoborns and how their society actually works! We got teases of it and I think I have a good understanding of the basics but I would love to spend more time in the larger Prime world and get a little bit more political intrigue. There were so many secrets and plots being teased.

I did find myself a bit bored by the overall plot. It was very contained and started to feel repetitive. It very obvious that we were always going to end up in the 11th Echo and I did get a bit bored with Kembral always trying to do the same thing each reset. But because I was so intrigued by the world and the characters, I hung on for the ride. As I mentioned above, I really hope we get to spend more time in the world of Prime, out in society, seeing how the government and the people all interact together. With the threat of the Echoes hanging over them, obviously!

Kembral isn’t usually the kind of character I enjoy reading about, she’s a little too good and just. I prefer characters like Rika who want to do good but also know sometimes you have to go outside the lines and do a little murder. I’m very excited for more about her! I’d love a dual POV in the second book.

I do have to mention the single mom thing, only because I’m sure people will have feelings about that. I do not actively seek out books about mothers and children (not being one or having any) but it is nice to see a FMC outside of the norm. Did I wonder why this character got pregnant and then abandoned by the father of this kid? Yes I did. Did I wonder about birth control in this world? Also yes. But I support a woman’s right to choose (whether she be real or fictional)! It will be interesting to see how motherhood continues to affect Kembral’s role as a Hound and her greater responsibility as the year namer.

Audiobook review: I will listen to any audiobook read by Moira Quirk anytime! She lends voice and personality to every character (no matter how small) and I never have any issue following who is speaking. She infuses so much life into all of them. I continue to be impressed with her ability to do multiple accents, tones, and cadences. An excellent choice for this book with such a large cast!

4.5* because of Moira!

I love finding unique fantasy adventures and this one certainly fit the bill for what I was in the mood for. The magic system we encounter is fairly interesting and feels new in a creative way and I feel as though I haven't recently read a time/ realty bending book like this which was fun and engaging.

The main character is Kembral who has finally decided to venture out into society on Ne Years Eve after the birth of her newborn. Though she loves her daughter dearly, she is missing the adventurous world she previously worked in and feels the company of some of her social colleagues and coworkers will help her feel more like a person again. However, as the evening progresses and the hour reaches midnight, all hell breaks loose and Kembral finds herself one of the last few standing after a poisoning and attack.

Then something strange happens, as Kembral is drawn into an Echo of the party and the scene seems to reset into a slightly different version of what was previously happening. She seems to be the only one aware a massacre just took place. Kembral has to figure out if she is going to draw other people into this game of survival and try to save their timeline. Oh, and there's a bit of a cute cat and dog romance sort of situation going on. But you'll have to read to find out more about that. Lots of fantastic, unspoken tension.

Personally, I am looking forward to more from this author. It seems this is the first in a possible series, so lets cross our fingers we don't have to wait too long to see what may happen next.

I listened to this on a whim because I liked the title and cover. I had no idea it was a sapphic adventure story in which a new mom fights her way through increasingly more bizarre layers of reality called echoes trying to save her friends and coworkers from warring cosmic beings. Turns out that's exactly what I needed! This book was so much fun. I loved all the characters and getting to know each reality. There's a touch of steam punk aesthetic, a touch of horror, twists, turns, and fantastic world building. The narrator of the audiobook is top tier. She gives each character a unique voice, building on the brilliant characterizations by the author. I'm so excited this is going to be a series! Thank you to Netgalley and Hachette Audio for the ALC!

I describe this book as a sapphic sci-fi fantasy with a similar feel to Gideon the Ninth both in humor and writing style.

It follows a hound guild member currently on maternity leave from her day job, patrolling and protecting the city from the different layers of reality also known as echoes. While at a party, without her baby for the first time, she finds herself in a reality-bending, groundhogs day, murder mystery with a member of a rival guild.

The story is told in first person. And while I did enjoy the protagonist some, I feel like the way the character narrated and the humor took away from the severity of the situation, making it feel not so serious, which to me kind of took away from the murder mystery and world in peril aspects of the story.

I thought that the book was very well written, well thought out, and very smart but just fell flat for me.

