The Forever Song

Blood of Eden #3

by Julie Kagawa

VENGEANCE WILL BE HERS

Allison Sekemoto once struggled with the question: human or monster?

With the death of her love, Zeke, she has her answer.

MONSTER

Allie will embrace her cold vampire side to hunt down and end Sarren, the psychopathic vampire who murdered Zeke. But the trail is bloody and long, and Sarren has left many surprises for Allie and her companions—her creator, Kanin, and her blood brother, Jackal. The trail is leading straight to the one place they must protect at any cost—the last vampire-free zone on Earth, Eden. And Sarren has one final, brutal shock in store for Allie.

In a ruined world where no life is sacred and former allies can turn on you in one heartbeat, Allie will face her darkest days. And if she succeeds, triumph is short-lived in the face of surviving forever alone.

Genres: Vampires, Young Adult, Fantasy, Dystopia, Paranormal, Romance, Post Apocalyptic

393 pages, Hardcover

First published April 15, 2014

Reviews

[Khanh, first of her name, mother of bunnies · Rating 2 out of 5]

**Spoilers for book 2, minor spoilers for book 3**

“Say you love me, vampire girl,” he whispered, his voice low and husky. “Tell me...that this is forever.”
“I love you,” I said immediately. “And if we have forever, there’s no one else I want to spend it with.”

That sad, sad moment when your favorite YA vampire series turns into a soap opera.

This book broke my heart in a way that hasn't happened since Ginny x Harry. I absolutely loved the previous books in this series, despite the main character's (Allie) tendency to be extremely emo and Harry-Potter-Order-of-the-Phoenix angsty. In previous books, I made excuses for her emotions, her feels, her constant need to hang onto her humanity in the face of her darker nature of the vampiric beast within in the hopes that she will eventually mature and embrace her darkness. I gave Allie credit for her weakness throughout this series, in the hopes that finally she will grow the fuck up and get her priorities straight.

It didn't happen. Quite the opposite.

Allie is more whiny than ever. Zeke is an emo pussy beyond redemption. The only saving grace to this book was the glorious motherfucker that is Jackal (LET ME LOVE YOU). Let me tell you how much I love Jackal. I don't just love him. I want to marry him. I want to grovel at his feet. I want to get down on my knees and worship him. I want to get down on my knees, and, well, let's not go into explicit details, now. ANYWAY. *ahem*

I alternated between pain and pleasure in this book. Pain because of Allie. Pleasure whenever Jackal opened his mouth to rip Allie a new one.

What hurts about this book is that Kagawa KNEW that Allie and Zeke are weak characters. She deliberately wrote her that way, because everything Jackal said about Allie rings so true. Jackal is Allie's biggest critic, and he absolutely confronted Allie on all her emotional lovey dovey bullshit.

“Puppy, I am getting so tired of listening to you whine about this,” he snarled at Zeke. “This isn’t rocket science. If you don’t want to be a monster, don’t be a bloody monster! Be an uptight stick in the mud like Kanin. Be a self-righteous bleeding heart like Allison. Or you can stop agonizing about it and be a fucking monster."

See? Jackal represented the POV that I feel a lot of readers can understand. Kagawa made Allie to be a weak character, an unreasonable one, a stubborn one, and while I respect her choice as the writer to create her character in this way, I cannot love Allie knowing her incredible faults.

The Plot: Zeke is dead. Or he's supposed to be. Allie is trying not to think about him. Allie, Jackal, and Kanin are on their way through the devastation that is the US trying to track down the brilliant genius, Sarren, who seeks to kill every living and undead creature left in the world.

Here's essentially how the book goes:

Allie: I WILL NOT THINK ABOUT ZEKE *breaks down into tears 5 minutes later* I WILL BE A BIG BAD ASS KILLER AND AVENGE MY LOVER'S DEATH. *breaks down again*
Jackal: LOL YOU ARE SO DUMB, FACE YOUR NATURE. BE LIKE ME! RAAAAWR!
Allie: SHUT UP. You are SUCH a jerk.
Jackal: And you want rainbows and unicorns and flowers, face the fucking truth.
Kanin: Children, stop that. We are trying to save the world.
Jackal: NEENER NEENER NEENER. Omg stop crying. Want some cheese to go with your whine, sister?
Allie: I swear to god if I hear another word out of you, I will take your balls and shove them so far up your anal sphinc...
Kanin: CHILDREN, PLEASE. We're under attack by an army of rabids!
Jackal and Allie: *DIIIIIIIIIIIIIE RABIDS*
Kanin: The most important thing to do now is to be smart. Stay together...
Allie: Ok, daddy. OOH, SARREN! *runs away*
Kanin: *facepalms*
Allie: OMG ZEKE. I THOUGHT YOU WERE DEAD.
Zeke: <3
Allie: THIS IS TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE BUT WHO CARES <333333
Zeke: *stabs Allie*
Allie: ?_? D:
Zeke: >:D DIE BITCH! SARREN TURNED ME AND I WILL KILL YOU!!!!!!!!!! I AM EVIL NOW! I WILL SING THE EVIL SONG! I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THAT MEANS!
Allie: ;_; But I love you. I WILL KILL YOU. OR KISS YOU. The words are right next to each other on the keyboard.
Zeke: I AM SAVED BY YOUR LOVE.
Kanin: What the heck? ?_?
Jackal: You can't be fucking serious
Allie: <3
Zeke: <3
Kanin: That's pretty cute, kids. I'm so happy that you're back together, but really, we're trying to find Sarren here, can we focus on the mission?
Jackal: For fuck's sakes, get your fucking priorities straight.
Allie: <3 u Zeke!
Zeke: ;_; I'm a demon now. I'M A MONSTER. I HATE MYSELF.
Allie: <333333 I DON'T CARE. YOU'RE MY ZEEEEEEEEEKE <33333 You will always be good and wonderful despite the fact that you have a blood bond with the evil vampire master Sarren! I hope. And if I hope for something hard enough, it must be true!!!!11!111
Kanin: We're trying to save the world here. Children?
Jackal: GET THE FUCK OVER YOURSELF, ZEKE AND ALLIE. WE'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF A FUCKING BATTLE. THERE ARE CORPSES ALL OVER THE FUCKING PLACE.
Allie: Blood is red, and red is the official color of Valentine's Day, so it just makes the situation more romantic, you asshole. Go away so Zeke and I can love each other.
Kanin: Children? Children? Are you even listening to me?
Zeke: I'm evil ;_;
Allie: No, you're not, honeypie baby booboo
Zeke: I'm evil ;_;
Allie: No, you're not, sugarpunkins
Zeke: I'm evil ;_;
Allie: No, you're not, sweetsugarlips
Zeke: Kill me.
Allie: I'll kiss you instead, does that work?
Zeke: Yes :D But I'm evil ;_;
Jackal: ...
Kanin: I molest bunnies. I kill kittens. An UFO has abducted me. IS ANYONE LISTENING TO ME ANYMORE?
Allie and Zeke: *stares into each other's eyes* Yes, daddy.
Jackal: *STABBY STABBY STABBY*
Kanin: Ok, the important thing is to stay together. No heroics. We do this as a team.
Allie: *sees Sarren* DIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEE MOTHERFUCKER
Kanin: Why do I even bother?

Meanwhile:
Sarren: MWAHAHAHAHA. I will destroy the world. I WILL KILL EVERYONE!
Sarren: After I make this long-ass speech about how much they suck compared to my evil genius.



Allie:

“Two lives for the rest of the world?” he continued. “Are you willing to sacrifice everything to save one and destroy another?”

Allie needs to get her fucking priorities straight. I remained angry at Allie throughout the book because she was such an immature, madly romantic, wildly emotional and angsty character. She has her eyes on the prize: the prize being Zeke. The rest of the world? The fate of the world? Fuck them. All she cares about is Zeke.

Let's focus on one scene specifically. Allie has found out that Zeke has been turned by Sarren into a vampire. Zeke is now evil, he retains little memories of her. Allie wants to go back for Zeke. It is a bad decision to make, and Kanin wants to get the facts straight before Allie makes her choice.

“I want you to understand exactly what you are deciding, right now. If we return to the city for Jackal and Ezekiel, Sarren could reach Eden, complete whatever he is planning, and unleash a virus that could destroy everything. And if that happens, everything we’ve done here will be for nothing. Do you understand that?”

It's pretty fucking clear. If Allie goes back, she risks endangering everything they've been fighting for. They are the last people who stand a chance at stopping Sarren. Without them, there is no hope. The fate of vampires and that of the surviving human rests on them. If they fail, the results are disastrous.

“I just want you to understand the potential consequences of tonight,” he went on. “If we are killed, if we cannot get to Sarren in time, everything could die. It will be like it was sixty years ago. You aren’t old enough to remember the days Before, but when Red Lung was at its peak, the entire world was madness and chaos. And when the rabids appeared, it became hell on earth.”

Kanin makes it perfectly clear. It's up to them.

