The Eternity Cure

Blood of Eden #2

by Julie Kagawa

In Allison Sekemoto's world, there is one rule left: Blood calls to blood

She has done the unthinkable: died so that she might continue to live. Cast out of Eden and separated from the boy she dared to love, Allie will follow the call of blood to save her creator, Kanin, from the psychotic vampire Sarren. But when the trail leads to Allie's birthplace in New Covington, what Allie finds there will change the world forever—and possibly end human and vampire existence.

There's a new plague on the rise, a strain of the Red Lung virus that wiped out most of humanity generations ago—and this strain is deadly to humans and vampires alike. The only hope for a cure lies in the secrets Kanin carries, if Allie can get to him in time.

Allison thought that immortality was forever. But now, with eternity itself hanging in the balance, the lines between human and monster will blur even further, and Allie must face another choice she could never have imagined having to make.

Genres: Vampires, Young Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal, Dystopia, Romance, Urban Fantasy

434 pages, Hardcover

First published April 30, 2013

Reviews

[Nidia · Rating 5 out of 5]

OH. MY. GOD









2013????






Or Not






Do you know what's worse than having to wait for the next book of your favourite series?



----------------------------------------------------------------------

EDIT August 20th

44 LIKES? Woooow My reviews have never EVER been liked before (probably because they suck and I'm new here)

I can't wait to actually review this book ;)

EDIT September 24th

So many reunions awaited... Percy and Annabeth...Allie and Kanin...*Sigh*

EDIT March 5th.

OMG CAN'T WAIT!

EDIT March 31st

THE ANTICIPATION IS KILLING ME!


EDIT May 15th

I read it.

I READ IT.

Now let me tell you, Julie Kagawa sure did take me into an emotional whirlwind.

*WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD*

When that certain, insane vampire was torturing Zeke...Oh my goodness, I was screaming.



I CAN'T HANDLE THESE EMOTIONS.

BUT THEN JULIE KAGAWA ENDED THE BOOK ON A CLIFFHANGER, LEAVING ME WITH AN OUT-OF-CHARGE KINDLE AND A HANGING THEORY.


Zeke is now a vampire.

Yes. It's the only possible explanation that he was still in looney vampire's car.


Oh, and Zeke won't have to be a pedophile when their relationship grows older and Allie remains looking like a seventeen-year-old.


Anyway, JULIE, WHY YOU DOING THIS TO US?

[Kat Kennedy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m not sure how to proceed with this review WITHOUT resorting to a shit ton of gifs. I just really feel like some kind of crazy wild action would better represent how I feel than words ever could.

I mean, I could say that The Eternity Cure is one badass tale that left me desperate for more because this story was fucking awesome. Or I could just do this:



Which is, no joke, my exact facial expression upon finishing this book. I think it actually stayed like that for a full two minutes.

I could tell you that Allison Sekemoto was such an unmitigated badass that I am prepared to lay my sword down at her badass feet and swear my fealty to her as the god of badass forever. Or I could just do this:



See how much easier that is? I can’t write this bloody review because I’m too busy stalking Julie Kagawa and thinking of ways to beg her to hurry up and give me the next book. I need it. Seriously. And I can’t even talk about this book much, because I don’t want to spoil anyone. But I will let you know some vague things that you can expect:

1) Allison Sekemoto continues to be a stone-cold, kick-ass, awesomely awesome protagonist.

2) There are smoochies.

3) Things need to be killed and Allison is exactly the person to do it.

4) This is a creepy fucking book and I still shiver occasionally when thinking about it.

5) Some people in the book are horrifically horrible and terrifying.

6) Some people in this book are kind of sweet and make me smile.

7) Kanin <3

8) There is a return of a character I didn’t expect and he was fuckin’ ACE, man.

9) Be prepared to want to have everyone’s babies. Just everyone’s.

10) Read it. That is all.

I have to admit, like The Immortal Rules, it started out a little slow. Allison’s naivete and willingness to trust scumbags annoyed me. However, it didn’t take long before I fully endorsed pretty much each and every decision she made. She’s just so… cool. Kagawa throws the readers right back into this creepy, desolate, and somewhat hopeless world. But somehow, when the characters in this book teamed up ready to go kick ass, I just felt this rightness. Like, “Hell yeah! It’s ASS kicking time!” For those who don’t know, ass kicking time comes right after Balls-to-the-wall crazy time, and briefly before Cleaning-blood-out-of-your-clothes time.

And Read-The-Eternity-Cure time is now, folks.

This review can also be found on my blog, Cuddlebuggery Book Blog.

[Emily May · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I smelled blood as soon as I walked into the room..."

And with that line begins one of the most enthralling, bloody, violent and emotional books I've read in a long time. For a book that is a combination of two of the most over-saturated young adult genres - dystopian and vampire-centric urban fantasy - this is a story which feels completely original in its execution and is utterly captivating from its grisly opening to its jaw-dropping climax. If, like me, you weren't sure about The Immortal Rules and are maybe hesitant about starting this second installment: have no fear. This sequel is better in every way.

The complex character development in this sequel meant my emotions were dragged all over the place. I worried about the fate of all the main characters and loved the new directions relationships took. The most surprising character in this novel was Jackal - who at first I had to remind myself of by doing a quick scan of the previous book - his character is much more thoroughly explored in this book, he offers some much-needed comic relief in this otherwise very dark story. Let's just say I will definitely remember him from now on.

I also found myself loving and caring about Kanin and Zeke so much more in this than in The Immortal Rules. Their relationships with Allison are each taken to the next level in their own way and there are parts of this novel featuring both of them which are truly heartbreaking. I have to say, Kagawa must be one of very few authors who can successfully write a relationship between a human and a vampire without resorting to misogyny. I'm fast becoming a huge fan of hers.

The story here picks up some months after the end of the last book with Allison following the call of her sire - Kanin - who has been captured and tortured by a psychotic vampire called Sarren. Forming a reluctant partnership with Jackal, Allison sets out to rescue Kanin, unsure if she'll find something that can be saved when she gets there. Along the way, Allison also discovers that the Red Lung virus has mutated and is now a threat to humans and vampires alike. The book is full of twists, turns and surprises. Kagawa isn't afraid to put her characters through several levels of hell and this serves to heighten the tension because you can never be sure whether she'll be evil enough to go there. And she usually is.

The ending left me breathless, teary-eyed and majorly annoyed. Annoyed because I've got so long to wait for the third book. Oh my god. What do I follow a book like this with?

[MischaS_ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought that I was obsessed with Jackal after the first book. Well, if that was an obsession, I don't know what is it now!

4/5⭐

So, a couple of notes:

-I think that this one was better than the previous one. Especially the beginning was very strong.
-First hundred something pages I could not stop grinning but then chapter 8 came, and it went downhill.
-I love Jackal even more than in the previous book.
-Jackal and Allison have amazing dynamics between them. So much fun.
-Where I was so happy that Zeke was nowhere to be seen when the book started, I was certainly unhappy when he showed up. And it seems a bit like deus ex machina that all of them suddenly went to the exact same city. Or that Zeke even knew where the city was. And honestly? There was nothing that would even hint that Allison was going there!
-Where there was a lot of action when it was only Jackal and Allison with Zeke it turned into a talk show. They are in the middle of danger but he needed to talk!
-Stick did not deserve any better; he is a coward and backstabber.
-The whole "cure" thing seems to be a bit confusing, hopefully, it will be explained in the next book, cause I don't buy it. Also them not giving the cure blood to Jackal is a pretty awful thing to do. Without him, they all would be dead. Idiots. And since, I'm already in the spoiler thing; how much of the infected blood is needed to infect a vampire? Because Zeke was coughing up blood and when Allison kissed him, I would expect that she swallowed some of the blood. But then she should feel the side effects, right? Or is there some quantity? Or did the author overlook this?
-Jackal is right, Kanin and Allison waste their time on stupid things when they have no time to waste.
-Is it wrong that I sort of like Sarren? He's the type of a villain I love.
-And I knew that the end was too good to be true... And the Epilogue had to give it away. I want to scream because that would be the best plot twist in a long time! Sorry, I really don't like Zeke, and I got a bit too excited when I thought he was killed. But now I wonder if he may be the cure for the rabidism, he has the cure for the Red Lung virus which was now mixed with him being a vampire.

"And here I almost thought you weren't a complete bastard."

"Well, that's your mistake, not mine."

[Jessica (Goldenfurpro) · Rating 5 out of 5]

After Reading:
AMAZING BOOK!!!!
But...
THAT ENDING!!!!!!


Before Reading:
WHAT?!
IT COMES OUT AFTER THE WORLD ENDS?!!
*cries*

EDIT:
YES!YES!YES!YES!YES!
There's a title now!
It sounds so awesome! XD

ANOTHER EDIT:
OH MY HOLY FREXING DONUTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The immortal rules might be made into a movie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Palomar Pictures Options The Immortal Rules and Blood of Eden Series by New York Times Bestselling Author Julie Kagawa

THIS IS SO AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!XD

ANOTHER ONE OF MY NUMEROUS EDITS:Okay! FALSE ALARM!
The world didn't end!
But I still really want this book...

