Eternity (Guardian Trilogy book 2) by Laury Falter

     Eternity by Laury Falter
          Kindle Edition: $8.99
          Print Edition: $9.99
          Length: 311 pages
          Eternity on Amazon (opens in a new window)

Apparently, here marks the first not-bargain entry. I wish I had an explanation for the six dollar difference between the first and second books, but I don't. However, as this is part of a series, I'm reluctant to "count" it. Now, onto the blog.

I don't really get the cover for this one. The font changes, which makes it seem like it's not even part of the same series. Falter's name is again too small for my liking. But the biggest point of confusion for me is the triqueta. It's an Irish trinity symbol, generally used to represent the Holy Trinity (Father, Son, Holy Spirit). So, in the holiness aspect, I guess it makes sense. Kind of. But these books don't really focus on any aspect of the trinity, just angels. The TV show "Charmed" also used the symbol to represent the three sisters, or something like that. I don't know, I've never watched the show. I was more of a "Buffy" girl myself. Like the first book's cover, I applaud the simplicity, but I don't think it's as effective as it could be.

The cats are out of the proverbial bag. Ezra, Rufus, and Felix are Alterums. Eran has fallen back to Earth to protect Maggie. Unfortunately, Maggie is still a reborn, with no knowledge of her past, so she still has a distinct disadvantage. But with the arrival of a new Biochem teacher, Maggie is regaining a bit of her past, whether she is conscious of it or not.

If the first book took me a long time to finish, this one took an eternity. Ha! See what I did there? But seriously, 90% of this book is just a vehicle to get to the last chapter or two. It's almost entirely exposition. Falter tries to introduce some romantic tension, as well. Eran's focus is on protecting Maggie, not bedding her. Maggie isn't such a fan of that choice. That is, in all honesty, the driving plot line in this novel. Even when a "new" guardian angel, Campion, is introduced, Eran is going on nightly missions, and Maggie starts training to be a fighter again, it's all undermined by what is clearly supposed to be sexual tension.

It's too bad I didn't feel tense.

Seriously, though, except for the last little bit, it's all very "wash, rinse, repeat." Maggie goes to school with Eran. Fallen show up, there's some glowering. Maggie visits the dead, and (most interestingly) visits her own past lives. Maggie trains to be more badass. Maggie pines over Eran, Eran resists her feminine wiles. (Again, a la Twilight.) Sure, things change a little bit, and the explorations into Maggie's past lives are some of the best parts, but it's more than a little tedious at times.

The writing did improve, overall, in terms of skill. There was one line in particular that I highlighted because it was so beautiful. Unfortunately it was only one line. Maybe I'm just more inclined to notice "bad" things than good, because I feel like that's what I'm always commenting on. Some of it is really simple, too, and could have been fixed by a proofreader. Like, for example, inconsistent spelling when referencing the Camaro. A cursory Google search could have eliminated that. And, a minor irritation that's not necessarily a result of poor writing-the butler's name. I'll let you guess.

If you guessed that the old British butler was named "Alfred" then congratulations! You win a corner of the internet. Now, I understand that this may have been meant to reference Batman, in which case, awesome. But it's such a generic butler name that I doubt that's the case. Why not "Winston" or something else that's kind of stuffy but not "Alfred?"

The formatting improved rather drastically this time around. There are even some seemingly arbitrary chapters marked for easy navigation. It's not great, but it's a start. Random blank pages are few and far between, which is refreshing.

Overall, I'd say that Eternity is largely on par with Fallen. It's better in some ways, the same or worse in others. If you enjoyed the first one, then I'm sure that even the price tag can't keep you away. It's a means to an end, sure, but the end is worth it. The last in the series, Reckoning, is definitely the best of the series. So I'll see you there.

-Kayla