“It is...a very heavy weight to carry, Allison, the damnation of a world. I want you to be very certain, before we go any further. Is it worth it? Is he worth it?”

And Allie's choice?

I already knew my answer. It was selfish, it was unreasonable, and I knew it was the wrong choice. But I looked up at Kanin, into his impassive face, and whispered, “Yes.”
“You are willing to let others die for this. To let Sarren win.”

I am fucking DONE with Allie.

Zeke: Excuse me while I get out the world's smallest violin for Zeke.

*Khanh starts playing while Zeke sings his song of emo*

“I’m a demon, and the sooner I take myself out of this world, the better.”

“I only have to understand one thing—I’m a demon. I may not have wanted it, but it’s what I am now.”

“This is what I am, Allison! I’m a demon—you know it as well as me.”

“I’m terrified that I won’t be able to fight this, that I’ll turn into a demon and lose my soul forever, if it’s not already gone."

*While Zeke was crying, Khanh slowly switched her instrument to a cello. Khanh stops playing and bashes Zeke on the head with it*

Jackal: I wanted to pump my fist in triumph every time Jackal spoke. His is the voice of destructive reason, and my god, I love him so much I could die. He gives it to Allie straight every time she's in one of her fluffy frilly lovey dovey self-pitying moods. When Allie and Zeke are having one of their Loving Moments in the middle of a fucking battlefield...

“Still incredible, vampire girl,” he whispered, sounding almost like himself again. “Dangerous, beautiful and unstoppable. You haven’t changed.”

Jackal interrupts them to tell them to get their heads out of their asses and get back into the fucking moment.

“Oh, isn’t that sweet,” came Jackal’s loud, mocking voice before I could reply. “Let’s make goo-goo eyes at each other in the middle of a stinking corpse field, how very romantic.”

I felt like Jackal was saying everything I was thinking. Every time Zeke or Allie have one of their nauseatingly self-pitying moments, Jackal is there to mock them to their face.

“Aw, isn’t that sweet.” And Jackal sauntered into view, smirk firmly in place. “But don’t wait around on my account. It’s not like I can’t wait for yet another riveting night of listening to you people whine at each other. Oh, woe is me, I’m a vampire. I’m a horrible monster who eats babies and murders bunnies, boo hoo hoo.”

I would be ever so happy if Jackal had his own spinoff.

[Lucille · Rating 5 out of 5]

AFTER READING: I need a hug. I need lots of hugs. I can't believe it's over now. The ending was beautiful and bittersweet. I cannot wait to fangirl with you all.

Allison, Zeke, Jackal, and Kanin... You will be missed. I cried so much. I will reread this series every time I'm sad, I swear.

****************

Updated: 2014 April 9th, less than a week before the release!! Who's excited?? I know I am!

The door loomed dead ahead, and I didn't stop.  I didn't pause to reconsider my plan.  Whether I was walking into a trap or straight to my death.  Katana at my side, I strode up to the door and kicked it below the knob.  It flew open with a crash, nearly ripped off its hinges, and I stepped into the room.

****************

Updated: 2014 March 27, 19 more days
Another teaser! To the people who have received an arc, no spoilers for the rest of us until the publication, please! No matter how much and how loud we beg.

"Hey old man," Jackal called in a mocking voice, "you forgot to say 'if you kids don't stop I'm going to turn this car right around and then no one will go to Eden.'"

****************

Updated: 2014 March 19, 27 days before publication (less than a month!!!)

I slumped in relief, then turned...to face a squadron of suspicious, hard-eyed soldiers, their assult rifles already trained on us all.

****************

Updated: 2014 March 6th Another teaser!

I didn't answer, walking faster to get away from him, and he quickened his pace to keep up.

“Come on, sister, where’s that obnoxious morality you kept throwing in my face every two seconds? You’re making it very difficult to take any sort of pleasure in mocking it relentlessly.”

****************

Updated: 2014 March 1st, 1 month and 15 days before publication

So, they moved the publication date to April 15th! Yaaaaay!! And HERE'S A SHORT TEASER FROM JULIE!

Ignoring the pain, I snatched my katana from where it lay on the hood and roared a challenge to the giant bearing down on me.  As it loomed overhead, smashing down with a huge fist, I dodged aside, and its arm crunched into metal, leaving a deep hole behind.

****************

Updated: 2014 January 23, In the afternoon

A LITTLE TEASER NEVER HURT ANYONE said no one ever

Scroll down for THE FOREVER SONG's first teaser:

The smell of blood grew thicker once we were past the wall, though nothing moved on the narrow path that snaked between houses.  The flimsy wood and tin shanties were silent, dark, as we ventured deeper, passing snow covered porches and empty chairs.  Everything looked intact, undisturbed.  There were no bodies.  No corpses mutilated in their beds, no blood spattered over the walls of the few homes we ducked into.  There weren't even any dead animals in the tiny, trampled pasture past the main strip.  Just snow, and dark, and emptiness.    

            And yet, the smell of blood soaked this place, hanging thick on the air, making my stomach ache and the Hunger roar to life.  I bit it down, clenching my jaw to keep from snarling in frustration.  It had been too long.  I needed food. The scent of blood was driving me crazy, and the fact that there were no humans here made me furious.  Where were they?  It wasn't possible that an entire outpost of mortals would up and disappear without a trace.

            And then, as we followed the path around the pasture and up to the huge barn at the top of the rise, we found the townspeople.

            A massive, barren tree stood beside the barn, twisted branches clawing at the sky.  They creaked and swayed beneath the weight of dozens of bodies, hanging upside down from ropes tied to the limbs.  Men, women, even a few kids, swinging in the breeze, dangling arms stiff and white.  Their throats had been cut, and the base of the tree was stained black, the blood spilled and wasted in the snow.  But the smell nearly knocked me over regardless, and I clenched my fists, the Hunger raking my insides with fiery talons.        

            "Well," Jackal muttered, crossing his arms and gazing up at the tree, "isn't that festive."  His voice was tight, as if he too, was on the edge of losing it.  "I'm guessing this is the reason we haven't found a single bloodbag from here all the way back to New Covington."  He growled, shaking his head, lips curling back from his fangs. "This guy is really starting to piss me off."

            I swallowed the Hunger, trying to focus through the gnawing ache.  "Why James, don't tell me you feel sorry for the walking meatsacks," I taunted, because sometimes, goading Jackal was the only thing that kept my mind off everything else.  He snorted and rolled his eyes.

            "No, sister, I'm annoyed because they don't have the decency to be alive so I can eat them."

****************

Updated: 2014 January 23, Early morning

HOLY FUDGE BROWNIES THE COVER!!! I'm so done it's so beautiful and simple and it doesn't match the other covers but the birds flying omg kill me

I LOVE IT SO MUCH

****************

Updated: 2013 October 19

Dear Julie,

I'm not asking for "and they lived happily ever after!"

I'm just asking for "AND THEY LIVED."

And by them I meant Kanin, Allie, AND Zeke.

****************

Updated: 2013 September 25

You know what would be the best form of torture?
Making someone fall in love with a book that ends on a cliffhanger with a sequel that doesn't come out for a year.

OH WAIT, THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO ALREADY DO THAT...they're called authors.

JulieK is an expert.

****************

Updated: 2013 September 22 THE BLURB IS OUT!

VENGEANCE WILL BE HERS

Allison Sekemoto once struggled with the question: human or monster?

With the death of her love, Zeke, she has her answer.

MONSTER

Allie will embrace her cold vampire side to hunt down and end Sarren, the psychopathic vampire who murdered Zeke. But the trail is bloody and long, and Sarren has left many surprises for Allie and her companions—her creator, Kanin, and her blood brother, Jackal. The trail is leading straight to the one place they must protect at any cost—the last vampire-free zone on Earth, Eden. And Sarren has one final, brutal shock in store for Allie.

In a ruined world where no life is sacred and former allies can turn on you in one heartbeat, Allie will face her darkest days. And if she succeeds, triumph is short-lived in the face of surviving forever alone.

Holy Maria. Just shut up and take my money! ;_;

The feels is becoming too much. Like every month we get closer and closer to Spring 20-freaking-14 and then we get a blurb and soon a cover and my whole life is just shifting and it hurts so much because it said Zeke is dead aND JULIE KAGAWA WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS TO ME.

****************

Updated: 2013 September 2 WE JUST GOT AN EXPECTED PUBLICATION PEOPLE!! *drum rolls*

April 29th 2014

NO. But that's a million light years away?!

My feelings right now:




THEN...



****************

Updated: 2013 August 19

THIS IS JUST TOO MUCH *wails*



****************

And the monster rose up, embracing my pain, turning it to vengeance. This is what we are, it whispered, easing the despair threatening to crush me. We are vampires. We are not human, we do not need human emotion, we do not get attached to human beings. You knew that from the beginning.

I did. Allie the Fringer knew that, even before she was Turned. She'd tried to warn me to keep my distance, to guard my heart.

Lesson learned. I was a monster. I would never forget that again.

