What a brilliant ending to the trilogy!

Firstly, thank you to Namina Forna for including a series recap at the beginning of the book - super useful before diving straight back into the action!

This book is SO fast-paced: we jump straight into the action with Deka and friends regrouping and embarking on their biggest adventure yet, to locate Deka’s divinity and bring peace to Otera. Of course, this isn’t as simple as I make it sound and there are plenty of challenges along the way.

I love the strong message in this trilogy that women can be whoever and whatever they want to be. The overarching theme is completely empowering and kept me rooting for Deka throughout all three books.

My favourite thing about the books is the characters. Not only do I adore Deka as our protagonist but her loyal friendships are a true reflection of found family. Ixa is the best companion for Deka and I particularly enjoyed learning more about him and his kind.

Overall a brilliant ending to the trilogy, I couldn’t put it down and loved how it ended!

Thank you to Usborne, Namina Forna and NetGalley for my early review copy in exchange of a fair and honest review.

The Gilded fantasy series was an excellent one and this is the great conclusion of this series. Gripping and fascinating.
A very satisfying last novel
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

First of all thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This action packed conclusion to this trilogy did not disappoint and was fitting to the story.

Forna developed the world-building that they had started in the previous two books fantastically. It all fit with the history and the magic mechanics that they had created.

While a lot happens, the book continues to focuse on Deka and because of the first person POV we learn as she does. This book got quite emotional in places.

The development of all the characters was very well done and in line with who they have been throughout. The inclusiveness and acceptance from the characters within this book continues to be seamlessly woven in.
Ixa is and will forever be, my favourite character.

I really enjoyed this book and this trilogy as a whole and would recommend giving it a read.

With The Eternal Ones, Forna brings this epic YA trilogy to a close in bombastic style.

This has excellent world-building, characterisation and even more twists. However, at its core, this has always been Deka’s story and she remains fully in focus. This entire trilogy has been fascinating to witness as she grew and evolved into her full power. It is very much centred around destiny, fate and being comfortable within yourself. You are more than your prescribed role and there are infinite possibilities for you, waiting just beyond reach. Deka’s journey exemplifies that in an empowering message and this is particularly important for young Black girls who get to see a brilliant, brave, vulnerable and complex heroine who looks like them stand proud on the covers. This trilogy is blazing trails in so many ways, but also sits happily in the growing shelves of Black excellence within YA literature. Long may it continue.

The world building in this book was absolutely fantastic. That has been a real strength of this trilogy, going from level to level of excellent worldbuilding. From mythologies, landscapes and cultures to individualised detail of a sprawling world, Forna has had it down pat. Without giving anything away, we encounter some of my favourite parts of the series here. We learn so much more about this world and its inhabitants, which adds new depth to previous events and also just sticks in my brain as powerful and beautifully crafted imagery. Forna’s writing is so incredibly immersive and her characterisation soars. There is a throughline about grief that really stuck with me. This is both bereavement for lost loved ones but also a grief for the person you used to be. It is profound and heart-breaking as it is stunning and strengthening. As I have come to expect from this series, there are also some jaw-dropping twists in store. Every action has consequences and these are some far reaching ones indeed. The way the entire trilogy fits together by the end is just fantastic.

The Eternal Ones brings an amazing YA fantasy trilogy to a close in truly fantastic fashion.

(Minor spoilers if you’ve not read the other two! I’ve tried to keep it as spoiler free as possible so hopefully there’s not too much if you plan to start the series..)

In this final book of the trilogy, Deka and her friends are finding what it means to help Deka fulfil her destiny, whether it’s one she chose or not.

Wow what an ending to this trilogy! I finished the first book back in June 2021 and I can honestly say that Deka has stayed with me this whole time.

If you’ve followed me for a while then you’ll know I absolutely adore this series. We have incredible young women fighting for what’s right in a patriarchal world set on keeping them quiet and under control. Friends have stuck by her side from beginning and their bonds only strengthen as we continue their journey.

The Eternal Ones is no different in this aspect. Deka faces more hardships and disappointments as she finishes her quest. She’s grown so much through the books but she’s still a young woman, she still is learning how to cope with all that’s thrown at her and honestly I love that about her. She’s still a bit messy and can’t believe how unfair it is sometimes, but she’s also fiercely loyal to her friends and refuses to give up.

This was a fitting end to a woman who will go down in fictional history in my eyes. I sobbed my way through the last 40 or so pages. I know I’m going to miss them all.

If you’re a YA fantasy fan I cannot recommend this series enough. Please do yourself a favour and pick it up this year.

I was extremely excited to read the final instalment in this series and very pleased to have been granted early access to this title!

I really loved the first two books in this series and unfortunately I felt that I didn’t love this one as much. I still enjoyed it, but some parts felt quite confusing at times to remember who was who and to visualise all of the fantasy elements.

I liked Deka’s character development and the role of Ixa in this story. I also appreciated that the romance aspect was slowed down, and the characters realised that they did not need to rush their relationship. Overall, I feel like it was a good conclusion to the series and look forward to more titles from this author.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Usborne and Namina Forna for early access to this title.

