Emily Hauser’s For the Immortal is the third instalment in her Golden Apple trilogy, however, they are companion novels and can be read out of order.
Admete is the daughter of the king of Tiryns, searching for a cure to her brother’s newfound illness. She convinces her father to join her childhood friend Hercules, who is on a quest for immortality, to help find any cure that will save her brother’s life. Admete, Hercules, and a ship of soldiers travel to the renowned land of the Amazons—a band of female warriors, infamous for their strength and lack of dependence on the male gender.
Hippolyta, the Queen of the Amazons, who attempts to keep her past hidden where she was taken captive by a Greek king, fell in love and gave birth to his children, only to return to the Amazons afterwards. A sin in the eyes of her tribe. When the Greeks, Admete, and Hercules, appear on their land hoping for a cure for the heir of the Tiryns throne, the Amazons have mixed emotions about welcoming the soldiers with open arms.
Emily Hauser is a queen at writing battle scenes! They are engaging, fast paced, and written as if it is a movie being acted out right in front of the reader. It is something this author does well, and since this book is one of war, it was good. However, it was all war, almost all the time and not much else.
The first 60% of this novel was great—there was action, passion, and direct motivations for the characters. It gave a glimpse into the lives of not only our protagonists, but the politics of the Gods ruling their lands. I was anxious to see if the heir to the throne would live, how Admete would get out of sticky situations, and if Hippolyta would save not only her tribe but their lands as well. However, this was all concluded within the first 60%, and I believe the story could have stopped there. The last 40% of the novel came across as a little lacklustre for me. If you do not have an understanding of Greek mythology, then it will be difficult to understand with all of the Gods and their powers or role in the story as it’s not really explained. That being said, this is understandable because that could be a whole book in and of itself, but a little backstory is necessary for the reader to completely comprehend their roles in the story.
Each of the strong female leads face sexism as assumed in the time the book is set in. It is addressed relatively well, but some instances are so blatant that the author could have used them to really create a voice against the sexism and make Admete’s character a little stronger.
This was a decent book and if the last 40% was edited and refined, then it probably would have been around a 7-8 out of 10, but unfortunately it just didn’t get there. Even though this is a companion novel and the author has said that they can be read out of order, I would suggest to read the first two novels before this one to possible gain some more backstory and understanding of the Gods. For The Immortal appears to be the concluding novel in the series at the time of this article.
For The Immortal is available on Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers.
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Synopsis | Goodreads
Thousands of years ago, in an ancient world where the gods control all and heroes fight to have their names remembered down the ages, two extraordinary women become entangled in one of the greatest heroic tales of all time . . . and must face how much they are willing to risk for immortality.
Desperate to save her dying brother, Admete persuades her father, the king of Tiryns, to let her join Hercules on one of his legendary twelve labours. Travelling to the renowned female warrior Amazons in search of a cure, Admete soon discovers that both Hercules and the fearsome Amazons are not as they first seemed.
The Amazons greet the arrival of the Greeks with mixed feelings – and none more so than Hippolyta, the revered queen of the tribe. For Hercules and his band of fighters pose a threat to her way of life – but also stir up painful memories that threaten to expose her deepest secret.
As battle lines are drawn between the Greeks and the Amazons, both women soon learn the inevitable truth – in war, sacrifices must be made; especially if they are to protect the ones they love most . . .
