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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.
Allison Sekemoto hated vampires, despising the flesh eaters who killed her mother. And then she became one. The transformation had given her their hunger, but it had not extinguished her hatred for these nocturnal murderers. Now living with humans, she fights her dark urgings even as she searches for some way out, some cure to take her out of this nightmare. A paranormal series that holds you in its grip.
— Brian Monahan
-- *Starred* Publishers Weekly review
"Action packed, rife with drama and moral
quandaries, and laced with an impossible romance, this first in the Blood of Eden series will hit the mark
with readers who like some supernatural in their dystopias and don't mind a bloody sword fight." -- Booklist
"Allie's a smart, strong and compelling heroine, and readers will gladly join her for this adrenaline-rich ride."
-- Kirkus Reviews
They hung the Unregistereds in the old warehouse district; it was a public execution, so everyone went to see.
I stood at the back, a nameless face in the crowd, too close to the gallows for comfort but unable to look away. There were three of them this time, two boys and a girl. The oldest was about my age, seventeen and skinny, with huge frightened eyes and greasy dark hair that hung to his shoulders. The other two were even younger, fourteen and fifteen if I had to guess, and siblings, since they both had the same stringy yellow hair. I didn't know them; they weren't part of my crowd. Still, they had the same look of all Unregistereds; thin and ragged, their eyes darting about like trapped animals. I crossed my arms tightly, feeling their desperation. It was over. The trap had closed; the hunters had caught them, and there was no place for them to run.
The pet stood on the edge of the platform, puffed up and swaggering, as if he had caught the kids himself. He was walking back and forth, pointing to the condemned and rattling off a list of crimes, his pale eyes gleaming with triumph.
" assaulting a citizen of the Inner City, robbery, trespassing and resisting arrest. These criminals attempted to steal Class One foodstuffs from the private warehouse of the Inner City. This is a crime against you, and more important, a crime against our benevolent Masters."
I snorted. Fancy words and legal mumbo jumbo didn't erase the fact that these "criminals" were just doing what all Unregistereds did to survive. For whatever reasons, fate, pride or stubbornness, we nonregistered humans didn't have the mark of our vampire masters etched into our skin, the brands that told you who you were, where you lived and who you belonged to. Of course, the vampires said it was to keep us safe, to keep track of everyone within the city, to know how much food they had to allow for. It was for our own good. Yeah, right. Call it what you wanted, it was just another way to keep their human cattle enslaved. You might as well be wearing a collar around your neck.
There were several good things about being Unregistered. You didn't exist. You were off their records, a ghost in the system. Because your name wasn't on the lists, you didn't have to show up for the monthly bloodletting, where human pets in crisp white coats stuck a tube in your vein and siphoned your blood into clear bags that were placed into coolers and taken to the Masters. Miss a couple lettings and the guards came for you, forcing you to pony up the late blood, even if it left you empty as a limp sack. The vamps got their blood, one way or another.
Being Unregistered let you slip through the cracks. There was no leash for the bloodsuckers to yank on. And since it wasn't exactly a crime, you'd think everyone would do it. Unfortunately, being free came with a hefty price. Registered humans got meal tickets. Unregistereds didn't. And since the vamps controlled all the food in the city, this made getting enough to eat a real problem.
So we did what anyone in our situation would do. We begged. We stole. We scraped up food wherever we could, did anything to survive. In the Fringe, the outermost circle of the vampire city, food was scarce even if you weren't Unregistered. The ration trucks came twice a month and were heavily guarded. I'd seen Registered citizens beaten just for getting out of line. So while it wasn't exactly a crime to be Unregistered, if you got caught stealing from the bloodsuckers and you didn't have the Prince's cursed brand gracing your skin, you could expect no mercy whatsoever.
It was a lesson I'd learned well. Too bad these three never did.
" eight ounces of soy, two potatoes, and a quarter loaf of bread." The pet was still going on, and his audience had their eyes glued to the gallows now, morbidly fascinated. I slipped into the crowd, moving away from the platform. The smug voice rang out behind me, and I clenched my hands, wishing I could drive a fist through his smiling teeth. Damn pets. In some ways, they were even worse than the bloodsuckers. They'd chosen to serve the vamps, selling out their fellow humans for the safety and luxury it brought. Everyone hated them, but at the same time everyone was jealous of them, as well.
"The rules regarding Unregistered citizens are clear." The pet was wrapping up, stretching out his words for the greatest effect. "According to clause twenty-two, line forty-six of New Covington law, any human found stealing within city limits, who does not have the mark of protection from the Prince, shall be hanged by the neck until they are dead. Do the accused have any last words?"
I heard muffled voices, the oldest thief swearing at the pet, telling him to do something anatomically impossible. I shook my head. Brave words wouldn't help him. Nothing would now. It was fine and good to be defiant to the end, but it was better not to get caught in the first place. That was his first mistake and, ultimately, his last. Always leave yourself an out; that was the first rule of the Unregistereds. Do whatever you want—hate the vamps, curse the pets—but never get caught. I picked up my pace, hurrying past the edge of the crowd, and broke into a jog.
