Melissa Caruso

The Last Hour Between Worlds by Melissa Caruso took me three days to read, 100 pages each for the first two and then almost 200 this evening. It has a complex world and an intriguing set of plot puzzles that pushed me to slow down and examine them more closely, especially in the beginning.

It's also really good stuff.

It's been a long while since I've encountered a fantasy novel with this level of uniqueness and cleverness to the worldbuilding. The novel takes place at a party but it's no show more ordinary party and the longer you read, the darker and weirder things get. I was absolutely all in, following the compelling turns of the mystery. Sure, there are a few infodumps that make some of the twists more obvious than they need to be, but they still satisfy and the shape of the narrative draws in your whole brain.

The romantic elements are a little less elegant but by the end I was all in on that too, with a genuinely heartfelt resolution that satisfied without needing spice or any of the usual romantasy trappings. This is, in fact, a fantastic example of a fantasy+romance that has a real and robust plot.

But I feel I should tell you that this is not for everyone. The spirit of the book is hopeful but it's execution (pun kind of intended) is pretty much the opposite of cozy, with a level of violence and death that pushes it closer to dark fantasy/horror than you might expect from the cover. It's downright bloody and occasionally stressful, which is part of what makes it such a compelling book... but if that ain't your thing, I get it.

If you have a tolerance for such things, though, you might just find that this refreshes your brain and scratches the itch for something that balances fantasy, romance, and horror with real skill and deftness. This is the first book I've read by Caruso but it certainly won't be my last! show less

I enjoyed this a lot. It's fun adventure fantasy, of the political rather than questy nature, with a whole lotta great lady characters. The stand-out strength, for me, was the depth of consideration. The world and plot really dig into the inequalities and prejudices and othering of magic-powered characters. The characters really dig into hard choices and compromises forced by the various weights upon them. And the political shenanigans engage well with the questions of appearance and trust show more that matter so much. (Being innocent isn't enough, if you don't look it.)

I particularly enjoyed the main character duo. I loved Amalia, our narrator heroine, with her intimidating (but loving) mother and her weight of expectations and her coming to terms with what she could and couldn't do. Her arc was all sorts of satisfying: never too easy, but holding firmly to hope. And Zaira, the understandably brittle-and-brutal street-tough fire warlock, was an uncompromising delight, never letting the privileged get off easy, and heaps of fun in her unflinching honesty and raucous bisexuality.

Really, my only sadness about this book is while it feeds nicely into a series, this is quite stand-alone-ish, which means the politics isn't quite as twisty and convoluted as it could be. Still great fun, and I'm looking forward to reading onwards! show less

I tore through this book in a matter of days, and if anything, I think it’s even stronger than the first instalment in the Echo Archives. This time, Kembral and her girlfriend Rika are drawn into another deadly mystery when they accompany Kembral’s best friends to a bequeathing - and soon find themselves racing against time to prevent the deaths of Kembral’s childhood friends, cursed long ago by their own mischief.

Caruso’s conceit for this mystery is brilliantly executed: a show more closed-circle scenario where victims are trapped with their unknown murderer, complete with competing red herrings and layered motivations. The balance between immersive description and propulsive storytelling is spot on, and every character feels rounded, with female characters in particular given real strength, nuance, and complexity. Vy stood out to me as especially memorable for challenging assumptions, and Archyrion- an unexpected characterisation for a baby sitter - was a delight. I also loved the return of smaller touches from the first book, like the tea shop, which made the world feel continuous and alive.

Perhaps most impressively, this sequel doesn’t read as a placeholder. It delivers a complete, satisfying narrative in its own right, while deepening and interweaving with the arcs that began in book one. Even the one moment where I felt a resolution risked feeling too convenient turned out to be cleverly intentional.

I won’t say more for fear of spoilers but, suffice to say, I adored this book. Caruso has created an addictive, intelligent, and heartfelt series, and I can’t wait to join Kembral and Rika on their next adventure. show less

Yep, it's just as twisty and delightful and only slightly less murdery than the first, so if you liked that one, you'll love this one. And yes, they are a direct series so you'll need to read them in order for things to make sense.

In truth, I'm a little bit in awe of Caruso's imagination. As a writer, I spend ages trying to come up with uniquely cool stuff to put into my fantasy novels and, with this book and its predecessor, every page turn brings some fresh (and creepy) invention that show more adds to the vividness of the world. If you've been a bit bored with the bog-standard pseudo-Britain of most fantasy novels, this will break you in all the best ways.

There's a third on the way, I'm delighted to say. More to love! show less