REVIEW: The Eternity Cure by Julie Kagawa

Title: The ETERNITY CURE (Blood of Eden # 2)

Author: Julia Kagawa

Pages: 446

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Release Date: 30 April 2013

ISBN: 0373210698

Rating: *4 stars*

Allison Sekemoto has vowed to rescue her creator, Kanin, who is being held hostage and tortured by the psychotic vampire Sarren. The call of blood leads her back to the beginning—New Covington and the Fringe, and a vampire prince who wants her dead yet may become her wary ally. Even as Allie faces shocking revelations and heartbreak like she’s never known, a new strain of the Red Lung virus that decimated humanity is rising to threaten human and vampire alike.

The ETERNITY CURE is not for the light-hearted, that’s for sure. My heart stopped so many times while reading this it is a wonder I never got dizzy. Allie is a kick-butt heroine who does a lot of self-discovery in this book. Despite her being a vampire and attacking humans for blood the way any other legitimate vampire would I always felt like Allie always had her humanity intact. Allie took Kanin’s words to heart about choosing what type of monster she wanted to become.

What I had problems with…

The beginning of The Eternity Cure is slow. Like, brain dead slow. At one point I was even tempted to skip ahead, that’s how frustrated I was. But gosh, I am SO happy, I didn't stop reading there because the second half of the book was so brilliantly woven , fast-paced, and darn amazing that it completely made up for the beginning. So if you’re reading this book and you’re wondering why nothing is going anywhere – keep going! Trust me when I say it gets so much better and you’ll be finishing the rest of it in a sitting like I did.

What I loved…

Allie’s relationship with Zeke warmed my heart. Sometimes I wish certain parts of the book were written in Zeke’s POV instead because I often wonder what’s going on in his head. Jackel lightened the mood of the story and though his comments were often crass and demeaning I found myself agreeing with him when he actually had something sane to say. I love his sister-brother relationship with Allie and am curious to see how that develops in the next book.

AHHHHH the ending…

My mind = blown. That’s all I have to say about it. That and I need to read the next book as soon as humanely possible so I could figure out what the heck is going on. ><

Overall thoughts…

Put together action-packed fighting, psychotic vampires, a crazy virus on the loose, delicious plot twists and you get the heart-pounding sequel. Fans of The Immortal Rules do not want to miss The ETERNITY CURE.

On a side note:

I think the cover model for Allie looks pretty amazing! So glad they changed the cover! 

Goodreads [click here]

Amazon [click here]

The Book Depository [click here]

REVIEW: The Eternity Cure by Julie Kagawa

REVIEW: Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa

Title: The Immortal Rules (Blood of Eden #1) 

Author: Julie Kagawa

Pages: 480

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Release Date: 24 April 2012

ISBN: 0373210515

Buy Links: B&N | Amazon | The Book Depository

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.

I'm lovin' the fangs!!!

The Immortal Rules is a gripping post-apocalyptic novel set in a world ruled by vampires, and terrorized by the rabids. My first thought upon reading the summary was “Oh god, the vampires are back in town.” It’s like that awkward moment when a neighbor you didn’t like moves back into town. But these were NOT the human-friendly vegetarian vampires we have met in previous YA novels. These vampires were the REAL blood-thirsty psycho-killer man-eating ones. Just how I like it them. :)

So the beginning starts off as a bit slow. You’re introduced to the world that Allie lives in and her family of fellow unregistered humans who are doing their best to survive. I love Allie’s fierceness and her hold on reality. She never buttered things up, she viewed the world as it was but at the same time didn’t waste her time pitying her miserable existence. That’s kind of what sets her apart from all the other unregistered. She’s grounded and on top of that she has a goal and a purpose—to follow her mother’s advice on how to change the world for humanity.

