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My Soul to Keep

(African Immortals #1)

Tananarive Due (Goodreads Author)

4.17 · Rating details · 4,836 ratings · 531 reviews

When Jessica marries David, he is everything she wants in a family man: brilliant, attentive, ever youthful. Yet she still feels something about him is just out of reach. Soon, as people close to Jessica begin to meet violent, mysterious deaths, David makes an unimaginable confession: More than 400 years ago, he and other members of an Ethiopian sect traded their humanity ...more

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Paperback, 346 pages

Published April 8th 1998 by Harper Voyager (first published June 29th 1997)

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Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler

Non-Caucasian Protagonists in Science Fiction, Fantasy, Horror, and Paranormal Romance

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African American Science Fiction

235 books — 194 voters

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· 4,836 ratings · 531 reviews

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Nov 08, 2013 Victoria rated it it was ok

Shelves: urban-fantasy

More of a 2.5 really but you can't give half stars here so...

I want to begin by saying that this is a very well written piece of urban fantasy. Considering all the urban fantasy out there that sucks, and all the lame and awful vampire/werewolf/ghost/witch in modern times books out there this one is definitely a winner. It has a broad scope and the story effectively wanders through time from ancient history to modern times (well semi-modern like the 90's so there is a bit of a disconnect there).
More of a 2.5 really but you can't give half stars here so...

I want to begin by saying that this is a very well written piece of urban fantasy. Considering all the urban fantasy out there that sucks, and all the lame and awful vampire/werewolf/ghost/witch in modern times books out there this one is definitely a winner. It has a broad scope and the story effectively wanders through time from ancient history to modern times (well semi-modern like the 90's so there is a bit of a disconnect there).

The plot is interesting and it is always nice to see these type of stories told authentically about African American people and their lives, worlds, and experiences. The story involves Jessica a young journalist and her husband Dawit who was a successful professor, linguist, and music historian before setting aside his career to take care of their daughter and focus on their family.

This novel has been compared to Interview With the Vampires which may make some people think that it has vampires in it. There are no vampires here, instead the supernatural element of this novel comes from ancient Ethiopian men who found a way to attain immortality. The comparison to Interview With the Vampires I think has to do with the span of history that is covered in telling the story, and witnessing the lives of these ancient men and their deeds. The comparison also comes from experiencing how having such long lives and being able to witness history unfolding may change a person and give them a skewed morality and sense of justice.

My problem with this book is that I cannot find myself remotely interested in the characters, their lives, or their internal situations. The story is interesting but they are not, and since I have to experience the story through them I really had trouble making myself read this book and finish it. Partially this had to do with the fact that both main characters are not very sympathetic to me. Dawit is selfish and divorced from any type of love for the world beyond his own little circle. Despite this, he is not really strong or convincing enough to be a villain either. His wife Jessica, on the other had, is kind of wishy-washy and flat. She is a young, fresh, and intelligent lady with her whole life ahead of her and lots of great opportunities coming her way in her career. Despite all of this she has a vague sense of dissatisfaction from the beginning but is never really strong enough to commit to a course of action without one of the people in her life pushing her to do something.

As I stated at the beginning of this review, the book is good and the premise and plot are interesting. The characters are what made it difficult for me to like this book much and in the end caused me to give it the low rating I did. I did like the authors writing style so while I know I will never revisit this series again, I may read some of her other works in the future.

*review also posted at worldswithoutend.com ...more

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Oct 23, 2017 Jonathan Janz rated it it was amazing

I've been hearing the name Tananarive Due for several years, but I hadn't given her stuff a shot until this book.

Man, have I been missing out.

Here's the thing about Tananarive's writing: From the very first chapter until the very end of the book, you sense this marvelous combination of total authorial control and utter narrative abandon. The former sensation stems from Ms. Due's elegant, evocative prose; the latter arises from the jaw dropping unpredictability of the plot. The writing is so st ...more

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May 20, 2010 Lou rated it it was amazing

My name is Dah-west. I was born in what is now called Ethiopia nearly five hundred years ago. I am an immortal. There are fifty-eight others like me. Our blood lives forever, and our bodies heal. We do not age. We were not born this way, and our condition is not genetic. We underwent a Ritual. We do not have extraordinary strength, and it is not our purpose to harm others. We are merely a race of scholars. Most of us choose not to mingle among mortals, but sone of us do. We love, and we have fam

...more

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Aug 01, 2011 Brooklyn Darkchild rated it really liked it

