Hourglass by Barbara Mazzi

So it’s weird sometimes, when I’m trying to review the first book in a series where a large part of the plot revolves around a mystery. There’s a very delicate balance that authors have to hit in order to make the book feel both satisfying for the reader and like we really need to read more. I’m hoping that in the process of writing this review, I’ll be able to figure out why I felt both dissatisfied with the stopping point but curious enough to want a second book, even if that curiosity is not a burning desire.

Hourglass tells the story of a post-apocalyptic world where the seas have gone dry. Instead, the vast sands left behind have been mined to produce an even more curious sort of sand, that can imbue longevity to a select few known as the Ancient Ones (it is never stated what the terms of this selection are.) These life-extending sands are collected in the massive but delicately engineered hourglass of the book’s title. Engineers and technicians, including a young woman named Twenty, toil to keep the hourglass working correctly. If they do their job well, then perhaps they too will be rewarded with extra years by the sand.

One of the few highlights of Twenty’s life of endless labor are her visits with Martel, the privileged daughter of one of the Ancient Ones. Martel is adept at sneaking her way into the hourglass, which makes it easier for her and Twenty to spend stolen moments together. But one day, Martel does something reckless with the hourglass’ workings. Perhaps she does it out of nerves: her mother is returning to see her after an absence of five years, after all. Or perhaps she has a far more destructive intent. Regardless, her choices set off a chain of events that will change her and Twenty’s lives — and the lives of countless others — for good.

I really wanted to like Martel. She’s lonely and neglected and hasn’t been raised at all right and has little concept of consequences. But her headstrong embrace of anarchy is so thoughtless and harmful that I had little sympathy for her. Perhaps she continues to grow as the series progresses. I would definitely be interested in seeing that.

Twenty is much easier to root for. Overworked, underpaid and genuinely doing her best, she makes mistakes but, in my opinion, can be forgiven for them far more easily than Martel can hers. Ofc, the real villain here is a system that pits the haves against the have nots. I’m all for Martel wanting to change things but I also think human life is precious, and that wantonly meting out death sentences is not something to shrug off as acceptable collateral damage.

Barbara Mazzi’s art is terrific tho! The elegance of her word balloons especially maintains the flow of the story with care. I enjoyed the cuteness of the characters and the attention paid to Martel’s hair. The limited color palette was also highly effective in foregrounding important elements of the plot.

The book ends on a bit of a cliffhanger, but I still had far too many questions about everything that happened. Some of these — like why the hourglass malfunctioned like it did — are clearly meant to be answered in future volumes. But others, particularly to do with Martel’s mother and the other Ancient Ones, could have been more adequately addressed here. Perhaps I’m just thinking the book was too short, and could have used a better stopping point. It is, however, a promising start!

Hourglass by Barbara Mazzi was published March 26 2025 by Silver Sprocket and is available from all good booksellers, including