The Last Hour Between Worlds

Reviews

"Twisty, breakneck, and full of delightful surprises, The Last Hour Between Worlds is a book guaranteed to pull you out of a reading slump. Equal parts hilarious and poignant, this is Caruso's best work yet—a time-loop, murder mystery party like you've never read before. I dare you to put it down."—Kritika H. Rao, author of The Surviving Sky "A witty, tense and imaginative triumph of a book! I lost many an unplanned hour inhaling The Last Hour Between Worlds. With its compelling magic, reluctant hero trying (and failing) to be on leave, and one increasingly surreal party, this tightly paced story will be a lasting favorite!" —Sam Hawke, author of City of Lies "An addictive read with an incredibly sympathetic heroine and a delightful relationship. I loved it and can't wait for more in this world." —Genevieve Cogman, author of The Invisible Library "A fantastical locked-room mystery where every peal of the clock peels away another layer of reality . . . The Last Hour Between Worlds is an absolute adventure, with a queer lead, a snarky rival and breath-takingly poignant moments. Reader, I inhaled it." —K. A. Doore, author of The Perfect Assassin "A charming fantasy mystery that kept me guessing until the very last page—I completely adored this book and would read a dozen more of Kembral's adventures." —Shannon Chakraborty, New York Times bestselling author of The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi "This twisty, locked-room mystery spans alternate dimensions, braiding romance and adventure into brilliant, time-looping fun. Perfect for fans of The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle!"—Sunyi Dean, author of The Book Eaters “The Last Hour Between Worlds is a masterpiece—filled with excitement, romance, and characters you would protect with your life. The wobbly time effects in this book reach past its pages, making hours of reading blink by in a moment. Unmissable!”—Andrea Stewart, author of The Bone Shard Daughter “This book has everything you've been craving: sword fights, time loops, complicated feelings about parenthood, and banter with your sworn enemy. What an absolute delight!"—Alix E. Harrow, New York Times bestselling author "This book is for those who dream of going to the ball inside the Goblin King’s crystal bubble, but struggle with work-life balance and finding a good babysitter. A jewelled swirl of dangerous magic, fabulous outfits and reluctant heroism, Caruso’s The Last Hour Between Worlds is fiendishly well-plotted, utterly enchanting and… surprisingly relatable."—Leife Shallcross, author of The Beast's Heart “To say The Last Hour Between Worlds hits the ground running would be an understatement: This book starts at a sprint and never slows down. It’s funny, and scary, and weird in the very best way. Melissa Caruso’s writing is razor-sharp and this book is one heck of a page-turner.”—Nicholas Eames, author of Kings of the Wyld "Outrageously clever, with characters who are at times wantonly absurd, engaging, enraging, and intricate, this is a book for everyone who wants to escape reality – though beware, it gets weirder the deeper you go." —Anna Stephens, author of Godblind "Equal parts sheer adventurous fun and creepy, dimension-bending tension, featuring a relatable and instantly engaging protagonist. This is totally unlike anything I've read before; Caruso has pulled off a wonderfully creative premise with skill and panache." —Freya Marske, author of A Marvellous Light In this locked-room fantasy, Moira Quirk's vocal confidence and captivating talent are on full display. Just two months after giving birth, the famous Hound Guildmember Kembral Thorne attends a New Year's Eve party. But what's supposed to be a gathering of various public officials and guilds quickly becomes a bloodbath. Violent creatures come out of nowhere to kill guests and magically restart time, thrusting everyone into subsequent layers of reality, each more violent and bizarre than the last. Kembral and her nemesis, Rika Nonesuch, must determine what's restarting the party again and again before the deaths become permanent. Because of Quirk's vocal expertise, each partygoer is deftly crafted into a unique and richly realized player in the night's mystery. It's a true master class in narration. A.A.H. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine [Published: OCTOBER 2024]—AudioFile Earphones Award Winner Expand reviews