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The Immortals #3
Destiny
She is Nidaba—a immortal High Witch so ancient, so legendary, that for thousands of years she has been the ultimate prize, relentlessly pursued by Dark Witches. She has eluded all who would kill her… until a mother’s grief makes her reckless and she is captured by a madman. After endless physical and mental torment, she escapes, but her captivity has damaged her spirit as well as her body. And though the wounds to her body have healed, the scars on her mind and soul remain…
After more than four thousand years, her destiny has finally found her…
Nathan King now has the peace he craved in the life he created for himself—until the day he sees her again. Can it really be Nidaba—the love he thought lost to him so many centuries ago? But the woman he finds is not the fierce, proud girl of his cherished memories—now her eyes are haunted by a pain so deep, and a hatred so bitter it divides them still. But if he is to understand the source of her anguish and reclaim the passion that was once theirs, he must face the truth that the evil that tore them apart once again stands between them and their chance at forever…
After more than four thousand years, her destiny has finally found her…
Nathan King now has the peace he craved in the life he created for himself—until the day he sees her again. Can it really be Nidaba—the love he thought lost to him so many centuries ago? But the woman he finds is not the fierce, proud girl of his cherished memories—now her eyes are haunted by a pain so deep, and a hatred so bitter it divides them still. But if he is to understand the source of her anguish and reclaim the passion that was once theirs, he must face the truth that the evil that tore them apart once again stands between them and their chance at forever…
336 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published February 1, 2001
80 people are currently reading
919 people want to read
About the author
Maggie Shayne
257 books2,572 followersI live in the teeny, tiny town of Taylor, NY, (Alliteration Alert!) though my mailing address is Cincinnatus, my telephone exchange is Truxton and I pay taxes and vote in Cuyler. All of these are at least in the same rural county in the southern hills of New York State; Cortland County. There are more cattle than people here. The nearest “big” cities are Syracuse and Binghamton and they are an hour away, in different directions, and not really all that big by most standards, though they both seem humongous to me. I look out my window to see rolling, green, thickly forested hills, wildflower laden meadows and wide open blue, blue skies. My road is barely paved. The nearest neighboring place is a 700 acre dairy farm.
My house is a big, century old farmhouse. I moved in here after my divorce in 2006. Just a little over a year later, the house, which I had named, SERENITY, burned. It was 99% gutted, and I lost my two dogs, Sally, an 11-year-old great Dane, and Wrinkles, my 14-year-old, blind bulldog. This was the culmination of my Dark Night of the soul, which had seemed to hit me all at once in 2006-2007. My mother died that year, after a 14 month battle with pancreatic cancer. She was only 60. The youngest of my five daughters had left home that same year, and while that’s not a tragedy at all, it felt like one to me. Then came the divorce. And finally there was the fire--it seemed my darkest night wasn’t quite finished with me after all. I had lost almost everything before that point, and as I poked through the wet ashes and soot the next day, I realized that I had now been stripped all the way to the bone.
No better time to start over. (And no, I didn’t come to that realization that day--there were a few days of wallowing in pity first, particularly the day after the fire, when I hit a deer and smashed up my car, which I was practically living in!)
That’s when I started to laugh. Just sat on the side of the road as the deer bounded, uninjured and carefree, out of sight, and laughed. It was just too ridiculous at that point, to do anything else!
And from there, I picked myself up, and brushed myself off, and said, okay, there’s only one way to go from here. Forward. And that’s what I did. There I was at the age of harrurmphemmph, living in my one, mostly undamaged remaining room, with a dorm-sized mini-fridge, a futon, a TV, my cat (nine lives!) and a laptop. And not much else. (Though thank goodness the room that survived the fire, was a room that had its own attached bathroom!)
Since then I have rebuilt my beloved home, which really has become my haven, my “Serenity.” I share it now with my fiancé, Lance, and we have accumulated quite the little family together. “Little” being a relative term. We have a pair of English Mastiffs, Dozer and Daisy, who weigh 203 pounds and 208 pounds respectively, and a little pudgy English Bulldog named Niblet, who is bigger than both of them, inside her mind. We also have the aforementioned cat, Glorificus (“Glory” for short,) who adores her canine pups and keeps them firmly in line. And we've acquired a pair of stray cats as well, a mother and son, Luna (Lulu for short) and Butters aka Buddy. Lulu showed up pregnant during a lunar eclipse, had a litter, and vanished again. We found homes for all the kittens except one. Butters. We got him fixed and kept him. A few months later, Lulu returned, again expecting. This litter was born on the "Monster Moon." Again, all the kittens were spayed and neutered and placed in homes, and this time we got Lulu to the vet in time to spay her before the cycle could repeat.
