Eternal Huntress

Shadows of Otherside 10 BOOK SERIE #5

by Whitney Hill

The gods are ready to ride.

As Arden Finch races to fulfill the prophecy that will enable her to stop the Wild Hunt, a new clue leads her down a desperate path. Her search for answers takes her somewhere no mortal should go: the gods’ plane, where more than one danger awaits.

With treacherous gods on one side and rioting mundanes on the other, there’s plenty to deal with already. But old enemies and new have plans that will test the fragile alliance, and this time it’s not just Arden in their sights. It’s Troy and the Wild Hunt too.

With her options narrowing by the day and time running out, Arden must make the ultimate choice about what she’s willing to do to save the world.

Don't miss the conclusion of the Shadows of Otherside series!

Genres: Fantasy, Paranormal, Urban Fantasy

364 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 19, 2021

About the author

Whitney Hill (whitneyhillwrites.com) is the author of the Shadows of Otherside contemporary fantasy series. The bestselling first book in the series, Elemental, was the grand prize winner of the 8th Annual Writer's Digest Self-Published E-Book Awards.

Whitney is also the founder of Benu Media (benumedia.com), an indie publishing imprint and creative consulting business. She leverages over a decade of marketing experience to offer resources that help indie authors rise and shine.

When she’s not writing or consulting, Whitney enjoys hiking in North Carolina’s beautiful state parks and playing video games.

Join Whitney on Twitter and Instagram: @write_wherever.

Reviews

[Thais • tata.lifepages • · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review: 4.5 Stars!

Eternal Huntress delivered a great end of the series. It starts off a couple of months after the events of Ebon Rebellion, with the looming threat of the upcoming Wild Hunt. If you haven't read the first 4 books in this NA urban fantasy series watch out for spoilers below!

My favorite part of the entire series was the slow burn enemies to lovers between Arden and Troy. Troy was the last person that Arden imagined she would be falling for, and it took her quite a few books to finally be able to trust him. My heart did a leap of joy at the end of book 4 when these two finally let their walls down and sparks ignited. House Solaris is no longer gone, Arden stands as it's Queen with Troy by her side as her prince consort.

Eternal Huntress is action packed to the very end. There are enemies scattered and Otherside is still getting used to it's power shift. Arden must take control of her new position in midst of werewolf civil war, not to mention the elven House Guard and Evangeline on the loose. The ending was electrifying! Arden shows us her potential as a primordial elemental as she unleashes her full power. I'm so happy that the author has a recently released a spin-off to the series so I can dive back in to the world of Otherside.

Thank you to the author for gifting me a copy for review!

[Mystie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Satisfying End to a Beloved New Series

As is custom, I begin by stating I was granted an arc by the author, and I volunteered my honest review in return. Now on to the juicy details!

So many authors give us thrilling series and then miss the goal when it comes to the series finale, Eternal Huntress. Ms. Hill has effectively dodged that characterization and finished her mind-bending, and life-stealing series with the kind of satisfaction that will leave readers thrilled, and yet sad because our time in the Otherside has to pause for awhile. (I say pause because she promises much more from he Otherside in 2022!)
If you have not read the previous 4 books, stop reading here!

You might have thought Arden and Troy faced ridiculous odds before, being legit enemies and then growing step by painful step to become the kind of love story that gives even those of us in the real world real hope. Through forgiveness, true recompense, and a lot of hard work, Troy did all he could to prove he was and would always do right by Arden. After all of that you would think, ok enough, they simply move forward now. NOPE! Ms. Hill puts us through it with them again, more secrets, more reveals, and a major test that shows rather than blatantly tells, the strength of love earned, versus flash-in-the-pan insta-love. She makes us fall for this couple all over again. It was heartfelt and brilliant.

This book also gives us closure with Calista, even though she still manages to cause ‘chaos’ from afar. It is also finally showed why Arden needed to be feared and controlled, and that she was not the only one of her ‘kind’ on the loose. (Oh the drama and the reveal!)

