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These Immortal Truths
A shapeshifting god,
an immortality granting peach,
and a woman gifted with forever.
England, 1184: Anna is used to hunger and hardship. Ever since she was seventeen, when the pale shadows of her vitiligo were spotted, she has spent more than a decade struggling to survive alone and in exile. Then a single act of kindness towards a beautiful stranger and the taste of a divine peach changes Anna's life forever.
Suddenly, her body is as untouched by Time as it by harm. As she watches the world change around her, knowing every human connection is only temporary, there is only one person she trusts to always return no matter the years or distance...
The shapeshifting god who gifted her with immortality.
an immortality granting peach,
and a woman gifted with forever.
England, 1184: Anna is used to hunger and hardship. Ever since she was seventeen, when the pale shadows of her vitiligo were spotted, she has spent more than a decade struggling to survive alone and in exile. Then a single act of kindness towards a beautiful stranger and the taste of a divine peach changes Anna's life forever.
Suddenly, her body is as untouched by Time as it by harm. As she watches the world change around her, knowing every human connection is only temporary, there is only one person she trusts to always return no matter the years or distance...
The shapeshifting god who gifted her with immortality.
272 pages, Paperback
First published June 30, 2026
About the author
Rachelle Raeta
11 books45 followersRachelle Raeta was born and raised in Northern California where she spent her youth participating in 4-H and fighting for her life trying to ride (a particularly stubborn) horse past the apple tree. These days, she loves writing heart tugging stories that use magical elements to highlight the human ones. When she isn’t agonizing over word choices, she’s usually reading, drowning in home projects, or playing with yarn. She is a Trigiminal Neuralgia survivor and believes in living your best life day by day.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
firstly, thank you to the publisher for an arc!
i was excited to dive into these immortal truths, a short first book in a duology about a woman that is granted immortality from a shapeshifting god through a peach... however it just felt very similar to other books of similar genre and plot i’ve read before; not necessarily bad, just nothing wholly unique, which i keep stumbling upon recently.
i’m sure this book will find its audience, specifically those that enjoyed addie larue
as for the audio, the narrator did a fine job!
i was excited to dive into these immortal truths, a short first book in a duology about a woman that is granted immortality from a shapeshifting god through a peach... however it just felt very similar to other books of similar genre and plot i’ve read before; not necessarily bad, just nothing wholly unique, which i keep stumbling upon recently.
i’m sure this book will find its audience, specifically those that enjoyed addie larue
as for the audio, the narrator did a fine job!
June 10, 2026
"Angst is voor stervelingen."
In het boek beginnen we in Engeland 1184. Anna heeft vitiligo maar in die tijd is dat nog een onbekende en 'enge' ziekte. Ze wordt beticht van hekserij en wordt veroordeeld tot de brandstapel. Maar dan verschijnt er een vreemdeling die haar red van het vuur en de rook. Hij laat haar eten van een taozi een soort perzik. En ze wordt onsterfelijk.
Deze vreemdeling blijkt een gedaante verwisselende god te zijn die zichzelf Khiran noemt. Hij brengt haar naar Eira waar ze in de leer gaat en van alles leert over de natuurlijke geneeskunde van die tijd. Na een paar jaar zegt Eira dat ze er klaar voor is en dat ze wat van de wereld moet zien. Via elk hoofdstuk zien we het leven van Anna in een ander jaar en op een andere plek, en zo reist ze de hele wereld over en probeert ze de lokale bevolking te helpen als vroedvrouw, genezeres en zelfs verpleegster. Ze komt vaak toch of door haar vitiligo of andere onmogelijke gebeurtenissen in de problemen en Khiran redt haar meermaals van penibele situaties.
Gedurende het verhaal leer je steeds meer over Khiran en andere onsterfelijke goden. En de normale wereld valt van de ene oorlog in de anderen, maar ook bij de goden is het niet altijd koek en ei wordt er doorgeschemerd. Khiran wil Anna beschermen tegen het kwaad, maar stukje bij beetje ontrafelt ze de waarheid.
Het boek heeft nog een vervolg, maar op zich had dit verhaal ook een goed einde, dus ik ben best wel benieuwd naar het vervolg! Het las vlot, en ik vond het interessant om een reis van 1184 tot 1953 te maken. Soms viel het verhaal wel een beetje in herhaling, want elk hoofdstuk was ze op een andere plek, ging er iets mis, en werd ze gered, daarom ben ik juist zo benieuwd wat er voor boek 2 is bedacht! Thanks Z&K voor het vooruitleesexemplaar!
In het boek beginnen we in Engeland 1184. Anna heeft vitiligo maar in die tijd is dat nog een onbekende en 'enge' ziekte. Ze wordt beticht van hekserij en wordt veroordeeld tot de brandstapel. Maar dan verschijnt er een vreemdeling die haar red van het vuur en de rook. Hij laat haar eten van een taozi een soort perzik. En ze wordt onsterfelijk.
Deze vreemdeling blijkt een gedaante verwisselende god te zijn die zichzelf Khiran noemt. Hij brengt haar naar Eira waar ze in de leer gaat en van alles leert over de natuurlijke geneeskunde van die tijd. Na een paar jaar zegt Eira dat ze er klaar voor is en dat ze wat van de wereld moet zien. Via elk hoofdstuk zien we het leven van Anna in een ander jaar en op een andere plek, en zo reist ze de hele wereld over en probeert ze de lokale bevolking te helpen als vroedvrouw, genezeres en zelfs verpleegster. Ze komt vaak toch of door haar vitiligo of andere onmogelijke gebeurtenissen in de problemen en Khiran redt haar meermaals van penibele situaties.
Gedurende het verhaal leer je steeds meer over Khiran en andere onsterfelijke goden. En de normale wereld valt van de ene oorlog in de anderen, maar ook bij de goden is het niet altijd koek en ei wordt er doorgeschemerd. Khiran wil Anna beschermen tegen het kwaad, maar stukje bij beetje ontrafelt ze de waarheid.
Het boek heeft nog een vervolg, maar op zich had dit verhaal ook een goed einde, dus ik ben best wel benieuwd naar het vervolg! Het las vlot, en ik vond het interessant om een reis van 1184 tot 1953 te maken. Soms viel het verhaal wel een beetje in herhaling, want elk hoofdstuk was ze op een andere plek, ging er iets mis, en werd ze gered, daarom ben ik juist zo benieuwd wat er voor boek 2 is bedacht! Thanks Z&K voor het vooruitleesexemplaar!
June 20, 2026
3.25
if you are looking for the likes of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue with more historical elements and a sweeter love story, this may be the perfect book for you.
beautifully written, and a more realistic approach to an immortal’s experiences throughout our history, compared to stories of its same kind in recent years.
a stronger first half but unfortunately, as the story went on, the main character’s development didn’t fully land with me and it feels rather unbelievable for a character to have remained so unchanged after going through eight centuries of our history’s most brutal chapters. yet, the people and gods she crosses paths with stick with you and i wish there was a bit more of that.
many thanks to Tor Books for providing me an eARC via NetGalley.
if you are looking for the likes of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue with more historical elements and a sweeter love story, this may be the perfect book for you.
beautifully written, and a more realistic approach to an immortal’s experiences throughout our history, compared to stories of its same kind in recent years.
a stronger first half but unfortunately, as the story went on, the main character’s development didn’t fully land with me and it feels rather unbelievable for a character to have remained so unchanged after going through eight centuries of our history’s most brutal chapters. yet, the people and gods she crosses paths with stick with you and i wish there was a bit more of that.
many thanks to Tor Books for providing me an eARC via NetGalley.
June 29, 2026
This was absolutely beautiful.
"If it takes me centuries, I'll spend each and every one showing you how devastatingly beautiful you are."
Going in, I was told this was for fans of Addie LaRue, except I have never read Addie so it was more like going in blind, and let me tell you it was immaculate.
