Blood Eternal
4 Stars

Synopsis
The discord between the vampire factions continues with the awakening of Saloman's cousin Luk. While he may be the only one capable of stopping Saloman from consolidating his power over the human and vampire communities, his destructive plans may be even worse and Elizabeth and the other hunters must decide whether to trust Saloman and join forces to stop Luk and his minions.

Review
A mostly satisfying conclusion to the series although something feels a tad off.

Treanor's writing is as immersing as ever and the various plot threads come together cohesively. Nevertheless, the pacing is slow at times and the prophecy theme underdeveloped and less integrated than it could have been. The twist at the end is an unexpected yet pleasant surprise.

Saloman and Elizabeth's romance is as steamy and captivating as ever. She is still conflicted about her love for Saloman and her loyalty to the hunters but ultimately makes the necessary choices. Saloman is still one sexy vampire but must come to terms with his past if he is to have a future. Unfortunately, the elusive mystique that characterized him in books 1 and 2 seems to have mellowed.

The secondary characters continue to play central roles and there is now a spin-off series in which some of them feature prominently. In terms of the villains, Luk is not as menacing as he could have been and Dante goes from slick and smarmy politico to demented sidekick. Neither pose a significant threat, which diminishes the tension.

Overall, a good addition and I look forward to the spin-off. ( )

What kind of idiot changes the format and design of the third book in a trilogy?

[b:Blood on Silk|7864147|Blood on Silk (Awakened by Blood, #1)|Marie Treanor|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1311704077s/7864147.jpg|11021557] and [b:Blood Sin|8597974|Blood Sin (Awakened by Blood, #2)|Marie Treanor|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1279721662s/8597974.jpg|13467752], the first two books of Marie Treanor's Awakened by Blood trilogy, were published in trade size with stunning artwork on smooth silky paper, a delight to handle and behold.

When I opened the parcel containing my copy of [b:Blood Eternal|10230301|Blood Eternal (Awakened by Blood, #3)|Marie Treanor|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1307067202s/10230301.jpg|15130163] I was stunned to find a mass-marketing edition with a dreadful generic cover that could have been used for almost any romance novel. Lined up on my bookshelf, the three books look as if they don't belong together. The sight of them will irritate me every time I look at them.

I wasn't keeping track of the time, but [b:Blood Eternal|10230301|Blood Eternal (Awakened by Blood, #3)|Marie Treanor|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1307067202s/10230301.jpg|15130163] seemed to come a long time after [b:Blood Sin|8597974|Blood Sin (Awakened by Blood, #2)|Marie Treanor|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1279721662s/8597974.jpg|13467752] -- long enough for me to forget much of the story and many of the characters. Maybe that's why the first few pages seemed to lack sparkle and originality. However, once Ms Treanor's story-telling skills began to cast their spell I was hooked yet again and finished the book in one sitting.

The final confrontation of mortal enemies, the solution to the cryptic prophecy, and the resolution of a host of loose ends provide a fitting closure to the trilogy, while leaving sufficient hooks for a future spin-off.

A fitting and satisfying end to a deliciously original vampire romance trilogy. Magnificent! ( )

In the midst of Saloman's tumultuous, forbidden romance with the wickedly smart and vulnerably human Elizabeth Silk, there is one thing on the powerful Ancient's mind: to see the world change, to see the vampires be brought out to the open and live in the human world. His strategy is carefully calculated and involves the gradual education of humans in order to achieve tolerance and cooperation, but his Ancient cousin, Luk's unexpected awakening, may veer him off his path.

I absolutely devoured this third and final installment of Marie Treanor's Awakened by Blood series... I am definitely pining for more, and am distressed by the fact that there IS no more. I would recommend readers of the first two books to pick this one up, just because Blood Eternal picks off and concludes where Blood Sin left off.

Recent vampire revolts risk Elizabeth and Saloman losing each other, which makes Saloman all the more determined to maintain order within the dynamic of vampires slowly cohabiting with humans in the real world. In the end, however, his mission uncovers one startling, anticipated truth: that as much as both he and Elizabeth want and need eternal love, she is thoroughly human, and it is her humanity that makes her so valuable to both him and to the world. She indeed, is his weakness; her loving, frail humanity, compassion, intelligence, wit, vulnerability, sweetness, bravery, and overthought are what make him falter. She is simultaneously his strength, his stamina, his moral guidance; he needs her to survive. As much as he wants to love her forever, he knows she belongs in the light, and he, in the shadows. Through her and through opening up to her, he painfully learns and relearns both his identity and the sheer, melancholy truism that in love, nothing can ever, ever be perfect.

