The Eternal Ones by Kirsten Miller

August 2010, Razorbill 

416 pages, Paperback

Review copy 

Young Adult 

Power of religion in a community, past lives, New York, Rome, multitude of plot twists, some moderate romance, snakes, dressmaking, scary stalkers

Summary from Penguin 

Haven Moore has always known she's different: there are the talents that can't be explained; the knowledge of places she's never been; and then there are the visions that overwhelm her - terrifying visions of a life that ended tragically two decades earlier and more than a thousand miles away in New York City. The citizens of Haven's rural, highly religious community, believe that she's been possessed by a demon. But this is no demon: it's reincarnation.

Haven journeys all the way to Manhattan in search of clues about her past life and a decades-old murder. One wrong move could lead her into the clutches of the sinister villain at the center of a conspiracy much larger than she could have ever imagined. But if she makes the right choices, Haven will find the answers she's been seeking her entire life.

This is an epic and thrilling romance set in the snake-handling churches of Appalachia, the dusty ruins of ancient Rome, and the grand mansions of Manhattan. THE ETERNAL ONES tells the story of the first battle in a war between undying love and eternal evil.

Nayuleska's thoughts 

Wow. I finished reading this a few minutes ago, and wow. Just...wow. Initially I thought the story was straight forward. There were a lot of questions about why Haven was having the flashbacks, and who was really after her. I thought I understood. Then, as the story unfolded, I didn't know what to think. Haven gets told so many different sides to the story that I'm amazed to have learnt the truth by the end of the book. Haven is such a fun character. She's always been an outcast in her little community. Her grandmother is a force to be reckoned with. Thankfully there is a greater force which influences Haven's actions. 

There were a lot of heart in mouth moments for me. I nearly bawled my eyes out at the end. Kirsten really knows how to put her readers on the edge of their seats. At first I thought Haven was a little bit impulsive in the way she tore out of town. The reasons behind it were valid, but once she met Iain I thought he was a scumbag. My thoughts yo-yo-ed from scumbag to saviour right until the end. Mind you, I thought that about everyone apart from Haven's mother, grandmother, and her friend Beau. I didn't like the snake on the cover, or the snakes in the book. I did love the detail in the story of the environment, of the dresses which Haven makes. I sensed her passion for sewing, and also for wanting to learn the truth about her life now, and her lives in the past. This book exceeded my initial expectations of it. 

Final conclusion 

If you want your head to spin at the directions the plot takes, if you're after some action, read this book. 

Haven and Iain's adventure isn't over yet - the next book is out August 2011

There are two websites to check out on the Eternal Ones, The Ouroboro Society and The Eternal Ones

Definitely check out Lauren Kate's Fallen and Torment, which look at past lives and angels.