The clunk of the trapdoors releasing echoed very loudly in my ears, even over the gasp of the watching crowd. The silence that followed was almost a living thing, urging me to turn, to glance over my shoulder. Ignoring the knot in my stomach, I slipped around a corner, putting the wall between myself and the gallows so I wouldn't be tempted to look back.
Life in the Fringe is a simple thing, like the people who live here. They don't have to work, though there are a couple "trading posts" set up around the Fringe, where people collect what they find and exchange it for other things. They don't have to read; there are no jobs that require it, and besides, owning books is highly illegal—so why risk it? All they have to worry about is feeding themselves, keeping their clothes mended, and patching up whatever hole or box or gutted out building they call home well enough to keep the rain off them.
The secret goal of almost every Fringer is to someday make it into the Inner City, past the Wall that separates the civilized world from the human trash, into the glittering city that looms over us with its great starry towers that had somehow resisted crumbling into dust. Everyone knows someone who knows someone who was taken into the city, a brilliant mind or a great beauty, someone too unique or special to be left here with us animals. There are rumors that the vampires "breed" the humans on the inside, raising the children to be their thralls, completely devoted to their Masters. But since none who are Taken into the city ever come out again—except the pets and their guards, and they aren't talking—no one knows what it's really like.
Of course, this only feeds the stories.
"Did you hear?" Stick asked as I met him at the chain-link fence that marked the edge of our territory. Beyond the fence, across a grassy, glass-strewn lot, stood a squat old building that my gang and I called home. Lucas, the de facto leader of our gang, said it used to be a "school," a place where kids like us gathered every day in huge numbers to learn. That was before the vamps had it gutted and burned, destroying everything on the inside, but it was still a refuge for a gang of skinny street rats. Three stories high, the brick walls were beginning to crumble, the top floor had fallen in, and the halls were filled with mold, rubble and little else. The charred halls and empty rooms were cold, damp and dark, and every year a little more of the walls fell away, but it was our place, our safe haven, and we were fiercely protective of it.
"Hear what?" I asked as we ducked through the gap in the rusty fence, striding through weeds and grass and broken bottles to where home beckoned invitingly.
"Gracie was Taken last night. Into the city. They say some vampire was looking to expand his harem, so he took her."
I looked at him sharply. "What? Who told you that?"
"Kyle and Travis."
I rolled my eyes in disgust. Kyle and Travis belonged to a rival gang of Unregistereds. We didn't bother each other, usually, but this sounded like something our competitors would concoct just to scare us off the streets. "You believe anything those two say? They're screwing with you, Stick. They want to scare you."
He trailed me across the lot like a shadow, watery blue gaze darting about. Stick's real name was Stephen, but no one called him that anymore. He was taller than me by several inches, but my five-foot nothing didn't make this feat all that impressive. Stick was built like a scarecrow, with straw-colored hair and timid eyes. He managed to survive on the streets, but just barely. "They're not the only ones talking about it," he insisted. "Cooper said he heard her scream a few blocks away. What does that tell you?"
"If it's true? That she was stupid enough to go wandering around the city at night and probably got herself eaten."
"Allie!"
"What?" We ducked through the broken door frame into the dank halls of the school. Rusty metal lockers were scattered along one wall, a few still standing, most dented and broken. I headed toward an upright one and yanked the door open with a squeak. "The vamps don't stay in their precious towers all the time. Sometimes they go hunting for live bodies. Everyone knows that." I grabbed the brush that I kept here to go with the mirror that was stuck to the back, the only useable one in the building. My reflection stared at me, a dirty-faced girl with straight black hair and "squinty eyes," as Rat put it. At least I didn't have teeth like a rodent.
I ran the brush through my hair, wincing at the snags. Stick was still watching me, disapproving and horrified, and I rolled my eyes. "Don't give me that look, Stephen," I said, frowning. "If you're out past sundown and get tagged by a bloodsucker, that's your fault for not staying put or not paying attention." I replaced the brush and shut the locker with a bang. "Gracie thought that just because she's Registered and her brother guards the Wall, she was safe from vampires. They always come for you when you think you're safe."
"Marc is pretty torn up about it," Stick said almost sullenly. "Gracie was his only family since their parents died."
"Not our problem." I felt bad for saying it, but it was true. In the Fringe, you looked out for yourself and your immediate family, no one else. My concern didn't extend beyond myself, Stick and the rest of our small gang. This was my family, screwed up as it was. I couldn't worry about the trials of everyone in the Fringe. I had plenty of my own, thanks.
"Maybe " Stick began, and hesitated. "Maybe she's happier now," he continued. "Maybe being Taken into the Inner City is a good thing. The vampires will take better care of her, don't you think?"
I resisted the urge to snort. Stick, they're vampires, I wanted to say. Monsters. They only see us as two things: slaves and food. Nothing good comes from a bloodsucker, you know that.
But telling Stick that would only upset him more, so I pretended not to hear. "Where are the others?" I asked as we walked down the hall, picking our way over rubble and broken glass. Stick trailed morosely, dragging his feet, kicking bits of rock and plaster with every step. I resisted the urge to smack him. Marc was a decent guy; even though he was Registered, he didn't treat us Unregistereds like vermin, and even spoke to us on occasion when he was making his rounds at the Wall. I also knew Stick had feelings for Gracie, though he would never act on them. But I was the one who shared most of my food with him, since he was usually too scared to go scavenging by himself. Ungrateful little snot. I couldn't watch out for everyone; he knew that.