****************



My Dream Cast
YIFEI LIU as Allison Sekemoto
"black hair, pale skin, and 'squinty' eyes"



or Devon Aoki for Allie



LANDON LIBOIRON as Ezekiel Cross
"tall, lean, blue-eyed"



WENTWORTH MILLER as Kanin (This guy is perfect. You're welcome.)
"piercing black eyes, tall, muscular form and calm, quiet demeanor"


****************

Look at what you did to me, Julie. I'm infected. Slowly going mad and feverish. Perhaps I'm turning into a Bleeder?

Well, we all know there's only one cure for that. Four letters. It starts with a Z and ends with an E. Hurry, I need it fast.

****************

The Forever Song. I NEED THIS.

Omg. I haven't read The Eternity Cure but I'm sure it's amazing so I'm going to wait until July to read it coz I heard there's a cliffhanger and I don't wanna wait that long for this!

I said that all in one breath... in my mind.

Update 6/23: Because I'm a stupid human being that lacks self-control, I foolishly went on and read The Eternity Cure. I tried not to do it. I truly did. But I am only human after all. Let's just say that there were a lot of screaming involved and more tissues that I can count on one hand were used.

Now, I TRULY NEED THIS. I am willing to give up my firstborn to get an arc. READ THAT, JULIE? So if you ever want a baby, come find me in the next two weeks.

You can't save anyone now. The requiem has started, and when the last melody plays, the only applause will be sweet, eternal silence.
-Sarren

[Emily May · Rating 3 out of 5]

"So, this is me, all of me, forever. No more looking back. No more regrets. From now on, vampire girl--" he lowered his head, brushing his lips across my skin "--I'm all yours."

I promise no spoilers for this book but it would be impossible to review The Forever Song without giving away some things from the previous books. In my opinion, this final installment is the weakest. I thought the second book was a hard one to follow, so maybe that fact contributed, but I would have very few good things to say about this if it wasn't Jackal - who is actually one of my favourite YA paranormal characters and I so hope he gets his own spin-off (which looks quite likely).

So... what's up with all the angsting?

I've known from the start that these books are quite dark, dreary and full of drama, but that's kind of what I liked about them. I liked reading about Allison's moral struggles and how she came to terms with being a monster and learned to embrace both sides of who she is. I liked reading about her relationship with Zeke and the convincing way the author depicted problems faced in a human/vampire relationship. I liked Kanin. And I LOVED the comic relief offered by Jackal's bitingly sarcastic sense of humour. But the latter was one of only two things that remained consistent with this last book. The other being the grittiness and vivid gory details.

The first book in this series - The Immortal Rules - is an introduction to the world and characters. It's also slower than the other two and focuses on the changes in Allison's life and the way she adapts to them. The second book - The Eternity Cure - is much better. It's a complex, well-plotted story that mixes fast-paced action with humour, and nail-biting tension with romance. It's one of those books that just ticks every box. It excites, it surprises, it holds your attention. This last book isn't like that, in my opinion. It's 416 pages long and about 80% of that is about Allison and Zeke's romantic angst. And maybe I wouldn't mind so much if they didn't go round and round in the same circles.

There are very few surprises.

The plot was exactly as I expected it to be, in between copious amounts of vampire love drama. In fact, there is only one thing that happens near the end which I would consider a "surprise" and even that isn't particularly difficult to see coming - especially when you remind yourself that something dramatic has to happen at the climax. I keep saying it but without Jackal, this book would have been very disappointing. It's also, in part, an extremely long meditation on what it means to be a monster and how to be a vampire without choosing to become evil. Which is basically what the entire first book was about - why did we need to cover this again? It was like de ja fucking angst.

The stuff I did actually like:

Gritty details: Kagawa seems to be really good at this. This series, despite the age of the characters, often feels like a set of adult books because the author isn't afraid to go there and she never skimps on the details. I don't know about her Fey books, but this series is very gory and bloody... in horrific detail, at times. Which may or may not be your thing, but it works well for me. It also suits the dark, depressing setting and general feel of the novel - this is not a nice world and Kagawa isn't about to let you forget it.

Jackal: Have I mentioned that I like him? Oops ;) But Jackal is just 100% the kind of character I like. He's witty, sarcastic and yeah, a bit of an asshole too. I can't help it; I love multilayered characters that are neither all good or all bad. And I think it's great when an author can take a character who does bad things but manages to make you love them anyway. I cannot tell you how much I would love a spin-off series featuring Jackal.

I would still recommend this series for fans of YA paranormal dystopias/romances. These books are still very much worth reading - everyone deserves a bit of Jackal in their lives - but I think the trilogy peaked with the second book. Three stars, for me, is a positive rating and I can't deny that even at its weakest points, this series delivers enough drama, action and gore to keep readers interested.

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[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a spoiler-free review for the whole trilogy. It'll be short since I can't say much without revealing the plot of the sequels.

I loved Blood of Eden. I have been dropping far too many YA trilogies and series (even if I liked them) but this one kept me interested to finish it in less than a year (again something unusual but I did learn not to wait a year to read a released sequel...).

If you're looking for a YA combining fantasy in a dystopian real world setting and has the good old memorable YA feels... this is for you.
To me, the new YA releases, after 2016, are fun.. but mostly forgettable. I enjoy a book, move on to another, forget about it the next day. Meanwhile, I can still vividly remember YAs released before that if they 4-5 stars read.
On the other hand, several old YA pales in front of the new more exciting ones. They have so many cliches that new authors learned to avoid.
I'm glad to report this is a hella good trilogy that made me feel nostalgic and cozy -it's something I am familiar with all while being new in its own ways.


If you're looking for a fun YA trilogy but unsure what to read since this genre isn't your thing anymore... this is for you.
You know this phase when someone feels too old for YA and that's why they made NA, the age difference is not big but at the same time enough to severely scrutinize the characters?
Anyway, for a while, I wasn't liking YA one bit. They all were the same color to me. The Folk of the Air was A HIT. Yet, I read the book, sure it's fun, carried on with my life. I tried several books but I just couldn't connect with the characters anymore. Until I read The Immortal Rules. No, it wasn't a perfect book (and even in my review of it I wasn't sold yet) but I liked the characters. A lot. And I wanted to read the sequel ASAP. The next thing I knew, I was looking for more old YA I missed, Unwind, The Demon King, etc. and guess what? I was enjoying this genre again.


If you're an avid YA reader and looking for a fun read with three-dimensional characters and a fast-paced plot... this is for you.
I smiled, I laughed, I cried, and I felt many emotions reading this trilogy. I know it'll always have a special place in my heart. I wouldn't go as far as saying one of my favorites but I truly loved it. It's those kinds of books that I have been struggling to find. I read over dozens of novels this year and yet how many can I truly say I remember and I still feel fond of? Not even 10.


So why this trilogy?
- kickass east Asian heroine
- the most adorable love interest, I felt like he wasn't necessary in the first book but in the second? I fell in love with him. He'so damn cute and good-hearted. My heart simply twists now that I think about him. He truly cared about Allie and always supported her and held her back.
- awesome and cool secondary characters, Jackal, anyone? I also liked Kanin and how he was portrayed as a mentor to Allie.
- reading about a plague in the midst of the coronavirus epidemic? and a cure that made zombie-like creatures... *shudders* good thing we don't have vampires to make that kind of cure...
- fast-paced plot, the first chapter is usually a bit slow but IT'S THE FIRST CHAPTER OKAY? And then the book kicks off.


I wouldn't say this book is perfect, I won't go into details about the first two but the second was great enough for me to ignore those shortcomings and give it 5 shining stars.

I found this book is the weakest in this trilogy. While The Forever Song was very enjoyable, it wasn't perfect sadly. The conclusion was satisfying and it made sense. Not completely predictable yet not shocking either (some parts you're probably going to see coming). It seems suitable however so you won't be disappointed. We had some cliche dialogues, which I dsliked, (or maybe this is just old me?). The writing was sometimes odd as in Allie using too formal language to address some characters in her head? I won't say any more about to not spoil anything. While it’s more of a 3 stars read, I love the character so giving it an extra star.

After reading the second book which had a lot going on, this one solely focused on one mission. Which is understandable but I also wanted more. Not for the mission to prolong any longer, God no. But maybe it would've been more of a zig-zag mission instead of a straight line?

Overall, I recommend this series for its characters, where secondary ones sometimes outshone Allie, the addicting plot, and the memorable story. It might not be perfect not the best out there but it's definitely worth reading.

[Brigid ✩ · Rating 4 out of 5]

After reading:

NOOOO IT'S OVER, NOOOOOOoooo.



Well, I am sad to see this series come to an end. I really enjoyed it.

The Forever Song is a good conclusion to the trilogy, over all––as thrilling, action-packed, and emotional as the two books that preceded it. There were a few things that didn't quite work for me, and I'm still trying to decide how I feel about the ending ... But over all, it was worth the wait.

Full review coming soon!

Before reading:

The Forever Song?

