Status
Available
Call number
Series
Genres
Collection
Publication
Harlequin Teen (2013), Hardcover, 448 pages
Description
Fantasy. Romance. Young Adult Fiction. HTML: In Allison Sekemoto's world, there is one rule left: Blood calls to blood She has done the unthinkable: died so that she might continue to live. Cast out of Eden and separated from the boy she dared to love, Allie will follow the call of blood to save her creator, Kanin, from the psychotic vampire Sarren. But when the trail leads to Allie's birthplace in New Covington, what Allie finds there will change the world forever--and possibly end human and vampire existence. There's a new plague on the rise, a strain of the Red Lung virus that wiped out most of humanity generations ago--and this strain is deadly to humans and vampires alike. The only hope for a cure lies in the secrets Kanin carries, if Allie can get to him in time. Allison thought that immortality was forever. But now, with eternity itself hanging in the balance, the lines between human and monster will blur even further, and Allie must face another choice she could never have imagined having to make..… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member DarkFaerieTales
Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales.
Quick & Dirty: A strong heroine finds herself fighting for her maker. Loyalty speaks volumes in this tale of bonds and deep relationships.
Opening Sentence: I smelled blood as soon as I walked into the room.
The Review:
Julie Kagawa is one of my favorite authors. I
Allison Sekemoto has made a promise to find and rescue Kanin, the vampire who saved her life and turned her. Kanin has been taken by Sarren, another vampire so sadistic and evil that crazy is a tame description. Her blood bond to Kanin is like breadcrumbs, leading a trail. But when Allison ends up back in New Covington, surprises await her around the corner. Secrets are uncovered and truths are revealed, making Allie mature beyond her human and vampire years. Allie must find strength when all she has left is katana.
Allie is an amazingly written character. Ever since The Immortal Rules, I have admired who she was as a heroine. She is strong and filled with gusto, never backing down from what she believes in. She is fearless in this world of fear-inducing monsters, and deep within the tunnels, she must find a way to save Kanin. It says a lot about Allie that she will stop at nothing to find him. Allie is tenacious and witty, keeping up with whatever is thrown her way. And let me tell you, it’s a lot.
The world of The Eternity Cure is amazing. Where it was more alive and vibrant in The Immortal Rules, The Eternity Cure is filled with death, despair, and decay. Kagawa describes the setting perfectly, fueling my senses to transport myself in her world. I lost myself in this world filled of vampire aristocracy blended with mindless shells of voraciousness. The cities themselves add to the story, allowing the location to already set the scene of what’s to come.
Kagawa’s writing in The Eternity Cure is fluid, allowing for the pace of the story to naturally manifest itself. I never felt like a scene was rushed or slowed down, nor did I feel like there was too much information for myself to comprehend. The plot was refreshing, the scenes were crisp and clean, and the characters weaved with many layers of personality and depth. I enjoyed their voices, especially Allie’s. I thought that it reflected the growth of her character, but stayed true to her human and vampire age. She is young after all, so I was glad to see the sarcasm and quick wit was still there.
I really enjoyed The Eternity Cure. I read through it really quickly. I obsessed over each character and flailed with what happened in the last half of the book. I won’t tell you more details, because I can’t spoil it for you. But please trust me when I say that you must read this book. There’s a new level of despair, and Kagawa has managed to make it sound romantic.
Notable Scene:
This is it.
Carefully, I grasped my sword and eased it out, being sure the metal didn’t scrape against the sheath. Getting here had been way too easy. Whoever was on the other side of that door knew I was coming. If Sarren was expecting me, I’d be ready, too. If Kanin was in there, I wasn’t leaving until I got him out safe.
Firmly grasping the door handle, I wrenched it to the side and flung the door open.
A figure stood at the back wall, waiting, as I’d feared. He wore a black leather duster, and his arms, crossed lazily over his chest, were empty of weapons. Thick, dark hair tumbled to his shoulders, and a pale, handsome face met mine over the room, lips curled into an evil smile.
FTC Advisory: Harlequin Teen provided me with a copy of The Eternity Cure. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
Quick & Dirty: A strong heroine finds herself fighting for her maker. Loyalty speaks volumes in this tale of bonds and deep relationships.
Opening Sentence: I smelled blood as soon as I walked into the room.
The Review:
Julie Kagawa is one of my favorite authors. I
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always admired how she would create world’s filled with so much imagery, that I spent days after finishing the book in a trance. A Kagawa world driven stupor. For her latest story, The Eternity Cure, it was no different. The second book in the Blood of Eden series, following The Immortal Rules, is a riveting tale of loyal bonds and deep, lasting relationships. Definitely one of my favorite reads for 2013 already.Allison Sekemoto has made a promise to find and rescue Kanin, the vampire who saved her life and turned her. Kanin has been taken by Sarren, another vampire so sadistic and evil that crazy is a tame description. Her blood bond to Kanin is like breadcrumbs, leading a trail. But when Allison ends up back in New Covington, surprises await her around the corner. Secrets are uncovered and truths are revealed, making Allie mature beyond her human and vampire years. Allie must find strength when all she has left is katana.
Allie is an amazingly written character. Ever since The Immortal Rules, I have admired who she was as a heroine. She is strong and filled with gusto, never backing down from what she believes in. She is fearless in this world of fear-inducing monsters, and deep within the tunnels, she must find a way to save Kanin. It says a lot about Allie that she will stop at nothing to find him. Allie is tenacious and witty, keeping up with whatever is thrown her way. And let me tell you, it’s a lot.
The world of The Eternity Cure is amazing. Where it was more alive and vibrant in The Immortal Rules, The Eternity Cure is filled with death, despair, and decay. Kagawa describes the setting perfectly, fueling my senses to transport myself in her world. I lost myself in this world filled of vampire aristocracy blended with mindless shells of voraciousness. The cities themselves add to the story, allowing the location to already set the scene of what’s to come.
Kagawa’s writing in The Eternity Cure is fluid, allowing for the pace of the story to naturally manifest itself. I never felt like a scene was rushed or slowed down, nor did I feel like there was too much information for myself to comprehend. The plot was refreshing, the scenes were crisp and clean, and the characters weaved with many layers of personality and depth. I enjoyed their voices, especially Allie’s. I thought that it reflected the growth of her character, but stayed true to her human and vampire age. She is young after all, so I was glad to see the sarcasm and quick wit was still there.
I really enjoyed The Eternity Cure. I read through it really quickly. I obsessed over each character and flailed with what happened in the last half of the book. I won’t tell you more details, because I can’t spoil it for you. But please trust me when I say that you must read this book. There’s a new level of despair, and Kagawa has managed to make it sound romantic.
Notable Scene:
This is it.
Carefully, I grasped my sword and eased it out, being sure the metal didn’t scrape against the sheath. Getting here had been way too easy. Whoever was on the other side of that door knew I was coming. If Sarren was expecting me, I’d be ready, too. If Kanin was in there, I wasn’t leaving until I got him out safe.
Firmly grasping the door handle, I wrenched it to the side and flung the door open.
A figure stood at the back wall, waiting, as I’d feared. He wore a black leather duster, and his arms, crossed lazily over his chest, were empty of weapons. Thick, dark hair tumbled to his shoulders, and a pale, handsome face met mine over the room, lips curled into an evil smile.
FTC Advisory: Harlequin Teen provided me with a copy of The Eternity Cure. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
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LibraryThing member jwitt33
My Opinion: This book has reinforced what I thought after reading The Immortal Rules, and that is that Julie Kagawa is a Goddess!! I didn't think she could impress me any more than she already has, but she did! In The Eternity Cure we get to know Allie a lot better than we did before, especially
Speaking of personal relationships, I enjoyed Zeke so much more in this book because he has really grown up and come into his own since his father's death. He has had to toughen up and become harder to protect the people he loves, and this makes it much easier to relate to him. He is still fighting his attraction to Allie but the magnetic draw between the two of them is hard for him to ignore.
I felt like we got to know all of the major players so much better in this installment of the series, and that's what makes Julie Kagawa's books so great to read - you find yourself drawn into this absolutely foreign world and you don't want to leave when you've finished the book! Because the books are so well written, you fly through them, and The Eternity Cure is no exception.
I'm giving this book a very enthusiastic 5 stars and recommend it to all lovers of young adult post-apoc/dystopian stories, vampire tales, and Julie Kagawa!! I can't wait to read the next book and will be first in line when it comes out :D
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since she's traveling by herself at the start of it, trying to find and rescue her maker, Kanin. We get to delve into her psyche, which is such an interesting place to go! Allie is not a black and white character but that's what makes reading about her so awesome. And speaking of awesome - Eternity has something no other book has, and that's Allie's blood brother, Jackal! I swear, I could read about Jackal from now til the end of time and never get bored with him! Yes, he's evil and selfish and just plain incorrigible, but in The Eternity Cure, we get to see a side to him that we haven't before - his loyalty to the maker that he hates with a passion, and his sister, Allie. I think Allie is the only one who could bring this out in him. They have such a complicated and emotional relationship, and it's a joy to read. Besides that, Jackal is just plain hilarious! I found myself laughing out loud at some of his comments and antics, which was a nice break from the desolation and violence of the world in which the Blood of Eden series is set. This second book is even more bleak with the introduction of the new strain of the Red Lung virus which is killing off humans and vampires alike. The personal relationships and the search for the cause of this new strain and a possible cure are woven together flawlessly so you don't feel like one aspect supersedes the other in importance. Speaking of personal relationships, I enjoyed Zeke so much more in this book because he has really grown up and come into his own since his father's death. He has had to toughen up and become harder to protect the people he loves, and this makes it much easier to relate to him. He is still fighting his attraction to Allie but the magnetic draw between the two of them is hard for him to ignore.
I felt like we got to know all of the major players so much better in this installment of the series, and that's what makes Julie Kagawa's books so great to read - you find yourself drawn into this absolutely foreign world and you don't want to leave when you've finished the book! Because the books are so well written, you fly through them, and The Eternity Cure is no exception.
I'm giving this book a very enthusiastic 5 stars and recommend it to all lovers of young adult post-apoc/dystopian stories, vampire tales, and Julie Kagawa!! I can't wait to read the next book and will be first in line when it comes out :D
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LibraryThing member ahandfulofconfetti
Excuse me a moment while I pick up the pieces of my heart that shattered all over the floor upon finishing this book.
Ahem.
While I enjoyed The Immortal Rules, I didn't completely love it, and so went in to The Eternity Cure with anticipation of a good story, but nothing earth-shatteringly
I was so wrong.
The continuation of Julie Kagawa's dystopian vampire series is a nonstop journey of brutality, heartbreak, and action that leaves the reader literally on the edge of their seat, desperately wanting to know what's coming next, but afraid to turn the page. She's not afraid to show us just how awful this world is - the Red Lung virus that nearly wiped out civilization decades before has mutated into something even worse - and she doesn't shy away from showing us this world in all its horror. To say that this is a brutal and frightening read is an understatement. It is much darker than The Immortal Rules.