I was a little confused by the layers of echoes, but I appreciated the complexity of the world building. The logic of it was a little hard for me to wrap my head around as the layers of reality stripped away. I just had a hard time taking the story seriously. I also didn’t enjoy the romance in the series, there just wasn’t a good enough chemistry.

My major issue with the book is more of a personal one, I’m also not a huge fan of Groundhog Day storylines so I didn’t get much enjoyment from the storyline. It did have a lot of twist and turns and an unexpected ending, which was nice.

I’d say if you’re someone that enjoys stories with a Gideon the Ninth wit and writing style, this would probably be something to dive into.

The production and narrator for the audiobook was phenomenal. I enjoyed listening to her immensely!

For me personally, I’m not sure if I will read the second book.

🕰 The rundown: New mom Kembrall Thorne attends the year-turning ball because she needs a break. No work allowed. But when the party is attacked and guests start dropping dead and time resets and reality warps and she's the only one who remembers what happened...well, she can't help trying to sniff out answers. She is a Hound, after all. What was supposed to be an evening of fun turns into a race against time and a fight against ancient Echo lords who have chosen the party as the site for their reality-bending gameboard with human lives for pieces.

🕰 Am I glad I read it? Yeah, this time loop, multiple reality fantasy was tons of fun!

Most of the story happens in the same room (where the party happens), and I’m impressed by how Caruso kept the plot momentum going and expanded the world as we dropped further and further through more and weirder echoes. (Frankly, I think over-explaining early on would have seriously undermined a time-loop story in which some repetition is inevitable.) It’s really a fascinating, inventive world that Caruso built, and I’m excited to see what else she does in it in book 2.

And I simply must talk about our heroine Kem! Such a great character! She’s not just a mom, but a new mom! She’s sleep-deprived; she needs a nap, like, yesterday; her breasts are painful with milk even as she’s saving the century! And when was the last time you read a fantasy that tackles maternity leave and the decisions birthing parents face re: returning to work? Even though Kem doesn’t do any mothering during the story, it’s such an important aspect of her character: her increasingly desperate instincts to protect her child complement and indeed overlap with her instincts to save the party-goers from death by Echo lord.

I listened to the audiobook, which is narrated by the fantastic Moira Quirk. Even though I strongly suspect I would have understood the rules of the game better if I had read this with my eyeballs, I still found that I was generally able to follow along with what turned out to be a surprisingly complex story in this format. I attribute this partly to Caruso's skill at developing the world throughout the story and partly to Quirk's always engaging voice acting, namely her talent for creating wonderfully distinct voices for different characters and sounds.

🕰 Rating: 👍🏼👍🏼 (really liked)

I recently enjoyed an adult sci-fi mystery with a Groundhog Day-esque twist, filled with magic and a complicated love story. It was an incredibly entertaining read/listen that kept me engaged from start to finish. The ending was so surprising that I had to look up the author to find out if a sequel was planned, and I was relieved to discover that it was!

The world-building and character development were refreshing, and the attention to detail in the conflicts and relationships was impressive. The story continued to unfold in captivating ways, ensuring that there was never a dull moment with any filler content. The narrator, Moira Quirk, did a fantastic job of bringing life and emotion to each character.

I also appreciated the subtle sapphic storyline, which felt organic and unfolded beautifully, much like rose petals. Well done!

If you’re considering picking up this book, do yourself a favor and go for it—you won't be disappointed! I've already preordered my physical copy.

I want to thank NetGalley, Hachette Audio | Orbit, and Melissa Caruso for the audio review copy of this immersive book. I'm leaving my honest opinion voluntarily and without coercion.

WOW!

I loved this book. Fast paced and action packed right from the start. This was intense but stayed lively and fun and I loved all of the different storylines while we went through this almost time loop of reliving this same hour from the same day over and over again but each time was different and unique so it never felt boring or repetitive.

I loved Kembral and thought she was such an interesting main character. She is a badass and the best at her job as a hound, but she just embarked on her newest journey of motherhood. She is struggling with whether she wants to go back into field work or just go to a desk job with less risk. She gets night away to go to this big elaborate party for the end of the year, but what she doesn't know is that this party is just one big game for the Empyreans to see who gets to name the year (AKA be the most powerful being that determines what the next year will bring). This games brings everyone at this party through 12 different layers of reality and at the end of each round the night starts over.

