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The Eternals have arrived.
Book 1: The Eternals / Book 2: Hunter Hunted / Book 3: Into Eternity
For Jean, eternity should’ve meant forever.
The Eternals, they are a breed apart. Born to immortality, neither human nor vampire, a dying sun is to end their race where no other could. It is to this ultimatum that Jean, the last Eternal lord, is born. Jean accepts the end once preached by his deceased parents, where others won’t, their arrogance furthering his melancholy. He would fight for the future where they, the Hierarchy, would waltz into nothingness.
But everything changes for Jean when he commits the cardinal sin: his bite takes the life of Princess Chantelle of The New Europa Alliance, whose sister will come to enthrall him. It is a deed Jean thinks has passed unnoticed; it has not. When the Britannian dandy, Sir Walter Merryweather, informs him of this, Jean runs. Aided and abetted by the irksome Merryweather, Jean stumbles from manipulated mishap into age-old conspiracies and beyond.
With the sun’s clock ticking, Jean must find time where there is none to reconcile his sordid past with the promise of new love.
Click HERE for first chapter giveaway.Ranked Number Fifteen out of all New Indie Books For 2016: ReadFree.ly Awards 2016
What people are saying (For which I am always grateful).
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Original Take on a Popular Genre!
ByCLynnon March 19, 2017
Jean is a charming, erudite bloodsucker. He inhabits a world ruled by vampires. He engages the reader on page one, drawing us into his world. He is amusing and clever, a gentleman who happens to be a vampire. The writing is as elegant as he is.
His is an intriguing world, one in which the reader immediately feels a part of. I kept imagining the novel as a film, seeing the characters interact with one another. It was that well-written.
I understand it is the first in a trilogy and I’m glad about that because I’m looking forward to more of this.
Good novel, great writing, highly original with stand out characters. Loved it.
5.0 out of 5 starsBeguiled by a Beautiful Monster
By C. Morgan on July 13, 2016
Format: Kindle Edition
Author Richard Ankers had me with “His bite takes the life of Princess Chantelle…”. Though not entirely sure about reading my first vampyre novel since Bram Stoker enticed me, I dove into the pages of The Eternals with nearly as much abandon as the main character, Jean, loses himself to his ultimate intoxication: sweet, unadulterated, human blood. Neither grotesque vampire nor human, Jean is a breed apart, from a race of Eternal beings who find themselves facing the end of time in a far distant future that holds all the marvels of Steampunk superfluity in a maudlin dystopian landscape.
The story is told in a first person voice, as Jean takes a commanding center stage to relate his tale through an unnerving combination of alluring sarcasm and caustic mirth. His charm is undeniable and inescapable, (as any vampyre’s should be!) even in spite of the fact that he is a generally disagreeable soul who is prone to violent fits of temper that would send even “He who must not be named” running in the opposite direction; yet he is an anti-hero I connected with and found myself rooting for despite his shortcomings.
As the plot unfolded, I found myself turning the pages backward, so I might immerse myself in Danker’s mystical imagery again and again. Intriguing characters and familiar, yet uniquely new landscapes permeate Jean’s story, such as movable cities and gothic castles of olde; masquerades and waltzes held beside the River Danube, died red simply for the sake of morbid hilarity. Throughout, Jean compelled me to travel with him as he set about discovering the mysteries of his fate; sometimes dancing, sometimes dragging me along behind him, but once he grabbed me he never let go and I, like an innocent beguiled by gaze of a beautiful monster, was utterly enthralled.
Top Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 starsFor those waiting to really get their teeth into an exciting new trilogy!