There is so much story building and depth of character culminating in this final book. It was such a pleasure to read it, and to have an author who rewards her readers, and allows them to gleefully partake in the triumphs and losses of each character.
In my mind the Otherside and the exploration of it has only just begun. I look forward with great anticipation to seeing how these new factions working together can make a world the rest of us thoroughly enjoy visiting from time to time.
I highly recommend the Eternal Huntress and the entire Shadows of Otherside series. My reading squad and I are looking forward to seeing what else this author has in store for us in the near and distant future.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The thrilling conclusion to this epic series. With Keithia dead and the other queens of the Triangle elven houses destroyed, Arden final nemesis, Evangeline is all that stops her from bringing peace to the Triangle Othersiders. But Evangeline will not go quietly and has enlisted the aid of the Bloodmoon werewolf clan, lead by Roman and his brother Sergei. All are headed for a final show down. But the Wild Hunt planned by the gods of the Crossroads has been set for Samhain with the gods still expecting Arden to lead as the Huntress. Frantically, Arden rushes to fulfill the prophecy that will stop the earth from being destroyed. While fighting the threats posed by Evangeline and the Bloodmoon werewolves, a new villain enters the fray in the form of Darius a lifelong friend of Troy's but Darius has been possessed by a god who seeks to kill an old enemy, the goddess, Artemis. Running out of time, the gods enter through a portal and chaos reigns throughout the Triangle. Only Arden with all of her elemental powers unleashed can bring a conclusion to the Wild Hunt and the ultimate destruction of earth. A truly excellent series which I highly recommend .

[Renee Angela Byrd · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved all of these books! The way Whitney drew out all of the characters was fantastic! As I read each book, I could not wait to get to the next one. I would love to see these books brought to life in a made for Netflix or Prime series! I highly recommend reading this series, you will not be disappointed! Thanks Whitney!

[Ursula · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hello Gemmies! I have an entertaining new book review to share with you today. Please note: I received a digital ARC of this book from the author in exchange for an honest and fair review.

Eternal Huntress by Whitney Hill is the fifth and final book in the Shadows of Otherside Series. I really loved this book and Shadows of Otherside is one of my favorite paranormal series of all time! I'm sad the series is at an end, but man did it go out with a bang! Eternal Huntress was action packed, emotional, dramatic, and very satisfying. Eternal Huntress is also an excellent character driven story. The arc that our main protagonist Arden Finch goes on from book one (Elemental) to now is just incredible. I love her resiliency, strength, and just plain old bad assery. The same goes for our other hero, Troy. I'm still shocked at Whitney Hill's ability to make me love a character that I hated before. It's a true testament to her storytelling skills. We also get a ton of supporting characters that help to enrich the story. You see get to see some old favorites and meet some new ones.

I would be remiss If I didn't point out the world building in this series. The Shadows of Otherside Universe, and yes it is a universe, calling it a "world" just doesn't seem sufficient. It is vast, detailed, rich, and complex without being confusing. Set mainly in the Research Triangle Park area of North Carolina places and events feel both new and familiar at the same time. I found myself fully immersed from the very first page.

Now for the story, what can I say without getting into spoiler territory? Eternal Huntress takes place a few months after the events in Ebon Rebellion and goes 1000 MPH. Arden is dealing with a ton of issues with varying degrees of danger. I felt all of the emotions while reading this book....happiness, sadness, fear, anger, joy, and just a general clutching of pearls (wait until you get to chapters 24 and 25). You will finding yourself needing to stop to take a breath! Trigger warning: there is a lot of violence in Eternal Huntress, the reader is reminded that equal rights and power are not given, you have to fight to keep it and to have a seat at the table.

I'm so in love with The Shadows of Otherside Series and am sad that it's over, but look forward to what's next including any spin off series. If you are a fan of found family, retribution, love, epic battles, paranormal politics, elemental magic, shifting power bases, enemies to lovers, lovers to enemies, diverse representation, and kick ass heroines then read this book! Published by Benu Media, Eternal Huntress releases on October 19, 2021, and is available for pre-order from all major booksellers. I give Eternal Huntress 5 out of 5 gems. I'm looking forward to reading more adventures set in this universe. Happy Reading!

[lkmaxime · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full disclosure, this is an ARC review and my opinions are candid.

It took me a long time to write this because I kept turning words over and over in my head trying to encapsulate everything I read. I can't. I was elated, heartbroken, stunned, hopeful, empowered, excited, and more.

If you think you have everything figured out as you read this series, you don't. This 5th book took me well beyond my imagination. This book, this series, and this author deserve high praise for crafting a suspenseful story that makes you pry the book from your hands to get your breathing under control.