Recommends it for: fantasy/sci-fi/paranormal fans

Recommended to Brooklyn by: my daughter

The things we do for love, right?
Dawit is a five-hundred-year-old immortal who has loved and lost three wives: one in Ethiopia hundreds of years ago, one who was killed in slavery times, and one he was forced to abandon by his brethren in the 1920s. But never had he loved a wife the way Dawit loved Jessica. One could say he was obsessed with her.
Young, brash, and professional, Jessica considered Dawit almost a gift from God, and could never fathom just what this wise older professor saw in her. The things we do for love, right?
Dawit is a five-hundred-year-old immortal who has loved and lost three wives: one in Ethiopia hundreds of years ago, one who was killed in slavery times, and one he was forced to abandon by his brethren in the 1920s. But never had he loved a wife the way Dawit loved Jessica. One could say he was obsessed with her.
Young, brash, and professional, Jessica considered Dawit almost a gift from God, and could never fathom just what this wise older professor saw in her. Jessica's family, however, was concerned by Dawit's monopolization of her time, and especially by his insistence that Jessica quit her job and just stay at home with him. There was something off about Dawit, but they couldn't put a finger on it.
In the way of his "people": the other immortals, it was unwise to become so attached to mere mortals, and absolutely forbidden to reveal the secrets of their brotherhood. But at what cost? Faced with the directive to leave Jessica and their daughter Kira, and to come "home" at once, Dawit faces the emotional dilemma of his extremely long life. Can he leave this woman he loves almost more than life itself? If not, what's the alternative? And how far will Dawit go to keep the truth about him and his immortal brethren a secret?

I rarely do this in a review, but in the interest of Truth and Fairness, I'll have to (semi) answer one of the above questions. How far will Dawit go??? Too danged far, that's for sure. Dawit committed an act so atrocious to me that I actually put this book down for almost a year. I mean I HATED this guy, I really did. And I was mad at my daughter for telling me this was a Good Book. If I hadn't committed to giving every book I sat aside another chance this one would still be sitting on my end table collecting dust. I'm very glad I did. By delving further into My Soul to Keep, Dawit's motivation became more and more clear. He, and to a lesser extent Jessica, are such richly drawn, richly layered characters that you have to read the entire book to understand them fully. Black fantasy/sci-fi/paranormal tales are as rare as a Tea Party Republican that wants to raise taxes, so to read a book in a genre I love that actually reflects Me is a Treat. At the end I let out a deep breath, and a faintly whispered Wow. And looked forward to the next installment in this series. ...more

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Jun 27, 2019 Charlotte rated it liked it

Shelves: women-and-nb-of-speculative-fiction, poc-author

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. "All words and deeds will find you, as a tightening noose finds the neck."

Spoilers follow, as well as discussions of domestic violence and the murder of a child.

So What's It About? (from Goodreads)

"When Jessica marries David, he is everything she wants in a family man: brilliant, attentive, ever youthful. Yet she still feels something about him is just out of reach. Soon, as people close to Jessica begin to meet violent, mysterious deaths, David makes an unimaginable confession: More than 400 ye ...more

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Jul 10, 2019 Richard Derus marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Shelves: kindled

***10 JULY 2019***99¢ — yes, NINETY-NINE CENTS — for a book that should be in any serious reader of horror/supernatural/speculative fiction's head. ...more

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Jan 08, 2013 Shazzt added it

It took me a long time to get into this book. Partly because not a lot happens in the first two thirds of the story and partly because i found the female protagonist intensely annoying and worse, boring. Perhaps it is partly my fault. Jessica subscribes to the type of Christianity that sees god as a big Santa that will give her everything she asks for (including miracles) if she is "good" enough or prays hard enough and I find that a huge turn off in anyone. Plus, for an investigative reporter, ...more

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Sep 25, 2016 Obsidian rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: did-not-finish

I was going to read and finish this for Halloween Bingo 2016, but since this is a DNF, it doesn't count towards the bingo. I finally just gave up reading this after I realized that I didn't like either main characters, and the book pace was so slow, it was positively glacial.

We find a man (or is he?) visiting an old woman in a retirement home. The man is sad to see that the woman has grown old (by the way this is really stupid when the reveal shows who he is, shocker dude, people get old) and th I was going to read and finish this for Halloween Bingo 2016, but since this is a DNF, it doesn't count towards the bingo. I finally just gave up reading this after I realized that I didn't like either main characters, and the book pace was so slow, it was positively glacial.