[Isabella · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I don't believe in fate," he said carefully, "but... I do believe everything happens for a reason. That there is some plan, some meaning to this darkness we live in."

Julie Kagawa, you did it again. You held my heart in your fist and masterfully let me see the lights of paradise just so you could, in the end, beautifully destroy me. You ripped my heart in tiny little pieces and I'm still here, days after ending The Eternity Cure, trying to hold on to sanity. Believe me, after what you did at the end... I'm not sure I'll be able to breath normally until I have the third book of the trilogy in my hands. I need it so bad it hurts, but I'll wait, I'll be patient and you'll let me have what I'm yearning for, right? RIGHT?

If you read The Immortal Rules than you know that we were left with an Allie starting a new quest in order to free her sire from the evil-sociopath-vampire-master Sarren, completely alone, full of sorrow for what - and who - she left behind in Eden but determined to keep her promise and find Kanin through the blood bond that she shares with him. "Blood calls blood like sirens in the night", but what when you follow the wrong path? That's what happens when Allie finds Jackal, her blood brother and rider king from the first book that will help her find their Master - at one condition that I won't spoil for you - and will go back with her to New Covington, where everything started and everything is supposed to end... where they'll find someone who shouldn't have been there at all and a city were everything is slowly dying.

The Eternity Cure confirms what I already thought while reading The Immortal Rules: right now Blood of Eden is one of the most amazing vampire series out there, and the more I get to know this post-apocalyctic world, the more I get to love these awesome characters and their stories. I feel a connection with them all thanks to Kagawa's brilliant writing and the way she pulls at my strings. She just has this way with words, and I knew even before starting reading that this book would have been good, but damn... this good? Consider me even more HOOKED than before.

"The requiem has started, and when the last melody plays, the only applause will be sweet, eternal silence."

I loved the start and what came next, the heart-pounding scenes that instantly had me, those heart-melting moments (the piano scene... SOBS, I love it so much) where I wanted nothing more than swoon and squeel like crazy, that feeling of dread when something bad happened and the only way of knowing what would be of Allie, Jackal, Kanin, Zeke - everyone, was reading, and reading, and reading... Until the end. Until that terrible, heart-shattering, sadistic, unexpected yet PERFECT ending.
I have to admit, I didn't really believe that The Eternity Cure would have ended with a cliffhanger (ah-ah. Silly me). Now I look back and think of how foolish I've been, how naively I kept thinking that it couldn't get any worst than The Immortal Rules, but I was wrong. I was so wrong... I just couldn't imagine what Julie Kagawa was planning for us all. She let me taste the nectar of the gods and then she stole it from me, leaving me with nothing.

"It's not the physical scars that are the most painful."

I was left numb, all my feelings drained, and I now live with the only purpose of waiting patiently...


"PATIENTLY"...

Eh-ehm... Like I said, with the only purpose of waiting impatiently until the third, dreaded book will finally be mine (and give me the damn title already).

"Only death will take me away from you, vampire girl."

Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Teen for providing me with an early copy of this book!
The Eternity Cure on my blog:
http://fromabooklover.blogspot.it/201...

Right After reading...


And yet, Julie Kagawa is still like:
[image error]

She masterfully let me see the lights of paradise just so she could beautifully and easily rip my heart out. All the while I was like this:

and...


And she, I'm quite sure, was like this:



***
You did not, Harlequin Teen. You did not change the covers of this series.
YOU DID NOT.

Shame on you, I have the first one... gotta buy the new one as well.

***

2013.
2013.
2013.
...
2013!!! I.CAN'T.

[Eve · Rating 4 out of 5]

HOLD UP.


Um, hi, ending? Yeah? I'm a human? I have emotions? Emotions that have been stomped on, thrown in a garbage disposal, crushed, mangled, eaten, regurgitated, and then taped back together, but not to the point where I'm back to normal. Thank you, for that last world crushing, feels inducing, last page. That last page swooped down carrying relief, happiness, and feels (oh yes, the feels), but also dread and terror BECAUSE. If you read this already, you got me. Let's cry together.

Holy frick frack where to begin? This book was awesome. Allison, of course, was the ultimate heroine and insanely badass.

However, I was not completely captured by Kagawa's book magic until about 100 pages in, which is excusable, but still, I deducted a star. And also, it was a bit predictable at some points. Not all, just some.

But holy shish kabobs if I said this book didn't live up to every sky-high expectation I had for it, I'd be lying. This book was packed with crazy-ass twists and turns. And action. The characters were fantastic. Jackal, Kinan, Zeke<333, and Allison are possibly one of the most entertaining, realistic, group of characters I've ever read about. The book never had a dull moment. The pacing was consistent, the storyline was gripping, and the writing was of course, Julie Kagawa. Enough said.

AND THERE WAS THE ENDING



The ending of all endings. the epitome of stressful. the cause of my shattered heart. the reason for the 70 pounds of chocolate I consumed. the best and worst part of the book. but the last page, oh the last page




But NO. The whirlwind of emotions doesn't stop there. Because behold, there was AN EXCERPT FROM THE IRON TRAITOR KJANABSJHSDB



Oh books, what have you done to me.

Everything about this was great. The characters were amazing (I could literally go on and on about them for 5 pages, but I won't), the story was enthralling, and the action and adventure aspect was definitely there. The Eternity Cure, in a word, was unputdownable. I don't say that a lot, either. So.

As you can tell, I loved this, and I refuse to wait another year for the next one. I need some more Blood of Eden-ness, this instant!

Until then, I will use my telepathy skills to scream at Allison "ZEKE ISN'T DEAD!"

This book was amazing. This series is amazing. Julie Kagawa is amazing. YOU'RE AMAZING *wink* (sorry)

2014, get over here now, and bring me The Forever Song.

THE FOREVER SONG. COULD THERE BE A BETTER TITLE. NO. THERE COULDN'T.

Someone hug me.

[shady boots · Rating 5 out of 5]

Julie. Oh, Julie. I love you so much.

But you tore my heart to pieces, Ms. Thing. ._.

This was everything I wanted in a sequel. It had action, it had emotion, it had character development, it had plot development, it had everything that I needed.

The story continues with Allison still on the search for Kanin, who's being held hostage and tortured by Sarren, a psychotic vampire. The trail leads to Allison stumbling upon Jackal, however, her blood brother, and the two form an unlikely alliance to search for their sire. Along the way she discovers that the Red Lung virus is spreading once more, a new type that's even more deadly than ever, and they must find a cure before it's too late.

I'm probably going to spend most of this review talking about the characters, because I love them so damn much.

Allison is one badass bitch. I'm not just saying that because she can work that katana—even though that is part of it—but I also just love her as a person. In this book we get to see more of the "demon" inside her, and how she learns to fight it back, and we get to see those scenes where she's really trying to hold herself back from just losing it and ripping people's throats.

And then there's Jackal. I'll be honest, starting this book, I didn't even remember who he was, lol. But eventually my memory was refreshed. This guy was like a twisted, heartless version of Puck from Iron Fey. He gave the book a . . . lighter side, if you will. He had that really sarcastic, jackass kind of humor that was also pretty sadistic, too. I don't know if he showed much of that humor in the first book, because honestly, he wasn't that memorable to me. But he's definitely memorable in this one.

I loved Kanin to pieces. I loved Zeke to pieces. I think I don't have to elaborate any further on that.

Oh, and guess who returns in the book? Stick! This time he's working for the Prince of New Covington, and he's basically drunk with power. Poor thing tried so hard to impress and intimidate Allison. I loved that he was still the guy we used to know in the first book, but this time he has the upper hand at something and wants to rub it in Allison's face any chance he gets. But of course, he cowers in fear at just the slightest hint of her baring her fangs at him. He's different, but yet still the same.

And finally, there's Sarren. Dear sweet lord, this man was horrifying. Probably one of the scariest villains I've ever seen, period. Not only is he evil, but he is insane. No I'm serious, he is completely nuts. The things he said just gave me chills, and even though I couldn't hear his voice, I could imagine it in my mind. I mean, for example: "Perhaps, I will pluck out both your eyes, then remove all your teeth, and make a necklace from them. Or maybe a wind chime. I do love wind chimes, don't you, little bird?" Can someone say NIGHTMARES? God, this guy is terrifying, and I love it.

But besides the characters, I also love that the plot flowed pretty well. There was so much action, which I was just living for. And then the end came and Julie just threw my heart into a shredder. And threw the shredded pieces into the shredder as well afterwards. And the very final scene had me almost crying out in agony because I want the third book so bad.

Overall I thought this was the action-packed, heart-wrenching sequel that I needed. And Julie, if you're reading this, you know I love you, girl. I absolutely adore you. But . . . please don't do that again. ._. I still haven't fully recovered yet.

Billions of thank you's to NetGalley and Harlequin for sending me this galley!

[Catherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

A year of waiting might just turn me into a rabid.

So if you wake up one night and see a pale, emaciated creature with a mouth full of sharp teeth clawing at your window, Ms. Kagawa, don't be scared. Just hand over the manuscript and I won't eat you.

[Ari · Rating 5 out of 5]

I repeat:
I.Do.Not.Like.Vampire.Books!



