How to Read The Immortals: The Recommended Path
To experience Ever Bloom and Damen Auguste’s sweeping romance as Alyson Noël intended, you should read the main series in its original publication order. The main narrative is heavily serialized, with each book picking up immediately after the events of the previous one. Starting anywhere other than the beginning will leave you lost amidst the intricate rules of Summerland and the characters' multi-lifetime history.
1. Evermore (2009)
The series begins with Evermore, introducing sixteen-year-old Ever Bloom. After surviving a tragic car accident that claimed her entire family, Ever is left with psychic abilities she did not ask for. She can see people's auras, hear their thoughts, and learn their entire life history with a single touch. Ostracized at her new high school and overwhelmed by sensory overload, Ever's world changes when she meets Damen Auguste. Damen is gorgeous, wealthy, and possesses the unique ability to silence the chaotic noise in Ever's mind. As Ever is drawn into his orbit, she discovers that Damen is an immortal who has loved her across centuries of reincarnations, and that their destiny is fraught with supernatural danger.
2. Blue Moon (2009)
In the second installment, Ever is settling into her new life as an immortal, guided by Damen. However, just as their relationship begins to deepen, a mysterious illness strikes Damen, causing his memories to fade and his life force to slip away. Desperate to save him, Ever travels to the mystical dimension of Summerland. There, she discovers she has the power to travel back in time, forcing her to make an agonizing choice: return to the past to save her family from the fatal car accident, or stay in the present to rescue Damen from certain destruction.
3. Shadowland (2009)
Following the chaotic events of Blue Moon, Ever and Damen are reunited but face a cruel twist of fate. A dark curse keeps them physically apart; if they touch, Damen will be condemned to the shadowland of lost souls. As they search for a cure, Ever turns to Roman, a dangerous rogue immortal who holds the key to breaking the curse. Meanwhile, Ever must also navigate her grief and finally let go of the spirit of her younger sister, Riley, who has been lingering in the mortal realm as a ghost.
4. Dark Flame (2010)
In Dark Flame, Ever's quest to break the curse leads her to make a desperate deal with Roman. The consequences are disastrous: she accidentally binds herself to him with a dark magic that threatens to consume her soul. As Roman's influence over her grows, Ever struggles to fight the dark desires taking root within her. Damen is forced to watch from the sidelines, fighting to save Ever from herself before the dark flame destroys their eternal bond forever.
5. Night Star (2010)
With the curse finally broken, Ever and Damen face a new threat in the form of Haven, Ever's former best friend who has been turned into a volatile and dangerous immortal. Haven blames Ever for the loss of her lover and is determined to destroy her. Ever must look deep into her past lives to find the strength to defeat Haven, discovering secrets about her connection to Damen and the origin of their immortality that challenge everything she thought she knew.
6. Everlasting (2011)
The epic finale of the main series sees Ever and Damen embarking on a final quest to secure their future together. They must travel to the heart of Summerland to find the tree of life and discover the ultimate truth behind their immortality. Along the way, Ever must make peace with her past choices, confront the remnants of their old enemies, and decide what she is willing to sacrifice for a lifetime of true, unrestricted love.
The Prequel Novella: Damen's Backstory
While the six main novels form the core narrative arc, Alyson Noël wrote a companion prequel novella that provides crucial context for the history of the immortals.
Eternal Flame (2010)
Often referred to as Book 0.5, Eternal Flame is a digital short story written from Damen's perspective. Set in Paris in the year 1608, the story follows Damen as he struggles with his immortal existence and his toxic relationship with Drina, the immortal who originally helped turn him. This prequel offers a fascinating look at Damen's character centuries before he met Ever in Southern California, highlighting the loneliness and moral struggles that shaped his long life. While chronologically it takes place first, it is best read after finishing Evermore or Shadowland, once you are already familiar with Damen and Drina's history.
The Spin-Off: The Riley Bloom Series
After the events of Shadowland, where Ever's younger sister Riley finally crosses the bridge into the afterlife (known as the "Here & Now"), Riley gets her own spin-off series. Written for a slightly younger audience, this four-book collection follows Riley's adventures as a newly appointed "Soul Catcher."
- Radiance (2010): Riley arrives in the Here & Now and is assigned a guide named Bodhi. Her first job as a Soul Catcher is to convince a young boy, who is haunting a castle in England, to cross over.
- Shimmer (2011): Riley and Bodhi travel to a tropical island in the afterlife to retrieve a ghost who refuses to move on. Along the way, they must deal with a rebellious soul named Rebecca.
- Dreamland (2011): Riley takes a vacation in the afterlife's dreamland, but she accidentally gets trapped in the dreams of mortals, including a brief crossover moment where she glimpses Ever's reality.
- Whisper (2012): In the final book of the spin-off, Riley faces her toughest assignment yet as she goes up against a powerful, angry spirit in a Roman colosseum.
Chronological Order vs. Publication Order
Because of the prequel novella and the parallel timeline of the spin-off, there are two distinct ways to map out the reading order.
The Publication Order (Recommended)
- Evermore (2009)
- Blue Moon (2009)
- Shadowland (2009)
- Radiance (Riley Bloom Book 1) (2010)
- Eternal Flame (Prequel Novella) (2010)
- Dark Flame (2010)
- Shimmer (Riley Bloom Book 2) (2011)
- Night Star (2010)
- Dreamland (Riley Bloom Book 3) (2011)
- Everlasting (2011)
- Whisper (Riley Bloom Book 4) (2012)
The Chronological Order
- Eternal Flame (Set in 1608 Paris)
- Evermore
- Blue Moon
- Shadowland (Riley crosses over at the end)
- Radiance / Shimmer / Dreamland (These occur concurrently with the latter half of the main series)
- Dark Flame
- Night Star
- Everlasting
- Whisper (Acts as the final chronological wrap-up of Riley's journey)
What to Know Before You Start
Written during the peak of the young adult paranormal romance boom of the late 2000s, The Immortals is heavily characterized by its lush, atmospheric world-building and high-stakes romance. Alyson Noël began writing the series as a way to process her personal grief after losing multiple family members and nearly losing her husband to leukemia. This emotional grounding shines through in Ever's struggle with survivor's guilt and her journey toward healing. The series blends classic teen high school drama with esoteric, New Age concepts of auras, chakras, reincarnation, and the ethereal realm of Summerland. While the main series is targeted at young adults, the Riley Bloom series is lighter, more episodic, and aimed at middle-grade readers, making it a fun companion rather than mandatory reading to understand Ever's destiny.