We find a man (or is he?) visiting an old woman in a retirement home. The man is sad to see that the woman has grown old (by the way this is really stupid when the reveal shows who he is, shocker dude, people get old) and then kills her to put her out of her and his misery.

We then switch to a woman named Jessica who is awoken when she finds her husband is in a panic because their dog seems to be in distress. We find out a lot about Jessica pretty early on, she is selfish as the day is long. Instead of really seeming upset about the dog, she is upset that she was the one who put her husband off of calling the vet when he thought something was going on with their dog. She's upset because her daughter is going to get upset and she doesn't know what she will do about that. And she's upset because she's going to have to get up and go to the work in the morning on very little sleep.

Then the book switches to the man in the beginning called Dawit (you would have to not be paying attention at all to realize who Dawit is) and we get his struggle to be in the world with mere humans.

The book goes back and forth between Jessica and Dawit and you start to see a very sad pattern of both of them being selfish, neither one of them wanting to deal with other people and their problems really.

There is a random murder thrown in and it didn't make any sense to me and all it did was make me dislike the character of Dawit a lot more.

The writing seemed okay, I think the issue for me is that I didn't get a sense of these two characters at all. They were very flat. Even the secondary characters (Jessica's mother and sister) don't come alive. Though we do get Jessica judging her sister for not having a man in her life so she thinks her sister is just upset that Jessica has a husband and daughter.

The flow wasn't great. We jump back and forth between Jessica and Dawit and we find out how Dawit came to become immortal. Just take Jesus Christ, blood, and stir the plot.

I was disappointed because this series has been recommended to me for a long time and I really hope to read this and finish it off since there are three more books. Sadly, I am going to pass on finishing this and starting any of the other books. ...more

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Dec 08, 2017 Wealhtheow rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: pocmaincharacters, fantasy

Jessica is living a dream life. Her latest investigative piece is getting Pulitzer buzz, her daughter is thriving, her family is healthy, and her husband is perfect in every way. What she doesn't know is that her husband David cannot die. After taking part in a ritual 400+ years ago, even beheading only requires a few days' healing. Since then he roamed the world thinking of mortals as fruit flies, killing or discarding them without thought. But after a horrific experience as a slave in the Amer Jessica is living a dream life. Her latest investigative piece is getting Pulitzer buzz, her daughter is thriving, her family is healthy, and her husband is perfect in every way. What she doesn't know is that her husband David cannot die. After taking part in a ritual 400+ years ago, even beheading only requires a few days' healing. Since then he roamed the world thinking of mortals as fruit flies, killing or discarding them without thought. But after a horrific experience as a slave in the American South, he gradually came to realize the worth of mortals. Now he is deeply in love with Jessica and their adorable kindergartner, Kira. So deeply in love, in fact, that he will do anything to keep them together: isolate Jessica from her friends and family, kill her best friend, move them across continents. He knows their lives will be over in what seems like a blink of an eye, and he hates the idea of them spending any time at work or school when they could be together instead. Meanwhile, other immortals have been watching David's family, waiting for the chance to kill them and bring David back to their compound.

From the start I didn't like this much. The writing is clunky, and even by the end Jessica's personality didn't really cohere. I couldn't get a real feel for who she is as a person. I also think this book would've been worlds creepier and more interesting if it were framed a little differently. Alternating chapters between David, Jessica, and the immortal out for their blood meant that instead of wondering if Jessica was being paranoid, I instead immediately knew exactly what was going on. For instance, near the end of the novel she gets drowsy after a long ride in a car, and shrieks that David has drugged her. Immediately any question of whether she's overreacting is undercut by the very next page, where David's internal monologue makes it clear that yes, he totally secretly drugged her. Knowing too much of the immortals' plans at every moment made it seem like various characters were too trusting or gullible, even though really they were operating sensibly with the information they had.

