Book Review: Eternal

Eternal

By: Kristi Cook

Published by: Simon Pulse

Release date: Sept. 3, 2013

Genre: YA paranormal

410 pages

Buy it at Amazon, IndieBound, Book Depository, or Barnes & Noble

Source: hard copy published by reviewer

Is anyone else with me in becoming a little gun-shy with series finales? I have found myself in the past couple of years becoming less and less enthusiastic about reading a final volume of a favorite series, having been too disappointed with too many of them. There are a few, in fact, that I’ve purposely not read because I want to be able to end the story in my head the way I believe it should go. With this series, I was fairly certain that I could trust the author to end this story the way I wanted it to go. I am ecstatic to report that I was not disappointed.

However, I have an even bigger endorsement than my own: my very own in-house reluctant reader wanted this book so badly that she asked for it as a Christmas gift. When she found it Christmas morning, my famously reserved minion actually squealed. Once the festivities calmed down, she set to reading- and she completed her reading within two days. Let me be clear: this is one of exactly two books I can remember her ever reading in a time frame of less than two weeks. When she finished her reading, she emerged from her room hugging the book to her chest, smiling a big “it was as awesome as I imagined” smile.  I consider this kid the target audience for this series, and she absolutely loved it.

This volume picks up where Mirage left off: Aidan is in a cell in Paris, enduring ruthless torture. He’s bombarded by both the physical pain inflicted by his captors, and the emotional pain of feeling that he may never see Violet again. Things look pretty grim- and Violet has no idea how to help him.

It would be very difficult to say anything more about the plot without reveal spoilers, so I won’t. What I will say is that Cook gives us a good dose of the traits we love about her characters, wraps up the loose ends, and leaves us feeling hopeful that we, too, will find our own brand of happily ever after. 

Summary:

True love and destiny collide in the conclusion to the Haven trilogy, which Booklist called “a blend of the Gemma Doyle trilogy, the Twilight saga, and Lois Duncan’s thrillers.”

Forced to endure the violent punishment of the Tribunal for murders he has no recollection of committing, Aidan is slowly rotting away in a Paris dungeon. Violet is all but an unreachable dream to him now.

But unlike Aidan, Violet has not given up hope as she works tirelessly with Matthew, her guardian and protector, to prove Aidan’s innocence and unravel the haunting vision that plagues her thoughts—the death of someone closest to her.

Determined to set Aidan free, Violet discovers that a dangerous vampire war is brewing—and that Aidan may be at the center of it all. It’s only when the war reaches the doors of Winterhaven and tragedy strikes the school that Violet has to finally accept her fate. But that could mean losing Aidan—forever.

With no other option, Violet must choose between true love and fulfilling her destiny…unless she can find a way to have them both.