My Soul to Keep

Jessica’s husband David seems like the perfect man. He’s rich and cultured and brilliant and absolutely devoted to her and her daughter Kira. Her sister and her best friend sometimes point out that ‘He wants you all to himself, he never wants you to spend time with anyone else’ and ‘He doesn’t think your career is as important as you spending every spare moment with him and Kira’, but Jessica brushes it off. The reason for this, however, is that David is immortal. He knows that he must one day lose Jessica and Kira, either watch them die or be forced to walk away to protect his secret. He will do anything to postpone that day, including kill anyone who might possibly be able to expose him. But when he is ordered to leave, show more David realises there is another option: he could break all the rules, and make Jessica and Kira immortal too.
We’ve seen the trope of a woman’s supernatural and immortal lover who wants to make her immortal too, in vampire stories and such. It’s usually presented as romantic and beautiful. Not so much here. David is traumatised, desperate and extremely morally grey, and his determination to keep Jessica and Kira with him forever, whatever the cost, is more scary than beautiful. The ending is what makes this a five star book - I was wondering if David getting what he wants would really seem like a happy ending, but then, wow. show less

I like how Due takes what's essentially a variation on a vampire story and imbues it with emotional depth and meaning, and gives me chills along the way. At its base is the question, what is the purpose of the gift of life, mortal or otherwise? The immortals in this novel have rules and a culture and a code that feel--- much like human culture in general---arbitrary and made up. I think I'd like to read the sequel now, too.

My Soul to Keep is an examination of the consequences of immortality on an individual's psyche wrapped up in a paranormal thriller story. I really enjoyed both sides to this story. David was a complicated hero/villain and Jessica is a strong female character. It gave me a lot to think about in terms of what it would mean to live forever and what that would do to a person and how that drove the actions of David, our protagonist. It also was a a suspenseful thriller as Jessica, David's wife, comes to the realization that she does not truly know her husband and the danger he and her daughter are in because of him. Overall I a glad I finally read this book and I am looking forward to reading more of the African Immortal series and other show more books by Due. show less

That was the most intense and exciting horror I’ve read in a long time. This is what other “vampire” stories try to do, but fail. The idea of immortality, and what happens to the human psyche because of it. There is so much grief in here, and this book explores all the themes and avenues of death.

The characters feel so human, and they feel so real. It’s amazing how much you fall in love with them, even the villains.

My Soul to Keep is the second book I've read by Tananarive Due, and now I can confidentially say two things: 1) Due writes in a way that I'm instantly drawn into the story; her characters, all of them, come alive from page one; and, 2) She breathes new life into old ideas/ seemingly overdone, overused fantasy tropes.

I loved the premise of My Soul to Keep especially where the Living Blood originated. It was interesting to look at how the immortals viewed humans, excluded females, dealt with threats to their anonymity. And while I was slightly teary-eyed at the ending, I loved Jessica's transformation. To me that's the true strength of a woman. I won't say more because spoilers!

The only problem I had with this story, and why I had to set show more it aside a few times, was that I did not like Dawitt at all. Yes, I understand that the centuries and the traumas have changed him. That maybe it's unfair to hold him accountable to human standards because he's immortal. I sympathized with him, but he went too far, over and over again. His love was unhealthy.

Jessica, I liked; she was smart, sensitive and strong. Though, she doubted herself way too much. I guess she's meant to be all the women who are like her in real life. It makes me sad to think of the women who settle for "the perfect guy" because they think that's what they're supposed to do. How they'll consciously overlook warning signs and red flags just to avoid rocking the boat. But, like I mentioned above, Jessica gradually opened her eyes and tried her best to rectify the mistakes.

Recommended to anyone looking for dark fantasy with a strong mythic vibe.

3.5 stars show less

This book had so many layers and small details that all fit together to make this a truly enjoyable, suspenseful novel. Jessica had what she thought was a happy marriage with David and a child named Kira. Little did she know that David/ Dawit was five hundred years old and had lived many lives before her. He was offered the Life Blood, which made him immortal. Some of the scenes of his former lives were touching as well as the love he felt for Jessica and their daughter. This tale mixes thoughts on Christianity, racism, marriage, self-less love, and whole lot more into a great read.

This is a super original take on vampires. It's like looking at the themes in the early Lestat books but with a black cast and so much less man pain!