"I am your tormentor. I am your death."
I don't say this lightly, but this book had the perfect balance of slowburn and character development. I typically get very impatient with slowburns and even though this story takes literal centuries, it was absolutely worth it for what we got at the end.
Starting off in 1185, Anna is about to be burned as a witch due to her vitiligo, when a mysterious strangers hands her a peach. That one bite ends up changing the entire trajectory of her life.
"There are galaxies painted across your skin. Nebulas and universes mapped out like artwork, designed solely for one to get lost in."
Seeing history through Anna's lens, especially as someone with a visible imperfection in the eyes of her contemporaries was a beautiful way of framing history and having Anna stand witness for key events throughout time.
"Anna, you will be the death of me"
"You can't die."
"Yet you'll have me begging for it."
The romance, the yearning, the slowburn. All of it was perfection and my tortured little hero Khiran has cemented himself as another book boyfriend.
"Every waking moment I'm not by your side feels like agony. The thought of never seeing you again, of leaving for good, fills me with such torment that Hell itself could swallow me up, and the distraction would be a relief."
genre: historical / paranormal
pages: 272
rating: 5 stars
writing: single POV
spice: open door
"Anna wonders if that's what Time does - wears the humanity out of you until the promise of death pulls no more emotion than the promise of rain."
"If it takes me centuries, I'll spend each and every one showing you how devastatingly beautiful you are."
Going in, I was told this was for fans of Addie LaRue, except I have never read Addie so it was more like going in blind, and let me tell you it was immaculate.
"I am your tormentor. I am your death."
I don't say this lightly, but this book had the perfect balance of slowburn and character development. I typically get very impatient with slowburns and even though this story takes literal centuries, it was absolutely worth it for what we got at the end.
Starting off in 1185, Anna is about to be burned as a witch due to her vitiligo, when a mysterious strangers hands her a peach. That one bite ends up changing the entire trajectory of her life.
"There are galaxies painted across your skin. Nebulas and universes mapped out like artwork, designed solely for one to get lost in."
Seeing history through Anna's lens, especially as someone with a visible imperfection in the eyes of her contemporaries was a beautiful way of framing history and having Anna stand witness for key events throughout time.
"Anna, you will be the death of me"
"You can't die."
"Yet you'll have me begging for it."
The romance, the yearning, the slowburn. All of it was perfection and my tortured little hero Khiran has cemented himself as another book boyfriend.
"Every waking moment I'm not by your side feels like agony. The thought of never seeing you again, of leaving for good, fills me with such torment that Hell itself could swallow me up, and the distraction would be a relief."
genre: historical / paranormal
pages: 272
rating: 5 stars
writing: single POV
spice: open door
"Anna wonders if that's what Time does - wears the humanity out of you until the promise of death pulls no more emotion than the promise of rain."
June 25, 2026
I really had no idea what I was in for when I picked up These Immortal Truths. What I thought would be a fantasy instead read almost like a slow burn historical romance, slow burn in the fact it’s set over a millennia, and I was obsessed with every single second.
Anna is cursed, or at least that’s what anyone who sees her marred skin believes. Shunned and left on the outskirts of society she is barely surviving, that is until she meets a woman on the run and offers her what little help she can. Turns out the woman is an immortal shape shifting god, one who bestows Anna with immortality of her own, and so her life begins. Anna is a character I instantly felt a connection to. Someone who simply wants to survive in a world that would kill her for the marks on her skin. Her immortality may prevent death, but it doesn’t prevent heartbreak, pain and the inability to form a lasting connection with anyone. We see her through the centuries, helping in any way she can, as a healer, a midwife, a safe house for slaves trying to escape their masters, a nurse in the world wars and through it all there is only one thing, only one person that remains, Khiran, the god who gifted her with immortality.
The romance was one of my favourite aspects of this book, for how well it was written and paced, but also because the author never let it take over the story. Instead, it becomes woven into Anna’s journey, as she decides whether this immortality is a curse or a gift. At first, she is wary of him, a god who can take any form, but as the centuries pass their bond becomes stronger until she can find him no matter the form he takes. But while it’s a beautiful love story, it’s also tragic in its own way. Forbidden by those Khiron would keep Anna from, for her own safety, but Anna can’t see that, she can only see the man she has grown to love denying himself her love in return for fear of what would happen. It’s slow burn in the way it takes almost a millennia for them to act on their feelings, but boy is the journey worth it and I devoured every second these two spent on the page together.
Raeta shows Anna’s growth through the ages via historical events, people and time periods, and I especially loved how she allowed her the freedom to venture outside of Europe and America, though she does spend a large portion of the book in these places. We see Anna struggle through periods of time when an unmarried woman would raise suspicion, and then see her feeling freedom alongside the Pirate leader Shek Yeung, but through it all Anna’s heart remains the same, her desperate need to help, to put herself in the places she can deliver the most aid, sometimes at her own peril. But what really gripped me the most through this was the weight of immortality that Anna feels. The knowledge that she can never stay in one place too long for fear of people questioning her lack of ageing. Her inability to form real connections with people, to have a family, a husband. It’s heartbreaking in a way, and there were certain scenes that left me a sobbing mess, but through it all, the pain and loss and grief, there is an inkling of hope, of wonder at what else is out there for Anna to see.
It’s probably one of the most beautiful books I’ve ever read. Raeta’s writing style really adds to the emotion of the story, and despite the lack of fantasy I couldn’t step away, struggled to put it down, and I managed to read it in one sitting because it’s just that good. It’s definitely more historical fiction/romance with a very mild dose of fantasy, but it worked for this story, and I’m glad to see that there’s a second book because even though it didn’t end on a cliffhanger, it was left open, and I desperately need to know what happens next.
Anna is cursed, or at least that’s what anyone who sees her marred skin believes. Shunned and left on the outskirts of society she is barely surviving, that is until she meets a woman on the run and offers her what little help she can. Turns out the woman is an immortal shape shifting god, one who bestows Anna with immortality of her own, and so her life begins. Anna is a character I instantly felt a connection to. Someone who simply wants to survive in a world that would kill her for the marks on her skin. Her immortality may prevent death, but it doesn’t prevent heartbreak, pain and the inability to form a lasting connection with anyone. We see her through the centuries, helping in any way she can, as a healer, a midwife, a safe house for slaves trying to escape their masters, a nurse in the world wars and through it all there is only one thing, only one person that remains, Khiran, the god who gifted her with immortality.
The romance was one of my favourite aspects of this book, for how well it was written and paced, but also because the author never let it take over the story. Instead, it becomes woven into Anna’s journey, as she decides whether this immortality is a curse or a gift. At first, she is wary of him, a god who can take any form, but as the centuries pass their bond becomes stronger until she can find him no matter the form he takes. But while it’s a beautiful love story, it’s also tragic in its own way. Forbidden by those Khiron would keep Anna from, for her own safety, but Anna can’t see that, she can only see the man she has grown to love denying himself her love in return for fear of what would happen. It’s slow burn in the way it takes almost a millennia for them to act on their feelings, but boy is the journey worth it and I devoured every second these two spent on the page together.
Raeta shows Anna’s growth through the ages via historical events, people and time periods, and I especially loved how she allowed her the freedom to venture outside of Europe and America, though she does spend a large portion of the book in these places. We see Anna struggle through periods of time when an unmarried woman would raise suspicion, and then see her feeling freedom alongside the Pirate leader Shek Yeung, but through it all Anna’s heart remains the same, her desperate need to help, to put herself in the places she can deliver the most aid, sometimes at her own peril. But what really gripped me the most through this was the weight of immortality that Anna feels. The knowledge that she can never stay in one place too long for fear of people questioning her lack of ageing. Her inability to form real connections with people, to have a family, a husband. It’s heartbreaking in a way, and there were certain scenes that left me a sobbing mess, but through it all, the pain and loss and grief, there is an inkling of hope, of wonder at what else is out there for Anna to see.