THIS IS THE SONG THAT NEVER ENDS, YES IT GOES ON AND ON MY FRIENDS, SOME PEOPLE STARTED SINGING IT NOT KNOWING WHAT IT WAS, AND THEY'LL CONTINUE SINGING IT FOREVER JUST BECAUSE THIS IS THE SONG THAT NEVER ENDS, YES IT GOES ON AND ON MY FRIENDS ....

Update 11/15/13:

Oh dear lord, it doesn't come out until April 29th, 2014. NOOOO.



Also:





Update 3/13/14: OOOOH A COVER. It's pretty.

Also it's on NetGalley!



Update (3/16/14): I GOT AN ARC. YAAAAAAY.



So yeah, I will be reading this very soon. (Someone hold me, I'm scared.)

[Ferdy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Spoilers

An unremarkable end to an unremarkable series.

-The Forever Song mostly consisted of Allison walking, snarling, feeling sorry for herself, baring her fangs, making cheesy promises of revenge, and inner monologuing… And the rest of the story was made up of generic fight scenes.

-I hated Allison's character, she was such a crappy heroine. It pissed me off how her whole world revolved around a guy. She lost all her morals and turned into a heartless cow all because she thought she lost her love interest, it was pathetic that her behaviour and ethics hinged on the fate of a boy.

-I got tired of Allison talking about her Hunger and the Monster inside of her, I think it was meant to make her seem badass and dangerous but it just came across as annoying and silly.

-Where were all the secondary female characters? There were none. Allison was always around guys (Jackal, Kanin, Zeke, Sarran) — she didn't have a SINGLE conversation with another female. Allison's vampire family was male, the soldiers were male, the doctors were male, the mayor was male — why couldn't one of them have been female?
In total, there was less than a page's worth of dialogue from other female characters that weren't Allison - I'm being generous calling them characters since they were pretty much non-characters.
She didn't have one strong female influence or relationship in her life. It seems like most YA authors have decided that the only story worth telling about a girl is one which revolves around boys. Ugh.

-Allison and Jackal's bickering got really boring after a while, it just went on and on. I think it was meant to be funny or something but it was irritating having to read them bitch at each other over and over again.

-Zeke was normal and sweet (if a bit boring) in the first two books, but he turned into the typical cold, emo, nobody-understands-me, I'm-so-tortured YA hero. It was nauseating.

All in all, I wasn't impressed. Allison was insufferable, Zeke was awful, the story was repetitive and dull, and worst of all there were no secondary female characters. I won't be reading any future Julie Kagawa books.

[Carla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh the title is perfect... *sigh*

Zeke baby! And Allison, you gorgeous badass. I love you too much to wait.

I. Just. Can't.











Ms. Kagawa I believe you are trying to kill me, but I love you anyway because you're so crazy awesome.

But dammit I NEED THAT BOOK MISSY!!!!!!!!!

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

“I am proud of you, Allison Sekemoto,” he whispered “Whatever you decide, whatever path you choose to take, I hope that you will remain the same girl I met that night in the rain. The one decision for which I have no regrets.”

It is always difficult to start a review when you have so many feelings about a book, especially in a trilogy or saga, but I think at the same time or at least in my case, I can express better my opinions and so I can calm down myself a little too lol .


We can see a very different Allie this time, in her trip to Eden, along with Kanin and Jackal, after the death of Zeke, she is determined to leave the feelings of the past behind of her and make way for her demon part, which dominates her completely in the early chapters of history , thus becoming a more dangerous vampire.
I really liked this change in her, although clearly the change is due to a very sad thing it has happened in her life, I think Allie had to experience it to really understand what being a vampire means, and what are the real consequences about it .


I think of the three books this is in my opinion, that more action scenes has, made me feel as if the characters were in real danger constantly, causing the plot catch me and I've want to read on to discover who lives or who dies.


When you feel so attached to the plot, when you don't know what is happening or will happen, and even so continuous to the reading, it is totally merit of the writer, and in this case as I mentioned Julie Kagawa is amazing doing it!. Now I'm sure that will not take anything in deciding to reading a new book of hers :).

“If we are talking about choice and regret, what has happened cannot be undone. And dwelling on the past changes nothing. You will only drive yourself to insanity if you do.”

Has left me so happy that I feel very good about each of the characters, absolutely all have grown much and I'll miss everyone.


Jackal is so funny, outgoing and always saying what he thinks, although the most unexpected things lol, he has no filter. I love him so much, is a character without waste, I think I easily I would read a whole book about him. I am very pleased with how everything has ended for him, I would have liked something else, not gonna lie, but it was very fine.

“You know,” Jackal said, kicking a rabid in the face, sending it reeling, “it seems that whenever I’m with you, I’m constantly fighting my way into places I really don’t want to be. The sewers, the Prince’s tower, a bloody freaking church.”

Kanin always be definitely my favorite character!
This master vampire has won my heart, it is a noble being and his dispocision to help others is always worth noting, I think that the plot would not have been the same without him, is a character, essential for that history has finished as just end .


Even I can't believe what happened to Kanin, I knew someone was going to die, but did not want that had to be him :(. I still don't accept it. I've cried like a baby.. #TeamKaninforever!

“No.” Kanin’s voice was suddenly hard, terrifying. “You are simply using your demon to hide from what you really feel. Because you are afraid of what that means, that it might be painful. It is far easier to be a monster than to confront the truth.”

I can't tell much more without make this a big spoiler haha, but I CRY LIKE A BABY! .





What I want you to know is that there has been an incredible journey, since Allie was turned into a vampire until the end, although there have been little things that don't make it a favorite for me, there are thousands who I will always remember. Absolutely brilliant plot, charming characters that you gonna love, undoubtedly, others that you gonna hate with all your soul (as Sarren, I add, is an amazing villain), many survival , especially too many surprises and strong feelings!. So if you ask me if I would recommend this trilogy to you, I would answer ALWAYS! :)

[Penny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating Clarification: 3.5 stars

This series is definitely a MUST READ. These books are constant page turners, gripping, enthralling and exhilarating.

Personally, I think that this third installment had too much action and no down time. Part of what made me love the first installment so much is that it had the perfect combination of both action and narrative, the action is perfectly fine , but the down time makes that action better, gives it more tension and also with the slow moments we can have time to reflect, assimilate and feel. In my opinion we miss profoundness with so much action.

Despite the fact that is categorized young –adult and the characters are 17-18 years old, they could perfectly be older, there is no teen drama here, the books would have work just as well having Allie and Zeke being in their 20s.

As the way the book ended, we could have a Jackal spin-off series!

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.

The overall feeling of the series is really good, excellent. It has a fascinating set of characters, a compelling story line and a great universe.
READ IT!


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

[Lisa RC]

January 2014 Update
That cover... a little too girly for me. Anyone else see the infinity sign the birds make? HAHA. GET IT? FOREVER made by birds = song. Cool stuff.

The Forever Song
I can't help but think:
Crazy Sarren thinks song = scream. So forever song = everlasting torture.
But then again, the title is so darn beautiful, I'm crying just reading it.

Let's start with why I love this series:
Everytime I read a Blood of Eden novel, all I think is grey. The setting is so dark and dreary and I can't understand WHY I like something like that. Like, I love books with...glamour. Or at least, some colour. So I guess dark series is the first impressive one I've read.

The characters. Not sure about you, but I love all the characters, even the crazy ones.
Stick: that @^&$%#. It takes an impressive author to make you HATE someone so much. I liked it more when Allison wanted to kill him (I mean, it proves that she too, is a flawed character). Even when he died, I was happy.
Serran: crazy psychopath. Again, takes an awesome writer to make you hate this guy. But then again, it's understandable because he was tortured by humans.
Zeke: No words for him, but I really want to KNOW him more. I feel like he the character with the least depth, especially for a main character.
Kanin: I keep on thinking of this old guy when they mention him. But he's so...strong. Morally. You get tortured and nearly die from the Hunger, but still manage to come back. (I thought he had a thing for Allison after he bit her). He's such a nice guy. Gosh, I'm crying.
Jackal: best bad guy ever. He's all witty and makes the smartest remarks, but at the same time, he knows when to let go. Reminds me of Puck from the Iron Fae series. Other than the fact he killed Zeke's groupies and wants vampires to rule the world, I think he's a decent character. Maybe it's wrong for me to think this way, but I think James and Allison sounds like a nice pair :)
Allison: definitely flawed, and that's what I like about her. She doesn't deny the monster inside of her, and knows how to tame it. There's something about her that makes her unique. She's the most human of them all. Great female lead.
YAY VAMPIRE GIRL AND PREACHER BOY.
The writing style: yay description and small font!