Glory is not amused.
She has a story of her own, my old Glory cat, having been with me before the Dark Times descended, she went through it all with me, moved with me, survived the fire, and remains with me still. She's tolerating the newcomers. Barely.
My partner is an artist, a mechanic, a welder and an inventor, and the rumors are true, he is much younger than I
My house is a big, century old farmhouse. I moved in here after my divorce in 2006. Just a little over a year later, the house, which I had named, SERENITY, burned. It was 99% gutted, and I lost my two dogs, Sally, an 11-year-old great Dane, and Wrinkles, my 14-year-old, blind bulldog. This was the culmination of my Dark Night of the soul, which had seemed to hit me all at once in 2006-2007. My mother died that year, after a 14 month battle with pancreatic cancer. She was only 60. The youngest of my five daughters had left home that same year, and while that’s not a tragedy at all, it felt like one to me. Then came the divorce. And finally there was the fire--it seemed my darkest night wasn’t quite finished with me after all. I had lost almost everything before that point, and as I poked through the wet ashes and soot the next day, I realized that I had now been stripped all the way to the bone.
No better time to start over. (And no, I didn’t come to that realization that day--there were a few days of wallowing in pity first, particularly the day after the fire, when I hit a deer and smashed up my car, which I was practically living in!)
That’s when I started to laugh. Just sat on the side of the road as the deer bounded, uninjured and carefree, out of sight, and laughed. It was just too ridiculous at that point, to do anything else!
And from there, I picked myself up, and brushed myself off, and said, okay, there’s only one way to go from here. Forward. And that’s what I did. There I was at the age of harrurmphemmph, living in my one, mostly undamaged remaining room, with a dorm-sized mini-fridge, a futon, a TV, my cat (nine lives!) and a laptop. And not much else. (Though thank goodness the room that survived the fire, was a room that had its own attached bathroom!)
Since then I have rebuilt my beloved home, which really has become my haven, my “Serenity.” I share it now with my fiancé, Lance, and we have accumulated quite the little family together. “Little” being a relative term. We have a pair of English Mastiffs, Dozer and Daisy, who weigh 203 pounds and 208 pounds respectively, and a little pudgy English Bulldog named Niblet, who is bigger than both of them, inside her mind. We also have the aforementioned cat, Glorificus (“Glory” for short,) who adores her canine pups and keeps them firmly in line. And we've acquired a pair of stray cats as well, a mother and son, Luna (Lulu for short) and Butters aka Buddy. Lulu showed up pregnant during a lunar eclipse, had a litter, and vanished again. We found homes for all the kittens except one. Butters. We got him fixed and kept him. A few months later, Lulu returned, again expecting. This litter was born on the "Monster Moon." Again, all the kittens were spayed and neutered and placed in homes, and this time we got Lulu to the vet in time to spay her before the cycle could repeat.
Glory is not amused.
She has a story of her own, my old Glory cat, having been with me before the Dark Times descended, she went through it all with me, moved with me, survived the fire, and remains with me still. She's tolerating the newcomers. Barely.
My partner is an artist, a mechanic, a welder and an inventor, and the rumors are true, he is much younger than I
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
May 12, 2011
Four thousand years after his first death, Nathan King is finally contented in his life. He has close friends he can trust, a profitable antiquities building, and a seaside home. Then a photo of a mentally ill woman reminds him of whom he once was ? Eannatum, King of all Sumer ? and puts his comfortable life at risk.
The woman is Nibada, a High Priestess, and Eannatum's first and only love. The first half of the book, she's in drug-induced catatonia. We learn about her, and her relationship with Eannatum, through flashbacks. All the while, we ? and Nathan ? know someone is after Nidaba, seeking to kill her and take her life force.