It’s probably one of the most beautiful books I’ve ever read. Raeta’s writing style really adds to the emotion of the story, and despite the lack of fantasy I couldn’t step away, struggled to put it down, and I managed to read it in one sitting because it’s just that good. It’s definitely more historical fiction/romance with a very mild dose of fantasy, but it worked for this story, and I’m glad to see that there’s a second book because even though it didn’t end on a cliffhanger, it was left open, and I desperately need to know what happens next.
June 15, 2026
Fear is for mortals… and this book completely stole my heart.
These Immortal Truths follows Anna, a woman gifted with immortality in 1185 England after a chance encounter with a shapeshifting god. What unfolds is an epic story spanning nearly 800 years, weaving together fantasy, historical fiction, romance, and profound questions about what it truly means to live.
This book felt unlike anything I’ve ever read. At its heart, it’s a fantasy, but it seamlessly travels through real historical events… from the burning of Joan of Arc to slavery in the American South to Nazi Germany…creating a story that feels both magical and deeply human. Anna’s journey explores happiness, purpose, selflessness, grief, and what we owe to one another in the limited time we’re given.
The writing is absolutely breathtaking. Every page is filled with beautiful, poetic prose and lines that stopped me in my tracks. Some of my favourites:
“Fear is for mortals.”
“Death and suffering are two different matters.”
“There are galaxies painted across your skin. Nebulas and universes mapped out like artwork, designed solely for one to get lost in.”
I also loved seeing Anna’s vitiligo represented throughout different periods of history and how it shaped her experiences in the world. And Khiran and Anna’s romance? The slowest of slow burns, and worth every single page.
If you love books that blur the line between fantasy, historical fiction, literary fiction, and romance, this one deserves a spot on your TBR. I genuinely couldn’t put it down and already know it will be one of my favourite reads of 2026.
These Immortal Truths releases June 30, 2026, and I feel incredibly lucky to have received an advance copy.
These Immortal Truths follows Anna, a woman gifted with immortality in 1185 England after a chance encounter with a shapeshifting god. What unfolds is an epic story spanning nearly 800 years, weaving together fantasy, historical fiction, romance, and profound questions about what it truly means to live.
This book felt unlike anything I’ve ever read. At its heart, it’s a fantasy, but it seamlessly travels through real historical events… from the burning of Joan of Arc to slavery in the American South to Nazi Germany…creating a story that feels both magical and deeply human. Anna’s journey explores happiness, purpose, selflessness, grief, and what we owe to one another in the limited time we’re given.
The writing is absolutely breathtaking. Every page is filled with beautiful, poetic prose and lines that stopped me in my tracks. Some of my favourites:
“Fear is for mortals.”
“Death and suffering are two different matters.”
“There are galaxies painted across your skin. Nebulas and universes mapped out like artwork, designed solely for one to get lost in.”
I also loved seeing Anna’s vitiligo represented throughout different periods of history and how it shaped her experiences in the world. And Khiran and Anna’s romance? The slowest of slow burns, and worth every single page.
If you love books that blur the line between fantasy, historical fiction, literary fiction, and romance, this one deserves a spot on your TBR. I genuinely couldn’t put it down and already know it will be one of my favourite reads of 2026.
These Immortal Truths releases June 30, 2026, and I feel incredibly lucky to have received an advance copy.
July 2, 2026
This book was so beautifully written. The plot is slower moving… but it is very atmospheric and character driven; a world you easily get lost in. It has a classic literature feel to it. I absolutely loved it. Just beautiful.
Did Not Finish
June 12, 202627% .. Well written but I was bored. Part of this is me.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
These Immortal Truths • Rachelle Raeta
One phrase: immortal girl, shapeshifting god, endless ache 🍑✨
These Immortal Truths felt unlike anything I have read before.
At its heart, this is a fantasy about Anna, a woman living in 1185 England who is gifted immortality after a chance encounter with a shapeshifting god and the taste of a divine peach. But what unfolds is so much bigger than that.
This book spans nearly 800 years, blending fantasy, historical fiction, literary fiction, and romance into something magical, devastating, and deeply human.
Anna’s life begins with hunger, hardship, exile, and loneliness. After her vitiligo marks her as different, she is forced to survive on the edges of society. Then one act of kindness changes everything, leaving her untouched by time and harm while the rest of the world keeps moving, aging, loving, suffering, and dying around her.
And honestly? The emotional weight of that hit so hard.
This story moves through real historical moments, from Joan of Arc to slavery in the American South to Nazi Germany, while still keeping Anna’s personal journey at the center. It asks such beautiful, painful questions about what it means to live, what we owe each other, what purpose looks like, and how much grief one person can carry when forever is not as simple as it sounds.
The writing is absolutely breathtaking. Poetic, vivid, and full of lines that made me stop and just sit with them for a second.
“Fear is for mortals.”
“Death and suffering are two different matters.”
“There are galaxies painted across your skin.”
I also really loved the way Anna’s vitiligo was woven throughout different periods of history and how it shaped the way she moved through the world.
And Khiran and Anna?
The slowest of slow burns, and worth every single page. Their connection is ancient, complicated, tender, and aching in that way only immortal love stories can be.
✨ Tropes and vibes:
🍑 immortality granting peach
✨ shapeshifting god
📜 historical fantasy
🖤 immortal FMC
🌍 800 year timeline
🔥 slowest slow burn
💔 grief and purpose
🌙 poetic prose
🕯 literary fantasy
🤍 vitiligo representation
⏳ love across time
🥹 deeply human magic
📚 Read this if you like:
Historical fantasy, immortal love stories, literary romance, poetic writing, shapeshifting gods, books that span centuries, and stories that explore what it means to live when forever is both a gift and a wound.
This was breathtaking, emotional, unforgettable, and easily one of my favorite reads of 2026.
#TheseImmortalTruths #RachelleRaeta #HistoricalFantasy #FantasyRomance #BookReview
@Tor
One phrase: immortal girl, shapeshifting god, endless ache 🍑✨
These Immortal Truths felt unlike anything I have read before.
At its heart, this is a fantasy about Anna, a woman living in 1185 England who is gifted immortality after a chance encounter with a shapeshifting god and the taste of a divine peach. But what unfolds is so much bigger than that.
This book spans nearly 800 years, blending fantasy, historical fiction, literary fiction, and romance into something magical, devastating, and deeply human.
Anna’s life begins with hunger, hardship, exile, and loneliness. After her vitiligo marks her as different, she is forced to survive on the edges of society. Then one act of kindness changes everything, leaving her untouched by time and harm while the rest of the world keeps moving, aging, loving, suffering, and dying around her.
And honestly? The emotional weight of that hit so hard.
This story moves through real historical moments, from Joan of Arc to slavery in the American South to Nazi Germany, while still keeping Anna’s personal journey at the center. It asks such beautiful, painful questions about what it means to live, what we owe each other, what purpose looks like, and how much grief one person can carry when forever is not as simple as it sounds.
The writing is absolutely breathtaking. Poetic, vivid, and full of lines that made me stop and just sit with them for a second.
“Fear is for mortals.”
“Death and suffering are two different matters.”
“There are galaxies painted across your skin.”
I also really loved the way Anna’s vitiligo was woven throughout different periods of history and how it shaped the way she moved through the world.
And Khiran and Anna?
The slowest of slow burns, and worth every single page. Their connection is ancient, complicated, tender, and aching in that way only immortal love stories can be.
✨ Tropes and vibes:
🍑 immortality granting peach
✨ shapeshifting god
📜 historical fantasy
🖤 immortal FMC
🌍 800 year timeline
🔥 slowest slow burn
💔 grief and purpose
🌙 poetic prose
🕯 literary fantasy
🤍 vitiligo representation
⏳ love across time
🥹 deeply human magic
📚 Read this if you like:
Historical fantasy, immortal love stories, literary romance, poetic writing, shapeshifting gods, books that span centuries, and stories that explore what it means to live when forever is both a gift and a wound.