Because I want to stay as spoiler-free for this series as possible, I can't go as in depth about certain things as I would like to. I will say that each of the major characters we met in the first book make an appearance, including one extremely deranged individual who is quite terrifying to read about. I was also really pleased to get some background on the world, like the history of the virus and how it spread so quickly and killed so many. The journal entries early on were horrible to read (at least for me personally) because I could so easily see why the scientists were doing what they did. I liked that Kanin's role in the entire fiasco was also further explained, because he's so hated by nearly everyone that I wanted to know exactly what he'd done to deserve such vitriol. And this book also served to further tie each of the characters together, which I also enjoyed.
While it takes a while for Kanin to make an appearance, I just want to say that - aside from Allison - he is easily my favorite character, and I was SO glad when he finally showed up again. I also really liked the banter between Allie and Jackal. This world is very bleak, and there are some truly awful things going on, so his smart comebacks and disregard for human feelings were sort of refreshing to read and kept the book from diving headfirst into darkness. Not that there isn't any of that, of course - this is still an end of the world book full of horror and despair - but he definitely helped provide levity and keep the reader grounded. He very much has a teasing older brother tone to his interactions with Allison, which had me laughing several times throughout. I personally think he's an absolutely fascinating character and I can't wait to see how his story plays out.
The Eternity Cure is a fantastic followup to The Immortal Rules, and surpasses its predecessor in pretty much every single way. There is loads of character development, new twists and turns, and tons of page-turning action to keep every single reader thoroughly engrossed in the story. Be forewarned, though, that the ending of this book will break your heart; I don't know how I'm going to wait a whole year for the final book! Even if you were only feeling so-so after book one, you MUST read this one before you make any final decisions about this series. I daresay The Eternity Cure might just change your mind!
An e-galley was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Ahem.
While I enjoyed The Immortal Rules, I didn't completely love it, and so went in to The Eternity Cure with anticipation of a good story, but nothing earth-shatteringly
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brilliant.I was so wrong.
The continuation of Julie Kagawa's dystopian vampire series is a nonstop journey of brutality, heartbreak, and action that leaves the reader literally on the edge of their seat, desperately wanting to know what's coming next, but afraid to turn the page. She's not afraid to show us just how awful this world is - the Red Lung virus that nearly wiped out civilization decades before has mutated into something even worse - and she doesn't shy away from showing us this world in all its horror. To say that this is a brutal and frightening read is an understatement. It is much darker than The Immortal Rules.
Because I want to stay as spoiler-free for this series as possible, I can't go as in depth about certain things as I would like to. I will say that each of the major characters we met in the first book make an appearance, including one extremely deranged individual who is quite terrifying to read about. I was also really pleased to get some background on the world, like the history of the virus and how it spread so quickly and killed so many. The journal entries early on were horrible to read (at least for me personally) because I could so easily see why the scientists were doing what they did. I liked that Kanin's role in the entire fiasco was also further explained, because he's so hated by nearly everyone that I wanted to know exactly what he'd done to deserve such vitriol. And this book also served to further tie each of the characters together, which I also enjoyed.
While it takes a while for Kanin to make an appearance, I just want to say that - aside from Allison - he is easily my favorite character, and I was SO glad when he finally showed up again. I also really liked the banter between Allie and Jackal. This world is very bleak, and there are some truly awful things going on, so his smart comebacks and disregard for human feelings were sort of refreshing to read and kept the book from diving headfirst into darkness. Not that there isn't any of that, of course - this is still an end of the world book full of horror and despair - but he definitely helped provide levity and keep the reader grounded. He very much has a teasing older brother tone to his interactions with Allison, which had me laughing several times throughout. I personally think he's an absolutely fascinating character and I can't wait to see how his story plays out.
The Eternity Cure is a fantastic followup to The Immortal Rules, and surpasses its predecessor in pretty much every single way. There is loads of character development, new twists and turns, and tons of page-turning action to keep every single reader thoroughly engrossed in the story. Be forewarned, though, that the ending of this book will break your heart; I don't know how I'm going to wait a whole year for the final book! Even if you were only feeling so-so after book one, you MUST read this one before you make any final decisions about this series. I daresay The Eternity Cure might just change your mind!
An e-galley was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
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LibraryThing member PattyLouise
The Eternity Cure
By
Julie Kagawa
My"in a nutshell" summary...
Yum...loved the first book...loved this second one even more...vampires, humans, rabids and the messes they create...
My thoughts after reading this book...
Characters from the first book are back...Allison is still a
Eden is the promised land and when Allison discovers that Zeke...the human she crushes on...is no longer there...she is just a tad frantic. He is going to lead her and Jackal into the city. The outskirts of the city are a mess...rabids, mole men, bleeders...it's pretty ICKY!
The whole point of all of this is to find and save their sire and figure out what is making everyone sort of undead...or almost dead...oh...and...by the way...there might be a cure for this plague ish disease out there somewhere.
Once I got over all of the nightmarish diseases and creepy people...this book was so good. Allie struggles with her vampirism and whatever is leftover of her humanity. The characters in this book are amazing...the prince, the master vamps, Stick...all of them are incredible. The story telling is fraught with adventure and frightening stuff. I read this long into the night and I know I will have nightmares but this book was so good!
What I loved about this book...
The characters, the adventure...and Zeke...OMG...what a movie this will make...I literally wanted to put the book down but could not...I had to know what happened!
And the best part...there might be more...Book 3? Jackal...loved his sarcasm...Kanin...just loved him...vampire or not...Allison? She is the life and soul and heart of these books...I want to be her!
What I did not love...
Serrano...the most evil vampire ever! And...way too much awful blood and gore...
Final thoughts...
Truly an awesome adventure...should be read after the first one...should not be missed!
By
Julie Kagawa
My"in a nutshell" summary...
Yum...loved the first book...loved this second one even more...vampires, humans, rabids and the messes they create...
My thoughts after reading this book...
Characters from the first book are back...Allison is still a
Show More
vampire...Jackal...another vampire is with her as they search for their sire...Kanin...who is captured and near death.Eden is the promised land and when Allison discovers that Zeke...the human she crushes on...is no longer there...she is just a tad frantic. He is going to lead her and Jackal into the city. The outskirts of the city are a mess...rabids, mole men, bleeders...it's pretty ICKY!
The whole point of all of this is to find and save their sire and figure out what is making everyone sort of undead...or almost dead...oh...and...by the way...there might be a cure for this plague ish disease out there somewhere.
Once I got over all of the nightmarish diseases and creepy people...this book was so good. Allie struggles with her vampirism and whatever is leftover of her humanity. The characters in this book are amazing...the prince, the master vamps, Stick...all of them are incredible. The story telling is fraught with adventure and frightening stuff. I read this long into the night and I know I will have nightmares but this book was so good!
What I loved about this book...
The characters, the adventure...and Zeke...OMG...what a movie this will make...I literally wanted to put the book down but could not...I had to know what happened!
And the best part...there might be more...Book 3? Jackal...loved his sarcasm...Kanin...just loved him...vampire or not...Allison? She is the life and soul and heart of these books...I want to be her!
What I did not love...
Serrano...the most evil vampire ever! And...way too much awful blood and gore...
Final thoughts...
Truly an awesome adventure...should be read after the first one...should not be missed!
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LibraryThing member pollywannabook
Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy
A vampire dominated post apocalyptic world is hard to top as a setting for a book series. In THE IMMORTAL RULES we followed a street smart teen turned vamp on her quest to safeguard a group of humans to the fabled city of Eden and locate a cure to a
Zeke was a character who displayed a quite strength in the debut and it was unbelievably compelling to watch the impossible romance develop between him and Allie. In THE ETERNITY CURE, however, he was on the bland side. In theory it was interesting to see a relationship role reversal were the girl was the vampire and the guy was the human, but in this case, Zeke came off as rather feminine and timid and Allie took on the dominant role. Allie’s role would have been fine if there had been someone strong enough to match her, Zeke just didn’t cut it. In fact, I was much more intrigued by the other man in Allie’s life.
Jackal. I really loved him in THE ETERNITY CURE (and not just because Julie Kagawa said she based him on my favorite vampire–Spike from Buffy–though I totally imagined James Marsters saying every one of his lines). His smaller role in the previous book has expanded to a lead in the sequel. Mocking, arrogant, self serving, pretty much a jerk but so funny you almost don’t care. And yeah, so he’s basically a ruthless vampire who eats people from time to time, but he was so much like Spike that I loved even his gleeful evilness.
The worldbuilding wasn’t as complex this time out, and the romance failed to sizzle, but Jackal was a fantastically fun character thanks to his moral ambiguity and biting wit. I didn’t need the cliffhanger ending to want see how the Blood of Eden plays out, but it does add extra incentive especially for the romance.
Sexual Content:
Kissing
A vampire dominated post apocalyptic world is hard to top as a setting for a book series. In THE IMMORTAL RULES we followed a street smart teen turned vamp on her quest to safeguard a group of humans to the fabled city of Eden and locate a cure to a
Show More
devastating plague. In THE ETERNITY CURE, she’s forced into an unlikely alliance in her continued search for a cure and to rescue her maker.Zeke was a character who displayed a quite strength in the debut and it was unbelievably compelling to watch the impossible romance develop between him and Allie. In THE ETERNITY CURE, however, he was on the bland side. In theory it was interesting to see a relationship role reversal were the girl was the vampire and the guy was the human, but in this case, Zeke came off as rather feminine and timid and Allie took on the dominant role. Allie’s role would have been fine if there had been someone strong enough to match her, Zeke just didn’t cut it. In fact, I was much more intrigued by the other man in Allie’s life.
Jackal. I really loved him in THE ETERNITY CURE (and not just because Julie Kagawa said she based him on my favorite vampire–Spike from Buffy–though I totally imagined James Marsters saying every one of his lines). His smaller role in the previous book has expanded to a lead in the sequel. Mocking, arrogant, self serving, pretty much a jerk but so funny you almost don’t care. And yeah, so he’s basically a ruthless vampire who eats people from time to time, but he was so much like Spike that I loved even his gleeful evilness.
The worldbuilding wasn’t as complex this time out, and the romance failed to sizzle, but Jackal was a fantastically fun character thanks to his moral ambiguity and biting wit. I didn’t need the cliffhanger ending to want see how the Blood of Eden plays out, but it does add extra incentive especially for the romance.
Sexual Content:
Kissing
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LibraryThing member jmchshannon
When readers last saw Allie Sekemoto, she had been forced out of Eden and was on her own as she made good on her decision to rescue her creator. Julie Kagawa’s second novel in the Blood of Eden series, The Eternity Cure, opens up several months after her departure from Eden. Still alone, she has
Whether one likes monster stories or not, the fact remains that Ms. Kagawa knows how to write a story. Her world-building is excellent. While her stories may take place in mythical worlds, she portrays the fantasy in such a realistic way that it is easy to forget that it is fictional, as she takes care to attend to the smallest detail. Moreover, she balances action with establishing her characters, never allowing the pace to slacken but taking the time to allow readers to know and understand her characters. Most importantly, however, is the fact that she always manages to hold back a few key details and spring them on a reader at the most unexpected times. Her use of red herrings and other distractions ensure that she surprises a reader with at least something in each of her novels, whether it is related to a particular character or thread of the plot. The net sum of all of this is that each of Ms. Kagawa’s novels are rich in detail, fast-paced, action-packed as well as character-driven, and ultimately highly entertaining.
