This was a good ending to the Deathless series. Again we see this group of warriors trying to save Otera from the gods one last time. And I loved seeing Deka gain all this power and divinity. I also loved seeing this group of friends together again working towards a better Otera. The relationships both friend and romantic, continue to grow and get better with each book. They all know each other so well and understand and love them all the way the deserve. However, with all this buildup for the final battle between Deka and her friends and the Gods, I was hoping for just a bit more. It just felt like the battle was too fast for me after three books of training and buildup.

Overall, this was a good ending to ya fantasy series!

Thank you to Netgalley and Delacorte Press for allowing me early access to this title!

As the third book in this series it was certainly a wild ride! I really sympathized with Deka and her companions in the beginning in the book and was glad that Deka’s physical suffering was short lived! Although I enjoy Deka, Keita and Britta very much I think that Ixa’s shapeshifting, blue self is definitely my favorite character! I’ll be thinking about him and this series for quite some time!

Shortly after challenging the Gilded Ones, Deka finds herself searching for her divinity. However, time is not on her side as Deka’s mortal body is fading. While searching out her divinity, Deka and her friends find themselves in an entirely new realm. If that wasn’t surprising enough, the new realm holds secrets to Deka’s past as well as her future choice to lose those she loves or bring about the world’s end.
The Eternal Ones is the conclusion to the Deathless series. Forna does a successful job in wrapping up the series in a meaningful way. I felt that Forna improved on the pacing issues I had with the second book in the series making it easier to read through. However, it still felt to long at times. One of my favorite elements from The Eternal Ones is the relationship development between Keita and Deka. They go through a rollercoaster of support/having each other’s back, being in the situation together, to despairing on how everything will work. The dancing scene between Deka and Keita was one of my favorites from the entire book. Ixa is also my absolute favorite character. He’s a sweet cinnamon roll and needed to be protected at all costs. I wish Forna has spent more time exploring the roles and impact of gender/nongender that was started in the previous books. All in all, this was a solid series conclusion.

An absolutely wonderful conclusion to a series I've really enjoyed. Sometimes I wonder how talented this author must be to have not only created a whole culture and belief system, only to tear it down and rebuild what the "truth" is each book.

I thought the final book in the Gilded Ones trilogy wrapped things up nicely. I particularly enjoyed the first part of the book, which introduced us to a new part of the world and a different pantheon. The world-building and descriptions of new creatures were well done.

However, once we returned to Otera and the battle with the gods resumed, I found the plot became a bit confusing. It seemed like nobody had a clear plan, and I didn't always understand why characters were behaving the way they were. Maybe their motivations weren't fully explained, or maybe I missed something.

Despite that, the final battle was good, and the ending was emotionally impactful. Personally, I would've liked the book to have more moments of downtime and world-building between battles, but that's just my preference.

The Eternal Ones is book 3 in The Gilded Ones series by Namina Forna.
This was everything I was hoping it would be! My favorite epic fantasy series!
Forna does a masterful job of building a world that is both rich and complex.
The characters were so relatable and the storyline kept me so engaged I found it hard to put down. I loved that she created strong female empowerment within her stories. Deka is such a strong girl who turns into an exceptional leader.
An enthralling novel with twists and turns on every page.
This was a beautifully crafted book and I look forward to following the series to its conclusion.

Thank You NetGalley and Delacorte Press for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

"The Eternal Ones" by Namina Forna is the epic conclusion to The Gilded Ones series. I fell madly in love with Forna's writing when we meet Deka, the main protagonist, when her blood runs gold during a coming-of-age ceremony meant to weed out those of "inferior" bloodlines. What ensued in the following books was nothing short of groundbreaking.

With plot twists you'll never see coming, this is ultimate fantasy series for those seeking a thrilling and emotionally charged adventure. If you're looking for a book that will give you all the feels, THIS IS IT! Your heart will break and heal a thousand times over. You'll want to scream at the universe whilst simultaneously be awed by depths to which these characters go.

With themes that explore the complexities of power, identity, and the ultimate sacrifice, "The Eternal Ones" is an incredible conclusion to The Gilded Ones series. Thank you, thank you, thank you to NetGalley, Random House Children's, and Delacorte Press for the eARC!

The Eternal Ones is a solid conclusion to the Gilded Ones trilogy. I enjoyed following Deka and her friends' stories. Each book in the series shows character growth and development. I loved seeing their relationships flourish and each of them discover more of themselves. There is a overall theme of empowerment. The characters are well developed and unique which kept me engaged. There is plenty of action and conflict in this book. At times, those moments seemed thrown in with no real connection to plot progression, but to counter it, there was plenty of calls back to previous events in books. I liked the small reminders of where the story was and how it has developed along the way. Forever all it's a very fast paced and entertaining book and series with great story, characters, and themes.

"Whenever I'm in Ixa's body, I'm free. Free of pain. Free of the torment that plagues my every waking moment."

