bookfessional's review against another edition
2.0
Reviewed by: Rabid Reads
Do we have any Anne Shirley fans out there? Me, I love Anne Shirley. I loved her when she first arrived at Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert's farm and asked them to call her Cordelia. I loved her when she broke her slate over Gilbert Blythe's head for calling her "carrots." I loved her when she gave that hilariously honest apology to Rachel Lynde . . .
But it wasn't just the early years, I loved Anne's adult years too.
Do you remember when Diana sent Anne's short story (Averil's Atonement) to that (Rollings Reliable) baking powder company?
If Anne Shirley were a real person alive today and had an interest in paranormal alternate history, this is the kind of book she would write:
THE ETERNA FILES was resolutely Victorian, at times being whimsically funny, floridly embellished, and frustratingly redundant on points of feminine equality.
I feel like it's important to say that this book was well-written and entertaining enough that I didn't lose my patience with it until the very end.
What was so dreadful about the end?
*harrumphs* Only that it ended mid-climax. That's all. No big. *shrieks* *gnashes teeth* *glowers*
I kept pushing the arrow button, over and over, half a dozen times, thinking my kindle had chosen an inopportune moment to go wonky, before I realized that, NO, it was over.
The. End.
*flares nostrils*
And ending mid-crisis highlighted how, for more than one reason, it felt like half a book.
But I'm getting ahead of myself.
Steampunk is not a genre that I've had much success with. There have been a very few exceptions, but mostly I've found it to be tech-heavy and plot-lite, and I assumed that was what prevented me from enjoying it more.
But here's the thing--THE ETERNA FILES is not steampunk. In fact, it's so not steampunk that I had to add "alternate history" to our genre list. But still . . . I found my eyes glazing over in the manner to which I'd become familiar, b/c bored with the flowery descriptions of corsets, petticoats, and fascinators.
And while I am (of course) sympathetic to the plight of women who had yet to be seen as equal and independently worthwhile human beings . . . finding new and creative ways to highlight that point every few pages became tiresome.
There. I said it. All the "woe-is-me, corsets" and "unfair, unfair, unfair" got tiresome, I was tired. *straightens backbone* (b/c no corset).
And b/c of the era's preoccupation with ghosts and communicating with ghosts, nine times out of ten any paranormal elements in this type of book are going to be in relation to that obsession, which in turn lends a gothic feel, neither of which am I very fond. *sighs*
So that's something to take into consideration: if you like Victorians and Victorian things, there's a strong possibility this book will go much better for you. I consider it a lesson well-learned.
Back to the earlier point, two stories are taking place simultaneously, one in New York, the other in London. In both places a team of scientists trying to find "a cure for death" have gone missing. For some reason, the London powers that be believe the Americans have greater and more extensive research on the subject, so they dispatch a spy to recover said information, b/c much like the Space Race of the '60s, both countries are determined that they be the one to succeed, this time in thwarting death, a concept that I found completely ludicrous. I mean, how can you even say, "a cure for death," without Phantom of the Opera-like organ music blaring in the background?
I do not know. Like I said, not for me.
Regardless, the teams are working in tandem, each trying to beat the other, each trying to discover what happened to their scientists, a circumstance that cannot be unrelated, so you know that they will eventually, inevitably overlap . . . but it never happens. Just before the end (mid-crisis, and NO, I will not let that go), plans were finally in place for the English to cross the pond, but this was not a particularly short book, and I can't help but feel that ultimately . . . not much happened.
Overall, not for me, but maybe for you. If you prefer Ann Radcliffe or the sisters Brontë to Jane Austen, I say give it a shot. Likewise, if you like ghosts and melancholy, or you think stealing (or making) corpses for nefarious experiments is deliciously creepy, rather than grotesque, THE ETERNA FILES by Leanne Renee Hieber could very well be your next great read. However, if you are like me, and all of those things are at best "meh" and at worst "ick" then I would move on to less dreary cityscapes. Recommended under a very specific set of circumstances.
Do we have any Anne Shirley fans out there? Me, I love Anne Shirley. I loved her when she first arrived at Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert's farm and asked them to call her Cordelia. I loved her when she broke her slate over Gilbert Blythe's head for calling her "carrots." I loved her when she gave that hilariously honest apology to Rachel Lynde . . .
But it wasn't just the early years, I loved Anne's adult years too.
Do you remember when Diana sent Anne's short story (Averil's Atonement) to that (Rollings Reliable) baking powder company?
If Anne Shirley were a real person alive today and had an interest in paranormal alternate history, this is the kind of book she would write:
"Is that all, milord? I've left my dear wife anxiously awaiting her surprise: a trip to Paris. She's impossible when she's impatient . . . and she's never patient," he added with a smile that spoke of the throes of young love."