By Amazon Customer on June 29, 2016
Format: Paperback
The Eternals is that rare breed of book supplying those of us who relish Sci-Fi-Fantasy with a realm both realistic enough to lose oneself, and yet uncomfortably sinister and provoking in its strangeness. Many authors fall short of this essential balance in tackling fantasy of any genre, least of all when featuring vampires. Do not be fooled into thinking this is just another predictable vampire-genre feeding off recent resurgence for such themes. Like any book you’ll remember long after reading, the real magic is in the quality of writing, the effortlessness of character building and an over-all ability to story-tell. Ankers doesn’t just add to the genre, he re-creates it, in the masterful way only those who truly love to write and expound on created worlds are capable of doing. Taking a journey into Ankers world left me addicted to his creation, and longing for such places to truly exist. It’s been a long time since I enjoyed a book enough to thoroughly recommend it, what sells The Eternals for me, is that it’s so not a formulaic book, nor one saturated in the rules of an MFA program, it reads like the great books of old, with worthy and richly embroidered characters, solid plots, slick twists and turns and plenty of anticipation, leaving you reading up into the wee hours. Highly recommended. An excellent start to what promises to be an essential trilogy.
5.0 out of 5 stars My thoughts . . .
By P E READon May 26, 2016
Verified Purchase
The world is no longer ours. But the Eternals don’t know what to do with it either. This is a tale of questions and aspirations. You will not believe the ending.
Poetic with wonderful characters and world-building
By Diana – July 7, 2016
Amazon Verified Purchase
This was a great read on many levels. The Eternals are the last inhabitants of a dying Earth, undead vampires waltzing away the centuries with garish pomp and courtly pretenses. The protagonist Jean is disdainful of the aristocratic decadence and yet amoral when it comes to his own behavior. He lurks on the fringes, cavalier and condescending, until he takes a bite of the princess and drinks her dry. Suddenly, he’s a man on the run, falling in love and rediscovering his humanity.
Though the characters are vampires for the most part and have the expected vampiric characteristics and capabilities, this isn’t your typical vampire tale. I’d say it’s more a story about a man who happens to be a vampire. Jean is an antihero in some respects, violent and sarcastic, yet I rooted from him from the start. Ankers does a wonderful job with characterization and dialog. Jean has a distinct voice, and the entire book is poetic and beautifully composed.
The world building also grabbed me at the start, part steampunk, part post-apocalyptic fantasy. The Earth is clearly fetid and dying, the few last humans are clones, the horses are cyborgs, the landscape is manipulated, and rivers run blood red. Human know-how has been lost but their technology persists, most clearly in the presence of flying machines. The descriptions are gripping – imagine a man dragging his coffin through a dead wilderness, terrified of the sun.
The end came together a little too easily for me with the introduction of new characters that save the day, but I have a feeling that they will play a role in the sequel that Ankers mentions at the book’s close. I will definitely be picking it up, as the villains will surely seek their revenge. Jean and his love, Linka, are only safe for the moment, and I can’t wait to see what happens.
5.0 out of 5 stars A thoroughly entertaining read. There is tremendous poetry in …, July 2, 2016
By Chris L
Verified Purchase(What’s this?)
This review is from: The Eternals (Paperback)
A thoroughly entertaining read. There is tremendous poetry in Richard’s writing that he uses expertly to bind together a riveting tale with twists galore. I can’t wait for the encore!
Available Worldwide on Amazon Kindle and also Amazon Paperback NOW
Hunter Hunted, Book Two in the series Available Now!
“Life is a collection of colours when all you’ve known is night.”
Sir Walter Merryweather
As soon as Jean stands in the sun’s ruby light, he and Princess Linka are drawn into a world of darkness. The Nordic royalty – albino Eternals of supposed myth – transport their guests deep beneath the Arctic ice to the legendary city of Hvit.
Their mother, Queen Serena, offers the pair sanctuary, but all is not right. Betrayed by the royal family and almost drowned in an orca hunt, Jean is forced to leave Linka behind. His mood is darker than ever and the world will feel his fury. Renewing old acquaintances, both good and bad, Jean must solve the mystery of who manipulates him and the deepening saga of his parents’ deaths. Now, Jean fights for more than just himself; he fights for love.
Once again, aided and abetted by the increasingly manic Merryweather, and the mysterious beauty that is Princess Aurora, Jean seeks retribution. Both hunter and hunted, trapped between wolves of land and sea, all directions point north. Jean must return to Hvit, the cloying, lavender stench of death, and the never-ending quest for blood.
What people are saying (Again, for which I am very grateful).
