Before the Broken Star

The Evermore Chronicles, Book 1

By: Emily R. King

Narrated by: Lauren Ezzo

Length: 9 hrs and 42 mins

Publisher's Summary

A fierce young female adventurer battles time itself to claim her destiny in a sweeping new fantasy saga from the author of the Hundredth Queen series.

Everley Donovan is living on borrowed time. The lone survivor of her family’s unexplained assassination, she was saved by an ingeniously crafted clockwork heart. But the time she was given won’t last forever. Now, every tick-tock reminds her how fragile her existence is and hastens her quest to expose Killian Markham, the navy admiral who shattered her world and left her for dead. But Everley’s hunt for justice will be a long and hard-won voyage. 

Her journey takes her to a penal colony on a cursed isle, where she will be married off and charged to build the new world. It is here, and beyond, that hidden realms hide, treasures are unearthed, her family secrets are buried, and young love will test the strength of her makeshift heart. When Everley discovers Markham may not be who he seems, her pursuit for truth is bound to his redemption, her tragic history, and her astonishing destiny.

©2019 by Emily R. King. (P)2019 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Critic Reviews

“An epic quest for revenge tests the limits of Everley’s mysterious clock heart and her dauntless spirit in this wildly imaginative adventure story. A pulse-pounding read that gripped me on every page.” --Kathryn Purdie, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Burning Glass

good bones and potential, but...

There is some good potential here. An interesting world and mythology. Unfortunately, a lot of that potential is muddied by plot holes that pull a reader from willful suspension of disbelief(a settlement in the woods doesn't have a single wood axe to fight wooden soldiers?). Also, a lead character that spends 80% of the book crying and paralyzed by indecision or being cowed by a villain whose only power is that he can't die and is decisive. I wanted to like her but, the only things that got me to the end were Lauren Ezzo's stellar performance (as always) and hope that the main character would evolve some shimmer of sense/backbone/guile/defiance. there was exactly 1 moment at the end(during her duel on the ship) that showed she had developed at all as a character. Then she turns around and gets fooled by the very next enemy she interacts with and acts surprised. I'm gonna give the next book a shot due to the interesting world and some of the supporting cast. however, if the lead doesn't start learning or getting stronger I'm not sure I'll be able to continue which is a shame.

My, my

If you are going to listen to this book set the setting at .75
See my review for the second book.
The main character is mean hearted with all people that she interacts with. Yelling screaming mad at everyone. But I forget all this before I read the second book which is just more of the same. Well over 80% is yelling by the clock work girl. Sad

Steampunk Adventure Series Starter

As the only family member left alive, kept that way by the clock work heart her uncle used in place of her ruined one, Everly dreams of revenge. When the man who murdered her family, the most respected soldier in the queen's army, reappears in her life, Everly know this may be her only chance for justice and answers. Even if it means being sent to a mysterious penal colony as a criminal, never to see her old life or uncle again.

Gawd, I love Jamison so much. He may not be the main character, but he is my favorite character- and it is not 100% due to his dreaminess (ok maybe like 85% due to his dreaminess). He is seriously the most perfect guy- trustworthy, honorable, understanding- and I wanted Everly to just throw herself at him and let him take care of her- but that is not the type of person Everly is or what this book is about. This was very much a slow burn relationship (almost enemies to lovers vibe) that was not the main focus of the book, but man does Emily know how to do romance. there were so many moments that just hurt my heart for them and I have high hopes for a happily ever after...somewhere down the way.

Romance, or rather my hopes for more romance, aside, the magic in the world was so fascinating. There were so many moving parts that Emily expertly wove together in cool new ways I never saw coming. We have a girl who is kept alive by a clock, wonderfully crafted mythology (...or is it mythology...) about immortality and Father Time, dangerous creatures such a a large whale beast, a witch who lures people in, and an island that nobody really knows anything about. And let's not forget about the undying love between a prince and his princess- and a cute little pixy who does not like to be called Blue. The ideas seemed to be independent, but through a magic that is purely Emily's writing style, the story came together to create something wonderful that I desperately need more of.

The ending was action packed and surprising, I am so glad that this is just the first book in a trilogy because I feel like Everly has so much more exploring/revenging left to take on and I am so excited to get to be part of the adventure.

I like the narrator's voice but she seemed to rush

I like the narrator but she seemed to rush through the story and she had a breathless stressed quality that was used throughout so there were no high and low points. it seemed to make the story less meaningful.

Heroine insecure and indecisive

I really want to like this story. The story line had great potential but the characters felt flat and I found that I wasn't emotionally invested in any of them. I wonder if it is due to the narration, maybe if I read it rather than listened to it? The narrator reads the protagonist as near hysterical most of the time and is constantly yelling. I feel like there are ways that a good performer can emphasize something in ways other than shouting. It didn't even only happen at life and death moments, she was yelling in even reflective internal monologue moments. The over acting ruined it for me, made the protagonist seem angsty and insecure. I kept listening hoping she would show some character development and maybe get over her anxieties...but she didn't.

Hooked From the Start!

I am in till the end! The story is creative and engaging. I feel if my life had gone the way of Everly's I would be a much worse human for it than she was. She loved her family and their loss left her afraid but her strength in the face of that fear is what made her amazing. I have officially read them all and realized I should have reviewed each as I finished them. I have enjoyed them all!

OK story, narration VERY over-dramatic

It was a bit of a slog to finish. The interplay of characters (especially key characters) was needlessly convoluted. It was as if an editor said "you need more twists and betrayals" and they were ham-handedly added. The "come here, go away" relationship between the protagonist and her beau was galling but I was able to finish the book. The narration was overwrought. It made the protagonist seem perpetually on the edge of a nervous breakdown.

Barely entertaining

This book was interesting but I did not like the narration. It always felt that the narrator was “yelling” when she wanted to convey suspense or danger or whatever. It felt like everything was suppose to be “intense” even minor conversations between characters. It would have been better if it was just toned down more. More reflection from
Main character. Not Oh my God here comes something else!!!

me gusta!

me gustó bastante lo que leí y pasaron varias cosas que no me esperaba, pero si me pasó muchas veces que cuando la narradora hacía las voces de los hombre me costaba entenderle

aún así me interesa bastante leer el siguiente libro de la saga :)

Fantastic, engaging, it was hard to turn it off.

The author kept me captive, I have spent the last two days listening and can't wait to dive into the next book. Bravo.