THE ETERNA FILES was resolutely Victorian, at times being whimsically funny, floridly embellished, and frustratingly redundant on points of feminine equality.
I feel like it's important to say that this book was well-written and entertaining enough that I didn't lose my patience with it until the very end.
What was so dreadful about the end?
*harrumphs* Only that it ended mid-climax. That's all. No big. *shrieks* *gnashes teeth* *glowers*
I kept pushing the arrow button, over and over, half a dozen times, thinking my kindle had chosen an inopportune moment to go wonky, before I realized that, NO, it was over.
The. End.
*flares nostrils*
And ending mid-crisis highlighted how, for more than one reason, it felt like half a book.
But I'm getting ahead of myself.
Steampunk is not a genre that I've had much success with. There have been a very few exceptions, but mostly I've found it to be tech-heavy and plot-lite, and I assumed that was what prevented me from enjoying it more.
But here's the thing--THE ETERNA FILES is not steampunk. In fact, it's so not steampunk that I had to add "alternate history" to our genre list. But still . . . I found my eyes glazing over in the manner to which I'd become familiar, b/c bored with the flowery descriptions of corsets, petticoats, and fascinators.
And while I am (of course) sympathetic to the plight of women who had yet to be seen as equal and independently worthwhile human beings . . . finding new and creative ways to highlight that point every few pages became tiresome.
There. I said it. All the "woe-is-me, corsets" and "unfair, unfair, unfair" got tiresome, I was tired. *straightens backbone* (b/c no corset).
And b/c of the era's preoccupation with ghosts and communicating with ghosts, nine times out of ten any paranormal elements in this type of book are going to be in relation to that obsession, which in turn lends a gothic feel, neither of which am I very fond. *sighs*
So that's something to take into consideration: if you like Victorians and Victorian things, there's a strong possibility this book will go much better for you. I consider it a lesson well-learned.
Back to the earlier point, two stories are taking place simultaneously, one in New York, the other in London. In both places a team of scientists trying to find "a cure for death" have gone missing. For some reason, the London powers that be believe the Americans have greater and more extensive research on the subject, so they dispatch a spy to recover said information, b/c much like the Space Race of the '60s, both countries are determined that they be the one to succeed, this time in thwarting death, a concept that I found completely ludicrous. I mean, how can you even say, "a cure for death," without Phantom of the Opera-like organ music blaring in the background?
I do not know. Like I said, not for me.
Regardless, the teams are working in tandem, each trying to beat the other, each trying to discover what happened to their scientists, a circumstance that cannot be unrelated, so you know that they will eventually, inevitably overlap . . . but it never happens. Just before the end (mid-crisis, and NO, I will not let that go), plans were finally in place for the English to cross the pond, but this was not a particularly short book, and I can't help but feel that ultimately . . . not much happened.
Overall, not for me, but maybe for you. If you prefer Ann Radcliffe or the sisters Brontë to Jane Austen, I say give it a shot. Likewise, if you like ghosts and melancholy, or you think stealing (or making) corpses for nefarious experiments is deliciously creepy, rather than grotesque, THE ETERNA FILES by Leanne Renee Hieber could very well be your next great read. However, if you are like me, and all of those things are at best "meh" and at worst "ick" then I would move on to less dreary cityscapes. Recommended under a very specific set of circumstances.
frogwithbook's review
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
lvndrgms3's review against another edition
4.0
A bit out of my wheelhouse, this is my first time reading gaslamp fantasy. Incredibly imaginative and suspenseful with a multitude of characters and warring sides and several spies so you’re never assured of everyone’s true motives. I love the mystique of it all.
jennybeastie's review against another edition
3.0
Interesting historical paranormal, with mysterious doings at the center of it. 2 rival organizations in America and Britain struggle for the control of research into immortality. I'm not in love with the characters, but the setting is both bizarre and fantastic. Well written.
carlyoc's review against another edition
4.0
England and America race to find the cure for death. Alternating perspectives between the English team and the American one. Takes place in the Victorian era, which in America involves the aftermath of the civil war and Lincoln's assassination. Likable characters and interesting premise.
thegothiclibrary's review against another edition
4.0
The Eterna Files is the first book in a new series by Leanna Renee Hieber. There is a lot packed into this rather average-length novel. With a heavy cast of characters and a complex plot with dual storylines, it can take some work to follow along—but trust me, it’s worth it. The story is set on both sides of the Atlantic, with a secret government agency trying to unlock the secret to immortality for America on the one hand, and a British counter-team and spy ring bent on beating the Americans to the punch on the other. Mixed in are some mysterious murders, mad scientists, sensitive psychics, secret twins, and lovelorn ghosts.