This was breathtaking, emotional, unforgettable, and easily one of my favorite reads of 2026.
#TheseImmortalTruths #RachelleRaeta #HistoricalFantasy #FantasyRomance #BookReview
@Tor
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
6 Stars
I think I just read the best thing I will this entire year. Summing up this story in one word is both easy and hard. But if I had to choose, it would be devastating. It’s that simple, but it’s also so much more.
These Immortal Truths takes you by the hand and leads you through history. Through the terrible things that have happened, that seem so much larger than they are, overshadowing the beauty that can be found in humanity and its power of creation. We don’t just destroy, even when it feels like that’s all we do.
The writing flows beautifully. It’s lyrical and makes the world feel like a fairytale, even with all its calamity. It makes it so easy to experience everything Anna does as if we’re right there with her.
This book has such a chokehold on hold on me, that even as a pretty fast reader, I couldn’t force myself to read quicker. It made me slow down and I couldn’t even be mad about it. The page count is less than 300 and yet it feels like I just finished a novel double that. In the best way possible. There’s so much substance, so much story, in so little words.
Anna is kind and selfless, eager to save everyone she can, to the point she neglects to do herself that kindness. She learns and grows and changes, with and without Khiran and the others she grows close to. She is the goodness the world so easily overlooks and forgets. She is the hope that counters all the pain we see through her eyes. She’s soft and strong, a wonderful FMC.
Oh, Khiran. If there was an award for best MMC ever written, and I was the judge, it wouldn’t undoubtedly go to him. He cares for her without imposing, leads a hand without interfering. He is witty and mysterious and protective. He never tries to take away her independence, her autonomy, despite the fact that he could. He’s just as kind and selfless as Anna is. He accepts all her choices, doesn’t try to change her mind for his own peace of mind, but does everything in his power to keep her safe.
Their love is the slow burn of all slow burns. They pine and long and yearn for one another for over 700 years before admitting their feelings. And the consequences that follow only added to the emotional devastation. It’s so easy to feel both Anna and Khiran’s ache like it’s your own.
The ending is perfect too. We leave off an a hopeful note, but with enough questions and things hinting at more that it leaves you starved for the sequel. I have literally nothing bad to say about this book.
I think I just read the best thing I will this entire year. Summing up this story in one word is both easy and hard. But if I had to choose, it would be devastating. It’s that simple, but it’s also so much more.
These Immortal Truths takes you by the hand and leads you through history. Through the terrible things that have happened, that seem so much larger than they are, overshadowing the beauty that can be found in humanity and its power of creation. We don’t just destroy, even when it feels like that’s all we do.
The writing flows beautifully. It’s lyrical and makes the world feel like a fairytale, even with all its calamity. It makes it so easy to experience everything Anna does as if we’re right there with her.
This book has such a chokehold on hold on me, that even as a pretty fast reader, I couldn’t force myself to read quicker. It made me slow down and I couldn’t even be mad about it. The page count is less than 300 and yet it feels like I just finished a novel double that. In the best way possible. There’s so much substance, so much story, in so little words.
Anna is kind and selfless, eager to save everyone she can, to the point she neglects to do herself that kindness. She learns and grows and changes, with and without Khiran and the others she grows close to. She is the goodness the world so easily overlooks and forgets. She is the hope that counters all the pain we see through her eyes. She’s soft and strong, a wonderful FMC.
Oh, Khiran. If there was an award for best MMC ever written, and I was the judge, it wouldn’t undoubtedly go to him. He cares for her without imposing, leads a hand without interfering. He is witty and mysterious and protective. He never tries to take away her independence, her autonomy, despite the fact that he could. He’s just as kind and selfless as Anna is. He accepts all her choices, doesn’t try to change her mind for his own peace of mind, but does everything in his power to keep her safe.
Their love is the slow burn of all slow burns. They pine and long and yearn for one another for over 700 years before admitting their feelings. And the consequences that follow only added to the emotional devastation. It’s so easy to feel both Anna and Khiran’s ache like it’s your own.
The ending is perfect too. We leave off an a hopeful note, but with enough questions and things hinting at more that it leaves you starved for the sequel. I have literally nothing bad to say about this book.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
✨️ Watching the World Change Around You ✨️
I've read quite a few fantasy novels over the years, but there's always something fascinating about stories that explore immortality. Not because of the magic itself, but because of the questions it raises.
What would it be like to watch centuries pass? To outlive the people you love? To witness history unfold while carrying memories no one else remembers?
That's what drew me into "These Immortal Truths".
Following Anna across centuries of history, I found myself less interested in the mechanics of her immortality and more interested in the emotional toll of it. While the premise is fantastical, the feelings at the heart of the story are deeply relatable. Love, grief, hope, regret, loneliness, and connection all weave their way through Anna's journey, making her feel remarkably human despite her extraordinary circumstances.
One of my favorite aspects of this novel was its sense of scale. Entire lifetimes pass within its pages, yet the story never feels distant. Instead, it creates this strange awareness of how fleeting individual moments can be and how those moments still manage to shape us forever.
This is not a fast-paced fantasy filled with constant action. It's a quieter, more reflective story. The kind of book that encourages you to slow down and spend time with its characters. I found myself lingering over passages and rereading certain sections because I wasn't ready to move on quite yet.
While I can understand the comparisons to "The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue", "These Immortal Truths" ultimately feels like its own story. Rather than focusing solely on immortality, it explores memory, resilience, and the relationships that give meaning to a life - no matter how long that life may be.
Thoughtful, emotional, and beautifully written, this is a book that stayed with me long after I turned the final page.
✨ Thank you to author Rachelle Raeta, Tor Publishing Group, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I've read quite a few fantasy novels over the years, but there's always something fascinating about stories that explore immortality. Not because of the magic itself, but because of the questions it raises.
What would it be like to watch centuries pass? To outlive the people you love? To witness history unfold while carrying memories no one else remembers?
That's what drew me into "These Immortal Truths".
Following Anna across centuries of history, I found myself less interested in the mechanics of her immortality and more interested in the emotional toll of it. While the premise is fantastical, the feelings at the heart of the story are deeply relatable. Love, grief, hope, regret, loneliness, and connection all weave their way through Anna's journey, making her feel remarkably human despite her extraordinary circumstances.
One of my favorite aspects of this novel was its sense of scale. Entire lifetimes pass within its pages, yet the story never feels distant. Instead, it creates this strange awareness of how fleeting individual moments can be and how those moments still manage to shape us forever.
This is not a fast-paced fantasy filled with constant action. It's a quieter, more reflective story. The kind of book that encourages you to slow down and spend time with its characters. I found myself lingering over passages and rereading certain sections because I wasn't ready to move on quite yet.
While I can understand the comparisons to "The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue", "These Immortal Truths" ultimately feels like its own story. Rather than focusing solely on immortality, it explores memory, resilience, and the relationships that give meaning to a life - no matter how long that life may be.
Thoughtful, emotional, and beautifully written, this is a book that stayed with me long after I turned the final page.
✨ Thank you to author Rachelle Raeta, Tor Publishing Group, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Goodreads Giveaways
Take one part Thorn Birds, add a Generous helping of Twilight, stir in a handful of mythology, and a pinch of Biblical creationism; blend, and you have this gorgeous soon to be released novel by Rachelle Raeta. Anne’s earliest memories are of being banished from her village and branded a leper because her skin color is mottled with spots of white (likely vitiligo – think Winnie Harlow). Living in an abandoned shack in the woods, she encounters a well-to-do woman being chased by the landowner’s men. In exchange for shelter and sustenance, Anna is given a Taozi (Persian apple, similar to a peach), which she eats. Branded a witch by the locals and blamed for failing crops and the death of the local lord, she is dragged from her home and set afire on the beach. But she doesn’t blister, and she does not burn.
