Forever: A Vampire Fantasy Novel

by Natalie J. Case

Born in the dawn of man's history, Amara is neither human nor vampire and yet fully both; a killer, a child, a lover, a monster.

Wandering the world, she seeks redemption and vengeance in equal measure. Discovering love in its many forms and loss in its deepest agony, her life circles around two others who return to her again and again, until their fates are set right.

"The ancient game is played out as three souls, born together in the lost pages of time, are as they were meant to be. But to tell that story, my story, I must go back to the beginning. To the time before I came to be.

Before any of us had come to be."

Genres: Horror, Vampires

340 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 2, 2014

About the author

Natalie lives and works in Stockton, CA.

Words were her first love and she grew up finding new ways to put words together to tell stories. Known to occasionally commit random acts of poetry, Natalie primarily dabbles in worlds where magic exists, where vampires and shape-shifters share page time with gods and demons, and characters that are born inside her head find themselves struggling in a world made real through the magic of words.

Refusing to be confined to a single genre, Natalie's current works in progress span, and sometimes combine, horror, fantasy, sci-fi, urban fantasy and more.

Reviews

[Susan-Alia Terry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Almost from the beginning, Amara has walked the earth, human but not...

Forever reminds me of Interview with a Vampire in that it spans the life of an immortal being, and in its gothic tone and feel. Beautifully written, what I enjoyed most about Forever was how Ms. Case portrayed the contrast of Amara's being - the human vs vampire. In Amara we have someone who straddles worlds successfully and unsuccessfully, depending on how harshly she judges herself. Human history is unimportant to the narrative and I appreciate that we only get glimpses of the surroundings to place us in time, after all when you're immortal time is unimportant. I admit though, as with Interview with a Vampire, (and any book that spans hundreds of years), sometimes I was more anxious to get to the current century, but I think that's more my impatience than the fault of the author or narrative. Overall this was an interesting read, and I look forward to reading more from Ms. Case in the future.

[Isobel Blackthorn · Rating 5 out of 5]

The cover of Forever speaks of a gothic read, of hauntings, perhaps, or maybe something even darker. Forever is a vampire story, the third I have read this year, and not being a fan of paranormal fiction, I was relieved to find behind this gloomy and disturbing cover, a satisfying dark and engaging story written with a deft pen.

The protagonist, Amara, is not a regular vampire. She is part human, and this sets up an internal conflict as by turns she fights against and gives in to her vampiric tendency to drain humans of their blood. Amara is on a journey of discovery when, as a misfit repelled by what she sees her vampire kin do, she takes the difficult path of leaving them behind to find her way in the world of humans. When she leaves the Family of bloodthirsty vampires headed up by three brothers and sets off on her own she cannot know the adventures and conflicts that lie ahead. Soon she befriends a mortal, Jesse, who has a deep interest in the ancient traditions. When Jesse slays one of her own, Vahe, the two are hunted by the Family. A love interest grows between the pair as they flee, only to find themselves having to confront the powerful Crenoral, Amara's step-father. From here, the story continues as Amara searches for ways to belong to her human family, and to say more would spoil the plot.

Forever, a tale that is highly atmospheric and spans eons of time. There is plenty of bloody action packing the pages and Case displays excellent world building skills, a requisite for any fantasy author, dark or otherwise. Throughout the novel, Case explores themes of alienation and belonging, and of identity, tackling the age old dance of passion versus morality, as Amara resists her own innate and powerful desires. I particularly enjoyed the first person perspective of an older wiser Amara reflecting back on her life.

Very well written, with complex characters created with a sympathetic eye, Forever will appeal to fans of vampire fiction with an epic flavour who are after a classic read.

[Janeen O'Connell · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a roller coaster ride through the centuries.
In Forever the reader intrudes into the world of Amara, a child/girl/woman, who doesn’t fit in with her vampire “family”. This is a very different take on the vampire genre, and I found it refreshing.
Amara doesn’t always fit the stereotypical vampire we have become accustomed to in other books. The trials she faces as her human side challenges the desires of the vampire, culminate in loss, grief, happiness, love, hate, vengeance and revenge. Much of Amara’s journey reflects the lives of many of us. The decisions we make that we regret, that hurt others, that make us happy are all portrayed in the conflicts within Amara’s soul.
A very thought-provoking story.

