Reviews: Immortal Beloved and Darkness Falls
Immortal Beloved
Immortal Beloved #1
Cate Tiernan
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
September 7th 2010
Hardcover, 407 pages
Amazon | Goodreads | TBD
Nastasya has spent the last century living as a spoiled, drugged-out party girl. She feels nothing and cares for no one. But when she witnesses her best friend, a Dark Immortal, torture a human, she realizes something’s got to change. She seeks refuge at a rehab for wayward immortals, where she meets the gorgeous, undeniably sexy Reyn, who seems inexplicably linked to her past.
Nastasya finally begins to deal with life, and even feels safe–until the night she learns that someone wants her dead.
Review:
Because of my little vampire addition, I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about immortality and how it might change a person’s humanity over the course of several lifetimes. How hard would it be to hold on to your moral compass if time stretched on forever? Not only does Immortal Beloved do an excellent job of exploring an answer to that very question, it also examines several others like it.
Nastasya is an immortal that knows very little about her past or her status as an indestructible human. Living a life of luxury, the only thing she concerns herself with is having a good time with her friends at the latest club. But when she witnesses her best friend use dark magic, her world shifts and she quickly realizes she needs to change her ways before she too becomes consumed by the darkness that surrounds her. Seeking refuge, she retreats to River’s Edge, which forces her to face her past with brutality honest. As tormented memories that she prefers to forget awaken, she confronts her pain, a new part of herself emerges.
In a beautifully hunting story that isn’t exactly a page turner, but still well worth a read, Nastasya’s tale unfolds as a slow and painful journey of self discovery. It didn’t take long for me to realize that underneath her superficial shell, Nastasya’s a rich character with an amazing amount of depth. I always feel embarassed for characters that don’t bother to learn anything about their own history, and Nastasya was no exception, but as she admitted and worked through her flaws, my perception of her changed and I really grew to like her.
I did have a few problems with the language Nastasya used, and not because it was ‘bad’ but because it was modern. I believe with age comes a certain amount of formality in one’s choice of vocabulary. I would think this would be especially true of someone who is, say, 450 years old. So it bothered me a bit that Nastasya’s speak was so juvenile, even for a wayward party girl. I mean, I enjoyed her sense of humor and her snark, but her “WTF” and “OMG”s seemed a bit out of place. Also, I didn’t find the entire immortality angle believable. If they have been around since the beginning of human existence and if they are basically human, why the secrecy? An explanation for that wasn’t really provided.
The conclusion of the plot part of the story was a bit anticlimactic and the villain ended up being the obvious choice, but that didn’t bother me because the story seemed to be more about character development. With that in mind, the title of the book, Immortal Beloved may throw you off. If you’re like me, you might believe it to be about an epic love affair, and in a way it is. But the love affair isn’t between a boy and a girl; it’s between a girl and herself as she tries to discover who she is and what she wants to be.
Darkness Falls
Immortal Beloved #2
Cate Tiernan
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Kindle Edition, 400 pages
January 2nd 2012
Amazon | Goodreads | TBD
Nastasya has lived for hundreds of years, but for some reason, life never seems to get any better. She left her spoiled, rich girl life to find peace at River’s Edge, a safe haven for wayward immortals. There, she learned to embrace River’s Edge, despite some drama involving the sexy Reyn, who she wants but won’t allow herself to have. But just as she’s getting comfortable, her family’s ties to dark magick force her to leave.
She falls back into her old, hard partying ways, but will her decision lead her into the hands of a dark immortal? Or will it be her first step to embracing the darkness within her?
Review:
Have you been in the middle of reading a new book and thought, I’ve read this before?! Darkness Falls, as a continuation of Immortal Beloved, felt like the exact same story as its predecessor. Much to my disappointment, it was a filler book that focused on the inevitable relapse that I knew was coming for Nastasya.
Darkness Falls picks up right after the conclusion of Immortal Beloved. Nastasya has been at River’s Edge for two months and is still trying to make progress on becoming a better immortal. Understandably to everyone but herself, everyday is a struggle to choose good instead of evil. But when bad things start to happen, Nastasya begins to believes her darkness is overcoming her and she flees River’s Edge to return to her former party girl life. Once there, she finds that her old pals are still spending their time doing the same old things, all expect the one she trusted the most. The one that wants her power.
I get that it must be hard to erase 450 years of ignorance and that it probably can’t be done over one lifetime, but this book seemed to be more slow going than the first. After patiently sticking with Nastasya through her journey of self discovery, I was hoping the romance between her and Reyn would take center stage in Darkness Falls. Instead, Nastasya spends her time rehashing the strides she’d made in the first book, only to have her progress quickly deteriorate after a few incidents of self-doubt.
Perhaps reading the books back to back was a disservices to the series, but it was incredibly frustrating to see Nastasya repeat same mistakes. And though this installment has a bit more action towards the end than the first, once again, the plot was predictable. Still, as I did with Immortal Beloved, I really enjoyed the careful thought that was put into forming Nastasya’s history. Having lived for over 400 years, she’s been all over the world and lived through various time periods. The spinets into her past were fascinating and well developed.