What ensues is a story that spans centuries; one filled with danger, love, and enchantment as Anna yearns to see the world, and to define her purpose. Because of the gift/curse (depending on viewpoint) she has been given, she never ages and she does not die. What she is left with is a ring of bone inscribed, “I need only to look for the missing part of myself” and a relationship with a shape-shifter and two additional minor gods. Told in the omniscient, we see the world from Anna’s viewpoint. A major theme throughout is that “everything changes with time” and that “things can change in an instant”.
Raeta’s style is glittering, sumptuous, and rooted with historical accuracy. She deftly weaves a spell over the reader, making this a fast-paced and fascinating romantasy novel. If you were a fan of any of the novels mentioned previously, you will thoroughly enjoy this book.
My thanks to #GoodReads, #TORPublishing and the author #rraeta for the ARC of this splendid soon-to-be released romantasy!
What ensues is a story that spans centuries; one filled with danger, love, and enchantment as Anna yearns to see the world, and to define her purpose. Because of the gift/curse (depending on viewpoint) she has been given, she never ages and she does not die. What she is left with is a ring of bone inscribed, “I need only to look for the missing part of myself” and a relationship with a shape-shifter and two additional minor gods. Told in the omniscient, we see the world from Anna’s viewpoint. A major theme throughout is that “everything changes with time” and that “things can change in an instant”.
Raeta’s style is glittering, sumptuous, and rooted with historical accuracy. She deftly weaves a spell over the reader, making this a fast-paced and fascinating romantasy novel. If you were a fan of any of the novels mentioned previously, you will thoroughly enjoy this book.
My thanks to #GoodReads, #TORPublishing and the author #rraeta for the ARC of this splendid soon-to-be released romantasy!
June 18, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley, Tor Books, and the author for the eARC! All thoughts are honest and my own.
I did NOT expect this one to hit me as hard as it did! These Immortal Truths spans eight centuries of global history, life, and tragedy as experienced by Anna, a woman shunned for the marks on her skin. She lives alone, hidden in moderate safety until a beautiful stranger arrives at her door in desperate need of help. There is so much more to this stranger than meets the eye, but Anna, who (upon finishing this incredible book) I believe is the epitome of kindness, only seeks to help. Her reward? She’s burned at the stake.
Except Anna doesn’t die. The stranger, a shapeshifting god named Khiran, has given her immortality in the form of a peach.
What follows is 800 years of trusting, learning, supporting, pining, and yearning set against the backdrop of some of history’s biggest calamities: the Black Death, multiple waves of colonization, the American Revolution, and World War I, to name a few. Through it all, Anna seeks to help as many people as she can, and Khiran is always there, waiting for her. Their story is epic, beautiful, and tragic. My heart broke multiple times as Anna faces the worst of humanity while embodying the best. The magical threads that Raeta weaves throughout this historical fantasy are tantalizing, and the world of the gods, hinted at throughout the centuries, comes into thrilling focus for an amazing cliffhanger that will absolutely leave you panting for the next book! Raeta’s writing is BEAUTIFUL—evocative, emotional, and enticing—and I highly recommend adding this one to your tbr immediately.
This story is going to stay with me forever. It’s THAT powerful.
I did NOT expect this one to hit me as hard as it did! These Immortal Truths spans eight centuries of global history, life, and tragedy as experienced by Anna, a woman shunned for the marks on her skin. She lives alone, hidden in moderate safety until a beautiful stranger arrives at her door in desperate need of help. There is so much more to this stranger than meets the eye, but Anna, who (upon finishing this incredible book) I believe is the epitome of kindness, only seeks to help. Her reward? She’s burned at the stake.
Except Anna doesn’t die. The stranger, a shapeshifting god named Khiran, has given her immortality in the form of a peach.
What follows is 800 years of trusting, learning, supporting, pining, and yearning set against the backdrop of some of history’s biggest calamities: the Black Death, multiple waves of colonization, the American Revolution, and World War I, to name a few. Through it all, Anna seeks to help as many people as she can, and Khiran is always there, waiting for her. Their story is epic, beautiful, and tragic. My heart broke multiple times as Anna faces the worst of humanity while embodying the best. The magical threads that Raeta weaves throughout this historical fantasy are tantalizing, and the world of the gods, hinted at throughout the centuries, comes into thrilling focus for an amazing cliffhanger that will absolutely leave you panting for the next book! Raeta’s writing is BEAUTIFUL—evocative, emotional, and enticing—and I highly recommend adding this one to your tbr immediately.
This story is going to stay with me forever. It’s THAT powerful.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
𝑭𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒈𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒔, 𝒎𝒂𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒏𝒆𝒙𝒕 𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒐𝒏 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒔𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒃𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒇.
-The dedication to These Immortal Truths by Rachelle Raeta
Thank you NetGalley and Tor for the eARC!
I was hooked from the DEDICATION of this book, y'all. I have never been so happy about an accidental book find. I haven't seen this book anywhere, I just happened to put in for the giveaway I won of what I didn't realize was the second book to this duology. So I requested book 1 on NetGalley. I couldn't be more grateful for this falling into my life.
This is a very character driven book, the plot really only thickening at the end - but I do not say this as a negative whatsoever. This was BEAUTIFUL. The writing was luscious, the characters were so deeply explored, and we see the emotions, changes, and back-and-forth ideas of our main characters as we dive through the centuries they live.
These Immortal Truths was an elegant but realistic exploration of immortality. Raeta hit on so many historical horrors of the world that we see through the eyes of our main character, Anna, as she explores the world and attempts to bring goodness wherever she can. We feel the anger and tiredness of Anna living through major wars, colonialism, genocides, slavery, witch hunts, religious upheaval, and the patriarchy. We jump around a lot, but it always felt purposeful and made the read more amazing than I would have imagined it could.
This book was very quotable - in the best way. It wasn't overly done, but artfully sprinkled throughout to be both beautiful & make me feel strong emotions or relate.
I'm honestly surprised this isn't being more talked about - it should be. I'm 100% starting book 2 as soon as I put my review it. I cannot get enough. Raeta has me locked in for good it seems.
-The dedication to These Immortal Truths by Rachelle Raeta
Thank you NetGalley and Tor for the eARC!
I was hooked from the DEDICATION of this book, y'all. I have never been so happy about an accidental book find. I haven't seen this book anywhere, I just happened to put in for the giveaway I won of what I didn't realize was the second book to this duology. So I requested book 1 on NetGalley. I couldn't be more grateful for this falling into my life.
This is a very character driven book, the plot really only thickening at the end - but I do not say this as a negative whatsoever. This was BEAUTIFUL. The writing was luscious, the characters were so deeply explored, and we see the emotions, changes, and back-and-forth ideas of our main characters as we dive through the centuries they live.
These Immortal Truths was an elegant but realistic exploration of immortality. Raeta hit on so many historical horrors of the world that we see through the eyes of our main character, Anna, as she explores the world and attempts to bring goodness wherever she can. We feel the anger and tiredness of Anna living through major wars, colonialism, genocides, slavery, witch hunts, religious upheaval, and the patriarchy. We jump around a lot, but it always felt purposeful and made the read more amazing than I would have imagined it could.
This book was very quotable - in the best way. It wasn't overly done, but artfully sprinkled throughout to be both beautiful & make me feel strong emotions or relate.
I'm honestly surprised this isn't being more talked about - it should be. I'm 100% starting book 2 as soon as I put my review it. I cannot get enough. Raeta has me locked in for good it seems.
Read
July 1, 20264.75*
"Chosen to put some good back into the world"
"Time is the cruelest of teachers"
The gift of immortality or a curse - Why me?
Always moving, never lingering, Anna drifts through the world with no place to anchor her roots. She does not age, cannot die, and must abandon every bond she forms—either because people begin to notice her unchanged face, or because she cannot bear to watch those she loves slip away while she remains untouched by time.