[T.S. O'Neil · Rating 4 out of 5]

Forever is a Vampire tale told in the first person. A lot of it seems derivative of other literature and entertainment media about Vampires; sucking blood from the wrist to nurture the ‘newly made,’ being from the Caucasus Mountains (I guess saying Transylvania would have been too on the nose), sleeping in crypts, having prominent eye teeth. The female, Amara, is a reluctant vampire as she hates killing people. She befriends a mortal priest in the village she frequents because something about her is different from the other Vampires. Eventually, he offers her food and she eats and drinks and is surprised that only can she ingest the food, but that she actually finds it delicious and it seems to have a very desirable effect on her. The priest uses the opportunity to get busy with her and the inevitable happens. A hundred years pass and the villagers eventually kill one of the Vampires, thus setting up the major conflict in the plot. There is a mega Vampire feast when all the clans gather (a Vamp Jamboree?), and the local villagers end up as the entrees. This does not sit well with the villagers—they attack, and Amara escapes during the melee. She eventually finds her way to a village and into the hands of a local healer, who plies her with a strange elixir that makes her feel better. He becomes a friend and a mentor to her, teaching her literature and the ways of the mortal world. She then meets and falls for a mortal, and they escape the clutches of her shunned vampire family. She longs to escape and live a normal life among the mortals, and she may have more in common with them than originally meets the eye, but you’ll have to read the book to find out whether she is able to transform into one of them or not as I don’t want to provide a spoiler.
The book is technically well-written and edited, nary a comma is out of place, and there is a story here, it’s just that there is not a lot of new under the hood and I’m not a huge fan of the whole somewhat dated twilight phenomenon—you know, conflicted, yet beautiful and hip tween vampires, but if you’re into that thing... I agree with the other reviewers in that the pacing is slow and it took a dedicated effort to get through it, which is not something that is a strong selling point. It would have been better had the author edited the narrative to increase the pace and therein heighten the reader's sense of excitement. Still, it’s as good or better than the rest of the stuff out there, so give it a read.

[Alice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweeping. Epic. FOREVER deserves a soundtrack on the lines of “Tara’s Theme” from Gone with the Wind.

FOREVER will please lovers of big multi-generational books and of classic vampire stories. No sparkles here! Case writes a multifaceted main character at war with herself, her “family,” and her basic survival needs. What’s a vampire with a conscience to do?

Amara is both human and vampire. Bloodsucker Daddy Dearest does his best to make her into a conscienceless killer just like him, and fails repeatedly. Humanity is beginning to build villages and raise crops. Amara bails on the only home she knows, with the vampires in the mountains, and tries to live among humans.

Her first attempt at assimilation doesn’t end well, but she keeps trying. And she discovers love.

Except her vamp family doesn’t approve of Amara’s lifestyle. Neither does the Inquisition. I didn’t exaggerate when I started this review with the words “sweeping” and “epic.”

FOREVER pulls the reader into its dreamy, otherworldy atmosphere as we journey through centuries with Amara. Then it shifts into intense battle scenes as she fights to protect what she loves. And talk about a family you don’t want to sit down to Thanksgiving dinner with. (They sure aren’t eating turkey and sweet potatoes either.)

Every once in a while a big book comes along that is made for unplugging the phone and turning off the internet. A book meant to be taken to the beach or out into the backyard and read on a succession of long summer days. Or next to a fireplace in an overstuffed chair on long winter days. FOREVER is that book.

[John Thiesfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderfully immersive tale of the triumphs, tragedies and epic life of a half caste vampire. The author writes in a somewhat 'old English' style, which adds to the wonderful atmosphere of the novel. It also links it favourably to the old masters of the Gothic genre. The vampirism is as it should be, raw and dangerous,but never gratuitous. I found the story to be a gripping and epic. Highly recommended.

[Leigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent Read

I had trouble putting this one down. Vampire stories are not my usual, however this was so well written I was sucked into it from the beginning. I would recommend it highly.

[Amelia James · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fabulous!

Very descriptive! What a journey! Great main character! Loved the trials and tribulations the characters went through. Must read! Great story!

[Grady · Rating 4 out of 5]

‘The ancient game is played out as three souls, born together in the lost pages of time, are as they were meant to be’

California author Natalie J. Case both writes and practices photography in the San Francisco Bay Area. She has also lived in upstate New York and west Texas at one point in her life. Natalie refuses to be confined to a single genre - her current works in progress span, and sometimes combine, horror, fantasy, sci-fi and more. FOREVER is her debut novel, her other book is a collection of her poetry - SENSUALLY SACRED.

Natalie’s choice of cover signals the theme of this intriguing novel – a graveyard shrouded in the mystery of moonlight. Her prose style matches this visual overture as she opens a story of the undead, vampires, and history as it is revealed in the never-ending life of vampires.

Without introductory preparation she allows her character’s thoughts to set the stage – ‘I am comfortable in the dark, when the moon slumbers and clouds dim the stars and the smell of the earth rises in the still air. Perhaps that still moment is the only place I am comfortable. My years have been long and have seen me travel nearly all of this world, often alone. I have given life and dealt death, but I offer no regrets. Regret is a waste of effort when justice brings the guilty no peace. I will see justice in the end, I am certain of that, for all that I have done, and all I have not. So much has gone now and I am ill at ease with the time, the waiting, here at the end of my life. The ancient game is played out and three souls, born together in the lost pages of time are as they were meant to be … but to tell that story, my story, I must go back to the beginning, before I came to be, before any of us had come to be. It begins near to the birth of time, or man's keeping of it, when three brothers entered into an unholy bond, bound by blood to the night, trading the daylight for eternal life. The stories tell of their calling, the slaughter of their mortal families, and the beginning of what would be called The Family.’