Still, I was interested enough in where the story was going to keep reading, and that's where I ran into real trouble. Both of the Jessica's pets die in this book. THEN (view spoiler) But all the tragedy done to innocents is not even the full problem. It's Jessica and her family's reaction to it. (view spoiler)

All this to say, parts of this worked for me. David decides not to go back to the immortal compound after experiencing slavery because after that he feels more kinship with the black Americans who went through what he did. And I totally believed Jessica's feelings about choosing to have a career but then feeling shut out from the close relationship her daughter had with the stay-at-home parent. But overall this book mostly annoyed and upset me. ...more

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Jul 19, 2020 Bethany rated it really liked it

Shelves: black-authors

My Soul to Keep was not what I expected. I was under the impression it was a vampire story, and it isn't really, but that's not to say it wasn't good. This is a quiet sort of horror story that is deeply character driven, refusing us the comfort of heroes and villains in favor of the messy grayness of humanity. Two of the central questions driving the story are:

1) What might happen if a small group of humans achieved immortality? How would that affect their psyche? Their morality? Their value for My Soul to Keep was not what I expected. I was under the impression it was a vampire story, and it isn't really, but that's not to say it wasn't good. This is a quiet sort of horror story that is deeply character driven, refusing us the comfort of heroes and villains in favor of the messy grayness of humanity. Two of the central questions driving the story are:

1) What might happen if a small group of humans achieved immortality? How would that affect their psyche? Their morality? Their value for human life? Their ability to love or sense of loneliness as history passes them by?

AND

2) What if you don't know your spouse as well as you think you do? How do you cope with loving a person who is capable of horrible things, as well as great kindness? How can you protect your child from the possibility of their violence?

And all of this centers Black characters who are also carrying the weight of historical trauma, racism, and the need to work harder for success.

In service to those questions, this book goes to some extremely dark places, so do use caution. Yet the author expertly grapples with them and leaves us without easy answers.

Jessica believes David is everything she wants when she marries him. Now she is working hard to achieve success as a journalist, and they are raising their 5 year old daughter. But she has always felt like David is holding something of himself back.

Dawit was born hundreds of years ago in Ethopia, transformed by the stolen blood of Christ, and inducted into a secretive immortal brotherhood. The only rule is no one must know, and falling in love with mortal humans is frowned upon.

The author expertly explores the identity and history of our two main characters, as well as their relationships with each other, with friends, and with family. She slowly builds a sense of dread and violence, but it took awhile for me to realize this was a horror novel of sorts. I've never read anything quite like this before and the culminating acts of violence are deeply disturbing, and yet the author never fully vilifies anybody. It's provocative, unsettling, and though-provoking. If you need content/trigger warnings please check them out below, though you should be aware that they do contain spoilers.

Content Warnings include: several instances of graphic murder (Including a parent killing their child through drugging and asphyxiation. They intend to then make them immortal, but it's still horrifing) graphic depictions of blood, self mutilation to the point of (temporary) death by immortal beings, drugging, stalking behavior, violence toward a spouse, loss of a loved one, depictions of slavery, racial slurs, misogyny, gaslighting and emotional abuse ...more

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Jan 13, 2016 Arlene rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: readsoullit, library-finds

Wow.

I this was so much better than I had imagined, but the ending had something more to be desired. I honestly wished it ended in a different way, but now I'm more curious about the next book.

Ms. Due sure know how to tell a story with such rich characters and a very intriguing plot! The beginning was kind of confusing and somewhat slow, but I feel that it all straightened itself out once you figured out who David is . But all the characters were so engaging and you couldn't help but feel inves ...more

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Feb 21, 2015 Reviews May Vary rated it really liked it

Shelves: we-need-diverse-books

Ms. Due is a often- recommended author on the WOC lists, which kind of sucks because she should be on the often- recommended because her writing kicks ass list.

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Jun 13, 2017 Rachel Bea rated it really liked it

Shelves: horror-i-read-in-2017, women-2017, women-only, tower-team-2017, books-of-2017, horror

Wow! Gotta read the rest of this series now.

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Sep 09, 2011 Christine rated it liked it

Shelves: kindle, vampires, minority-and-women-writers, poc-unclear-hero-or-heroine, fantasy-urban

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jul 21, 2019 Thistle & Verse rated it really liked it

Shelves: horror

Based on 1st read
I came into this novel thinking that it would be horror and hearing it compared to Interview with the Vampire. There are supernatural elements. It isn't Stephen King type horror. I think the premise and pacing was very similar to Interview with the Vampire (which I also struggled to read); It was a well-done book, but it wasn't really for me. While reading, I got bored with it and took frequent breaks. I think the pacing felt slow because I had an idea for where the story was go ...more

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Jun 24, 2020 Jennifer rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: horror, paranormal, bookstagram, listened-to-audiobook, read-2020, urban-fantasy

Very slow moving in my opinion, but also very layered and with a depth I rarely find in urban fantasy novels. This is the 1st in a series and I look forward to continuing.

My favorite quote:
“How ironic it was that mortals, who had the least time of all, were willing to waste so much of it away from the people they love.”