She also excels at highlighting the very blurry line between good and bad. Fey or vampire, there exists an essence of humanity in all of her characters, even the most depraved of them. In the first novel, both Kanin and Allie establish themselves as strong humanists, using their supernatural powers to help the weaker and imperiled human race. The Eternity Cure’s surprising humanist is Jackal, the most least likely of all of Allie’s acquaintances, made more so due to the fact that he was her main foe in the first novel. In this second novel, Jackal remains ruthless, ambitious, and self-serving, and readers know that he is fundamentally one of the “bad guys”. Yet, his actions prove there is more to him than his outward appearance, and one knows without a doubt that he will play a key role in Allie’s eventual success at tracking down a cure and/or killing Sarren. For now, he provides an entertaining counterpoint to the saccharine sweetness of Allie and Zeke’s relationship and Kanin’s moroseness.
Allie remains a strong and likeable character. Her determination to help others at her expense puts her at odds with her upbringing and with her world at large, but everyone loves a rebel. In addition, there are hints that Allie is going to be one strong vampire, if she can ever fully accept her new life. Much is made of her ability to have survived a direct confrontation with Sarren, while Jackal loves to point out that she identifies too strongly with the humans. There is a balance there that remains to be seen, and one instinctively knows that Allie is going to be quite formidable when she finally manages to accomplish it. For now, readers will have to enjoy this slow build of potential and hypothesize on its eventual outcome.
Ms. Kagawa does not typically use a cliffhanger to end her novels, but be warned that The Eternity Cure does contain one. As one would expect by anything Ms. Kagawa writes, this cliffhanger accomplishes everything it is supposed to accomplish. It not only leaves readers gasping for more, it sets the stage for the future showdown between Allie and Sarren. Twitter has already been full of chatter about the ending, its twists, and the length of time it will be before readers receive their much-needed resolution. It is the best type of teaser ending, even if it does make the wait time between the second and third novels seem interminable.
The Eternity Cure is a very strong follow-up to the first book in the Blood of Eden series, in no way succumbing to the dreaded middle-story letdown. With its torture scenes and violent, gruesome battle scenes, the story moves to the very edge of the young adult realm and even crosses over into the horror genre. The decisions Allie must make are increasingly adult, and she shows a maturity that was not seen in the first novel. Likewise, the story itself is intense. The short time frame of the novel guarantees a fast-paced, action-packed plot that ratchets up the tension and anticipation, while its surprising ending is going to leave many a reader begging for closure. If Allie’s continued growth and the strength of The Eternity Cure are any indication, the wait for the final book readers must face will be worthwhile.
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spent the time following the pull of her sire’s blood as she attempts to rescue him before he goes insane from the torture he faces at the hand of Sarren. Immediately, a reader senses that Allie has had to grow up while alone. Gone is the fragility that used to lay hidden beneath her tough exterior. Together with the most unlikely of allies, Allie must now use her new-found hardness to combat a new threat to her existence - a mutated version of the very same plague that wiped out most of humankind but which now attacks vampires as well.Whether one likes monster stories or not, the fact remains that Ms. Kagawa knows how to write a story. Her world-building is excellent. While her stories may take place in mythical worlds, she portrays the fantasy in such a realistic way that it is easy to forget that it is fictional, as she takes care to attend to the smallest detail. Moreover, she balances action with establishing her characters, never allowing the pace to slacken but taking the time to allow readers to know and understand her characters. Most importantly, however, is the fact that she always manages to hold back a few key details and spring them on a reader at the most unexpected times. Her use of red herrings and other distractions ensure that she surprises a reader with at least something in each of her novels, whether it is related to a particular character or thread of the plot. The net sum of all of this is that each of Ms. Kagawa’s novels are rich in detail, fast-paced, action-packed as well as character-driven, and ultimately highly entertaining.
She also excels at highlighting the very blurry line between good and bad. Fey or vampire, there exists an essence of humanity in all of her characters, even the most depraved of them. In the first novel, both Kanin and Allie establish themselves as strong humanists, using their supernatural powers to help the weaker and imperiled human race. The Eternity Cure’s surprising humanist is Jackal, the most least likely of all of Allie’s acquaintances, made more so due to the fact that he was her main foe in the first novel. In this second novel, Jackal remains ruthless, ambitious, and self-serving, and readers know that he is fundamentally one of the “bad guys”. Yet, his actions prove there is more to him than his outward appearance, and one knows without a doubt that he will play a key role in Allie’s eventual success at tracking down a cure and/or killing Sarren. For now, he provides an entertaining counterpoint to the saccharine sweetness of Allie and Zeke’s relationship and Kanin’s moroseness.
Allie remains a strong and likeable character. Her determination to help others at her expense puts her at odds with her upbringing and with her world at large, but everyone loves a rebel. In addition, there are hints that Allie is going to be one strong vampire, if she can ever fully accept her new life. Much is made of her ability to have survived a direct confrontation with Sarren, while Jackal loves to point out that she identifies too strongly with the humans. There is a balance there that remains to be seen, and one instinctively knows that Allie is going to be quite formidable when she finally manages to accomplish it. For now, readers will have to enjoy this slow build of potential and hypothesize on its eventual outcome.
Ms. Kagawa does not typically use a cliffhanger to end her novels, but be warned that The Eternity Cure does contain one. As one would expect by anything Ms. Kagawa writes, this cliffhanger accomplishes everything it is supposed to accomplish. It not only leaves readers gasping for more, it sets the stage for the future showdown between Allie and Sarren. Twitter has already been full of chatter about the ending, its twists, and the length of time it will be before readers receive their much-needed resolution. It is the best type of teaser ending, even if it does make the wait time between the second and third novels seem interminable.
The Eternity Cure is a very strong follow-up to the first book in the Blood of Eden series, in no way succumbing to the dreaded middle-story letdown. With its torture scenes and violent, gruesome battle scenes, the story moves to the very edge of the young adult realm and even crosses over into the horror genre. The decisions Allie must make are increasingly adult, and she shows a maturity that was not seen in the first novel. Likewise, the story itself is intense. The short time frame of the novel guarantees a fast-paced, action-packed plot that ratchets up the tension and anticipation, while its surprising ending is going to leave many a reader begging for closure. If Allie’s continued growth and the strength of The Eternity Cure are any indication, the wait for the final book readers must face will be worthwhile.
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LibraryThing member usagijihen
4.5/5 stars!
As expected, Kagawa doesn't disappoint with this follow-up to "The Immortal Rules". If anything, she's just gotten better - the prose smoother, the pace faster, yet not leaving anything behind. And it's got one of my favorite plot devices in post-apocalyptic/dystopian lit - plagues!
Since all of the technical areas are pretty much flawless here, I'll talk more about the interesting moral issues that pop up in this book - both the paranormal sort, and the bioethical sort (which was a place I thought Kagawa only kind of went into in the prequel, "Til The World Ends").
If "Immortal Rules" was Alison dealing with scrabbling a hard life out as an Unregistered human and then becoming a vampire, "Eternity Cure" is about her really dealing with the complexities that have arisen because she's become a vampire. Kanin has taught her not to become close to humans (because they're so fragile), yet she still loves Zeke. She doesn't want to hurt them, but she has to feed. Alison has a lot of angst and reality to deal with in this book, and Red Lung rising again just makes all of those complexities even more complex.
First real complexity: family. Who makes your family? In the vampire world, it's the family your sire makes. Your "blood" family. So that other family you might have had while you were human? Nope. Gone. Which I thought was an interesting take on things - the "make your own family" message in YA is one very near and dear to my heart, and Kagawa really plays with that notion in "Eternity Cure". Having no choice but to team up with her "blood brother", Jackal, in order to find their mutual blood brother, Sarren, holding their daddy hostage. So, in this case - do you trust one murderous ex-"raider king" brother, the lesser evil, in order to have more firepower against more-evil brother? Or do you go in alone?
And does Raider King brother constitute, throughout your adventures as you semi-bond, as family? Even after he's decimated so much of your semi-boyfriend's family only months before? What makes family at all? We find out. And the results may surprise you. They did me. While I saw the one larger twist coming, the resolution to that twist was a nice surprise.
And then come the bioethics. We get to see a a hint of things of how they unfolded as the rabids were created - both from Kanin's POV, and the journal that they find on their quest to find Sarren. It's mid-Red Lung Crisis, the beginning of which we get to see in "Til the World Ends", and all of the results from the decisions made by desperate doctors, ending up in the world we have within the "Blood of Eden" world. When someone tells you to stop, that you could do further harm should you continue your experiments to save the world - do you stop? Or do you keep going? Should you stop? Should you keep going? Should you bet it all on one gut instinct? We also see the results of that as well.
Zeke is back, and it also brings up the "what is family?" question rather nicely, and everything comes full circle. We're still left with that question of what constitutes family, and how that might tie into book three. Except for that cliffhanger, of course. Which had me screaming and shaking my fist.
And now I simply MUST have that next book. With a novella, hopefully, to tide us over in-between releases. "The Eternity Cure" is definitely an awesome follow-up, and I can't wait for the next book (and hopefully novella). One of the best of 2013 so far, it was definitely worth waiting for. "The Eternity Cure" is out now from Harlequin Teen in North America, so be sure to check it out when you get the chance!
(posted to goodreads, librarything, shelfari, and birthofanewwitch.wordpress.com)
As expected, Kagawa doesn't disappoint with this follow-up to "The Immortal Rules". If anything, she's just gotten better - the prose smoother, the pace faster, yet not leaving anything behind. And it's got one of my favorite plot devices in post-apocalyptic/dystopian lit - plagues!
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Yes! Red Lung is back with a vengeance and time is running out for Alison and company, and the result is absolutely glorious. If you read and liked "The Immortal Rules", "The Eternity Cure" is almost better than that first book, and so much more.Since all of the technical areas are pretty much flawless here, I'll talk more about the interesting moral issues that pop up in this book - both the paranormal sort, and the bioethical sort (which was a place I thought Kagawa only kind of went into in the prequel, "Til The World Ends").
If "Immortal Rules" was Alison dealing with scrabbling a hard life out as an Unregistered human and then becoming a vampire, "Eternity Cure" is about her really dealing with the complexities that have arisen because she's become a vampire. Kanin has taught her not to become close to humans (because they're so fragile), yet she still loves Zeke. She doesn't want to hurt them, but she has to feed. Alison has a lot of angst and reality to deal with in this book, and Red Lung rising again just makes all of those complexities even more complex.
First real complexity: family. Who makes your family? In the vampire world, it's the family your sire makes. Your "blood" family. So that other family you might have had while you were human? Nope. Gone. Which I thought was an interesting take on things - the "make your own family" message in YA is one very near and dear to my heart, and Kagawa really plays with that notion in "Eternity Cure". Having no choice but to team up with her "blood brother", Jackal, in order to find their mutual blood brother, Sarren, holding their daddy hostage. So, in this case - do you trust one murderous ex-"raider king" brother, the lesser evil, in order to have more firepower against more-evil brother? Or do you go in alone?
