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    The Eternal Ones
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    The Eternal Ones
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    The Eternal Ones
    Audiobook11 hours

    The Eternal Ones

    Written by Kirsten Miller

    Narrated by Emma Galvin

    4/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    Haven Moore has always lived in the town of Snope City, Tennessee. But for as long as she can remember, Haven has experienced visions of a past life as a girl named Constance, whose love for a boy called Ethan ended in fiery tragedy.

    One day, the sight of notorious playboy Iain Morrow on television brings Haven to her knees. Haven flees to New York City to find Iain and there, she is swept up in an epic love affair that feels both deeply fated and terribly dangerous. Is Iain her beloved Ethan? Or is he her murderer from a past life? Haven asks the members of the powerful and mysterious Ouroboros Society to help her unlock the mysteries of reincarnation and discover the secrets hidden in her past lives, and loves, before all is lost and the cycle begins again. But what is the Ouroboros Society? And how can Haven know whom to trust?


    From the Trade Paperback edition.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPenguin Random House Audio
    Release dateAug 17, 2010
    ISBN9781101223185
    Unavailable
    The Eternal Ones
    Author

    Kirsten Miller

    Kirsten Miller is the author of The Change, a GMA Book Club pick, as well as the groundbreaking YA series starring Kiki Strike. Born and raised in a small town in North Carolina, she now lives in Brooklyn, New York. 

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    Reviews for The Eternal Ones

    4/5

    53 ratings56 reviews

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    • 4/5
      I almost didn't read this book because of some of the reviews. I am so very glad that I did! it was awesome and part of my enjoyment came from the fact that the main character came from a small TN town and the portrayal of small TN life was so close to my reality in parts. I loved the intrigue and character building. a fun read.
    • 4/5
      Good premise with lots of plot twists and turns. Overall, I enjoyed it but it seemed to be a bit too long. Love the end though. The author handled that well.
    • 4/5
      Wow. The Eternal Ones has protagonist Haven running all over the place— from stalkers, fires, home… Girl must’ve been a runner in her past life, sheesh! I felt exhausted after reading this book!The Eternal Ones is one of the Penguin Five— a group of books hyped up to be the best of the year from Penguin. I’m not sure I felt that The Eternal Ones was amazing enough to warrant that kind of publicity, but I did enjoy it quite a bit.The story definitely keeps you on your toes. The plot twists this way and that— first you think one thing, then you change your mind, then you’re back to where you were in the beginning… I will admit that towards the end the perpetrator wasn’t too terribly difficult to figure out (Haven, don’t go with him! Gah! Idiot!), but I’m glad it took at least that long.Also, the little italicized insights to Haven’s past life were really cool. I loved how Kristen Miller gave us little snippets just when they were crucial to the plot, and kept us guessing as to the real story.Because I have to be negative, I will point out that I didn’t really like Iain or Beau’s characters. They seemed a bit underdeveloped to me, especially Beau. He was not skeptical in the least of Haven’s stories, and was kind of her bitch for most of the story. Is this a sign of true friendship or a plot device for easy information? You decide.Overall, I really enjoyed The Eternal Ones. Yeah, the whole reincarnation thing got a bit cheesy at times, but I think Kristen Miller really pulled it off. And in one volume! Nowadays, that’s a rarity.(Originally posted to 365 Days of Reading)
    • 5/5
      If this isn't the best book I've read this year, then it is at least one of them. While I'm not a believer of soul mates and destiny, this book made me want to believe and I love the idea that people will be drawn to each other in every life that they live. I was really struck by the idea of the Ouroboros Society and how people can remember past lives and even bring skills over from them.The mystery surrounding Haven and Iain was a good one and I liked the tension Miller built into the book surrounding the two of them and the Ouroboros Society. Haven was a good strong character though I did have one problem with her that I will discuss in the spoilers section that was resolved nicely. It was more my impatience to find out the truth than a fault of the book itself. This book is definitely the must read of the year.The Little Bookworm
    • 5/5
      This is another book that has been sitting on my shelves for over a year. The first few chapters annoyed me and I couldn't stand the Grandmother, but things soon started to get interesting. I fell in love with Beau, he’s the perfect best friend and Haven was a little annoying at first, but I soon learned to love her too.
      I have always believed in reincarnation, and the story was a great one. I am not sure that I would really want to go through everything that Haven went through, the shunning, and everything that she received from her town, and having to remember her past life. It all seems like it would really be too much for a high-schooler to handle. When Haven ran off to New York to find “Ethan” I was a nervous wreck. I was so sure that things would turn out differently, and the whole Haven going back and forth with not trusting Ethan or herself was awful! I really wanted to reach through the pages and smack her upside the head! She just couldn’t make up her own mind, she listened to everyone else, and then became totally wishy washy. But I guess that would be typical 17 year old behavior. The last couple of chapters had me on the edge of my seat and I couldn’t walk away. I was worried that the story would just end there and I don’t think that I could have handled that. I had to know if the whole story was a waste or if things changed for the better!
      Kristen Miller is a powerful storyteller, and her writing had me wishing that I could live the story more than any other book that I have read. If you don’t have your own copy, run to the nearest store or library and get yourself one TODAY!!!
    • 1/5
      The writing itself was interesting, but so many times during the audio I was tempted to stop because I loathed the main character. As in how could anyone be that stupid. The only redeeming thing was her friend Beau sometimes literally asking the same question I was yelling at the speaker. The idea was good- I just wish it had been told with a stronger main character- half the drama seemed to be because she was just incredibly stupid. I really wish the author had gone a different direction with the characters because there was so much going for the story- well written, interesting, great background but really weak characters.
    • 5/5
      My review is filled with *SPOILERS*

      Part I: The Possession of Haven Moore

      The book is interesting but I begun to feel restless because till this point Ethan/Iain hasn't graced the book with his presence yet.

      Part II: The One Who Was Waiting

      Finally on page 158 Iain arrived to the scene and on page 161 he and Haven were introduced and even kissed! I'm glad Haven ran away from that nuts town!

      I reached chapter 37 page 211 (exactly in the middle) and I feel like I'm reading about the reincarnation of Adam and Eve (Iain/Haven) with Adam/John as the devil and Rebecca whoever she might be in this lifetime as Lilith. I haven't finished the book or reached any thing specific yet. I just needed to put this down.