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Oct 07, 2016 Kathleen Dixon rated it really liked it

Recommended to Kathleen by: Arielle Walker

Shelves: fantasy, united-states, ethiopia

A Goodreads friend reviewed this book - said it wasn't really her thing, actually, but I was intrigued by the book's blurb. For several reasons:

Its supernatural base is members of an Ethiopian sect.
It has immortality as a theme/problem.
It suggests you can be robbed of your soul.

I find these things fascinating. In the first place my husband is Ethiopian, and worships at the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. He, of course, would be horrified at the idea of the sect's immortality and how they came about i ...more

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Oct 27, 2020 Bre (Loc'd Booktician) rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: black, fantasy

I understand why David did what he did and why it was difficult for him. I understood his sacrifices and the things that his coven put him through and his unrelenting acts of survival. Although I understood these things; he was a character I loved to hate. I do not think he was a great partner to Jess at all. I think he had possessive, controlling, and obsessive tendencies with Jessica. Jessica was so wrapped up in the "love" and orgasms that she didn't see it. I would argue "does she see it now ...more

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Oct 13, 2014 Linda rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: science-fiction, group-challenge, fiction, black-author

No matter what I think of a book, the basic question I pose to myself when I’m trying to figure out what rating to give it is: how much did I want to read it. This book started out slow, but by the end, I couldn’t put it down. I don’t have a particularly strong interest in paranormal or urban fantasy, but I think that this book was terrific for the genre. If Goodreads had 1/2 stars, I'd give this 3 1/2. I’m not sure if I’ll read the other two books in the series or not. I, definitely, would, if ...more

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Jul 15, 2011 Susan rated it it was amazing

Wow! This was the first book I stopped in the middle because I couldn’t bear to go on. I peeked. I had to see for myself where the author was going to take it in the end. Yes, I cheated! The characters were amazing, the villain, David, surprisingly lovable with all his faults, a truly amazing story that will reach out and touch you no matter who you are, and where you are in life. I’m so glad I read this book!

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Mar 21, 2015 Arie rated it it was ok

Shelves: horror-thriller, bipoc-author, fantasy-unusual, bipoc-rep, urban-fantasy

Not bad at all, just... not really my thing, I guess. Maybe I just expected more, different, better. It reminded me, somehow, of Midnight Crossroad which I wasn't hugely enamoured with either. 3 stars because it deserves them, but for personal taste possibly less. ...more

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Sep 15, 2017 Wendy rated it really liked it

Shelves: mystery-horror-crime

Dawit is an immortal. 500 years ago, he was gifted with eternal life. Initially, this meant living life to the fullest, learning, loving, and leaving, as long as he didn't break the rules of sharing the secrets of his brotherhood. This is obviously where our drama come in, because Dawit's love for music draws him to the ever-evolving mortal world where, every once in a while, he falls in love with a soul that speaks to his own. Even though he knows it cannot be forever.

Jessica believes David to Dawit is an immortal. 500 years ago, he was gifted with eternal life. Initially, this meant living life to the fullest, learning, loving, and leaving, as long as he didn't break the rules of sharing the secrets of his brotherhood. This is obviously where our drama come in, because Dawit's love for music draws him to the ever-evolving mortal world where, every once in a while, he falls in love with a soul that speaks to his own. Even though he knows it cannot be forever.

Jessica believes David to be everything she could possibly want in a man, a husband, a friend, and a father. But what she does not know about his past begins to catch up when her investigative journalism leads her on a path that brings his previous life into focus.

Due tells the story from mainly Jessica and Dawit's points of view. From the beginning, we know what he is and learn more about his past and present, including the very powerful reason why he chooses to say in the United States, despite living through the horrors of slavery as a black man. Due skillfully blends actual history with the fantasy of the story. We know what Dawit does to keep his secret, so it is the question of how Jessica will find out that drives the plot.

Jessica's denial or lack of realization is sometimes frustrating, but only because it is realistic when we consider how easily strong emotions can have us convince ourselves to accept lies even when the truth hangs right before our faces. Due takes the time to show how easily people can be blinded, even and especially by the ones we love the most. This isn't Stockholm Syndrome. It's the reality of relationships where you can write off those "little things" until you suddenly find that your world has fallen apart. At that point, it seems like the person you loved is suddenly a stranger, but in reality, those "little things" have always been there, trying to warn you of the truth. Though things drag in places, Due does a stellar job of taking us through Dawit and Jessica's relationship such that, when things eventually fall apart, there's still uncertainty as to which direction it will all go.

