Eternal

April 18, 2016
This contemporary romantic fantasy from adult author Washington (Treasure My Heart) is a muddled mélange with some lovely moments. Lilia Avery and her mother have been on the run from Lilia’s stepfather for years and have finally found a place in upstate New York where they feel comfortable. As president of her class, Lilia is arranging the senior trip, and she chooses Eternity Lodge, a high-end estate inhabited by the mysterious Akintunde quintuplets and their two fathers. Lilia is mysteriously drawn to the lodge, despite a rash of unexplained murders claiming the lives of teenagers, and she’s especially intrigued by the eldest Akintunde son, Fystian. Though they have long thought themselves the only immortals in existence, the Akintunde siblings must adjust to the idea they are not alone and use their gifts to avert annihilation. What follows is a choppy and sometimes confusing epic drawn from Nigerian folklore, spanning 200 years (from the 19th century to now) and centered on the power of prophecy and the need for balance in all things. A series of time jumps and an ever-expanding cast of characters overcomplicate what is essentially a richly detailed tribute to honoring tradition. Ages 14–up.