      Okay! Haven Moore is so stupid and she just drove me crazy! The truth was staring her in the face! Iain is a great guy, who truly loves her. She simply doesn't trust him, never had and never will!! Sometimes I wanted to slap her!!

      It was obvious that Iain was saying the truth and that Adam is the other guy who she has visions of, the evil one! I mean "COME ON!"

      Since I read this book, 3 month or so ago, I can't stop thinking about it, so I made it a 5 stars book, instead of 4. I love the concept of eternal memories and building talents and the love story, though I like the devil much more.
    • 5/5
      For as long as she can remember, seventeen-year-old Haven Moore has had 'visions' of the past. During her fainting spells she not only loses consciousness, but also sees events from the past, of her being girl named Constance and with a boy named Ethan.

      In elementary school, Haven made the mistake of telling someone about Ethan and since then she's been the outcast of little Snope City, Tennessee. A senior in high school now, Haven, still plagued by her visions, has made it through by creating a dress making business with her gay best friend, the hunky football player Beau.

      She's kept her visions a secret, though, as her uber religious grandmother (Haven's guardian) thinks they're demonic.

      When Haven's grandmother takes away the promise of Haven leaving Snope City for college in a few short months and really brings on the hellfire and brimstone, Haven knows she has to act. After seeing a young man named Iain Morrow on television and in numerous gossip magazines, making an immediate connection and reading about the Ouroboros Society, both in New York--and them connecting some of her statements and drawings when she was younger, Haven knows she has to get away from Snope City. And to New York City.

      What awaits her there is just about anybodies guess.


      The Eternal Ones is so much more than a tale of love at first sight or reincarnation or just another paranormal love story; it's a mystery, a thriller, and a romance all rolled together.

      The mixture of the Southern, fire and brimstone religion that works its way into the story is really well done. It's not just some random bit of church thrown in to counteract the 'other' of the paranormal but a part of the characters and an integral part of the story that also makes it markedly more interesting without ever actually mocking anyone.

      The Ouroboros Society was also much more well developed that I had thought it was going to be. I will admit that I went into reading this book thinking it was going to be something like "Haven discovers she's been reincarnated, finds out who her love is in this life, finds him voila." Obviously with some trouble mixed in there somewhere, but nothing like the book I read. There was much more to this on all fronts and I loved it for that. The Ouroboros Society played into that 'much more' very well. The closest thing I can thing to describe it to is probably Scientology for the Reincarnated. It's the organization, housed in NYC, where people that believe they've had past lives go. Much, much more about it is unveiled as the story progresses.

      Beau and Haven were great characters to start the story. Having a gay best friend for the Southern girl could have been cliched, but it wasn't because Beau was a very well developed character. He was his own part of the story and unique as well as very important to the plot. I loved the interaction between Beau and Haven and almost wished there would have been more between the two of them.

      Haven was a great main character. She wasn't wimpy or passive, but she also wasn't Miss Super Tough Girl who didn't need anyone at all and could figure everything out on her own. Kirsten Miller reached a nice middle ground with her that made Haven real and the reading about her very enjoyable.

      As crazy as her family was, they were also realistic. I felt bad for Haven having to deal with them, but they provided a very believable motivation and background for her.

      The rest of the characters were ambiguous enough to leave things confusing when they needed to be confusing, but believable when they needed to be believed and accepted.

      With Haven leaving her grandmother's good versus evil behind, she finds herself faced with a whole new battle over what (and who) is good and who, just might be, evil. And whether she'll ever be able to tell the difference.

      10/10 (big, bold, shiny, balloon decorated '10's)
    • 5/5
      I will try to remember to add a more indepth review later, but for right now I just have to get this out. You know how people say that they couldn't put a book down? Even I have said it before, but NEVER has it been more true in this case.

      The house could have been on fire, WWIII could have started, you name it, I wouldn't have been able to put this down. I finished it in less than 10 hours.
    • 4/5
      For some reason last week I was choosing books containing characters that annoyed the stuffing out of me so bad. UGH!!! This one was the same way, but I truly did love the story, and the certain character who annoyed only did so during certain points. Mainly when she would change her mind between believing her soul mate was a murderer and when she didn't. Yes, I am pretty much talking about Haven. I wanted to smack her when she kept changing her mind about Iain. Oh My Goodness! I got a tad old, and I was finally glad when the truth came out. In her defense, though, the evidence was kind of piling up against him, but she didn't have to change her mind four completely different times. I mean, one minute she was lovey dovey and the next she was plotting to put him in jail and pretty much screaming her head off that he betrayed her in some way.Apart from this snag in the storyline, I was quite fascinated with the subject matter of this book. Reincarnation has always been a great interest in mine, and I wholeheartedly believe in it. So it was quite a fun ride to be able to see, whenever would have her visions, her past lives and the incidents that occurred in them. I also loved the idea of your heart and soul knowing a past love. It is kind of romantic actually.Near the end, I was almost groaning in frustration because the story was so good. I desperately wanted Iain and Haven to be together. I was completely rooting for them, and I absolutely loved the gruesome stalker bit that basically reveals the true intentions of the troublemaker behind everything. It was completely awesome!! I am talking about the literal skeletons in the closet...or dresser thingy, I should say.I am definitely going to read the second in this series, because I want to know if our villain is going to rear his ugly head once more. I say yes, and I cannot wait to see whether or not he will be defeated once and for all.
    • 3/5
      I wasn't really sure what to expect when I picked up the eternal ones. I just knew that I had grown tired of paranormal romance by that point, but I wasn't ready for a contemporary novel. The Eternal Ones deals with reincarnation, but in a different way than what I've seen before. Each Eternal One -- those reincarnated and taken in by the secret Ouroboros Society -- had a sort of 'power' or gift. Our main character Haven had visions. Iain, the love interest had the gift of retaining all his memories from his past lives (which begs some questions involving birth and breastfeeding, but I digress.) I thought it was interesting that all those people in the secret society were aware of who they are. That doesn't really happen in reincarnation stories -- characters usually have to discover the truths for themselves.

      I was a little torn about what to think of The Eternal Ones. It contained that insta-love that we all hate, but it wasn't exactly the same. Haven was pretty suspicious of Iain for a while, and I liked that she didn't believe all the things that he was feeding her. There was a love triangle, but it spanned centuries and made the grudges all the more interesting. The book was long, over 500 pages I think, but it was rich and textured.

