Member Reviews
In the final installment of the Gilded Ones Trilogy, Deka and her friends go on a journey to find Deka’s godliness, the only thing that can give them the power to end the corrupt Oteran Gods.
This series looks at what it means to exist under a system meant to oppress you, to make you feel less than. In this final book we watch Deka go on a journey of self discovery where she must decide who she wants to be without the constraints of an oppressive society. This book is a thrilling conclusion to Deka’s story and is a must read if you enjoyed the first two books.
I received an advanced reader copy of this book from the publisher and Netgally in exchange for my honest review. This did not effect my rating.
I sometimes find trilogies really difficult to rate because a lot of the time there is so much happening in the first and second books that the third one either moves to slow, or moves to quickly to wrap everything up.
However I did not feel this way about Dekas story. I truly enjoyed Deka as a character, and as a diverse character at that. The story was unique and held my attention. I was interested in the characters as people and individuals and was able to picture what happened in the book vividly.
I would definitely recommend this series.
4.5 stars
Fantasy is a hit or miss situation for me, but this trilogy has been an absolute hit from start to finish.
Deka is a compelling m.c., and readers who have done this right - those who read the first two books in advance of this final installment of the trilogy - will be well acquainted with exactly why that's the case. Like the earlier books, the feminist elements, Deka's growth, and discussions about identity are all highlights. There's also continued opportunity for readers to delve into the relationship between Deka and those characters who have come to play important roles in her journey.
Readers who have traveled with Deka will enjoy the wrap-up in this trilogy ending effort.
Thank you to NetGalley and Delacorte for the ARC, all thoughts are my own!
The Eternal Ones starts off in the thick of things and doesn't spend much time catching up the reader. If it's been a while since you've read the last book, I would definitely recommend rereading the first two or finding a summary online.
For a final installment, there was a lot of new lore that was either only briefly introduced in previous installments or this was the first time it was mentioned. For the most part, I felt like the new lore was well-incorporated and helped progress the story.
The Eternal Ones focused a lot more on the internal plot than on the relationships between the characters, and I think the story suffered a bit for lacking the easy banter of the earlier books. It's not that it wasn't there, it just ended up taking a back burner and I would have loved to see more of it.
After sobbing through the last 50 pages, I had no choice but to rate it 5 stars.
This book was amazing! The world building/ magic system was amazing. I loved the conclusion to the series. The romance was so good!
Book 3 took a long time trying to get to the goal of the book! I felt like some of the stuff could have been shorten! But the ending was good! Overall, it was great to see Deka, Britta and their found family fight for their lives to save the world! Especially Deka! The series was a 4.5 ⭐️ for me!
Thank you to Turn The Page tours and Penguin Teen for my gifted copy. All opinions are my own.
As far as series finishers - this was so good. It wrapped up so much, and we still got the adventure and the building of relationships. Though I do wish the feminine power theme continued a bit stronger in this book. It almost felt that what we started out, is not where we finished.
Deka did feel a bit more grown up/grown into her powers and understanding her responsibilities. But also, the switch did happen very fast.
Overall a good series, that I'd recommend for those that want more of girl power/burn the system down kind of story with interesting magic system.
What a perfect-and yet so sad- end to this series! As always, this book is a perfect combination of external and internal conflict for all of our characters. I appreciated the growth that we saw in all of them both across the series and in this book alone.
I love Deka and her family. I will miss them greatly and I am so glad to have met them.
in this finale to the deathless trilogy, deka is determined to take down the gods, which requires her figuring out the source of her own divinity.
i’ve been keeping up with this series since 2021, so it was very hard to say goodbye to everyone with this book! i really wasn’t sure what to expect with this book, yet somehow it still exceeded my expectations. i absolutely loved how deka was out for vengeance and had to make her own way. there were also side characters, old and new, who got their page time and i really enjoyed them. the plot also kept me entranced and i think everything played out in an interesting way.
i highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoyed the previous two books!
I received a free eARC from NetGalley of The Gilded Ones #3: The Eternal Ones by Namina Forna.
Welcome back to Otera and the adventures of Deka! Deka, now armed with the truth of who and what she is, must now go on a quest to find her hidden essence. Meanwhile, ancient rivalries between gods are threatening to tear Otera apart. Deka is going to have to make hard choices, to either save the world, or help bring about it's ruin.
Fantastic ending to a fantastic series. Forna does the Chosen One Prophecy trope so well, giving us a rich world, a strong female lead, and the sacrifices that women must make to change the world.
I have so much love for Deka and this series. I love everything from the writing to the cover of the book. It has been a joy to go through life with Deka and to see it come to this conclusion so perfectly is exactly how you end a series. It was so very good!
An emotional ending to a wonderful series. This is one of my top 3 fantasy series and I’m heartbroken that it’s come to an end. The author does a great job with world building, character development and taking my emotions on a roller coaster, which is exactly what I feel like I’ve been on. I don’t want to give the book away but I will say that I would recommend this to any and everyone that’s a fan of fantasy novels.
The Eternal Ones is the action-packed conclusion to The Gilded Ones trilogy. Deka and her friends have been pushed to their absolute limit after staggering betrayals and shocking revelations. Deka must choose if she will try to become a god to save the world. However, she must first regain the lost piece of her soul. As her relationships are tested in their quest, Deka must decide whether she wants to sacrifice everything to save the world.