Rika was another character I loved. I loved her chemistry and banter with Rika. I loved their friends to enemies to being the others persons only chance at making it out of this game alive storyline. I can't wait for more in this world because this was just such a fun and unique read.

Thank you to Orbit for sending me an advanced copy of this book

Such a unique and captivating story! I was hooked from the very beginning. I loved the murder mystery vibes and short chapters. It was fast paced from the start. Highly recommend!

This book is like a mix of a Mystery/Thriller, Fantasy and SciFi and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Just as I thouht, "oh this is it, its all being unveiled now, the book is coming to an end" i found that I was not even halfway through the book.

Just as the Echos of this book, the story kept coming and the twists kept twisting. So many layers.

I laughed more than once, just from the MCs thoughts but also by how some o fthe other characters were voices. I swear one of them was Stacey Soloman :D

If you are looking for a read to keep you on your toes, this is a very good option indeed.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ACR listen

This was an exciting read. I loved the concept of Echos, all the action, the wide range of characters and villains.
The book was long, I need to admit that, but it is interesting and the story line is easy to follow.
I struggled a bit with all the characters, you need to take notes to keep up with who is whom and what is the relationship between individuals.
I struggled with understanding the rules of an Echo, they were revealed one by one and per case, so it takes time to adjust to this new reality. This entire concepts needs more depth and explanations. The book was so extensive that all the explanations seemed rushed and forced, therefore not easy to assimilate. I am sure that with the next books of the series, the Echo would be more understandable and likable.
All the creatures, all the personalities, cats-hounds, structures, surprises were a nice touch, though a bit crowded in a single book. This entire book had a capacity of two and it would have made a more detailed and comprehensive work.
The narrator was just great! Intonations, characters, breath-ins and outs, everything was just amazing.

This is the start to a brand new series that has me so excited for the sequel top come out!! Sapphic romance, magic, battles, intrigue, what more could you ask for?

Thank you to NetGalley for this audiobook ARC in exchange for my honest review.

4.5 stars

Thank you to Hachette Audio and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was so refreshing!!! I absolutely cannot wait to continue this series! Kembral is such a badass!!! She’s a new mom on maternity leave from her job as a Hound. She’s making an appearance at a party while her sister watches her newborn daughter to encourage her to get out of the house, when things take an unexpected turn…

Now, she’s thrown into a game which she did not consent to being a part of, and she’s one of the only people aware that it’s a game. She has to work with her rival, Rika Nonesuch, in order to figure out who is behind this game. They have tension between each other from the moment they make eye contact at the party. I thought Caruso did a great job at slowly revealing more that’s happened between them. There was one point that I audibly gasp, because I was not expecting it.

The world building is so cool. There are echo worlds of “prime” (where they live) and the further down into the echoes, the more twisted and warped everything becomes. Every Echo they get sent into was different and I loved seeing this world come to life.

Kembral is so smart and intuitive. I loved her reasoning and deducing her thoughts into specific choices. Her knowledge and skills are helping keep her alive and fight against whoever is orchestrating all of this mayhem. It is SO refreshing to read a fantasy book about the FMC being a new mom. As someone who is a mom, I felt SO seen, especially in her internal monologues about motherhood in all aspects. It’s so difficult, and to have it displayed in a genre I love deeply was so rewarding to see and experience. Kembral is a great mom, and I cannot wait to see what she does in book 2.

I loved the narrator, Moira Quirk!!! Incredible job.

CW: death, gore, violence, injury/injury detail, blood, discussions about motherhood/pregnancy/body changes

Okay wow, so glad I experienced this on audio! Moira Quirk is an incredible narrator and thoroughly absorbed me into this time-shifting fantasy. I really enjoyed the unique magic system dealing with time. Kembral is a fantastic FMC, an archtype we don't see often enough - a new mom. The romance between Kem and Rika was a nice, subtle subplot although I wouldn't have minded a little more spotlight on it. Otherwise, this was an enjoyable, action-packed fantasy with excellent narration, so I highly recommend this via audiobook!

A sapphic fantasy adventure, that will have you never RSVPing to another New Year's party again.

As soon as I saw this this book played with the idea of twisting reality by falling through layers of 'echoes', I knew this was for me and the book did not disappoint.