      I loved Haven's family. Her grandmother was basically pure evil in her Sunday's best. Having family from the Smoky Mountains area, where this was set for some time, made the crazy religiosity of her town all the more real.

      There is a sequel to The Eternal Ones, but I probably won't be reading it. The book ended well enough that I'm not dying to know what happens next. If I were to recommend this book it would only be to reincarnation fans because it deals with it in a wholly different way than I've seen before.
    • 2/5
      I am very picky about my romances, especially when it comes to the notorious minefield that YA romances has become. With the paranormal YA genre populated with instant love, jerkiness masquerading as love, tragic live with no consequences, obsessive love and stalking as love, it’s all become a little depressing. With “The Eternal Ones” we have an emphasis on reincarnation with romance, something that was touched upon with disastrous incompetence by Lauren Kate in “Fallen.” When I was working in a bookshop last Christmas, the employees were allowed to take home some of the ARCs that were sent into the store and I was lucky enough to get an ARC of this book but it’s taken me a long time to actually finish reading the book.

      Reincarnation as a central theme in a story is an idea with fantastic potential but said potential can also be mishandled very easily. It’s all too easy to use it as a get-out-of-characterisation-and-development-free card and I’m afraid that’s what “The Eternal Ones” does for the larger part of the story, which is a shame because the initial set-up was intriguing: a young woman in a claustrophobic small town with traditional beliefs and old fashioned scare mongering coupled with her confusion over her visions and what they all mean could have been something genuinely gripping in the tradition of the Southern gothic, a genre I am a complete sucker for. Haven, cheesy name choice aside, starts out an interesting enough heroine, and the small town residents well rounded enough to keep the story going, although there are moments where they’re seriously at risk of falling into caricature territory, but the moment Iain enters the equation, it goes downhill very quickly.

      There’s no development between Haven and Iain as lovers. They meet face-to-face about a hundred pages in and that’s that. While Miller tries to throw a few red herrings and speed bumps in the way of their relationship, they offer no real depth to the characters and actually served to make me dislike the couple more and more as the story progressed. Haven showed brief moments of strength and backbone but all too often she fell into stupid mode and blindly accepted Iain’s explanations even when she knew they were lies. I’m not sure how everyone else feels but I can’t be the only one who is sick of the so called hero constantly lying and keeping important secrets from his supposed love to ‘protect her’ and ‘keep her safe’, when just keeping her up-to-date on what’s happening would surely be of more use to her. Iain doesn’t come across as a gallant hero or love for the ages; he just comes across as an entitled jerk. The reincarnation element seemed like such a cheap move to pull in lieu of real development between Haven and Iain – they already know each other and loved each other in a previous life as different people so why get to know each other in this life? Because people obviously never change. Haven’s jealousy over Iain’s playboy reputation is apparently one of the reasons he loves her over their many lifetimes together, which I found to be an odd thing to like about someone. Surely such emotions aren’t a strong foundation for a relationship? There was no real fire or heat between the pair, let alone trust or mutual respect.

      The plot, with its numerous red herrings and pointless dead ends that added nothing to the story, was serviceable but far too long. At over 400 pages, a stringent editor could have done wonders with the story and streamlined it more for a quicker paced read. The lack of serious development over these pages was also disappointing, especially since the potential was limitless. I found myself imagining new ways to write the story; Haven being unsure whether her visions are real, the result of madness or possession, the conflict between religion and medicine in a small, suspicious town, the conflict between religions (a brief scene involving Haven visiting a different church with a friend revealed some interesting possibilities) and the difficulties between Haven, her family and the town’s residents, etc. Some ambiguity could have done this story wonders, but everything was so clean cut and even when doubt was thrown into the equation, one never fully believes that there’s any true alternative to the designated storyline.

      Haven’s visions also suffered from the typical path of magical powers in YA in that they only showed up when it was convenient to the plot and only just revealed enough to keep Haven in the dark at all times. It became rather annoying after a while. Outside of the breeding pair, the supporting cast ranged from interesting (Haven’s friend Beau was sweet and their friendship didn’t feel too forced) to clichéd (the town preacher who had potential to be much scarier than he was) and cardboard cut outs (Haven’s fiercely religious grandmother was a shrill, two-dimensional figure with potential – I keep using that word – to be so much more). The ending does pick up the pace, with the campy but interesting villain of the piece finally turning up a little late to the table, and throws in a few fun elements that I wish had been added earlier to the story in a less contrived manner, although seeing as this is the first in a series, it will be interesting to see how Miller develops his potential.

      Overall, I didn’t hate this book, I just felt disappointed. It had such great potential and the prose was strong enough to support it but the plotting fell back on easy conveniences and a poorly developed romance between stock characters with no unique qualities. There is further potential for the sequel to be interesting if Miller sticks with the intriguing parts but the reliance on easy ways out left me feeling cold. Reincarnation is a fascinating idea and deserves an equally fascinating story to back it up. This just isn’t it.