"Lucas isn't back yet," Stick finally mumbled as we came to my room, one of the many empty spaces along the hall. In the years I had been here, I'd fixed it up the best I could. Plastic bags covered the shattered windows, keeping out the rain and damp. An old mattress lay in one corner with my blanket and pillow. I'd even managed to find a folding table, a couple chairs and a plastic shelf for various clutter, little things I wanted to keep. I'd built a nice little lair for myself, and the best part was my door still locked from the inside, so I could get some privacy if I wanted.
"What about Rat?" I asked, pushing on my door.
As the door squeaked open, a wiry boy with lank brown hair jerked around, beady eyes widening. He was older than me and Stick, with sharp features and a front tooth that stuck out like a fang, giving him a permanent sneer.
Rat swore when he saw me, and my blood boiled. This was my space, my territory. He had no right to be here. "Rat," I snarled, bursting through the doorway. "Why are you snooping around my room? Looking for things to steal?"
Rat held up his arm, and my stomach went cold. In one grubby hand, he held an old, faded book, the cover falling off, the pages crumpled. I recognized it instantly. It was a made-up story, a fantasy, the tale of four kids who went through a magic wardrobe and found themselves in a strange new world. I'd read it more times than I could remember, and although I sneered at the thought of a magical land with friendly, talking animals, there were times when I wished, in my most secret moments, that I could find a hidden door that would take us all out of this place.
"What the hell is this?" Rat said, holding up the book. Having been caught red-handed, he quickly switched to the offensive. "Books? Why are you collecting garbage like that? As if you even know how to read." He snorted and tossed the book to the floor. "Do you know what the vamps would do, if they found out? Does Lucas know about your little trash collection?"
This book was way more than I was expecting.
Allie and the other ‘Fringers’ (those unregistered humans that lived in the Fringe) scrounged for supplies in abandoned buildings and homes and hunted rats so they wouldn’t have to eat spiders or cockroaches. They barely survived and lived by 1 rule – every man for himself. But Allie still managed to help her friend Stick when he was too weak to do things for himself. She didn’t take crap from anyone and wasn’t afraid to punch someone in the face for being a dick. She was a complex character who really went through the ringer. She fought hard just to survive and even agreed to become a soulless bloodsuckers to avoid dying. Once she became a vampire, she fought the urge to become a monster and struggled to maintain her humanity.
This book reminded me of The Host and The Passage because they also were separated into different sections and the protagonist in all of them went on a long journey. This one was separated into 3 parts: Allie’s time in the Fringe, her time with Kanin when he taught her to be a vampire and her time with the traveling band of humans. Some of it was a little slow (how many vampire lessons did we really need?) but the action soon picked up. There was some gore, but I wouldn’t call it excessive. There were a lot of scares and tense moments and every once in a while I found myself skipping paragraphs just to get past the extra suspenseful parts!
There were also some sweet moments, mostly featuring Zeke. His adopted father was the leader of the group of humans Allie found herself in the middle of for the last quarter of the book. Jebediah clearly had secrets he was keeping from the group and Allie discovered he had some parenting issues I wasn’t expecting.
This is my first novel by Julie Kagawa so I don’t know if this is exemplary of her writing style, but I just couldn’t put this down. It sucked me right in from the beginning and did not let go.
I really dislike the cover. It totally fits the story but it seems so in your face to me. It’s saying “Hey, look at me with my red eye and gross bloody tears! This is a VAMPIRE novel!” I wish it were more subtle.
14 out of 14 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.It’s been a while, I’m sad to say, since I’ve read a book that’s kept me up nights and made me want to skip meals and forsake sleep (two VERY important things in my life) just so I can turn one more virtual page. The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa (NYT bestselling author of the Iron Fey series) did that for me.
Thank you, very much, Julie. For not only giving us another fantastically written YA book, but also for supplying the market with a rockin’ vampire-dystopian that laughs in the faces of sparkly vampire everywhere, and for giving the YA community a kickass heroine (Allie) with a hard attitude and who knows how wield a katana.
This book is a freaking awesome cross between Daybreakers, Last Man Standing, 28 Weeks Later, Resident Evil, and The Road. Don’t think it can be done? Wrong. It has been. And it rocks.
What makes this different from every other vampire book out there? Well, for one, there’s no obsessively beautiful vampire boy who just wants to fall in love. Secondly, this one’s AWESOME. Told from a girl’s point of view, it’s a book about survival and realizing that there might be something out there worth saving other than your own sorry skin. It portrays vampires as they should be—vicious killing machines with an animalistic instinct to destroy and survive.
Only two things make this book better than it already is: 1) it’s a series, and 2) the film rights have been acquired by Palomar Pictures.
Heck. Yes.
