Blog Tour for Eternally Yours by Cate Tiernan; Review + Q&A with Cate.

Posted by Guest Reviewer Melanie.
Release Date: January 17th, 2013

Finished Date: November 2012

Publishers: Hodder & Stoughton
Source: For Review 

Format: Paperback 

Pages: 455
Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US / The Book Depo

After 450 years of living, Nastasya Crowe should have more of a handle on this whole immortal thing....

After a deadly confrontation at the end of Darkness Falls, the second Immortal Beloved novel, Nastasya Crowe is, as she would put it, so over the drama. She fights back against the dark immortals with her own brand of kick-butt magick...but can she fight against true love? In the satisfying finale to the Immortal Beloved trilogy, ex-party-girl immortal Nastasya ends a 450-year-old feud and learns what “eternally yours” really means.

Laced with historical flashbacks and laugh-out-loud dialogue, the Immortal Beloved trilogy is a fascinating and unique take on what it would mean to live forever.

The Review: 4.5 Stars! What an awesome end to the series!

Following the end of Darkness falls, Nasty finds herself back at River’s Edge in the care of the people she has come to depend on. What she went through and the revelations she found out are having a lasting effect on her, making her question herself and her relationships once again but one thing is for sure – she’s glad it’s over….. but is it? Just as things start to settle and she finds herself in a nice routine, some unexpected visitors arrive and it soon becomes clear that Nasty is unwanted, they believe that wherever she is… trouble will follow, along with the dark magic and she should leave for the greater good. Nasty wants to do what she does best and run but how can she abandon these people who have helped her so much? Especially when strange things start to happen around River’s Edge, things dying, strange burnt circles surrounding the entire house not to mention that other Immortal’s are being killed in their own homes overseas…. Will they be next? And then there is Reyn, what is between them? Will there ever be a future for them, when all of their history has been against them?

I really liked this book, it was a very fitting conclusion and I’m happy with the outcome. I love when I read a whole series and I feel satisfied at the end, makes reading it worthwhile but I am sorry to be leaving these characters behind because Nasty has been so fun to read, her humour has always been very uplifting to what could, given the circumstances, have been a very solemn read and its one of the things that kept me reading. I’ve been routing for her since book one and it is great to see all of her endeavours come to fruition. I was seeing a lot of myself in her to be honest because I myself am going through some therapy and I was noticing some of the techniques that where being applied particularly mindfulness and challenging the automatic negative thoughts plus Nasty’s need to escape when the emotions became too much, so it has me wondering what I might not have picked up on in the previous books and thinking that basically the trilogy has been like following one person on their therapy journey – which I really liked. I loved the romance with Reyn, sometimes it seemed so impossible for the pair to come together, be it because of their shared histories or what type of people they were and I love that it developed extra slowly, so tentatively as they each found their feet, testing how they felt about each other and how they felt they could cope in a relationship. I liked also that it wasn’t just the man who was stand offish and that they didn’t just jump into it, it made it so much sweeter throughout the trilogy as they gradually got closer and realised how much they felt for each other.

I wondered where the storyline was going to go following book two because Incy was sort of took out of the equation and he was the main threat to Nasty, but everything you learn in this will show you what has really been going on and I had no clue until the very end which was a major plus for me because it seldom happens. I liked the new characters that came into this, I find myself very curious about them and wondering if they have possibilities for a spin off book, particularly Joshua. Now, because a lot that happens in this book is new and very revealing, I can’t really go into the plot of fear of revealing its secrets – but what I can tell you is that the danger & fear factors are amped up giving it a more psychological warfare feel, there are some revelations of the heart, there are some breakthroughs, a huge amount of humanitarianism (check that word out!) and there are a good few revelations, all leading up to a very epic ending that will leave you on the edge of your seat. I also liked the overall theme & messages I got from the books about being ourselves, being a better person no matter your past, giving others the chance to change and overcome, without judgement because let’s face it… none of us are perfect, letting people in emotionally, I could go on – but one thing I know for certain, I will definitely remember this trilogy. 

Thank you to Hodder for the opportunity to review this book. 

Author Interview with  Cate Tiernan, author of the Immortal Beloved Trilogy.

How did you come up with the idea for the trilogy?

The character of Nastasya is based loosely on a character from my Balefire series. I wanted to show a character who seemed irredeemable, just awful, and then show how she could redeem herself.

What made you put this different spin on an immortal?

Is it a different spin? I guess everyone has his or her own ideas of what an immortal (or vampire, or witch) is like--I just wrote the world in Immortal Beloved as I think it makes sense. This is the version of immortals that seems the most realistic and natural. 

The therapy has been a major factor in the series, did you want it to be like a rehab for immortals? Did you research this?

Yes, I wanted it to be a lot like rehab. I didn't do specific research into what rehab would be like, but I drew on various self-help books, and also my own personal beliefs about life and forgiveness.

What message do you want readers to come away with after reading the books?

That it's never too late to save yourself. And that one must save oneself--no one else can or should do it for you. Make your own decisions, take responsibility for your own actions, steer your own ship.

Who was your favourite character?

Oh, geez. I guess I know Nastasya the best, and I do love and admire her, even if she is annoying. But I love all the characters--Reyn, River, Brynne--all of them.

Who could you see playing Nasty & Reyn in a movie (other characters if you wish)

I never know how to answer this! I guess i could see Elle or Dakota Fanning as Nastasya? For Reyn, I just don't know--he should be the love child of Nickolaj Coster-Waldau and Chris Hemsworth.

What’s next for you? Any new books in the pipeline?

There's always something! Right now I'm working on a new trilogy for Simon Pulse, and I'm loving it! 

We asked our followers on the blogs face book page whether they would like to ask any questions, so this is what they came up with – a lot of people were interested in the Sweep questions..

From Elizabeth C Samione: Do you plan on revisiting the ‘Sweep’ series at any point? 

It would be so fun to see where life has taken Morgan and Hunter, but continuing Sweep is difficult because of the shared copyright. But I know what happens in my head . . .

From Elizabeth C Samione: Do you plan on touring? 

I would love to! If my publisher wants to send me out on tour, I would go!

From Melissa Portillo:  Do you still think about your characters Morgan and Hunter from Sweep? 

I do. Not to be all full of myself. But to me they're so real, they still exist, I know how their lives turned out. I think about them often. I actually reread Sweep every so often because I love it so much.

From Karen Connor: Do you have plans for any spin off books from the Immortal Beloved series? 

I've had some really fun ideas--it could go in a bunch of directions. Right now I'm working on this new trilogy, and then we'll see. You never know.

From Melissa Symonds: Out of all the books you have written, what is your favourite? 

I love all of them for different reasons. I have a nostalgic love for Sweep, because they were my first YAs and I love Morgan and Hunter so much. I love Balefire in part because it's set in New Orleans, my hometown, and I got to write about all the places I loved. And I love Immortal Beloved because I love Nastasya and Reyn, and I think the three books are, in some ways, the best books I've written. 

About Author: Cate Tiernan was born in New Orleans, LA. She loves the idea of magick, and tries to write worlds that she would prefer to live in. She currently lives in North Carolina with her husband, four children, and many pets.