Dawn of Eden

Blood of Eden #0.5

by Julie Kagawa

Before The Immortal Rules, there was Red Lung, a relentless virus determined to take out all in its path. For Kylie, the miracle of her survival is also her burden—as a doctor at one of the clinics for the infected, she is forced to witness endless suffering. What’s worse, strange things are happening to the remains of the dead, and by the time she befriends Ben Archer, she’s beginning to wonder if a global pandemic is the least of her problems….

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

87 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 1, 2013

Reviews

[J.L. Sutton · Rating 3 out of 5]

In Julie Kagawa’s Dawn of Eden, Kylie and Ben are trying to escape the upcoming apocalypse. It’s not quite a zombie apocalypse (diseased human vampire hybrid actually), but that’s the way it feels. This is a prequel to Kagawa’s The Immortal Rules and the Blood of Eden Series. I haven’t read the series, but Dawn of Eden sets up a world where vampires rule over what’s left of humanity. I thought this story, Dawn of Eden, about the breakout of the Red Lung virus which allowed vampires to eventually rule was well written with good pacing, but the actual series sounds more interesting to me.

[Penny Well Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed Dawn of Eden quite a lot.

It was interesting and entertaining, even a bit scary at times. And although it was about crazed vampires trying to eat everyone, the story was a beautiful one too.

There is intrigue, excitement, mystery, deaths, killing, more deaths, suspense and a nice love story in the mix.

I am truly pleased that the main characters were in their 20s instead of their teens; a new adult content has always more possibilities and is more complete. I only wish that the rest of the series would have also been for new adults instead of young adults, but alas…

I just had a few minor issues:

1) Kylie, when wondering what those creatures were, she said zombies first despite the fact that she just saw their blood dripping fangs, then when she was told that they were in fact vampires she had trouble accepting it because “vampires don’t exist”, again despite what she just saw (the fangs, killing and all that) and yet she could have accepted the existence of zombies, but no, not vampires. That scene just didn’t seem very realistic to me, or at least not very well develop.

2) There are a couple of different moments throughout the story where the possibility of her going in a different direction from Ben is considered, or the possibility of leaving him. Well to me that was ridiculous because hello apocalypse! Where the hell was she going to go alone with all the rabid vampires trying to eat her? She had no choice but to go/stay with him, it just made no sense to me. I know that it was part of the tension of their relationship, but it is just not a believable enough possibility so if the writer wanted uncertainty in their relationship I think it would have been better if she had taken another more realistic approach under the circumstances.


I always find appealing a survivalist element in the stories and we can find some here, the universe we encounter in the Blood of Eden series is quite interesting, a post-apocalyptic zombie-vampire world where the humans face a triple threat: the rabids, the vampires and other humans. I think that the best way to fully appreciate the universe is by reading this prequel first. In Dawn of Eden we are introduced to how the apocalypse came to be, we can she what happened and why the world is the way it is in The Immortal Rules (book 1), also I think that it gives us a better understanding of the rabid vampires.
I do recommend reading the novella before the first book, it’s worth it, it’s quite short so it won’t take you more than three hours and the story grips you instantaneously. As an incentive we meet Kanin for the first time here in an excellent way to later comprehend him better in The Eternity Cure (book 2).


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.


Generally speaking I am not a fan of prequels and novellas, but I was pleasantly surprised with this one.

After reading this prequel I had no doubts that I was going to read the rest of the Blood of Eden series.


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

[Maya · Rating 2 out of 5]

As my region is going into semi-quarantine trying to resist the spread of CORVID-19, why not read an old series about a destructive virus causing people to cough up blood .... unfortunately this was about as entertaining as running around town trying to find one of the last masks, which have been sold out for days ...


A weird mix of zombievampire apocalypse with a romance on speed that goes from first meeting through devastating loss to road trip to meet and befriend the family to marriage proposal within all of 7 days.

[Gavin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this short prequel to the Blood of Eden series was a worth while read. It was interesting to read about how both the Red Lung virus and the Rabid infestation started. I also really enjoyed the fact that Kagawa managed to work a nice romance story into this short book. I liked both Ben and Kylie, and I'm sure I would have liked them even more if the book was longer.

The ending with Kanin has only made me more eager to read The Eternity Cure.

I read this but I'm certain I would have liked it even more if I'd had the chance to listen to the audiobook. I missed Therese Plummer's narration.

[fulano · Rating 4 out of 5]

TW/CW:
virus, gore, suicidal thoughts, violence, death, grief, sexism. NOT YA, VERY MUCH ADULT.

This was a pretty nice addition to Julie Kagawa’s Blood of Eden series. I was a bit surprised that this was adult though, because the series this is a part of is YA. It’s good though, just be warned about how much heavier the content in this book is. The characters are in their 20s and there was a descriptive sex scene, and also much gorier if you are wondering more about the adult content. I really liked how flawed and real the characters were as well, definitely worth reading!

