A Life Eternal

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The writing style is solid and again, very much like reading a first person interview. It reminded me of "Interview with the Vampire" by Anne Rice, in its style, but Rob’s unburdening of self is less story and more ‘police report”...”I did this, and then I did that, and then I went here…”. It moves fast, skipping through years and focusing on the big events in our history, namely the World Wars. We see the USA and most of Europe at various times and it is a nice little introduction for readers who might want to delve further into our world history.

This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC. The positives for this story are in its secondary character development and in the direct foreshadowing offered as occasional bridges between scenes, characters, and time periods. I also found the historical period details and descriptive recounting of certain scenes and locations where the story takes place, very satisfying. The sense of place is consistently strong, and that always earns points. Great story. A believable character, flawed but in the end loving person. The story was well thought out and in the end was good enough to bring tears to my eyes a couple of times; that makes it a good book. I was left wanting to know what happened to him did he die, did he get treatment what??

This is one of the few books I’ve ever read that I want others to read, so I can discuss it with them. It would be an excellent book for any book club! The highs of love and the depths of despair are all explored and in the end, it was life affirming. What you’d give to help others. The main character didn’t choose greatness with his life, his ordinariness made it so much more relatable. Okay, that’s not entirely true. There are probably readers out there who’ll enjoy this book, but they certainly aren’t reading the same things I am. I usually try very hard to find something good to say about everything I read. I don’t believe there really are any “bad books.” A Life Eternal may have me revise that opinion. Actually, the first chapter is quite good, and there were several beautiful sentences I highlighted, which perhaps raised my expectations too high.

This book truly shows the talents of Fullerton; a modern John le Carre mixed with a hint of Clive Cussler. All in all a fabulous, well-researched, gripping thriller. This book should be a movie; it has everything needed. R.F. Kuang, Sue Lynn Tan, Rebecca Ross, Kate Heartfield, N.E. Davenport, Saara El-Arifi, Juno Dawson and Sunyi Dean So I'm a huge horror fan. It's my go-to genre. I love the adrenaline, I love the seemingly neverending fought against Evil and how all these characters overcome their plight. It seems the more intense the horror, the greater the cottage too overcome... But like with all good things you need a break. I wanted something to warm my heart, bring treats to my eyes, and yet keep my attention and interest. This book did just that.

Richard Ayre's A Life Eternal is a book that poses so many dilemmas. If you were able to live forever, how would you feel? Is it something to treasure or resent, the power of immortality. Life is simply a clutter of lines, moving in every direction.” (p99) and it’s was. How differently would we live life if we knew we couldn’t die? This fascination with endless life is what drew me into this story, and it was what kept me reading when I became a little weary of the main character. Rob Deakin is equal parts everyman and no-man, but is ultimately generally unlikeable and his “glass half-empty” personality made the times he lived through, and the people he interacted with more ‘history textbook’ and less ‘historical novel’. Rob comes off as mechanical and emotionless even before he is changed by his mysterious interaction with The Medic. But he’s a good character to watch the world through the eyes of. And the characters he meets along the way… well they all change him in their own unique way.

While the subject matter was sometimes confronting, I found Shadow of the Knife an enjoyable and engrossing read. I'd recommend it to any reader who enjoys gritty historical crime fiction - this is no cosy and refined parlour mystery - and/or has an interest in the early history of modern crime investigation. What you have to remember, Bill, is that life is a currency. A currency of time that has no worth, and yet is priceless. Without it we do not learn, we do not grow. Without time, how does the new born baby learn how to hold, how to grasp, how to stand, how to walk? Without time how does the tree grow, the seasons change, the years pass?’

It's hard to give this story a genre; if pushed I would call it a thriller with a slice of grounded sci-fi. If you enjoy either of these then this book is for you. Whatever the genre is, though, it is simply all you could want from a book; something to take you out of the ordinary and the mundane and transport you into a world populated by characters you'll love (and hate). When Sergeant Rob Deakin is mortally wounded during the First World War, he is destined to become just another nameless casualty of a terrible conflict.

Incredible. That's how I must describe this story. The characterisation of the two main protagonists, the so-called 'Emperor' himself, Qin, and the woman who finds herself trying to stop a war Qin is planning, is brilliant. The story takes us deep in Incredible. That's how I must describe this story. The characterisation of the two main protagonists, the so-called 'Emperor' himself, Qin, and the woman who finds herself trying to stop a war Qin is planning, is brilliant. The story takes us deep into the world of Chinese politics as well as the work of the CIA, MI6 and various other inteligence agencies. What kind of trouble would you get into if you were immortal? Rob is a soldier in WWI and suffers injuries fighting that should have killed anyone, but when he’s on the verge of death, a strange man touches him, and Rob recovers fully. Doctors are baffled. Sooner or later it becomes obvious that Rob isn’t aging. What’s going on?The ending is absolutely perfect and really touches your heart with true humanity. It is evident throughout the story Richard has deeply thought about immortality and his insights are very thought provoking. One of my favourite is from the very wise Madeleine: This is a psychological study as well as a journey through the ages. It’s a sociological study as well. Rob’s experiences change him, sometimes for the better and sometimes for the worse. It’s interesting to follow along and to wonder what turn he’s going to make next. It makes one wonder what they would do in his situation. The protagonist of the novel, Rob Deakin experiences life and love and death in equal measure. Each experience shaping and changing him, the indestructible life force within him changing and hardening his attitude towards humanity. And bringing him to a life long resolution that is poignant and well considered. The writing style is solid and again, very much like reading a first person interview. It reminded me of "Interview with the Vampire" by Anne Rice, in its style, but Rob’s unburdening of self is less story and more ‘police report”...”I did this, and then I did that, and then I went here...”.