Fantastic end to an incredible trilogy! These are some of my all-time favorite books and I was very happy with how it ended.

Forna has done it again! The characters pop off the page and you can’t help but be sucked into the world with them.

2.75 ⭐️
We come back to Deka and her friends after she discovers the truth about the Gilded Ones and the Idugu.
That’s what I remembered about the cliffhanger of the second book and then started reading this one and was seriously confused the first 20% of the book.

The whole book felt like the author was trying to build up the end however it was possible and her answer was to add a bunch of more gods. But in the end it, the outcome was way too amorphous. The description was just trying to imbue eternity into every line by just listing all nature.

I still take a couple of loveable character from this book which are Britta, her accent, and how she’s completely herself no matter judgement & Ixa, just because he’s cute.

Thank you to Random House Children for the ARC!

This was Deka's final journey in this trilogy.

I really struggled through this series. I loved the first book. The second book was chaotic, and this final book was even more chaotic. I found myself skimming through much of the book because it became overly repetitive and drawn out.

There were so many convenient plot points that didn't make sense. I felt like this book tried to incorporate way too much. I found it odd to suddenly include an entirely new pantheon of gods that no one knew exists in the first two books. I can appreciate a twist or surprise in a series, but I don't think this was well executed.

And she did it. I was anticipating this one for SO LONG knowing it was going to be amazing and also probably destroy me. It did all of that. And more. A perfect finale to the story of Deka and the Gilded Ones. Once again, Forna has amazed me with her world building - taking it to another level in this book. I feel like I was totally immersed in the world Deka was trying to save along with her friends - and what friends they are. I am so sad it’s over!

I really wanted to like this one more. It honestly felt like the trilogy could have just ended with book one. This one does a similar thing to book two where we upend most of the things we’ve come to understand as truths for seemingly no reason. I admire the author for her world-building, but it felt like we introduced so many extra things and didn’t develop the ones we knew enough.

Thank you to netgalley and Random House Children's | Delacorte Press for allowing me access to this book. This has been one of my favorite series from start to finish. Forna has been such an amazing story teller.

The way this series unfolded was masterful…with each book the world expanded and our whole perception of what was coming changed. Deka’s growth from book 1 to book 3 was such a beautiful experience and I absolutely enjoyed this series as much as I hoped it would.

I truly can’t wait to see what else Namina Forna releases in the future and I hope it holds more stories of found family, shattering the patriarchy, and young women coming into their power.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Random House Children’s | Delacorte Press for an E-ARC copy of this book!

What a thrilling conclusion to the Deathless series! I absolutely loved all three of these books. I'm not the biggest fantasy reader, but this series captivated me. I only wish that I had been able to read them consecutively for better flow in the series. I also found that I really had to embrace a "go with the flow" attitude with this series. Just when you think you understand how their world functions, there are suddenly several twists.

A good conclusion to this series there were a few flaws for me, I didn't like how Deka was turned into a super whiney character. She was such a stronger person in the other books, and I understand that she had a journey to self-discovery. Which I wished the search for Deka's kelai was not dragged out so much, but I enjoyed the book over all.

“I’m no longer that girl who is seduced by the reassuring chains of familiarity, I remind myself. I am the girl who breaks the chains and doesn’t look back.“
I really enjoyed Deka’s growth into the person she became and the Eternal Ones was a satisfying end to her journey. This series is full of compelling, lovable characters and while I’m sad their story is over, I was happy with how it ended.

It was a great conclusion to this trilogy!
Deka is an incredibly strong and resilient character who embarks in an adventure to find the truth of who she is and how to fight the patriarchy that kills women in the name of their gods. In this third book the stakes are even higher and I loved the new world building and how the relationships developed. I was very pleased with the ending and even though I would have preferred to see a little more at the end, I have no complaints

What an amazing full circle ending for this beautiful story. Namina Forna has given us a beautiful world full of heartbreak and love and empowerment and growth and everything you could want, all wrapped up into three novels. The Eternal Ones brings us to the peak of Deka's adventure, where the story explodes into such an amazing ending. This story brought tears and sadness, but also so much happiness and completeness with what we experience along with the characters.

Easily a 5+ star read for me. Though I truly loved the entire series, this one tops the list for me. So much thought and love was put into this trilogy, and the ending was just top notch. I know it will be a series that I read multiple times.

Thank you so much to Namina Forna for writing such a beautiful story, and for NetGalley for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.

"The Gilded Ones #3: The Eternal Ones" by Namina Forna is a breathtaking conclusion to an epic fantasy trilogy that grips readers from the very first page. In this thrilling installment, protagonist Deka continues her quest to confront the gods and save her empire from destruction. Forna skillfully weaves together elements of mythology, action, and emotion to create a captivating narrative that keeps readers on the edge of their seats.

As Deka's journey takes her to the brink of the known world, she uncovers shocking truths about her past and the source of her divinity. Yet, with her mortal body deteriorating and time running out, Deka faces an impossible choice: sacrifice herself to become a god and save her people, or bring about the end of the world.

Forna's prose is rich and evocative, painting vivid images of a world teetering on the brink of chaos. The depth of character development and the complexity of moral dilemmas explored in this novel add layers of depth to an already captivating story.

Overall, "The Gilded Ones #3: The Eternal Ones" is a riveting conclusion to a spellbinding trilogy that will leave readers breathless until the very end. Forna's masterful storytelling and compelling characters make this a must-read for fans of fantasy and adventure.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Children's, Delacorte Press, and Namina Forna for the opportunity to read The Eternal Ones in exchange for an honest review.

