Monday, June 24, 2013

Book Review: The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa

Title: The Immortal Rules
Series: Blood of Eden #1
Author: Julie Kagawa
Publisher: Harlequin Teen (April 24, 2012)
Genre: YA Paranormal

Format Read: Ebook
Length: Novel
Source: NetGalley

To survive in a ruined world, she must embrace the darkness. 

Allison Sekemoto survives in the Fringe, the outermost circle of a walled-in 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 dies and becomes one of the monsters.

Forced to flee her city, Allie must pass for human as she joins a ragged group of pilgrims seeking a legend—a place that might have a cure for the disease that killed off most of civilization and created the rabids, the bloodthirsty creatures who threaten human and vampire alike. And soon Allie will have to decide what—and who—is worth dying for again.

Enter Julie Kagawa's dark and twisted world as an unforgettable journey begins.

 

Teasers: The shadows lengthened like grasping fingers, sliding over the ground. I shivered and hurried into the streets. [3% Ebook. I loved this chilling description of the shadows.]

Strange how a few short hours could change your view of the world. [7% Ebook. That short of time can definitely change a lot.]

It was almost better to be caught by the hungry, soulless vampires; the most they would probably do was drink your blood and leave you to die. Humans were capable of far, far worse. [10% Ebook. Says a lot about humanity.]

Leaving the hospital ruins, we crossed an empty lot where nature had risen up to strangle everything it could get its green-and-yellow claws around. It pushed up through the once-flat parking lots and curled around several outbuildings, choking them with vines and weeds. When we reached the edge of the lot and looked back, you could barely see the hospital remains through the vegetation. [18% Ebook. Wonderful descriptions here.]

Humans were prey. I craved their blood like the worst addict on the street. They were sheep, cattle, and I was the wolf, stalking them through the night. I had become a monster. [20% Ebook. I love how shows the change in Allison.]

Besides, Mom would’ve wanted me to learn, though I wasn’t sure when long division would ever come in handy. [26% Ebook. I still don’t know when long division will come in handy.]

Review: Allison Sekemoto becomes the one thing she hates the most in Julie Kagawa’s The Immortal Rules.

Each character adds to the worldbuilding and plot and brings the story alive. Tough and resourceful, Allison is a strong female heroine. She battles to keep her loyalties and protect her friends, even when they are more than willing to turn on her. I love Allison’s growth throughout the novel and how she had to change her opinions on what it means to be a vampire. Her relationship between her sire and the humans she comes across says so much about her character as well. Zeke is adorable and a great match against Allison, for he too has to learn to change his views on the blood-sucking fiends.

Kagawa paints a bleak world in her Blood of Eden series. Her descriptions are spectacular and give the reader just enough without being long-winded. For the most part, The Immortal Rules was fast-paced. A few places lagged a little when Allison is wandering around, but the action picked up again. And that ending left me craving for more!

If you’re looking for a different vampire book out there, then I highly recommend The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa. Now I need to move the second in the series up on my to-read list.

 
Five Bookworms = I loved it!