      2/5.
    • 3/5
      Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales.Quick & Dirty: This was a good read filled with epic romance, a good mystery, and fun characters. It was a little slow at first, but it picked up nicely towards the middle.Opening Sentence: Haven was back.The Review: Haven Moore lives in a small town called Snope City, Tennessee. She has lived there her whole life, but she has always felt that she lived another life. She has had visions ever since she was a little girl of a woman named Constance. Constance was madly in love with a man named Ethan, but they both tragically died in a fire over ninety years ago. Haven believes that she was Constance in this other life and she needs to find Ethan in this life. While watching TV one day she sees the party boy Iain Morrow and she soon recognizes him as her modern day Ethan. She knows that she needs to go to New York to find him, but that’s easier said than done.Haven has grown up in a very strict Christian home. Her father died in a car accident when she was younger and her mother went a little crazy after that. So Haven grew up with her grandmother. Her grandmother thought that Haven was possessed by a demon and that was what was causing her visions. So she made Haven attend counseling until the visions went away. She was able to stop the visions, but she was already ostracized by all the other children in the town until Beau Dickerson moved to town. Beau was totally gorgeous, athletic, charming, and also gay. People in the town had a hard time accepting anyone that was different so he and Haven soon became best friends.Haven is now 17 and the visions have returned. She knows that New York will give her answers. When she finally makes it there she finds herself right in the middle of a mystery that involves murder. She finds Ethan, but she’s not sure if she can trust him or anyone else for that matter. She needs to figure out what’s going on before history repeats itself again.Haven is a pretty strong female character. She is independent and smart. There are times I felt she was a little naive, but I felt she tried to always be a good person. She was always treated different throughout her whole life, but it made her a stronger better person. She didn’t have the best upbringing, but she still loved her family even with all their faults. There were times where I felt she should have been a little more trusting, but she was lied to so much it was somewhat understanding why she had trust issues. Overall, I thought that Haven was a good strong character and I really liked her.Iain Morrow is a very mysterious character. He is a totally rich party boy that has never wanted for anything in his life. He is beautiful, but he has quite the reputation of being a womanizer. As soon as he meets Haven he knows who she is. He immediately whisks her away on a romantic trip to Rome, but their perfect romance is short lived. They soon have to return to New York where Iain is the main suspect in a murder. He keeps lying to Haven, and soon Haven doesn’t know what to believe. She starts to wonder if Iain really cares about her or if he is trying to get rid of her. I love the mystery surrounding Iain and I thought that he and Haven were cute together. The romance was a little bit too fast for me, but at the same time they have been in love for many lifetimes so it was understandable.This was a pretty good read for me. I have read my fair share of reincarnation books, but I felt that this one had a good take that was different than most of the others I have read. I am going to be honest, the first half of it dragged quite a bit for me, but once Haven met Iain it got a lot better. I enjoyed the mystery and was pleasantly surprised by some of the plot twists. I enjoyed the characters and felt that they were developed really well. Overall, I enjoyed the story and I am excited to read the next book. I would recommend this book to anyone that enjoys reincarnation love stories.Notable Scene:For a few seconds, Haven didn’t bother breathing. The world had gone quiet and still around her. Though he looked nothing like Ethan, Iain Morrow was more beautiful in person that Haven had imagined. Tall and lean, with a body that could make any outfit look fashionable. Dark brown hair worn delightfully unkempt and the sort of tan one only acquires while lying on hidden beaches in the south of France. Arched brows that hovered mischievously over bright green eyes. As he moved closer, Haven instinctively tried to take a step back, wishing she could vanish into the crowd. But she found herself pinned against the rope, unable even to turn away. Just as the trio passed by, one of the models caught her heel in the carpet and stumbled toward Haven, all whirling arms and smudged mascara. Haven reached out to the girl’s rescue. A jolt shook Haven, and she felt herself totter just as the model regained her balance. Haven looked up to see Iain Morrow peering down at her, a lopsided grin on his lovely face. He turned to one of his bodyguards and pointed to Haven. His lips moved, but she couldn’t hear his words.“Her?” The bodyguard mouthed. Iain gave the man a sharp nod and continued down the red carpet with his two tipsy strumpets in tow.Still trapped at the front of the mob of spectators, Haven could only watch them leave. She didn’t notice the bodyguard ducking under the velvet rope. He lifted Haven by the waist and carried her through the crowd.“Hey! What are you doing? Let me down!” she cried, thought only a few people seemed to hear her and no one seemed to care.The man lugged her through a service entrance at the side of the building and down a long, dark corridor. Weak Fluorescent lights flickered from the ceiling and exposed pipes gurgles along the walls. Haven had given up demanding an explanation. The bodyguard remained mute no matter what threats she hurled at him. Finally, they came to a plain metal door. The man opened it, turned on a light, and set Haven down inside the empty room.“Wait here. He’ll be down soon,” the man informed her brusquely before leaving.“Who will?” Haven shouted at the closed door.She paced the room, searching for a means of escape. The air was dank and musty, and she was starting to shiver when the door opened. Iain Morrow stood in the hall, looking unusually disheveled and slightly out of breath. For a moment, he didn’t move. He just stared at her with wide eyes.“There you are,” was all he said before he took her in his arms, bent down, and kissed her. Once she’d managed to convince herself he was real, Haven began to kiss him back.FTC Advisory: Razorbill/Penguin provided me with a copy of The Eternal Ones. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
    • 2/5
      Haven Moore is an outcast in her small hometown in the Bible belt Tennessee. Everyone, including her grandmother, believes her to be possessed by a demon, because of her visions of her past life. Her mother has been distant and a bit crazy, since Haven’s father died in an accident with his mistress. Haven has only one person she can truly depend on: her best friend, and designing partner, Beau. For a long time, Haven questions whether her visions are truly real or whether she is just crazy. She discovers notes of her father’s and learns that she has had the same visions since she was a child. Not only that, but she accurately knows buildings in New York, a city she has never visited. When she has another vision after seeing a scandal-ridden playboy, she becomes convinced that he is her lover from her past life. She runs away to New York to investigate her past life, the mysterious Ouroboros Society and perhaps find her true love. I have a bit of trouble trying to determine exactly how I feel about this book. Perhaps the best way to describe my reaction is this: the idea is an exceedingly interesting one, but the execution could have been better. The characters never truly sprang alive for me. The bad guys were even more weakly drawn, never making me feel truly worried for the protagonists. The love story never sold me either; Haven and Iain, the playboy, never really seem to have any real chemistry and their relationship lacks any foundation or trust. The ending was predictable, poorly explained and rather cheesy. What worries me perhaps the most are the strange religious themes, which point to Pentecostal Christianity. Not the staid version either, but the rattlesnake in a box ones. I really cannot figure out what that whole element was doing in there or what the reader was supposed to make of it. Nonetheless, the book progressed at a decent pace and is perhaps worth a read, if only for its relatively unique ideas. This is not a great book, but if it intrigues you despite the review, check it out.
    • 3/5
      I wasn't really sure what to expect when I picked up the eternal ones. I just knew that I had grown tired of paranormal romance by that point, but I wasn't ready for a contemporary novel. The Eternal Ones deals with reincarnation, but in a different way than what I've seen before. Each Eternal One -- those reincarnated and taken in by the secret Ouroboros Society -- had a sort of 'power' or gift. Our main character Haven had visions. Iain, the love interest had the gift of retaining all his memories from his past lives (which begs some questions involving birth and breastfeeding, but I digress.) I thought it was interesting that all those people in the secret society were aware of who they are. That doesn't really happen in reincarnation stories -- characters usually have to discover the truths for themselves.