And you see that rating up there?
It should say 6 stars, but I don’t know where in the Fringe the last one might be. I should report it missing because in fact..
I.ADORED.THIS.BOOK!

After reading this story I might have left only one neuron (the others have gone looking for Eden again) and it’s a bit fuzzy around the edges, intoxicated by all these mind-blowing turnarounds. I barely got my head around one piece of information when another bomb was thrown my way… I tell you, I’ve been at war with this book and it won! By far!

The damn thing blew my mind and left me not only rooting for various characters (loving them, then hating them only to love them again; laughing out loud at their outbursts only to cry later; wanting to read faster and see what will happen with them, then slower, then faster, but then wishing to never stop reading.. and so on..) but dying to know the outcome of this bloody mess. No pun intended, I swear!

“There are no good choices, Allison,” Kanin offered in a quiet voice. “There are only those you can live with, and those you can work to change.”

Seriously, you cannot believe how much I love(d) the characters in this story. Even Jackal made my day too many times to count, really this guy had me cracking up half the book and I loved him even when I wanted to put a wooden stake through his unbeating heart, and (while we are at it) give him the beating of his life. He cannot play with my heart like that, no matter what for.

I loved the brotherly relationship he had with Allie though, I loved the teasing between them, I loved how they hated but also care for each-other. There would be a lot to talk about them but I cannot spoil anything for you. I will only tell you that Jackal is a very complex character: he is not quite good, nor that bad.. but a real vampire that knows how to survive and what decisions to make in order to keep his head on his shoulders. Of course, I might have hated him for it sometimes, but deep down I truly understand him too.

Anyways I might keep that fantasy for myself and not kicking Jackal’s cold ass if you promise to give me Stick, the dumb bastard, to tear him apart limb by limb!
I tell you, these vampire books are turning me into this creature I can barely recognize.. Where did this violence come from?
Oh wait.. I know.. From the bloody ending, that’s where!
There should be a rule about endings. It should be illegal to break people’s hearts like that and then leave them to wait God-knows-how-long for the next book… Illegal!

Now.. I heard people say that the book was too slow (it didn’t seem to me, the slow parts had Jackal in them and I deeply enjoyed his company), that the book was too long (please give me more to read, just 500 more pages, pretty please?), or that they didn’t quite enjoy as much as in the first book the relationship between Allie and Zeke (I tell you, they were cute! Ok, they were barely alone and there was not much loveliness between them, but things were complicated, after all she still wanted to drink him senseless and he still wanted to be a human for as long as he lived.. still I really liked how their relationship evolved).
Do I need to tell you that I don’t agree with those statements?

But I will tell you what I liked:

Allie – she is one of those female characters that doesn’t get on my nerves even when she becomes just a bit whinny. She is strong, she knows what kind of monster she wants to be and she tries hard to stay on that path.

Jackal – he is a jerk sometimes, but a funny one and I loved how honest his conversations with Allie were. They were enemies and they had to fight on the same side, but it was difficult for them to trust each-other because this was an one-time-deal: I help you and you’ll help me, then back to the beginning.

“I know you’re still awake.”
“Good for you. Shut up and go to sleep”
Another snicker. “What you have to ask yourself,” he continued, “is whether I’m the type who would stay awake long enough to kill you after you fall asleep, or if I’m an early riser who would kill you before you woke up.”
“If you want your head to stay on your neck, you’d better be neither.”

Zeke – he was so human in his imperfections and so young in his love for Allie, but also he had changed from the last time we saw him. He has now a little past that might or might not want to share with us, and there are a few surprises on the way that might or might not break our hearts a bit.



Kanin – I always liked him, I was always interested in his back story, and we find a bit more about him, about why he turned Allie, about his past with his other ‘son’, about the virus and his part in it, about his remorses and about how he is a different kind of monster as well.

There were many other things I loved about this book, because every time I thought that the storyline became a bit predictable, everything changed completely and I was left in awe wondering “what in the world did that just happen?”. It was crazy like that and I must confess that I love craziness every now and then.

There is one more thing I want to tell you about this story, and hear me well:
If something seems too good to be true, remember: It is not good at all! Run like Hell and don’t look back!

Happy midnight reading!

* This review can also be found at ReadingAfterMidnight.com
** ARC kindly provided by the publisher for review. Thank you so very much!
____________________________________________

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Side-note:
Oh boy, there are just waaaaaaaay too many animated GIFs on the reviews page, LOL!

[Penny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating Clarification: 3.5 stars

Before I start with the glum and doom I need to say that THIS SERIES IS AWESOME AND NEEDS TO BE READ.

The first book of the Blood of Eden series was such a phenomenal start that I knew keeping up that standard was going to be tough, but I was so excited about how much I loved it that I was expecting even better for this next installment.

However, I was a bit disappointed. I didn't enjoy The Eternity Cure nearly as much as I did The Immortal Rules . I found that Allie’s intelligence and kickassery dropped some degrees, she wasn't really owning herself as a vampire and she was being really slow figuring things out. Then, I found the story to be extremely predictable, which in turn affected me while being in each scene facing the situations and conflicts; I was somewhat detached, and the big moments didn’t really affect me because I didn´t believe for a second they would actually be a big deal in the future, example:

1) Kanin was infected, had 3 days left to live, but I never believed for a second that he wasn´t going to be cured, so I wasn’t rattle.
2) Zeke was infected, he was dying yet I didn´t find that emotionally moving as it should have been because again, I didn’t believe for an instant that he was going to die.
3) Zeke was kidnap and tortured and killed, again It didn´t affect me, I just didn’t believe he was going to die or that he actually died, to me the worst thing that could have happened to him it would have been Zeke being turned into a vampire, but not dying, so again, I wasn´t as emotionally invested as I should have been.

The predictability was a real letdown for me, instead of being in constant tension and fascinated wondering what was going to happen next as I was while reading the first installment, here in The Eternity Cure I was constantly several steps ahead (sometimes way way ahead) and repeatedly predicting and being 100% right about what was coming, which was a huge discouragement.

However, I do understand that people could have found the book heart wrenching if while reading it they actually believed what was happening and thought that the characters could die, then it would have been emotionally gripping. Unfortunately for me I didn’t.

Other Issues:
1) Repeatedly we find that in the middle of death or life situations the characters yell the name of the bad guy or say something to him to attract his attention and then shoot him, as a result the bad guy doesn’t die and escape again and again. Why do they do this instead of shoot him dead while he is distracted is beyond me seriously, just like in a bad movie, incredibly disappointing.
2) The not saying I love you when is obvious Zeke wants to bothers me, and the postponing sex for a better time irritates me. Well I am sorry, but that kind of thing pisses me off, really what “better time”? They are in constant peril, the can die at any second! In what world is he living? He literally almost just died! I just don’t buy it, another thing would be if they were not ready but it seems they both are so that procrastinating is absurd and just to prolong the romance tension, it has no realistic purpose. I don’t agree with that kind of methods to achieve an interesting love story, it makes me mad.

Audiobook  The narrator Therese Plummer does a terrific job. She gives the perfect tone and strength to the story and the characters. She unquestionably improves the narrative. I definitely recommend listening to this audio-book edition instead of reading the book.

Overall I was entertained of coursed, and I do love the universe, the story and the characters, so I am truly confuse about what rating to give it. I can go anywhere from 2 to 4 stars really. I’ll decide once I finish the series, I’ll go with my general feelings.


My Reviews in the Blood of Eden Series:
Book 0.5: Dawn of Eden
Book 1: The Immortal Rules
Book 2: Eternity Cure
Book 2.5: Zeke's Letter to Allie
Book 3: The Forever Song

[Sofii♡ (A Book. A Thought.) · Rating 5 out of 5]

“There are no good choices, Allison,' Kanin offered in a quiet voice. 'There are only those you can live with, and those you can work to change.”

Not many times happens to me, but this time I had to wait a while to process everything that had happened and put my thoughts in order so I hope can write a decent review, here I go :)


When I finished the first book, literally I went immediately for the next one,I was excited to see how the story would continue , and to be honest my expectations were very high, while the second books in the trilogies aren't always the best really expect much from this and guess what?!, well, this one almost completely fulfilled my expectations !.


In The Eternity Cure we find a much more mature Allie , prepared to face this apocalyptic world that Kagawa was able to create so well, We see her more rude and much more comfortable in her vampire body , and this, in fact, is one of the points that more I liked about this book. I enjoyed a lot of action scenes where Allie looks so incredible !, although you can see that it continues her struggle against her internal demon and vampire she wants to be, I think the result is fantastic,this is certainly an incredible main character, which makes me feel very pleased and achieves high-impact scenes which you can't stop reading.#BADASSGIRL!







Jackal has been a great revelation to me, is a super interesting character who brings humor and the best dialogues that this book has. I did not expect to feel so attached to him, but he has earned my respect even though his so particular methods haha, I don't want to talk much about him, because he is an amazing character and you know, Spoilers !. I can say that this character will test you and has made me want to kill him sometimes, but I love him so much!
He is the typical sexy vampire which is so bad, you know , but there is much more you can see in this book about him , and perhaps, I hope, much more Jackal in the last one:)

I almost died when everything seemed that Jackal had betrayed to the others, OMG! false alarm Thanks God, he became on one of my favorite characters, I hope he continues on the path of good LOL, just a little bit xD

“I sheathed my blade and glared at him. "And here I almost thought you weren't a complete bastard."