And does Raider King brother constitute, throughout your adventures as you semi-bond, as family? Even after he's decimated so much of your semi-boyfriend's family only months before? What makes family at all? We find out. And the results may surprise you. They did me. While I saw the one larger twist coming, the resolution to that twist was a nice surprise.
And then come the bioethics. We get to see a a hint of things of how they unfolded as the rabids were created - both from Kanin's POV, and the journal that they find on their quest to find Sarren. It's mid-Red Lung Crisis, the beginning of which we get to see in "Til the World Ends", and all of the results from the decisions made by desperate doctors, ending up in the world we have within the "Blood of Eden" world. When someone tells you to stop, that you could do further harm should you continue your experiments to save the world - do you stop? Or do you keep going? Should you stop? Should you keep going? Should you bet it all on one gut instinct? We also see the results of that as well.
Zeke is back, and it also brings up the "what is family?" question rather nicely, and everything comes full circle. We're still left with that question of what constitutes family, and how that might tie into book three. Except for that cliffhanger, of course. Which had me screaming and shaking my fist.
And now I simply MUST have that next book. With a novella, hopefully, to tide us over in-between releases. "The Eternity Cure" is definitely an awesome follow-up, and I can't wait for the next book (and hopefully novella). One of the best of 2013 so far, it was definitely worth waiting for. "The Eternity Cure" is out now from Harlequin Teen in North America, so be sure to check it out when you get the chance!
(posted to goodreads, librarything, shelfari, and birthofanewwitch.wordpress.com)
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LibraryThing member AlisaK.
I'm not sure whether or not I hate Julie Kagawa right now. She has a gift of making her worlds and characters realistic. She also has a gift of ripping your heart out of your chest and smashing it into little pieces because of those tear-inducing pages she calls an ending.
Allison is looking for
I mentioned in a previous review how annoying it was to write a five star review, because I usually focus on a book's faults more than I do benefits. In The Eternity Cure, I could find little to no faults, so this will probably be a short review.
I completely adore Allison. I like her so much I'm hosting her for the YA Fiesty Female Tourney. I mean, she uses a katana. How many YA heroines do you know that can use a weapon, let alone fight?
The bottom line is that this series is amazing, and you should definitely read it. Seriously, if you haven't read Immortal Rules, go out and buy it.
Allison is looking for
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Kanin, the vampire that turned her. In Immortal Rules, he has been captured, but we didn't focus on that a lot. On her way, she finds Jackal, her Blood Brother, and the two decide to work together.I mentioned in a previous review how annoying it was to write a five star review, because I usually focus on a book's faults more than I do benefits. In The Eternity Cure, I could find little to no faults, so this will probably be a short review.
I completely adore Allison. I like her so much I'm hosting her for the YA Fiesty Female Tourney. I mean, she uses a katana. How many YA heroines do you know that can use a weapon, let alone fight?
The bottom line is that this series is amazing, and you should definitely read it. Seriously, if you haven't read Immortal Rules, go out and buy it.
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LibraryThing member lexiechan
UPDATE: 03.31.2013 ARC Approved! Yeaaaahhh! :) Will read it after my CR. :)
HOLY... OMFG. OMG. OMG. WOW. Review to follow I guess. But... but... Arrrrggghhh!
I still can't get over this book! This sequel is so good, in my opinion. Lots of action, gore, emotions, the story... Just... Oh God. I
I love how Allie stayed true to her nature. I mean, she's this stubborn girl that if she set her mind on doing something, give her word, she'll do the best she could to do it. She set out looking for Kanin when she started having those nightmares/visions about what Kanin is feeling currently while being held against his wish by Sarren. That Psycho Vamp. >:(
Reading through what Sarren was doing to Kanin or reading what Kanin is feeling about that... It breaks my heart. I wish Sarren just ended Kanin right there and then. But of course it cannnot be like that. >.
Hang in there, Kanin, I thought. I’ll find you, I swear. I’m catching up.
And you know, Jackal reminds me of Puck. Well, maybe just because of the sarcastic comments. I don't like him in the first book. But here... I think I'm gradually liking him. >.
And that last part of the book. OMG. I did not see that happen. I HATE STICK. Allie should have let him die a long time ago. :/ Now I can NOT wait for the third book. I wanna know what happen cause I REFUSE to believe that that recording is REAL. NO it is NOT. Read the last part of Epilogue.
I believe he's still there. HE IS. I refuse to acknowledge that that happen. >.
Oh boy. I need the third installment pronto! >.
I was crying when I finished reading that recording part. :( I imagined what is happening. The torture... OMFG. >_
HOLY... OMFG. OMG. OMG. WOW. Review to follow I guess. But... but... Arrrrggghhh!
I still can't get over this book! This sequel is so good, in my opinion. Lots of action, gore, emotions, the story... Just... Oh God. I
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thought I wouldn't see Zeke anymore in this book. Since in the first book, The Immortal Rules, they separate ways. Allie looking for Kanin and Zeke staying in Eden.I love how Allie stayed true to her nature. I mean, she's this stubborn girl that if she set her mind on doing something, give her word, she'll do the best she could to do it. She set out looking for Kanin when she started having those nightmares/visions about what Kanin is feeling currently while being held against his wish by Sarren. That Psycho Vamp. >:(
Reading through what Sarren was doing to Kanin or reading what Kanin is feeling about that... It breaks my heart. I wish Sarren just ended Kanin right there and then. But of course it cannnot be like that. >.
Hang in there, Kanin, I thought. I’ll find you, I swear. I’m catching up.
And you know, Jackal reminds me of Puck. Well, maybe just because of the sarcastic comments. I don't like him in the first book. But here... I think I'm gradually liking him. >.
And that last part of the book. OMG. I did not see that happen. I HATE STICK. Allie should have let him die a long time ago. :/ Now I can NOT wait for the third book. I wanna know what happen cause I REFUSE to believe that that recording is REAL. NO it is NOT. Read the last part of Epilogue.
I believe he's still there. HE IS. I refuse to acknowledge that that happen. >.
Oh boy. I need the third installment pronto! >.
I was crying when I finished reading that recording part. :( I imagined what is happening. The torture... OMFG. >_
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LibraryThing member NeitherNora
This sequel doesn't disappoint! A couple of plot-holes and repetitive scenes are far outweighed by plenty of effective twists and great characters. Also, this protagonist is one of my favorites. 4.5 stars, rounded up to 5 for sheer originality.
LibraryThing member SpicedLatte
Did not finish the book due to crazy schedule.. Maybe later -.-
LibraryThing member Bookswithbite
This could possibly be the shortest review I write. Because no amount of words can describe how much I love this book. But know this, if I could use every word possible in the dictionary to describe how in love I am with this series I would. I’m going to keep it short, simple and to the point.
The
The
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Eternity cure is amazing, awesome and freaking PHENOMENAL! It goes off the Richter scale when it comes to good characters and plot. It is without a doubt one of the best books I have ever read. I want to read this series over and over again and I will still be surprised by plot twists and emotions. It the sets the standards high as to what I expect in a story. Boldly unique and utterly jaw-dropping, The Eternity Cure is stunning. Show Less
LibraryThing member the1butterfly
I continue to love the Blood of Eden series- the ending of this one really left me wanting the next (in a "come on it's not fair to end this and I have to know what's happening next or I'll die!" kind of way). It was interesting to see where this went and where it could go- I'm rooting for them. I
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don't know what will happen with Allison and Zeke, and I'm really curious. What will happen with Eden. I also found it interesting making the connection between the rabids and zombies. Show Less
LibraryThing member Jiraiya
This review is being written without yet deciding what score to rate the book. It will either be a 3 or a 4/5. First of all, the twist at the end was not at the level as I'd hoped. It was an obvious deception from the author. Secondly, although little happens in the beginning, it's a relatively
The Eternity Cure has renewed my hope in finding my niche in YA fiction. I'm not the target demographic and I respond to some of the author's bait or stimuli and sometimes not so much at others which are intended for a younger audience. Some random observations...Jackal and Sarren are nearly the same villainous prop, only one is insane...the passages involving Stick aka Mr Stephen are very enjoyable. I mean, I don't take much pleasure in the discomfort of most people, even fictional, but the motive, the actions and the miscalculations of Stick were a joy to experience. That was because Stick was a bloodless, harmless indulgence. Very well written... I could spot one or two influences on the author...The Salazar prince was not very detailed even if he was treacherous...
Finally I felt that Allison Sekemoto took one step backwards and two forwards, given what she endured in the first book. She is a heroine totally devoid of irksome traits. For that, I'm pleased. She's very well rounded, not too beautiful, that award goes to Zeke, not too strong, that's Kanin's job, not too verbose, observe her immature rivalry with Jackal; not too immature either. A very well balanced and well searched heroine. Who just happened to be in the right pages at the right time.
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interesting read. The Eternity Cure has renewed my hope in finding my niche in YA fiction. I'm not the target demographic and I respond to some of the author's bait or stimuli and sometimes not so much at others which are intended for a younger audience. Some random observations...Jackal and Sarren are nearly the same villainous prop, only one is insane...the passages involving Stick aka Mr Stephen are very enjoyable. I mean, I don't take much pleasure in the discomfort of most people, even fictional, but the motive, the actions and the miscalculations of Stick were a joy to experience. That was because Stick was a bloodless, harmless indulgence. Very well written... I could spot one or two influences on the author...The Salazar prince was not very detailed even if he was treacherous...
Finally I felt that Allison Sekemoto took one step backwards and two forwards, given what she endured in the first book. She is a heroine totally devoid of irksome traits. For that, I'm pleased. She's very well rounded, not too beautiful, that award goes to Zeke, not too strong, that's Kanin's job, not too verbose, observe her immature rivalry with Jackal; not too immature either. A very well balanced and well searched heroine. Who just happened to be in the right pages at the right time.
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LibraryThing member MarFisk
Originally posted on Tales to Tide You Over
I read The Eternity Cure pretty quickly after The Immortal Rules, the first in the series, but you can tell from the start that this isn’t just an aftermath book. She does a good job of providing a very different story, and an ambivalent one at that. If
Another person might collapse under the burden of being abandoned, first by her sire Kanin and then by her love Zeke, and the need to survive as one of the monsters she’s hated her whole human life. It would have been understandable, but not very enjoyable to read.
But no, that’s not where The Eternity Cure takes us at all.
Kanin’s been talking to her in her dreams, or rather she’s sharing his experiences as blood calls to blood, and what’s happening to him is anything but pleasant. Allie might not like the consequences of her choice, but she can’t deny Kanin gave her one before changing her, and for that, plus all the teachings she had to ignore to learn why he gave them.
The Eternity Cure is about her tracking down Kanin to rescue him from the mad vampire with a grudge dating from Kanin’s misguided decision to help human scientists find a cure from the Red Lung virus that was wiping out humanity. It was the right thing to do, but misguided for two reasons: one because he trusted humans not to misuse his gift, and two because he gave them the vampire blood they needed for their experimentations…in the form of another vampire rather than himself. So yes, his enemy is unbalanced, but even Kanin recognizes some cause to his hatred, which is not enough to bow under the torture Kanin suffers, but enough to give him more to suffer under. He has created his nightmare, and knows he deserves this.