      I was a little torn about what to think of The Eternal Ones. It contained that insta-love that we all hate, but it wasn't exactly the same. Haven was pretty suspicious of Iain for a while, and I liked that she didn't believe all the things that he was feeding her. There was a love triangle, but it spanned centuries and made the grudges all the more interesting. The book was long, over 500 pages I think, but it was rich and textured.

      I loved Haven's family. Her grandmother was basically pure evil in her Sunday's best. Having family from the Smoky Mountains area, where this was set for some time, made the crazy religiosity of her town all the more real.

      There is a sequel to The Eternal Ones, but I probably won't be reading it. The book ended well enough that I'm not dying to know what happens next. If I were to recommend this book it would only be to reincarnation fans because it deals with it in a wholly different way than I've seen before.
    • 4/5
      A flighty main character and a dearth of romantic moments made this book a little less satisfying than I'd hoped. But, a sucker for the genre, I still enjoyed the read and eagerly read the book end to end.
    • 5/5
      I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this novel! Since there was so much hype surrounding it, I feared I'd crack open the cover to find a stereotypical tortured love story with the only unique element being reincarnation. That was definitely not the case.My favorite aspect of Miller's novel was the well-rounded and believable characters. With Haven, she struck a perfect balance of lovesick, confused, and smart. In my mind, those characteristics conflict, making it difficult to incorporate them all into one character, but Miller was successful. There seems to be a trend towards unsupportive and rather annoying best friends in YA literature, but THE ETERNAL ONES seems to have left out that unfortunate element. Haven's best friend, Beau, ended up being one of my favorite characters, even beating out her love interest. He's was so unique and confident - loved it!It was, however, the fact that Miller keeps her readers guessing that really made this novel memorable. I can honestly say that I never once felt sure about who the villain in the novel would end up being. I caught a weird vibe from the entire cast of characters, but could never pinpoint which was most malevolent. To some, the epic romance of reincarnation will be the main draw of THE ETERNAL ONES, but, for me, it was the mystery and amazing characters. I love that this book has the ability to appeal to fans of either focus!
    • 5/5
      I picked up this novel on a whim after hearing the good buzz about it. I’m a sucker for romance, especially the kind that transcends time. I’m just going to put it out there right off the bat…I loved this novel. Loved it, loved it, loved it. Was it perfect? No. Am I so crazy excited about the sequel that I ordered it as soon as I flipped the last page? Yes. I’m not even sure where to begin. I really enjoyed the Manhattan setting of Eternal Ones. Ms. Miller mentions city neighborhoods that are right around the corner from where I work. I can see Gramercy park from my office window. I’ve shopped in the drugstore Haven hid from the grey men. I loved that she made New York a character as well.Eternal Ones was well written, well researched. I liked the idea of past lives and links formed that last lifetimes. She breathed life into all the characters making them very real, annoyingly so at times. What drove me the most nuts were Haven and Iain. Funny considering they are the main characters in this adventure. Haven because she kept doubting Iain. Although, truth be told, there wouldn’t be much of a novel if she had believed him. And Iain because if he would have told her the truth, she wouldn’t have doubted him. Oh, what a vicious circle it was. And Haven? Where do I start? Although she was seventeen years old, she didn’t show much maturity. At times, she came across a like a self-centered thirteen year old instead of a young woman searching for her true love of 2,000 years. Even now, I have a hard time picturing her as an adult. I hope that in the sequel she will act more like one. It’s not that I disliked her, it’s that I wish she’d grow up.There were quite a few characters I really enjoyed getting to know. First of all was Beau, Haven’s best friend. He always gave it to her straight and everyone needs a friend like that. I also liked Marta, the troubled artist. I wish her scenes were longer. I hope there is a Marta spinoff in the future. I would love to find out her story in detail. And I just loved the villain, who was so wonderfully creepy. Through ever page, the story flowed at a quick pace. I was looking forward to what happened next. I suspected a couple things along the way and when they were revealed, I was pleased more than disappointed I was able to figure it out. In the end, I was happy with the resolution but would have been equally happy if it had gone another way. Although the novel classification is Young Adult, I think anyone will enjoy it, regardless of what genre the reader likes. There was enough mystery, drama, excitement, sci-fi, and romance to draw in most readers, enough variety without overpowering the next. One thing I will say is that there is a bit of religion in the novel however, it is a means to move along the story.Maybe I was connected to the setting, I don’t know. All I know is that I kept going back to it, excited to find out if Haven and Iain have the kind of love what will make it in this lifetime.
    • 4/5
      What if…you remembered every one of your previous lives, since time began? What if in every one of those previous lives you knew your soulmate was out there. What if you believed that soul mate killed you in your last life, and he was suspected of murder in this one? These are the questions Haven deals with in “The Eternal Ones”. Periodically she is drawn into a vision from her most previous life. During these visions she sees her soul mate, Ethan. It’s not until she sees a gossip show on TV that she realizes that New York “bad boy”, Iain Murrow, is the reincarnation of Ethan…and he’s also the prime suspect in the disappearance of a famous musician. What’s a girl to do? Why, investigate, of course.I fell in love with The Eternal Ones! I got pulled right in and the world Ms. Miller created was so warm and homey…I didn’t want it to end. The story moved very deliberately…I was going to say slowly, but, that sounds like a bad thing. In this case, Ms. Miller was providing so much story and atmosphere to languidly peel back the many, many layers of this story…it was like wearing a comfortable robe with a pot of tea on hand.My only complaint was the way Haven treated her best friend, Beau. She, at times, treated him like a slave which got to be a bit much. Beau put up with more crap from Haven than I think anyone would/could. I also wished Haven’s Mom had more of a backbone…she was frustrating.I thought that Ms. Miller did a fantastic job of creating that small Southern town with all the stereotypes…anyone different is touched by the devil, the one gay guy in town is going to Hell, there is another group on the outskirts of town that have a cultish-like religion of their own creation. Ms. Miller’s depictions of the various characters were well thought out and moved me to many emotions. I especially loved the paintings by the up-coming artist and that little twist to them.Personally I am intrigued by reincarnation and the possibility that I would run into and fall in love with the same “person” over many lifetimes, while romanticized, is appealing. I think I could do a lot worse than be with my loving hubby over many lifetimes! I found this book extremely hopeful! And hope is always a good thing to have!
