Eternal Love

by Maggie Shayne

Two passionate paranormal romances in one volume from the New York Times bestselling author. In Eternity , readers will savor the story of Raven St. James, whose unearthly beauty brought accusations of witchcraft-and a sentence of death. Luckily Duncan, the town minister, saved her life. But Raven could not save him. Now, after three centuries, Raven has found Duncan in the body of a man who has no memory of their past. As Duncan slowly reawakens,...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0425217396
• ISBN13: 9780425217399
• Release Date: November 2007
• Publisher: Berkley Books
• Length: 576 Pages
• Weight: 1.16 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 5.5" x 8.2"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 12 and higher

Customer Reviews

Two magickal love stories in one volume

This book contains the two novels "Eternity" and "Infinity", first published individually in the late 1990s, which feature two sisters, both witches, who are part of a small group of immortal witches. They gained their immortality by giving up their lives for a witch in a previous life. The first story, "Eternity", focuses on Raven St James, a young woman who is learning her craft as a witch from her mother. However when she and her mother are denounced by a priest to the local magistrate they are ordered to be hanged. A trainee priest, Duncan Wallace, tries to save Raven's life but is unsuccessful and she is hanged along with her mother. The shocking events of their trial cause a breach between Duncan and Nathanial, his training priest, and he decides to set out to the New World to see if people are more accepting of others in that country. However on the journey across he becomes ill and is tended by a woman he is sure is Raven although she doesn't admit to being the young woman he saw die and he loses touch with her as soon as they arrive in Boston. The story continues with Raven making her life in Sanctuary, living with her aunt and trying to avoid the notice of the religious authorities. However when Duncan arrives at Sanctuary to be their priest she realises her past is catching up with her and that Duncan, who cannot be told what she is, may be in danger. The story skips forward three hundred years when Raven has another chance to have a relationship with Duncan, who has been reborn in this time, and she hopes this time to trust him fully. However their foe from three hundred years ago also has had his eye on Duncan for a long time and Duncan isn't going to want to believe the wild tales of immortality and evil and good witches; it's possible Raven may have to give her life to save Duncan's this time. The story was well written with some interesting detail of the witch trials in England and America in the 1700s. An awkwardness was the way that parts written from Raven's point of view were written in the First Person but the other sections in the Third Person which made the story feel disjointed and odd. It's written with quite a new-agey feel and Christianity doesn't come across too well so those for whom this might be uncomfortable reading might do better missing it. However the overall plot was interesting and the supporting character, Arianna, who is the heroine of the next story, is a strong and feisty woman whose own life tragedy runs through the events of this story. The second story in this book is "Infinity" and it follows Arianna, who featured in "Eternity", although the first person narrative is that of Nicodimus Lachlan, an Immortal High Witch whose wife and children died back in the 700s and from which loss he has never recovered. When Nicodimus returns to the village of Stonehaven in Scotland he realises that the young girl of fourteen he saw last time, Arianna, has grown to be a very independent woman on the cusp of her e

Love can be eternal.

In the year 1689, when Raven St. James was twenty-one years old, Raven died beside her mother as a witch. They were hanged in the town square. Duncan Wallace had been a young Scot in training for priesthood. Duncan tried to convince his mentor, Nathanial Dearborne, that should he hang Raven and Lily it would be murder, not justice. When that failed, Duncan tried to reach Raven and help her escape. Alas, Dearborne had Duncan restrained until the two women died. Raven is shocked to find herself breathing shortly thereafter. Raven returns to the only home she had ever known to find a note from her mother and a necklace. This was how Raven learned that she was part of an elite set of people, the Immortals. As a Light Immortal, Raven's crescent moon mark is on her right hip. In a previous life, she had died defending another Immortal. This was how Raven earned the Immortal gift. But there are Dark Immortals in the world too. Their crescent moon is upon the left hip. These witches have immortality by killing another Immortal and locking the Witch's beating heart in a small box. Whoever retains the box, retains the power. Problem is that the captured heart will eventually weaken and stop beating. The dark witch will begin to age and sicken. This is when the dark witch must kill another Immortal. Raven leaves England and travels to America. In Sanctuary, Massachusetts, Raven is taken in by her aunt, who is mortal. This is where Raven meets Arianna, another Light Immortal. Arianna becomes Raven's friend and teacher. Raven must learn about dark and light witches and to how to defend herself. Duncan earns his Light Immortal crescent mark. Therefore, when he and Raven are reunited, it is Duncan who must learn. Biggest problem is that Dearborne is Duncan's father and a Dark Immortal. And if Dearborne cannot have Raven's heart, then he will just have to settle for Duncan's. **** The old saying "Time is fleeting" is even more true for this story. From the Crusades, to American Indians, and onward, readers will witness time marching on as Raven's adventures continue. The author succeeds in creating a villain that readers will love to hate. Dearborne's character is evil personified. The author could not have done a better job. I can only hope that the next IMMORTAL book is as good as this one is. **** Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.

reprint of two superb romantic fantasies

"Eternity". In England Witchfinder Priest Nathaniel Dearborne condemns mother and daughter Lily and Raven St. James to death for being witches. His apprentice Duncan Wallace tries to save their lives but he fails. Sometime afterward, Raven awakens and learns from her mother's notes that she earned her immortality in a previous life. Raven flees to America where she meets witch Arianna Sinclair who becomes her mentor. Duncan Wallace learns Raven lives in the New World and vows to join her there Nathaniel also knows she is there and as a dark immortal steals the hearts of his peers to remain what he is. A reckoning is coming to the Americas. "Infinity". For five centuries, Immortal High Witch Nicodimus Lachan has been in a comatose death-like sleep interred in the Scottish Highlands as his heart was stolen by a mortal. Before his tragedy, Nicodimus figuratively lost his heart to his wife Arianna, also an Immortal High Witch. Nathaniel and Nicodimus' mortal betrayer Marten team up to con kind hearted Arianna, which leads to her husband losing his heart. She has vowed to risk her life no matter how long it takes to return his heart to him. ETERNAL LOVE is a reprint of two superb Maggie Shayne romantic fantasies from the late 1990s. Both are superb tales of the heart with "Infinity" being a both a prequel and sequel to "Eternity". Ms. Shayne shows she was a force back and then and remains one of the top guns today. Harriet Klausner