Fantasy Friday: Eternal

Eternal, by Cynthia Leitich Smith


Published by: Candlewick Press
Pages: 320
Reading Level: 14 and Up
Enjoyment Level: High


There isn’t much history to me getting this book. I should say that I haven’t read Tantalize yet, and I really only picked the two up because the author was at the SCBWI conference in February. Good reason to buy books, right? But since when do I need a reason to buy books?

Eternal follows Zachary, a guardian angel, and Miranda, the soul he was supposed to guard. Zachary fails in his job and Miranda becomes an evil bloodsucker, aka, an eternal. She becomes royalty as the “daughter” of the current Dracula. When Miranda looks for a personal assistant, Zachary takes the position and tries to complete his original job of protecting her soul.

So… the story wasn’t quite what I expected. It didn’t take me long to finish it because I was invested in the characters, but I can’t help feeling like I wanted it to go in a different direction. It ended the way it was set up to end, so I feel like the author did her job, but the darker side of me wishes it could’ve been different for Zachary and Miranda.

This is another one with great characters. Zachary is likeable and Miranda is inherently tragic. The dialogue is snappy, and the supporting cast adds to the mix, too. The treatment of religion and spirituality was handled well, considering this is a story about an angel and a vampire. The world (the same as in Tantalize) is an interesting blend of fantasy and reality.

There is an instance with Miranda’s character development near the end of the book that I felt went unsupported, or at least underdeveloped, and it made the climax feel rushed. The twist with Dracula was fun, and I was appropriately chagrined that I hadn’t seen it coming.

I’ll recommend this one with the tiny reservation that you should know what you’re getting into before you read it. The story starts out with Zachary watching over Miranda to make sure her soul is “saved” and it ends with him making good on his job. I’ll let you come to your own conclusion about what that means, lol. If you don’t want to read a story about star-crossed lovers, don’t pick this one up. But if you don’t mind and want to get swept up in some good characters and good story-telling, by all means – this should be in your to-be-read pile.

Until next time, go read something good!

~ Vilate

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