I started this trilogy reading in the sunshine in 2021, and have just finished this the third book (now 2024). You don’t need to wait patiently, as I did, for the next publication date to read the next instalment. My advice is to start at the beginning if you are new to Deka and her story. You will have lots of entertaining reading ahead. If you’ve read the first two books then you are in for another treat. This third book was a joy to read. The pan-African set story once more sees Deka, along with her friends, continuing to fight the Gods in a race to save the world. Lots of interesting creatures and characters again pepper the story, some beautiful and helpful, others not so. Then there are the self-serving tribal priests, probably the worst of the lot. The author brings this series to an exciting conclusion. Thank you to Usborne Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC. The views expressed are all mine.

The Eternal Ones was a fantastic conclusion to a trilogy that I started and completed in 2024. This book follows Deka and her group as they embark on a quest for her to achieve divinity and defeat the corrupted gods of Otera. The central theme revolves around Deka coming to terms with sacrificing her humanity and navigating her relationships with loved ones.

I had a great time with this book and really enjoyed how the story and world expanded. In the previous books, Deka follows other gods in their quest and is manipulated throughout. However, in The Eternal Ones, she becomes a leader and finds her own path in the world, which was amazing to see. We also get to explore a lot more of the world outside of Otera, which was really nice. The cast of characters expanded, and the world opened up with endless possibilities. My absolute favorite part, however, contains a massive spoiler for the ending, so I won't go into it. But let's just say I found the choices Deka makes refreshing…

This would have been a five-star read for me if it weren't for some pacing issues. The story was enjoyable, and the characters were extremely lovable. However, I felt that the quest for her divinity was excessively prolonged. Most of the time, we simply travel back and forth in the world searching for Deka's power, without getting to see much of anything else that is happening.

Overall, I found this to be an enjoyable young adult (YA) story that I'm glad I read. The series as a whole presents an intriguing magic system and explores important topics. I would recommend it to anyone interested in reading a YA fantasy series.

WOW, this book! I loved this series from the very first book and I was on the edge of my seat waiting for this one. So sad that the story has come to an end but what a story it is! Exceptional world-building, cinematic descriptions and a sweeping epic fantasy that I could not stop thinking about. How is this not yet a movie? Or a multi-season show? I'd watch it over and over. Phenomenal.

The Deathless Series fast became a favourite YA Fantasy series of mine when I read book 1 a few years ago. I absolutely loved this rich fantasy world full of lies and deception and I absolutely zoomed through the first two books. Due to this, there were no words for how excited I was to get an ARC of the final book in this series. I was so excited to dive in and to see how it all ended for Deka and her friends. Honestly, I was a little bit disappointed in this one. I don’t know whether it was because of the mood I was in at the time of reading, but I found the pacing of this one really slow and I kept losing interest.

I am so sad that I didn’t love this one just as much as the first two books. I completely accept that there were lots of things to put into place before we could have the big fight but honestly, it took far too long to get there for me. We have really been building up to this big war between Deka and the Gilded Ones for three books and I was so excited to see this big epic battle in this book. The fact that it still hadn’t started by the time I got 70% through this book was a big disappointment to me. We took far too long building up to it and it felt really anticlimactic to me.

I did really enjoy the characters in this series. One of my favourite parts of this series is the abundance of fantastic characters. I loved each and every one of them and to see them get their ending was so satisfying. I am really glad I picked up The Eternal Ones and this does still remain a great series and one I would definitely re-read. At the time of reading this book, I had been reading a lot of fantasy books so a part of me feels like maybe I was just in the wrong frame of mind to read it, and feeling a little book slumpy. I will probably re-read this one at a different time to see if my feelings change towards it in the future, but as of now, I was a little bit disappointed.

I absolutely ate up this series and I am both sad and very excited by The Eternal Ones. Deka's final confrontation with the false gods determined to consume her and remould Otera into a hellscape is full of fresh surprises, betrayals, revelations, and heartbreak.
Deka wrestles with her path back to reclaiming her divinity reluctant to leave her friends and her chance for a joyful peaceful human life behind, not least of all Keita whose trauma and grief is explored in this installment.
Forna brilliantly pulls the series together with a bittersweet ending that hits all the right notes without being too easy.

I've genuinely loved this world and the way Firms constantly upped the stakes and twisted the outcomes and I can't wait to see what comes next.

Amazing end to a brilliant series. A well written book with all the twists and turns you expect from this series.
The book is engaging and keeps you on your toes. Never can predict what's going to happen next

The long-awaited finale of the Gilded Ones series is finally upon us! After reading books 1 and 2 in 2022, I’ve been ready and waiting to get my hands on book 3 so a huge thankyou to Netgalley, the publishers and Namina!

Unfortunately, I didn’t love The Eternal Ones as much as I have the previous two. Whilst as the reader we discover things at the same pace as Deka, the major elaborate plot twist felt a little too convenient to introduce a huge change in book 3. I did find visualising some of this book a challenge because there is such a huge cast of characters and the fantasy felt quite complex (and maybe wasn’t explained too well?). The small reminders back to the previous books were useful to refresh the memory. As with the rest of the series, Forna does a great job of making the cast diverse and inclusive.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

This final book in the Deathless trilogy brings us back to Otera. The fate of the world is on Deka's shoulders; with the help of her friends will she be able to save it.

