Julie Kagawa
Blood of Eden #1
Published April 24, 2012 by Harlequin Teen
YA paranormal/post-apocalyptic
Review copy from NetGalley
4 stars
Bite-Sized Review
The Immortal Rules is filled with action and interesting characters, just the way I like it. A definite must-read for fans of Rachel Caine's Morganville Vampires series.
King-Sized Review
The Immortal Rules begins with an execution.
I think this is supposed to be shocking, but it's very difficult to shock my fiction-reading brain. It's seen a lot. So instead of going, "Oh my God, they're executing teenagers!" I was using my years of reading political fantasy to think, "that's really not the most effective way to achieve long-term control over a population." That wasn't a great start.
Fortunately, it got much better. The story was enjoyable despite the occasional "how could you possibly think this might end even sort of well?" choice. Allie, an Unregistered living in a city ruled by vampires and surrounded by zombies (Rabids), struggles each day to survive. She hates the vampires with a passion. But when she has to choose between dying and being changed into a vampire herself, she chooses survival and begins a whole new life - or the vampire equivalent, anyway.
Especially at the beginning of the book, Allie reminded me of Katniss: focused on her own survival, but willing to do whatever it takes to protect her "family." She claims to be selfish and willing to let her friends die so she can live, but that's obviously not the case.
After Allie is forced to leave her city, she joins a group of people seeking a human city, a place with no vampires. While the time in the wilderness was certainly interesting, I wanted to know more about vampire society. Hopefully this will happen in book two.
Quality: Good
Enjoyability: Good
In the same aisle
Glass Houses by Rachel Caine
Allie sounds like a very interesting character, and I'm glad this one got better for you, Kate! I REALLY want to read it...*sighs* One of these days. I still haven't read anything by Kagawa!
ReplyDeleteI hope book 2 answers your questions!
Molli | Once Upon a Prologue
I loved this and am glad to see you found it enjoyable..lovely review!
ReplyDeleteI really liked this book and I'm glad you liked it! I agree with Allie reminding you of Katniss, but she was also a little like Meghan Chase from The Iron Fey for me, and that really didn't cut it. So despite really enjoying the book, it wasn't an outstanding read for me either. Great review :)
ReplyDeleteNicole @ Teenage Fiction