Kanin was a pretty interesting character. Though we don’t know too much about him, he teaches Allie  that what kind of monster you become is totally up for you to decide. Later we meet Zeke. It took awhile for him to appear but when he did I was extremely glad. He automatically brought a bright atmosphere that I felt was needed at that point in the book. He’s kind of like Allie in the way that he’s goal-orientated and believes in something better than the world they live in. He’s an adorable character and contrasts nicely with Allie’s personality.

Overall, The Immortal Rules is a spell-binding read with bite, and characters to route for. Recommended? Definitely. Trust me, You do not want to miss this!

C O V E R   T H O U G H T S :

 

Okay so if you've read the summary for this book you know that the character is obviously Asian and of Japanese descent. So why does the girl on the cover AND the book trailer look like she's of European descent? Seriously cover makers? Her name is Sekemoto. It's not exactly rocket science what her race is. I was really disappointed that the cover makers felt the need to change the race of the character as a marketing strategy. “People are more likely to buy a book if the person on the cover looks like them…blah blah blah” The girl on the cover is a model. Seriously, race aside,  who REALLY looks exactly like a photoshopped model? Whether the girl was Asian or not would not have affected my decision to read this book in the least. I feel like if we, as readers of YA, do not bring problems like these to light more often then it will allow stuff like this to continue. And it is so WRONG on so many levels!

Awesome Quotes:

"You are a monster.” Kanin’s deep voice droned in my head again, as I forced myself to move, to walk away. “You will always be a monster, there is no turning back from it. But what type of monster you become is entirely up to you."

"I wasn't thinking of his blood, rushing just below the skin. I wasn't thinking of his heartbeat or his touch or the pulse at his throat. Right now, all I was thinking of was Zeke."

  R A T I N G :

E X T R A S :

The website made for the series looks pretty darn cool. I highly suggest you check it out!

http://www.bloodofeden.com/

REVIEW: Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa

Immortal Rules Book Trailer

In a future world, vampires reign. Humans are blood cattle.

 And one girl will search for the key to save humanity...

Okay guys, so when I saw the book trailer today I knew I had to share it with you. It's pretty darn amazing. Here is the trailer for the upcoming novel IMMORTAL RULES by Julie Kagawa

What did you think of the trailer?

Immortal Rules Book Trailer

COVER REVEAL! Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa

Julie Kagawa has became one of my all time favorite YA authors after I read her Iron Fey Series. Her writing is addictive. Like chocolate, only slightly better. I could honestly open up a book of hers and trust her to give me an engaging read that I'll never forget, and never want to stop reading. All of her books have been one-sitters for me. I'm a little worried about how her new book series Blood of Eden will be like compared to the Iron Fey but I trust Julie to once again blow me away with her addictive and page-turning writing.


Sooo without furthur ado the cover of IMMORTAL RULES (Blood of Eden # 1)


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It's creeptastic and vampiric-looking--but in a good way. I'm really really looking forward to reading this book. :)

What do you think of the cover?

COVER REVEAL! Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa

Iron Knight by Julie Kagawa Review

I was lucky enough to get an early copy of the Iron Knight and let me tell you—it did not disappoint. After being completely enamored with the first three books in the Iron Fey series I didn’t think it could get any better. I was wrong. This book was not only just as good as the others, but even better. I laughed, I cried, my heart raced with fear, the tension in some parts caused me to hold my breath. And then there’s that twist that completely threw me off. It was incredibly unexpected! Just when we think that there’s nothing left to surprise us with; Julie proves us wrong.

The story starts off with Ash and Puck searching for Grimalkin. When they find him they go on a journey to search for a way to make Ash human again so that he can be with Meghan (the Iron Queen) without withering away in the Iron Realm. Although the book is told from Ash’s point of view it wasn’t only about him. We got to see a lot of Puck, and the other characters. Actually, it wasn’t until this book that I really started to love Puck! I felt like this book showed a side of him that the other three didn’t.  At first, from books 1 though 3, I was strictly team Ash…but, towards the end of the Iron Knight I became both Team Ash and Team Puck because I realized that both characters were equally loveable in different ways. So much of Ash’s character and true self was portrayed in this book that it made me love him ten times more than I did in the last book.