Whitney Hill gave us everything we wanted and things we didn't know we needed: diligently developed characters (including the Eno River and disgusting Roman); thorough mythological research that blends seamlessly in the larger story; drama deluxe that keeps us on the edge trying to puzzle our way out of Arden's predicaments; and Troy.

Do yourself a favour, escape through this writing. I'm waiting for my preordered copy to read it again as I did for the other books in this series.

[ARETHA REYNOLDS · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nope. Need More

I can't believe it's over. I devoured this series and loved every minute of each character's journey. I especially loved the bond between Arden and Troy. Trying to hold off the end as long as possible, I reread books 1-4 before diving into book 5. As usual I am happy with the book and sad it's finished. But, I have already pre-ordered the spinoff and hope another Arden and Troy series really will manifest in the future. Oh, loved the bonus epilogue and the alternative perspective in Troy's voice.

[Derelict Space Sheep · Rating 4 out of 5]

A page-turning finale, though the allure rests more in Arden’s ongoing fight to establish herself than in the end-of-days confrontation (a touch anticlimactic, for all its power and elegance). Hill again proves a devilishly dab hand at heaping trouble upon her characters.

[Des Astor · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW! What an amazing conclusion to the Shadows of the Otherside series! I'm still reeling from how utterly amazing Arden is as a protagonist. To see her grow throughout the series, and then finally come to this incredibly powerful endpoint was so amazing. I was able to really connect to the characters in this book, and the WORLD BUILDING. Just wow, I was beyond amazed.

As always, I adore the ship between Arden & Troy. I saw it coming between books 1 & 2, and that holds very strong in this work...perhaps even stronger. It's so refreshing to see a positive relationship like this, and while there's a few very minor bumps natural in any relationship (making it realistic!), these two meld together extremely well.

I want to get right into discussing the book in depth, so I'll spoiler tag and then end it after my thoughts that involve said spoilers.

**SPOILERS START**
The plotline to find and free Iaret was intense, and Callista's death was really well written. I loved how she was a bear nymph, and I could almost feel the warm blood pouring over Arden when she did the deed. This made sense as well; Artemis was no doubt going to make the nymph suffer, so Callista making a deal to do this was very logical. The pain she wrought in the past though definitely did not fade, as seen by Darius and Orion.

Iaret herself was a fun character, understandably unhinged at first but my gods did she come around and turn into a really neat ally. Despite what the elves did to her, she was willing to work with Troy & Arden in the end. I could tell she was quite caring, like Duke.

Speaking of Duke, I really love how he sincerely came around too. Sure, it could be because they freed his lover, but that's understandable. He was just a great character in this book, both of the djinni were, and I loved reading about them. They were a cool team like Arden & Troy. Hell, a book could be written about their antics.

Roman surprised me at the end with his apology. I'm with Troy--actions would need to be seen before any sort of forgiveness, but at least he admitted his mistake. Evangeline was actually less of a threat than I thought, but I always kinda sensed she was a ton of bark with no bite. Except for when she tortured Troy, but that short death seemed really fitting. Roman made so many stupid mistakes so I'm glad he at least accepted that. Can he be redeemed as a character? I don't know how I feel about that. I'd need to read several more books involving the characters to make my decision, and he'd need to do a ton to make up for his wrongs.

Allegra was great, I loved that ship with Maria in the end. I'd love to see more of them, especially after this world-changing event. How will they adapt to this new world, now that the mundanes know about them, and now that the extend of the gods' power is aware? Oh, also Noah x Doc Mike. I saw that one coming, and I'd love to see more of them too. Especially with Doc Mike having his faith challenged. What a cool character! He stuck with it despite his worldview being shattered and was able to gain love. ...Hopefully Noah comes around to being less grumpy at Arden someday.

Speaking of the gods, that was so cool. Arden sent those gods right back into the portal, her twisting the hunt into hunting THEM was iconic. I actually imagine, if this series continued, that Arden would become a goddess herself...and I noticed that hint from Elegba that this indeed isn't over. Could that be a hint at another series?

There's just so much to say about this world building. I was delighted to see a wyvern in the beginning, and am hoping to see some dragons pop up in this universe more too. I won't be disappointed if there aren't any, of course, but that'd be so cool. The giant serpent was great, as was how Arden defeated him. I felt a very eerie feeling as the storm of magic from the gods came through the area based on the rich descriptions.

