Hourglass

by Barbara Mazzi

A stunning coming-of-age graphic novel from cartoonist Barbara Mazzi, exploring the dystopian divide of class difference, the strength of human connection, and what truly makes the heart tick.

The Hourglass is called many things: the perfect machine, the source of all life, the fountain of youth. It promises immortal comfort to the privileged, but it also looms over its creators, trapping them in its cycle.

Martel knows that there are other, inexplicable things that give life meaning, way more valuable than her own immortality. She only feels alive in the stolen moments with Twenty, an assembly worker in the dangerous gears of the machine. Will the differences between their lives tear their relationship apart, or will the Hourglass shatter first? After all, a society built on rejecting these feelings is beyond fragile... it’s a ticking time bomb.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Comics, Science Fiction, LGBT, Fantasy, Dystopia, Queer

112 pages, Paperback

First published March 26, 2025

Reviews

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free e-arc from the publisher Silver Sprocket through the PW Winter/Spring Giveaway.

I loved the art from the moment I started the book. At first, I was confused about the what was going on but the further I got into the book, the more I understood the plot. This feels like the first book in a series and I hope it continues.

[Beck B · Rating 3 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this comics art style and steampunk dystopian world. I adored the main characters and hope to see more from them. The story had so much potential but feels like it's missing a lot. If I find out this is a series and will have a 2nd volume, I may update my rating. The ending does not feel like an ending at all. It leaves readers hanging with much room for more details, story and continuation.

[Doreen · Rating 3 out of 5]

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 Bookshop!

This review first appeared at TheFrumiousConsortium.net.

[Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

the art was stunning but the main character martel was infuriating. she tinkered with the machine for absolutely no reason! it’s one thing if the machine is a metaphor for capitalism but she didn’t take that piece to make a statement, she stole it on a whim. she did it because she was thoughtless, careless, and bored. of course maybe that’s the point, that the rich have no cares and don’t take accountability for anything. but then who is she to condemn her mother for being frivolous and being motivated by uncaring boredom when this entire clusterfuck happened because martel did the exact same thing!!! she really pissed me off. but the other characters were fantastic and the world building was very interesting and cool. 20 is a genuinely wonderful and fascinating character, i’m just frustrated that she’s stuck with martel. her ‘friend’ who died was spitting facts. it’s just hard to get through a series (which i’m hoping this will be) when you don’t like the main character. i hope there’s a reckoning for martel which forces her to change and grow and acknowledge her bullshit. also a testament to how much i got into this comic that i feel so heated. kudos to the author

[Daryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is so beautifully drawn!! I loved the black, white, and gold color palette. I also really liked the relationship between Martel and Twenty, and seeing the two sides of this utopia through their perspectives and through the problems faced in their respective social classes. The theme of the preciousness of time and the lengths people go to get more of it was done in an interesting way. I did wish there was more, more in seeing the relationship that bloomed between Twenty and Martel, more of a sense of what life for the rich is like/more of the people in Martel’s circle, and the relationship between Twenty and Twenty-Two, and more of Twenty-Two in general, to really help the climax of the book hit.

Overall, this was a really great read. A wonderfully designed and compelling world, which I just wanted more of.

[Clint · Rating 4 out of 5]

A steampunk fantasy allegory isn’t the first type of story I’d associate with Silver Sprocket, but the class conscious writing and the queer romance at the center of it fit well within what I think of as their typical output. Inequality portrayed through the lens of time as a literal commodity to be hoarded and portioned out is a familiar metaphor, but Mazzi makes her version interesting, and I loved the ironic doomed resolution here. Her art, colored in black and white and gold, is simple but attractive looking.

“Don’t you get it? In a hundred years, maybe a thousand…you will still be young and beautiful…while I’ll have already become sand in the desert.”

[Gia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful Illustrations. I was hooked just by the cover; I didn't really read all of the synopsis. Martal's drawn to the inner workings of the hourglass machine and spends her free time walking around. Considered an heiress among the elite timeless class, Mertal prefers the company of childhood friend turned partner, Twenty.