The emotional anguish and unfeasibility of the romance is so well-conveyed. Blood Eternal tugged at my heartstrings and left me aching inside. Elizabeth is Saloman's lifeline, but when the deranged and furious Luk realizes she is also his demise, he'll do anything to fulfill his early prophecies and use her as the missing piece to Saloman's complete destruction. It's possible their love may be strong enough to change Luk's predictions and in turn, change Luk's insanity itself, but it's also possible their love could ultimately lead to the sacrifice of one of them... or both of them, in time.

The entire novel surrounds the internal battle for Elizabeth's trust, from both the perspectives of Saloman and the single-minded vampire hunters who lover her as much as he does. Saloman's adverse effects surface clearly, not only to Elizabeth's friends, but also to Elizabeth herself; it is obvious that he is whittling away her human life—she has no sense of normal anymore—which is causing her to lose her principles. It's interesting how Treanor adds Elizabeth's confusion with her identity in this last novel, because readers previously thought she had such a good grip on it before. The importance of loving herself first—the self that Saloman fell in love with and the self that could temper his inhumanity and make his domination more like cooperation—is brought to light. She is not the only one who needs her humanity—the world needs it too. If she lost who she was, there would be more lives at risk than she could ever imagine.

One of my favorite aspects of Blood Eternal was the slow, painful unraveling of Saloman—what made him a vampire, and what made the weaknesses he has today. Luk's mentally insane and dangerous resurrection reveals another one of Saloman's vulnerabilities; his agonizing past is explored and his weaknesses tested. I loved how he was finally able to bare himself to Elizabeth, as well as bare a part of her she never knew existed. The unearthing of secrets and deep desires makes it difficult to distinguish the vampire and human races by much. Saloman's compassion is heart-wrenching; that a being so evil could feel emotions so loving, is tragic, and is what makes him so damn perfect for Elizabeth. I'm devastated there's no more of Saloman to read about—am experiencing severe Saloman withdrawal symptoms. Bloody fictional characters!

The return of old vampires we've grown to love and new one's we'll come to hate ushers a violent, willful ultimate battle will determine their fate... that is, if they make it out alive. Victory in the raging vampire war will spark a new millenium of Ancients for the greater good of both humans and vampires, while defeat will end the world as they know it.

Pros: More thrilling romantically, action-wise, and emotionally // Mystery shrouding Saloman is finally cleared // Entire cast of vampires and hunters alike unite // Witty, deliberate writing style // Saloman and Elizabeth are both perfectly lovable // Fast-paced and action-packed // Sizzling, sensual, as always // The impossibility of a vampire-human relationship is heartbreaking // Quirky, amusing dialogue // Ending that leaves me wanting more!!!!

Cons: Drags on at times // Glamorization of vampires gets out of hand: medical prowess? Spell-casting? Protectional powers? Foresight of natural disasters?? I found it to be way too much.

Love: The stake [Elizabeth] always carried lay on the bedside table. "What's this?" Saloman had said, apparently amused. "In case I get too rough?"

"In case you stop."

Verdict: Gripping, full of blood and kickassery and action, and emotionally doleful, Blood Eternal is a thrilling continuation of Elizabeth and Saloman's struggle to stay in the light together... even at the risk of losing themselves completely within their love. The tradeoff in their relationship—her impairment of his judgment that renders him sensitive and his disarming of her grounded values—accurately portray the pain of their love that is impossible to either bear or to forsake. He could die with her, ending his existence and all the good he could do for the world, or she could die for him, and go on forever; either way, one of them will lose what they most need. Somehow though, readers will maintain hope that their decision will, in the end, be for the better—whether Elizabeth and Saloman stay together, or not. Blood Sin is a riveting, satisfying, and completely addicting conclusion to a beloved vampire tale that will stay in readers' hearts for a long time to come.

8 out of 10 hearts: An engaging read; highly recommended.