See my full review at The Gothic Library: http://www.thegothiclibrary.com/eterna-files-review-and-giveaway-victorian-paranormal-spy-drama/
See my full review at The Gothic Library: http://www.thegothiclibrary.com/eterna-files-review-and-giveaway-victorian-paranormal-spy-drama/
triciam's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
jaclynder's review against another edition
2.0
I really liked the idea behind The Eterna Files. Secret government organization in Victorian England? Yes, please! Unfortunately, this one missed the mark for me. Some of the characters were interesting, but I never felt that I spent enough time with them to truly get invested in their stories.
Harold Spire has been appointed by Queen Victoria to Special Branch Division Omega, and he’s not happy about it. Spire had been in the midst of a very difficult case and he doesn’t want to let it go unsolved to lead a secret branch of the government that’s bent on investigation the extraordinary. He does not believe in that sort of thing. Spire's first order of business is to investigate the supposed discovery of the Eterna Compound. Apparently it grants immortality, and if the Americans have it, the British definitely want to get their hands on it.
Assisting Spire is the highly capable Rose Everhart, who, like Spire, has a tragic past motivating her actions as a government employee.
Rounding out these perspectives is American, Clara Templeton, the person responsible for the Eterna Compound, or at least putting the idea into the head of the grieving Mrs. Abraham Lincoln after the assassination of her husband. After the deaths of the scientists who were working on the Eterna Compound, Clara is determined to find out what happened and keep the compound from the wrong hands.
The premise for The Eterna Files sounds really good, but what didn’t capture my attention was the narrative style. First off, the characters came across as rather bland. Tidbits of information about each character would be dropped but never fully explored. Second, I found the change in perspective of characters (and locales) to be rather distracting. When things were finally getting good, the novel would move to America or England. What’s more is that the American and English narratives didn’t come together by the end of the novel and I kind of assumed that they would. I can only presume that the author is setting this up to become a series.
I really wanted The Eterna Files to be amazing, but I really had a hard time getting through this one. I think it’s one of those books that’s going to appeal to readers who are more interested in details than characters or plot, and I am, quite simply, not one of those readers.
Originally reviewed at The Book Adventures.
*Review copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley.
Harold Spire has been appointed by Queen Victoria to Special Branch Division Omega, and he’s not happy about it. Spire had been in the midst of a very difficult case and he doesn’t want to let it go unsolved to lead a secret branch of the government that’s bent on investigation the extraordinary. He does not believe in that sort of thing. Spire's first order of business is to investigate the supposed discovery of the Eterna Compound. Apparently it grants immortality, and if the Americans have it, the British definitely want to get their hands on it.
Assisting Spire is the highly capable Rose Everhart, who, like Spire, has a tragic past motivating her actions as a government employee.
Rounding out these perspectives is American, Clara Templeton, the person responsible for the Eterna Compound, or at least putting the idea into the head of the grieving Mrs. Abraham Lincoln after the assassination of her husband. After the deaths of the scientists who were working on the Eterna Compound, Clara is determined to find out what happened and keep the compound from the wrong hands.
The premise for The Eterna Files sounds really good, but what didn’t capture my attention was the narrative style. First off, the characters came across as rather bland. Tidbits of information about each character would be dropped but never fully explored. Second, I found the change in perspective of characters (and locales) to be rather distracting. When things were finally getting good, the novel would move to America or England. What’s more is that the American and English narratives didn’t come together by the end of the novel and I kind of assumed that they would. I can only presume that the author is setting this up to become a series.
I really wanted The Eterna Files to be amazing, but I really had a hard time getting through this one. I think it’s one of those books that’s going to appeal to readers who are more interested in details than characters or plot, and I am, quite simply, not one of those readers.
Originally reviewed at The Book Adventures.
*Review copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley.
abookishtype's review against another edition
3.0
Leanna Hieber's The Eterna Files kicks off a series about a race to immortality between the United States and Great Britain in the early 1880s. The Eterna Project began in the United States when a young spiritualist, Clara Templeton, tried to comfort the grieving Mary Todd Lincoln after her husband's assassination. Templeton and Senator Bishop create a small department within the Secret Service to find a cure for death. By 1882, Queen Victoria has gotten wind of the project and wants her scientists to find immortality before the Americans...
Read the rest of my review at A Bookish Type. I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley for review consideration.
Read the rest of my review at A Bookish Type. I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley for review consideration.