One of the things I admire in Due's writing is the way she deals with the human body. I love how she is unafraid to let her characters express themselves through their emotional and mental state, and how their bodies reflect this. Not just the pretty or sexy parts. From sweaty armpits to morning breath, attention to such detail might seem squicky to some, but to me, it lends authenticity and relatability to the characters.

The various ways in which Due ingrains her characters into the reader's mind makes me admire her writing style and want to read more. Where this particular book ends up makes me want to read on in the series to find out more.

www.bibliosanctum.com ...more

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Jun 18, 2012 Sheera rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I really enjoyed this story. For a multitude of reasons ... the story itself was intriguing but for me it was because as I was reading it I wanted to scream/yell at the characters to make better/different decisions (but then it wouldn't be a story if they made the decisions I want them to make --- it'd be smart people doing smart things instead of smart people doing not-smart things).

What I liked: The premise of the story was new or at least the way that the premise was attacked; I liked how th ...more

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Feb 06, 2020 John Adams rated it really liked it

Shelves: horror

I originally found this book when I was researching an essay on recent developments in the vampire novel. The vivid characterisation and location amply demonstrate the enduring truth of the adage 'write what you know'. I often feel that should be expanded to include 'and show the reader a glimpse of a world they don't'. Due does both so well that I was quickly hooked.

Jessica Wolde is a recent graduate who's also adjusting to being a young wife and mother, trying to balance the urge to pursue her I originally found this book when I was researching an essay on recent developments in the vampire novel. The vivid characterisation and location amply demonstrate the enduring truth of the adage 'write what you know'. I often feel that should be expanded to include 'and show the reader a glimpse of a world they don't'. Due does both so well that I was quickly hooked.

Jessica Wolde is a recent graduate who's also adjusting to being a young wife and mother, trying to balance the urge to pursue her promising career as well as doing right by her little daughter Kira. She doesn't always get the support she deserves from her older husband David, her former Spanish professor in college. The couple are happy but David harbours a terrible secret that is breaking through into their lives, and Jessica has doubts about his often controlling and stifling behaviour.

David's real name is Dawit. He has lived for centuries, first in Ethiopia where he was turned and more recently in the US where he has experienced slavery in civil war America and fought as a soldier before settling down and starting a family in Twenties Chicago as a jazz musician. His lifetime spans the pre-slavery history of Ethiopia and the ways in which slavery took black men and women over to the New World and abused them there. It's very powerful to see all of that suffering over so many centuries presented in the life of just one person and a vampire, with their longevity, is the perfect way to do that. Here in the present day Dawit finds the strength of his devotion to Jessica and Kira taking him unawares.

Dawit's vampire heritage has provided the expected longevity but it means that he's in perpetual danger of being accidentally recognised by the few elderly people still alive who remember his jazz fame almost a hundred years ago. And he's being chased down by his old friend turned enemy Mahmoud. Dawit's past, his connection to the Ethiopian vampires who turned him, reaches out to claim him and Mahmoud is sent to track him down and return him to Khaldun, their leader, back in Lalibela. One way or another, Dawit feels perpetually hunted and despite his bloodthirsty behaviour that makes him very sympathetic.

This was such a well written book too. Taut. Dynamic. Tense. Showcasing superb writing technique. And against the odds both evil, murderous Dawit and increasingly empowered and impressive Jessica were likeable and relatable characters. I always appreciate genre fiction that doesn't objectify the vampire, no matter how dark their bloody deeds and this book is a fine example of that tradition.

Enjoy!

...more

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Jun 10, 2020 Jessica Woodbury rated it really liked it

Shelves: audiobooks, sci-fi-fantasy, authors-of-color

At first, I was thinking maybe this was another vampire-ish book (technically not vampires, no blood drinking, but so many of those stories involve being forever young that there are still good comparisons) like the many that have gone before and I wondered if it would work for me. But I kept with it because I know how good Due is and I know it's a series and I figured she was taking me somewhere. I was happy to find I was right.

Yes, in a lot of ways, this book covers familiar ground. But even t At first, I was thinking maybe this was another vampire-ish book (technically not vampires, no blood drinking, but so many of those stories involve being forever young that there are still good comparisons) like the many that have gone before and I wondered if it would work for me. But I kept with it because I know how good Due is and I know it's a series and I figured she was taking me somewhere. I was happy to find I was right.