The Eternal Ones is the third installment to the Deathless trilogy. While pretty predictable based on the quest throughout, the series has a fitting end.

Deka and company set out to kill the gods. They are destroying the world as all know it, and the best way to fix it is to start over. Deka's power is becoming too much for her mortal body to handle. If she can get to her kelai, she will be able to take on an immortal form that can harness the phenomenal grasp of her power. The trick is to not die before she can get to it, and that means keeping the other gods from reaching her kelai first.

As they traverse to different countries, and even different realms, they discover something unexpected, and it might just be the gamechanger they need to win their end of the war. They also go around making new allies with other races and Deka finds even more secrets to her powers that are certain to offer an advantage.

While the romance element is present, it is faint. This could have been developed even more, but the book is already long enough as it is. I do like the endings for the different characters. Everything seemed very fitting and what it needed to be to end each person's story. It was a great series, though nothing hits the same as entering the Deathless world for the very first time.

An excellent series for fantasy lovers and those who seek a read with strong female character representation.

The Eternal Ones is the third and final book in the Deathless series by Namina Forna. Deka is determined to take down the gods, which requires her to figure out her divinity. Deka continues to have challenges she has to overcome. I think this series is so unique because each book pushes Deka further to discover her true strengths and overcome all that she thought she knew. The book is engaging and entertaining, and when you think you know what will happen, something else will happen, and you become more invested in the outcome. The series, as a whole, presents an intriguing magic system and explores essential topics. Those who travel this series with Deka will enjoy the wrap-up in this trilogy-ending effort.

Thank you Random House Children's and NetGalley for ARC of the book.

The Eternal Ones is the third and the final book of The Gilded Ones series. Deka has a hard decision to make to become a god and destroy other gods of Otera or let the end of the world ensue.

The beginning of the book got me excited as the new lands, species and creatures were introduced. The book became really colorful in my head as Deka and her friends traveled. Closer to the end I understood that I didn't want to say goodbye to the characters, I wanted to know more about them. I hope there would be a prequel about White Hands, the Gilded Ones and the Merciless Ones before Deka.

This third and final installment is such a bitter sweet ending. This book took me on an emotional rollercoaster. I really thought I new how it was going to end but boy was I wrong. Deka has been one of my beloved characters for so long, when we last left her after the revelation of her being the Singular was mind blowing. Nómina Forna takes no time diving right back into the action. It was a nonstop moving train. The relationship developments and introduction of new characters was top tier. My heart hurts for all those lost throughout the journey, I was really hoping everyone would have made it out. This is one of the best conclusions to a story I have read in awhile, no disappointments. Everything I wanted and didn’t know I needed. How I wish there was more to read from this world.

I’ve been reading this series since before the first book came out, since I originally got an ARC of the first book, as well as receiving a signed copy of it through a subscription box I had at the time. So I’ve been pretty invested in the story all along, and have been impatiently waiting to find out what happens to Deka and all of her friends. The last book left off on a cliffhanger, so I made sure to do a quick reread of the series before starting this book to refresh my memory.

Books like these are the reason why I love to reread the whole series before starting the next book, because it lets me not only get an uninterrupted storyline, but because I get to see the bigger picture in action. This series in particular is a fantastic example of getting to see character growth and change, and how the relationships between the characters developed and changed over the course of the series.

In this book, Deka and her crew are racing against time to find the source of her divinity, so that she can ascend to her goddess-hood before her physical body gives out and the empire completely breaks down. While the circle of people around Deka have been through trials and tribulations and faced impossible odds, this is the first time the bonds between them seem to really be tested. Deka is having a really rough time with her situation, and as her time to make a choice dwindles, we see a real change in her personality.

It was difficult to see Deka in so much pain, both physical and emotional, that she was taking it out on the people who are around her, and hurting the people closest to her. It was also really hard to watch the people around her keep trying to reach out, and be hurt by how Deka behaved towards them. It’s always easiest to lash out at the people who are closest to us, when we are experiencing difficult emotions and don’t know how or where to process them appropriately.

Over the course of the story, there’s a lot of action and the plot moves forward, but I found myself most captivated by the emotional journey that takes place amongst Deka and her companions. I’ve had a soft spot for Britta since the first scene she appeared in, and loved seeing how heavily she factored into this story, as well as other side characters from the series, and some new side characters also. And it isn’t just Deka that experiences a character arc like this, but multiple side characters, too.

I found this to be a wonderful story overall, and loved how it closed out the series. Forna did a fantastic job of gradually switching the focus of villainy from the oppressive patriarchy to that of the oppressive new system that has arisen to take its place, and addressing the overcoming of prejudices and reclaiming women’s rights. The only thing that I felt had room for improvement was the pacing of the story, which wasn’t consistent throughout the story, but I loved the way that Forna decided to back off on the romance between Deka and Keita while the characters are facing the end of the world, and it signals a great direction in YA books.

I read each of the books in the Deathless trilogy, which starts with The Gilded Ones, as they came out. They’re solid early-YA fantasy novels with an imaginative magic system and really good political world-building.

My main caution is to set your expectations correctly given that this is on the younger side of YA. There’s a bit more telling than showing than you may be used to, barely PG romance, and lots of convenient solutions to problems. But that’s paired with a really great exploration of misogyny and empowerment, along with the very valid caution to distrust anyone who is power-hungry.

All in all, I think the first book of this trilogy was my favorite, but this was still an adventurous, satisfying ending!