Bianca and Lucas are caught by their lies, forced to patrol and train with the vampire hunters of Black Cross after fleeing the vampires of Evernight Academy (see STARGAZER for more details). The members of Black Cross believe Bianca to be a human who was kidnapped and raised by vampire parents, but this is far from the truth. Bianca continues to need blood and it is only a matter of time before she and Lucas can escape. Unfortunately, events spiral rapidly out of control and now everything is at stake for Lucas and Bianca. Will time run out on this star-crossed pair?

HOURGLASS is the third book in the Evernight series and should be read as part of the series in order to fully understand the nuances of the relationships and events unfolding. Fans of the series will note that HOURGLASS takes a few unexpected turns as Claudia Gray continues to keep her readers on the edge of their seats while leaving some issues unresolved until the fourth book is published. And oh, the ending- what can I say other than it is a major cliffhanger and it almost makes me cry to know we won’t see the fourth book, AFTERLIFE, until March 2011!

HOURGLASS is a book I finished with mixed emotions. Claudia Gray doesn’t hesitate to take readers into the stirring of dark emotions caused by betrayal. Be prepared as HOURGLASS has some gut-wrenching moments, moments that made me want to throw the book across the room as though that would change the situation! This doesn’t mean I didn’t like HOURGLASS but rather that Claudia Gray accomplished her goal all too well- she made me care about all the characters, from Lucas and Bianca, to the secondary characters of Balthazar, Raquel, Vic, Ranulf, and yes, even Charity.

Claudia Gray takes readers through a gamut of emotions with this latest entry into the Evernight series. Nothing is ever set in stone in this particular world as anything can- and frequently does- happen. While I found myself missing the brooding atmosphere of Evernight Academy and Mrs. Bethany, I couldn’t help but enjoy HOURGLASS if only for the strange twists and turns.

Publisher: Harper Teen (March 2010)

Other books in series: Evernight series: Stargazer

Author website