"Well, that's your mistake, not mine.”

Kanin continue to hold his post of best character in this trilogy, I love him so much !. So much suffering for Kanin in this book, there are many things to discover about his past and one that we know that will make us understand why his actions and why so much hate from another vampires. To my, Kanin never fails at any time to be an extremely important figure in the history, his relationship with Allie has grown a lot and I was delighted to see each of their moments together, I think they have come to love and care each other as a family and that sort of tie they share is one of the sweetest things in such a dark world.He has never ceased to bring you mystery and suspense to the plot, a very strong character and without doubt one of the most human, even though he is a vampire :) lol. #TEAMKANIN!

“Kanin peered down at me, his impassive gaze softening just a touch. "I am no longer your teacher, Allison," he said quietly. "You have been one of us for a while now. You have hunted, and you have killed. It is not my responsibility to curb you demon." He glanced past me to the place Stick and the men had stood moments before. "And I wanted to see what type of monster you had become.”

I have to admit that Zeke has surprised me this time, it was a real surprise since its appearance in the plot, which is quite unexpected, I think he has grown a lot as a person, and no doubt it has brought enough more personality this time, it was nice read it, I enjoyed it. On the other hand I also think I'm not even sure about his relationship with Allie and as always they are kissing each other in the most wrong places! OMG guys, sometimes just is not the time. That has irritated me a bit lol.However , I must admit the growth of the character and I was happy to read about him again :) :).


I still can't get over that end, guys! !. OMG OMG!. I think the Zeke's "death" will change and come back even more badass to Allie and that really pleases me, although I can't wait to they re-find each other again , I have a hunch it will be awesome !, I hope.

“You're still beautiful and dangerous and incredible, and I'll keep telling you that for as long as it takes you to believe it. But right now, all I want to do is kiss you, except I'm terrified that if I try you might throw me off this balcony.”

So yeah, this book has delighted me and left me super excited for the final book !. I think it's a thousand times better than the first one, and keeps you on the edge of your seat throughout the reading. Highly recommended! :)

[Dear Faye · Rating 3 out of 5]

Final verdict: 2.5/5 but rounded up to 3

Disclaimer: Lots of swearing ahead. I am so sorry. I don't usually curse a lot, but this book disappointed me too much. I deserve some space to vent these feelings out.

God knows how much I detest books whose paranormal elements center around Vampires. This biased feeling of mine wasn't influenced by Twilight in any way, although that saga definitely made it worse, but I guess it's just something that stemmed from reading books that portray such creatures in a carebear manner, which is totally not cool, dude. They're supposed to be predators! They're supposed to be Rambo with sharp fangs! They're supposed to be blood-sucking, human-killing machines!

And that is what Julie Kagawa did. She one day decided to join the Dystopian bandwagon with an all-new series and incorporated big, bad, menacing Vampires in it. And she fucking aced it in The Immortal Rules. I totally became a fan of her after that. She created a heroine whose voice was so refreshing and riveting, a world so creepy and thrilling, and a cast of Vampires who were Rambos personified. She wrote one of the best Vampire fiction out there.

So, that brings me this question...

Why, Julie? Why? How could you do this to your darling series?! I was expecting a book that would blow my mind away and turn my brain contents inside out, but when I turned the last page, it left only the bitter taste of disappointment and dismay in my mouth. I know; I know - I may be one of the minority here, given the number of glowing and raving reviews for this book left and right pre-publication, but... I can't. I can't lie to myself. This book bored me and infuriated me most of the time.

Trust me. That three stars? That's my being generous already.

Truth be told (truth accdg. to my eyes, anyway), I must say this now: this book falls short of its predecessor. Things pretty much went the wrong way for me after 20-30 or so pages... I'm not sure, but it definitely started when Allison kept on talking about how she still has humanity left inside her, that Jackal is a jerk and is a sadist for embracing who he is and not denying the fact that he IS a vampire, how she'll not be a monster society expects her to become, yada yada yada... —_— All I can say is this:

SHUT UP, WOMAN!!!!

God forbid, that was my biggest issue with this book - Allison's whines, her never-ending monologues, her being SO judgemental of other people who don't share her beliefs. It breaks my heart to see her transform from a butt-kicking, feisty individual into an angsty, whiny, annoying, stupid heroine. There are just no other words to describe her otherwise. I mean, I get it, Allison. Seriously, I do. How could I not know about your GASP! dilemmas when you keep on shoving and rubbing them on my face every 5 pages?! And it really gets old, honestly.

I mean, how can I not be tired of reading your endless monologues of how you'll never be like cruel and blood-thirsty Jackal, that you'll always hold on to the last shreds of your humanity, that you'll never give in to your instincts, blah blah blah... FINE. I GOT IT THE FIRST TIME. It's useless to repeat it ten times over like a fucking broken record... And also, you don't want to become the monster the other Vampires are? Fine. But nobody's forcing you to become one, so how *dare* you judge others for embracing who they are, for embracing their instincts? That's like watching a lion prey on a deer and shriek how that lion was so cold-hearted because it pounced on that poor, vulnerable deer! They should love each other and make rainbows and butterflies instead!

Oh, fucking please. Spare me the bullshitry. You're fooling no one, Allison.

It doesn't help that the book (at least my ebook copy anyway) was a fricking 446 pages... That's a pretty big number, don't you think? Can you imagine *ME* enduring 446 pages of... of... of this?! It felt as if half the time Allison was going pseudo-philosophical about this bullshit, which means half the time I was either a.) bored to tears "please wake me up once the nth monologue is over, or; b.) infuriated beyond reason "whadafuck Allison fuck you die alreaddyyyy *pulls hair* *combusts*".

The horror.

Aside from the dragging narration and the relentless whining, another problem I encountered was the sheer predictability. Who the fearless leader was, the very same person who appeared in Fringe and saved the day... who the Prince's aide was... even the ending... I could see those coming a hundred miles away. I don't even need binoculars for that - it was already in my mind! All that while, I was hoping - sincerely, genuinely hoping - that Kagawa was better than those clichés I was already envisioning in my head, so just imagine my dismay when I was right on the money for each and every one of them! Each "explosive" twist, I just rolled my eyes and went, "Of course it had to be HIM... OF-FUCKING-COURSE."

I don't know about you, but those cliché and predictable scenes? Nuh-uh, not for me, no siree!

And, oh, did I mention the romance? Please do not remind of it. Before we get to how bad it was, can someone please recommend me a novel where it doesn't focus on a Vampire/Human (although we all know how that ends up in the end) relationship? I'm so tired of all the pseudo-philosophical consequences to this and the angst it carries. Anyway, the romance felt very superficial to me. It was like Zeke and Allison were competing with each other, having an invisible battle on who between them loves the other more.

No, I love you too much so I must distance myself from you! I'm a bad, dangerous Vamp! Who knows what I could do to you if I give in to the Hunger!

What are you talking about? *I* love you that I'm willing to risk my life for you and immerse myself in an environment full of cruel, blood-sucking abominations that I sorely hate!

Back and forth, back and forth... please excuse me while I yawn my heart out.

There were other things that annoyed the hell out of me, but check out my STATUS UPDATES of this book HERE to see my suffering step-by-step.

Of course, there were cool stuff in this book, too... and these are *badum-tss!* Jackal and Kanin. These two saved the book for me. Jackal, the realistic and practical dude who's also witty, snarky, and amazingly intellectual. Kanin, the mysterious, wise mentor who is also a realist. These two made the reading experience so much more fulfilling, and if it weren't for them, I'd have rated this book a measly 1 star. *shakes head*

Despite my complaints and this rather lengthy rant, I still believe that Blood of Eden is one of the best Vampire fiction out there. Totally. Hands down. I merely think that The Eternity Cure suffers from the "Middle Book Syndrome", and I am hoping that the third book will promise us (or ME!) that feeling of awesomeness that seemed to have missed me in here. Also, readers of my review, all of these arguments are subjective. If what I said do not bother you in the slightest, then you'll maybe find yourself enjoying this installment, as others have. I just have a small level of tolerance for whiny, annoying heroines and holier-than-thou attitudes. Fuck that up, you might as well have fucked up the others.

That is all.

*BOW*

An ARC was sent by the Publisher via NetGalley for reviewing purposes. No money or any form of transaction was exchanged.

[Khanh, first of her name, mother of bunnies · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are two types of families, one we are born to, and one we choose. We can't choose the former, the latter forms almost inadvertently sometimes, but they're just as important. My friend told me that once, and that quote leaped to my mind as I read this book. I love the twisted dynamics of the family that poor Allison has got herself into in The Eternity Cure. I didn't really like the concept of this series when I reluctantly started reading it, but The Immortal Rules turned out to be better than anything I could have imagined, and I had been waiting with bated breath for the sequel. I was not the least bit disappointed; this has been more than worth the wait.

Allison has left Zeke behind in her quest to find her creator, Kanin. It's not like Allie was ever truly helpless and innocent, growing up scrounging to survive and looking out mostly for herself, but she is harder in this book. She's learned through experience, she's tough, she's a survivor with the accompanied scars.

