Review: Eternal

Eternal
Cynthia Leitich Smith
Vampires and Angels

At last, Miranda is the life of the party: all she had to do was die. Elevated and adopted by none other than the reigning King of the Mantle of Dracul, Miranda goes from high-school theater wannabe to glamorous royal fiend overnight. Meanwhile, her reckless and adoring guardian angel, Zachary, demoted to human guise as the princess’s personal assistant, has his work cut out for him trying to save his girl’s soul and plan the Master’s fast-approaching Death Day gala. In alternating points of view, Miranda and Zachary navigate a cut-throat eternal aristocracy as they play out a dangerous and darkly hilarious love story for the ages. 

So what with my practically nonexistent reading time and this seemingly endless reading slump, Eternal was just my cup of tea. Allow me to say BEST FIRST PAGE EVER. This wasn't the book I had PLANNED to read over the weekend but God, with an opening like that I just couldn't resist. 

I had read Tantalize, which is the author's other novel (you don't need to read them together- totally different cast) set in this universe, a while ago and while I thought it was pretty good it was also weird and a little unclear. I can delightedly tell you that while Eternal was deliciously eccentric, I was able to follow the whole thing - actually, race through it was more like. 

Zachary, first off, was sooooo cute and funny. I love how he loved Miranda all her life and really was willing to cross lines for her, even though she didn't even know of his existence. I absolutely adored how he called her 'my girl' and never gave up on her even when she became a bratty vampire. This story was really special in my eyes because it had true love in it without making a big deal of it like in most other stories, especially in YA. 

Miranda goes through a MAJOR change it the book, and there aren't many chapters for you to get to know her before the vampire transformation. After the bite the book skips a few months past Miranda's 'soul sickness' period - the time after the bite where she still retains her humanity and is disgusted with the vampiric way of life. Even so, I felt that I got to know her enough that I was able to relate to her, and her gradual development from a self-entitled vampire princess willing to murder back into the girl she once was was a really well-written journey. 

I totally was not anticipating that ending, another point in Eternal's favor. Basically, READ THIS BOOK if you like alternate, fantastical universes (Smith's books are set in the 21st century just with the open existence of vampires and werepeople), romance, and really good humor and vampire jokes. Rating: 


Love,
Esty