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Title: The Immortal Rules
Series: Blood of Eden, book #1
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Genre: Young Adult- Paranormal, Dystopia
Release Date: April 24, 2012
Source: ebook via Overdrive – review policy here.
Synopsis via Goodreads:
Allison Sekemoto survives in the Fringe, the outermost circle of a walled-in city. By day, she and her crew scavenge for food. By night, any one of them could be eaten. Some days, all that drives Allie is her hatred of them—the vampires who keep humans as blood cattle. Until the night Allie herself dies and becomes one of the monsters.
Forced to flee her city, Allie must pass for human as she joins a ragged group of pilgrims seeking a legend—a place that might have a cure for the disease that killed off most of civilization and created the rabids, the bloodthirsty creatures who threaten human and vampire alike. And soon Allie will have to decide what and who is worth dying for… again.
Forced to flee her city, Allie must pass for human as she joins a ragged group of pilgrims seeking a legend—a place that might have a cure for the disease that killed off most of civilization and created the rabids, the bloodthirsty creatures who threaten human and vampire alike. And soon Allie will have to decide what and who is worth dying for… again.
A book about vampires...
A book about vampires written by Julie Kagawa...
Okay so it took me a minute to get on the Blood of Eden bandwagon. I figured since the third book is being released in April I should get moving. One of my favorite series to-date is the Iron Fey series by Julie Kagawa, so I was more excited about reading this than I would have been about reading a vampire novel by another author. Just sayin'...
Moving on...
Allie is starving in a post-apocalyptic vampire ruled city where the tenants must pay with their blood or live unsupported. As a result she goes searching for food in unsavory places... thankfully we don't have to wait long for the action to start unfolding. The first third covers Allie's transition and vampire education with her sire Kanin. Kanin is a vampire outcast who hides out in an old hospital and has a thirst for knowledge (no pun intended) however the hideout isn't safe for long and he and Allie must split up to survive. In the end I really wanted more Kanin but I know I'll see him soon...
This leads into the bulk of the story where Allie then starts a journey, disguised as a human, with a group of people seeking the sanctuary of Eden. This group is led by a former preacher, Jeb, and second in command, Zeke. Almost everyone has a biblical name, some believe they've been left behind and some have lost faith altogether. This is also where Allie and Zeke form a special bond that gives us baby swoons through the end of the book.
"He suddenly leaned in, and his fingers brushed my cheek. Warmth flooded my skin, and
I frozen, waiting for him to pull back."
I frozen, waiting for him to pull back."
The world building... Julie Kagawa has put in a dedicated effort to build a vampire world with a unique spin while maintaing a familiar feeling. I liked the physiological explanations that went into why vampires must feed on human blood, the Hunger and their ability to heal. We get a lot of background into how/why this post-apocalyptic world has formed where vampires rule, humans are blood slaves, and Rabids rise from the ground to rip apart anything that moves. Not to mention, anyone can die in this world and a lot of them do. If you're an emotional reader, bust out the tissues now.
Character development is crafted with such detail that I can visualize and cast with little mentions. Allie is strong in her convictions before and after her transition however she is not naive. This is such a relief because I loathe nothing more than a female protagonist who makes decisions without considering the consequences. This does not mean that Allie doesn't make rash decisions it just means that she knows what the payment is and accepts it before making the decision. Plus, she's pretty awesome with a Katana as she slices down Rabids. Kanin is a brooding vampire who has been around for sometime and has more secrets than truths. Zeke is a human boy who obeys the flock's shepherd and pays dearly when he doesn't. Jackal is the antagonist who I love to hate. He comes off as larger than life with his Hunger Games style entertainment, grandeur persona, and Hell's Angel style minions.
“I would not suffer anyone to endure the path I walk.
My road must always be traveled alone.”
My road must always be traveled alone.”
Overall, The Immortal Rules was all about laying down the foundation for the series and it does just that. I'm by no means sated with the story at this point and I'm ready to binge read through The Eternity Cure just to see all of the relationships develop further and more fight scenes where, hopefully, Allie kicks butt and fewer people die!
Check back next Sunday for my review of The Eternity Cure.
4 Stars- Loved it! A must read for fans of Julie Kawaga, vampires and/or dystopian fiction.
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