Yes, in a lot of ways, this book covers familiar ground. But even the familiar is steeped in newness. The detail of the immortal beings, the clear thought that Due put in to build their world, and the contrast with Jessica and the normal but full life she has. Spending time with Jessica and her family was interesting enough on its own, she invests the book with so much accessible reality and emotion, which is crucial in a story about immortal beings who have lost touch with those elements. Yes, much of the plot is laid out for you from the beginning, this is not where Due is trying to surprise you. But I still found myself taken for a real ride in the last third of the book, hoping that things would go one way even if I was pretty sure they wouldn't, so I was clearly invested.

But most of all, as you reach the end you realize that all of this is preface. This is the first book that is laying our groundwork, introducing us to what is to come, and investing us in these characters. It doesn't end on any kind of cliffhanger and yet I really want to dive immediately into the second book where I really don't know what lies ahead of me.

I hear vampire books are coming back into fashion and I hope that trend makes this series more available. I have been trying to get my hands on this book from a library for years and there appears to have been some issue with access. And now there is only the 1st and 4th books, not the middle two. But now that I'm finally invested, the timing is at least better. It appears to be available in print everywhere again, and on audio on Audible and Libro. I did audio and enjoyed the narrator, though I looked ahead and saw the series has 3 narrators over 4 books, which... is not my favorite but we'll see if it works.

Glad I finally got a chance to start this series. ...more

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Sep 15, 2011 Tiara rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: z-2016-women-of-genre-fiction, favorites, horror, spec-fic-by-authors-of-color, supernatural, features-protagonists-of-color, z-2016-spec-fic-by-poc-challenge

David Wolde is an immortal man who has married a mortal woman. She’s a journalist who’s starting to taste success, and he’s an accomplished professor turned freelance writer who dotes on his wife and their young daughter. However, his wife doesn’t know he is immortal. David took a blood pact many years ago in Ethiopia that granted him and fifty-nine other men immortality. They promised to never tell any others of this pact, and they promised never to get too attached to the mortal world. David’s David Wolde is an immortal man who has married a mortal woman. She’s a journalist who’s starting to taste success, and he’s an accomplished professor turned freelance writer who dotes on his wife and their young daughter. However, his wife doesn’t know he is immortal. David took a blood pact many years ago in Ethiopia that granted him and fifty-nine other men immortality. They promised to never tell any others of this pact, and they promised never to get too attached to the mortal world. David’s immortal family has decided that it is time for him to leave his family and return to them. They fear that he is about to break their fragile existence by revealing himself to his wife and child. Little do they know that David plans to go one step further and attempt to grant them that which is forbidden to his family–immortality.

Prior to reading this novel, I’d only encountered Ms. Due’s work in various anthologies I’d picked up over the years that featured horror stories by writers of color. Some of those books I’ve held onto for years and revisit them periodically, and any time I’d reread one I’d always think to myself that I need to get around to reading some Due because she’d been touted a writer of color who was really making waves in the horror genre with her stories. (And her stories are almost always one of my favorites in the anthologies that I find her in.)

It was a treat to finally read a complete novel by her. I was completely captured by this story and especially enjoyed hearing about David’s past as he journeyed from Africa to America. Much like Octavia Butler she weaves African and African-American history in this story to give it such a different flavor and context than you’d find in most horror stories while adding an element of emotion that really speaks to the reader. While I don’t think there is anyone who can manage to weave race and genre fiction together quite the way Octavia Butler has with her novels, Due has certainly made quite an impact as well with her efforts. There were some parts of the novel that seemed to go on longer than they should’ve such as the ending, but this is definitely a series that I will continue. ...more

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Mar 02, 2020 Audra (ouija.reads) rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: womxn-of-horror, trope-vampires, horror

Tananarive Due is a brilliant storyweaver. She is one of the few authors who really create real people that you just know continue to live between the pages of the story and before and after the book. For me, characters should always come first. These character-driven plots have so much more depth and resonate with me as a reader so much stronger. To top it all off, she is interested in genre fiction! It is hard to put her in a specific box, but her books are definitely speculative.

This novel re ...more

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Dec 18, 2008 Pamela Greer rated it it was amazing

Recommends it for: YES YES YES

This is my FAVORITE book in the whole world. T. Due is an awesome writer and though I have not read all her books or the latest installment of this triology..I will forever love this book. This is a love story, this is a horror, fiction all rolled up into one. The character of David/Dawit is so fascinating. The love of Jessica and David is captivating. this book keeps you on the edge. I have had the pleasure of meeting Ms. Due and having a personal discussion with her and my book club last year ...more

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Feb 22, 2020 Tracy Robinson rated it really liked it

Due is crafting a world of vampires and intrigue and familial relationships in this first installment. On display are all of her skills in keeping multiple plot lines relevant and clear, as well as her masterful working of the English language. A mashup of mystery, suspense, and horror, I will definitely continue reading this series.