Anna’s only constant is Khiran, the shapeshifting god who follows her through the ages. He watches over her, appearing whenever she’s at her weakest, feeling for her in ways no mortal ever could. He offers small mercies, essential gifts, and—after her deepest heartbreak—the one gift that alters the course of her endless life. Their slow‑burn connection, stretched across centuries and shaped by loss, longing, and quiet devotion, unfolds into a love that feels both inevitable and achingly beautiful.
The story follows her through centuries of history, carrying her from Europe to the New World, from one adventure to the next. She endures every emotion imaginable: love, heartbreak, illness, suffering, famine, cruelty, healing. Wars, plagues, and famines rise and fall around her, each era leaving its mark. She wrestles with her own shifting emotions—feeling cursed one moment, and in the next, discovering unexpected beauty in the life she’s been forced to live.
And though her journey is hauntingly beautiful, the ending lands with a quiet sadness—soft, inevitable, sacrificial, and deeply human. It lingers long after the final page, a reminder that even an immortal life can ache in ways time can’t heal.
"Chosen to put some good back into the world"
"Time is the cruelest of teachers"
The gift of immortality or a curse - Why me?
Always moving, never lingering, Anna drifts through the world with no place to anchor her roots. She does not age, cannot die, and must abandon every bond she forms—either because people begin to notice her unchanged face, or because she cannot bear to watch those she loves slip away while she remains untouched by time.
Anna’s only constant is Khiran, the shapeshifting god who follows her through the ages. He watches over her, appearing whenever she’s at her weakest, feeling for her in ways no mortal ever could. He offers small mercies, essential gifts, and—after her deepest heartbreak—the one gift that alters the course of her endless life. Their slow‑burn connection, stretched across centuries and shaped by loss, longing, and quiet devotion, unfolds into a love that feels both inevitable and achingly beautiful.
The story follows her through centuries of history, carrying her from Europe to the New World, from one adventure to the next. She endures every emotion imaginable: love, heartbreak, illness, suffering, famine, cruelty, healing. Wars, plagues, and famines rise and fall around her, each era leaving its mark. She wrestles with her own shifting emotions—feeling cursed one moment, and in the next, discovering unexpected beauty in the life she’s been forced to live.
And though her journey is hauntingly beautiful, the ending lands with a quiet sadness—soft, inevitable, sacrificial, and deeply human. It lingers long after the final page, a reminder that even an immortal life can ache in ways time can’t heal.
July 1, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley, Tor, and Ms. Raeta for the opportunity to read an ARC of this title. An honest review was requested but not required.
If I recall correctly about reading The Immortal Life of Addie LaRue my major complaint was that it read more as straight (very meta) fiction rather than the romance-flavored descent into the madness of immortality I was expecting. Therefore this should have been a straight up hit. After all, this is the sweeter version of Addie. Khiran certainly pines for Anna, for literal centuries.
And yet, for all its emotional impact, for all the historical epochs Anna experiences, this didn't warm me any more than Addie did. (Keeping in mind that I still gave it 4 stars.) Why? I wonder. This has what I felt Addie lacked, the emotional impact of romance. After all, what is immortality if lived alone? Then I wondered if that was the point of Addie. THEN I got annoyed at myself for overthinking it. Sigh. I cannot be pleased I guess.
I have come to the tentative conclusion that if you combined Addie with Anna you'd have the perfect book: the deeply felt profundity and struggle against the futile of Addie, with the romance of Immortal Truths. Or maybe this plot setup just isn't for me. One or the other. I'll give this 3.5 stars since I did enjoy the ride, even if it ultimately wasn't 100% exactly what I wanted out of the book. Like craving chocolate cake and getting... red velvet. (Don't @ me)
3.5 stars
If I recall correctly about reading The Immortal Life of Addie LaRue my major complaint was that it read more as straight (very meta) fiction rather than the romance-flavored descent into the madness of immortality I was expecting. Therefore this should have been a straight up hit. After all, this is the sweeter version of Addie. Khiran certainly pines for Anna, for literal centuries.
And yet, for all its emotional impact, for all the historical epochs Anna experiences, this didn't warm me any more than Addie did. (Keeping in mind that I still gave it 4 stars.) Why? I wonder. This has what I felt Addie lacked, the emotional impact of romance. After all, what is immortality if lived alone? Then I wondered if that was the point of Addie. THEN I got annoyed at myself for overthinking it. Sigh. I cannot be pleased I guess.
I have come to the tentative conclusion that if you combined Addie with Anna you'd have the perfect book: the deeply felt profundity and struggle against the futile of Addie, with the romance of Immortal Truths. Or maybe this plot setup just isn't for me. One or the other. I'll give this 3.5 stars since I did enjoy the ride, even if it ultimately wasn't 100% exactly what I wanted out of the book. Like craving chocolate cake and getting... red velvet. (Don't @ me)
3.5 stars
July 9, 2026
I understand why this book is called These Immortal Truths. I have NEVER experienced a book that rings truer. The way this story played me like a puppet. Pulling all the right strings. All the right emotions, I have never cried so hard in my life. I will not get down to the nitty gritty of it. But I was gutted at times.
These Immortal Truths pulled my morality and mortality and strung my mental stability along. The depth I felt for and with Anna, runs deep. I don't just feel sad, I feel hollow.
I don't know if it was a mix of our reality and our history that made everything more real. I suspect if immortality and Immortals are among us. This is what it would be like.
I have wanted to read this series for so long. I wanted to read it before its name changed I wanted it when the first book was called Peaches & honey. After waiting so like to get my hands on it. I can strongly say I was not disappointed. It had me in a chokehold. It was beautifully written. Stunning even. At times I thought it was dragging a bit, but everything happened for a reason and it all made so much more sense when we got there. I don't think I have anymore word to describe how this book made me feel.
Thank you Netgalley and thank you Rechelle Raeta and your team for allowing me this honor.
My rating is going to be 4.5/5 but I will give Netgalley a 5
These Immortal Truths pulled my morality and mortality and strung my mental stability along. The depth I felt for and with Anna, runs deep. I don't just feel sad, I feel hollow.
I don't know if it was a mix of our reality and our history that made everything more real. I suspect if immortality and Immortals are among us. This is what it would be like.
I have wanted to read this series for so long. I wanted to read it before its name changed I wanted it when the first book was called Peaches & honey. After waiting so like to get my hands on it. I can strongly say I was not disappointed. It had me in a chokehold. It was beautifully written. Stunning even. At times I thought it was dragging a bit, but everything happened for a reason and it all made so much more sense when we got there. I don't think I have anymore word to describe how this book made me feel.
Thank you Netgalley and thank you Rechelle Raeta and your team for allowing me this honor.
My rating is going to be 4.5/5 but I will give Netgalley a 5
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This book hit something in me I wasn’t prepared for.
A magical realism story spanning 800+ years, something I’ve never read before, and yet absolutely devoured.
There’s something really raw in the truths it explores, what it means to care too deeply, to give and give until you’ve slowly lost pieces of yourself in the process. That quiet kind of self-abandonment that doesn’t feel dramatic in the moment… but adds up until you don’t recognize what’s left.
At the center of it is this contrast that just hurts in the best way: a man whose instinct is to run, and a woman whose instinct is to stay, neither of them choosing those things for their own good, but because it’s all they know. And watching that play out, watching how it shapes their love and their pain… it felt incredibly real.
These Immortal Truths is soft and aching and honest. The writing carries this quiet weight to it, nothing feels forced, but everything feels intentional. It’s the kind of story that doesn’t just tell you what love looks like, but what it costs when you don’t know how to hold onto yourself within it.
Easy 5 stars.
A magical realism story spanning 800+ years, something I’ve never read before, and yet absolutely devoured.
