Product details:
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin.
Hardcover, 302 pages.
Release date: November 16th 2010.
Rating: 3 out of 5.
Ages: 12+
Series: The Immortals #5.
Other books in series: Evermore, Blue Moon, Shadowland, Dark Flame.Haven still blames Ever for the death of her boyfriend Roman, no matter how hard Ever’s tried to convince her it was an accident. Now she’s determined to take Ever down…and destroy Damen and Jude along the way. Her first step is to tear Ever and Damen apart—and she has just the ammunition to do it.
Hidden in one of Ever’s past lives is a terrible secret about Damen—a secret that illuminates new facts about her relationship with Jude, but that’s so dark and brutal it might be enough to drive her and Damen apart once and for all. As Ever faces her greatest fears about the guy she wants to spend eternity with, she’s thrust into a deadly clash with Haven that could destroy them all.
Now it’ll take everything she’s got—and bring out powers she never knew she had—to face down her most formidable enemy. But in order to win, she must first ask herself: is her own survival worth dooming Haven to an eternity of darkness in the Shadowland? And will learning the truth about Damen’s past hold the key to their future?
When I read and totally fell in love with Evermore, the first book in Alyson Noel's Immortals series, I thought I was going to be in for a real treat when I read the rest of the books. I loved everything about Evermore. It had an wonderfully interesting premise, a strong female lead in Ever, and a gorgeous romantic interest in Damen. But, as the series went on, I found my interest dwindling little by little with each book. The storylines are really dragging now, Ever is no longer feisty and strong, but instead is inconsiderate, indecisive and downright annoying, and Damen, while he still has a place in my heart, has become such a doormat for Ever that I just can't swoon over him like I used to.
In this book readers are promised explosive events and epic final showdowns between immortal enemies. I can't say that what happens lives up to this promise. Roman, Ever's old foe lies dead, and his girlfriend, newly immortal Haven, is intent on revenge. Not only does she want to kill Ever, but she wants to make her life a living hell before she dies by revealing some deadly secrets that Damen has been keeping from her. Honestly, the guy has been around for hundreds of years. He's going to have a few skeletons in his closet. As always, though, at the first sign of trouble, Ever decides to totally avoid her true love, instead of just talking to him about it. She has major trust issues, this girl.
As with Dark Flame, the fourth book in this series I felt as though everything really dragged here. As an Immortal, I thought that Haven would add a new edge to the series, and for a time, in Dark Flame, she did just that. Here though, she doesn't work at all. She's presented as a grotesque character, faintly ridiculous and isn't really believable as an villain at all. Haven was a letdown, as was Jude, a character Noel introduced to the series in Shadowland, as an alternate love interest for Ever. Jude doesn't serve any purpose at all here besides screwing things up for Damen and Ever. He's now surplus to requirements, and just getting in the way!
Of course the question on everybody’s lips pertains to the antidote. Ah yes, the antidote that will finally allow Ever and Damen to consummate their love. Honestly, I have never known a storyline to drag on for so long! The fact that Damen and Ever have been almost touching and almost feeling for so long now is frustrating for me as a reader, so I can only imagine what they are going through!! As always, major obstacles lie in their path. Will these two every truly be together? I just hope it's all worth it in the end.
There are still things I like about this series. I will always have a soft spot for Damen Auguste, although it would be nice if he was a little edgier. I also love learning about Damen and Ever's past lives together and their connection through the ages. The high point of this book for me was that Ever finally matured a little and learned to trust the people around her. That was a long time coming! I do feel though that this series has just gone on for too long. Having just finished reading Richelle Mead's Vampire Academy series, I know that a six book series can work, be entertaining and exiting all the way through and still have a truly epic ending. With this one though, I feel as though I'm crawling towards the finish line. All I want now is for Damen and Ever to finally be together. I have waited a long time. Give me a happy ending, that's all I ask!
Everlasting, the sixth and final book in The Immortals series is released in June 2011.