Allie has been wandering around by herself for four months, following the gut instincts that tell her where her sire is being kept and tortured. She is more accepting of her vampire nature now, she takes blood when she needs to; she doesn't like it, but she is not completely mired in self-loathing when she does it. It's survival now.

Against her will, Allie joins forces with her "brother," the twisted Jackal. Together, the two return to New Covington to try and free Kanin. They encounter some old characters, and are betrayed by someone Allie never thought she'd see again. I can't even mention his name, I am so incomprehensively angry at that stupid asshole, after everything Allison did for him...ok, deep breath. Not a real person. No need to lose my temper over a fictional character. Whew.

The only flaw I found in this book was with Zeke. Ugh. Zeke actually plays a role in the previous one, and he should have stayed there in the good, but distant past where he belonged. His presence in this book, I felt, did more harm than good. He and Jackal spent more time at each other's throat than actually contributing anything to help find/free Kanin. I'm amazed that they got anything done with Zeke around. And yeah, getting a human inside New Covington...not the easiest thing to do.

They should have left him in the fringe, especially when Zeke’s main contributing role in this book seem to be his ability to add more pages to the book in terms of whining and crying and creating conflict. Some characters are inserted solely for verbal flufferage. Zeke becomes one of them in this book. I wish he had been turned into a vampire in the first book. At least then he wouldn't be a waste of air.

OK FINE I KNOW HE PLAYS A CRITICAL PART IN THE BOOK BUT I STILL DON'T LIKE HIM.

I am impressed with Allie's behavior in this book. She's rational. She hates Jackal and his previous actions. She knows he is capable of horrible things, but she works with him anyway without being a screeching, whining, and contrary harpy. She does what she needs to in order to get shit done. That, my friend, is the type of heroine I can get behind. Together, she, Kanin, and Jackal are an odd family, but they work well together and they are connected through a similar goal. Dysfunctional though they are, I love how they work together...and yet they get along better than some families I know.

Did I mention that Julie Kagawa is a kick-ass writer? The ability to create characters that arouse such strong emotions (not that of the "I'm severely annoyed by you" kind. Any writer can create an annoying character, sometimes an unwittingly annoying character. *cough*Luce*cough*Bella*cough*Calder*cough*) It takes true talent to create a character with...actual character, that with which we can sympathize and hate and grow angry.

Jackal is by far the best character in this book. I think I like him even more than Allie here. He is a lot more authentic. He doesn't try to hide his true nature, or who he is. It's refreshing, especially when everyone is so lacking in confidence. He's certainly a better match for Allie. Blood siblings, not real siblings, right? Anyone with me? There's always book 3! Not really, but one can hope.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay. Was I the only one who thought that this blue cover was just a placeholder?

Well its not. Its the actual cover. (The information about it can be read on Julie Kagawa's blog)

As said in her blog post, there are many reasons why they chose to "remake" the cover of The Immortal Rules series. Some of these reasons include the original cover not being "dystopian enough".

Ahem.

Sorry. I just choked. Seriously. I did not just do that because I think its BS. Nope. Not at all.

What in the world makes a cover look "dystopian"? Hunger Games cover = pin. Divergent cover = ball of fire. Delirium = girl. Is there a certain "dystopian" theme going on here? I'm not going to look at a cover and say "Oh yeah, that's totally dystopian. I can tell from the spindly tree." READ THE DESCRIPTION, DAMMIT.


Although...I do have to agree with the fact that Alyson didn't look - wait for it - asian enough on the cover of the first book. Yes. That is one of the reasons why they're changing it. Although, I don't think you can really judge the cover model that much - Alysson was never directly stated to be of asian decent. The only clue we have is someone calling her "squinty-eyes", but even then its pretty clear from the author's notes that she is (if you get my drift). But its not like things like this haven't been done before - I mean, look at some of those book covers out there. Some of them are completely whacked. Either way, the cover doesn't really have to influence how we imagine the characters - as long as the author does a good job explaining them, we can throw away the cover flap and come up with our own images.

So. Is this cover going to make The Immortal Rules more popular? My opinion? I think not. They're not flashy. They're not eye-catching at all. The original cover of the first book? Completely noticeable. Its creepy. People like creepy. However, I had to remove the cover sleeve when I was reading it, because people would stare at me funny when they saw a bleeding eyeball on the front of the book, so I'm not really one to judge. These new covers? They won't entrance people like the first ones. Its just so...normal. Nothing to really hint at what is behind the cover.

I don't know. Are these new covers a mistake? Its hard to tell. Although I can hint the subtle wanting to seem like every other harmless dystopian book. But when people read "vampires" they'll either run the other way, or get hooked - without a kick-ass cover, I'm guessing that people will be running.

***


OHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh. Sorry. I was just watching CSI. Whoops.

But the feeling is mutual...but in a different context.

Haha.

I'm not funny.

At all.

But seriously.

I can't wait.

For this book.

Gah!

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

I reached a point where I started believing that I outgrew YA. Repetitive plot and annoying characters –among other things- kept me away from this genre. I’m glad I decided to read this trilogy it’s quite refreshing. If I was true to myself –especially since it’s by no means a perfect book- I would’ve rated it 4 stars but honestly? This was too damn fun.

I read 92% of the book in one sitting before I went to sleep at 4 am yesterday. I could not stop reading. At that point, everything seemed to be going in a direction, you know “the resolution”, so I figured I can finish it today as I had to wake up early. I finished the book during the car drive with my friends this morning and I WAS STUNNED. My eyes watered. I was NOT expecting that! How can everyone continue living as if nothing has happened after that ending? Kagawa is certainly not afraid to pull off merciless plot twists!

So what did I love about this book?
✎ Zeke. He only did not feel important to me at all in book 1. Nor that interesting. But now? I adore him. He’s so sweet and different from the usual love interests, especially since Allie is in the power position here being the vampire. It was interesting to see it reversed!
✎ The pace. I honestly couldn’t put my kindle down. It was a very quick read and did not bore me once. It certainly doesn’t suffer from the second book syndrome. It doesn’t wait to start all the action.
✎ Jackal. Okay, we all agree that he’s fantastic. His witty remarks are fun and I enjoyed his banter with Allie.
✎ It was also interesting to see how Allie’s relationship with the guys developed.

Sadly, I cannot but mention the weaknesses since they did annoy me.
✎ I did not like Stick’s plot at all, especially at first. He’s just so pathetic.
✎ Some things are never explained (also I’m glad one of the questions in the first book were answered and stronger vampires can actually wake up once they sleep) like why did Zeke go to New Covington? Other than the fact it was his only lead to Allie –he knows it’s where she grew up- nothing hints she will be heading there. Also, how does he know the tunnels so well?

That’s all I remember for now but I honestly highly recommend this trilogy if you’re looking for a fun YA to read. The new releases are mostly junk, I should dig more in the older ones because this book reminded me why this genre can be so entertaining!

[Steph Sinclair]

EDIT: So the cover is up and I'm actually happy with it. I'm very please Harlequin dropped the model from The Immortal Rules who wasn't Asian and went in a different direction. It's not my favorite cover in the world, but it's not bad either.

-----------------

Let me love you. <3

[Kristalia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Final rating: 5/5 stars

“There are no good choices, Allison,” Kanin offered in a quiet voice. “There are only those you can live with, and those you can work to change.”

I need to recover from this one. My mind is blown into pieces. My heart has been repeatedly smashed into the wall, picked up and smashed again. But thankfully i am still alive.

This sequel is probably the best book i have read this year and in a while. Absolutely amazing, full of action, fast paced and totally ended with a freaking cliffhanger over which i am still being mad about.

And this cliffhanger... oh my god. She can't do this to her fans!!!!! it's unacceptable! I am not ashamed to admit that i cried over it. I just did and i couldn't help myself.

Anyway..... it was just perfect. Well, bluntly said, i am in love with this book and this author. And i am in love with her characters. But! One thing! Could the cover be any more worse than it is? The blue one looks like placeholder and the both girl ones are horrible. :( Well, you cant judge book by it's cover.

P.s. i am totally Team Kanin even though it's not love triangle T_T
first time i actually want a book to have it.

*this review contains slight spoilers for this book, nothing serious or worth killing me for, and spoilers for first book - proceed with caution.*
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STORY :
___________________________________________


After leaving Eden, Allie starts searching for her sire, Kanin, who was being tortured by a vicious vampire Sarren, out of revenge. Since blood calls to blood, she wants to rescue him at all costs but accidentally stumbles on a person she expected the least - Jackal - her enemy and her blood brother.

And they are set on finding Kanin.....for different reasons. And she has to trust him - even though she can't.

Meanwhile...strange things happen within a certain town...and it has to be stopped. At all costs. No matter how.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The story was certainly far better than the first one. SO many plot twists happened and some of them i really hated. But, it made this book totally unexpected and strong.

I wouldn't call this story about love. Love is so little present in this book, and its all focused on the story, but it was there and it was beautiful. It's a story of a bond, of family and revenge.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Now....onto the spoiler part:
safe only for those who finished the book:
CONTAINS ABSOLUTELY HEAVY SPOILERS. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.