There’s something really raw in the truths it explores, what it means to care too deeply, to give and give until you’ve slowly lost pieces of yourself in the process. That quiet kind of self-abandonment that doesn’t feel dramatic in the moment… but adds up until you don’t recognize what’s left.
At the center of it is this contrast that just hurts in the best way: a man whose instinct is to run, and a woman whose instinct is to stay, neither of them choosing those things for their own good, but because it’s all they know. And watching that play out, watching how it shapes their love and their pain… it felt incredibly real.
These Immortal Truths is soft and aching and honest. The writing carries this quiet weight to it, nothing feels forced, but everything feels intentional. It’s the kind of story that doesn’t just tell you what love looks like, but what it costs when you don’t know how to hold onto yourself within it.
Easy 5 stars.
June 26, 2026
This story is equally as beautiful as it is devastating. A unique take on immortality and all that comes it with it; good and bad. The journey of this story is truly an experience. A slow-burn, reflective, and emotional look at the darker and more tragic sides of immortality.
I enjoyed the passage of time and how it was executed. As the story moves it touches on real historical events that really connected me to the passage of time. How the characters are involved with and linked to the events was truly unique and absolutely conceivable.
The characters are compelling and authentic. It was easy to understand their emotions and decisions, and how they navigated through the centuries. The writing was done in such a poignant and profound way I continually felt the characters' anguish right along with them, but also felt such heartfelt joy when the characters found moments of true happiness.
I truly enjoyed this book and am looking forward to continuing.
Thank you NetGalley and Tor Publishing for the ARC copy.
I enjoyed the passage of time and how it was executed. As the story moves it touches on real historical events that really connected me to the passage of time. How the characters are involved with and linked to the events was truly unique and absolutely conceivable.
The characters are compelling and authentic. It was easy to understand their emotions and decisions, and how they navigated through the centuries. The writing was done in such a poignant and profound way I continually felt the characters' anguish right along with them, but also felt such heartfelt joy when the characters found moments of true happiness.
I truly enjoyed this book and am looking forward to continuing.
Thank you NetGalley and Tor Publishing for the ARC copy.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Anna's leven verandert voorgoed nadat ze een normaal ogende vrucht eet. Het ene moment staat ze op het randje van de dood, het volgende moment is ze onsterfelijk. 'Deze onsterfelijke beloftes' vertelt het verhaal van Anna op een prachtige manier. Je reist door de tijd en verkent samen met Anna de hele wereld. Steeds moet ze vertrouwde dingen achter zich laten, maar gelukkig is er een stabiele, terugkerende factor, Khiran. Anna en Khiran leren elkaar steeds beter kennen en door de schrijfstijl van Rachelle zit je op de eerste rij. Een bijzonder boek, die de kijk op het leven verandert. Onsterfelijk zijn betekent niet dat men geen lijden kent, betekent niet dat je alles weet, betekent niet dat je geen ondraaglijke pijn kan voelen. Hoewel ik in het begin even moest inkomen, heeft dit verhaal mij volledig gegrepen en omver geblazen. Ik kijk dan ook enorm uit naar deel 2, die in het najaar van 2026 uitkomt.
Bedankt Zomer&Keuning dat ik dit boek als recensie-exemplaar mocht lezen.
Bedankt Zomer&Keuning dat ik dit boek als recensie-exemplaar mocht lezen.
June 22, 2026
“Was knowing him worth the pain of saying goodbye?”
“Always.”
After years of struggling alone in exile Anna helps a stranger, who turns out to be a shape shifting god, and in return gets a peach which turns her immortal. This book follows her through the years and her human connections that can only be temporary as well as her relationship with the shape shifting god himself.
This book had Addie LaRue vibes, a poetic writing style and an interesting mixture of fantasy and history in it. Although it was fantasy it felt like the historical aspect was more prominent. Though the writing was beautiful I wasn’t enraptured by the story, it was good but not enough to continue the series for me. BUT I will still give it 4 stars because although I felt it was a 3.5 stars when reading it, I read it post-surgery, nauseous and in pain so maybe it was just the wrong mood/wrong time so I that could affect my enjoyment.
Thanks to @netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
“Always.”
After years of struggling alone in exile Anna helps a stranger, who turns out to be a shape shifting god, and in return gets a peach which turns her immortal. This book follows her through the years and her human connections that can only be temporary as well as her relationship with the shape shifting god himself.
This book had Addie LaRue vibes, a poetic writing style and an interesting mixture of fantasy and history in it. Although it was fantasy it felt like the historical aspect was more prominent. Though the writing was beautiful I wasn’t enraptured by the story, it was good but not enough to continue the series for me. BUT I will still give it 4 stars because although I felt it was a 3.5 stars when reading it, I read it post-surgery, nauseous and in pain so maybe it was just the wrong mood/wrong time so I that could affect my enjoyment.
Thanks to @netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
June 27, 2026
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: 5/5
Spice: like a 3/5? On page, but not a ton of it.
Wow - I was so surprised by this book. I thought I was in for a generic Romantasy, which I was here for, but this book is SO much more! I will definitely be reading more of Raeta’s work. The writing is stunning. The plot is intriguing, and while there is romance, it’s not the whole story here. This is a story about a woman’s coming to terms with immortality and learning who to be in a very broken world when there is no end in sight. There is lots of tragedy, but there is also beauty. The romance is very slow burn, so don’t expect it to be in your face on page one. I feel like this book is what I WANTED from Addie LaRue. Such a great surprise! My one complaint isn’t really a complaint so much as a “dang it, I didn’t know it was a series.” It definitely just ends, so if you want closure, wait for book two.
Rating: 5/5
Spice: like a 3/5? On page, but not a ton of it.
Wow - I was so surprised by this book. I thought I was in for a generic Romantasy, which I was here for, but this book is SO much more! I will definitely be reading more of Raeta’s work. The writing is stunning. The plot is intriguing, and while there is romance, it’s not the whole story here. This is a story about a woman’s coming to terms with immortality and learning who to be in a very broken world when there is no end in sight. There is lots of tragedy, but there is also beauty. The romance is very slow burn, so don’t expect it to be in your face on page one. I feel like this book is what I WANTED from Addie LaRue. Such a great surprise! My one complaint isn’t really a complaint so much as a “dang it, I didn’t know it was a series.” It definitely just ends, so if you want closure, wait for book two.
July 7, 2026
This was a sweet and romantic story. You feel like you're reading the diary of a real woman (Anna in this case) who has lived on for centuries. I thought this was an interesting difference from other stories with similar concepts (woman made immortal) that I've read. Others seemed really focused on getting to the current day timeline where the true action takes place. In this story, it feels like Anna is experiencing a different piece of life/plot in each new place and time. There are questions to keep you curious for the ending, but it also just feels satisfying going along the journey with her. You want to know what happened over the years, not just what it's building up to.
I was amazed when this book was able to make me cry within 100 pages, the Genoa 1439 chapter killed me!
The romance in this is a very slow burn that will pull at your heart strings! The ending is both very cute and bittersweet given the set up for the sequel, which I definitely plan on reading!
I was amazed when this book was able to make me cry within 100 pages, the Genoa 1439 chapter killed me!
The romance in this is a very slow burn that will pull at your heart strings! The ending is both very cute and bittersweet given the set up for the sequel, which I definitely plan on reading!
Review of advance copy
📚Recensie📚
Deze onsterfelijke beloftes- Rachelle Reata
Het verhaal van Anna die door een van gedaante veranderende God de onsterfelijkheid krijgt. De eeuwen waarin zij leeft maakt zij al het leed van de wereld mee en staat altijd klaar voor andere. Een rustig verhaal waarbij vriendschap en relaties zich opbouwen, herinneringen worden gemaakt. Zowel mooie herinneringen maar ook pijnlijke. Hierin te leren dat voor anderen zorgen ook jezelf wegcijferen is.
