Immortal Beloved by Cate Tiernan

I read Immortal Beloved last year, and fell in love with Nastasya and the wonderful way in which Cate Tiernan wrote her, piece by piece, allowing you to learn about Nastasya as she was learning about herself.

Nastasya, Nas to her friends, is an immortal born in 1551 who realizes that the friends she has spent the last hundred years or so with aren't healthy for her anymore.  She knows she needs to get away from them when she remembers River, another immortal she met 80 years ago who had invited her to come to Rivers Edge, her home in Massachusettes.   Nas knew she couldn't just tell her friend Innocencio (Incy) that she was leaving, so she sneaks away to Rivers Edge, which ends up being a rehabilitation farm for immortals.

Nas really doesn't want to be there, but her life was tumbling out of control and she really does want help.  The first person she meets when she gets to Rivers Edge is Reyn, and I love her first impression of him, "A Viking god had tapped on my window, was looking at me with concern—or suspicion. His golden handsomeness was breathtaking, as if a mythical figure had come to life, had warm blood flowing through his veins." (Yikes - we all should be so lucky to have someone that gorgeous tapping on our windows!)

While at Rivers Edge Nas takes lessons in magick and learns more about herself than she probably ever wanted to.  She also discovers that she and Reyn have a connection that goes back to her childhood before she ever knew she was an immortal.  Needless to say that connection isn't cause for a joyful reunion.

Immortal Beloved is a book filled with suspense and you never know what might befall Nas and whether the catastrophies that await her are coming from within her or from an outside force.  Nas is flawed, but you root for her nontheless.  Definitely give this book a four out of five ranking!