IMMORTALITY BY DANA SCHWARTZ // spoiler-free sequel book review: my new fave YA gothic historical fiction series that you all need to read!!!

Eeeep so excited to finally rave about this book with you all. I’ve been holding it in for a hot second and it’s finally my time!

Warning: since this is a sequel, the synopsis does contain spoilers for the end of book one aka Anatomy by Dana Schwartz! The spoiler-free section shouldn’t be too spoiler-y so you’re good there, but maybe skip the synopsis if you haven’t read it yet.

Without further ado, let’s get right into it <3<3<3

Title: Immortality: A Love Story
Series: Anatomy Duology book #2
Author: Dana Schwartz
Page count: 389
Date published: 28 February 2023
Genre: Young Adult gothic historical fiction

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Synopsis:

Hazel Sinnett is alone and half convinced the events of the year before—the immortality, Beecham’s vial—were a figment of her imagination. She doesn’t even know if Jack is alive or dead. All she can really do now is treat patients and maintain Hawthornden Castle as it starts to decay around her.

When saving a life leads to her arrest, Hazel seems doomed to rot in prison until a message intervenes: Hazel has been specifically requested to be the personal physician of Princess Charlotte, the sickly granddaughter of King George III. Soon Hazel is dragged into the glamour and romance of a court where everyone has something to hide, especially the enigmatic, brilliant members of a social club known as the Companions to the Death.

As Hazel’s work entangles her more and more with the British court, she realizes that her own future as a surgeon isn’t the only thing at stake for her. Malicious forces are at work in the monarchy, and Hazel may be the only one capable of setting things right.

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Big thanks to Wednesday Books for the eARC via Netgalley. And to Wordsworth Books for the physical copy, use my code to save! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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STAR RATING: (5 out of 5 stars)

My thoughts are currently unassembled and my mind is still reeling from that emotional whirlwind but what a sequel!!!!

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Dana Schwartz outdid herself. Honestly, couldn’t have asked for a better finale and I do not understand the bad reviews? Did we read the same book? Don’t think so. Everything that I loved in the first one is all here, but even better and ugh I so loved this series so much.

From the creepy atmosphere to the Victorian setting, to the dark body descriptions and the delightful romance, I really couldn’t ask for more. And ofc the discussions on feminism in this time period. Hits every single time.

I was tabbing up a storm with this book. A new hobby of mine but there were just so many great lines and I love Dana Schwartz’s writing. So excited to see what she does next.

I honestly couldn’t have asked for more. And I think what lacked in character depth in the last book really came out in this one. I love Hazel as a character so much and I loved how we got to see how lonely she was? That’s always a hard conversation but it’s so vulnerable and real. And relatable welp.

And the plot!!!! I mean, what a rollercoaster. Honestly mindblown and not at all what I expected but such a fascinating take on history. I’m a huge history fanatic and I love when authors combine history and fiction *sighs*

Aside from that, I was rooting for the romance SO FREAKING HARD. Ugh, my heart was pounding the entire time and I wanted to know what would happen. Love the rise of the love triangle done right. I mean it was pretty obvious who she’d end up with and my heart was melting.

If you’re looking for an atmospheric YA historical fiction with a fast-paced plot, Victorian setting and lots of romance, this is a great series for you to devour. Literally. It’s honestly so good and I need more people to love it alongside me. And scream alongside me because that happens too <3<3<3

“There are always women behind the scenes, pulling the strings, Hazel. We are invisible to history, but we also survive.”

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“Live long enough and the past becomes an endless parade of mistakes and things that might have been done better or differently. What can we do but continue on, and try again?”

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“You will always have to watch people you love die,” Marie-Anne said. “Do you think mortality protects you from that?”

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You can’t speak to him now, but he’s there if you need him, the candle said. He’s just there, only just out of view. That was the real way she survived losing Jack: by pretending that she hadn’t lost him at all, and that at any moment she might walk up to the big house and see him smiling up at her over tea, see the way his canine teeth extended past the others and overlapped, see his messy hair, which had always contained a hidden pocket of sawdust.”

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“She had gotten love, and that was more than plenty of people got on this planet.”

HAVE YOU READ THIS BOOK YET? OR JUST BOOK ONE? WHAT DID YOU THINK? WHO IS YOUR FAVOURITE CHARACTER? OR ARE YOU GOING TO START THIS SERIES NOW? I’D LOVE TO KNOW!