The Immortal Blood

After a special orb from the beginning of time fell into the mortal world, it was discovered by a man who protected it and founded a religious brotherhood to continue watching over it. However, an evil queen, Cynara, seeks to harness the orb’s power for selfish reasons, and her actions unleash supernatural happenings that keep spreading. Consequently, immortal blood mixes and multiplies with living creatures and the statue of an undead king.

Anastacio, from the Otherworld, is reborn on Earth, and he’s on a mission of vengeance and to find his goddess lover as they were both, once, greatly wronged. Though Queen Cynara might have the answers, she’s trapped in her dormant body, and helping the evil queen is not an option many wish to explore. Meanwhile, the secret of a hidden prince is revealed, a plan to poison the queen is underway, and Princess Ruby and Garrett plan to escape their “steam-filled grotto.” Which plans will succeed and which will fail? And who will be affected by either outcome? In Immortal Blood, Abby Lane spins an intricate supernatural tale around Norse deities, power, magic, vengeance, romance, and a fight between good and evil.

The different elements and themes in Immortal Blood are quite exciting and creative. However, how these different parts are brought together leaves much to be desired. Two of the favorable aspects of the book are its suspense and how intense some scenes are. An example is the dangerous mountain climbing undertaken by Ruby and Garrett. My heart was in my mouth because of the close calls. Also, be prepared for action-packed fights between the supernaturals. I enjoyed the vivid descriptions of the environments and people, like the “gorgeous plateau of swishing grasses with the odd daisy.” The poetic language and use of different figures of speech added to the book’s elegance and appeal.

The story shifts between the viewpoints of the characters, and reading these different viewpoints, as well as the colorful worldbuilding, gave me an impressively immersing and deep reading experience. A little humor is embedded in the story—some scenarios were particularly hilarious.

However, despite its appeal in some regards, I did not completely enjoy the story. There seemed to be too many disjointed events and activities: poisoning the queen, escaping confinement, proving a prince’s identity, searching for a goddess, battling with paralysis, and more. It was somewhat complex for me, and I imagine a more centered issue and clearer direction would have made it easier to follow. In conclusion, though I did not enjoy the story’s fragmented form, Immortal Blood is quite brilliant in some ways.