Hourglass, the third installment in Claudia Gray’s Evernight series, certainly didn’t disappoint–not until the last few chapters, anyway.
As most people know, I am a huge fan of this captivating series, chronicling the love story of almost-vampire Bianca and vampire hunter, Lucas. With that being said, I was looking forward to the latest book in this series with hopes for an adrenaline-rushing page-turner that could be read in a single sitting. Well, in that department, it certainly met my expectations because I didn’t put it down from start until finish.
Stargazer ended with Bianca joining ranks with Lucas and his ranks of vampire hunters, following a fiery attack upon Evernight Academy. Leaving her parents and friends behind, Bianca chooses a new life with Lucas with the hopes that they will be with his vampire-hunting family and friends to make a life of their own. Happily, in Hourglass, that happens.
When Bianca finds herself exposed as an almost-vampire, she and Lucas must flee in order to escape eminent torture and probably death at the hands of Black Cross hunters. However, more danger awaits as Bianca and Lucas must devise a plan to survive on their own–avoiding rogue vampire, Charity, at the same time. Bianca, who has chosen a human life, rather than becoming a vampire, believes becoming a vampire is the worst fate she can possibly have. However, as extreme plot twists would have it, she’s dead wrong.
However, this is where I have to draw the line. I mean no disrespect to Claudia Gray at all, as I deeply respect her as an author, but I can’t help but admit that the latest plot twist was just too much for me to really buy into. I understand the pressures involved with the demand of a completely original idea in today’s teen paranormal market. And really, who am I to talk, having failed to get my own novel published thus far. But I really must admit that the whole idea of Bianca becoming a wraith made me roll my eyes and utter an exasperated, “Oh brother, you’ve got to be kidding me.” Admittedly, I did see it coming about halfway through the novel, but I assured myself “Surely not!” and kept reading–page after page after page.
In fact, I flew through these pages, just aching to know more. And then…Bianca becomes a wraith? What?! Yes, a wraith. And Lucas will become a vampire. Painfully ironic? Yes. Different from other books out there? Yes. Too far fetched to be in anyway acceptable? Absolutely. With the wave of paranormal fiction out there, it seems that authors are now locked in a heavy competition involving shock factor and variety of paranormal phenomenon. First, there were vampires. Then, there were vampires and werewolves. Then, vampires, werewolves, and pixies. Light Fey and Dark Fey. Good vampires and bad vampires. Good witches and Bad witches. White magic and dark magic. Now–good vampires, bad vampires, and wraiths. I get it. I really do. But I can’t help but feel that sometimes, the wheel is so reinvented that it borders on being a little ridiculous. After all Bianca and Lucas have been through in the Evernight series, I wonder if other fans of this series will feel the same when reading the last few pages of Hourglass. Overall, Hourglass is a great novel. Overall, this is a great teen paranormal series. I was hooked from the first page of Evernight, flew through Stargazer, and couldn’t put Hourglass down for nearly three hours. But I would be lying if I didn’t admit to being disappointed by the ending. I know that the final installment in this saga will likely put all these misgivings to rest, and things between Lucas and Bianca will be resolved. I just hate that the end of Hourglass left me rolling my eyes in anticipation of what far-fetched, crazy plot twist will have to occur in Afterlife in order to resolve the mess between Lucas and Bianca.
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