>>> Oh my god. All things that happened killed my mind. First, we find out that Sarren is absolutely psychotic and his methods are horrible. Then, we find out that Kanin is held in the old city Allison lived in, and even worse, that Sarren stole the virus which was a form of red lung which now terrorizes the city. And then Zeke appears and comes to the rescue *swoons*....Jackal is being awesome asshole and all...and they finally rescue my honey Kanin.

I gotta say, i love Kanin, i love how he accepted everything...Allie's relationship with Zeke, even though he warned her of staying out of contacting the humans, and i loved him for it. And i secretly worship him with Allie. He finally spills his guts about many many things as well. Makes me love him even more.

But then shit starts happening and Kanin gets poisoned by that bastard Salazar, and the worst thing of all was when Zeke got infected too. I thought he was going to die.

But nothing prepared me for what Sarren did to Zeke......oh my god...that scene...i cried so much. Julie can't do this to us... i hate it! T_T It was completely and totally devastating and horrible. <<<


___________________________________________

CHARACTERS :
___________________________________________

♦ Allie :

"“I know what it’s like to miss someone. To feel like you’re just… wandering around, lost. And how you wish they were there, if only for a moment, just to point you in the right direction.”"

Allison is strong, awesome and just fantastic. I love her character, i love her witness and i love her cunning. She still struggles to not be the monster the others are...she tries to be strong and not to kill innocent people - so she choose the lesser of two evils, and now hunts criminals and thugs. The only thing which makes her keep humanity is Zeke...He is sort of her limiter, and he became even more...he became her consciousness, her awareness of right and wrong.

" “The lesser of two evils was still evil.” "

She wants to find Kanin at all costs, he after all, saved her life and she wants to return the favor....especially after all the dreams she saw about him....All the pain and misery he suffers at the hands of Sarren.

Her love with Zeke progresses and i was so happy for it... they are absolutely cute as a couple and both of them are just adorable ♥


♦ Zeke :

" “I don't believe in fate," he said carefully, "but... I do believe everything happens for a reason. That there is some plan, some meaning to this darkness we live in.” "

Yes. Zeke is back. Yes. If i could hug him, i would. He is just huggable person. Pure, honest and amazing (even when he keeps his secrets). And horribly optimistic. That part of him never changed...but some others did.

" “Only death will take me away from you, vampire girl," he whispered. "And even then, I'll watch over you from wherever I end up.” "

He truly accepted Allie for what she was, and he wants a chance with her, he doesn't see her as a monster she is, but as someone else...different vampire than he was used to hear about and see.

" “You're still beautiful and dangerous and incredible, and I'll keep telling you that for as long as it takes you to believe it. But right now, all I want to do is kiss you, except I'm terrified that if I try you might throw me off this balcony.” "

But...he is bent on revenge and he wants to kill Jackal for all he had done to his family. And he won't back down easily...

♦ Kanin :

"“Because we must.” Kanin’s voice and expression remained the same. “Because there is nothing else we can do. Because there is no one else.” His voice dropped, becoming nearly inaudible. “I will put my trust in hope once more, and perhaps this time, it will be enough.”"

Oh Kanin. This book is mostly oriented on his rescue....And the poor vamp has been suffering for so long. I love how he got through a transformation after the rescue. He was no longer a teacher, but he became a friend, a family. He is wonderful character, and i forgave him for everything and i wish other vampires and humans would too. He did whatever he could to save everyone and when the plan backfired, he got blamed for it. And now he has an army of pissed vamps and humans, and worst of all, Sarren, on his back. The worst thing of all is that he is so filled with regret, that it made him so much different. He doesn't want any more blood on his hands and he is forced to bear with it for the rest of his life...and we are talking about eternity.

“You will always be a monster - there is no turning back from it. But what kind of monster you become is entirely up to you.”

♦ Jackal :

Another snicker. “What you have to ask yourself,” he continued, “is whether I’m the type who would stay awake long enough to kill you after you fall asleep, or if I’m an early riser who would kill you before you woke up.”

Oh Jackal...Jackal...Jackal...
He is the character who appears literally at the beginning of the book. I must say that i really did not like the bastard in the first book, being psychotic vampire who killed a lot of humans including Zeke's group,he just... grew on me. He is extremely sarcastic, and i mean it, his every sentence is sarcastic - and it made me laugh so many times.

" “We’re both still here.”
He drew in a slow breath. “Allie…”
“Oh, don’t mind me,” came an extremely sarcastic voice near the wall. “You two go ahead and make out—I’ll just sit here and bleed quietly.” "

He hates it how Allison doesn't accept that she is vampire. He thinks that humans are meant to be ruled and therefore his controlling behaviour. But...he is quite complex and he is neither good nor bad...he is too complicated to understand if he is really good or if he is just plain bad. And when you read the book - you will know.

♦ Sarren :

"Perhaps a song is worth a thousand
pictures, hmm?"

Extremely psychotic vampire........and absolutely creepy...He is a picture of pure madness and disaster. Being totally crazy, he torments everyone he could get his hands on and he is professional at doing it. *shivers*

He takes a great pleasure at torture, and i just couldn't bear all he did to my lovely Kanin....

♦ Everyone else :

There are many, many characters which appear, and talking about them would be spoilerous, so i will refrain myself. But, i must say how disappointed i was by certain character...
___________________________________________

OVERALL :
___________________________________________

Wowowowoowowwowowowow. This series is one of those i love the most. Everything is done nicely, writing is amazing, it's a type of the book where you can easily imagine whole scenes and events. To me, it felt like watching a movie, and it is a rereading material kind of book. Everything was perfect, well done and fantastic.

If you haven't read these books, what are you waiting for - read them now!

But that cliffhanger is killing meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!
I can't wait for the final book (or at least i hope it will be)!

This review can be found on my blog: infinity-of-time.blogspot.com also known as...

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MY BLOOD OF EDEN REVIEWS:

◉ 'Til the World Ends (Blood of Eden, #0.5)
◉ The Immortal Rules (Blood of Eden, #1)
◉ The Eternity Cure (Blood of Eden, #2)
◉ The Forever Song (Blood of Eden, #3)

[Phrynne · Rating 3 out of 5]

The middle book in the trilogy and as with the first book I almost loved it, but not quite. My main issue was probably the sheer relentlessness of the action. I enjoy action and I enjoy a fast pace to a story, but there needs to be some peace occasionally and time to breathe and recover. I suppose the banter between Allie and Jackal is intended to bring some comic relief but it is only minor and not always especially funny. Nevertheless it is a good story and well told even if I did skim the fighting occasionally. Jackal is a great character and sometimes he is very funny. The ending is dramatic and a total cliff hanger so reading the third book is a requirement:)

[Kilikina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gaaaaaah. This series just keeps getting better and better! Jackal is quickly becoming my favorite character...after Zeke of course :] *swoon*

But ummm...that ending.....?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?! WHAT. THE. FUCK. How am I supposed to wait a year after a cliffhanger like that....UGHHHHHHHHHH. *goes to cry in a corner*

-----------------------------------------
It seriously pains me to know that I have to wait another year for this book.

*EDIT* snippet at the end of The Lost Prince: "Hello, sister,” Jackal greeted, his gold eyes shining in the dim light. “It’s about time you showed up.”

DAMMIT YOU CAN'T GIVE US A TEASER LIKE THAT!!!!

[Cereja Cult]

2013????? Really?? What about me, Julie? Did you think about that???

[Valeria]

2013 ???





I can't wait that long, I need more Allie now !

[Maja (The Nocturnal Library) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars
The last two books in Julie Kagawa’s impressive bibliography – first The Lost Prince and now The Eternity Cure – show a certain level of maturity and self-assuredness that simply wasn’t there before. I always enjoyed her books, even those first few ones in which she relied on familiar mythology and tropes, but now that she trusts herself enough to fly solo, like has become too small a word for how I feel. In The Eternity Cure more than ever before, Kagawa kept all the fine threads tightly in control.

Things that bothered me in The Immortal Rules, like lack of backstory and worldbuilding, were neatly taken care of with Dawn of Eden, a prequel novella published in the ‘Til the World Ends anthology. Going into this sequel with the hows and whys properly explained allowed me to relax and sink into the story without the constant nagging questions rising at the back of my mind.

Our long-awaited reunion with Allison Sekemoto brings with it a few surprises. Months have passed since she left Eden behind, and while she’s getting closer to Kanin every day, she still hasn’t found him. After so many months spent in solitude, searching fruitlessly for her Sire, Allie is a somewhat different vampire. She is much stronger and far more confident, but even more importantly, she knows who and what she is, and although she suffers from occasional bursts of nostalgia, she never whines or wallows in self-pity anymore. This Allie is someone I can get behind, a person (oh, fine, a vampire) I can admire.

It’s probably why I felt so strongly about the romance this time, when it failed to touch me at all in the first book. Back then, I simply didn’t understand the attraction between her and Zeke, it seemed like something included pro forma rather than a passionate, heartfelt thing. Allie is not the only one who’s changed, matured. Zeke is hardened, different, but still the kind, gentle boy somewhere underneath. Still, this new and improved version seemed somehow more believable in those circumstances. To explain it like a vampire would: he stopped being prey and became a hunter instead.