    • 2/5
      I read this book via Star Book Tours.I have a lot of mixed thoughts regarding this book. On one hand, I read through it pretty quickly. On the other, it creeped me out.When Haven starts suspecting that she knew Iain as Ethan in a previous life, she set out to find him. There was a lot of mystery surrounding Iain/Ethan. It was a very interesting plot: very complicated and suspenseful. But, unfortunately I think Kirsten Miller did too good a job at making Iain seem creepy and untrustworthy. Without giving any spoilers, all I can really say is that I could never make myself hope he really was the good guy because he creeped me out so much. So, since the book's romantic hero did nothing for me I felt like there was a big gaping hole where my enjoyment of the love story was supposed to be.Other than that, I thought the plot was pretty awesome. Very original! Reincarnation isn't a purely original concept, but I think the way Kirsten Miller approaches it is. There are unsolved murders from Haven and Iain's previous life, and Haven can't figure out who to trust. She starts discovering the identities of various characters and how they fit into both the present and the past. She is so confused - she knows she is in danger, but she can't figure out who to trust and who to avoid!So, even though I thought the love story fell completely flat, I still believe that there is still plenty of enjoyment to be found in the mystery part of the plot!
    • 4/5
      Haven Moore's strict religious upbringing doesn't allow for reincarnation. But the fainting spells and oddly vivid memories of times and places she's never seen certainly seem to fit the definition. Of course, she could be possessed... Her memories of being Constance, of loving a boy named Ethan and losing him and her life to a horrific fire - for Haven, the answers she's seeking seem to lie in New York City. Money saved, bridges burned, she flees to the Big Apple, only to find herself pulled headlong into an affair with Iain Morrow, stalked by oddly unmemorable gray men, and solicited by secretive and mysterious members of the Ouroborus Society. People are dying, and if Haven can't figure out who she can trust, she just might be next.A secret society operating on favors and points, fanatically opposed to exposure.... Scientology, anyone? The resolution seemed a bit pat, and the ease with which the two love-birds headed oversees with nary a passport or customs official in sight was way out there in these days of hyper-security. Not stellar, but readable.
    • 2/5
      *** This review contains spoilers. You have been warned. ***Haven Moore is an outcast in her town in Tennessee. Not only has she had strange visions since childhood, but her grandmother is a religious zealot who was convinced that those visions were the work of a demon. Haven's visions may have gone away, but the reputation for being strange has been cemented with the rest of the town, except for her best (and only) friend Beau. She only has to hold out ten more months before she is an adult and free from her grandmother, but her visions return to her, causing her to black out more and more frequently. She discovers that the visions are from a past life where she was a girl named Constance and loved Ethan. The townspeople go from isolating her to all out attacking her. She sees no other choice but to go to New York to try to find her Ethan. The only problem is she doesn't know the whole story of her past life and if her death in the fire was the result of a tragic accident or murder. Could Ethan be the murderer who accidentally died himself? Or is there someone out there bent on separating her from her true love forever?The Eternal Ones was a mixed bag of a book for me. The writing style flowed very well and really drew the reader into the book. Haven was a strong character that didn't allow her crazy grandmother or bigoted neighbors to bring her down. When they turned against her and started leaving cruel things in her locker and telling her she was possessed, I felt for her and just grew frustrated that they couldn't see beyond their assumptions and misinformation. I absolutely loved Haven's friend Beau. He was quirky, fun, and gay. Although they have some minor conflicts in the novel, they really supported each other and proved to be fiercely loyal. As far as the plot goes, the mystery really interested me and wasn't predictable at all. I didn't see the ending coming at all and it kept me guessing.I didn't like quite a few things about the novel. First, although I really liked Haven, she constantly changed her mind about Ethan. I just grew more and more frustrated with her inability to stick to one opinion. This part of the story reminded me a lot of Nora from Hush, Hush, an equally annoying story involving finding out if one's boyfriend is a killer. One minute he's the perfect boyfriend and the next, he's a plotting murderer. The biggest problem I had was with the ending. Ethan proved to be innocent and Haven lamented over doubting him after he lied to her and proved to be generally untrustworthy. Basically, it's ok for your boyfriend to lie right to your face, creep around behind your back, and act like a possessive jerk as long as he's not guilty of murder. Haven had every reason to be suspicious of Ethan because he came off as a creep. Just because they were together in a past life does not mean that he can treat her like crap. I was very frustrated that Ethan wasn't likeable and I don't think he really deserved Haven, which pretty much undermines the whole story.The Eternal Ones featured some great writing and characters, but Ethan and Haven's indecisive nature really took away from my enjoyment. The book was like the unfortunate love child of My Name is Memory and Hush, Hush. I wouldn't read any more of this particular story if it turned into a series, but I would read more from Kirsten Miller. Her writing style shined through all of the things that annoyed me and I would love to read more from her.
    • 5/5
      Can I give this book like a "Holy-AweseomeCakes" rating? Or like a 10/5? No? Alright then... The Eternal Ones by Kirsten Miller is a book that I loved before I even realized why I loved it. Sitting here now and looking back, I don't think I could pick out concrete explanations or reasons, I just did- and I will bet that you will go thorough a similar experience once reading this book (because you are crazy if you don't pick it up).This novel follows the life of Haven Moore, a young girl outcasted by her small southern town because of the visions of the past that have plagued her since she was young. All she wants is to get out and escape to New York City. When an opportunity comes up, she can't take the risk of not taking it- even if it means going behind her family's back, and putting herself in danger's way. The mystery in this novel was bone chilling, and as each lead turns out to be the opposite of what you expected, you find yourself unable to trust anyone because no one is who they say they are and nothing is exactly as it seems. Haven's adventure had me hooked from the beginning, and kept a strong hold on me until the end- which is not an easy task for a book stuffed with over 400 pages. I have read negative reviews (and I'm sure some of you have too) in which the writer constantly chides Haven for being stupid. Yes, at times Haven was incredibly stupid, that is not what I am arguing against. Because honestly, most seventeen year-olds are stupid - most teenagers in general are stupid at some point. So I am not here arguing that Haven was super intelligent, but that Haven's stupid choices were realistic and entertaining. Haven was also witty and equipped with a dry sense of humor (which I really liked). Yes, sometimes I found myself unable to even contemplate why she does something she does, but I just went with it and I found myself incredibly happy that I did. Now that I've talked about Haven, let me just say a word about Beau, her best friend... Favorite character ever! He was hilarious without trying to be and reminded me of the gay-best-friend everyone wishes they could have. Every word that escapes his mouth is sometimes 100 times funnier than it was probably intended. Beau alone is reason enough to pick up The Eternal Ones.Like I mentioned previously, you'd have to be crazy not to pick up this book. So what are you waiting for? Run down to your nearest library, bookstore or best-friend's personal book shelf, or navigate over to your favorite online retailer and get yourself a copy!