Source: Complimentary copy provided by publisher, via Bewitching Book Tours, in exchange for an honest and unbiased review (thank you both!) ( )

Blood Eternal
(Awakened by Blood, Book #3)
by Marie Treanor

Genre: Paranormal Romance | Fantasy | Historic

Secrets don't disappear after seduction ... Elizabeth Silk is struggling to reconcile her passion for the vampire overlord Saloman and her allegiance to the vampire hunters. When a shocking vampire revolt calls Saloman away from her, she refuses to follow him. To make matters worse, Saloman's beloved cousin Luk has been found and awakened by one of his greatest enemies. Frenzied with blood-lust, Luk embarks on a killing spree and prepares to expose Saloman's biggest vulnerability: Elizabeth. But under Saloman's regime, vampires have become less concerned with secrecy, no longer will to hid their power. Rumors are swirling about attacked on humans. After Saloman joins forces with the vampire hunters to consolidate his power, Elizabeth begins to understand her role in the inevitable collision of the two worlds. She could bring resolution between vampires and humans -- if she can manage to say alive long enough to play both sides...

Eye-opening revelations about Saloman becomes unearthed when video of him saving a village from an earthquake goes viral online. Now, Elizabeth must fave some unlikely truths about him while deciding her future allegiances to the under-ground Hunter society and her university teaching obligations after gaining her PhD. however, when a former enemy creates and even more sinister chaos for the vampire civilization by unexpectedly awakening an ancient older than Saloman, all hell is let loose and Elizabeth struggles to get both long-standing enemies (i.e. hunters and vampires) to work together in taking down this powerful creature before he can create his fatal empire. As bittersweet as it is to release/destroy his vampire cousin (again!) from insanity, Saloman must also face some emotional truths about Elizabeth, such as where their future together lies and if there is any room in his heart for true love after his turbulent history. Thus, can Saloman and Elizabeth compromise with their feelings/goals for a better future or will someone from their past finally succeed in destroying them both?

This was a satisfying conclusion (with an ending twist that was surprising and/or some-what inane!?!) to the Awakened by Blood series (trilogy?) Both Saloman and Elizabeth dug deep into their emotions throughout much of this story and were very open about their desires/dreams with each other and that left the reader on the edge in regards to just where their future relationship together would lead. For me, it felt like this book became a lot more serious about exclusively concentrating on Saloman and Elizabeth, which was refreshing since the last two books in the series really had them circling each other with no finial ending to their on-again/off-again liaison. We still get a lot of side-character interactions going on and different POVs thrown in, especially with the new baddie, Luk, being brought into the story. Expect impressive battle scenes, poignant surprises, and lots of witty telepathic conversations, but overall, expect an enjoyable read that leaves an opening for Saloman and Elizabeth's future story to pop-up within Marie Reanor's NEW Blood Hunter's series - Book # 1, Blood Guilt, coming early June 2012.

Likes: No matter how much she was persuaded, Elizabeth never gave up on both the Hunters and Saloman. Since she fought for/with both till the very end, she remained an unwaveringly faithful protagonist that was easy to like and cheer for, as a reader.

Dislikes: The relationship between Luk and Saloman feel somewhat flat. I was hoping/expecting a more detailed/elaborated back-story or, at least, a more thorough up-to-date tale about their current connection in the modern work which would have made their bond (and eventual fate) even more sorrowful and unfortunate. ( )

reviewed by http://urbanfantasyinvestigations.blogspot.com/

Even after everything that has happened Elizabeth is still a bit torn between duty and love. Her and Soloman are made for each other and that has been apparent since book one. Elizabeth has always held herself a bit back and talked her self out of taking the needed steps to make the relationship work. BLOOD ETERNAL turns all that around and brings them together much more closely then they have beem. There is some fantastic action and suspense in BLOOD ETERNAL. Friends need to make final choices as to who they will support and stand behind. Elizabeth comes into her talents more then she has in past books. The romance between Soloman and Elizabeth continues to be steamy. I really felt that Elizabeth did a great job with staying true to herself and her beliefs while working with everyone's best intentions in mind. BLOOD ETERNAL ends on an exciting note and I really want to know what happens next but it looks like the series is over :( I definitely think there is a lot of story left and hope it continues some time. ( )