• Cheating Death
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Cheating Death Book Cover Cheating Death
Immortal Descendants
April White
Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Romance
Corazon Entertainment
January 24, 2017
Paperback, Kindle
428

In this thrilling conclusion to The Immortal Descendants series, a life has ended, the future is lost, and a war has just begun.

An explosion has split Time and Archer has paid the ultimate price, leaving Saira heartbroken and desperate to repair the rupture. But the blast has trapped Saira in an alternate future where Mongers are cornered predators and Death is the ultimate judge. If Saira and her larcenous friend Ringo ever want to see Archer alive, they must pull off the impossible - alter history at a moment in time to which they cannot return. But saving Archer will restore a timeline where Mongers have complete control, mixed bloods are hunted prey, and the Descendant world is spiraling into chaos.

As Saira uses her Clocking skills to prevent her worst nightmares from coming true, she travels from the dirty streets of Victorian London to the secret archives of the Vatican. She seeks a purpose that is greater than smashed hope, greater than lost love, greater than the prophecy that has shaped her very existence. She must use the lessons of history to free the present and shape the future. And in the end, Saira and her friends will face War and Death in the most important battle of all - the one for Peace.

Time will fly by while reading April White

I started the Immortal Descendants Series after reading Meg’s review of the first book Marking Time.  I weavingcouldn’t have agreed with her more that this was a fresh and unique spin on historical fiction and time travel.  From the first chapter of that book I was hooked.  April’s writing effortlessly weaves intricate story lines through a rich cast of characters.  In Book 1 Saira was a 17 year old tagger and street runner in California who had no idea of her lineage or abilities as a time traveler.   Even though she was street wise, she was emotionally immature and insecure. By Book 5, which I had on pre-order, she has matured into an amazing young woman who steps up to the difficult tasks she is forced undertake.

I especially loved the progression of her relationship with the absolutely timeless loveamazing Archer, the Victorian vampire who waited for her future return.  Without spoiling the story, their love story is both heart warming and heart wrenching. It is a YA appropriate romance and relationship but adult readers will be enthralled with it as well. It is most definitely a timeless love story.

If the series was only about Saira and Archer I would still give it a 5 star, but it is so much more.  I was so pleased that one of my favorite supporting characters, Ringo, plays a prominent role in each book of the series.  He is not a romantic foil to Archer but the best friend of both, whose witty and sharp mind beautifully balances Saira and Archer. Each book builds extremely well on the last.  The multiple story lines and characters intersect in the various trips through history.  These historical backdrops to the different adventures are detailed and great connections to the plot line.

spiral

 

Finally, April’s take on time travel is mezmorizing.  Saira uses spirals that she draws or that other clockers have left as the way to move about history.  I love the concept and how the reader experiences even this aspect of the story. I cannot tell you how many times I had to stop reading to stare off into space contemplating the implications of time travel; time splits especially.

Cheating Death is an amazing conclusion to the outstanding YA series, The Immortal Descendants.  While I read the series on my Kindle, this is one of those that I will want to invest in for my actual book collection. I will also be eagerly waiting for April White’s next work.