Longer review at my blog. Raelynnfry.blogspot
9 out of 9 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted May 19, 2012
When I first bought this book, I was alittle apprehensive about if I would like it or not. Well turns out that I didn't like it, LOVED it! It always keeps you guessing and wanting more. I read it in 3 hours, skipping breakfast and lunch. When i finished reading it, I was sad because there wasn't more. And a little mad because i read it too fast. But I loved every word and every page. If you want to read a vampire book that you will want to read more, this book is 100% the book you want. Can't wait for the next book.
6 out of 6 people found this review helpful.
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Posted May 19, 2012
I rarely rate any book with five stars, but this one earned it. It is a mix between hunger games and vampire novels. You will not be disappointed. This was the most enjoyable book Ive read this year and i read a lot!
6 out of 6 people found this review helpful.
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Posted July 13, 2012
This is bar far one of the best supernatural books i have read, i love the main character Allison and Zeke. Allison is very strong and brave, and i think the same goes for Zeke as well. And i loved how this story had just a touch of romance, but it wasn't overwhelming or fake, you really got to see how there friendship and trust, slowly built on. And I was absolutely absorbed into the story, I just couldn't put my book down and I was extremely sad when i finished the book, 'cuz now i have to wait another year for the second book! UGH. Anyway as i read the book It was almost like you were in that world and i think even though it was supernatural and the world was completely different from our own world today, it wasn't cheesy or unrealistic, where everything is peachy and perfect. And maybe i sound like a complete sadist for saying this, but i liked how some characters died. It wasn't one of those stories where everyone lived, and somehow NO ONE got hurt. I'm like totally in love with how strong Allison's character is, and she immedietly won me over. And yes this book is a little bit gory and violent, and it's not exactly an ideal 'perfect' world, but this book is seriously amazing.
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged. Just when you think that nothing new can be done with vampires, Julie Kagawa decides to write about them, and boy does she write a refreshing take!
I was immediately drawn to Allie, the main character. I love her survivor instinct and how she clings to her humanity and ultimately who she is even in the darkest of circumstances. This is really what defines a strong main character. They can have all the wit in the world or the hottest guy, but if they don't stay true to themselves (this doesn't mean they don't struggle or make mistakes, by the way--in doing these things they discover more about who they are and make me ultimately like them more) then I don't really find them to be believable.
I really love the mystery surrounding Kanin and I can't wait to find out more about what makes him tick and what led him to the place he's in now. Ms. Kagawa has such a talent to keep me guessing, because for every answer we get in the book, five more questions arise.
Julie Kagawa writes with such immediacy for her characters and with the right amount of detail that it makes me feel like I am a part of the story rather than a passive passenger. I also admire the talent she has to craft these paranormal societies with such subtleties and dysfunction all at the same time. I'm amazed at how authors such as Ms. Kagawa continue to have things up their sleeve to surprise me, because she did it beautifully in The Immortal Rules with the plot twists and revelations, from Jeb's secret, to the mysterious Raider King, Kanin and the whole story with Zeke.
As I mentioned a bit earlier, the characters are crafted wonderfully in this first book of The Blood of Eden. I admired Allie's loyalty and resiliency, and Zeke's unwavering ability to see the good in others. Not only are there great characters, The Immortal Rules is packed with action and adventure. You know it's true when one line reads: "I was tired of being shot, stabbed, burned, gutted, staked and thrown out windows..." It is also a sign that you have one kick butt heroine on our hands.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.CheerfulReviews
Posted July 12, 2012
My Thoughts
(There are no major spoilers, but if you like to be completely surprised do not read on.)
Nitty Gritty
Okay, so this book is a start of a new series by Julie Kagawa, who is known for writing the Iron Fey series(whichareamazing). In the beginning we are introduced to Allison (or Allie) who is an unregistered human in a world ruled by vampires. Now by being unregistered, she is not living under the rule of the vampires. Since the vampires took over, the humans have to register to give blood and such or they won't be able to get food/have a place to live, etc. But- you're pretty much controlled by the vampires. Allison doesn't want to be controlled by vampires so she lives life in the Fringe. The fringe is a community- if you could call it that - where all the unregistered humans live. They have to live in abandoned buildings, scavenge for food, and do their absolute best to avoid the rabids- Rabids are crazed vampires who live in the wild and attack after dark. So while living in a beat up abandoned building with her group of friends, Allison has to struggle to survive. But one night when Allison and her friends are out looking for food they get corned by a bunch of rabids, and this is when Allison has to make the choice to die or live as the thing she hates most. So she choses to live, and a vampire (Kanin) changes Allison, and has to teach her the ropes of being a super strong, bad ass vampire! Okay, so after a while with Kanin- Allie is left alone to fend for herself as a vampire, and comes across this group of humans and decided that she would pretend to be human and tag along. ENTER ZEKE. I'm sorry, I just had to add the caps there because Zeke is awesome. So this group is on a search for this land called 'Eden' which is a place free of vampires where humans can live free. And so Allison decides to come along and help them on their search and they go through tons of obstacles on the way, crazy stuff happens, a love blooms, etc. etc.
Characters
A l l i s o n : Allison was my type of heroine! I really enjoyed following her throughout the whole story. In the beginning she tried to act like she didn't care and only worried for herself. But after you start reading the book she isn't like that at all, she would jump in front of a bunch of rabids to save the people she cares for! (literally) She was such a strong lead and so selfless which made her oh so very lovable! :D
K a n i n : I loved this guy. Foreals. He was Allison's sire and her mentor throughout part of the book. He was different from the other vampires which was awesome, and as time went on he really started to care about Allie.
