The Eternity Cure by Julie Kagawa

The Eternity Cure by Julie Kagawa
Genre: YA Paranormal Dystopian
Publication: April 30th, 2013
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Page Count: 446
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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.

I've pretty much come to the conclusion that I will read anything--anything--by Julie Kagawa.  There is not a single possibility that I would not pick up any of her books.  Every single one of her books has kept me at the edge of my seat and wanting more.  She painted such a vivid and enticing world in the Iron Fey series, and since then, I've fallen in love with her writing style, mystical stories, and entertaining characters.  I didn't think I'd like The Immortal Rules when I first picked it up, but I was wrong.  Oh, was I wrong.  So in conclusion, me in love with Julie Kagawa.

I wish I could end this review with just that, but I don't think that's a very convincing argument, alas.  So you want to know more about this book and why I love it, yeah?  Well, FEAST YER EYES.

Allie is one BAMF.  She, while being a little fanger herself, kicks vampire butt.  I love watching her struggle between blood lust and humanity.  She walks this fine line, on the brink of insanity, and it's so fascinating watching her internal battle.  She also is extremely loyal and loves wholly, even though she tries not to show it.  I loved her the moment she was introduced on the page in the first book, and my love of her character only strengthens in this one. 

So there's this thing I like about books and it's called Action and Adventure.  And this one has a lot of it.  There ain't nothin' slow and weepy about this one.  There's flying fists, roundhouse kicks, slashing swords, and broken limbs.  All the elements that spell for an interesting story . . . and disaster.  

Another thing that I love about Julie's novels is that every character (pretty much) plays some type of role in the story, even if they are secondary characters.  They all have dimension and there's life that seeps from the pages of her books; personalities both good and bad that shine through all the grime and magic.  C'est terrifique!

The Eternity Cure was a bloody, gritty tale of a girl who struggles to keep a grasp on the one thing she can't possibly have because she's a monster: humanity.  She finds love, loses it, and creates friendships in the most unlikely of people--err, monsters.  There isn't anything I hate about Allie or her story.  I'm so glad to see Kagawa's ingenious mind create new, original, and thrilling stories.  Even if you're not a fan of vampires or faeries, I still highly suggest reading Kagawa's books.

5 Splashes

The Lost Prince by Julie Kagawa eARC Review

This egalley of the book was provided by NetGalley and Harlequin Teen.  Thank you, awesome people!

The Synopsis:
Don't look at Them. Never let Them know you can see Them. That is Ethan Chase's unbreakable rule. Until the fey he avoids at all costs—including his reputation—begin to disappear, and Ethan is attacked. Now he must change the rules to protect his family. To save a girl he never thought he'd dare to fall for.

Ethan thought he had protected himself from his older sister's world—the land of Faery. His previous time in the Iron Realm left him with nothing but fear and disgust for the world Meghan Chase has made her home, a land of myth and talking cats, of magic and seductive enemies. But when destiny comes for Ethan, there is no escape from a danger long, long forgotten.





My Thoughts:
Remember when Lady Kagawa* did the cover reveal for this books months back?  I do.  Crystal clear.  Because all I remember was that Ethan (precious Ethan!) was no longer little and he was shirtless.  Yup.  In the course of two seconds that fateful day, my thoughts of Ethan being all little brother-like and absolutely adorable changed into something polar opposite.  And did I mention that he was shirtless?

I wasn't sure how Lady Kagawa was going to continue this Iron Fey/Call of the Forgotten thread.  I mean, Megan finished her quest, saved a bunch of faeries, married a really hot faerie, and became a faerie queen.  It sounded like a pretty closed end to a series.  Then I read the little synopsis given above and I was all like, 'Whoa.  Dude, you can't hate the faeries! NOOOO.'  And with those 125 words, I became emotionally invested in the story.

So it's not very often where the reader gets to be in the head of a dark and broody guy.  Never in a million years did I think that Ethan would turn into this dark and broody guy because there in my head was that innocent image of Ethan all adoring his older sister and talking to the bogeyman that hung out in his room.  No.  No, Ethan no longer is that little innocent boy from the Iron Fey series and it's good to accept that now or risk your mind getting all conflicted and le depressed.

That's not to say that I didn't enjoy this new Ethan, because I did.  I really liked this whole new Ethan because . . . well, gimme a second here.  Besides him being all dark and broody (bonus hottie points!) he was like a ninja.  I joke you not.  Prepare to be mind blown by his mad ninja skillz.  Also, he really did care for the people around him even if he didn't show it the way a normal, non-broody person would.  I think his broodinees rivals that of Ash. (Yeah.  I said it.)

Story wise, it was awesome.  It was filled to the brim with adventure and exciting action scenes.  It was well plotted and well paced and never once did I get bored.  I could not put it down.  I was even a little sad to see it end because I wanted more.  More, more, more.**  And I'm not going to say anything else or I risk giving something away, which is a big no-no.