* This review has obvious spoilers if you haven't finished the first two books in the series. (The Gilded Ones and The Merciless Ones) I would also suggest not reading this as a standalone. The author did a good job of reminding readers where the story left off. However, nothing will make sense if you don't read them in order! *

The Eternal Ones kicks off shortly after Deka's confrontation with the Gilded Ones, leaving her broken—both in mind and body. The humans blame Deka for their destruction, calling her the "Bringer of Chaos." Now, she must fight through the anger and the pain to find her mother, who holds the answer to stopping the vengeful group of gods from destroying Otera.

But in this final battle, Deka, the "Slayer of the Gods," must choose between losing everyone she loves or bringing about the end of the world as they know it. And although the choice is clear, will Deka accept her fate before it's too late?

Be prepared for a beautiful wrap-up to a series that isn't afraid to expose the reality that pain is a universal influencer. The fact that Deka must overcome her physical torment and mental anguish surrounding her loss—of Love, of Security, of Faith—shows the resilience of the human spirit. This is a good series to try if you're looking for a true YA fantasy that doesn't stretch the limits into NA or adult!

The Eternal Ones comes out on Feb 13th. Check out the author's page for updates on a giveaway that is coming soon!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this book.

Loved the continued development of the characters. The book is the final book in the series and I recommend reading the previously published books in the trilogy before attempting book three.

The final book did a great job in wrapping up things. I was nit left dangling and was totally satisfied.

Enjoyed the read.

Recommend.

Mere weeks after confronting the Gilded Ones, Deka is on the hunt for the truth behind her divinity. But her human body is on the verge of crumbling to pieces and that’s pushing her time to save everyone even closer. When Deka’s search leads her and her friends to the edge of the world, they discover a whole new realm, filled with knowledge they weren’t aware of - especially knowledge that holds the key to Deka’s past.

Now, Deka must decide to be reborn as a God or bring about the end of the world.

This book had a lot going on in it, a lot of Deka finding everything out, but it always kept my interest and kept me turning the pages. I was also so fond of her little found family - and the fact that they were always calling each other that too!

All the main characters in this series come full circle by the end of the book - nothing left open ended that wasn’t meant to be left to your imagination, you know? Also, I absolutely love Ixa and if this ever becomes a movie or a series, can’t wait to see him in the flesh! I do not have drawing abilities, but shall absolutely be on the lookout for fanart of him! Britta is also a favorite and I love her so much, and her support for

I also wanted to point out the romance in this that isn’t anything crazy. Deka and Keita were cute and realistic. None of their relationship felt forced and Keita was so understanding of everything. It all just felt right and you don't always see that in YA romance. And, it’s obviously not the main focus of this book, so that may be why as well.

Overall, this series is amazing and I love it so much. I can’t wait to get it in the hands of those who love high stakes YA fantasy with a badass female lead.

*Thank you Delacorte Press and NetGalley for an advance digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

This book wraps up the Gilded Ones trilogy in a satisfactory manner. I quite enjoyed reading parts of this, especially the first third or so where we get to visit another part of the world and meet a different pantheon. I found I really appreciated the world-building and descriptions of new and different creatures.

Once we traveled back to Otera and jumped back into battle with the gods there, I was right back to thinking the plot became a bit erratic. I felt as though nobody ever had a good plan, and I didn't understand why folks were going about things the way they were. Perhaps motivations and reasoning weren't fully explained, or perhaps I simply missed the explanations.

At any rate, the final battle was pretty good and the conclusion carries a hefty amount of emotional weight. I still find myself wishing this could have been both edited down as far as number/complications of plot points and also expanded in terms of world-building. But perhaps I just like having moments to breathe and learn between battles more than the next person.

I would definitely recommend this to folks who enjoy fast-paced young adult fantasy with found family elements.

The perfect finale picks up after book 2 perfectly and ties everything in together. I couldn't ask for a better ending. I love seeing how the characters and relationships have grown over the different books and the Lore behind everything. All in all amazing book and I can't wait for others to read it.

This was a GREAT end to one of the best series I have read in a long time. I was so invested into the storyline, the setting, the characters. It had me on the end of my seat!! It has action, love, empowerment, all the things that make a book GREAT!!

The Gilded Ones lied. They told Deka and the other powerful women who served them so many lies, all to keep them subservient. But now Deka knows the truth. The Gilded Ones have been slowly sucking out Deka’s own power, since Deka is herself a divinity. Now, Deka is weaker than she’s ever been, and will die unless she regains her stolen divinity. However, reclaiming it means making a decision. Becoming a god means leaving all the friends she’s made behind, but with the world ending, it seems like there’s only one choice to make. Can Deka become that which she hates, even if it’s to save everyone?

I received an advanced reading copy of The Eternal Ones in exchange for an honest review.