Z e k e : I'm at such a crossroads between who I love more. :( Kanin or Zeke.. Zeke or Kanin. Ahhh. Well, Zeke is the love interest in the book and one of the members of the group who is on a search for the magical land of Eden. Zeke was just too dang cute for words, guys. He has such a sad past and yet he still wears a smile on his face and tries his best to get by. It was really fun watching Allison and Zeke slowly start to fall for each other. Even though sometimes Allie was just thinking about sinking her teeth into his neck..(She couldn't help it. D: She's hungry!)......
The rest of the review can be found at my blog. Cheerful Reviews
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted May 17, 2012
I really loved it and i hope there are more to come. I really like this author, but i have got to say this is my favorite of her books. Can't wait for the next one!
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted May 1, 2012
This book was one of my favorite vampire books! One of the best setting I've ever come across: a world where vampires rule but are in as much danger as humans. I really recomend it for someone who is tired of the stories where vampires have no enimies and are stuck having to hide because of science.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.A dystopian vampire-ruled society...what's not to like? The Immortal Rules is the first book in Julie Kagawa's new series Blood of Eden. I absolutely adored her Iron Fey series and feel she is off to a great start with this novel. Julie's world-building and character development amaze me. Her worlds are always imaginative but, somehow, still realistic. Her protagonists are strong-willed, both mentally and physically, but also humanly flawed.
Summary:
The world in The Immortal Rules is dystopian, meaning that society is oppressed and disintegrating under some type of government...in this case, vampires rule. Humans are either Registered or Unregistered. Registered meaning that the vampires keep track of you, collect blood for their feeding from you, and, in return, the vampires provide you with food and necessities. Unregistered humans are able to easily slip through the cracks, because, in the vampires' eyes, they didn't exist. This also means the Unregistered aren't given a meal ticket, leaving bands of misfits to scavenge for food and supplies. If an Unregistered is caught stealing, imminent death is certain..
Allie is a young Unregistered living with three other teenagers in an abandoned schoolhouse, struggling to survive. They depend on each other for food and protection. Lucas, Rat, Stick, and Allie attempt to stay under the radar of the Prince of their city. Before her death, Allie's mother taught her to read, a rarity in this particular society. Knowledge of any sort can cause humans, Registered and/or Unregistered, to become Taken and used by the vampires.
It doesn't take long for Allie to lose more than just her parents. She loses the only friends she has ever known and her own life as a human. Nothing can keep her from dying, but Kanin can make her immortal. Kanin is bluntly honest with her. She will, from the point she turns, always be a monster. Nothing changes that fact. She will kill a human, no matter how hard she tries not to...it will happen. Even with this information, Allie makes the only choice she can, she allows Kanin to turn her and teach her how to become a vampire.
Allie's journey with Kanin is only the beginning. Once he has taught her all he can, she must set off on her own path and learn to survive without his protection. Along the way, she discovers a group of humans searching for Eden...the proverbial promised land. The choices she makes along her travels will eventually define her as a person and a vampire. She begins to realize that hiding her true nature is going to be extremely difficult...especially as her feelings for Zeke grow into something more than friendship. Holding on to her humanity is important to Allie and the lengths she takes to save her new friends might be the one thing that gives her away.
My Opinion:
I loved the storyline. A dystopian vampire society is a unique and intriguing concept. I also appreciated the fact that Julie made no qualms with including Christian beliefs and ideologies in The Immortal Rules. Her candor with not only Allie's, but with all of the going-to-Eden pack's, beliefs--or loss of belief, as the case maybe--is refreshing to see in writing.
Allie is a strong female lead, who does what she must to survive, but...she also has flaws and battles internally about what is right and wrong. Occasionally, she makes the wrong decisions and suffers the consequences of her actions. Although she is a strong character, it took me a while to "like&
2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
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Posted December 14, 2012
Especially the audiobook version. Worth every penny!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted September 16, 2012
Best book i have ever read in long time i wish it was in a series but owell it was still a amazing book :)
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.ReenaJacobs
Posted July 14, 2012
This book was supplied to me by the publisher through NetGalley. This was NOTHING like The Iron King. I read online (maybe at Ms. Kawaga’s website) she was reluctant to write a vampire book. OMG! I am SO glad she decided to take the leap. I loved the main character, Allie. Bad @$$. Yes, that’s what she was. She was the type of girl who wasn’t playing games. If she told me to get out of her face for whatever reason, you better believe I’d do it, cause I’d know without a doubt, her next move would be to make me physically comply in the most unpleasant way. And the thing was, I’d deserve whatever she dished out. I love a gal who sticks to her guns! Quite a few side characters in this book. I’m not going to go into them all, but if you were able to get over all the expendable characters in The Hunger Games, you should be fine with this book. PLOT!!! Wonderful plot… always moving forward. I almost wonder if Julie Kawaga wrote this one by the seat of her pants. A lot of books start with an overall goal to achieve. This book sort of just moved along from incident to incident. I never really felt like there was an end goal for Allie other than to survive… and that gal was a survivor! Even though the book didn’t seem to have an ultimate goal, pretty much all the main strings were wrapped up in the end. HOWEVER, the story didn’t really end. New goals were created in the last few pages… something to look forward to in the next book. Overall, great book. I’d say 4.5/5 stars. I’ll definitely have my eyes out for the next in this series. In fact, I enjoyed The Immortal Rules so much, I’m going to give the next book in the Iron Fey series a try.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted July 14, 2012
Another great by julie kagawa!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.This book was so hard to read. It was traumatizing, depressing and terrifying. And all these are good things.