This was a fantastic conclusion to the series. I loved learning more about Keita's back story.

I appreciated the social commentary on the patriarchy, gender and gender roles.

Huge thanks to the author and publisher for the chance to read this ARC, in exchange for an honest review. I have truly loved this series and was thrilled to be able to read The Eternal Ones. There’s so many emotions running through this book, love and ,friendship shines throughout, culminating in an unmissable final chapter. The Gilded Ones series has become one of my favourites of all time. I’m going to miss it, but I cannot wait to see what Namina Forma writes next.

*Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton, Hodderscape for providing me with this book in exchange for an honest review*

This was such a great ending to a favorite trilogy. I loved Deka and Keita and all the gang. It's been an amazing ride and I can't wait to read more books from Namina Forna. I mean I'll read ANYTHING she writes.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ARC for me to review.

After the disappointment I felt with The Merciless Ones and the unfortunate case of second-book syndrome, I was concerned about The Eternal Ones as a conclusion to the trilogy. However, I was happy to say that most problems I had with book 2 were dramatically improved for book 3.

The Merciless Ones was a book bridging a gap between Deka growing into power and Deka fulfilling her potential, however this gap was smaller than it could have been and was dragged out to be more than it had to be. Immediately, however, The Eternal Ones fixed its pacing and felt cohesive and well structured. Each act felt the appropriate length and nothing was over extended or rushed. This was a much welcomed improvement that meant I flew through this book in about 48 hours.

I enjoyed that the characterisation of Keita felt strongly improved, expanding on his backstory and giving him dimension so he stood on his own too feet again without leaning on Deka, which it felt like he did for much of book 2. It didn’t feel like he was fighting with Britta for Deka’s love and attention anymore, he was enjoyable in his own right. Furthermore, Deka’s character was ever growing and I loved seeing the inner conflicts of her journey. She was as relatable as someone battling with her impending ascension to godhood could be.

However, I do feel like there was a lot lost in the discussion of gender. Books 1 and 2 brought a lot to think about on the topic of male and female power, as well as the role that binary, or rather non-binary plays in this world. There had been characters whose gender was looked at through Deka’s relationship with identity such as the alaki and the Gilded Ones as mothers and women, and the Idugu, jatu, Deka’s father and the priests and Elders of her old life. We had discussions of male vs female and the separation of the gods, previously genderless. We had the importance of identity for White Hands as well as a minor non-binary character. The Eternal Ones seemed to not acknowledge these discussions to the point of potential erasure which was slightly disappointing, acting as if any education and exploration of the binary and gender had concluded, no longer having space in these good. As someone who explored their gender identity late in life, it is so SO important for these discussions to continue, especially in a series that focused so heavily on the female experience at first.

Overall, this was a satisfactory conclusion to a trilogy that definitely has a place in YA fantasy. It is unique and beneficial to the target audience to help girls of colour feel seen, giving a voice to black women in a genre still dominated by straight white cisgendered.

Deka must kill the gods. In order to do so she must find the source of her divinity, and save herself plus her homeland of Otera. The search leads them to a new realm which is a door to Deka's past, her truth. Inevitably she will have to make the decision to be reborn as a god and lose everyone. Or the world will end.

From the very beginning the narrative dips into the heat of the story, an all-encompassing weaving of the 1st person POV. I have always and continue to love how Deka's thoughts and emotions are expressed — the quiet intensity — how the images of this world come alive with the powerful writing. We experience what she experiences. The foreboding and danger follow us in close proximity.

The characters are beautifully developed and I so like how Deka's group cares for each other, the epitome of found family (Ixa is my fave). Their faith is inspiring. You will love watching Deka's journey to her potential.

The author does exciting so well, the sense of urgency quite potent. This finale is high stakes and I'm loving it. The already rich mythology is expanded once more. So much happens but the unfurling of the plot and flow of the story are handled admirably. I really enjoy how surprising it is.

This book is about the mightiness of women, inner strength, claiming your power and being who you are. It condemns the lust for control over others. It reminds us how we are all connected, all living things to each other. There is a great respect for the world we live in. Last but not least, there are lessons of courage, intention and life.

Awestruck is how I feel about this finale and its epicness. All the stars for this finale and the series as a whole. Namina Forna is a force to be reckoned with when it comes to fantasy.

This whole series by Namina Forna are just so good. This was a great ending to the series, and I look forward to reading more from this author!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this eARC of 'The Eternal Ones' by Namina Forna.

'The Eternal Ones' is the final book in the Deathless Trilogy by Namina Forna and she ended it so well. This whole trilogy has been a masterpiece but this book really takes the cake. The characters still getting development was beautiful to me mixed in with the luscious storytelling - I hope Forna's next work is soon because I will honestly reread this trilogy over and over again.
There is a battle midway through that I need to mention without giving away spoilers. The detail Forna gave to this battle was utter PERFECTION and honestly, I hope this series makes Forna a household name. Thank you for finishing the trilogy well.