I’ll definitely being reading the third book in this series because I’m still holding out hope that the romance will finally take the spotlight. But even without it, I liked how this series introduced me to a new breed of immortals and the struggles they face.
Posted at 6:00 am • Labels: 2012, 3 stars, Book Review, Cate Tiernan, immortals, review copy, supernatural, YA
First off, I love the new covers, I think they are much more intriguing than the first covers I saw. I truly never gotten around reading them but, I think I might give them a try now! I do love a good Vampire story. Although it makes me sad to hear the lack of romance… I need a good romance in a book.. now I'm confused lol!
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Those are the real covers? The confuse me and I do not like them one bit..strange
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Oh no, Missie!! Deja vu when reading a book is the worst! I probably would've been just as frustrated as you that the second book felt like a filler and that Nastasya didn't learn from her mistakes. But I have to admit that I'm super-intrigued by the whole immortals thing and the good history building — sounds really interesting!
Super-awesome double reviews, Missie!! Hopefully the romance will be more prominent in the third book so people can have something to swoon over LOL! <3 The fact that you're reading the next book is a good sign, so I might give this a shot!
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I haven't read much vampire fiction but have thought about it from time to time. I read the first two Twilight books but wasn't that impressed… your review has prompted me to give them another try.
Thanks for sharing Missie!
Megan @ Storybook Love Affair
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Opps! Sorry about my poorly written review, but these books actually aren't about vampires at all. But yes, I'm the same way. I need romance in my books!
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Yeah, I'm not sure I'm a fan of the covers either. :/
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The Nastasya's history was really a highlight. And yes, I'm hoping that next book will bring on the swoon!
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If you aren't much into vampires, then you might enjoy this take on immortals because they are human-ish! LOL
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I don't think this book is really for me. I will be crossing my fingers for book 3 and the romance.
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Ive had this book on my shelf for like 2 years! Honestly who knows when Ill read it, but it always sounded appealing to me…great reviews
and ps iheart vampires…;D
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I loved Immortal Beloved, but it's been a long time since I read it. I have Darkness Falls in my TBR. I'm disappointed to hear that the romance doesn't have a bigger role.
I was hoping to see that this time around. Regardless, CT is an amazing writer, so can't wait to read it! Have you read her Sweep Series? It's AMAZING!!!!
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Thank you! Reyn is pretty hot, but still very mysterious to me and I hope for more of him in the next book!
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Read it! It's provides a real constructive view of right and wrong, good and bad. It's very interesting.
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No, I have yet to read the Sweep series, but I enjoyed CT's storytelling so I'll be looking out for it.
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I don't think reading the books back to back was a disservice. In my opinion, it's the best way to read them. There is so much momentum there after the first book, so the second should be even more all consuming, if done right. It sounds like…it wasn't. I think I've seen this book around, but it's not one that really grabbed me. I agree with you that a certain length of life should account for a more selective vocabulary. I don't think I'd necessarily be busting out with OMG's and IDK's if I was 450 years old. *giggles* Although, I now have images in my head of what I would be doing. *waggles eyebrows*
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Nope that was not you, that was only me not reading carefully enough ;(( Does telling you that it was really early in the morning count as an excuse?
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Well, I guess it I meant that it seemed like a disservice because the books sounded so redundant! LOL
And you are a very saucy, woman! But I'm right there with ya!
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Ooh, what a bummer about Darkness Falls! Immortal Beloved sounds fabulous, though. I love books about self discovery! I think I'll pass on book two, though.
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I have these book and plan on getting to them soon! Loved the reviews!
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“If you're like me, you might believe it to be about an epic love affair, and in a way it is. But the love affair isn't between a boy and a girl; it's between a girl and herself as she tries to discover who she is and what she wants to be.”
Loved the way you described this, Missie. I don't love vampires as much you and would have probably skipped this one because the summary doesn't really interest me or hint at vampires, but I like that this one is more about a girl going through self-discovery. Sometimes it's nice to read a book that doesn't have a huge amount of romance. It makes you appreciate the swoon-worthy romances even more.
As for the second book, it seems like it falls prey to sequel syndrome. I'll probably read the first one and then have a break rather than read the books back-to-back.
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“Instead, Nastasya spends her time rehashing the strides she'd made in the first book, only to have her progress quickly deteriorate after a few incidents of self-doubt.”
Damn. I was so hoping that wouldn't happen in this book! I was hoping we'd get more progress with Reyn and more progress with Nastasya instead of watching her make the same mistakes again and again. Bummer. I still have this one on my list, but I'm glad I'm prepared for some of the things you mentioned so they won't frustrate me quite as much.
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Nastaysia sounds like she's work my nerves, and therefore I'm determining that these books aren't for me. I do love how you describe the story though. I admire the fact that the main character is trying to learn to become a better person. But I think I'd be pissed to go through that with her only to watch her backslide so badly. It's one thing to have doubts and quite another to just give up. Anyway, awesome reviews as always Missie!