Although she's seen as an heiress, she's just a young girl who misses her mother and can't wait to see her during her next visit.

I think Martel is the most down to earth and mortal character in the book because she doesn't value the time of the hourglass like others do.

I am so happy I found this series. I look forward to reading more.

[Amanda Broyles · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to Silver Sprocket and PW for a review copy of this. A beautiful steampunk world where everything revolves around the Hourglass. Twenty is a lowly apprentice working in the Hourglass, but she has a secret relationship with Martel, one of the elites of this world. The setting is fascinating, the characters are nicely rounded out, and I would love to see a follow up story that continues Twenty and Martel's journey and shows the fallout of the story. The art style is lovely, and the gold and gray palette really works for this universe. A solid 4 stars.

[Meggie Ramm · Rating 4 out of 5]

The hourglass grants immortality to the privileged few, while the lower class is forced to keep the intricate machinery running. Martel is one such immortal, in love with assembly worker 20, and desperate for things to be different. 

I needed this book to be so much longer! It was such a cool concept that took me a while to fully comprehend, and I think giving this a little more time and space to breathe would have helped with that. Also I need to know what happens next, it ends on a cliffhanger! I also needed more smooching, but I need that in every comic. 

[Raven Black · Rating 4 out of 5]

Twenty is just a cog in the wheel of this utopian society. They help keep the Hour Glass running so the privileged few can reap the reward of immortality. But when a real piece of the machine goes missing, more than the Hour Glass will fall to pieces. Life, or lack thereof, will never be the same again.  Read via an online reader copy. Want to see the final result for the illustrations. What was shown were interesting and brought out the steampunk elements.

[August · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5 !! really beautiful art + the character expressions/relationships/world are soooo haunting and so dynamic ..!! i wish we saw more of the plot and the end felt more resolved, but it also left me wondering what may happen and why and i think chewing on those thoughts made a more compelling reading experience ....... very good !!! ^__^

found this in the kids section which . id agree with but you do see girl does get shot & murdered . so. maybe a reshelve is in order

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won an e-copy of this fabulous title through the PW Winter/Spring Giveaway.

I adored this graphic novel from beginning to end. The art style was beautiful and sweet, especially the use of gold throughout. The fantasy world is fascinating and I wish we had ten more stories within it, following these sweet characters as they figure out the rest of their lives...

[Steve Stivaktis · Rating 3 out of 5]

A 3.5, I guess?
Absolutely lovely artwork that looked effortless and consistent. Digging the soft worldbuilding around it, too. I would have loved a little bit more time (yeah, yeah) with the characters, especially towards the ending, as the relationships did feel a little rushed. Will absolutely keep an eye on the creator, though.

[Theresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a digital ARC from Silver Sprocket via the PW Winter/Spring Giveaway. This YA steampunk graphic novel had great artwork and cute characters. I was thoroughly engaged, I just wanted more world building. I would read more books in this world and with these characters.

[Mary Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hourglass is a visually fascinating graphic novel. The story is about a rich young woman who has access to The Hourglass and immortality, and the woman she loves, Twenty, who works on The Hourglass. The novel ends on a cliffhanger, so I'd be interested to read the next volume!

[Snail · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautifully illustrated. I love the use of lots of black with just spots of golden yellow… really interesting visual effect.

[Carol Tilley · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Shannon Lipp · Rating 4 out of 5]

The art style and color palette are gorgeous. The setting and plot was interesting. It’s a short read but it does bring up the moral and philosophical issues that could stem from immortality.

[Lia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting setting, nice art, a solid short story-sized plot.

[Mostly Sapphic Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded up. Cool world, but a bit short.

[Kiki · Rating 5 out of 5]

the art is absolutely stunningly intricate. and the story is, if simple, lasting in its impact.