    • 5/5
      Haven Moore has spent most of her life passing out and having visions through the eyes of a woman named Constance. All her visions center around the handsome Ethan. Everyone, apart from Beau-her friend, thinks she’s either crazy or a bad seed. Her grandmother is convinced she’s possessed. The only person who ever really knew the truth, or beginning to learn the truth, was her father who died in a car accident when she was little. One day Haven sees Iain Morrow, a celebrity, on TV. She can’t stop thinking about him. After some time she decides to go to New York to try and find him. After finding him, Haven discovers that she and Iain are soul mates who have been reincarnated for thousands of years. Problems continuously arise threatening their relationship and the reincarnation cycle. People start going missing or turning up murdered. Haven is constantly being watched, and not always by the good guys. Iain is hiding something from Haven, and she knows it. By going out and trying to find answers on her own, Haven ends up even more confused and unwilling to trust anyone. She must decide who to trust before its too late. Oh my! This book was good. It was so different from most girl-and-boy-fall-in-love-at-first-sight books. This story centers around the idea of immortal (not vampire) people, reincarnation, and soul mates. I felt like I was being pulled in every direction alongside Haven. I wasn’t sure who to trust-although I always...let me repeat that, ALWAYS trusts Iain. I hated how she kept ruining the moment with her paranoia about how Iain may or may not be the murderer. The twists throughout the book were so good. After closing the book, I waited about an hour before rereading it. Then a few days later I reread it again. I couldn’t stop thinking about this book. It was one of those I-wish-I-was-that-character moments. I believe in soul mates. This book definitely fueled that belief. I really really really really wish this would happen to me-except maybe no killing and creepy secret society- but definitely all the true love stuff. You don’t have to believe in reincarnation or soul mates to love this book. It’s a beautiful love story filled with mystery that will leave you wishing you were the characters. *secretly wishing I was Haven. The only...and I mean only problem I had was with Haven’s trust issues. I found them a bit annoying-but that’s it. It was such a great book.
    • 3/5
      This is certainly not my cup of tea. Haven is 17 years old and begins having visions of another life. She is Constance and her boo is Ethan. Toss in a secret society that controls most of the world's most influential people that is run by devil, several supposed affairs and murders, and a lot of running from unremarkable "gray men", and you have The Eternal Ones. At it's heart, it is a love story, but you end up having to wade through a lot of muck to get there. While some parts did grab me, I was eager to finish the book by the time it ended.
    • 3/5
      This book thoroughly bored and annoyed me. It wasn't until the last, what, 50 pages that it actually got interesting. The only reason that I finished the book is because not finishing books is one of my major pet-peeves. I couldn't stand how Haven was so off-and-on with Ian. I complained about it to my friends so often, I think I permanently convinced them not to read it. The Good:The romance was easy to get into, because since they'd known and loved each other in a past life, it wasn't so awkward. Especially towards the end, it began to have a lot more action, mystery, and answers.The Bad:Haven was so indecisive I literally screamed at her. One minute she'd be kissing Ian in Rome, and then she'd be accusing him of murder the next. That increasingly built up my annoyance level. And then Padma, Dr. Tidmore, and Adam really began to bother me. Especially when they chose to randomly have a change in character. The book also seemed to drone on and on and on and on...well you get the idea. I'd also predicted two major events well before they occurred, and I always like being surprised, reading the unexpected, and other elements generically meaning the same thing.I was very disappointed with this book. I was expecting much more. My library's copy had a Teen Sticker on it, which I thought was abnoxiously overrated.
    • 3/5
      I'm on the fence about this one. I loved Kirsten Miller's Kiki Strike books, and I found this book hard to put down at times. It was fast-paced, and I wanted to know the truth about what was going on. But the subject matter was a turn off for me, and I kept feeling like the main character was making terrible choices in her relationship with the main fellow. The man was constantly lying to her and behaving in suspicious ways, and time and time again she kept going back and trusting him, and she decided he was evil just as easily when she was being manipulated by others. I kept thinking, "just sit down with him and make him tell you the entire truth until you have a whole story, this is ridiculous! Ask more questions!" The subject matter that I wasn't crazy about included reincarnation and a devil-figure. I guess I mostly only like fantasy elements if large groups of people don't really believe in them. I probably won't continue reading this series, but I'll keep my eye out for other Kirsten Miller stuff.
    • 4/5
      I was all set not to like this book. In fact, I'm not completely sure what got me to pick it up in the first place. From the packaging and the reviews I've seen, it looked like just another teen paranormal romance -they seem to come off assembly lines these days. However, after reading Brenna Yovanoff's The Replacement (and really enjoying it), I became drawn to Ally Condie's Matched and Catherine Fischer's Sapphique, which I discovered to be part of the now-famous "Penguin Five," a group of five YA authors releasing novels this fall. Sure, it was pretty much a marketing ploy to create a network of YA authors for young readers -but it worked, even though I knew exactly what they were trying to do. I picked up The Eternal Ones, which I wouldn't have otherwise, read it, and....actually liked it.The Eternal Ones is billed primarily as paranormal romance, but I found it to be more of a paranormal mystery. Haven has always know she isn't normal. Her entire life she's had strange visions about a past life and a boy named Ethan she once loved. As she gets older, she becomes drawn to New York, where many important events of her past life occurred. While she does meet Ethan, now reinacarnated as rich playboy Ian, Haven also discovers the Ouroboros Society (or OS), an occult society that gathers reincarnated individuals. But the society has become corrupt and Ian is hiding secrets about who he is, who Haven is, and their keys to their past lives. As