Allie doesn’t feel quite the same way about it.
Once again, Kagawa gives us a journey novel, one where Allie crosses a scorched Earth in the hopes of ending Kanin’s torment only to discover the plan is much more deadly than anyone would have guessed. As with The Immortal Rules, she ends up making unusual alliances and getting help from unexpected quarters, but those two similarities are slim in terms of this being a repeat of the first novel. Allie has matured into an acceptance of who she is and that the choice to be a monster might be behind her now, irrevocable, but as Kanin always told her, she has the choice of what kind of monster she will be. Allie chooses a focused, driven monster who remembers her human roots in the choice of how to feed, but who doesn’t make bonds with humans…or doesn’t intend to.
This is another complex, compelling story with wonderful characters. As a sequel, it succeeds in providing a new story for them to pursue while not ignoring the events and ties that were built into the story world in the first book. Kagawa takes advantage of the world she’s created to explore the complex issues of choice and consequences while providing a tense plot with a lot of action to keep us turning the pages.
On a side note, I read this as Net Galley ARC so there may be some changes before the final, but I know now why the Iron King novella I read of hers didn’t work for me. She has many strengths in character creation and in weaving in the big questions. She has one major weakness though: backstory. This is a common weakness, and so can be pushed past in a novel. However in a shorter work, there isn’t enough time beyond the backstory to recover the book. It ends up as a summary of events stripped to their basic elements, which often comes off as derivative because what makes them unique is gone. That is not true with The Eternity Cure. After I got past the infodump approach to what happened before, and no I don’t think the style would offer much more to a new reader than a returning reader, the story picked up and once again captivated me.
I read The Eternity Cure pretty quickly after The Immortal Rules, the first in the series, but you can tell from the start that this isn’t just an aftermath book. She does a good job of providing a very different story, and an ambivalent one at that. If
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the first book was about clinging to humanity only after the humanity is lost, this one is about acceptance and purpose. The Immortal Rules ends with Allie kicked out of the human haven called Eden because she’s what they’re protecting against, a vampire. This means permanent separation from the only human who truly accepts her for what she is, and more importantly, who she is. Where’s a girl supposed go after that?Another person might collapse under the burden of being abandoned, first by her sire Kanin and then by her love Zeke, and the need to survive as one of the monsters she’s hated her whole human life. It would have been understandable, but not very enjoyable to read.
But no, that’s not where The Eternity Cure takes us at all.
Kanin’s been talking to her in her dreams, or rather she’s sharing his experiences as blood calls to blood, and what’s happening to him is anything but pleasant. Allie might not like the consequences of her choice, but she can’t deny Kanin gave her one before changing her, and for that, plus all the teachings she had to ignore to learn why he gave them.
The Eternity Cure is about her tracking down Kanin to rescue him from the mad vampire with a grudge dating from Kanin’s misguided decision to help human scientists find a cure from the Red Lung virus that was wiping out humanity. It was the right thing to do, but misguided for two reasons: one because he trusted humans not to misuse his gift, and two because he gave them the vampire blood they needed for their experimentations…in the form of another vampire rather than himself. So yes, his enemy is unbalanced, but even Kanin recognizes some cause to his hatred, which is not enough to bow under the torture Kanin suffers, but enough to give him more to suffer under. He has created his nightmare, and knows he deserves this.
Allie doesn’t feel quite the same way about it.
Once again, Kagawa gives us a journey novel, one where Allie crosses a scorched Earth in the hopes of ending Kanin’s torment only to discover the plan is much more deadly than anyone would have guessed. As with The Immortal Rules, she ends up making unusual alliances and getting help from unexpected quarters, but those two similarities are slim in terms of this being a repeat of the first novel. Allie has matured into an acceptance of who she is and that the choice to be a monster might be behind her now, irrevocable, but as Kanin always told her, she has the choice of what kind of monster she will be. Allie chooses a focused, driven monster who remembers her human roots in the choice of how to feed, but who doesn’t make bonds with humans…or doesn’t intend to.
This is another complex, compelling story with wonderful characters. As a sequel, it succeeds in providing a new story for them to pursue while not ignoring the events and ties that were built into the story world in the first book. Kagawa takes advantage of the world she’s created to explore the complex issues of choice and consequences while providing a tense plot with a lot of action to keep us turning the pages.
On a side note, I read this as Net Galley ARC so there may be some changes before the final, but I know now why the Iron King novella I read of hers didn’t work for me. She has many strengths in character creation and in weaving in the big questions. She has one major weakness though: backstory. This is a common weakness, and so can be pushed past in a novel. However in a shorter work, there isn’t enough time beyond the backstory to recover the book. It ends up as a summary of events stripped to their basic elements, which often comes off as derivative because what makes them unique is gone. That is not true with The Eternity Cure. After I got past the infodump approach to what happened before, and no I don’t think the style would offer much more to a new reader than a returning reader, the story picked up and once again captivated me.
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LibraryThing member RaeLynn_Fry
“Eternity Cure” picks up right where “Blood of Eden” left off and keeps the momentum going until the very last page. I have to applaud Ms. Kagawa, once again, for her talents in writing and storytelling. Taking an overworked storyline, like vampires, and making it new, and fresh, and
Just like “Blood of Eden”, “Eternity Cure” is filled with fights, blood, revenge, and betrayal. There’s even a bit of forbidden love to keep those romantics happy. But in the end, it’s a tough book with an even tougher female lead. Allie is everything a protagonist in a post-apocalyptic, vampire-run world: Brave, smart, leery, and rough; but not without a dark sense of humor and a little bit of humanity still intact.
I’ve said it before, this is, hands down, my favorite vampire series and my favorite of Julie’s books. Definitely worth the read.
Rating: 4.5/5, and a strong PG-13 for the amount of violence and blood between the covers.
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serious, is a hard thing to do, but she does not disappoint. Just like “Blood of Eden”, “Eternity Cure” is filled with fights, blood, revenge, and betrayal. There’s even a bit of forbidden love to keep those romantics happy. But in the end, it’s a tough book with an even tougher female lead. Allie is everything a protagonist in a post-apocalyptic, vampire-run world: Brave, smart, leery, and rough; but not without a dark sense of humor and a little bit of humanity still intact.
I’ve said it before, this is, hands down, my favorite vampire series and my favorite of Julie’s books. Definitely worth the read.
Rating: 4.5/5, and a strong PG-13 for the amount of violence and blood between the covers.
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LibraryThing member hrose2931
With the Immortal Rules I warned you that you would not be reading The Iron Fey when you ventured into the dark world of vampires and humans and rabids. Go deeper. Go darker. Go underground. That has become the only safe place to be in most of the cities left in this decimated world. Sarren, that
Unexpectedly, she meets up with Jackal, her half brother, as Kanin sired them both. He too is haphazardly looking for Kanin after he lost his city in a battle with Allison and Zeke and company in The Immortal Rules. As they travel through the sewers of New Covington to enter the city, finding the gates locked, they stumble upon Zeke. Time and again Allison is torn between wanting to kiss him or tearing a vein open. But she does neither. She reminds herself, she is the monster and he is a human and it can never work. As we read about Allison's interactions with people, she sounds, inside like she's a passionate, living human being, but it seems that outwardly, she is that impassive face that stares at us from the cover of The Immortal Rules, (originally)
Jackal is revealed to us as a kind of comic relief. He's fast with an axe, his preferred weapon and fitting considering his coarse nature. He calls humans "blood bags" and "meat sacks". Zeke is ready to run him through with a stake on more than one occasion. But Jackal proves useful especially when they first encounter Sarren.
Zeke is different, too. He seems to be a warrior. He is well armed when Allison and Jackal find him and he's running a sort of refugee camp. He's a natural leader. He has a crossbow that shoots vampires with wooden stakes and he's an excellent shot with a gun. He also swears that he will kill Jackal one day for what he did to Zeke's father and his other "family" members.
And then there is Kanin. Tortured for months, barely sane when Allison finds him. He is no longer her mentor, but still cautions her about getting involved with humans. He is a man of few words, but they always seem to have such an impact.
We learn more about the virus. About a new strain of it And more about the experiments that were going on with the vampires. We also get a look inside The Vampire Towers. We even get to meet the Prince.
The tone of this book is very dark with an ending that will, well just see what you think. I don't know what I think. I need to discuss it with someone! Jenny??? Steph- read this one yet? Melissa? Anyone?
I really need to discuss that end!
Definitely for the more mature YA reader.17 and up. Lots of killing, language, I think there were some sexual references.
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crazed, demented, vicious vampire has Kanin and Allison has been following the call of his blood to hers for weeks now. Ever since she was kicked out of Eden. Ever since she left Zeke and the others in that island of humans, free of vampires, virus and rabids. Allison is still unique among vampires, hanging onto her humanity, she still hates to kill and can't stand to let the monster in her have control. And yet that's what she knows she is, a monster. She battles with herself more in this novel as she's been a vampire a lot longer now. She's had blood out of a wine glass, out of a blood bag and out of a human's neck. She's seen the difference and knows what tastes the best, but still tries to deny that part of herself.Unexpectedly, she meets up with Jackal, her half brother, as Kanin sired them both. He too is haphazardly looking for Kanin after he lost his city in a battle with Allison and Zeke and company in The Immortal Rules. As they travel through the sewers of New Covington to enter the city, finding the gates locked, they stumble upon Zeke. Time and again Allison is torn between wanting to kiss him or tearing a vein open. But she does neither. She reminds herself, she is the monster and he is a human and it can never work. As we read about Allison's interactions with people, she sounds, inside like she's a passionate, living human being, but it seems that outwardly, she is that impassive face that stares at us from the cover of The Immortal Rules, (originally)
Jackal is revealed to us as a kind of comic relief. He's fast with an axe, his preferred weapon and fitting considering his coarse nature. He calls humans "blood bags" and "meat sacks". Zeke is ready to run him through with a stake on more than one occasion. But Jackal proves useful especially when they first encounter Sarren.
Zeke is different, too. He seems to be a warrior. He is well armed when Allison and Jackal find him and he's running a sort of refugee camp. He's a natural leader. He has a crossbow that shoots vampires with wooden stakes and he's an excellent shot with a gun. He also swears that he will kill Jackal one day for what he did to Zeke's father and his other "family" members.
And then there is Kanin. Tortured for months, barely sane when Allison finds him. He is no longer her mentor, but still cautions her about getting involved with humans. He is a man of few words, but they always seem to have such an impact.
We learn more about the virus. About a new strain of it And more about the experiments that were going on with the vampires. We also get a look inside The Vampire Towers. We even get to meet the Prince.
The tone of this book is very dark with an ending that will, well just see what you think. I don't know what I think. I need to discuss it with someone! Jenny??? Steph- read this one yet? Melissa? Anyone?
I really need to discuss that end!
Definitely for the more mature YA reader.17 and up. Lots of killing, language, I think there were some sexual references.
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LibraryThing member shelleyraec
Though it took me a while to warm up to Julie Kagawa's Iron Fey series I ended up enjoying the it, as well as the first book of the spin off series, The Lost Prince and when I was lucky enough to receive a copy of The Eternity Cure, I was happy for the excuse to dive into another of her series.