Here’s the world: Vampires have now taken over after a disease has killed or created monsters out of the entire population.
For the few remaining humans, there are a few options:
One: Become a Pet, i.e. get pampered by the vampires, have a master, give blood whenever necessary.
Two: Get registered and have to give blood with no exceptions.This goes with being a pet too. However, you wouldn't be as pampered as a pet.
Or Three: Remain unregistered. Live in absolute squalor with no food resources and fear of death at all times.
Allie, the main character, chooses door number three because of her overwhelming hatred for vampires. She lives in a group with three boys and their only way to survive is to trade for food, randomly find some (not likely) or go outside the city into open territory where psychotic vampires known as Rabids roam. Now most vampires are like humans in mental processes i.e. they remember their own life, they can be logical. Rabids are nothing like that. They are vicious and animalistic. Luckily, the author stuck with vampires as night creatures so Allie figures she’s safe going outside the wall.
Let me tell you one thing I learned in this book: NO ONE IS SAFE. This was probably the most horrifically accurate depiction of what I think the world would be like if vampires ruled. I'll say it again: it was depressing, sad and terrifying. But what made this book wonderful were the moments of hope. Allie ends up meeting someone who brings a little light into her life…err after life. I don’t want to give away more than the blurb does, but I loved who Allie meets after she becomes a vampire and what he makes her think about life and about love.
I also loved Allie's kickassness. She struggles so greatly about becoming this creature she hates. It was so hard to watch, I was biting my shirt neck the entire time I was reading it. I loved her story line but was impressed me was the connection I felt with all the characters. People who I hated in this book because they were cowardly, jealous or petty, I couldn't not feel sympathetic or empathetic towards. Take for instance Allie’s friend Stick. He doesn’t do any of the work to get food and relies on Allie to do everything for him. He was whiny, annoying and cowardly. At times I wish she would beat him in the face but I had to stop and wonder what I would be like in this world. Everyday that Allie and her gang left to get food was another day they could have died. It would be impossible to not understand why Stick would act the way he did. I loved that almost every character had redeemable qualities and weren't one note.
Here’s what I didn’t like. There were a lot of plot holes I had a hard time overlooking. Allie almost never thinks about the boy she lost when she became a vampire. I didn't feel like it was callous of her, I almost felt like Kagawa forgot to mention him again. Allie meets a new boy who she likes but doesn't think about the one she liked for two years? Seems fishy. Also, there were other points were Kagawa missed mentioning things that had previously happened like bodies being left somewhere but when Allie returns to the spot she doesn’t think about what happened to the bodies and there is no explanation of where they went. I don’t know if this was an ARC problem but it bothered me because it took me out of the story, though it was minor.
I also didn't like how Allie kept meeting people that were all connected through a certain event. Everything was just too perfect. Like magically Allie happens to meet the exact person who knows someone she knows or is a part of the bigger problem going on in the world. It was just unrealistic. Too serendipitous, in my opinion. If it happened once, I would have been like OH OKAY but it happened like three times so I can't excuse it.
Lastly, (this has nothing to do with the story) I wanted to point out how the girl on the cover is not Asian even though Allie is. I don't see the point in that.
OVERALL:
Lost points for plot holes and some other aspects I didn't like but I loved the world and characters. I felt the pain and terror of the characters. What could be a better experience than that!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.I really wanted to love The Immortal Rules, and since it was by Kagawa, I thought I would. However, I was wrong. This book didn't blow me away at all. Kagawa's writing is near perfect, and the world building is fantastic. I didn't like the characters, though, and the plot was a bit scattered (which is something I notice a lot in dystopian novels). Also, the pacing kind of dragged for me. I just was not into this story at all. It took me awhile to read it. I'm glad I did, if nothing else, just to satisfy my curiosity. I have to admit that I like the Iron Fey series better. One thing I did like, other than the writing and world building, is the fact that vampires aren't good sparkly characters in this novel. They are controlling murderers. That was refreshing.
Allie is one of the most detestable characters I've ever read. She alternates between being a snarky, whiny, self-centered brat, and a doormat. It's kind of annoying. The people who she lives with on the Fringe are also horrible, as are the humans she meets after she's changed. The only person I liked was Kanin, and he disappears mid-novel never to be seen again. I really couldn't stand Zeke, and I kind of wanted to impale him with something.