Top Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars / A Roller-coaster adventure. Even better than The Eternals
BySashadooon March 21, 2017
This was truly a book I found hard to put down. Having read the first in the series, I wasn’t sure if the sequel would be able to match the tension and excitement created by the author in The Eternals. In fact, Mr. Ankers exceeded all expectations with this breathtaking, pulsating follow up to his initial work. Accompanied by the almost ethereal Nordic Princess Aurora, Jean, the stoic, attitude laden Eternal sets out on a quest to try and discover just who is trying to manipulate his life, and why. The surprises come thick and fast in a true roller-coaster of an adventure that left me breathless at times, eager to turn to the next page to see what would happen next. Jean’s old friend/Nemesis, Merryweather makes an appearance with Jean still unable to decide just whose side he is on and yet again the mysterious monks, the Sunyins have a part to play. In a world teetering on the edge of annihilation, Jean makes uncomfortable discoveries about his past as he attempts to shape the future of his dying world. Another triumph for the author with an ending that leads perfect into the third book in the series. I can’t wait!
Hunter Hunted picks up right where the original Eternals left off, bringing us more of Jean’s dry commentary on a world in its dying throes. The story of Hunter Hunted revolves primarily around our protagonist’s interactions with the enigmatic Nordics, his old nemesis the Marquis, and his ever foppish tagalog Merryweather.
Replacing the bubbly Linka as Jean’s feminine counterpart this time around is the stoic Aurora, one of the princesses of the Nordic eternals. Her limited experience with the outside world helps give Jean a whole new perspective on the things he had taken for granted for so long, and is a welcome addition to the cast Richard has built.
Hunter Hunted boasts Ankers’ trademark style of poetic scene setting, painting the world at large with colorful language to bring a sense of life to a land that is, ironically, dying. Those with a taste for dense prose will enjoy the story Hunter Hunted tells.
Though it drops off with quite a cliffhanger, the tale sets the stage for a stunning final chapter to this trilogy. I look forward to seeing how The Eternals comes to an end.
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INTO ETERNITY book 3 in THE ETERNALS SERIES available now!
“So this is what Eternity looks like.”
Prince Grella
Queen Serena and her allies have fled the Nordic massacre, taking Princess Linka with them. For Jean, it’s heartbreak; for Merryweather and the abandoned Aurora, far worse. Not even the return of a broken Prince Grella and a dramatic escape from an obliterated Hvit softens the blow of their loss. Tempers flare and the pursuit resumes.
Leaving the Arctic ice behind, Jean and the others must reconcile with both current and past deaths, as they close in on the Baltic home of the hated Duke Gorgon. Here, their enemies gather and confrontation is inevitable.
Under Merryweather’s frustrating tutelage, Jean marches from one infuriating revelation to another, but as the lies unravel and the truth unfurls, he discovers the Britannian is not the fool he’s taken him for. The enigmatic Merryweather appears the key to the greatest mystery of all. But will he ever show his true colors?
In the stunning climax to The Eternals Series, a brooding Jean must do what he’s never done before: place his trust in others. For only at the end of all things, as the sun dies and Shangri-La falls, will Jean know what it means to step Into Eternity.
Just some of the very kind words:
Top customer reviews
A Vampire-Introspective-SciFi-Mindbender!
ByC. Morganon November 9, 2017
Format: Kindle Edition
“So this is what Eternity looks like.” I felt the jaded disappointment in those words. I understood the sensation of wonder and the longing that could never be fulfilled. Although these words are spoken by a supporting character that only comes into the story in the second book of the series, they carry the sentiment of the entire trilogy.
Into Eternity took me on the final leg of a journey I never expected and could not have anticipated. It swept me off into lands unknown that were hauntingly familiar. As the dystopian landscape unfolded before me with horrifying clarity, the poignancy of this Vampire-Introspective-SciFi-Mindbender became all too clear and, like the masterfully developed characters that drew me into their tale, I experienced their terror, bitterness, and skeptical hope right along with them through page after page of plot twists that kept me guessing, literally, right up to the closing chapter.
Richard M. Ankers has woven a unique and unforgettable saga through the voices and lives of those we typically fear or despise; altering our own perceptions right along with the characters of this brilliantly penned epic.
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