The story is summarized for us: ‘Born in the dawn of man's history, with forever laid out before her, Amara is neither human nor vampire and yet fully both: a killer, a child, a lover, a monster. She wanders the world seeking redemption and vengeance in equal measure, discovering love in its many forms and loss in its deepest agony, as her life circles around two others who return to her again and again until their fates are set right. The ancient game is played out as three souls, born together in the lost pages of time, are as they were meant to be. But to tell that story, my story, I must go back to the beginning. To the time before I came to be. Before any of us had come to be.’
A history tale that begins before time we all know and continues to the present. As is not always the case with vampire novels, Natalie paints her characters clearly, making them all the more convincing that just ‘creatures of the undead’. Her prose is poetic: her ability to capture our imagination magical. For those who love the vampire genre this book will most assuredly satisfy. For those approaching this book as an introduction to the genre, this is one fine example of the best

[David Edwards · Rating 5 out of 5]

“You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.”

Thoughtful is not usually the first adjective that springs to mind after reading a Vampire Story, but Natalie Case's 'Forever' is just that; an extended meditation on what it means to be human. Imagine that Anne Rice's 'Interview with the Vampire' and 'The Vampire Lestat' were one book, with but a single protagonist, who is a combination of Louis and Lestat, and that character is a woman, Amara, rather than a man, and you have something of the flavour of it. There is violence and gore in places, but as the narrative sweeps sedately down the centuries our heroine 'grows up'.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was long, not a short tale and very interesting. It follows the Vampire (or Dhampir) Amara from her young childhood until the present day. Her struggles, triumphs, victories and defeats are detailed within the story and laid out as if she is sitting next to you telling you about the adventures within her life. I liked how Dovan was brought back into the story at an unexpected time and how he ended up playing an integral role in her life.
This is not a romance in the sense of the other vampire stories. It is more of a drama, the telling of an interesting life from the viewpoint of someone who has seen it all happen throughout the eons of time. As interesting as it was, I did find myself checking my kindle often to see how far I am in the book. It is fairly lengthy and the pacing is smooth and steady throughout the entire story. It did not pick up and so some sections felt as if they dragged while others felt as if they were rushed. That is the reason I give it only 3 stars, interesting, but not spellbinding.

[Neil Carstairs · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve never been a huge fan of this type of novel. The idea of an aeons old vampire recounting her life-story from the dawn of history to modern times doesn’t carry with it the usual sense of urgency or imminent threat that most horror novels offer. In its place an author has to give the reader a main character that will change over time and draw the reader into a life and a world that must grow on the reader to be desirable and revolting.

In Forever, Natalie J Case gives us just that. Amara is half-human half-vampire. Her mother was Changed whilst Amara was still in the womb. Amara’s story is told in the first-person. We move chronologically through Amara’s life, from early childhood somewhere in the mountains of eastern-Europe across the continents of the world. Amara feeds, loves and fights for her life and her future.

Case writes a captivating story that drew me in. Her prose is excellent, revealing the forces that drive Amara. Her struggle to contain the vampire half of her being as she tries to live in a human world and the human half as she lives as a vampire.

[Sdan12 · Rating 5 out of 5]

An original take on vampire stories
In this story we enter the world of Amara, who is half-human and half-vampire. She goes through the ages drawn to both worlds but is in danger from both humans and vampires. You really feel sorry for Amara – she does not want to hunt and feed on blood but that is necessary for her survival; she is after all half-vampire. She seeks great love, either as daughter, friend, lover or mother and her search for love is at the centre of the novel. Her desire for a peaceful life away from scrutiny and danger is palpable, indeed it seems she will never be able to rest quietly and simply be. Follow Amara’s journey and you will enter a different world. This is not the world of the stylish modern vampire that we have been used to with stories like ‘Twilight’ and ‘The Vampire Diaries’. These vampires are more like feral animals – any veneer of civilisation is only skin deep.

[LyndaVee · Rating 5 out of 5]

As the title suggests, this book is about vampires, but if you think you have read all you need to on this theme, think again. This book is truly original. There is nothing glamorous about these vampires. Although possessed of all the usual super-human attributes like incredible speed and strength, they are not all living in glorious mansions amongst the wealth they have amassed over the long years of their lives. This story shows vampires being hunted relentlessly, and not only by superstitious humans - they are also fighting each other to the death. Immortality must feel an awful long time if you are running scared, and this feeling of relentless pressure builds throughout the book. It is exceptionally well-written and edited. I loved the language.

[Brent Griffiths · Rating 4 out of 5]

Forever is written in a classic, dreamy style that transports you through the centuries of the main character’s life.

This novel does a great job of balancing periods of introspection with flurries of violent action so that that it makes you think and keeps you feverishly turning the pages.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys vampire books as well as fans of classic literature.

[Brenda Dixon]

Great book if you are into supernatural was a little hard to keep up what year and century the story was in due to the pace of the book moving so fast . Great read hard to put down !