I really enjoyed this conclusion to the series. Deka is such a strong and charismatic character. Throughout the entire trilogy, there is a wonderful sense of found family. The large ensemble cast is such a joy and the characters feel unique. One of my favorite parts of the book is Deka’s loving friendships, especially her best friend Britta. Britta and Deka are always there for each other no matter what. While Deka also has a romantic relationship, her friendships never suffer at the cost of it. Keita and Deka’s relationship remains very positive and realistic. And of course, I love Ixa!!
Namina Forna creates excellent queer-norm world-building and inclusivity. I love to see this in fantasy! I also really enjoyed the rich magic system and excellent sense of pacing. The conclusion feels satisfying and well-earned. While it is bittersweet that this is the end of the trilogy, I can’t wait to see what Namina Forna writes next! I would recommend this series for readers who love action-packed fantasy, strong heroines, and complex world-building. Readers who enjoyed Raybearer (Jordan Ifueko), Faebound (Saara el-Arifi), and A Song of Wraiths and Ruin (Roseanne A. Brown) should check out this series!
Thank you to Namina Forna, Delacorte Press, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.
For publisher: My review will be posted on Instagram, Goodreads, Amazon, Storygraph, and Barnes & Noble etc
What a great ending to a series. It broke my heart and then put it back together. This was well worth the wait!
Book two of The Gilded Ones series ended with Deka proclaiming the total ruin of all the gods in Otera, which predicted a totally kick ass conclusion to this trilogy. Readers will certainly be satisfied with the conclusion of the main story line. The most interesting part of this book was the final confrontation, which didn't last long enough for me. There were many parts that could have been more dramatic and heightened to increase the tension. I personally would have appreciated some foreshadowing in previous books about the content in the first 200 pages of this novel. There is a chance I missed it, but it felt a little Harry Potter 5 when all of a sudden this intricate plot line gets revealed and we're just supposed to assume it's been that way all along. While I get the reasons for keeping this hidden for both the reader and the characters, it made the first part of this book feel like a different one entirely and made me eager to rejoin the fight elsewhere. It also led to a fair bit of info dumping, which isn't my favorite thing in the finale of a series. The minor characters continued to be some of my favorite, and I appreciated some of their conclusions, especially for Belcalis and White Hands. While this certainly doesn't beat the greatness of book 1, I'm glad to have gone on this journey with these characters.
Eternal Ones literally owes me nothing! I forever Stan this trilogy! In book three, it seemed that things were moving at a faster pace but I was able to keep up. Deka finally reached her fullest potential and she did so with grace and a level of self awareness that only she could. There were continuous challenges that she had to overcome but it seemed that her calling was greater than the enemies she had. Even in the face of adversity she still managed to find a way to have her friends and Keita- who was literally the perfect partner for Deka.. he was truly in love and worshiped her: I think the author did a good job with the descriptions, plot twist, character development, and dialogue. The book was engaging and entertaining and just when I thought I had it all figured out, something else would happen that would blow my mind. I loved it!
This is the 3rd book in the Gilded Ones series. I thought this was a good conclusion to the trilogy; I am satisfied with where things left off. A bittersweet ending for those who fell in love with the cast of characters. I definitely liked this installment better than book 2, The Merciless Ones. I think the pacing was better in this book. I would give the series overall a 3 stars but this installment 3.5 rounded up.
I wanted to love this series more than I did. My issues came down to this being a story that tells you a lot and shows you very little. That was my biggest complaint about books 1 and 2 and I was hoping that #3 would be a bit different not that Deka has learned so much from the prior two books. But #3 was more of the same, with Deka being mind blown with new, incredible information in every chapter. It felt like she could never get her feet under her in the series.
Gender and Identity were main themes of books 1 and 2 but I found that they were missing from book 3. Maybe the author felt she had said all she wanted to say with that, but I expected quit a bit more in the wrap up. That said, I did enjoy the series and I would recommend that people give it a shot. But, if you did not like book 1, just know that 2 and 3 are much more of the same.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children's, Delacorte Press for providing an eARC of this book.
A satisfying conclusion to the series. I got a little teary at the end. Can't wait to read more from this author!
Happy release day, The Eternal Ones!
"'Look at her,' White Hands says, smiling down at the girl. 'She can be whoever she wants to be. They all can.'"
As the Deathless trilogy comes to a close, Deka finds herself with an impossible decision. Though she knows it is her destiny to ascend as a deity and destroy the corrupt gods of Otera to bring peace to the dying world, is she ready to leave her humanity and all her loved ones behind?
I did not expect to cry, I won't lie to you all! This series has been a four-year journey for me, and though I lost details in between books (not a big re-reader), I found myself so attached to these characters.
The writing itself is simplistic (in line with what YA should be), and I (as an adult) have a pretty good grasp on the way YA plotlines are shaped, so nothing was surprising to me here. I wished that the search for Deka's kelai was not dragged out so much, but I enjoy when YA authors write in moments of joy for characters amidst life-altering events and battles. It's sometimes hard to remember that these characters are children, especially when the premise circles them becoming omniscient gods.
In essence, this series is a love letter not just to young girls and women, but to humanity. You are forced to face not only the horrors of being mortal but the absolute joys of it as well. I was very satisfied with this resolution in general; my only complaint is that the middle of the book dragged far too long.
3.75 stars!!
In The Eternal Ones, Deka is on a mission to rid Otera of The Gilded Ones and The Merciless Ones. She has to to come to grips with being a God herself and knowing that she wouldn’t harm Otera as the others have. In the end, she understands what it means to be a God and how she can help her friends/family.