Author Maggie Shayne creates vivid visions of ancient Sumer without weighing down the story with too much detail. In the present, we almost never leave Nathan's home, yet she always keeps the plot moving and the tension level high. 'Destiny' is a romance; you know Nibada and Nathan must work out their differences in the end. Shayne is a crafty enough writer to keep the reader wondering how Nibada will overcome lifetimes of distrust and believed betrayals, to accept Nathan's undying love. Then there's the mystery of who's trying to kill Nibada and how that person is hiding in plain site. 'Destiny' is an intriguing novel that will keep readers entertained until the last page.
The woman is Nibada, a High Priestess, and Eannatum's first and only love. The first half of the book, she's in drug-induced catatonia. We learn about her, and her relationship with Eannatum, through flashbacks. All the while, we ? and Nathan ? know someone is after Nidaba, seeking to kill her and take her life force.
Author Maggie Shayne creates vivid visions of ancient Sumer without weighing down the story with too much detail. In the present, we almost never leave Nathan's home, yet she always keeps the plot moving and the tension level high. 'Destiny' is a romance; you know Nibada and Nathan must work out their differences in the end. Shayne is a crafty enough writer to keep the reader wondering how Nibada will overcome lifetimes of distrust and believed betrayals, to accept Nathan's undying love. Then there's the mystery of who's trying to kill Nibada and how that person is hiding in plain site. 'Destiny' is an intriguing novel that will keep readers entertained until the last page.
August 4, 2008
This is the third book in Maggie Shayne’s “Witch” series. I didn’t think the back cover’s description of this book did it justice. It sounded very boring, and I was just going to read it because Ms. Shayne is one of my top favorite authors. I should have known that it would have been excellent! Ms. Shayne writes everything well! I read this so long ago that I don’t remember the particulars of the plot. I just remember that the witch series sounded very boring, but turned out to be a lot of fun, and I just loved every one of them! So far I believe this book is the best of all of the “Immortal Witch” series, however, I still have one more to read: Immortality.
June 28, 2007
This is a great mysical and sensual book that flows as you read it. This book is about a king, a queen, and a high priestess that are high immortal witches 4 thousand years ago until present. It is full of adventure from begining to end. If you read this book, it is so great that I am sure you will read it in 2 days. This is a "can't be put down book."
August 19, 2009
This was a good read! This is the third book in Maggie Shayne's witch series. The first two, ETERNITY and INFINITY, were excellent. I enjoyed the first two more than this one, but this one has a lot of historical detail of an ancient civilization. Some readers may not enjoy all of the detail, but I really found it interesting.
tbr-later
December 24, 201414 April 2014: I already have the first three books in this series, but there's a box set right now for $0.99 on Kindle: Eternal Love: The Immortal Witch Series
May 6, 2012
Wonderful. Takes care of a lot of historical / past questions that people may have been wondering about. Brings true love to an ending / new beginning. Then it ends with more questions. Will hopefully be taken care of by the next novel.
January 30, 2011
Loved this trilogy. The heroine in this book is a pistol and worth the read alone. Some of Maggie's best work.
December 4, 2012
Wonderful
August 15, 2017
Loved Nidaba's story. She'd been one of my favorite characters. True love -can- last forever! I loved the "historical" scenes, beautifully detailed!
November 3, 2025
I will be honest. I didn’t give a fig about this book. I skimmed through most of it. This is partially due to the fact that I didn’t have the attention span to concentrate on it and partially due to the fact that it was boring as shit. The majority of the story is spent on memories. Memories of the past lives of our hero and heroine and all the trauma and betrayal and lies that kept them apart. Very little is spent on the now.
Both are immortal witches, powerful but silly people who allow miscommunication and lies to kept them apart, despite their forever kind of love. The villain is a character from thousands of years ago who apparently still managed to hold onto their resentment and bitterness. Coming back for revenge on spurned love instead of living their life.
I just didn’t have the mind to pay attention.
Both are immortal witches, powerful but silly people who allow miscommunication and lies to kept them apart, despite their forever kind of love. The villain is a character from thousands of years ago who apparently still managed to hold onto their resentment and bitterness. Coming back for revenge on spurned love instead of living their life.
I just didn’t have the mind to pay attention.