I
Having left Eden, and Zeke, behind, Allison is tracing her sire and mentor Kanin, who is being held captive by the psychotic vampire Sarren. Avoiding the Rabids, feeding only when necessary on the opportunists that cross her path, she follows the call of blood but when her journey is intercepted by her 'blood brother', she reluctantly agrees to an alliance with the murderous vampire. Pooling their knowledge, Allison is stunned when the trail leads to her former home, New Covington and is appalled to find the population under threat by a lethal variant of the Red Lung virus. With time running out, Allison must find a way into the heart of the city to save Kanin before the world is lost.
The Eternity Cure is fast paced and action packed and what I do really like about this series is it's gritty, dark nature. Real, bloody, visceral violence is usually avoided in young adult novels but here Kagawa almost revels in it.
This darkness though is offset by snarky humour and romance (those who complained about the lack of lurve in The Immortal Rules should be satisfied with the sweet and hopeful reunion of Allie and Zeke), but more importantly by the way in which the heroes hold onto hope and fight to survive.
Unfortunately I did find the plot fairly predictable, there were no real surprises, from Stick's double betrayal to Sarren's evil scheme and despite some resolution, the story ends on a cliff hanger which will have fans bemoaning the 12 month wait until book 3.
Despite my lack of overt enthusiasm, I did enjoy The Eternity Cure. It's a fast, easy read and fans of the first novel should not be disappointed with the continued action, romance and Allison's drive for redemption.
I
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picked up The Immortal Rules to read before beginning The Eternity Cure and though I enjoyed elements of Kagawa's writing and her creative post-apocalyptic world-building, I found myself a little underwhelmed. Nevertheless I moved straight on to The Eternity Cure which picks up almost five months later.Having left Eden, and Zeke, behind, Allison is tracing her sire and mentor Kanin, who is being held captive by the psychotic vampire Sarren. Avoiding the Rabids, feeding only when necessary on the opportunists that cross her path, she follows the call of blood but when her journey is intercepted by her 'blood brother', she reluctantly agrees to an alliance with the murderous vampire. Pooling their knowledge, Allison is stunned when the trail leads to her former home, New Covington and is appalled to find the population under threat by a lethal variant of the Red Lung virus. With time running out, Allison must find a way into the heart of the city to save Kanin before the world is lost.
The Eternity Cure is fast paced and action packed and what I do really like about this series is it's gritty, dark nature. Real, bloody, visceral violence is usually avoided in young adult novels but here Kagawa almost revels in it.
This darkness though is offset by snarky humour and romance (those who complained about the lack of lurve in The Immortal Rules should be satisfied with the sweet and hopeful reunion of Allie and Zeke), but more importantly by the way in which the heroes hold onto hope and fight to survive.
Unfortunately I did find the plot fairly predictable, there were no real surprises, from Stick's double betrayal to Sarren's evil scheme and despite some resolution, the story ends on a cliff hanger which will have fans bemoaning the 12 month wait until book 3.
Despite my lack of overt enthusiasm, I did enjoy The Eternity Cure. It's a fast, easy read and fans of the first novel should not be disappointed with the continued action, romance and Allison's drive for redemption.
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LibraryThing member AyleeArgh
In short: Though The Eternity Cure wasn't as strong as its predecessor, it was still a welcome return to Julie Kagawa's brutal and elaborate dystopian world.
The Immortal Rules proved to be an exciting and elaborate paranormal dystopian when I read it last year and so I was eager to return to the
Admittedly, the first 100 pages or so of The Eternity Cure were rough. The plot is meandering and tedious and I found I had a hard time re-engaging with the characters and the storyline. The one thing that I did like about the beginning, however, was Julie Kagawa's recapping skills. She does a fantastic job of rehashing the forgotten events of The Immortal Rules in a subtle and proficient manner. And after this beginning lull, the action does start to pick up thankfully and reading became less of a chore from that point on. Julie Kagawa raises the bar for gore and violence in The Eternity Cure and the resulting blood bath was an entertaining and welcome change (as morbid as that sounds...).
I do still like Allison for the most part, though her constant internal wrestling with her conflicting feelings about her humanity does get a bit irksome. I get it, it's hard being a vampire and struggling to maintain your humanity. I don't need to hear it again and again. I was hoping that we might finally get to see some development in Allison's character and finally, at the very end of the book, we do and it's absolutely welcome. By far the most interesting character though is the cocky and silver-tongued Jackal, who I admit I don't even remember from The Immortal Rules, but he definitely leaves an impression in The Eternity Cure.
Overall, though The Eternity Cure wasn't as gripping as its predecessor, it was still a strong sequel and a welcome return to Julie Kagawa's involved and brutal dystopian world. The ending was especially high-impact and exciting and I am definitely looking forward to the next book in the Blood of Eden series now.
The Immortal Rules proved to be an exciting and elaborate paranormal dystopian when I read it last year and so I was eager to return to the
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grim world of Allison Sekemoto in the sequel, The Eternity Cure. Though I can't say I liked The Eternity Cure as much as its predecessor, I did appreciate getting the chance to return to the characters, the darkly atmospheric setting, and the involved action scenes that I remembered from The Immortal Rules.Admittedly, the first 100 pages or so of The Eternity Cure were rough. The plot is meandering and tedious and I found I had a hard time re-engaging with the characters and the storyline. The one thing that I did like about the beginning, however, was Julie Kagawa's recapping skills. She does a fantastic job of rehashing the forgotten events of The Immortal Rules in a subtle and proficient manner. And after this beginning lull, the action does start to pick up thankfully and reading became less of a chore from that point on. Julie Kagawa raises the bar for gore and violence in The Eternity Cure and the resulting blood bath was an entertaining and welcome change (as morbid as that sounds...).
I do still like Allison for the most part, though her constant internal wrestling with her conflicting feelings about her humanity does get a bit irksome. I get it, it's hard being a vampire and struggling to maintain your humanity. I don't need to hear it again and again. I was hoping that we might finally get to see some development in Allison's character and finally, at the very end of the book, we do and it's absolutely welcome. By far the most interesting character though is the cocky and silver-tongued Jackal, who I admit I don't even remember from The Immortal Rules, but he definitely leaves an impression in The Eternity Cure.
Overall, though The Eternity Cure wasn't as gripping as its predecessor, it was still a strong sequel and a welcome return to Julie Kagawa's involved and brutal dystopian world. The ending was especially high-impact and exciting and I am definitely looking forward to the next book in the Blood of Eden series now.
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LibraryThing member booktwirps
Warning: This review may contain spoilers from the first book.
When we last saw Allison she had left Eden, leaving behind the group of humans she’d grown to care about, including Zeke, the boy she’d developed feelings for even though she knows she shouldn’t. Zeke and the rest of his group will
The blood ties lead her to old D.C., but instead of finding Kanin, she finds Jackal, her blood brother — the crazy vampire who led a group of raiders and tried to kill her. Turns out Jackal is also looking for Kanin, and wants to destroy Sarren as badly as Allison does in hopes of finding the cure. Despite her extreme hatred toward Jackal, Allison strikes up an alliance with him and they find their way back to New Covington — Allison’s old hometown.
The once thriving New Covington is not as Allison remembers it. The streets are deserted except for a few humans with peeling, bleeding skin, wandering the streets, flying into random fits of rage. It appears there’s a new strain of the virus on the loose and it’s threatening humans and vampires alike. Here, Allison will reconnect with people she once knew — some unexpected — as she and Jackal fight to defeat Sarren, save their maker and fight for a cure.
I love these characters, especially Allison. She’s tough, focused and determined. Even though it pains her, she knows she can not be with Zeke. Leaving him in the last book was a tough decision, but the right one. She focuses on finding Kanin to forget about Zeke. Kanin is the only real family she has left and she needs him.
In The Immortal Rules, we met Jackal, and he was quite the ass. He still is, but I have to admit, after getting to know him in this book, he totally grew on me. He’s still a total jack-ass and quite cocky, but his constant quips just to get Allison worked up had me rolling at times.
And can we talk about Sarren? This dude is messed up and totally psycho. He’s creepy, completely unhinged and oh-so dangerous. I wanted nothing more than for him to be torn to pieces.
And I will say that we see Zeke again. I won’t give anything away, but he and Alli’s relationship is strained now that Jackal is in the picture. (Remember: Jackal killed several of Zeke’s group). It made for an interesting dynamic.
This book is pretty long, but it never felt like it. It was slow in a few places, but it never bored me. The story is pretty basic, but there’s still a lot going on. There’s plenty of tension, plenty of alliances, lots of backstabbing and twists and turns. And can we talk about that ending? I had a feeling that {I can’t say what} was going to happen to {I won’t say who}, but having it hit the way it did at the very end was still a surprise and a bit torturous!
The Eternity Cure is a great sequel to one of my favorite books of 2012. While it wasn’t as exciting as the first, it’s still plenty good and it’s a great bridge to what is sure to be an epic book three. I just wish I didn’t have to wait a year to read it.
When we last saw Allison she had left Eden, leaving behind the group of humans she’d grown to care about, including Zeke, the boy she’d developed feelings for even though she knows she shouldn’t. Zeke and the rest of his group will
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be safe in Eden, away from the vampires and rabids that plague the rest of the world. With the group safely tucked away, Allison must now focus on finding her sire, Kanin. She can feel him through their blood tie, and she reads his thoughts in her dreams. She knows that Sarren has him and is torturing him, and if she doesn’t find them soon, Kanin could die, or worse, turn rabid. The blood ties lead her to old D.C., but instead of finding Kanin, she finds Jackal, her blood brother — the crazy vampire who led a group of raiders and tried to kill her. Turns out Jackal is also looking for Kanin, and wants to destroy Sarren as badly as Allison does in hopes of finding the cure. Despite her extreme hatred toward Jackal, Allison strikes up an alliance with him and they find their way back to New Covington — Allison’s old hometown.
The once thriving New Covington is not as Allison remembers it. The streets are deserted except for a few humans with peeling, bleeding skin, wandering the streets, flying into random fits of rage. It appears there’s a new strain of the virus on the loose and it’s threatening humans and vampires alike. Here, Allison will reconnect with people she once knew — some unexpected — as she and Jackal fight to defeat Sarren, save their maker and fight for a cure.
I love these characters, especially Allison. She’s tough, focused and determined. Even though it pains her, she knows she can not be with Zeke. Leaving him in the last book was a tough decision, but the right one. She focuses on finding Kanin to forget about Zeke. Kanin is the only real family she has left and she needs him.
In The Immortal Rules, we met Jackal, and he was quite the ass. He still is, but I have to admit, after getting to know him in this book, he totally grew on me. He’s still a total jack-ass and quite cocky, but his constant quips just to get Allison worked up had me rolling at times.
And can we talk about Sarren? This dude is messed up and totally psycho. He’s creepy, completely unhinged and oh-so dangerous. I wanted nothing more than for him to be torn to pieces.
And I will say that we see Zeke again. I won’t give anything away, but he and Alli’s relationship is strained now that Jackal is in the picture. (Remember: Jackal killed several of Zeke’s group). It made for an interesting dynamic.