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HAHAHA! I know, I was agreeing with you in that I think you did right but the author could have done different. *giggles*
And, how did you know? Saucy is indeed my middle name!
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I hope the third book will improve, and the story will change. lol I needed 30 sec to remember WTF meaned. I think I'm really tired lol. Thanks for your reviews because I didn't know these books.
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Perhaps the author got into a rut? Or like you said, “filler” which I deplore. Readers are paying attention; give us something different! Strive for improvement rather than re-hash old material.
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Sounds like the first book might be an interesting library check-out. That's so disappointing that the sequel seemed like the first book though. Hopefully the next book will branch out in a different direction.
Great reviews!
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I've never had the strongest urge to read these books. I guess maybe cause I haven't heard that much about them. It does sound like an interesting story and I kind of like that it's not a love story. I may pick them up one day. We'll have to see.
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How much am I LOVING these covers dude?!?!?! These sound like books I must have! Even though, I usually go for the boy/girl romances instead of the love affairs with ones self! Which is strange bc I have a life long one going on with… MYSELF.
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Hm… doesn't sound like I would really like these books. I think I'd have a hard time with her being so teenagery (yes, it's a word). I mean, 450? She should have learned something. It's also a shame that the second book didn't go further than the first.
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I really liked the premise behind this series, but I didn't care enough for the writing or the characters to read the entire series. It does bring up interesting questions about immortality, forgiveness, and the willingness to overlook things in the past. Hope things get better in the third book.
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Hmmm, interesting. I think if you're hooked enough to want to read book 3, despite a bit of a letdown with the second one, then it's probably worth a read for me.
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I hate when sequels feel like you are reading the first book over. I want something to change and there to be some progression of the storyline.
I also think I would be a little floored if someone who was 450 years old starting saying WTF. I even feel too old to say that.
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Um excuse me, but my middle name is Saucy!
haha…
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“How hard would it be to hold on to your moral compass if time stretched on forever? Not only does Immortal Beloved do an excellent job of exploring an answer to that very question, it also examines several others like it.”
That's it. I'm SOLD! Lol. That, and the fact that you mentioned the book seems to be more about character development, which is always a win for me. **Sigh** Yet another book to add to the list…
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Oh, and the first review got me so intrigued about the immortality and everything and then after the second I'm not quite sure if I should read it. ;o I so don't like when the stories are basically the same. And it doesn't sound too promising on other points either… But I'm still curious… Maybe I should do some more investigation on the first one! Lol. Great reviews!
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I keep seeing 'Immortal beloved' around and really need to get reading them. I like these covers too, they are so pretty.
Great reviews Missie!
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Okay I didn't read the Darkness Falls review because I have the book to read. I enjoyed Immortal Beloved. I thought it was different and I wondered about the need Nastasya's Immortal Party friends had for her. I gave her a nickname but it wasn't very nice. In Immortal Beloved they partied hard and were ruthless. Have you read The Alchemy of Forever? It's a bit of a mishmash of this series and Alyson Noel's Evermore. Anyway, I'm hoping I find something good in Darkness Falls. I wanted some action or something from it. Not a rehash. It's taken so long to come out. Bummer!
Heather
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Thanks for posting this review…I have seen these books a lot in the stores so I have been really curious about the series itself. I am always a little iffy about some of the newer vampire series but this one sounds like it's alright.
I think the thing that perked my interest most in your review was the “How hard would it be to hold on to your moral compass if time stretched on forever? Not only does Immortal Beloved do an excellent job of exploring an answer to that very question, it also examines several others like it” question. I like books like that which really call attention to the internal moral views of vampires. So maybe next time I am in the store I will pick this book up! Thanks for sharing
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Well, this series really isn't about vampires. My opening line there confused a lot of people, sorry about that. But it's a very interesting look what it means to be immortal.
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Oh, sorry to hear the second book was pretty much the same as the first. Bummer. Thanks for the reviews. And I love these covers.
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Wow, Missie, I've never heard of this series before but the cover is so gorgeous. Awesome review! I'm glad you enjoyed the book! Thank you for sharing!
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Dang. I really liked the first book because I had a lot of hopeful ideas about what the second book would be about. I still want to read them but I can wait now. Also I really dislike the new covers.
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I keep seeing Cate's name everywhere. I was thinking I need to pick up something of hers and read it. But I'm glad I read your reviews. Save me a little time, some time I can spend on better reads.
Amy @ http://www.bookgoonie.com
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I was intrigued but I think I'd be more interesting if it had a faster pace. I'm not sure what I think about the covers. They are different but…hmm… I'm not sure I'm a fan.
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Hmm, yeah. I would probably have a very hard time taking any 450-year-old seriously who said WTF and OMG, since I don't usually take teens seriously when they say that. Besides that though, I'm actually loving that this one has no epic love affair in the traditional sense. Very refreshing. I was ready to write it off actually, having read that title.
…
And now having read your review for the second book, I'm back to being annoyed. I know I would find it frustrating to find a character who hasn't gone through very much growth and repeats the same mistakes. I think I'll probably end up skipping this series now. Unfortunately, I think there are many other books that I need to get to that are more important right now.
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