The plot was confusing and a bit scattered. There were times that I had a hard time following what was going on, and sometimes I had no idea why something occurred. After reading the entire book, I still have no real idea why some things occurred. The pacing was also slow-as-molasses. I thought I was going to gouge my eyes out during the first half of the book because it moved so slowly. It did pick up around the 250 page mark, though, and it got much better. At least there was action and adventure going on then. Nothing about this novel actually kept me guessing or on the edge of my seat, though. It took me a few days to read this one because I kept getting bored. I'd go read something else then come back to it.
Overall, I'd recommend this to dystopian, Kagawa, and *real* vampire fans. When I say *real* vampire fans, I mean people who are disturbed by the fact that Edward Cullen sparkles. If you want to read about *real* vampires, as they were meant to be perceived by the great Stoker, then this is an excellent choice for you. The book isn't bad. It just wasn't for me. I know a lot of people have loved this novel, and I'm sure many more will love it than hate it. Try a sample or skim over the first chapter or two at the book store before you buy it, but I know for a fact that dystopian fans will love this one.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted May 13, 2013
When I first picked this book up I didn't know what I would think of this book. I haven't read a really good vampire novel in forever, and then I picked this one up.
I was amazed at how well written this book was! I love dystopian novels and the fact that it was mixed with the true nature of vampires was truly awesome. I think
anyone who loves dystopian novels and has an interest in vampires should read this book. It doesn't portray vampires like Twilight or even other vampire novels
do. It shows vampires as how they should be! The romance in it is also very believable as well as off to the side. It isn't the main focus of the story, which is how
most vampire novels are. I am impatiently awaiting the next novel.
Vampires. And a chick with a samurai sword. Need I say more?
3.5/5 stars
Review originally featured on Bookluvrs Haven
I started reading 'The Iron Fey' series by Julie Kagawa last year, and completely fell in love with the series. I have not gone through all the books YET, but I am on a mission to pick up the series where I left off. So I simply could not pass on reading her new vampire series to see what it was all about.
In 'The Immortal Rules' I met Allie, a heroine to be envious of. She is compassionate, loyal, strong and maybe a little too trusting when she shouldn't be, but a fierce warrior when needed. None of these qualities are more prominent and evident than when she becomes the one thing that she hates most.
A Vampire.
Kanin, her maker, takes Allie under his wing and teaches her how to hunt, fight, and survive. As he gave her a choice to live as a vampire, or die as a human, he now gives her the choice to survive as the being she is now. Tries to convince her to harden her heart, learn to let go of her past, and to forgo her human tendencies. But Allie refuses to let go of what makes her 'good'.
She ventures out into unknown territory, beyond the gates that surround a city that is the only home she has known. She encounters a group of humans that will test her to the very limits of her will power. Facing a zealous leader, and feeling forbidden feelings for his son, this story has every element that you would be looking for in a great book.
There are elements I loved in this book:
1. A catastrophic virus that wipes out large numbers of the human population. Awesome.
2. Arrogant, cold, unfeeling vampires take over as leaders, treating humans like slaves and cattle.
3. Virus and vampires don't mix all that well sometimes. Introducing the rabids. They act and appear to look like zombie vampires. That's a double awesome right there.
4. Allie kicks butt. And carries a samurai sword. Another double awesome.
There was a lot of walking in this novel. It sometimes slowed the plot right down and made this novel seem a little longer than it probably was. But when there was action, the adrenaline rush was great! I especially loved the last 20% of this novel when the excitement was really non-stop. The plot had a lot of original elements and ideas that I really enjoyed.
Though this is very different from Kagawa's 'The Iron Fey', it is no less worthy of praise. I am glad that the author took the plunge and published something so different from her other series. I am very curious to see what this journey holds, and will definitely continue this series.
*I received a eBook copy of this book for free to review from the author/publisher; this in no way influenced my review, all opinions are 100% honest and my own.*
I want to thank Net Galley and Harlequin Teen for providing me with an ecopy of this book to read and give an honest review. Receiving this book for free has in no way influenced my opinion or review.
Blurb from Goodreads:
To survive in a ruined world, she must embrace the darkness
Allison Sekemoto survives in the Fringe, the outermost circle of a walled-in city. By day, she and her crew scavenge for food. By night, any one of them could be eaten. Some days, all that drives Allie is her hatred of them—the vampires who keep humans as blood cattle. Until the night Allie herself dies and becomes one of the monsters.
Forced to flee her city, Allie must pass for human as she joins a ragged group of pilgrims seeking a legend—a place that might have a cure for the disease that killed off most of civilization and created the rabids, the bloodthirsty creatures who threaten human and vampire alike. And soon Allie will have to decide what and who is worth dying for
again.
Enter Julie Kagawa's dark and twisted world as an unforgettable journey begins.
I need to start off by saying that I never read the blurb or any reviews for this. So, going into it, I really had no idea what it was about! I had heard such great things about it, and I had read Julie's other series, The Iron Fey, so I figured I would just jump right in. And I'm so happy I did. I was totally engrossed with this story. I could not put it down (except I had to work and eat and sleep and take care of my family!). So it was a pleasure to read this for sure. And then as I read it and realized it was both paranormal and dystopian? What a great mix! I have only read one other book like this, Day Soldiers by Brandon Hale, which I LOVED. So this idea is still new and unique and totally captivating.