Het verhaal vond ik op het begin wat lastig omdat het opbouwen heel rustig verliep, maar het verhaal zit heel goed in elkaar. Het opbouwen van relaties en de levens die ze overal opbouwt nemen je elke keer weer mee. Om op het einde ervan te leren dat voor jezelf kiezen ook eens goed is.
Ik geef dit boek 3,5 ⭐️ omdat het wel een goed in elkaar gezet verhaal is met een boodschap. Maar van mij had er meer snelheid in mogen zitten📚
Deze onsterfelijke beloftes- Rachelle Reata
Het verhaal van Anna die door een van gedaante veranderende God de onsterfelijkheid krijgt. De eeuwen waarin zij leeft maakt zij al het leed van de wereld mee en staat altijd klaar voor andere. Een rustig verhaal waarbij vriendschap en relaties zich opbouwen, herinneringen worden gemaakt. Zowel mooie herinneringen maar ook pijnlijke. Hierin te leren dat voor anderen zorgen ook jezelf wegcijferen is.
Het verhaal vond ik op het begin wat lastig omdat het opbouwen heel rustig verliep, maar het verhaal zit heel goed in elkaar. Het opbouwen van relaties en de levens die ze overal opbouwt nemen je elke keer weer mee. Om op het einde ervan te leren dat voor jezelf kiezen ook eens goed is.
Ik geef dit boek 3,5 ⭐️ omdat het wel een goed in elkaar gezet verhaal is met een boodschap. Maar van mij had er meer snelheid in mogen zitten📚
June 24, 2026
3.5 stars
This is a bit of a tough one for me to review. It was good, but it was so similar to Addie LaRue that I almost felt like I was rereading it. It was beautifully written and there’s a lovely slow burn romance. I always looked forward to Khiran making an appearance in one of his many forms. Anna was admirable in her selflessness and desire to always help others.
It did feel a bit slow following Anna over centuries while she mostly did the same things - worked as a nurse, survived wars, found herself in predicaments that Khiran had to rescue her from. There was a hint of a bigger plot along the way which could have been interesting, but by the end we’ve still barely gotten into it. While this was a decent read, I don’t see myself continuing the series.
Thank you to Tor and NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.
This is a bit of a tough one for me to review. It was good, but it was so similar to Addie LaRue that I almost felt like I was rereading it. It was beautifully written and there’s a lovely slow burn romance. I always looked forward to Khiran making an appearance in one of his many forms. Anna was admirable in her selflessness and desire to always help others.
It did feel a bit slow following Anna over centuries while she mostly did the same things - worked as a nurse, survived wars, found herself in predicaments that Khiran had to rescue her from. There was a hint of a bigger plot along the way which could have been interesting, but by the end we’ve still barely gotten into it. While this was a decent read, I don’t see myself continuing the series.
Thank you to Tor and NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.
July 8, 2026
“Fear is for mortals.”
If you loved The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, I think you will really enjoy this book.
Anna suffers from a mysterious disease, vitiligo, that the people in her village see as a curse. After helping a stranger in her hidden cottage and eating a peach he gives her in gratitude, Anna finds herself facing death at the witches’ stake in 1185 England. Only, she doesn’t die.
And so begins her journey through time.
Unlike Addie, Anna spends her immortal life trying to help those in need. Her relationship with the god who made her immortal is complicated and beautiful, rooted in that age-old struggle of trying to protect the people we love, even when love itself becomes messy and painful.
There were some lingering questions I wish had been answered, but there is a sequel (hurray!) and I hope to pick that up very soon.
“Fear is for us all.”
If you loved The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, I think you will really enjoy this book.
Anna suffers from a mysterious disease, vitiligo, that the people in her village see as a curse. After helping a stranger in her hidden cottage and eating a peach he gives her in gratitude, Anna finds herself facing death at the witches’ stake in 1185 England. Only, she doesn’t die.
And so begins her journey through time.
Unlike Addie, Anna spends her immortal life trying to help those in need. Her relationship with the god who made her immortal is complicated and beautiful, rooted in that age-old struggle of trying to protect the people we love, even when love itself becomes messy and painful.
There were some lingering questions I wish had been answered, but there is a sequel (hurray!) and I hope to pick that up very soon.
“Fear is for us all.”
June 18, 2026
I received this as an ARC from Tor Publishing Group through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
3.75/5⭐️
Imagine you were offered the gift of immortality. What would you do with your life? How would you spend your days? This book follows Anna throughout the centuries as she lives her life after being given the gift of immortality. While the marks on her skin mark her as different, she still does what she can to help those in need. This was definitely a slow burn but it was absolutely the best decision for these characters. I’m definitely looking forward to reading the next book to find out how things will end with the danger that has been hinted at potentially coming closer.
3.75/5⭐️
Imagine you were offered the gift of immortality. What would you do with your life? How would you spend your days? This book follows Anna throughout the centuries as she lives her life after being given the gift of immortality. While the marks on her skin mark her as different, she still does what she can to help those in need. This was definitely a slow burn but it was absolutely the best decision for these characters. I’m definitely looking forward to reading the next book to find out how things will end with the danger that has been hinted at potentially coming closer.
June 27, 2026
Thank you Tor publishing for the physical copy of the book!
Two years since reading the independently published edition of this book and this is still one of the most beautifully written and emotionally devastating books I’ve read.
The new chapters and polished sentences were such a great edition to this book, it added more depth to the centuries of yearning and hungering for each other. The little touches added in their interactions made each moment between them filled with that much more tension and affection. The second reread hurt more because I knew what was coming and when, it also opened my eyes to every little detail in their interactions which was so nice to see.
I love this book so much and I’m so happy for this author for getting this opportunity with this beautiful story!
Two years since reading the independently published edition of this book and this is still one of the most beautifully written and emotionally devastating books I’ve read.
The new chapters and polished sentences were such a great edition to this book, it added more depth to the centuries of yearning and hungering for each other. The little touches added in their interactions made each moment between them filled with that much more tension and affection. The second reread hurt more because I knew what was coming and when, it also opened my eyes to every little detail in their interactions which was so nice to see.
I love this book so much and I’m so happy for this author for getting this opportunity with this beautiful story!
July 4, 2026
Raeta writes with such softness, her characters doused in vulnerable honesty, with words so painfully beautiful they leave you aching for more.
The story is a retrospective look at humanity. A study in kindness and what it means to live through times shrouded in death. And of course a little romance. That delicious, slow burn romance that Raeta does so very well. It creeps so quietly that even when you know it's coming, the electricity is shocking when it finally hits.
What I love most about stories that span time and time and time are the mentions of historical figures and monumental events. How Raeta weaves her gods so seamlessly into historical fact is artistry at its finest.
Pure sweetness. Something to be savoured, but impossible not to devour.
The story is a retrospective look at humanity. A study in kindness and what it means to live through times shrouded in death. And of course a little romance. That delicious, slow burn romance that Raeta does so very well. It creeps so quietly that even when you know it's coming, the electricity is shocking when it finally hits.
What I love most about stories that span time and time and time are the mentions of historical figures and monumental events. How Raeta weaves her gods so seamlessly into historical fact is artistry at its finest.
Pure sweetness. Something to be savoured, but impossible not to devour.
July 4, 2026
Thanks to NetGalley & Tor Publishing Group for the copy in exchange for an honest review. Sadly, I DNF'ed at 20% of the way through.
It was just too slow a read for me. The protagonist lives a really boring midwife life, collecting herbs, saving random people, etc, for YEARS. The romance moves at a snail's pace and they didn't really spend a lot of time together in the first 20% so I'm not really interested in seeing more. Anna had no personality and was extremely passive, which made the story incredibly boring.
It was just too slow a read for me. The protagonist lives a really boring midwife life, collecting herbs, saving random people, etc, for YEARS. The romance moves at a snail's pace and they didn't really spend a lot of time together in the first 20% so I'm not really interested in seeing more. Anna had no personality and was extremely passive, which made the story incredibly boring.
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