Title Eternal Life Series --- Author Dara Horn Cover Art Richard Ljoenes Publisher W. W. Norton & Company - 2018 First Printing W. W. Norton & Company - 2018 Category Fantasy Warnings --- Main Characters Rachel, Elazar Main Elements Immortality

Rachel is a woman with a problem: she can’t die. Her recent troubles—widowhood, a failing business, an unemployed middle-aged son—are only the latest in a litany spanning dozens of countries, scores of marriages, and hundreds of children. In the 2,000 years since she made a spiritual bargain to save the life of her first son back in Roman-occupied Jerusalem, she’s tried everything to free herself, and only one other person in the world understands: a man she once loved passionately, who has been stalking her through the centuries, convinced they belong together forever.

But as the twenty-first century begins and her children and grandchildren—consumed with immortality in their own ways, from the frontiers of digital currency to genetic engineering—develop new technologies that could change her fate and theirs, Rachel knows she must find a way out.

Gripping, hilarious, and profoundly moving, Eternal Life celebrates the bonds between generations, the power of faith, the purpose of death, and the reasons for being alive.

I found this in a book exchange box, it wasn't otherwise something I think I would have picked up, but since fantasy is fairly rare genre to find in that box, I took what I could find. This initial impression wasn't helped when I looked it up on Goodreads to ensure it was in fact a fantasy, one reviewer mentions how boring it was, what with the main character doing nothing for 2000 years of her life but produce children. But it looked like a fast read so I decided to give a try anyway.

And I found I kind of liked it, didn't love it mind you, but I was interested in the characters. It is indeed a fantasy, with two characters making a vow to God in exchange for saving their son from some wasting disease. It worked but now they cannot die. Rachel is our protagonist is seeking a way to die, feeling she has long ago lived long enough and having not much more to live for, its all more or less the same over and over again (and yes, if all you do is pop out children...that's kind of true, she doesn't seem to involve herself in other things going on around her). Elazar is different, father of her son but not her husband, he lives, well, I guess for her. They aren't often together, each taking spouses and raising families, but Elazar just can't let Rachel go. In some ways I kind of feel for him, though often he comes off as a bit of a jerk so I can see why Rachel can love him but at the same time not live with him.

Frankly, I was getting Interview with the Vampire vibes, what with Elazar being a kind of Lestat and Rachel being a Louis. When they sit together talking about the past while the modern world passes by around them. I think this is why I did enjoy the book, these moments where these two immortal characters, alone in the world but not wanting to be together either because they'd end up driving each other crazy, reflect on their existence. Even just the thought that there is only one person in the whole world who pronounces your name correctly is rather profound.

We don't get to see too much of their historical lives, but there's a fair amount about their first lifetime in Jerusalem, around the time the Romans were invading. I love historical books since I can learn about a time I might not know very much about. Their son, Yochannan is a real world character, though I did not know that till I read the author's note at the end.

But where magic couldn't help her die, maybe science can. A granddaughter studying genetics discovers what makes Rachel different, and with gene therapy, might also know how to help her die. But this is her grandmother we're talking about and that's no easy thing to help someone with.

For a book that is a musing on life and death, it was surprisingly engaging and I'm glad I went ahead and read it after all.