Can we say cover love? I love this cover. I am a little surprised that the cover model is not Asian, tho, considering the main character is. But it does depict something very significant from within the story. So, after reading this book, I completely understood why this was chosen for the cover. I can honestly say that I am really unhappy with the change in the cover and will be purchasing the UK paperback of the second book so that my books will match (even tho one will be hard cover and the other will be paperback).
The characters in this book were so well described and really great to watch grow. They are definitely characters who are easily relatable. I felt sympathy for them when necessary, and I was rooting for them when the time came. They had depth and nuance. It was great watching their personalities unfold and take shape.
Allison is tough as nails. I totally love this about her. She's strong and strong willed for sure. She goes after what she wants. However, she is a bit selfish at times, and this does come back to bite her. But she absolutely learns from her mistakes and uses that knowledge to help others. It was great to watch Allie's struggle as she came to terms with being a vampire. And one of my most favorite things about Allie is that she is a vampire, that Kagawa chose to take her main character and turn her into a monster! Most YA paranormal books have the main character being human, or at least mostly human, and it was nice to see a story told from a different perspective.
Zeke, well, I wasn't sure what to make of him at first. I knew he would turn out to be the love interest, but I just didn't see how it could possibly work. I mean, the idea of human and vampire has already been touched upon in the Twilight series, but this was so much more in depth. There were many more rules here, such as Allie not being able to be out and about during the day. I wasn't sure how Kagawa would over come this, but she came up with some great ideas to do it. And so, the relationship between Zeke and Allie became possible. And Zeke is very strong and strong willed. I definitely felt the clash between him and Allie and thought for sure that the two strong personalities would never work together. But they did. He's also loving and caring, and of course totally swoon worthy. And he comes with lots and lots of baggage, which Kagawa slowly reveals to help shape. He is sensitive and kind and never expects anything in return.
Kanin, well, he is obviously Allie's father figure during this story. He's cryptic, but he reveals things as the time comes. And he teaches Allie what she needs to know to survive. She is connected to him in many ways, as is revealed throughout the story.
Kagawa's writing is so different in this book than in her Iron Fey series. Unlike others, I was not a huge fan of Iron Fey. It was nice enough, but I felt like the story lacked something. Well, Kagawa has certainly fine tuned her craft with this book. Her descriptions are spot on. I felt like I was right there with the characters during the action scenes: being chased, heart beating out of my chest. And I could clearly picture in my life what the towns and surrounding areas looked like. It was great watching the world unfold right before my eyes impossible not to feel as if I, too, were a character in this story, watching it unfold and develop. The setting was reminiscent of Oliver's Delirium, a walled city surrounded by unknown wilds.
Kagawa has shaped a dark tale that will pull you in and completely absorb you. She has created a world where there is a little for everyone: the paranormal lovers and post-appocolypitic world lovers both! There is no doubt in my mind that the next installment of this series will do the same. She will have your heart racing, pulse throbbing and mind reeling with this story. If you are a lover of vampires, then pick this one up. If you love dystopian worlds, then this is the book for you! It's a refreshingly different story that has me chomping at the bit for more. Well done Ms. Kagawa!
5/5 Stars.
Read from February 25 to 26, 2013
BOOK SYNOPSIS
To survive in a ruined world, she must embrace the darkness
Allison Sekemoto survives in the Fringe, the outermost circle of a walled-in city. By day, she and her crew scavenge for food. By night, any one of them could be eaten. Some days, all that drives Allie is her hatred of them—the vampires who keep humans as blood cattle. Until the night Allie herself dies and becomes one of the monsters.
Forced to flee her city, Allie must pass for human as she joins a ragged group of pilgrims seeking a legend—a place that might have a cure for the disease that killed off most of civilization and created the rabids, the bloodthirsty creatures who threaten human and vampire alike. And soon Allie will have to decide what and who is worth dying for
again.
Enter Julie Kagawa's dark and twisted world as an unforgettable journey begins.
My Thoughts
What a choice to make, die for real or live as one of the undead who survive by drinking human blood!
When this series was first hyped I really fell in love with the concept of mixing young adult characters in a dystopian setting along with vampires being one of the many dangerous elements that inhabited the world the human population was trying to survive in.
The author created a world that reminds me of others but at the same time has it's own unique atmosphere, has a fantastically grim landscape that is populated by diverse characters whom readers can truly "see" in their minds eye as the story unfolds.
This story is full of action, the hair raising exploits that Allie must undertake as a human and then as a vampire defy belief but at the same time feel very "real", the romantic aspect that unfolds between she and Zeke is both sweet yet heartbreaking and when Allie finally ends up being exposed as a vampire the choices she makes are not only hard but totally in keeping with the character that the author has shown from the very beginning of the narrative.
There is nothing quite like the journey you will take in this book being told in other vampire lore at the same time a lot of it will be familiar as it follows parameters used in this genre for many years. Julie Kagawa is an author whose work reaches into your heart and takes root, she is someone who can be read and enjoyed by all ages as the tales she tells have no limits to their audience.
The Eternity Cure book 2 in the series was also available on Netgalley so am reading it closer to release date to see what challenges Allie manages to work through next.
[EArc from Netgalley in exchange for honest review]
Overview
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 ...