Although I am sad to see the Iron Fey series end, I was really satisfied with the way it ended. It was a world-wind of emotions for me, and probably one of the most memorable books I’ve read all year. The Iron Knight was a stunning conclusion to the Iron Fey series, and a book you’re sure never to forget.

This book is a must read!

Iron Knight by Julie Kagawa Review

Iron Queen ARC Review

Iron Queen
by Julie Kagawa
Release Date: February 1st, 2012

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Series: Book 3, Iron Fey

In less than twenty-four hours I’ll be seventeen.


Although, technically, I won’t actually be turning seventeen. I’ve been in the Nevernever too long. When you’re in Faery, you don’t age. So while a year has passed in the real world, agewise I’m probably only a few days older than when I went in.


In real life, I’ve changed so much I don’t even recognize myself.


MY NAME IS MEGHAN CHASE.


I thought it was over. That my time with the fey, the impossible choices I had to make, the sacrifices of those I loved, was behind me. But a storm is approaching, an army of Iron fey that will drag me back, kicking and screaming. Drag me away from the banished prince who’s sworn to stand by my side. Drag me into the core of conflict so powerful, I’m not sure anyone can survive it.


THIS TIME,


THERE WILL BE NO TURNING BACK.

~ ~ ~ ~ 

After just finished reading the Iron Queen by Julie Kagawa, I am speechless, though I had to come up with words in order to write this review. Here’s my attempt at trying to describe how much this book has amazed me.

Characters- We got to see a side of all the characters that we hadn’t seen in the two previous books in the series. Both Ash and Meghan change a lot throughout the course of this novel, and it shows a lot, especially toward the end of the novel.

Plot- The plot was paced beautifully. I never got bored even once while reading this—there was always just the right amount of tension in every page that kept me flipping the pages. Plus there were many what Holly Lisle likes to call “candy bar scenes” that had me on the edge of my seat.

Dialogue- Then dialogue was so beautiful it made me cry—even when it wasn’t sad. Let’s just say that the things that characters said to each other were very deep.

Writing- I think by now most of you would know how much I admire Julie Kagawa’s writing style and voice, but this book blew me away! I don’t know how she was able to say much in so little words.

Overall - Julia Kagawa has done it again. She has this stunning talent of making her novels just as good as and even better than the last one she wrote. I laughed; I smiled, and even cried a few times while reading this. It was quite an emotional ride. If there’s anyone who still hasn’t read the Iron Fey Series yet I encourage you to check it out as soon as you can—you won’t be disappointed at all. All I can say is when is Iron Knight coming out?

Iron Queen, book three of the Iron Fey series, comes out February 1st 2011 by Harlequin Teen.

Go here on amazon to pre-order Iron Queen. 

Iron Queen ARC Review

Coming soon to bookshelves everywhere...

Julie Kagawa, author of the iron fey series revealed the full cover of Iron Queen on her blog today. I’m a huge fan of her books. Isn’t this cover awesome?

*Click on the picture to read the summary

Another book I can not wait to read is Matched by Ally Condie. The summary itself has already gotten me hooked! Here's the book trailer that was released about a week ago.

Which books are you really looking forward to that are coming out this fall?

Coming soon to bookshelves everywhere...

Welcome Julie Kagawa, Author of The Iron Fey Series!

You guys may have seen my raving review for the second book of the series, Iron Daughter; so I’m more than pleased to be able to interview the author of the one of my favorite YA books from this year, Julie Kagawa!  

What do you think is the hardest thing about writing a book?