Haven gets closer to the truth, the dark secrets surrounding her past life, Ian and the society start to unwravel.Unlike many teen romances out there, the romance in The Eternal Ones is written in such a way that is remains sweet and romantic without crossing over into cheesy. It was also refreshing to see the female character questioning her love interest and being willing to uncover the truth about him. Their relationship just felt more mature, adult and realistic than a typical teen novel, which I enjoyed and felt like I could relate to a little more. The plot was also surprisingly unexpected and fun to read. Though a tinge slow at the beginning, it really picks up toward the middle and leaves readers desperate for more by the end.The only weak point for me was the character development. Oddly enough, primarily in Haven, the protagonist. She just felt really flat for the majority of the book, though she does have some growth at the end (good to see, and fairly natural, but it didn't seem like there was much of a personality for her starting out). I would have liked to see a little more specific characterization for Haven, because she just got swallowed up by the reincarnation and romance sometimes.I know there's a sequel in the works, and I can't believe I'm saying this about a teen paranormal romance/mystery, but I'm excited about it. I want to learn more about author Kristen Miller's ideas of reincarnation and the mysterious society.
    • 3/5
      I didn't expect to like this book because it was about characters who had been reincarnated. Not a story element I'm a big fan of. However, I was intrigued after reading some blogger reviews so I picked it up anyway. I was surprised that I actually liked the reincarnation in The Eternal Ones. It made sense in the context of the story. I bought into it.I also really liked Miller's writing. It was smooth as whipped cream, not clunky at all. Which I loved. This is a long book, but it didn't feel like a long book. That is until the last third. Where things just got too ridiculous for my tastes. Because though I liked the reincarnation stuff in the book, there were two other things that bothered me: 1) Haven 2) Iain. Haven was cool to begin with. I liked her--until she got annoying. Her internal thoughts: I trust Iain. I need him.No I don't trust him. I just met this complete stranger and she said that Iain is a murderer. But I'm drawn to him.Yes, I really do trust Iain. I need him.No I don't, I just saw his face on the news. He is a bad man. But I still need him. I trust Iain. I need him.No I don't, I just met another stranger and he told me Iain is wicked and has always been wicked. Oh, Iain, I trust you now because it was someone else who tried to kill me, not you. I need you!Blah! Got old REALLY quickly. Sure, change your mind two or three times, but beyond that and it's boring. And annoying. As for Iain, how many lives has he known Haven for? Did he really believe that she'd be okay with half truths and lies? Did Iain expect she'd wait meekly at home because he said to trust that he knew best? Why is he surprised when Haven goes out to try to find the truth? This is the same woman he's always known for thousands of years and yet he obviously doesn't know her well. Iain's reasoning for not telling Haven the truth didn't make sense to me. He would've avoided half of the problems they ran into if he'd explained what was going on. Having Haven bumble along in ignorance was a whole lot more dangerous than telling her about the OC.I was also disappointed that Iain and Haven weren't together more. I would've loved it if instead of working apart (and against) each other for most of the book, after an initial hesitation on Haven's part, they would've worked together to figure out what was going on. They have an epic love story that spans through generations, yet I didn't really see any of that love myself. I'm just relying on past lives to believe in it and I felt cheated.So because of the lack of communication between these two (supposedly in-love) protags, the ending fell apart for me. Which makes me sad because I really enjoyed the first part of the book.
    • 5/5
      Ah---I'm in love!!!! This story was so romantic, adventurous and a real page turner. I was so hesitant, it seemed so many people were not liking this book and I was afraid I would be the same way. I've been googly eying this since it came out. I think every time I've been to the book store since August I've been picking this book up and putting it down. A week ago I decided enough was enough and chose to try it out. To my surprise--and relief---I loved it. I definitely recommend it as a winter read :)The story starts out with seventeen year old Haven Moore who lives under her Grandmother's dictator reign in Snope City, Tennessee. For most of Haven's life she has been the odd one. Why? Because she has visions of the past (really she has memories of a past life) and they're all about a young couple name Constance and Ethan. Her only true ally is her dress making partner, Beau (who is seriously one of the best characters in the book). The book deals with reincarnation, faithfulness, trust and the devil.The first part of the book is set in Haven's daily life in Snope City. You really get a sense of how she's mistreated. How her visions cause her to faint at the most unlikely times and cause great problems on her. Basically her life sucks in Tennessee. Everyone thinks she is possessed by a demon and her Grandmother believes the only one who can save her is Dr. Tidmore who has been helping her overcome her visions by being her psychologist. By the way he is the preacher at the church in Snope City.I didn't really see how religion played into this story at first but it became more apparent as the novel went on. This book isn't really a hard one to figure out as it's pretty obvious. At points I was annoyed with Haven for not realizing something so simple. I had figured out the truth, way, before she did.The second part of the book is Haven running away to New York to find the newly reincarnated Ethan who is now known as Iain Morrow. Haven believes that if she finds Iain and solves the reason of Constance death in the 1920's then the visions will stop. But things get tricky, people lie, Haven gets stalk multiple times and it's a big adventure/mystery to solve.I found it interesting that time seem to be repeating itself in this book. What happened in the 1920's seemed to be repeating itself in the twenty-first century.All the characters were well crafted and easily came to life in my imagination. I love Beau, Iain, Haven and even Adam. Haven could be really naive at times but I felt for someone in her situation that was believable. Beau had the best one-liners. Adam and especially Dr. Tidmore were good at being who they were (for those of you who have read the book will understand this).I enjoyed the visions Haven got and was eager to know more about Constance as the pages flipped. I really hope they make a film out of this, I would love to see the 1920's come to life on the screen. Have you notice that 1920's seem to be a popular time line in YA book's lately??Haven's and Iain's first meeting was a bit rush I felt. Another point I like to mention was that Iain and Haven kept bouncing back to hating each other to liking each other, it got a little irritating after awhile.The best plot twist comes, near the end, and is about a character in the book. I never saw that coming and found it funny. It was a tidbit about his lives.This book was truly fantastic. Kirsten Miller has a knack for story telling and making the readers want more. She has definitely created a addictive world that I will be looking forward to learning more about.