The Eternal Ones by Namina Forna | Book Review

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.

The Eternal Ones by Namina Forna
Series: Deathless #3
Published by Delacorte Press on February 13, 2024
Genres: YA Fantasy, LGBT, BIPOC
Pages: 480
Format: Paperback
Source: Purchased

Content Warnings: Sexism, Misogyny, Body Horror, Racism, Death, Disownment, Torture, Mutilation, Starvation, Trauma, Sexual Violence, Death of Parent
Rating:

Mere weeks after confronting the Gilded Ones—the false beings she once believed to be her family—Deka is on the hunt. In order to kill the gods, whose ravenous competition for power is bleeding Otera dry, she must uncover the source of her divinity. But with her mortal body on the verge of ruin, Deka is running out of time—to save herself and an empire that’s tearing itself apart at its seams. When Deka’s search leads her and her friends to the edge of the world as they know it, they discover an astonishing new realm, one which holds the key to Deka’s past. Yet it also illuminates a devastating decision she must soon make… Choose to be reborn as a god, losing everyone she loves in the process. Or bring about the end of the world.

The Eternal Ones is the epic conclusion to Forna's Deathless series and did it go out with a bang! The final book is fast-paced, engaging, character and plot-driven; basically everything you want in a book. Forna's writing developed beautifully over the course of this series, culminating in a fantastical conclusion that left my jaw on the floor and my eyes welling with tears.

“I realize that fate isn't just due to some remote deity pushing a poor mortal toward an outcome that they wished. Fate also happens because an individual pushes themselves, pulls the threads of the universe a little their way.”

I do not want to give away the plot or spoilers in this series, but I will say this; the final twist was beautifully done, with Deka pulling on the threads of fate to rewrite the course of history. I am not going to say it is shocking or comes out of nowhere (the story leads us to the final conclusions effortlessly), but it was a beautiful turn of events. The final couple of scenes broke my heart into a million pieces...for the girls, the gods, and everyone involved in our story. Sometimes we are faced with impossible decisions and hardships and must find a way back into the light. Deka certainly does just that.

I loved watching our diverse group of characters really grow into their own, as their relationships with each other blossomed into such fierce loyalty, no matter what hardships they faced. The love they shared for each other, both familial and not, were so well done. I actually felt like I was there, witnessing these kids grow up. Forna shows young readers what friendship actually means and it was wonderful to behold.

“I've never needed you, Keita ... But I've always wanted you. More than anything, I've wanted you ... You're not a need, Keita, you're not an obligation to me. What you are is my happiness, my delight. When I didn't believe that there was good in the world, there was you. You're my comfort and joy, and I hope I'm the same for you.”

While the love between Deka and Keita felt clunky in the first book, by the time we reach the ending of of the Deathless series it felt natural. It was a love to make the whole world jealous; a love born out of shared mutual respect and trust, not just desire or need. Keita is everything a woman wants in a partner: helpful, devoted, honest, emotionally intelligent, and selfless. He is the epitome of "if he wanted to he would."

Above all else, I love Forna's commentary on the patriarchy, feminism, and community. In the end, it took the entire village to bring about a better and brighter future, where people are free to love and exist in their truest forms. No longer were women or men subservient to the other, but instead equal on the playing field of life. We also see the strength of women together, and how even the patriarchy could not turn them against each other as it so often does in our own society. Young people need more books modeling such love and respect; even some adults need it. The Eternal Ones is an absolute masterclass in empathy.