After reading dozens of reviews, I think it’s safe to conclude that Jackal, Allie’s blood brother, is the readers’ favorite. I just love redeemed characters, but I love characters that dance on that fine line between good and bad, likeable and obnoxious, even more. Allie kept having to remind herself to hate him for what he’s done, and I had the same problem, although it’s safe to say Zeke never came near forgiving and forgetting. Jackal brought with him what the first book sorely lacked – a wonderful sense of humor. Without him, this would have been an action-packed, tense, but humorless adventure.

As much as I enjoyed my love-hate relationship with Jackal, Kanin remains my favorite. Quiet and solemn, he seemed a bit more approachable this time around, and possibly a bit warmer too, especially towards Allie. We finally learned about his past, and the revelations were timed perfectly. Instead of turning me and everyone else against him, they just made me love him even more.

The Eternity Cure is positively addictive and it took me completely by surprise. As someone who felt merely lukewarm about the first book, I didn’t expect to love it as much as I did, but I said exactly the same about The Lost Prince. I won’t make the same mistake a third time.

[Suzanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed The Immortal Rules, with Kanin winning a place in my heart. After what we seen happen to him then, I was anxiously awaiting the release of The Eternity Cure and looked forward to journeying with Allie to find and save him. What I didn't expect was to finish this book with a new favourite character, Jackal, who really made this book for me.

The book opens with Allie, alone, and following the blood tie she has to Kanin as he's her sire. She's been dreaming of him and the torture that he's being put through at the hands of Sarren, the psycho vamp. She won't give up until she finds him, she wouldn't be where she is now without him. He saved her life when she was attacked by rabids, and then thought her how to live as a vampire. But I found this wandering tedious and boring, making the first 100 pages or so of this book, not quite as enjoyable as I was expecting, or as the rest of the book, thankfully, turned out to be. Once Allie meets up with Jackal I was hooked.

We first met Jackal in The Immortal Rules where he was cruel and vicious. He has an army of human followers, but he is on a mission to find a cure for the red lung disease, and then plans to turn them into a vampire army. I hated him with passion then. But in The Eternity Cure, while he is still cruel and vicious, still searching for the cure, still planning his army, and kills humans without any concious thought, we also see another side to him. He is sarcastic and witty and adds a lot of humour to this book.

Kanin is much the same in this book as he was in The Immortal Rules and still as likable. After all he's been through over the past few months, he doesn't show signs of it having had a lasting impact on him, he's stoic and calm, and seems to hold his head quite well in dire situations.

Foolishly, I wasn't expecting to see Zeke return in this book, he was in Eden, and I expected him to stay there. I liked Zeke even more in this book than in the first one. He's a tougher, stronger, harder Zeke. Where I kind of felt he was a little too 'good' previously, he didn't seem to have that same persona here. He's still good, and extremely caring for everyone, but tough and less of a doormat here. He's out for revenge and we see that past events have definitely taken a toll on poor Zeke. I feel more pity towards him now, funnily enough, than after he lost his father and friends at the hands of Jackal.

A large majority of this book is spent travelling, a lot of which is through the sewers. Again, Kagawa's world building is faultless. And, I have to commend her recapping, I don't have the best memory and often find myself quite lost going into sequels, but not here. It was quite easy to pick up where I'd left off with The Immortal Rules.

Julie left me in shock with the ending. And with no information yet on the third book, I just hope we're not going to be left hanging too long.

[Joie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actual rating: 4.5 stars

As far as sequels go, I'm glad to say that The Eternity Cure did not disappoint- which was quite a feat considering how much I loved The Immortal Rules. This book made me feel so many things- from anxiety to anticipation to short-lived joy to heartache- that I'm going to have to break down this review piece by piece.

The Characters
Allie. Badass as ever. She is both fierce and fearsome, which makes for a great vampire, yet she also carries vulnerabilities and insecurities, which makes for a great, relatable protagonist. In this book, Allie is really starting to come into her own, accepting and embracing her new vampire life. I'm really excited to see where Kagawa takes this character in the next book. Especially with the way this one ended.....

Zeke. Bookish bad boys better watch out because Ezekial Cross is making the Nice Guy persona very swoon-worthy. My favorite thing about Zeke, aside from his innate goodness is his unwavering loyalty and faith. In that respect, I think he and Allie complement each other very well.

Jackal. Oh, Ms. Kawaga.... what have you done? I think Jackal just became my favorite character in the series!! I loved how I was constantly guessing whether he would end up a hero or a villain. There are little moments when he proves to be a good ally (and great comic relief) but there is always this understanding that he can't be trusted. I guess I'm just a total sucker for morally ambiguous characters with snark. I also enjoyed his twisted sibling relationship with Allie- it brought some much needed humor and lightness into an otherwise dark story.

Kanin...... is such and interesting character. After two books, I'm still not completely sure what to make of him. Kanin takes a bigger role in this book which was quite nice because I love his demeanor, especially in relation to all the other characters. For me, Kanin is definitely the most intriguing one to read about.

And, in case you were wondering, Sarren is still as twisted and sadistic as ever.

The Plot
As always, Kagawa's pacing was perfect. This book had me hooked from the very first chapter and kept me enraptured all the way up to that jaw-dropping ending. Literally, I openly gaped at the book when I got to the last page. But don't worry, no spoilers for you!

The most notable thing about this book was that there was a lot more gore than in The Immortal Rules. On one hand, this was nice because more action was happening throughout the book- and, really, who doesn't love awesome fight scenes? On the other hand, it did feel just a tad bit excessive. There are only so many pages I can stand of sword-slashing and vampiric dismemberment.

The Romance
This is pretty surprising for me to say, but I was a little unsatisfied with the romance. It's not that I didn't like the romantic development (because I totally support the Zeke/Allie ship) but the initial meeting between the two, namely Zeke explaining why he came after Allie, did not feel very natural to me. I may be in the minority here, but, following the events of book 1, it didn't seem like their relationship was at a point where it was realistic that Zeke did the things he did for her.

All in all:
The Eternity Cure was a very riveting read. Kagawa has hit the character-plot-setting trifecta once again.
Warning: this book ends with one heck of cliffhanger. Unless it's 2014 and the third book is out, prepare junk food on hand to eat away the feelings.



PRE-REVIEW
OHMAHGERD. DAT ENDING.




AND NOW I HAVE TO WAIT OVER A YEAR FOR THE NEXT BOOK?!

[Kira Simion · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ohmygodohmygodohmygodohmygod!

5/5 beautifully bloody stars!

READ THE FIRST BOOK BEFORE THIS ONE! It'll help the feels. :D (Not sadness feels as much as yes, kick some butt feels! ;))

I avoided this book because usually the first book of the series is the best but, this one was even BETTER than the first one!

Review to come!

MWAHHAHAHAHA

When you've screamed at a book, you've probably gotten strange looks. When I screamed, cheered, and my eyes almost popped out of my head, all I could think was please please please don't end.

Then it ended. On a cliffhanger....dbdksndndkdnndndmdmd is how I describe this emotion. *cries rainbows*

*. *. *. *. *. *

Once in a blue moon, (*cough* Underneath the Neversky *cough*) you find a book that makes your heart race, your hands quiver, and your eyes glued in fixation.

This book was that book (for me).

"How do you deal with the end of eternity?"

-Badass heroine with badass companions that have their own personality that makes me love them and want them to be real.

-Jackal. Oh Jackal. How I loved how you were a (somewhat) asshole with your clever remarks. I was giggling crazily and got quite a few strange looks. Oh well.

-Allison. I absolutely loved your character. Your personality was real. Your problems were handled with certainly but, you weren't perfect and you showed your human side to me. Thank you.

-Allison's sire, Kanin, is a beautiful soul. See the irony? He is said to have no soul but, he shows it over and over, choosing humans over vampires but, only killing the "worst" vampires or the rabbids or the crazed infected humans/vampires. He is wise and shows his years of experience with his actions and words. I would like a mentor like him. I would be honored to have one like him. I want him as my teacher.

Please?

-Ezekiel. Hello there my friend. You have gone through hard times and continue to go through tough times. Especially after the cliff hanger ending.

Damn is that a cliff hanger.... Curse you for being so enjoyable!

-The characters were absolutely remarkable!

I fell in love with them and I hope they continue to stay in the land of the living, both the vampires and the human. I love them and hope the last story doesn't change their personalities (too much). (I have high hopes)!

-The plot was splendid. While there was a main plot that connected to the first book, there were many many subplots, romance (not too much that you choke), action scenes that had me excited for the next page, and twists! (Not plot twists but twists. The difference is the predictability and the curving of the story around the subplots).

5/5 on to the next book stars!

Edit:

If this series is made into a movie, the producers BETTER have an Asian main character. If anyone gets offended, I am not sorry. I have just waaaaay too many bad remakes where the producers don't follow the book (and change the main character's looks). (Though on occasions there are good movies based on books too). Maybe that's just what happens. I suppose movies are never as good as the book. *sigh*

[Jasprit · Rating 5 out of 5]

“This is what I am, I thought, walking forward to join them. This is where I belong, in the darkness. We’re vampires. That’s all we’ll ever be”

Once again when I’ve found myself stumbling through books and in a reading slump, Kagawa is the one to pull me out of it. I had high hopes for The Eternity Cure after adoring The Immortal Rules last year but The Eternity Cure exceeded all my expectations. I have so much love for this book right now that I think my review will just be full of incoherent babbling and gushing, so I’m doing my review for this book a little bit differently.

