INTO THE HOURGLASS (The Evermore Chromicles #2) by Emily R. King

In the second book in The Evermore Chronicles by Emily R. King, Everley Donovan plunges into the roiling waves of a strange new world to hunt a wicked prince who cheated time.

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.


  Opening line:
"Once upon a time, before the worlds were crafted from the heavens, two competing stars each thought they were the greatest and brightest in all the cosmos."

Isn't that pretty?? I love Ms. King's writing style. She is lyrical and profound and unique. I love her use of fairy tales and their characters in this series.
I think I may like the 2nd book in this series more than the 1st! Is that possible? I can't wait for the 3rd!
Now. The adventures of Everley and Jamison continue. Because Everley has a clockwork heart, she views herself as different and broken, therefore, incapable of any sort of love, whether it is friendship or romance. But just like the sword she desperately seeks, Everley is special and unique, like a star. She is stronger than she knows and the way she fights and takes the lead shows how strong she really is. On the other hand, she's not strong enough to push her feelings for Jamison away, and that's just fine for me.
We get to read about a few of the characters from the 1st book and we get to meet more fun ones in this book. Ms. King weaves their stories in and around each other and pulls all of them into the world she created. And they are all as different as the worlds they come from. I couldn't put the book down! I wanted to know what happened next, but there were so many surprises and twists! Which is another talent Ms. King has in her writing!
I'm ready for the next book!!!