I love that our main character is both single and a new mother on maternity leave from her job as rescuer of people who get stuck in echoes. She leaves her baby for the first time to attend a New Year's-esque party, which turns out to be the centre-point for the echo games. The entire party gets plunged down into the first level of echo, and the world around them gets strange, however no one but her seems to know.

I love how clever the world building is and how simple yet creative the magic system is. I love our main character, Kembral, has to work with her rival Rika in order to survive. And how that rivalry turns to a blossoming love.

Let's take a moment to celebrate the amazing narration by Moira Quirk. I have listened to Moira in a lot of other fantasy novels, and she always brings it. She doesn't just narrate, she becomes the characters. I can clearly feel the emotions and urgency as our characters journey through each echo here.

Read this book if you love
🕰️ Sapphic romance subplots 🏳️‍🌈
🕰️ Wibbly wobbly timey wimey stuff
🕰️ Fast paced adventure
🕰️ Scary monsters that are also kinda funny
🕰️ Actually scary monsters
🕰️ Nightmare logic

This book is best read on New Year's Eve, don't be late.

Kembral is a very compelling main character. She's navigating motherhood with a newborn, not ready to return to work but not ready to be done with it either, and suddenly thrust into an unexpected adventure when a night out takes a sinister turn. There are some interesting ideas in this world where multiple layers of reality exist, but overall it isn't the flavor of fantasy that appeals most to me.

Moira Quirk is a great narrator, but I did find her voice for a young girl character to be very annoying.

4/5 stars.

The Last Hour Between Worlds is a fast-paced, sword and sorcery fantasy with unique worldbuilding and a fun plot. Melissa Caruso crafts and incredibly interesting world with layers of reality. The top layer is called Prime and each layer below is an echo of the previous, getting increasingly chaotic as the layers descend. The crux of the plot is a game between celestials beings taking place on the year turning. The winner gets to name the year, which could have severe consequences depending on what name is chosen.

I'd be remise to not discuss the main character. Kembral Thorne is a new mother (on leave, thank you very much) and a Senior Hound (protector, fighter). This is meant to be a fun night out after the baby that turns horrendously wrong when she finds herself the only one that can recall what is occurring as they descend echoes. There absolutely needs to be more pregnancy and post-pregnancy representation in fantasy so I enjoyed that aspect. However, because the plot is so fast and the worldbuilding so exciting and there's an aspect of rediscovery every single layer, it was hard to get attached to the characters as much as I would have liked.

I would also be remise not to discuss Moira Quirk's phenomenal narration. The range of characters she developed throughout was incredible and stunning.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book one and will absolutely be continuing on with the sequel when it arrives!

I listened to this audiobook in one sitting, absolutely loved it, so glad to have the illumicrate version!

What an adventure!
I really loved this story. I listened on audiobook and the Narrator Moira Quirk was exceptional!
The production quality is top tier but Moira really makes this book come to life. She does every voice in a unique way and even her BONGS! are fabulous!

I appreciated the clever prose on every page! The author elevates what could have been a simple "groundhog day" type of tale into something very special with her choices. I especially loved phrases like "I had to shake her off like a haunting" (Kembral, to herself, regarding Rika) the book is full of delightful writing. I even loved all the names chosen! The Imperials all had really creative names.

I just think this book is clever from page 1. It's intricate and stylized but has excellent world building, a unique magic system and character growth as well.
I highly recommend and I'm excited for book #2 in the Echo Archives!
My rating is 4.25 rounded for NetGalley

Thank you to #NetGalley and #Hachetteaudio for this review copy in exchange for my honest review!

Absolutely love this author and so excited for this new series! I will say, I definitely need to re-read this book and have a physical copy in front of me as it was kinda hard to navigate what was going on between the time loop. I definitely had to replay some sections, but overall I really enjoyed this one and loved the mom character!

It had twists, entertaining characters, magic portals, violence, and more, and it was really fascinating. I thought this book was fantastic. I thought it was great that there wasn't a lot of backstory at the beginning and that it essentially began in mid-action. We gradually add to the fundamental facts that we already know. The time loop held up well, and the world was fascinating. The romance was just right without feeling forced, and any predictability was enjoyable rather than annoying. The plot was exciting, original, and a lot of fun to read.