October 15, 2017
All of the books in this series are “light” reads - and likewise, any twists are seen a mile away. But they are quick reads, good for vacations, and entertaining.
January 4, 2019
Outstanding book! Wish it didn't end!
The whole series was great! Wish there were more! This story can fit more story lines into all new books!
The whole series was great! Wish there were more! This story can fit more story lines into all new books!
October 8, 2019
This is the first edition with this ISBN: 0515130133 (ISBN13: 9780515130133).
November 17, 2020
3.5 Stars
August 6, 2022
Loved
I loved reading this book. It was a great ending. I am looking forwards to reading more books from this author.
I loved reading this book. It was a great ending. I am looking forwards to reading more books from this author.
December 14, 2023
My favorite thing about Maggie's writing, especially the epic witchy love stories is her writing. She actually writes as someone who practices which is important to those who are witchy. Her Immortals series is my all time favorite and what turn me onto Maggie. Her books, are easy fast reads leaving you wanting more!! If you are looking for witchy magical with some🌶🌶 reading this is the series!! She's amazing author who writes romance for many genres!!
March 27, 2025
Another great read. This series should be on everyone's must read list. I'm going to miss these 3 ladies.
December 27, 2015
I think this was my favorite of the trilogy and a big part of that was how the author told the history of the MCs as flashbacks and memories instead of Part 1 and Part 2 as she did in the first 2 books. This is almost a complete standalone in that we had only 2 scenes with characters from the previous books. Even though Nicodemus was pretty integral to the plot, you don't need to have read his story to understand why in this one.
I didn't agree with how Nidaba blamed Nathan for choosing his kingdom over her - she didn't give him the full story when she asked him to choose. I also didn't like how she held onto that even after she came to believe he didn't have her and her son killed. She was the one who convinced him to marry Puabi for the good of the kingdom and to harbor anger at him over it made me angry. I know that we all react similarly - we tell a person to do the right thing but we secretly wish that person would still choose differently. No matter how much we believe in the right thing, we still wish the person would choose us and feel pain when they don't. So I get her pain and her wish, but to be angry with him over it is what angers me some. She doesn't seem to accept any of the blame for his choices and even tells him she will try to forgive him his choices rather than forgiving him outright.
While I didn't like that aspect, I still loved the book and believed in their HEA - when faced with your loved one's death, true feelings tend to come out and Nidaba was no different. With Nathan facing true death for an immortal she came to realize not that she was wrong to blame him (unfortunately) but that it just wasn't important any longer to hold onto the blame and anger. They could be together now and that's what mattered.
I didn't agree with how Nidaba blamed Nathan for choosing his kingdom over her - she didn't give him the full story when she asked him to choose. I also didn't like how she held onto that even after she came to believe he didn't have her and her son killed. She was the one who convinced him to marry Puabi for the good of the kingdom and to harbor anger at him over it made me angry. I know that we all react similarly - we tell a person to do the right thing but we secretly wish that person would still choose differently. No matter how much we believe in the right thing, we still wish the person would choose us and feel pain when they don't. So I get her pain and her wish, but to be angry with him over it is what angers me some. She doesn't seem to accept any of the blame for his choices and even tells him she will try to forgive him his choices rather than forgiving him outright.
While I didn't like that aspect, I still loved the book and believed in their HEA - when faced with your loved one's death, true feelings tend to come out and Nidaba was no different. With Nathan facing true death for an immortal she came to realize not that she was wrong to blame him (unfortunately) but that it just wasn't important any longer to hold onto the blame and anger. They could be together now and that's what mattered.
May 13, 2014
The story of Nidaba and Nathan (Natum). Their story is truly one that spans the centuries, and one not to be missed in this wonderful series by Maggie Shayne. Nidaba was a character introduced in Infinity that at first I wondered about, but then grew to admire.
Even with the changing times of the many years she has lived, she never fully immerses herself into those times. She remains true to the life she lived when she first knew Natum. She has not led an easy life, and most people wouldn't be able to survive all that she has. Learning more of her story just makes you admire her that much more.
Natum has hidden himself away, at least on the surface, from the man he was when their story really began, and it takes Nidaba coming back into his life for him to realize how much he missed out on.