The Characters.
With The Immortal Rules we were introduced to a range of characters which quite easily found a place in my heart. I thought I knew what these characters were really like then, and once again Kagawa was easy to remind me why I became so fond of them in the first place; especially of Kanin, Allie and Zeke. These three were an unlikely trio, but the way everything had been left ravaged they had come together with the same end goal. What I admired about all three was despite their clear differences, they were willing to work together, put their life on their line, for each other no question asked. Their time together was laced with humorous scenes, but also scenes which had me choking up with tears. Those who were disappointed with the amount of Kanin in The Immortal Rules will be pleased with this latest instalment. I had high hopes for his character in this book and that we would get to know his character more and I will say the wait was definitely worth it. Allie couldn’t have asked for a better sire. His resilience, determination and always attempting to do what was right despite time being against him I truly admired. These characteristics were clearly strong in Allie’s character too. Then we had our “secondary characters” I guess I can’t really call them that because of how much of a direct impact they had on this book. With these characters Kagawa was the monster of toying with your feelings; there were no clear cut answers with them, you never knew what they would do next, if you could trust them, but they triggered so many emotions within me of; confusion, laughter, hatred and rage. You know when you’re a kid and you’re watching a cartoon, and a villain is brought in to mess with the good guys like Mufasa in The Lion King, some of these characters especially with Sarren and Stick evoked all those feelings that I used to have as I had as a kid, where you’re just furious, and nothing can be the same until you’ve throttled them to death. Kagawa definitely took it up a whole another notch with these brilliant set of characters. If you thought your heart had been pushed to the limits with The Immortal Rules, just wait.

World building.
The Eternity Cure did take me a while to get into, but after a few pages, this crazy world Kagawa created completely pulled me in. I was completely taken in by the chaos and destruction and every new mission that Allie had to complete. Kagawa was able to make this crazy world appear so real, that everything Allie was going through I felt I was experiencing it alongside with her. Despite New Covington being dangerous and infested, I felt myself invested in this story until the very end, until we had the answers we needed. So to sum the world building was pure brilliance!

Surprise Factors.
Just like in The Immortal Rules, my heart was in my throat the entire time with The Eternity Cure. I was on high alert all the time, never letting my guard down, as you never knew what was lurking around the corner. With The Eternity Cure you just have to be prepared for the unexpected; there’s endless surprises which will cause heartache; as if you have a knife slicing through your heart, and just will have you reeling with aftershocks. And then there are others which will cause you great amount of rage. I think these were the two strongest emotions that this book evoked within me; heartache and rage. My poor heart and blood pressure barely survived with every single blow.

The Ending.
I have no words...how could you do this to me Ms. Kagawa?

This year I have been struggling to find books which have completely blown me away, thus the reason why The Eternity Cure is only my second 5 star rated book of the year so far. But honestly if I could give this book 100 stars I would as it was that damn good. Bring on 2014, for the next instalment, I’m pretty sure by that time my heart will have been taped back together and I will be raring to go for whatever Kagawa has to offer. *cowers in corner and cries to self*

[Carolin Wahl · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Sterne (:
So und nicht anders!
Also ich ziehe meinen Hut: Klasse Dialoge, super Spannungsaufbau, unerwartete Wendungen und sehr viel Atmosphäre. Ich bin wirklich begeistert. Ich mag den Schreibstil irgendwie sehr gerne, weil er ein großartiges Kopfkino erzeugt, ohne dabei auf zu viele Details einzugehen. Ich habe immer noch genug Platz mir meine eigene Welt zu erschaffen, aber genau das hat geklappt - und wie!
Dicke Leseempfehlung.
Ich bin mal gespannt, ob die anderen Bücher der Autorin auch was für mich sind (:

[~Tina~ · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's no secret that one of my all time favorite authors is Julie Kagawa and there is a reason why. She doesn't know how to write a bad book. In fact, I'm pretty sure she just gets better and better with every new release.

The Eternity Cure is the much anticipated sequel to Julie's vampire series, Blood of Eden.
We begin our story with Allison searching for her sire, Kanin. Blood calls to blood and Allie has seen the bloodcurdling nightmares of her sire's imprisonment and endless torture at the hands of the monstrous Sarren. She will do everything in her power to find him and save him from his living hell. But on her journey to search for her master, she finds an old enemy who turns out to be an unlikely ally. They discover that a new strain of Red Lung Virus has been unleashed, giving humans and even vampires horrific effects.
They need to find a cure and time is running out...for everyone.

Wow! What a sequel! I've always adored Julie's writing, she has such an incredible way with words and she is just such a fierce storyteller. When I think back to all my other vampire series, I have to say that this one has to be the most disturbing of the bunch. Julie's world is thick and heavy cloaked in darkness, madness and desperation. It's raw agony punches us into emotional turmoil and just when we're on a the edge of hope looking up, we're thrown over that same edge, tumbling down. This is everything a vampire book should be and more. You wont find fluff-n-stuff here my friends. This world is dire, dangerous and deathly. I admit, I do miss the lighter moments and even the humor Julie is gifted for, but I have to say that I'm loving how different this experience is compared to other vampire reads. This is the kind of world where I'm afraid to breath. It's not overly graphic but it's graphic enough to power our imagination into overdrive, making us terrified and heartbroken in the same breath. It's very hard to get through some of those more painful scenes, especially if your already very much attached to these characters.

There is a lot that happens plot wise. So many twist and turns on the road to finding a cure and stopping an insatiable psychopathic monster who's only appetite is total and complete utter destruction.
Allie has grown up since the first book. Being a vampire has hardened her in ways she can't control, but she still fights her inner-demons and clings to the notion that she can still choose what kind of monster she wants to be. She's still such a force. Confident, strong, passionate, determined and loyal.
Her unlikely alley turns out to be someone that I would have never expected. Jackal has wormed his way into my good graces and affections. Only Kagawa can accomplish redemption in a character I would have loved to see staked after what he did to Zeke's family, only I find myself believing in him instead.
Kaine has been through the worse kind of hell. He still wears his regret like a scar and still remains wise and controlled as ever. But the way he wants to set things right and the way he holds himself up with such a distinguished manner and vulnerability, makes me want to follow him till the very end.
Fans will be happy to see that Zeke is very much in this installment. He and Allie have some of the most sweetest moments that makes this journey worth fighting for. But the road to happiness is not paved smooth (it never is in Kagawa's world) so be warned that dark heartbreaking times are still up ahead.
And lastly we have Sarren. Possibly the worst villain I've ever read. I want a slow painful death for this character. His thriving blood-lust for revenge is sick and demented. He is pure evil and I'll be on the edge of my seat cheering on to see the way Kagawa ends him. And she must end him.

Bottom line, The Eternity Cure is another unflinching, unforgiving and unmerciful installment in the Blood of Eden series. Julie Kagawa has out done herself. She has proven time and time again that she can write just about anything and even has me anticipating freezer-worthy horror, and if you know me, that's saying something. Fans of The Immortal Rules will want to get their hands on this spine-tingling sequel as soon as possible. I can't wait to see where Kagawa takes us and these characters next. I'm scared and anxious, specially after that evil-cliffy of an ending! MORE!

(Arc provided by Netgalley and Harlequin Teen AU)

[Booknut 101 · Rating 4 out of 5]

You are a monster. His voice was always so clear in my head, as if he was standing right next to me, his dark eyes boring into my skull. You will always be a monster - there is no turning back from it. But what kind of monster you become is entirely up to you. That was the lesson I clung to most, the one I swore I'd never forget.



The reason I chose the above quote to begin this review with, is because I think it puts into words perfectly the main idea explored in The Eternity Cure.

What makes a monster?
What makes us human - our biological make up, or our actions?
What does it take to become unredeemable?

And in times of trouble - in our darkest moments - can humanity still be found?

Allison Sekemoto has left her motley group of humans - her new friends, and her new love Zeke - behind in Eden. Eden is no place for a vampire, let alone one with unfinished business. Allison knows that she owes her life (or, at least, her undead one) to Kanin, her sire. Using their blood bond to track him down, each night she dreams through Kanin's eyes, experiencing the torture he undergoes at the hands of Sarren, the psychotic vampire who is out to destroy not only Kanin, but the world. The dreams, if anything, cement Allison's resolve to rescue Kanin - at any cost.

Fragile alliances are formed, deadly secrets arise from the depths of forgotten laboratories, enemies slain and loved ones return. But when a new strain of the Red Lung virus ends up in the hands of none other than Sarren, the race is on to save the them all...vampires and humans. Swords must be drawn, limits pushed and Allison's Hunger put to the test if she is to work as a team with those closest to her to bring Sarren's lunacy to an end.

"There are no good choices, Allison," Kanin offered in a quiet voice."There are only those you can live with, and those you can work to change."