What I hope will happen
Allison (A): Let go of Zeke!
Sarren (S): I like to hear him sing!!
Kanin (K): This is between me and you. Let go of the kid.
Jackel (J): Oh... we're so doomed. Oh. Since we're doomed. HAHA, guys. I'm switching sides...again! That makes me a triple agent.
S: Now that we're at Eden, we just need to enter. [Uses Zeke's DNA to get in]. MWAHAHA. Now I'm going to release that virus after a destroy their labs. First, I have to kill this little bird.
[Stabs Zeke]
Zeke: "Sings"
A: NOOO!
[S runs off and K follows]
A: oh Zeke. I love you!
Z: Change me. Please.
A: but...but...
Z: I love you so much. I want to be with you. Make it quick.
[Transforms him].
Z: Ahh... feeling good already. Let's go kick his bum
[Finds S, who happens to kill K for good. S gets captured and used for experiments again through the work of A and Z. Somewhere halfway, Jackel changes sides again].
At the end, the two of them + Jackel are cured!

The Forever Song. Can't wait.

[Dorreh · Rating 4 out of 5]

The last book in this series was great. It followed up on all the elements and gruesome details that enchanted me so very much in the first book. The element of surprise and change that occurred in the love relationship, although foreseeable, was amply believable and well portrayed.

I can't really complain because I did love everything about this book, and I think it ended well. Kanins death was a necessary evil to heighten the drama, a symbolic representation of sacrifice for the greater good. It was dramatic, realistic, and vastly emotional.

But in general my favorite thing in books two and three was the siblings love hate relationship. The shades of gray in every person (or in this case vampire) made a great influence on the way you looked at the story. I guess what captured me most was the touches of reality signified in this fantasy tale. The only thing that prevents me from giving this book a full 5 is the extension of Zekes moping period was a little too long, the whining on his behalf set me off a little. I mean yeah I get the whole guilt and despair, but he sounded more whiny than miserable to me. But like I said, can't complain, as I really enjoyed reading this series. It made my blood boil, and at the same my heart wrench for it's characters and events.

[Faye, la Patata · Rating 3 out of 5]

RANT AHEAD

As much as I liked this series as a whole, I could not be any happier that Allison's whining has ended. I know that looks very, very weird on paper, but if you read the books from start to finish, you should know that angst is pretty much the main character's trademark. You cannot have the name Allison Sekemoto without angst attached to it like an octopus with its brutal eight-tentacled crush (thank you, Khanh). They go together, hand-in-hand, never without the other.

But seriously, all that silly stuff aside, I really am glad the series is over, and it ended in a rather positive note. No loose ends (that I can think of, but then again, I was too busy raging about Allison's whining to even bother about plotholes), nothing bad to grieve or rage over. In a way, it was a satisfying ending to one of the darkest, grimmest, and bleakest vampire novels in Young Adult that I've ever read. It sent chills up in my spine, it kept me on my toes, it made my stomach do back-flips.

However... like the book, it was not all rainbows and sunshine. I found a LOT of problems here. Most are probably subjective, and may depend on the person's patience and perspective, but they remained issues for me and played a large part in my not completely enjoying it. Call me nitpicky if you wish, I don't care; the fact remains that while reading, there were times when it made me want to fling it out the window, and times when I'd put it aside because it frustrated me too much.

Exhibit A: ALLISON

Evidence 1: She is angsty.

As an overall character, Allison is pretty cool. She's not one-dimensional and all and has shown a lot of depth and complexity especially with regards to her humanity. I appreciate how in the previous books, she was torn between fighting for her human side and embracing what she has become. It's that kind of thinking that gives leeway to many philosophical ideas that people like Socrates, Kant, and Déscartes are known for. However, since book 1, and unfortunately until book 3, she has this tendency to do it in such an angsty and whiny manner. Which is not really a bad thing, really! Angst, if done right, and if done in reasonable amounts, can be fun to read (come on, don't look at me that way! We all need to read a bit of drama every once in a while!).

However, what I didn't like about her was how she did it too much. Angst here, angst there, angst everywhere. It felt never-ending. I had this problem before, especially in book 2, which was pretty much an angst-fest in a nutshell, but I hoped it would end here. Like I said, there's nothing wrong with it per se, but if you already resolved this problem pages ago, and if someone already assured you that what you're whining about is nothing to wallow over, and you still continue to do it ten pages later, then yes, we do have a problem.

Take this quote for example:

"Everything that's happened - from New Covington, to Eden, to here - is your fault, vampire girl. Jebbadiah is dead, because you couldn't save him. Kanin was tortured and nearly killed, because you had to see if Stick was all right, and he betrayed you both to the Prince. Everyone in Eden is going to die, because you let Sarren get away." His eyes glittered with hate. "And I... I'm dead, because you came into my life, and I was stupid  enough to fall in love with a monster. You killed me, Allie. Not Sarren. I'm a vampire now, because of you."

Every word, every accusation, hit like a knife, slicing me open. But the last nearly dropped me to my knees. Tears blurred my vision, and I turned from Zeke, slumping against a section of roof that had fallen in. My fault. Jackal had been right. It was my fault that Zeke was dead, my fault for everything.

ASDASDASAGGDFGHFGJDFHDSG

This part was especially frustrating to me because pages and pages before that, Allison was wallowing in self-pity about her beloved's "death", and Jackal's snide comments about it were not helping. Kanin then told her that there is nothing to worry about, it wasn't her fault, it was Sarren, don't worry, everything else that happened wasn't your fault at all, etc. etc., which, thankfully, comforted her (and shut her up a little). So why are we going over this drama again a few pages later?! I like angst, but not if you keep repeating the same thing over and over and over like a broken record.

Evidence 2: She has derp moments. 

Many times throughout the book, I hated how Allison would showcase special cases of stupidity. Imagine this: you are about to fight what could potentially be the hardest battle in your life in a remote citadel in Old Chicago. You are wounded and surrounded by raiders who ooze with raging testosterone. You know you need your strength, and you know you need your friends' help as well. But look! The stairs collapsed! Uh-oh. You're cut off from the rest of your team. You're alone. And the bad guy is just right in front of you, very likely sharpening its fangs to sink into your throat. Of course, you'd wait for your team, right? This could possibly be your last chance; heck, you could be humanity's last chance, so it's better to make it worth it. Your team tells you to wait for them. They'll be right with you.

What are your choices?

A.) Wait for your team to arrive.
B.) Fuck the rest, you go alone. Surely your wounded state is enough to fight and defeat the madman ahead.

So yeah, you can pretty much guess what Allison did in a nutshell. The following isn't exactly what transpired, but that was the gist of it:

Kanin and Jackal: We've been separated. Do NOT go against the enemy alone!
Allison: (sees sensitive object that reminded her of Zeke) (fills with blind fury) Must... kill... Sarren...
Kanin and Jackal: Wait for us there! We repeat, don't go on your own!
Allison: Must... kill... Sarren...
Kanin and Jackal: We will face him toge---
Allison: Must... kill... SAAAARREEEEN (runs to enemy... alone)

Evidence 3: She likes cheese.

Ugh. Okay, this is extremely nitpicky of me, and I apologize if you think I'm being overly shallow about this, but I seriously cannot help it. There are times Allison says a lot of great quotes, but there are also times they're full of WTF. Like, whoa, was this lifted from a Nicolas Cage action movie or something? Did you watch some corny chick flicks and subconsciously etched a cringe-worthy quote or two, Allison? So many of them made me roll my sockets, and some of them even made me put the book down and stare at it with judging eyes.

Examples:

"Watch me, Zeke. I'll send your killer to hell, and I'll smile while I'm doing it."

Did you watch too many Die Hard movies, Allie?

"Sarren is not going to win. I am not giving our forever to that sick bastard. this isn't over yet.

Our forever? Really?

Exhibit B: Zeke

Evidence: He's Allison 2.0

No, really. He is. As was implied in Book 2, he died and was resurrected by Sarren as a vampire. When he comes around later on, he becomes as angsty as Allison. This wouldn't have been so bad, if he had something new to angst about. But unfortunately, what he whined here, Allison already whined about them in Book 1: regarding retaining one's humanity and giving in to the Hunger that is prevalent in Vampires. It's fine the first time, the second time, the third... but if you keep doing it over and over and over (again), it just gets real exhausting, dude. Like, seriously. I'm pretty sure you have better stuff to do than cry the same crocodile tears.

This is what usually consists of Zeke and Allison's conversations:

Zeke: You must kill me, Allie. I can't live as a Vampire. I'll only kill those I love!
Allie: No, stay with me! You can control it! I'll teach you how!
Zeke: Okay. I'm glad you're there. (5 minutes later) Oh, Allison. I can't do it. Sooner or later, I will kill people I love!
Allie: I'm here for you! I won't let you do that! I lost you once, I won't lose you again!
Zeke: Okay. Seriously, thanks for being there. (5 minutes later) Oh, god. I can't stand with myself if I do kill innocents! I've done it before, Allie! I'll only do it again!
Allie: Zeke, you can do it. Don't you want our forever?
Zeke: Yeah, okay. Love you.

It's like being in a motherfucking twilight zone.



EXHIBIT C: THAT RANDOM TWIST

Evidence: Its very existence.