I enjoyed this story more for having read the other two in the series first, but it could easily stand on its own. Arianna and Nicodimus are woven into this story quite well. It was nice to see them again.
Even with the changing times of the many years she has lived, she never fully immerses herself into those times. She remains true to the life she lived when she first knew Natum. She has not led an easy life, and most people wouldn't be able to survive all that she has. Learning more of her story just makes you admire her that much more.
Natum has hidden himself away, at least on the surface, from the man he was when their story really began, and it takes Nidaba coming back into his life for him to realize how much he missed out on.
I enjoyed this story more for having read the other two in the series first, but it could easily stand on its own. Arianna and Nicodimus are woven into this story quite well. It was nice to see them again.
January 19, 2016
Nidaba is an immortal high witch, and former priestess in ancient Sumeria. Natum was her lover and her king, though now he lies under the radar, so as not to be hunted by the Dark Witches. As he discovers her in and rescues her from an insane asylum, and helps her to recover, we witness both their present and their past, and how they came to this point.
I enjoyed this book, though I'm not sure if I liked it quite as much as as the first two books in the Immortal Witches trilogy. There were some definitely disturbing parts, and not all from the Dark Witch. Natum, though innocent of that of which Nidaba suspects him, does a terrible thing in the course of Nidaba's recovery. That said, I defintely felt the love, heartache, and desire between Natum and Nidaba, and felt frustration at their thwarted love over the centuries.
-Kirsten
I enjoyed this book, though I'm not sure if I liked it quite as much as as the first two books in the Immortal Witches trilogy. There were some definitely disturbing parts, and not all from the Dark Witch. Natum, though innocent of that of which Nidaba suspects him, does a terrible thing in the course of Nidaba's recovery. That said, I defintely felt the love, heartache, and desire between Natum and Nidaba, and felt frustration at their thwarted love over the centuries.
-Kirsten
November 9, 2007
It was an ok read. I'm not really into the whole living the past, as you read the book. I only do that for one author so. this was not the best read for me. It deals with overcoming a past that was both spell binding and horrific. I was almost bored at some points but again just my opinion.
If you like para books and have a thing for Psyhco characters that live forever then this is the book for you
If you like para books and have a thing for Psyhco characters that live forever then this is the book for you
September 6, 2016
Wonderful. Takes care of a lot of the series’ past questions that characters that we’ve all been wondering about, brings true love to a beautiful culmination and then leaves us wanting more. This one has a lot of historical detail of an ancient civilization and some readers may not enjoy all of it. I found it fascinating!
September 22, 2014
I really likes this book...The history thrown in and descriptions were amazing and I felt transported back millennia... Although the whole I Love him... he doesn't love me back...Oh I wish she loved me as I Love her thread was the same as the other 2 books and the outcome was predictable... I still enjoyed the story of Nidaba and Natum ~
April 26, 2014
I loved this series ! Maggie is my favorite author I have almost every book she has written and have re read this series several times love the sisters and romance story that they each have(less)
January 26, 2015
The final book in the immortal witches trilogy was really good. I loved Nibada's tale and was happy to learn of it. I did get a little confused with Puabi's glamour...it didn't always make sense to me but overall I was happy of how it played out and will likely read the series again at some point.
November 2, 2016
Library Book
Characters:
Setting:
Married: No
Children: Yes; Nicodemus (from book #2)
Stars: 2.5
Book didn't hold my interest. The elaborate plot that u invisioned was actually boring and sorta simple.
~November 1, 2016
Characters:
Setting:
Married: No
Children: Yes; Nicodemus (from book #2)
Stars: 2.5
Book didn't hold my interest. The elaborate plot that u invisioned was actually boring and sorta simple.
~November 1, 2016
January 9, 2009
4.5 stars
February 6, 2025
I loved this. Yes I cried, but Nathan and Nidaba have suffered so much. When they finally come together, it is wonderful.
June 3, 2013
I love this book! I love the history of Nidaba, she was amazing! I WANT MORE!
October 28, 2023
I have arranged my takeaway thoughts on this story into a haiku:
"Nothing that’s buried
For comfort’s sake stays so, if
You live long enough."
"Nothing that’s buried
For comfort’s sake stays so, if
You live long enough."
Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews