Review: The Eternity Cure by Julie Kagaway

THE ETERNITY CURE
By: Julie Kagawa
Published By: Harlequin Teen
Release Date: April 30, 2013
Series: Blood of Eden (#2)
Pages: 434
Genre: Dystopian
Reading Level: Young Adult
Source: Netgalley
Buy the Book: Amazon

Note: This book is the second book in a series, following The Immortal Rules. The summary and review may contain spoilers for the first book.

Goodreads Summary: Allison Sekemoto has vowed to rescue her creator, Kanin, who is being held hostage and tortured by the psychotic vampire Sarren. The call of blood leads her back to the beginning—New Covington and the Fringe, and a vampire prince who wants her dead yet may become her wary ally.

Even as Allie faces shocking revelations and heartbreak like she’s never known, a new strain of the Red Lung virus that decimated humanity is rising to threaten human and vampire alike.



The Immortal Rules was one of the books that takes vampires from appealing, lust-inducing creatures back to bloodthirsty creatures. But some have more humanity than others, and it was learning about the characters that made The Immortal Rules so engaging. Once again Julia Kagawa has created a story where pages seem to fly by and surprises wait just around the corner.

It's hard to say much about this book without giving anything away, and part of its appeal was its ability to keep me surprised. For most of the book I thought I knew what would happen, but Julie Kagawa managed to thwart many of my expectations. The story really expanded in this book, connecting characters in different ways. As the plot spins out with slow momentum at times, we get to know the characters in new, deeper ways. Kanin had intrigued me in the first book, and I was very glad to see him again in this book. I love mysterious characters, and Kanin fits the role perfectly. Throughout the book, it was interesting to see how vampires could find moments of humanity and humans acted evil at times. There is no shortage of tension and danger in this book, and we learn a lot about the characters seeing how they handle everything.

Allison had a different set of struggles in this book than in the last one. With her Hunger mostly under control, she could focus on a different problem - what kind of vampire would she be? And what would she do about her feelings with Zeke? Allie tries to do what she thinks is right, but it isn't always easy. As she tries to discern the right course, she learns more of the history and secrets that were only hinted at in the first book, and it was interesting to put all of the pieces together. Though there are new characters, there are also many that return - often in unexpected ways - and the stage is perfectly set for Allie to finish the journey that she started.

The Eternity Cure is a great sequel to The Immortal Rules, though the ending may be a form of cruel and unusual punishment. I can't wait for the final book in the trilogy to see how everything is resolved!

"Waiting on" Wednesday

"Waiting on" Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.



This week's selection is:

THE ETERNITY CURE
By: Julie Kagawa
Published By: Harlequin Teen
Release Date: April 23, 2013
Preorder the Book: Amazon

Note: This is the second book in the Blood of Eden trilogy, and the following summary may contain spoilers.

Goodreads Summary: Allison Sekemoto has vowed to rescue her creator, Kanin, who is being held hostage and tortured by the psychotic vampire Sarren. The call of blood leads her back to the beginning—New Covington and the Fringe, and a vampire prince who wants her dead yet may become her wary ally.

Even as Allie faces shocking revelations and heartbreak like she’s never known, a new strain of the Red Lung virus that decimated humanity is rising to threaten human and vampire alike.



Why it's wanted:
The first book in this trilogy, The Immortal Rules, was unputdownable. I can't wait to see what happens next for Allie and Kanin!

Review and Giveaway: The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa

THE IMMORTAL RULES
By: Julie Kagawa
Published By: Harlequin Teen
Release Date: April 24, 2012
Series: Blood of Eden (#1)
Pages: 485
Genre: Paranormal / Dystopian
Reading Level: Young Adult
Source: Publisher
Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads Summary: In a future world, Vampires reign. Humans are blood cattle. And one girl will search for the key to save humanity.

Allison Sekemoto survives in the Fringe, the outermost circle of a vampire city. By day, she and her crew scavenge for food. By night, any one of them could be eaten.

Some days, all that drives Allie is her hatred of them. The vampires who keep humans as blood cattle. Until the night Allie herself is attacked—and given the ultimate choice. Die… or become one of the monsters.

Faced with her own mortality, Allie becomes what she despises most. To survive, she must learn the rules of being immortal, including the most important: go long enough without human blood, and you will go mad.

Then Allie is forced to flee into the unknown, outside her city walls. There she joins a ragged band of humans who are seeking a legend—a possible cure to the disease that killed off most of humankind and created the rabids, the mindless creatures who threaten humans and vampires alike.

But it isn't easy to pass for human. Especially not around Zeke, who might see past the monster inside her. And Allie soon must decide what—and who—is worth dying for.



The Immortal Rules in one word: Unputdownable. Everything about the story left me dying to know what would happen next. I am ashamed to admit that I haven't read Julie Kagawa's Iron Fey series, but after reading this book you can bet that I will be remedying that very soon.

