The Last Hour Between Worlds

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 DAUGHTERA brilliant, breathlessly twisty fantasy adventure that I utterly adored. Melissa Caruso is a powerhouse – Tasha Suri, author of THE JASMINE THRONEI love The Last Hour Between Worlds to pieces … A time-bending triumph, a compelling adventure … A gorgeous, witty, fast-paced and atmospheric novel – LOCUSA 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-SIRAFIThis 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, author of THE TEN THOUSAND DOORS OF JANUARYAn 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 LIBRARYEqual 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 LIGHTTo 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 WYLDA 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 favourite! – Sam Hawke, author of CITY OF LIESThis 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 HEARTThis twisty, locked-room mystery spans alternate dimensions; braiding romance and adventure into brilliant, time-looping fun – Sunyi Dean, SUNDAY TIMES bestselling author of THE BOOK EATERSTwisty, 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 SKYA 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 ASSASSINMelissa Caruso’s writing is utterly captivating! Fresh world, twisty mystery, and a main character you’ll want to back to the ends of every world. The intersection of motherhood and magic adds a richness to the world that immediately glued me to the page – Chelsea Mueller, author of BORROWED SOULSOutrageously 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 GODBLINDCaruso never takes her foot off the gas, marrying riveting action with meticulous worldbuilding and eccentric characters through effortless prose. Readers will be hooked – PUBLISHERS WEEKLYClever, empathetic characters, an unusual world, and a rapidly paced story that keeps readers guessing will delight fans of Caruso’s and create new ones – LIBRARY JOURNAL (starred review)A heady, bizarre rush of murder mystery meets Alice’s in Wonderland … This book is truly a breath of fresh air – BOOKPAGEThis tale has twists and turns aplenty. On top of the witty banter between the female protagonists, the story flows like an Agatha Christie novel … This is a different kind of adventure that readers of Caruso’s fantasies with a romantic and mysterious twist will enjoy – Booklist

Melissa Caruso was born on the summer solstice and went to school in an old mansion with a secret door, but despite this auspicious beginning has yet to develop any known superpowers. She has spent her whole life creating imaginary worlds, and in addition to writing is also an avid larper and tabletop gamer.

Melissa graduated with honours in creative writing from Brown University and has an MFA in fiction from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Her first novel, The Tethered Mage, was shortlisted for a Gemmell Morningstar award for best fantasy debut.

Melissa lives in Massachusetts with her video game designer husband, two magical daughters and assorted pets. You can find her on Twitter, where she posts about writing, tea and sword-fighting in ballgowns.