This book is pretty long, but it never felt like it. It was slow in a few places, but it never bored me. The story is pretty basic, but there’s still a lot going on. There’s plenty of tension, plenty of alliances, lots of backstabbing and twists and turns. And can we talk about that ending? I had a feeling that {I can’t say what} was going to happen to {I won’t say who}, but having it hit the way it did at the very end was still a surprise and a bit torturous!
The Eternity Cure is a great sequel to one of my favorite books of 2012. While it wasn’t as exciting as the first, it’s still plenty good and it’s a great bridge to what is sure to be an epic book three. I just wish I didn’t have to wait a year to read it.
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LibraryThing member A_Reader_of_Fictions
The Eternity Cure has been among my most anticipated reads of 2013, and I was completely thrilled to obtain an ARC. The early reviews almost all agreed: The Eternity Cure improves on The Immortal Rules, which I really loved. Sadly, I never got absorbed into this one as much as I did with TIR.
Julie Kagawa can write the heck out of some action scenes. She keeps the pace of Blood of Eden moving at a steady clip. There's pretty much always something exciting happening: sneaking, chase scenes, verbal sparring, kissing, or battles to the death. On top of that, the stakes are definitely raised. Where The Immortal Rules focused primarily on Allison fighting to maintain her humanity and on rescuing a little tribe of humans, in The Eternity Cure Allison is still trying to avoid becoming a monster, all while attempting to rescue Kanin her maker from a plot with far-reaching consequences.
Another big plus of this series is that, unlike Kagawa's Iron Fey series, romance is a very minor element in the plot. Survival comes first, and thinking about boys and their feelings comes second. For readers who like romance, yes, there is some, but the book doesn't go in the love triangle direction I was expecting. Plus, Allie doesn't just sit around all the time thinking about Zeke when she should be doing other things. Romance doesn't keep Allie from being a force to be reckoned with, especially when armed with her katana.
My favorite character, and my favorite aspect of The Eternity Cure, is Jackal. He's Allie's "brother," as he was also sired by Kanin. He also killed Zeke's dad and a couple of others from that little group, so he's her enemy. However, they have to team up to find Kanin/a cure for rabidism. Listen, Jackal isn't the most trustworthy guy around, but he knows what he is. What can I say? I'm weak to characters that unapologetically wield sarcasm. Jackal's black humor and brutal honesty are necessary to counteract Allie's endless optimism in the face of this post-apocalyptic world.
What kept The Eternity Cure from being a more beloved book of mine were the other characters. Both Allie and Zeke lack spark. They're nice, sure, but they're boring. They reminded me a lot of Stefan and Elena in TVD, right down to me rooting for the demise of their relationship. Kanin still has a lot of potential to be a fascinating character, but he gets so little actual screen time. In a first person narration, it's just really hard to care overly about where the book is headed if you don't love the MC.
The ending, too, was a mite disappointing. Kagawa employs one of my least favorite plot devices to bring everything to a close, which left me disappointed. I wanted the book to be just that slightest bit darker, even though I knew there was probably no way Kagawa would actually go there. Added to a number of other twists that felt very run of the mill, the ending lowered my rating from a 3.5 to a 3.
Kagawa's Blood of Eden series is cinematic and packed to the brim with action. If you enjoy vampires or dystopian/post-apocalyptic scenarios, this is a series you will not want to miss. I'm looking forward to book three, and hoping the romance between Zeke and Allie will fizzle out, though I doubt it.
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Perhaps I was in the wrong mood or was done in by expectations once again. For all that, The Eternity Cure is still a thrilling, adventure-packed saga that will appeal even to those who did not care for the Iron Fey books.Julie Kagawa can write the heck out of some action scenes. She keeps the pace of Blood of Eden moving at a steady clip. There's pretty much always something exciting happening: sneaking, chase scenes, verbal sparring, kissing, or battles to the death. On top of that, the stakes are definitely raised. Where The Immortal Rules focused primarily on Allison fighting to maintain her humanity and on rescuing a little tribe of humans, in The Eternity Cure Allison is still trying to avoid becoming a monster, all while attempting to rescue Kanin her maker from a plot with far-reaching consequences.
Another big plus of this series is that, unlike Kagawa's Iron Fey series, romance is a very minor element in the plot. Survival comes first, and thinking about boys and their feelings comes second. For readers who like romance, yes, there is some, but the book doesn't go in the love triangle direction I was expecting. Plus, Allie doesn't just sit around all the time thinking about Zeke when she should be doing other things. Romance doesn't keep Allie from being a force to be reckoned with, especially when armed with her katana.
My favorite character, and my favorite aspect of The Eternity Cure, is Jackal. He's Allie's "brother," as he was also sired by Kanin. He also killed Zeke's dad and a couple of others from that little group, so he's her enemy. However, they have to team up to find Kanin/a cure for rabidism. Listen, Jackal isn't the most trustworthy guy around, but he knows what he is. What can I say? I'm weak to characters that unapologetically wield sarcasm. Jackal's black humor and brutal honesty are necessary to counteract Allie's endless optimism in the face of this post-apocalyptic world.
What kept The Eternity Cure from being a more beloved book of mine were the other characters. Both Allie and Zeke lack spark. They're nice, sure, but they're boring. They reminded me a lot of Stefan and Elena in TVD, right down to me rooting for the demise of their relationship. Kanin still has a lot of potential to be a fascinating character, but he gets so little actual screen time. In a first person narration, it's just really hard to care overly about where the book is headed if you don't love the MC.
The ending, too, was a mite disappointing. Kagawa employs one of my least favorite plot devices to bring everything to a close, which left me disappointed. I wanted the book to be just that slightest bit darker, even though I knew there was probably no way Kagawa would actually go there. Added to a number of other twists that felt very run of the mill, the ending lowered my rating from a 3.5 to a 3.
Kagawa's Blood of Eden series is cinematic and packed to the brim with action. If you enjoy vampires or dystopian/post-apocalyptic scenarios, this is a series you will not want to miss. I'm looking forward to book three, and hoping the romance between Zeke and Allie will fizzle out, though I doubt it.
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LibraryThing member krau0098
This is the second book in the Blood of Eden series by Kagawa. I got an eGalley of this book to review through NetGalley(dot)com. Thanks to Harlequin Teen and Netgalley for a chance to read and review this book. This was an action-packed and fast-paced continuation of this post-apocalyptic vampire
Allie has vowed to rescue her maker, Kanin, who is being held captive by the psycho vampire Sarren. In her hunt for Kanin, she runs into her blood brother, Jackle. Allie and Jackle form an uneasy truce and end up hunting Sarren and Kanin back to where it all started...New Covington and the Fringe. Meanwhile a new strain of the Red Lung plague has broken out and is killing humans and vampires alike.
This was an excellent continuation of this series and I actually liked it better than the first book in this series. Allie spends a lot of time struggling with the balance between her vampiric nature and human morals. She is a very intense character, just like in the first book. In this book we spend a lot more time with Jackle, her brother (he was also made by Kanin). Jackle adds a lot of snark and dark humor to this book and I really enjoyed him as a character.
Zeke is in this book as well, later in the story. I liked him better in this book than the first one, he still comes across as a little needy; although he has become more accepting of Allie and what she is. There are a number of interesting revelations about him as well. The romance between Zeke and Allie is there, but it doesn’t necessarily drive the story. I enjoyed that their romance was in the background but still part of the story.
There is a lot of action in this book and a lot of mystery solving. They are trying to track down Kanin, figure out what Sarren wants from the labs he’s been raiding, and ultimately find a cure for Rabids.
The plot is fast-paced and engaging and there are some interesting twists and turns throughout. The book is well written and easy to read, the writing flows well.
Overall a decent continuation of this series. Honestly I still like Kagawa’s Iron Fey series better than this one, but I think that’s just because I like reading about Fey more than post-apocalyptic vampires. The book is fast-paced and engaging and I found it to be an entertaining read. I am eager to see how things progress in the next book in this series.
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series.Allie has vowed to rescue her maker, Kanin, who is being held captive by the psycho vampire Sarren. In her hunt for Kanin, she runs into her blood brother, Jackle. Allie and Jackle form an uneasy truce and end up hunting Sarren and Kanin back to where it all started...New Covington and the Fringe. Meanwhile a new strain of the Red Lung plague has broken out and is killing humans and vampires alike.
This was an excellent continuation of this series and I actually liked it better than the first book in this series. Allie spends a lot of time struggling with the balance between her vampiric nature and human morals. She is a very intense character, just like in the first book. In this book we spend a lot more time with Jackle, her brother (he was also made by Kanin). Jackle adds a lot of snark and dark humor to this book and I really enjoyed him as a character.
Zeke is in this book as well, later in the story. I liked him better in this book than the first one, he still comes across as a little needy; although he has become more accepting of Allie and what she is. There are a number of interesting revelations about him as well. The romance between Zeke and Allie is there, but it doesn’t necessarily drive the story. I enjoyed that their romance was in the background but still part of the story.
There is a lot of action in this book and a lot of mystery solving. They are trying to track down Kanin, figure out what Sarren wants from the labs he’s been raiding, and ultimately find a cure for Rabids.
The plot is fast-paced and engaging and there are some interesting twists and turns throughout. The book is well written and easy to read, the writing flows well.
Overall a decent continuation of this series. Honestly I still like Kagawa’s Iron Fey series better than this one, but I think that’s just because I like reading about Fey more than post-apocalyptic vampires. The book is fast-paced and engaging and I found it to be an entertaining read. I am eager to see how things progress in the next book in this series.
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LibraryThing member kmartin802
Read The Immortal Rules first because this one begins right after that story ends. Allie is on the trail of her mentor Kanin who is being held hostage and tortured by insane vampire Sarren. Luckily, vampires have a blood tie with their blood kin which lets Allie track him. Unfortunately, she first
There search leads them back to New Covington where Sarren has unleashed a version of the plague that is responsible for the world as it is. The humans outside of the vampire protected zone have been infected and are dying.
Allie also runs into Zeke again. She had left him in Eden and thought she would never see the human boy she loved again. He has come looking for her. Of course he wants to kill Jackal since Jackal killed a number of the people that Zeke was trying to get safely to Eden. Allie finds herself torn between Zeke and Jackal but is still convinced that she needs Jackal to help rescue Kanin. She convinces Zeke and Jackal to work together--temporarily.
When they find and rescue Kanin, there troubles are far from over. After all, the vampire prince of New Covington doesn't like Kanin much more than Sarren does.
This story was exciting and hard to put down. I love Allie's struggle to be the kind of monster she wants to be and not the mindless monster she could be. I loved the romance between Zeke and Allie too. I can't wait to read what happens next.
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stumbles upon Jackal who was also turned by Kanin. The problems between the two were well documented in The Immortal Rules. While they decide that the need to work together, they have different goals. Jackal wants a cure for rabidism and Allie wants to rescue Kanin. And Allie can not and should not trust Jackal.There search leads them back to New Covington where Sarren has unleashed a version of the plague that is responsible for the world as it is. The humans outside of the vampire protected zone have been infected and are dying.