Okay, I won't spoil what that twist is, because that will only ruin the entire book and series for you. It happened near the end, and instead of being shocked or overjoyed, I was simply... dumbfounded. Yup, that's right. I just sat there, read the scene again to make sure I was reading it right, and scratched my ebony head. I love twists and all, but this one just came off as seriously random, like, it sprung out of nowhere without any warning. Usually I like twists with a bit of foreshadowing and with a bit of background already shown, but this one? Where the hell did it come from? How someone becomes (X) was never mentioned in any of the books and it felt so convenient to place it there as the be-all end-all solution to the problem. Yup, it felt convenient to me. Although this is just perhaps a difference of perspectives.

Although to be honest, there were a lot of good stuff too. They are the following:

THE GOOD

1.) Jackal. God, he was brilliant. He's my favorite character of the whole series for me. Yeah he can be brutal and merciless and sarcastic, but boy, he says the best quotes and plus, he's sees beyond himself. That's what I liked about him the most. He's practical and he sees the greater picture, unlike Allison who, I felt, is sometimes stuck in her own little bubble.

"Does it matter?" asked Jackal behind us. "Who cares what he's up to? He can be planning to fill the world with puppies, and I'm still going to rip the shriveled black heart from his chest and shove it down his throat until he chokes on it."

This is why I loves ya.

Raising his head, he bellowed into the room: "Hey, minions! Daddy's home and he's not happy! But because I'm such a nice guy, I'm going to give you a choice. You can make it easy for yourself and blow your brains out right now, or I can slowly twist your head around until it pops right off your neck. Your move!"

Ohhh, you're so sexy smexy. Sizzle!

"Oh, heads are going to roll for this. I'm going to set up a special lane and use their skulls for bowling balls."

So especially funny, too!



2.) It's absolutely atmospheric. Kagawa has serious talent for really making the world dark, grim, and dreary. We're given descriptions of the surroundings that really help us visualize and feel the bleakness of it all. Dead trees with equally dead humans hanging under the branches, humans handing from the ceiling with their intestines drooping out like pink snails, the dangerous feeling of Jackal's Citadel in Old Chicago, the hopelessness in Eden... she's really great for making you feel you're there. So kudos, Miss Kagawa!

3.) Kanin. He's such a phenomenal character in and out. He helped create the world today and you can see he's trying his best to make up for it in ways that he can. He's pretty much everyone's beacon of light and standing foundation, and you just love him for it. He's so strong and vulnerable at the same time that you just want to hug him and whisper in his ear that everything will be alright.

OVERALL...

I still stand with my opinion that this series is one of the best out there in YA about Vampires. They're not carebear at all and they're fear, dangerous, and deadly. They are truly presented as how they should be, and it posts very interesting points about humanity and being human. Allison and Zeke were not the strongest factors in this series for me, but the plot in general as well as  the side characters were absolutely fun to read. They were the ones who MADE this series for me enjoyable. Without them, I'm not sure I could stand the constant angst being thrown left and right. Overall, a good series. Recommended with reservations.

[Hannah (The Curiouser & Curiouser) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Updated 5/17/14.

One word.

Jackal.

I just freakin’ love Jackal.

Honestly, the only, only reason I gave this book a 3.5 out of 5 stars was because of Jackal and (somewhat) Kanin. And the fact that Sarren finally, finally dies in the best possible way.

Case in point (via the amazing Jackal):

“Oh, isn’t that sweet,” came Jackal’s loud, mocking voice… “Let’s make goo-goo eyes at each other in the middle of a stinking corpse field, how very romantic.”

“Go ahead, tell him that everything is going to be fine. All the meatsacks are perfectly content on their happy little island, Sarren has given up world destruction to raise kittens, and the magic wish fairy will wave her wand and turn shit to gold.”

“I’m still going to eat them. How much is going to depend on how seriously they piss me off by the time I get in there.”

What made this book so good was Jackal’s role in it. He’s constantly there to tell Allie off and make witty remarks about the whole situation that makes one wonder why the whole series doesn’t revolve around him.

Allie, on the other hand . . .



On one hand, I like her that way. She’s pretty real, but there are times when it’s just like, the girl needs to get her crap together. This woe is me act is getting a little distasteful, and, honestly, I only cared to read about her in the hopes Jackal would tell her off in that delicious way that he does. I swear, if the world wasn’t about to s*** bricks even more so because of the insane Sarren, Allie would just fall apart. I get it. She loves Zeke. I really do. And I can’t blame her; he’s pretty great. But the second she’s not with him, Allie goes all ballistic, hormonal, whiny teenage vampire girl on us. And, you know what, fine. She’s entitled to that since she thinks he’s dead. TO AN EXTENT. But noooooo . . . instead, the first 1/3 of the book is wholly dedicated to her self-pity.

Never mind that the world is going:



But never mind that little matter, Allie just wants to:







THE WHOLE 1/3 OF THE FREAKIN’ BOOK.

And then there’s Zeke. (I literally just sat here for a whole minute trying to remember what his name was.) I just don’t care about him. He’s boorrrriiinnnggggg. All I remember about him is that he broods for a good portion of the book, then makes out with Allie, then gets all mushy on me.

And then Jackal pops in, saves the day, and says:

“Puppy, I am getting so tired of listening to you whine about this,” he snarled at Zeke. “This isn’t rocket science. If you don’t want to be a monster, don’t be a bloody monster! Be an uptight stick in the mud like Kanin. Be a self-righteous bleeding heart like Allison. Or you can stop agonizing about it and be a fucking monster.”

YES.

The other character I loved was Kanin. He’s sooo . . . weird.

This whole family scenario Allie, Jackal, and Kanin have going on is a little strange, but I still loved it. For the past few books I felt that Kanin was a pretty interesting character, but in this one, well . . . all I can remember is that he’s playing the role of the tired father of two annoying children.

I swear, all of his lines revolved around, Stop fighting you two, Hands and swords to yourselves, Allison and James, or, my personal favorite, Either you two stop bickering or, so help me, I’m turning this car around.

Book reviews can also be found here: http://obsessivereads.wordpress.com/

_______________________________________________________________________

Updated 1/23/14.

Look! LOOK!



And it has the infinity symbol in the background!!!!!

OHMIGOSH. Still dead.

_______________________________________________________________________

Oh . . . the ending to the second book . . . OHHHHHHHHH . . .

Torture is in an author's nature, ISN'T IT?



Gosh darn it . . . WHYYYYYYY???



And that release date? WHAT IS THIS?! WHAT IS THIS UNKIND LIFE???



And now I'm like, I'm like . . . an emotional WRECK because I love these characters more than I should and ZEKE . . . NONONONONONONONONONONONONO




. . . DOES NOT COMPUTE.



And . . . and . . . and Kanin! And Jackel! I WANT MORE JACKEL! THE SARCASM AND WITTY PUNS ARE A MUST.
And I really, reaalllyyyy want more of Kanin. That guy . . .



Check out my blog here, where I also cry and fangirl over books: http://obsessivereads.wordpress.com/

[Arooj · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished this and...I feel numb. I can't believe its all actually over. The story has come to an end.

But what a wonderful end it was.

This series...oh man. I can't properly express my feelings for it. Just saying that I loved it isn't enough. It felt like this story reached into me and tore out my heart, patched it back together, tore it out all over again, and just kept repeating. But in the end, it left me feeling satisfied, even though we still lost a lot.

I'm unable to write anything else because my brain is still numb and my eyes keep tearing up, but I will end with this: Hey, Julie Kagawa? Your writing is amazing. This is not a new revelation, but I just have to keep repeating it because every time I finish one of your books, I'm left in awe. So thank you. And I hope you continue writing these amazing stories. I'm also hoping that you're planning on writing a spin-off series like you did with your Iron Fey series, and I know that may never happen, but...I'm going to continue hoping.

Good bye Allison Sekemoto, the most bad ass mother fucking vampire I'll ever know.

[Abby · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 “Now, can we please move past this and get on with saving the world?” stars

This is it. The end of Blood of Eden. The end of Allie. Kanin. Zeke. Jackal.
I put this off for so long, because I knew, I knew. There would be no more. And now, I can’t take it back. Pretty please can I unread this? ;_;

Allie has lost the love of her life, Zeke. He was taken, and brutally murdered. Allie is out for revenge for his captor, but this isn't her greatest worry. Sarren has a mutated version of red lung. It can kill vampires and humans alike. Allie, Kanin, and Jackal must hunt him down and prevent him from spreading it. But Allie's ultimate goal is revenge. Revenge for taking the first and only person she has ever loved since her mother was taken from her.

As per Julie Kagawa, this book is really well written, with no plot holes. Well... Except one. What is it you ask? It's where they can eat from blood bags, and yet not be able to drink from a dead host, or the blood that has spilled from them. But besides from that, it has NO PLOT HOLES! WHOOT, WHOOT!

What I didn't like was... Was... Uh... Uhm...The plot hole? Not exactly a plot hole, more like an error? And maybe, the weak characters (Allie and Zeke) but I'm pretty sure they were portrayed like that for a reason...

You know what. No spoilers (well, except one). All the gifs are up for interpretation. Go for it!

In the first third, there's a whole lot of this,

and this

And the last third, a whole lotta this,

He blinked, and his palm traced a searing path down my cheek, his gaze intense. “I love you, Allison,” he whispered, making my stomach twist into a knot. “With everything in me—heart, mind and soul.

this,

Zeke took three steps forward, took me gently in his arms, and pressed his lips to mine.

this,

and this!

And as Julie says "As you probably know by now, your tears feed my muse."

Consistent gifs. Hells yeah! (with maybe a few little errors)

[Mags · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it!!!!!

IG @cafecitoxlibros

************************


A title!!!



The Forever Song ... and that gives me the creeps ... all I can think about is Sarren saying

"I will make your little bird sing for and hour. Her song will seep into the very walls and will remain here forever, and everyone who hears it will know how much she wanted to die. The longer this goes on, the longer her music will last, until she is begging for it to end. But it will not end, as long as you are still alive."

And ....

"But perhaps a song is worth a thousand pictures, hmm? Show her what I mean, Ezekiel. Sing for us."

[Phrynne · Rating 3 out of 5]

The last book in the trilogy and I guess it was a satisfactory ending. All of the story lines were neatly tied up except maybe for Jackal and there is apparently the possibility that he may get his own spin off series which would be nice!
Jackal was actually the best thing about this book. His sarcastic and humorous comments provided some lightness to an otherwise very heavy story. There was a lot of fighting and also a lot of angst about how hungry everyone was and whether a vampire had to be a monster. Allie turned into rather tedious person, constantly rushing in to situations and then having to be saved by one of the others.
So the book had some faults but it did keep moving, it had lots of action and it rounded off the trilogy. I am glad I read it:)

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you've been following these books, then I think you'll be happy with the final installment. It's a good solid ending to the Blood of Eden trilogy.

Warning: Spoilers for the previous books on the way!

It keeps the theme of the other books, in that vampires are not cuddly or misunderstood.
Allie has been struggling to keep her humanity throughout the first two books, and with the help of her mentor Kanin, she's managed to keep from sucking people dry. Of course, it helped that she was in love with a human.
At the end of the last book, Sarren had captured Zeke, and left a video of Zeke being tortured to death just to screw with her. So it was no real surprise that when the story opens, Allie has gone a little off the deep end. She's still determined to stop Sarren from unleashing the virus that will wipe everyone off of the planet, but she's now on board with Jackal's version of how a vampire should act.
Chomp, chomp, chompin' on the humans...

Unfortunately, I can't say much else without giving major spoilers.
I can say that I was totally expecting most of what happened to, um...happen? But it didn't all play out exactly the way I thought it would.

My only complaint would be that I did occasionally get a tad annoyed by Allie's somewhat dry and crunchy inner thoughts. Sometimes (not always) her inner monologue seemed too formal. I mean, she's been traveling around with Kanin for a few books now, and yet she would still mentally refer to him as The Master Vampire. As in, The master vampire looked over the city with an unreadable expression on his face.
*That's not a quote by the way, just an example.*
I mean, it just seemed like she should have said something more like, Kanin had an unreadable expression on his face while he looked over the city.
I don't think I'm explaining this right, but Allie used Kanin and Jackal's titles (the Raider King, the master vampire, my mentor, my brother) way too much for someone raised on the streets.
This whole paragraph doesn't really makes sense, does it? I really probably should just delete it, since it's just pretty much one bullshit complaint in an otherwise decent book, but I've already spent a good hunk of my time trying to figure out how to say this. I feel like I'm locked into it now.
Ugh. Don't you hate that?!
Anyhoo. Feel free to disregard my above brain fart, 'cause I can't bring myself to use the backspace key.

Again, if you liked the first two books, you'll like this one. This is the only thing I've read by Kagawa so far, but I'm sorta tempted to check out her Iron Fey series now.

Thanks, NetGalley! I pinky swear this is an honest review. Blah, blah, blah...

[Melanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Larissa and I discussion reviewed this on the blog. There are mild spoilers, but nothing that will ruin your enjoyment of the book: http://yamidnightreads.com/2014/04/di...

Quick rundown on...
What we didn't like:
- The angst between Zeke and Allison
- Zeke and Allison
- Boring, simple story line
- The Zeke Twist and how quickly the twist was resolved
- The romance. There was no chemistry.
What we did like:
- Jackal
- Kanin
- Kagawa's writing skills
- The gore and gritty details
- The satisfactory ending

We also agree that there should be a spin-off based on Jackal.

[Colleen Houck]

What a great end to the series. Serin is just about the creepiest villain I've ever read. He was like Walking Dead evil. So much katana sword fighting! Wow, this one would be great to watch on film.

[Andye.Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such an epic conclusion to an amazingly exciting series.

"My sword flashed, and he screamed as the gun hit the pavement along with both his arms."

Julie starts The Forever Song off with a bang and doesn't let up until it's over. This book is seriously gory!! It's also full of adventure, humor, love, heart-warming moments, and heart-BREAKING moments.

DO NOT READ FURTHER IF YOU HAVEN'T READ THE FIRST TWO BOOKS!!

I have to say, I was VERY concerned for Allison in the beginning of this book. After what happened to Zeke at the end of The Eternity Cure, I just didn't know if she would have the ability to care about anything anymore. She definitely had a couple of Damon (TVD) moments, that's for sure! Humanity switch? Off. The twisted part of me actually kind of liked it, I have to admit, because it led to some seriously sick fight scenes. Seriously. Sick. I can't remember the last time I read a book with the amount of gruesome things as this book had. The faint of heart need not apply. Of course I didn't actually want Allie to stay like this, and at some point we all know she has to come face to face with what's left of Zeke. The question is, WHAT WILL HAPPEN WHEN THEY FINALLY MEET?

This stressed me out SO MUCH! And with good reason. Julie does NOT like to make things easy; not for her characters, and certainly not for her readers. I picture her in her room, watching her computer screen while we all read, rubbing her hands together and laughing maniacally at our tormented status updates. MWAHAHAHA! You're cruel, Julie. Just cruel.

It isn't all bad times, though. There are so many times when I couldn't stop chuckling at the banter between Allie and Jackal. They seriously were like my two kids. I kept waiting for Kannin to turn around and slap them both upside the head, or put them in a corner until they learned to behave. The character development of Jackal is pretty awesome. If you had tried to tell me, while I read The Immortal Rules, that one day I wouldn't want Allie to decapitate Jackal, burn his body and stick his head on a pike, I would've laughed at you. But that little punk grew on me, and in the end, he had my nerves in a twist just like the rest of them.

Oh, and there are other things that happen too....that I can't talk about. But, yeah. Good times. :D

Overall, I was really happy with this ending. It was hard, it was heart-breaking, but it was also sadly satisfying, and fitting for this harsh world. I'm so happy that I enjoyed this series from beginning to end, and I can't wait to read what Julie has for us next. (TALON!!)

[Faye* · Rating 2 out of 5]

I feel bad for rating this book so low because I'm sure I would have enjoyed it more if I had read it sooner after book 1 and 2, and if I hadn't been in such a huge reading slump in October. :(

But the fact remains that this was just an okay reading experience for me. I was bored by the romance (I kind of knew what would happen), bored by their endless journey to find Sarren, bored by the fights, the blood, all the constant snarling and roaring... I mean, this isn't a big book and it took me almost two months to finish it, I think that says it all...


***

I waited over 5 years to read this just because I didn't want to shell out 4.50€ for an ebook (and now I finally found it at the library). What? Cheap? Me?

[Hermione · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars. A great, albeit bittersweet ending to a fantastic series ... But I do think this last book certainly didn't live up to the potential of its predecessors.
_______
Hell, I don't even want this series to end! D:



2014? I can't wait that long. I can't.

Just give it to me now. I promise — I swear — I won't share the pleasure, the honor with anyone else.

(I am trying my absolute hardest to remain composed as of now. But inside, rest assured, I am a screaming, flailing, horrible mess. I am goo.)

[Rachel]

reaction after reading excerpt at back of Iron Traitor

I'm very hungry... for this book.

Spoiler alert for The Eternity cure:




Just finished re-reading the end of The Eternity Cure. The amazing ending that leaves so much sorrow, so much emotion. Does anyone else predict that Sarren was horrible enough to turn Zeke into a vampire?

[☆★Tinja★✮ A Court of Pizza and Laziness · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading this book, all I can think of is: Jackal, that crazy bastard, is sexy as hell. Why am I always attracted to the bad boys? *sighs*

[Erica Ravenclaw · Rating 3 out of 5]

☆ ☆ ☆

I'm really going 3.5 here but rounded up because I feel like it. YOU DON'T OWN ME GOODREADS.
EDIT: Changed rating down half a star, it's been a few days and it's just more accurate.

No spoilers and colorful language abound!

*I received this book in exchange for a review*




The Forever Song is a closing chapter on a much loved series Blood of Eden, I was a little late to the party for this author and walked into it blind but boy am I happy to be here. I do not necessarily love the first two installments, I do however really enjoy the character development and simply the way that Kagawa writes. Unlike the first two this starts off with Allie fully eclipsed be her deamon, a darkness we have yet to see from her that I fully reveled in. With the monster in control, her sire and her blood brother at her side they set off from New Covington with the singular objective to stop Sarren by any means necessary.

The road to Eden is is both physically and emotionally tumultuous for our heroine. There are many obstacles Allie must overcome to complete her journey, chief among them learning to accept who she was and who she is now. I have to admit there was a time and a place that I wanted to reach through my kindle screen and shake her bony ass. I was so exasperated by her fucking nonsense that I contemplated throwing in the towel all together. The world was at stake here, the human and vampire race were hanging in the balance and you are going to what? Now? ARE YOU KIDDING?




...girlwhatthefeckiswrongwithyoustopbeingsostupidihateyou.

So then, I put myself in a little time out.



I decided to beef up my gif library and contemplate if it was worth finishing. I came to terms with the fact that I don't give a hoot about Allie. I thought she was pretty kickass as a human, not so much as a vampire, win some lose some yadda yadda. Jackal and Kanin however were always my favorites and for them I must prevail. For this I give Kagawa credit for all of Sarrens complete utter nonsense, over the top insanity, poetic drivel you have Kanin's stoic, grounded realistic tether into the here and now. For all the immature, wet blanket, self righteous bullshit Allie parades all over the pages, you have Jackal's flippant, in your face, take it or leave it sparkle. The balance was very needed and just as one was getting too ridiculous, the counter would chime and pull it back to the middle.

As the coven of vampires raced to stop Sarren, Kagawa artfully crafted closure for each of her beloved characters. The end of a series is always one with mixed emotions for both the author and the reader, she remained true to her characters, the characters remained true to themselves. You will have a feast of action, gore, surprises, gut wrenching goodbyes and peaceful resolution.




BONUS: At the end of The Forever Song we are treated to just a teaser of Talon, and I for one can't wait to read it!

[Auguste · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lalalaaa, can't wait to read the 3rd book!^^
Suddenly..



Wait, wait...





2014 APRIL 29TH??!!?!???!?!?!!





Try not to cry.. try not to cry.... BUT













HOW AM I GONNA SURVIVE??!!!

[Jen ♥Star-Crossed Book Blog♥ · Rating 5 out of 5]

*Spoilers for The Immortal Rules & The Eternity Cure*

The Forever Song was an epic conclusion to the Blood of Eden trilogy!  It was filled to the brim with devastation, peril, hope, and I cherished every single page.   Even if I had tears in my eyes through parts of those last few chapters.  But I didn't want it to end since it contained so much of what I loved in the first two books.  Luckily, I know that this series will continue to infiltrate my thoughts for a long time to come.

Humans meant nothing to me, not anymore. They were food, and I was a vampire. I was done pretending that I was anything less than a monster.
But I would kill Sarren.

Allie is a broken, dark, devastated mess, and the ties to her humanity have been shredded.  With the death of Zeke, she can no longer be the same girl she was in the past.  While refusing to mourn, she gets on the road with her brother, Jackal, and her sire, Kanin.  Because while they listened to crazy vamp, aka Sarren, torture Zeke, they heard Zeke give away details to Eden's location.  And with Sarren already on the road headed towards the humans safe haven, they have to hurry.  If he gets there before them, all hell will break loose and no one will be safe.  But the road to Eden is filled with horrors only Sarren could create.  And none of them contemplated how much more sick and twisted he could get, because they haven't seen anything yet!

“Hey, vampire girl,” Zeke whispered, his voice slightly choked. “I knew...you’d come for me.”
* * *
This...can’t be real.

The thing I was the most excited about, because it gave me hope and I need hope,  was that Allie and Zeke had to meet again.  Well, I at least hoped that much was true.  Their love stuck with me because it was pure, dangerous and oh so sweet.  I fell madly in love with Zeke and I flew through the pages trying to get to him.  But I was scared for their future.   Because do you remember the last line in The Eternity Cure?  I sure couldn't forget it, and it haunted me.  I tried my hardest to figure out what Sarren was up to, and while I got part of it right, I wasn't even close to the other part.  Sarren was the perfect villain and while I appreciate the crazy twists he took this story, I kept hoping he would die a miserable death.

“You are so bloody frustrating!” he roared, back fisting another rabid with the axhead. “Do you really think the cure is worth this ? You think I’d be here now if that’s all I wanted?” He turned and sliced his weapon through the air, beheading one rabid and sinking it into another. “Get your damn head out of your ass, sister!” he seethed. “And give me a little fucking credit. That’s not why I’m here.” - Jackal

But ironically, one of my favorite things about this book was the family aspect between Allie, Jackal and Kanin.  I started out the series only liking Kanin and loathing Jackal, but while in the midst of this book I found myself caring for both of them.  Deeply.  You see, while Jackal and Allie spent time together in The Eternity Cure, he would make me laugh and smile.  I didn't want to admit it, but I slowly warmed up to him and his charismatic self.  And I loved how him and Kanin treated Allie like family throughout the story.  Jackal would bicker and pester Allie, as an older brother should,and Kanin was the parent who would threaten or reprimand them to get along.  I can't believe how much their little family made me so happy and warmed my heart.  But then I wanted to kick myself because now I cared deeply for Jackal and Kanin and I was terrified what their fate could be!

“It is...a very heavy weight to carry, Allison, the damnation of a world. I want you to be very certain, before we go any further. Is it worth it? Is he worth it?”
His words chilled me, but I already knew my answer. It was selfish, it was unreasonable, and I knew it was the wrong choice. But I looked up at Kanin, into his impassive face, and whispered, “Yes.”

I'm so sad to see these characters go, but thankfully each of them got the ending they deserved.  No matter how heartbreaking or happy it made me, I was thrilled with the way the story ended!  This is the second series I have fallen in love with by Julie Kagawa!  So it's safe to say that yes, she has become one of my favorite authors.  And an author that is now on my auto buy list because her stories are emotional, devastating, heartwarming and I can't wait to see what all of her future books hold!

For more of my reviews, please visit:

[Cassie · Rating 5 out of 5]

“I love you, vampire girl,” he whispered as he drew back. “And forever is exactly what we have.”

i don’t.... have words. i’m literally sobbing, like full on ugly
s o b b i n g.

idk what to say. julie kagawa has literally given me hope, made me laugh, and then ripped my heart out and stomped on it, only to return it to me and say, “here, put this thing back in your chest and find a way to cope with what’s about to come next.”

my biggest fear in the entire trilogy came true. and it broke something in me fierce. i don’t care if these are just fictional characters, okay? i grew to love some of these characters with everything in me. i constantly thought about them some days. and after finishing this third and final book, i will think about them until the end of time.

i highly recommend the blood of eden trilogy. it’s got everything a book should have. amazing characters, a great plot, heartbreaking moments, moments you want to savor for the rest of your life, scenes that will make you mad, but will make you have hope at the same time, times where you’ll want to scream, and then laugh two seconds later... you get the point.

it took me forever to finish this book, not because it was bad, oh no. but because i didn’t want to say goodbye to this world or these characters. and now that i have? i truly left a piece of my soul with this book when i read that last sentence.

so, please, do yourselves a favor and treat yourself to this wonderfully devastating world that julie has created. you won’t regret it, trust me.

“I hope I’m doing what you wanted, what you tried to teach me. It’s going to take a long time, but I won’t give up, just like you didn’t give up. And I pray that, wherever you are, you’ve finally found your peace.”

[Kira Simion · Rating 5 out of 5]

Guess who just got this book from the library ? :D

*points* This gal! *Tears of joy*

Please let Jackal not die. And please let them both kick some butt! *^* *crosses fingers*

The first book was good, the second was really great, so I have some hope for the third one. :3

Edit: (To be reviewed as best I can)

Edit: (7-7-16) (btw you need to read these books in order. There are some series that can be read out of order but, this is not one of them.)

I don't know how to explain how great this trilogy truly was. I really don't. (I lack the expertise of words. :() (I'll try though.)

So let's start with the characters. Wow. From the first book to the third you can see the immense development in the main character and I defiantly ADORED that. I felt for the characters, from the smart aleck Jackal with his quips to Kanin with his senpai sensei like behavior. ( Teach me master. *^* Even Zeke had his moments when he had to get used to being the new him. (Trying not to spoil hahaha.)

The plot was intense and action packed with hunting rabids to trying to kill Sarren, the guy who wants to end the world with a new strain of viruses. The new virus will be stronger than the one that caused some people to turn into rabids. This one causes both vampires and humans to want to rip their eyes out and tear at anything that moves (rabids did this too but, they were easier to destroy and weren't as infectious.)

Overall, I really enjoyed this trilogy and hope to read more fantastic books (by this author or another.) :D

5/5 stars!