Also, the presentation of the fae in this work were amazing. I loved the power they emanated. Ri was a curious character, I definitely want to see more of this violet-eyed king. I love how Arden got giant black dogs to guard her! And they have man form (though that they are too grumpy to use too often, of course). I can't say I'm not jealous of Arden for a variety of reasons including that.

I liked the realism involving Detective Rice & the police with the mundanes as well. I feel like this would definitely happen in real life if we found out about mythical beings, unfortunately.

Oh, the memory loss bit was very saddening! I was very concerned for sure. It was so heart wrenching to see Arden try to figure out what she'd lost over the past 6-9 months. I was super glad to see that resolved along with the soul poisoning.

**SPOILERS END**
Honestly, I'm sure there's so much more to talk about, but I've 'talked everyone's ears off' already. As I said in the beginning, the Troy x Arden ship is superb. It's my favorite ship, and I am a huge sucker for enemies to lovers.

I think the only aspect I disliked was the 'you can't learn magic & need to be born with it' trope, but that's (a) a common trope and (b) my own personal dislike of the trope; it's done well in this series even if I don't prefer it, and I didn't find my enjoyment reduced at all at its presence.

What I have to say about the "Shadows of the Otherside" series is this. It is an inspiration to me even more than the authors of the books I loved reading when I was younger. This series is fresh, new, brings more perspectives, and honestly? I would say these books stick out more to me than the books that sent me on the path of loving fantasy in general. I love Whitney's works and will be reading more books as I can when they come out.

Therefore, I HIGHLY recommend this series in full to those who really want a beautifully built urban fantasy full of edge-of-your-seat action, spicy relationship dynamics, important messages that apply to our world, and more. This series is top notch and deserves to be turned into a show that I personally would watch in a heartbeat. Not that I need to... I've read the books!

[Jan Komorowski · Rating 5 out of 5]

All I can truly say is Wow! I hated starting this book as I knew it was the series ending! I went back a few times to reread some parts over to try to hold off the ending for as long as possible. This is a Fantasy love story best seller! No heavy sex scenes a real meat and bone story that sucks you in. A love story that makes you want to believe fairytales come true. I couldn’t put this down! Sad for the last page that was turned, thrilled to look for more from Whitney! Congratulations to a great author!

[LaKisha Dunn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Series

I loved this series. I stumbled across this by accident and was pleasantly surprised. I loved Arden and I want more; however, all things end. I loved Garden's growth. Her evolution was pleasantly surprising but at times frustrating but well worth it. She earned her stripes and in the end learned who she was and fought to hold onto what she was building at all cost. I highly recommend this series. No one reading this series will be disappointed.

[Seventhheaven · Rating 5 out of 5]

Satisfying

I'm not sure this is the exact adjective I was looking for but Ms. Hill, once again, hit it out of the ballpark. She is the only author for whom I've needed to use the dictionary function in Kindle. The depth of history and backstory...I started reading her whilst waiting for the next book from the Warrior Slave series by L.L.Farmer and I am SO happy I found this incredibly talented young lady.

[Ilia Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series just keep getting better and better and ended on a five star note for me⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ loved our MC’s Arden and Troy made such a great power couple. It’s so nice to read a non-toxic relationship in a fantasy. The world building and climax of story was so satisfying. I’m thrilled to see there are more stories set in the world. Highly recommend this series ❤️❤️❤️

[Wonder Woman]

Never a disappointment

These stories pull in you in quick and deep. This book in no different. I relate and connect with Arden and Troy, which makes the series even better. I am sad this series has ended, but look forward to more from Whitney Hill.

[Nana Prah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent! A magnificent action packed, magic filled story. My favorite part about this book was the continual growth of Arden and Troy as both individuals and a couple. Arden's power and effectiveness at telling people off was everything! A true Black queen brought to light.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good conclusion to a wonderful series. It was nice to see Arden grow fully into her power and get the ending she deserved.

[Manola Dobbs · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eternal Huntress

Amazing ending to this series. I loved that Arden got the power to push the gods back where they came from and more. Loved the book.

[Christina Blake · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent

A fantastic end to a an incredible series. Arden, Troy and the rest of Other side finally my led the Gods asses. Excellent read.

[Dawna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series just kept getting better and better. A great ride!

[Skye · Rating 5 out of 5]

a perfect resolution for the series, I loved this

[Caomhghain · Rating 3 out of 5]

More together than some earlier ones though the amnesia episode seems odd. Good denoument.