Finishing it. Really, starting a book is easy. The ideas are new and fresh, and you’re excited. But, 50 or 100 or 200 pages in, you’re wondering why you ever thought this would be a good idea. And you might get this shiny new idea that seems so much better then the story you’re working on now. And you think that if you started this idea, writing the story would be easier. But it’s not. I know, because those shiny new ideas are what kept me from finishing a book for a long, long time. If you really want to write and get published, you have to make yourself finish. Because there will always be new ideas, but new ideas don’t get you published. A completed novel does.

What do you do when you get writer’s block?

If I’m truly stuck, usually I’ll skip the troublesome part and just continue writing past it, then go back and fill in the holes on the editing stage. My rough drafts typically end up with a lot of holes.

If you can be any book character who would you be, and why?

Arwen from Lord of the Rings. She’s immortal, she kicks butt, and she gets Aragorn at the end. Win.

How did it feel like when you found out you were going to be published?

Oh, there was a lot of jumping and squee-ing. Good thing my poor hubby wasn’t home at the time; he would’ve thought I’d lost it.

What does it feel like reading negative reviews of your book?

Well, it’s not a great feeling, of course. But I’ve gotten to the point where they don’t bother me anymore. Not everyone will like the same book, and everyone has their own opinions. Dwelling on a bad review doesn’t help me or anyone. So I don’t give them a second thought.

Do you prefer longhand or keyboard?

Definitely keyboard. The days of me scratching out whole pages of notebook paper are long gone.

Any advice for aspiring writers?

Finish that book, of course. And just keep writing.☺

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To learn more about Julie and her books visit Julie at her website.

Welcome Julie Kagawa, Author of The Iron Fey Series!

Iron Queen REVIEW *Special Gushing Edition*

IRON DAUGHTER
by Julie Kagawa

Half Summer faery princess, half human, Meghan has never fit in anywhere. Deserted by the Winter prince she thought loved her, she is prisoner to the Winter faery queen. As war looms between Summer and Winter, Meghan knows that the real danger comes from the Iron Fey, iron-bound faeries that only she and her absent prince have seen. But no one believes her. Worse, Meghan's own fey powers have been cut off. She's alone in Faery with only her wits for help. Trusting anyone would be foolish. Trusting a seeming traitor could be deadly. But even as she grows a backbone of iron, Meghan can't help but hear the whispers of longing in her all-too-human heart.

 *CAUTION* Extreme gushing below. I felt the need to warn you now before the multiple exclamtion points attacks you and you're caught off guard.

Plot: From the first page the author has us on our toes. The pacing was perfect and the events were all set in the correct place. The author lets the reader find out things rather than revealing too much (leaving hints here and there and then letting us figure it out later on into the story)—making readers tap into the story more.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★


Characters: The conflict between the characters had SO many high stakes. After all, forbidden really is the sweetest. The author clearly knows how to get the reader to become emotionally attached to the characters. All of her characters were developed—even the minor characters played important parts in the plot. She even got me attached to the antagonists (which is really hard to do).

★ ★ ★ ★ ★


Writing: Julie Kagawa’s writing style is probably the best I’ve read from the YA genre. Every word of her writing seems to pull you into her fantasy-world. No grammar slips whatsoever (I usually find at least one or two in a book). Her writer’s voice is the most fully developed I’ve ever read.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★


Setting: The settings were all beautifully described in detail. There wasn't one page of this book I read that I didn't have visualized in my head.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Cover: The cover is beautiful and eye-catching. The girl on the cover is supposed to be Meghan. I believe it’s the same model from Julie’s first book The Iron King.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★


Overall:

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Personal Reaction: This was possibly the best book I’ve read all year; wait, no, my whole entire life. Well, probably not my whole life, but it’s definitely on my top 3! I guarantee that once you start this book you will never be able to put it down. I read it in 1 day and my mind is still racing with ‘What’s going to happen next’. It’s amazing! If you haven’t read The Iron Daughter yet then you haven’t lived yet. I’ve never been this ecstatic after reading a book before. This book is a MUST READ!

Iron Queen REVIEW *Special Gushing Edition*