Ethan West knows what it means to be different. Growing up in a fractured home and struggling with a strange sixth sense he couldn’t control, Ethan yearned for a normal life. But just as Ethan finds his balance, a paranormal attack unravels his life once more. At death’s door, Ethan narrowly escapes a horrific end but at the cost of his mortal soul. Now reborn as immortal being called a Lorn, … Ethan undergoes a transformation that awakens the once dormant rare ability within him known as Sensory.
But Sensory is far more than just an ability—it’s the rarest ability among Lorns, which has made Ethan a moving target. With a great divide among Lorns, he quickly becomes a weapon of power for those who follow chaos, yet a savior for those who follow order. Now torn between two warring legions, Ethan struggles to better understand his own power and identity for the first time in his life. But what he learns will question everything he thought he knew about his past, his purpose, and the very future he’d hope to have.
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Immortal Descent is Carolyn M. Walker’s debut novel, the first in the Immortal Series. Ethan West, a young artist who has just won a major art exhibition and a scholarship to a prestigious Florida art college, simply disappears. His sister Kate can’t find him. The police can’t find him.
Immortal Descent combines the biblical lore of angels and nephilim and births a new form of life, Lorns. These are immortal beings, yet can be killed. They have at least one superpower such as reading others’ thoughts or concealing their bodies from others, as well as superhuman stamina.
I enjoyed reading this. It was imaginative and clever with excellent world-building. However, I loathe cliff-hangers; I much prefer each part of a series to be complete in itself with a cohesive over-arching story.
LOVED IT.
I love being confused by stories and then watching where they go. Nonstop action and mystery in this fantasy thriller! A must read!
Immortal Descent had me hooked from the very first page! The author’s ability to create a magical world, with layers of depth and mystery, made it almost impossible to put down. Her main character, Ethan, is endearing and had me rooting for him the entire time. Ms. Walker storytelling, paired with the believability of her characters, creates an authenticity among the pages that makes this a great book and a must read!
I have to say right out of the gate that this is NOT a YA review. Once in a blue moon I stumble across a NA (New Adult) novel that is absolutely riveting and it is that, and that alone which causes me to stray from my normal exclusive love of YA. Where to start with this one! There were so many elements about this book that kept me from putting it down. Not to say there was nothing about this novel I didn’t like, there was, but they were few and far between. I am going to start with the things I loved about this book!
The writing…oh my lord, the writing! The prose of this book was a compact, concise, and a well-oiled example of fluid and masterful command of words. You know the saying, “make every word count”? This author makes every word count, I cannot recall one incident of meaningless passage in this novel. It is that kind of writing that kept me glued to my seat and forgetting to blink. Nothing about this book was predictable and as a result, it always kept me wondering what would happen next. There is action (droves of it), there are lies, deceit, hatred, manipulation, mystery, friendship, and the age-old battle of self-preservation versus the greater good.
In the world of fantastical fiction, we have seen many amazing creatures, vampires, werewolves, witches, wizards, angels, demons, and demigods, to name a few. Well move over and make room for the Lorn! A new race of the fantastical like none anyone has ever seen before. Lorns spurred their roots clear back to before the days of the great deluge. Yeah, you read that right, you know way back when the whole world was flooded as god conducted a mass cleansing of corruption. It is here that this race really starts to forge their unforgettable history. The lore and the world-building are like nothing I have ever seen. The characters are unique and very believable. I have never met two characters quite like Ethan and Rue. Hmm, I probably shouldn’t pair them like that because romance is not something that plays a leading role, or really any role in this novel. Oh no! There are bigger fish to be fried in this plot and absolutely no time for the pull and distraction of romance. Although I was hoping something substantial would blossom in the romance department, it didn’t hurt the story one bit when it didn’t.
I didn’t like the way the story ended I suppose that’s because it left me feeling like there was no satisfying resolution; however it did leave gaping questions and towering uncertainties that most definitely scream there will be a second book! Like I said, in the beginning, I rarely stray from my beloved YA Genre but this book made it worth the walk on the wild side!
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36582427-immortal-descent