Jaqueline Holland weaves a gorgeous tapestry of love, loss, and the blurring of the line between endings and beginnings in ‘The God of Endings.’ And, as always, Saskia Maarleveld’s narration is the perfect balance of crisply enunciated and emotionally saturated.

Holland uses the loneliness of immortality and the otherness of vampirism as a vehicle for this love letter to the way love in all its forms is so essential to our sense of spiritual fulfillment. The dual timelines and first person narrative help the reader feel more connected to Collette as she grapples with the acceptance of loss and the way it affects her approach to love each time it comes her way. Heartbreaking themes, artistic prose, a dash of slavic faith, an a brief stint of vampiric nazi hunting keeps readers in Holland’s thrall as she leads us through to the emotionally charged climax and ultimately satisfying conclusion.

If you’re looking for an action-packed, horror filled vampire story, ‘The God of Endings’ is not for you. But if you love using the supernatural as a literary exploration of the human condition, you’ll love this one as much as I did.

Thank you so much to Netgalley, Jaqueline Holland, and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to read an advanced listening copy of ‘The God of Endings’ in exchange for an honest review.

What a great novel asking all of us whether living forever would be a blessing or a curse?
Full of self discovery and learning how to create the positive from our negatives.

So it's a vampire story without calling it a vampire story. Collette has lived for centuries but it bothered me she seemed so naive and easily fooled. She's clearly come up with a good system for drinking animal blood but I was a little surprised she didn't have further methods for drinking. And she never did find out what's making her hunger grow more frequent or why animal blood isn't helping like it once did so that's a loose end. I don't think we ever did find out what the God of Endings actually is. I'm glad she changed Leo but of course it was selfish of her. But there definitely has to be a sequel with all the questions that were left at the end.

The audio version of God of Endings had wonderful narration and an engaging story.. I enjoyed every second of the book.

If you like invisible life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab - Vampire in society. Can a being such as vampire that live of the blood and has urge to kill for food be a good being? Can mind power overpower natural urges? And if it can how long? If you don't know somones past can you juge them, but we all do ? Amazing story about nature vs nuture and society accepting it or not.

**Big thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

I cannot recommend this book enough. I'm especially fond of the narrator--Saskia Maarleveld--who did INCREDIBLY. This is going to be a story I return to to catch little things I missed the first go around. The characters are stunningly real, fully-faceted, and present. I will read anything that Jacqueline Holland reads from this point forward.

Well, hello vampires! In the vein of Anne Rice, “The God of Endings” follows the life story of Anna, now Collette as she becomes, learns, and navigates as a vampire trying to live in a human world.

Yes, it’s dark and suspenseful, but there is a warmth to it as well as Anna always tries to do right.

Themes: 🧛🏻‍♀️😢🧒🏻🖤↔️

My feelings: 🙂🤨🥸🥹🫣😵‍💫☺️

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This book was not as all what I expected. Moving between present (for the character 1984) to her past I thought would be confusing but it was it was seamless. Collette is a relatable and likable character. I am hoping for a continuation of her story.

I recently finished the audiobook for The God of Endings and it was truly magical. We have our main character Collette LeSange (or Ana) who runs a school for young children in New York and has a dark secret that she attempts to hide from everyone; she is a vampire. Turned at a young age from her grandfather, Ana has experienced loss and loneliness throughout her years existing but never truly living.

Told from dual timelines of her past and present, Collette discovers her love for art and appreciation for artists. Our primary plot consists of a troubled family, who’s son, Leo, is Collette’s young student. As Collette increasingly becomes more involved in Leo’s life, she discovers the darkness that lies within it.

There’s also the constant hunger that haunts Collette along with her fear of the God of Endings (Czernobog).

I do recommend this book for those who like The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab📖

Well this book was a treat. I was reluctant initially to pick up yet another vampire book. I used to enjoy them, but felt that I was done with the genre. The title drew me in initially. I wondered what was the god of endings referring to? I am so glad that I chose to read this book as it is unlike any other that I have read recently.

A bit long and sometimes dry, as it ambles through history and shines a light on many important historical events. I was captivated by Colette, the tragic heroine who is unwillingly transformed into a vampire and struggles mightily to come to terms with this new existence and works diligently to make a meaningful "life" for herself among generations of humans. The narrator is excellent and I savored Colette's voice.

This is a story with much sadness and depth. The reader will be absorbed by it and find that it stays with them long after it has drawn to a close. This would be excellent for a book discussion group, as there is much to unpack and mull over.

Many thanks to the author and publisher for providing an advance copy via Netgalley.

I didn't know I was getting into a vampire book, but there is was. It did remind me of Addie La Rue, but with an even darker twist.

A unique, engaging, and expertly narrated take on the vampire tale. A recommended first purchase in all formats.

I read The God of Endings a week ago, and I’m still thinking about how to write the review.  There’s a lot I enjoyed about this one, and a lot that frustrated me, so I recommend checking it out yourself if the story sounds interesting.

The book follows Ana over several centuries and across continents. In the present, it’s 1984 and she’s living in the United States as a preschool teacher named Collette, dealing with a young boy named Leo, who might be from an abusive family.  In the past, she’s a young woman named Ana, who has been turned into a vampire-like immortal being.

Ana/Collette struggles with her unwanted immortality.  What’s interesting about this story is that Ana isn’t burned out and full of ennui, but instead hates being immortal because of her compassion.  She especially loves children and wants to protect them, and has seen too much death over her life.  Her hunger is growing and it scares her.