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Aug 25, 2019 E. Denise Billups rated it it was amazing

My Soul to Keep is the second book I’ve read of Tananarive Due, and I love both books. The AFRICAN IMMORTALS SERIES caught my attention a few years ago, and finally, I’ve gotten around to reading book one of the four-part series. Though positioned in the HORROR GENRE, I believe it’s a blend of FANTASY, SUPERNATURAL THRILLER, and SUSPENSE told fantastically in the THIRD PERSON POV.

The story revolves around the Wolde family. JESSICA Wolde, an investigative journalist at the Miami Herald, has every My Soul to Keep is the second book I’ve read of Tananarive Due, and I love both books. The AFRICAN IMMORTALS SERIES caught my attention a few years ago, and finally, I’ve gotten around to reading book one of the four-part series. Though positioned in the HORROR GENRE, I believe it’s a blend of FANTASY, SUPERNATURAL THRILLER, and SUSPENSE told fantastically in the THIRD PERSON POV.

The story revolves around the Wolde family. JESSICA Wolde, an investigative journalist at the Miami Herald, has everything she’s ever wanted, a dream job, perfect husband, DAVID WOLDE, and a beautiful five-year-old daughter, KIRA. But Jessica senses it’s all too good to be true. Will her perfect world crumble around her?

“Why, then, did it all feel so temporal? Their life was like a dream, and she’d learned young that dreams always end.”

David, a linguist and jazz historian at the university, decided to put his career on hold to take care of their daughter―an easy decision to make after inheriting money from his family, as he’d told his trusting wife. But David has a secret that’s over FOUR HUNDRED YEARS OLD. He’s IMMORTAL.
He’s lived and died many times, as DAWIT the immortal. He’s been a slave in the 1800s, a jazz musician named Spider in the 1940s, and husband and father many times to mortal women and children.

Though Jessica often wonders how her husband heals quickly from injuries, she’s never given the oddity much thought until David falls from a tree with serious injuries, refuses to see a doctor, and HEALS the following morning without any SCARS. Though clues are all around her, she refuses to believe her perfect husband is a monster. When loved ones begin to die, her journalistic instinct takes over.

David or Dawit, as he’s known by his immortal brothers, hadn’t intended to fall in love with a mortal. He’s never loved any of his mortal wives or children as he does Jessica and Kira.

“But this time, he knew, he was treading a dangerous path. There were moments… when he feared that he’d taken his attachments too far… the feelings Jessica and Kira awoke in him were intoxicating. He wanted to drink his fill of them, to revel in them, to learn what it was to feel as they did, with life pared down to its emotional simplicities.”

David’s attachment to his mortal family is a threat to other immortals who fear humans will discover and exploit their power. KHALDUN, Dawit’s maker, sends immortal MAHMOUD to retrieve Dawit and bring him back to their world. But David/Dawit’s has already decided to give his wife and daughter HIS BLOOD, the GIFT of MORTALITY.

Will David succeed, or will his brother’s thwart his plan before Jessica and Kira become immortals?

Ms. Due weaves past and present lives of immortals with present-day Miami superbly. Her lovable characters make their terrifying journey even more emotional. I enjoyed this story so much I’ve already started book two of the series. For fans of supernatural thrillers, fantasy filled with immortal gods, or horror stories, I highly recommend Tananarive Due’s, My Soul to Keep.

https://edenisebillups.com/2019/08/26...
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topics	posts	views	last activity
/r/Fantasy Discus...: November 2020: My Soul to Keep	1	16	Nov 02, 2020 10:02AM
Black Coffee: Book Blast: My Soul to Keep (Spoilers Possible)	7	19	Nov 02, 2014 10:13AM
Black Coffee: My Soul to Keep: October 1 -- October 31	52	23	Oct 29, 2014 11:50AM
The Blerd Book Club: My Soul To Keep by Tananarive Due	4	32	Mar 31, 2014 06:37AM

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About Tananarive Due

Tananarive Due

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Tananarive Due is a novelist and a creative writing teacher who has worked as a journalist. She won the American Book Award in 2002 for her novel The Living Blood.