The world may be run by vampires, but Allison Sekemoto refuses to let them control her. Rather than be a Registered who gives blood twice a month, she chooses to be Unregistered and live in the Fringe, banding together with other Unregistereds to scrounge for food and eke out what living they can. But all of that changes one night in an instant. Soon Allie is faced with a choice: Die or become a vampire. Determined to stay alive however she can, Allie becomes a vampire. Under the tutelage of her maker, she learns the rules and laws of her new existence. Yet not even Kanin could truly prepare Allie for what she would eventually face. Allie has always been used to fending for herself, never forming true relationships with others. But when she finds herself joined together with a group of humans, Allie will learn that, no matter what Kanin might have said, sometimes you have to throw out the rulebook and follow your heart...

The Immortal Rules is anything but your typical vampire book; instead, it is a compelling blend of paranormal creatures with a dystopian world. Allie is everything that you could want in a heroine. She is strong but compassionate, a good fighter (with a little help from Kanin), and she isn't afraid to take risks. Her journey wasn't an easy one, but I think she found her way quite admirably. Her time with Kanin was very interesting. I loved learning about the vampire hierarchy that Julie created, and the addition of rabids brought yet another dimension to the story. I will be interested to see what else Kanin knows in future books. When Allie leaves her home and journeys beyond the city and into unfamiliar lands, she is constantly confronted with the disparity between who she is and who she can pretend to be. Allie's internal struggle was just as gripping as the external one. Her constant fight to control the Hunger, especially around the group of humans she comes to join, is incredibly tough. With Zeke, however, if she can control her Hunger, she might finally have a chance to learn what relationships based on something more than just convenience mean.

One of the best things about the characters in this book is that they are always more than they seem. With every page there was something new to discover. I said earlier that this book was unputdownable, but the last 100 pages were especially so. With so many confrontations and revelations, it was almost cruel and unusual punishment for this book to be over when it was.

The Immortal Rules is the thrilling start to a new series from Julie Kagawa. I can't wait to read the next installment!





~GIVEAWAY~
I am very excited to have one copy of The Immortal Rules to give away! Please note that the book will be coming directly from the publisher; please allow ample time for the book to arrive if you win.

The contest is open to residents of the US and Canada only. Must be 13 to enter. Please see my Contest Policy for more information.

This contest will close on Friday, May 4 at midnight CST.

Teaser Tuesday (37)

I'm very excited to be one of the many blogs participating in Teaser Tuesdays! TT is a weekly meme hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading. To participate:

* Grab your current read
* Open to a random page
* Share two “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
* BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS!
(Make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
* Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

In honor of the release day of The Immortal Rules, I'm sharing another teaser from this book:


"I could hear him now, his deep voice echoing in my head, as clearly as if her were standing beside me. Make your choice, Allison, he would say, calm and unruffled. Will you prey on those you consider friends and companions, or a stranger who already owes you his life? Know that each path is evil; you must decide which one is the lesser of the two."


p. 320 (ARC) from THE IMMORTAL RULES by Julie Kagawa

Please share your teasers - post them or link to your blog!

Teaser Tuesday (36)

I'm very excited to be one of the many blogs participating in Teaser Tuesdays! TT is a weekly meme hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading. To participate:

* Grab your current read
* Open to a random page
* Share two “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
* BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS!
(Make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
* Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Here is my teaser:


"Crawling into my tent, I pulled the blanket over my head and tried to sleep, to forget Ezekiel Crosse. His touch. His warmth. And how badly I wanted to sink my fangs into his throat and truly make him mine."


p. 279 (ARC) from THE IMMORTAL RULES by Julie Kagawa

Please share your teasers - post them or link to your blog!

Teaser Tuesday (35)

I'm very excited to be one of the many blogs participating in Teaser Tuesdays! TT is a weekly meme hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading. To participate:

* Grab your current read
* Open to a random page
* Share two “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
* BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS!
(Make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
* Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Here is my teaser:


"'Now, little human,' the vampire said, placing a hand on my forehead. 'Now, you will die. And hopefully, I will see you again on the other side.'

Then, my eyes flickered shut, darkness pulled me under and, lying in the rain, in the cold embrace of a nameless vampire, I exited the world of the living."


p. 79 (ARC) from THE IMMORTAL RULES by Julie Kagawa

Please share your teasers - post them or link to your blog!

"Waiting on" Wednesday

"Waiting on" Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.



This week's selection is:

THE IMMORTAL RULES
By: Julie Kagawa
Published By: Harlequin Teen
Release Date: April 24, 2012
Preorder the Book: Amazon

Goodreads Summary: You will kill. The only question is when.

In the dark days since the insidious Red Lung virus decimated the human population, vampires have risen to rule the crumbling cities and suburbs. Uncontested Princes hold sway over diminished ranks of humans: their "pets." In exchange for their labor, loyalty and of course, their blood, these pets are registered, given food and shelter, permitted to survive.

Unregistered humans cling to fringes, scavenging for survival. Allison Sekemoto and her fellow Unregistereds are hunted, not only by vampires, but by rabids, the unholy result of Red Lung-infected vampires feeding on unwary humans. One night, Allie is attacked by a pack of rabids, saved by an unlikely hero...and turned vampire.

Uncomfortable in her undead skin, Allie falls in with a ragtag crew of humans seeking a cure, or cures: for Rabidism and for Vampirism. She's passing for human...for now. But the hunger is growing and will not be denied. Not for friendship—not even for love.



Why it's wanted:
This sounds like a really interesting combination of paranormal and dystopian elements. I'm looking forward to reading a new take on vampire books!