The Lost Prince was everything I expected and more from the talented Julie Kagawa.  Readers, prepare to be blown away by this new series debut.  The Lost Prince was the perfect amount of action, adventure, and romance with plenty of brooding narrative on the side.  I laughed, I gasped, and felt All the Emotions.  If you're a fan of Julie Kagawa or even a fan of faeries, picking this book up would be one of the best decisions of your bookish life.

*She is Lady Kagawa because she is Awesome and takes fighting with sticks classes which also makes her a ninja in the realz.
**By writing 'more' consecutively like I did, I have discovered that it is, in fact, a funny word to look at.  Or is that just me?

P.S Grimalking pwns you all!

Blood, Vamps, and Love! Oh, My!

Oh.  My.  Gosh.  This book was fantabulous.  Everything about The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa was great!  I've been a huge fan of Julie's right from the start with The Iron Fey Series.  So, naturally, I aggressively attacked the request button for this book on NetGalley.  Just for kicks and giggles, my blood craved this book.  I could feel the need for it coursing through my veins.  It screamed for it.
Not to make you guess my rating for this book, I'll tell ya now.  FIVE STARS.  No doubt in my mind about it.  There was a lot of death, but that was to be expected when vampires rule the world and humans are 'bloodbags'.  It's not the main term used for the humans, but it is bandied about a few times.  This was nothing I expected this book to be.  Julie Kagawa, you are awesome!  I couldn't stop reading this book.  My eyes gulped down every word, wishing there was more when I was finished reading.  And let me tell ya, this was not your average vamp book.  Not at all . . .

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.

This book had me at katana . . . I couldn't wait to see what would happen!  The Immortal Rules was a mix of I Am Legend and Priest.  Total loneliness with scary and illusive creatures and vampire domination with talented people who kill them.  Well, talented wouldn't exactly be the best word, but they're some pretty awesome vampire slayers, not by occupation, but by need of survival.
Allison Sekemoto starts off in the first part of the book as a human struggling to stay alive day by day.  It definitely isn't a pretty way to live, not on any body's terms.  But she manages without complaint and does her best, until she dies and becomes a vampire, the very kind she hates.  And thank you, Miss Kagawa, for not making Allie all self-loathing and mopey throughout the book!  I would have died if she did.  Allie, our main girl, persevered and did her best to maintain a life she once had.
Now don't think that she kept on trying to stay human and refrained from drinking human blood.  She didn't dwell on her human years and did drink human blood.  But, she tried to change the way people lived in this futuristic world.  Allie hated how the vampires mistreated humans and she hated how humans treated her when they found out she was a vampire.  She wasn't dumb and thought that things would happen over night, but she earned trust from a few humans.  And that begins the start of her adventures in The Blood of Eden Series
Part Two of the book is her as a vampire and how she escapes the city she once lived in, New Covington.  She travels the barren and broken roads, fighting Hunger and beating up some nasty rabids, once human slash vampire slash I Am Legend creatures.  They were scary and creepy and not something you would want skulking around your backyard.
There was something about this book that was incredible.  The romance with Zeke wasn't all passionate and lusty.  The pacing was great.  I couldn't help but mention in my head over and over again that the imagery was great.  I could practically feel Allie's katana in my hand as it sliced through rabids.  Awesome!
I was sad that the book actually had an end to it.  I didn't want it to; it was too good for it to end.  Luckily, there will be other books to tell Allison's story.  I want to know what will happen between her and Zeke!  Will she succeed in finding the key to saving humanity?  Where will she go next?  I NEED to know!
I hope that everybody will be able to read this book once it comes out.  It's too good to pass up.  I'm so glad I read this book!  Thanks NetGalley and Julie Kagawa!  Can't wait to know what happens next!

In My Mailbox

Yes!  It's that time where I happen to do my first IMM!  This terrible week in school has been muted by the excitement from all the goodies I got in the mail.  That's just how good my mail has been to me.

Sorry for the bad quality.  Camera died.  iPod only option.

No, your eyes are not deceiving you.  Here, I'll start from left to right.  There is a Sweet Evil ARC with a signed book mark hanging out in the front of it.  In front of the book is Hunger Games nail polish I had ordered.  It's Smoke and Ashes :) I can't wait for my nail polish I have on now to chip off so I have an excuse to put S&A on.  Continuing the picture tour, there on top of the book are two Born Wicked stickers I had won in a giveaway.  In the center are a few signed Born Wicked book plates and a Hunger Games tee shirt sitting there.  There's also a Born Wicked magnet there.  And finally, on the right, I have one iron on patch for the Demon Trappers Series and a sticker, too.

Now, for email, I also got some gifts.  I'm talking NetGalley gifts.

Isn't it all so beautiful?  Oh, and since I'm new to this all, I'm going to be doing a giveaway soon!  Stay tuned!  Also, a review for Welcome, Caller, This is Chloe is soon to come!

On a side note, I don't know why I waited so long to get some Hunger Games stuff for myself.  Anyway, glad I did get them!

Now, I have to read and review!