[Tamara Burford · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome

Best series ever! A book I could not put down!! right up there with my other favorite authors!! personally recommend this series!!

[Heidi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solid series. Well written urban fantasy.

[Mai · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had the first five and as I started this one I looked to see how many others there were and went and bought the last five so I could just keep reading!

[Shana · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm having a hard time talking about Eternal Huntress, the fifth and final book in the Shadows of Otherside series, without spoilers.

I'll just say that it is one of my favorite series endings I've ever read. Whitney Hill has managed to wrap up all the big plot points while also leaving plenty open to be revisited in future books if she chooses. Arden Finch's character arc is incredibly satisfying as it comes to an end (for now?), especially the relationship between her and Troy, and her position in Otherside. An outcast and lonely orphan no more, Arden has built a lasting legacy for herself. And maybe even a small crew she can consider family.

To avoid spoiling any of the delicious twists and turns Hill gives us in this novel I'll share why I think you should go grab these books immediately!


Why you should read this series:

Arden is literally Black girl magic. She gets to be a tough and powerful leader, but also vulnerable and soft and fully humanized in a way Black women rarely get to be in fiction. You see her struggle against the pressure everyone else puts on her, see how important it is when someone stands by her or stands up for her.  She's the representation that Black women deserve and the representation everyone else needs in order to replace the stereotype of Black women using their magic to uplift everyone but themselves.

The world building is also top notch. Whitney Hill has taken the rich landscape of North Carolina, layered in a ton of magic and mythology, and populated the world with characters who all feel like they could carry full stories of their own. (And with a spin-off series coming we'll actually get to enjoy Otherside from a new perspective!!)

Real world politics blend with magical threats in a way that leave Otherside feeling like the perfect escape from our current trash fire of a world. And yet, while Hill allows us a break from our IRL struggles, her books also share an optimistic message about how we might deal with our daily difficulties. The entire series is about Arden's growth from being a loner to establishing a strong community where they support and protect each other. Pretty relatable to a lot of adults (including me) who find ourselves adrift in our own communities, lacking the social ties that would allow us to feel connected.

I truly can't recommend these books enough! You're gonna wanna join this fandom early because Whitney Hill is just getting started! She's gonna be a powerhouse in this industry and you don't wanna miss your chance to be part of the magic!

[Nicole (Bookiesandtea) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eternal Huntress is the last book in the Otherside, Huntress Cycle!

Arden has completely come into her own as a primordial elemental and we finally get to the final showdown with her fight to save the world from destruction. And it is a whirlwind of action and high stakes that Arden must face.

There was so much packed into just these 345 pages. Arden and Troy's relationship is stengthen even more and I was here for all of it! I really loved how the author paced this enemies to lovers slow burn romance! Cause in the beginning, I hated Troy. But now he has become one of my favorite male love interests!

There were several characters also who reappeared and we finally understand why so many feared Arden's power. And why Callista tried controlling her for so many years!

I absolutely loved this series and can't wait to continue on with the story in The Trickster Cycle which picks up a year after the events of Eternal Huntress!

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a difference a year has made for Arden Finch.

The completion of Shadows of Otherside brings us along as Arden transforms into full-on super hero. It is FUN. And I will once again say how badly I want to see a tv or film version of this story.

If you’re reading reviews of the last book to decide if it’s worth it to read the first: yes, do it!

If you’ve read the previous books, I think you’ll find this a satisfying and engaging completion to Arden’s journey. I definitely did, to the point where I’ve struggled to write this. What’s left to say with THAT ending? 😍😍😍

My only complaint - not enough Maria. HOWEVER, I just started reading an ARC of the first book in Whitney Hill’s new series (based in the same world with a new heroine), and Maria seems poised to play a significant role. But also, considering Maria is a ~500 year old vampire, I’m crossing my fingers for a Maria origin story.

[Melissa Polk · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an amazing end to the series! Wow! So much happened in this book. Whitney wrote the most amazing culmination of Arden's story. I laughed out loud and sobbed big fat tears. I grinned like a fool and sighed like the hopeless romantic I am. This book was as close to perfection as possible. There isn't much I can detail without spoilers since it's the end of a series, but know it was satisfying in every way. My heart sung by the end, despite having been utterly crushed somewhere around chapter 25 in ways I didn't think I could recover from. This series is everything I could have wanted from an urban fantasy and Whitney Hill has my absolute faith as a reader for all time.