The Eternal Ones is a young adult fantasy novel by Namina Forna. It’s also the third and final novel in the Deathless series, which started with The Gilded Ones and continued with The Merciless Ones. Now, we’re coming to an end, and what an end it was!

There will be spoilers for the first two novels in the trilogy in this review, and, in fact, there already have been. If you haven’t read the first two books, proceed at your own peril.

I will admit that it took me a little to get into the book. While I had read the first two books in the trilogy, it had been a while since I’d read them, and when the third book starts off with so much action, I was a little confused at first while I got my bearings. But then, once I had, I was able to dive back into this fascinating world and its kick-ass characters.

Like I said, this book has a lot of action. Every time you think the pace might be slowing down a little, it picks up, and our characters are fighting for their lives. After all, there’s not just one set of evil gods after them now, but two! And the stakes have never been higher. Not only are their lives at risk, but the world itself.

Deka goes through a lot in this book too. She has to come to terms with her fate and who she is, especially when she’s hated the gods for so long. How is she expected to become one? Something that really helps in her development is the discovery of a new land, one that’s unlike anything she’s ever expected, that gives her insight on another way the gods can be.

As for the end, it was bittersweet. I definitely teared up in the epilogue. It worked really well for the type of story this was, and I personally tend to prefer bittersweet endings. I thought Forna did a great job here of giving us a commentary on what religion should ideally be, and the series as a whole on society.

In the end, The Eternal Ones was a fitting end to the Deathless trilogy. This is a trilogy that I would recommend to any YA fantasy fans, and especially those who love stories about flawed gods and world-ending stakes.

The Eternal Ones will be released on February 13. You can preorder your copy from Delacorte Press here.

The Eternal Ones was a great conclusion to this trilogy.
I liked that there were enough reminders throughout about events that had happened in previous books to help me remember this world.
Speaking of this world, the world building continues even into this third book. It was fun to read about some of these new places that Deka and her friends had never been.
The characters are great as relationships continue to grow and change and the characters grow- especially as Deka journeys toward her fate.
The story was fairly fast paced with lots of action that kept me turning the pages.
This was a satisfying ending to the story.
4.5 stars

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an early copy for review.

Super happy to have this conclusion to the Gilded Ones trilogy. The second book slowed down for me a bit, so I was worried about the conclusion and I was not disappointed.

Deka continues to be one of my favorite YA MCs and I love how powerful she's become. This was a satisfying conclusion to the series for me.
Namina Forna has such beautiful writing and I can't wait to see what else she has in store for us.

If you want to read this--which you might not--you'll need to have books 1 and 2 fresh in your memory for it to make any sense. I really liked the first book in this series, but book 2 was repetitive and character actions and development didn't always make sense. This installment, book 3, is even worse that book 2. There's a lot of awkward backstory, the characters and their relationships are ambiguous--and the relationships seem to turn on a dime--and the plot is only vaguely perceptible.

Deka is the only one who can defeat the gods (both the gilded ones and the indugu), but her mortal body is dying. Deka must find her divinity to be reborn as a god and kill the Oteran gods or the world will end.

After being let down by The Merciless Ones, I’m happy to say Namina has breathed life back into Deka’s journey. The Eternal Ones was a lot more interesting for me thanks to the tension, high stakes, and a lot of moving parts. There’s an expiration date so to speak on Deka’s body, we learn of a new pantheon of gods and godsworns, Deka learns to tap further into her abilities, there are new threats…all while new elements and details about herself and her task are revealed.

Although the real meat of the mission doesn’t pick up until about 80% in, the plot before then is filled with twists and revelations that kept me in anticipation for what would happen next.

It did take me a bit to fully get into the story. There is a lot more telling than showing towards the beginning. Almost overwhelmingly so. At several points it felt like a massive info dump because Deka is learning a lot in this book. While I understand the need to explain, some authors are able to write whole new worlds, histories, governments…etc in a way that doesn’t feel so crammed; as if I have to take notes to understand. Of course this is a subjective opinion.

I love the incredibly close bonds this group of friends has. Their loyalty and devotion to each other was heartwarming. I also love the very strong points made against misogyny. It spoke heavily to my feminist spirit and I was fired up as Deka went so hard for girls and everyone really to have free choice and equality no matter how they identify. The mental and emotional anguish we see Deka go through and work to overcome was a really impactful part of the plot that I appreciate being included.

Namina wrote these scenes with such detail and imagination. It was fun trying to envision the story play out in my mind. I’d love to see this series adapted! The ending…when Deka and her friends go after her power, it was so layered and tense. I really enjoyed it.

Overall, I’m satisfied with the end of this series. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced eARC.

I've been waiting for this book to release since I gave the first two 5 stars in 2023, so I actually screamed when I got approved for this ARC! This book was everything I expected and more. It fit in seamlessly with the previous two and provided an amazing end to the story. The author also worked reminders about previous plot points into this book as to help the reader remember what’s happened previously, without the need to reread. In all, I loved this book (and series as a whole).