Allie also runs into Zeke again. She had left him in Eden and thought she would never see the human boy she loved again. He has come looking for her. Of course he wants to kill Jackal since Jackal killed a number of the people that Zeke was trying to get safely to Eden. Allie finds herself torn between Zeke and Jackal but is still convinced that she needs Jackal to help rescue Kanin. She convinces Zeke and Jackal to work together--temporarily.
When they find and rescue Kanin, there troubles are far from over. After all, the vampire prince of New Covington doesn't like Kanin much more than Sarren does.
This story was exciting and hard to put down. I love Allie's struggle to be the kind of monster she wants to be and not the mindless monster she could be. I loved the romance between Zeke and Allie too. I can't wait to read what happens next.
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LibraryThing member jacquiemak
4.5 stars
If I had any doubt about this series after reading the first book (which I did), that doubt has totally been blown away. This sequel is better in almost every way. I don't know why Zeke and Kanin fell flat for me in the the first book, but this time, they jumped off the page with
If I had any doubt about this series after reading the first book (which I did), that doubt has totally been blown away. This sequel is better in almost every way. I don't know why Zeke and Kanin fell flat for me in the the first book, but this time, they jumped off the page with
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personality. And Jackal is a great addition, whose true heart and intentions are confusing, and whose character is not black or white. The world is so vivid, so real, and so creepy. And Allison kicks ass. Show Less
LibraryThing member TheBookHammock
This book left me with so many mixed feelings about every plot twist and character met throughout. I have never been so conflicted with liking and disliking the same character before. It was a refreshing and very frustrating experience. And Julie Kagawa? I have no words for her, except these:
Reading next might spoil some plot twists - be warned:
The end of The Immortal Rules left us with Allie, turned away from entering Eden with her group of human friends. Using her blood bond with her sire, Kanin, she starts tracking him, while being plagued with his condition and his thoughts he is trying to communicate to her, in her dreams. Allie arrives in Old D.C. (that had me a little amused and giggly) where she finds herself face to face with no other than her blood brother, Jackal. Only then, she realizes she has been tracking him all along, as his bond was stronger than Kanin's; probably due to Kanin's bad physical condition.
Against her better judgement, she agrees to join force with Jackal in tracking Kanin and finding Sarren. She still hasn't forgiven Jackal for killing Zeke's family and friends, but she needs all the help she can get, and Jackal wanting to find the cure to Red Lung is a good enough excuse to have him "tag along."
"Come on, sister," Jackal implored. "Let's not have a repeat of last night. You know this is the best way to help Kanin. And, admit it, you're just as curious as I am."
They believe Sarren went for the rumored cure existing in a hidden, underground old lab in Old D.C., and set to get there, only to find the lab was found already by Sarren, who stole the vial most likely to hold the cure. When they realize Sarren will head to the only other lab known to research for a cure, they set to New Covington, Allie's old home and a vampire city, where both her and Kanin are hated.
Allie's constant fight with her inner demon is amazing, and it's the only way for her to not lose her humanity.
I snarled, baring my fangs. "The next human you kill in front of me, you'd better be ready for a fight, because I will come after you with everything I have."
"You're so boring." Jackal rolled his eyes, then faced me with a dangerous smile of his own. "And I'm getting a little tired of your holier-than-thou act, sister. You're not a saint. You're a demon. Own up to it."
When Allie and Jackal sneak in to New Covington, they find that the topsiders are now living in proximity to the cannibals who reside underground, Sarren has unleashed Red Lung in the outskirts of the city and humans die in masses.
Imagine my, and Allie's, surprise when she finds an old street rat she once knew and he leads them to his group leader - Zeke!
"Why are you here? Why aren't you back in Eden with everyone else? Why did you come to New Covington?" He gave a short, bitter laugh. "It's obvious, isn't it?" he snapped, sounding angry again. I blinked, hearing the veiled hurt in his voice, not knowing where it was coming from. He stopped and turned, blue eyes glittering, facing me down. "Because of you, Allie," he said, almost an accusation. "I came here looking for you."
And cue me swooooooooooooooooning. I love the slow burn romance with the few little bursts of passion. There are a several in this book, and they make the heart flutter. The way their romance is building is amazing. Even when there's a regression, I got the feeling it's for a reason. It seems that the only way these two will not end up together is if one of them dies. And seeing as Zeke had Allison promise him she won't turn him in order to save him, their chances aren't great.
Inside the palace on their way to meet Salazar, the vampire prince ruling the city, they are being introduced to his pet, his human right hand man, wait for it..... non other than Stick. Or, Mr. Stephen, as he'd like to be called now that he's all high and mighty.
"Well, he's a real charmer," Jackal muttered as the door closed. "You two must've been such great pals. I hope you don't mind when I say I'm going to rip his tongue out through his nose and make him eat it."
At that point, I was 100% with Jackal. Lol. Some surprising realizations came from Jackal's behavior: He seems to act very much like an older brother would. I think that explains whey you can't help but loving him, even though he is for lack of better term - a douche. I think he is one of the most complex characters in this series. Can't wait to see what his fate will be.
When they are faced with Salazar, they realize he is aiding Sarren in torturing Kanin and that Sarren has filled Salazar's mind with lies about the cure. The meeting doesn't go quite as they expected it to, and naturally, a bloodbath is unavoidable.
I love Jackal's dark humor. It strikes when you least expect it.
"Oh, don't mind me." came an extremely sarcastic voice near the wall. "You two go ahead and make out - I'll just sit here and bleed quietly."
They do rescue Kanin, but there's a price, and they are literally fighting time to stop Sarren's evil plan.
At this point I'm stopping with telling the tale. Because from here on out - things go even nuttier. The group is facing some real challenges, and find resolution from a surprising source.
I absolutely loved the loyalty and (I think also) love Allison has for Kanin. She values him and what he's done for her so much, that she is willing to risk her life for him. And when she does, he seems to feel and think the same of her. Their bond is very unique and different than the one he has with Jackal - if you could even call that a bond.
This book is a roller-coaster of twists, highs and lows, fun and humor, and a beautiful and struggling romance - and by extension, a roller-coaster of emotions.
I'm not going to reveal anything about the ending of this book. Just going to say it's surprising (and yet, I kind of expected it) and it is absolutely gut wrenching.
Thank you to Harlequin Teen for the advanced copy of this book.
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genius, brilliant, talented story teller, evil, creative, evil and a little evil, too.Reading next might spoil some plot twists - be warned:
The end of The Immortal Rules left us with Allie, turned away from entering Eden with her group of human friends. Using her blood bond with her sire, Kanin, she starts tracking him, while being plagued with his condition and his thoughts he is trying to communicate to her, in her dreams. Allie arrives in Old D.C. (that had me a little amused and giggly) where she finds herself face to face with no other than her blood brother, Jackal. Only then, she realizes she has been tracking him all along, as his bond was stronger than Kanin's; probably due to Kanin's bad physical condition.
Against her better judgement, she agrees to join force with Jackal in tracking Kanin and finding Sarren. She still hasn't forgiven Jackal for killing Zeke's family and friends, but she needs all the help she can get, and Jackal wanting to find the cure to Red Lung is a good enough excuse to have him "tag along."
"Come on, sister," Jackal implored. "Let's not have a repeat of last night. You know this is the best way to help Kanin. And, admit it, you're just as curious as I am."
They believe Sarren went for the rumored cure existing in a hidden, underground old lab in Old D.C., and set to get there, only to find the lab was found already by Sarren, who stole the vial most likely to hold the cure. When they realize Sarren will head to the only other lab known to research for a cure, they set to New Covington, Allie's old home and a vampire city, where both her and Kanin are hated.
Allie's constant fight with her inner demon is amazing, and it's the only way for her to not lose her humanity.
I snarled, baring my fangs. "The next human you kill in front of me, you'd better be ready for a fight, because I will come after you with everything I have."
"You're so boring." Jackal rolled his eyes, then faced me with a dangerous smile of his own. "And I'm getting a little tired of your holier-than-thou act, sister. You're not a saint. You're a demon. Own up to it."
When Allie and Jackal sneak in to New Covington, they find that the topsiders are now living in proximity to the cannibals who reside underground, Sarren has unleashed Red Lung in the outskirts of the city and humans die in masses.
Imagine my, and Allie's, surprise when she finds an old street rat she once knew and he leads them to his group leader - Zeke!
"Why are you here? Why aren't you back in Eden with everyone else? Why did you come to New Covington?" He gave a short, bitter laugh. "It's obvious, isn't it?" he snapped, sounding angry again. I blinked, hearing the veiled hurt in his voice, not knowing where it was coming from. He stopped and turned, blue eyes glittering, facing me down. "Because of you, Allie," he said, almost an accusation. "I came here looking for you."
And cue me swooooooooooooooooning. I love the slow burn romance with the few little bursts of passion. There are a several in this book, and they make the heart flutter. The way their romance is building is amazing. Even when there's a regression, I got the feeling it's for a reason. It seems that the only way these two will not end up together is if one of them dies. And seeing as Zeke had Allison promise him she won't turn him in order to save him, their chances aren't great.
Inside the palace on their way to meet Salazar, the vampire prince ruling the city, they are being introduced to his pet, his human right hand man, wait for it..... non other than Stick. Or, Mr. Stephen, as he'd like to be called now that he's all high and mighty.
"Well, he's a real charmer," Jackal muttered as the door closed. "You two must've been such great pals. I hope you don't mind when I say I'm going to rip his tongue out through his nose and make him eat it."
At that point, I was 100% with Jackal. Lol. Some surprising realizations came from Jackal's behavior: He seems to act very much like an older brother would. I think that explains whey you can't help but loving him, even though he is for lack of better term - a douche. I think he is one of the most complex characters in this series. Can't wait to see what his fate will be.
When they are faced with Salazar, they realize he is aiding Sarren in torturing Kanin and that Sarren has filled Salazar's mind with lies about the cure. The meeting doesn't go quite as they expected it to, and naturally, a bloodbath is unavoidable.
I love Jackal's dark humor. It strikes when you least expect it.
"Oh, don't mind me." came an extremely sarcastic voice near the wall. "You two go ahead and make out - I'll just sit here and bleed quietly."
They do rescue Kanin, but there's a price, and they are literally fighting time to stop Sarren's evil plan.
At this point I'm stopping with telling the tale. Because from here on out - things go even nuttier. The group is facing some real challenges, and find resolution from a surprising source.
I absolutely loved the loyalty and (I think also) love Allison has for Kanin. She values him and what he's done for her so much, that she is willing to risk her life for him. And when she does, he seems to feel and think the same of her. Their bond is very unique and different than the one he has with Jackal - if you could even call that a bond.
This book is a roller-coaster of twists, highs and lows, fun and humor, and a beautiful and struggling romance - and by extension, a roller-coaster of emotions.
I'm not going to reveal anything about the ending of this book. Just going to say it's surprising (and yet, I kind of expected it) and it is absolutely gut wrenching.
Thank you to Harlequin Teen for the advanced copy of this book.
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Original publication date
2013-04-30
Physical description
448 p.
ISBN
0373210698 / 9780373210695