It’s a very different take on the reluctant immortal trope.  The writing is also quite lovely and bittersweet at times.  I did have an issue with one major plot point (about Leo’s mother), and I think the book could have used a bit more editing — at times, it gets repetitive, and it loses some urgency as it goes on.  Overall, though, it’s a lovely, thoughtful story.  I’m excited to see what Jacqueline Holland writes next.

Saskia Maarleveld’s narration added so much to the novel, and I really recommend this one as an audiobook.  She handles accents and characters in an immersive but subtle way, and I kept forgetting it was only one person telling the story. 

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for my review copy of this audiobook.

The God of Endings was fascinating from beginning to end. The historical accuracy of how Turbuculosis was regarded had me doing research outside of the book. I enjoyed the current day story with Leo and his mom more than the beginning story of Collette. Although, during World War II when she was killing German soldiers that was really interesting and makes you wonder could there have been someone in the world doing that at the time. This book had you thinking and guessing and double guessing and was very enjoyable. The narration was doing. wonderfully. The French accent added so much to the character. I have already recommended this title to multiple people.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC!

What an incredible, beautiful haunting book. Made it easily into my top ten! Of course it was totally knocked out of the park by it's narrator and audio as well. You know it's a good book when you're sad it's over.

Collette LeSange heads an elite fine arts school for children in New York. However, she is unlike most people. She is immortal and has endured centuries of heartache and turmoil.

The story begins in 1984 when Collette was a young girl and flows through the 1980s. In the expansive tale, we learn about how Collette became immortal, an eerie stalking presence from her past, and about the increasingly worrisome hunger she has been experiencing.

📖 Holland's writing is marvelous. This is a long story, but it's full of wondrous detail. It's full of suspense and mystery that will wrap you up. It was an interesting take on a vampire story and I enjoyed the atmosphere that Holland created.

🎧 Saskia Maarleveld narrated the audiobook and gave a great performance. She captured the essence of Collette and the story. It was a wonderful listening experience.

⚠️ Content Warnings ⚠️
This book contains depictions of animal death, suicide attempt, child death, addiction, domestic abuse, drug abuse, drug use, and death of parent.

A compassionate vampire…who would have thought…

Book Information

The God of Endings was written by Jacqueline Holland. It was published on March 7, 2023 and is 413 pages. I listened to the audiobook version which is narrated by Saskia Maarleveld and is 16 hours and 53 minutes. This is Holland's 1st book (and if it's any indication of her skill---it will not be her last). Thanks to Macmillan Audio for providing me with an advance reader copy for review.

Summary

Collette LeSange is a vampire. She has lived for centuries. She has seen and felt pain that others can never imagine. Currently, she leads a quiet, mostly solitary life heading a French art school for children in New York. She has finally found a kind of equilibrium. A way to exist that keeps her happy and in which she is not a threat to anyone around her. But that’s about to change. There is a new student whose home life she can’t seem to ignore. She also finds herself always hungry—very worrisome given her dietary requirements. And, she can’t help but feel as though she is being stalked. She has a dark feeling that things are about to change....and ending is coming but she doesn't know what that means.

My Thoughts

One word: Spectacular.

That is a word I rarely use to describe a book and that I have never used regarding a 1st novel.

This is not the kind of book that I typically read. I do read horror and there is a vampire—but it’s not at all a typical vampire story. I generally read thrillers or mysteries. Books where there is a clear path. A premise is set early on, and the book is a constant progression toward resolution. While I suppose there are aspects of that in this book (Collette’s drive to figure out who is stalking her or why her life seems to be changing), the book is more so an exploration of her and of life itself. The real mystery being delved into is existence.

Holland builds a narrative with expertise rarely seen in a new author. She is able to seamlessly move between timelines, countries, cultures, languages, customs, and settings. She turns typical literary tropes upside down and explores how vampires are terrorized by people—not the other way around. Collette is very much a “humanistic” vampire. She has killed, but never for herself. She spends most of her life either trying to avoid people or defending those who can’t defend themselves. And she can’t die, which is a vehicle to dig into life itself. Is life a blessing or a curse? Are people inherently good or bad?

I REALLY enjoyed this book, and not at all for the reasons I thought I would.

I also have to say that the narration was phenomenal. Saskia Maarleveld is now officially my favorite narrator. She brought the story to life in a way that I have not experienced before. She worked through several characters, dealt with numerous accents, and performed the book so skillfully that I was able to become a part of the story. While I am sure the written book is also excellent---I must imagine that Maarleveld's performance adds an extra touch that shouldn’t be missed.

Recommendation

Read it. This will be a top book of 2023….I have no doubt. Holland will win awards for the book and as a 1st-time novelist. Read the book now. You will enjoy it.

Rating

5 Vampire Teacher Stars

Thank you so much for the audiobook! I devoured this and found myself absolutely engrossed in Collette’s story. It was achingly human and heartbreaking. I loved it!

It was a lovely take on a vampire story . however , it was very slow and hard to get through .
I would recommend this to readers looking for a slow paced and emotional read .

This is not your typical vampire telling. If you're looking for the thrill of the hunt, the garlic necklace, or the final stake through the heart, this is not the read for you. This was a journey through the massive history of an averse immortal, the people she has loved and lost, and the struggle to find a place in a world that is ever moving and changing.

I thought the manner in which Holland tells this tale is similar to the art that plays such a significant role in the book. The prose was stunning, moving slowly but beautifully. Each part of her past was like a stroke of a different color, ultimately coming together to paint a poignant portrait of a tortured soul. My only complaint is that I would have loved to dig deeper into each of her past experiences. I wanted more of the characters, their stories, and their feelings.

My final thoughts? This is a book that feels like art. If I could hang this story on my wall, I would. The narrator was fantastic, and I will be looking for more from this author!

Thanks to the author and MacMillan Audio for the gifted ARC via @NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.