Title: The Immortal Rules (Blood of Eden #1)
Author: Julie Kagawa
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Publishing Date: April 24th 2012
Length: 485 pages
Keywords: YA, fiction, vampires, dystopian, romance
Source: Publisher
"In a future world, vampires reign. Humans are blood cattle. And one girl will search for the key to save humanity."Allison Sekemoto survives in the Fringe, the outermost circle of a vampire city. By day, she and her crew scavenge for food. By night, any one of them could be eaten.
Some days, all that drives Allie is her hatred of "them." The vampires who keep humans as blood cattle. Until the night Allie herself is attacked--and given the ultimate choice. Die...or become one of the monsters.
Faced with her own mortality, Allie becomes what she despises most. To survive, she must learn the rules of being immortal, including the most important: go long enough without human blood, and you will go mad.
Then Allie is forced to flee into the unknown, outside her city walls. There she joins a ragged band of humans who are seeking a legend--a possible cure to the disease that killed off most of humankind and created the rabids, the mindless creatures who threaten humans and vampires alike.
But it isn't easy to pass for human. Especially not around Zeke, who might see past the monster inside her. And Allie soon must decide what--and who--is worth dying for.
Some days, all that drives Allie is her hatred of "them." The vampires who keep humans as blood cattle. Until the night Allie herself is attacked--and given the ultimate choice. Die...or become one of the monsters.
Faced with her own mortality, Allie becomes what she despises most. To survive, she must learn the rules of being immortal, including the most important: go long enough without human blood, and you will go mad.
Then Allie is forced to flee into the unknown, outside her city walls. There she joins a ragged band of humans who are seeking a legend--a possible cure to the disease that killed off most of humankind and created the rabids, the mindless creatures who threaten humans and vampires alike.
But it isn't easy to pass for human. Especially not around Zeke, who might see past the monster inside her. And Allie soon must decide what--and who--is worth dying for.
Summary by Goodreads
Julie Kagawa is famous for her best-selling THE IRON FEY series and she has already shown us that she has a vivid imagination and a fantastic sense for world building and story-telling. With THE IMMORTAL RULES, the first book in another series, she attempted something darker and different than her fey series. Immortality is a major hint at the main characters in her new book. You might have guessed it, they’re vampires!
THE IMMORTAL RULES is set in a future world ruled by vampires. And the vampires’ independence is the strength of this story. This time, they aren’t the ones who have to hide from humans and try their best to exist without being recognized. Julie Kagawa gave them the power, to rule over humans. A terrific scenario, allowing a gloomy and nightmarish atmosphere to underlay the story.
Allison Sekemoto is a teenager and human. But not for long. She’s living in one of these vamp cities, not afraid, but always hungry and desperate to survive. Inside the city, there are vampires to worry about. Outside the wall, that’s surrounding the city, there are far worse creatures. Rabids. Highly infecting and…deadly. It only takes one unfortunate moment to end Allison’s life as a human. An attack. A choice. And a new life as a vampire.
Julie gave us the chance to meet Allison as a human and accompany her on her journey to a strong and blood-thirsty vampire. So THE IMMORTAL RULES mainly focuses on this important transformation and its impact on Allison's beliefs and further actions. Sadly that human/vampire confrontation results in a big part of the story feeling like a prologue, set at a rather leisurely pace, before the actual action sets in.
Most of the characters originally belong in a horror movie cast, so it seems. The ruling vampires are cruel masters without any trace of sympathy in their bodies. The rabids are mindless and dangerous creatures that tear you apart in a matter of seconds.
Beside these indicators of doom, there is still hope represented by a bunch of nomads. Allison joins up with them on their journey to find a cure to save humanity.
The ironic thing is that she leaves a place, in that she would have been recognized for her new vampire self, only to side with the humans who would want to see her dead if they knew what she is. An inner battle ensues and it will be difficult to supress her thirst for blood.
The group spends wide spans of time on the run, always fearing to be attacked by the dangers that lurk in the darkness and desert. That wandering can be understood as a way to find meaning, even though it gave the story a certain monotony that slowed things down a lot.
Among the desolateness, a bright appearance promises to make life and the travels bearable for Allison and the reader. His name is Ezekiel, also Zeke or Zee. He is brave and selfless and exactly what we need. You see the danger in Allison developing romantic feelings for him. A vampire and a human in love. Not a conflict I haven’t encountered before, but yet one I wanted to be solved so badly. Allison and Zeke definitely belong together!
Due to its extend, there are many many details that can't easily be discussed in a few sentences only. THE IMMORTAL RULES is a must-read for readers devoted to vampire stories. You've got some action, surprises of the better and worse kind and a really good plot to look forward to.
1) we cherish challenging romances without instant love
2) we can always hope for Eden
3) of its scary end time feel
4) of one of the best mentors
5) it's a new take on the vampire world
4/5 **** THE IMMORTAL RULES – Existential and scary! A whole new stage of doom and thirst for blood are awaiting readers of this dark vampire saga.
I slowly fell in love with the new vampire world Julie Kagawa invented.The story is divided into four parts, equaling particular chapters in Allison’s life. Reading THE IMMORTAL RULES felt like following the script for a video game. A lone hero on a conquest, against abominations of nature and fighting her way to freedom and victory.
* Enjoyed THE IMMORTAL RULES? Don’t miss the second book in the series, THE ETERNITY CURE, coming April 2013! * Read an excerpt of THE IMMORTAL RULES!
* Click here to watch the book trailer.
* For further information about Julie and her books, visit www.juliekagawa.com
* Thanks to Harlequin Teen for sending me a copy of THE IMMORTAL RULES for review!
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