[Rachel-RN · Rating 3 out of 5]

There is virus causing a worldwide pandemic called "Red Lung." Kylie is a doctor on the front lines. Something is now happening to the dead. What could it be? Ben's mentor is sick and needs help, so he turns to Kylie. When Ben's mentor dies (I no longer remember his name), he doesn't quite die.
I thought the romance was quick. But then they are facing the end of the world as they know it and so why not? What got me was Kylie thinking those coming back are zombies, but when Ben tells her they are vampires, she says something like they aren't real! So....zombies could be real, but vampires can't be?
Not sure if I was grabbed by this enough to continue on w/ series. This is marked shelved as YA multiple times; it's not (both main characters are adults).

[Jojobean · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a prequel to the Blood of Eden series and it is not a y.a. short story. Its more of a N.A. to adult short. This short goes into the beginning of the red lung virus and the beginning of the rabid plague that is central in the Blood of Eden series. This book is how it all began.

I liked the main character, Kylie, who was a doctor who ran one of the last open clinics that tried to treat the Red Lung virus. In her clinic she meets Ben Archer, who brings in a scientist friend of his to her clinic for treatment from an attack. From there the world goes to hell with the rabids unleashed on whatever is left of society. Kylie is a determined young woman who doesn't give up on the sick people in her clinic. She wanted to become a doctor to help people and she believes in giving people hope even when there is none. She works tirelessly to take care of her patients. Kylie is also brave and protective of the people she cares for.

There is a romance in the story which I could of done without but it didn't take away from anything. Personally I'm just tired of there always having to be a romance. Can't people face the end of the world as friends anymore? The romance didn't bother me but I was like "oh ok whatever" about it.

There is classic Kagawa gore in the book. Lots of blood, cursing and body parts flying which I loved. And best of all? KANIN was in it!!!!!!!!!!!!! He wasn't a main character and wasn't in it a lot but her was there. For anyone who doesn't know, Kanin is my favorite character in the Blood of Eden Series. Kanin didn't seems like the same character he was in the Blood of Eden series. He is still dark, powerful, pensive, wise and silent but he didn't seem like the human loving Kanin we see in the Blood of Eden series. I guess because this story takes place 60 years before the Blood of Eden series, he hasn't changed into the Kanin I really love in those books. He seems harder and more willing to kill people, as seen from the last page in the story. So Mrs. Kagawa, if you ever see any of my reviews about this series, I have a request that you PLEASE consider writing a novella or something about Kanin's life story. I think that'd be an awesome book and I'm sure fans of this series would love to read it.

All in all a great prequel.

This review is also posted on The Book Owl Extraordinaire

[Eesh · Rating 3 out of 5]

I could easily divide the book into two parts, plot-wise. One I found to be very interesting, the other I more or less hated.

The one I liked was related to the world building. There is a deadly plague that has spread and it is dangerous enough to be an apocalyptic event. Kylie is a doctor. She has set up a free clinic to help the sick. There's no cure and there are (very) few who recover, but she's wants to at least be doing something; even if it's just making them comfortable until they die.

Ben comes to the clinic with a heavily injured friend, asking for help. Kylie knows there's something going on with the two when she sees the nature of the injury and when Ben is less than forthcoming about what happened.

That's the part that was good. This is a well-written novella that does a good job of introducing us to the world that it's set in. Things are bleak and getting no better and I found that plot of the book to be interesting and I definitely wanted to read more. I still do actually, which is why I'm going to be reading the series despite the part of the novella I didn't like.

That was the romance. It was pretty obvious that there would be one, from the moment Ben showed up. And I wouldn't have minded; I like romances. But this was so poorly done. It was beyond rushed, the attempt to make Kylie and Ben like each other was transparent, and things got way too serious way too fast.

I think it was the author trying to give a well-rounded story without any open endings regarding the characters and how they would end up. But sometimes, when it's just a novella and the romance isn't even the main plot, you have to leave it open, especially if the protagonists have just met. I get wanting to write a complete story—open ending can be annoying—but it's better to suggest what would happen or give an epilogue, than to rush things. The romance, by the end, was just gushy and gross. Didn't like it at all.

But that doesn't dissuade me from the series because even though there will likely be a romance there as well, the author will be able to take her time with it. I liked all the other aspects and that's what's important. I can't say whether fans of the series will like it, but I thought it was pretty good.

[Flynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a great book and I only had one problem with it. There's just some character that annoys me so much and for me this character is Ben first off Kylie just meets this guy and then they you know what and I'm like YOU JUST MET THE GUY!!! Ben just reminded me so much of Evan and That guy just annoys the crap out of me.

[Danielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I already love The Blood of Eden Series, it’s my favorite series! I loved how terrifying this one was and how Julie Kagawa never fails to create atmospheric imagery. I was so happy that Kanin was in it as well and to see the connection between The Blood of Eden and The Dawn of Eden and the connection between the Archer’s and Kanin and Allison’s past. I’m glad that those were the characters that the author focused on.

I felt that the graphic sex scene was a bit much and kind of awkward because it made Ben seem like a horny teenager and Kylie like a nonsensical idiot. The relationship was kind of weird because they hardly knew each other, slept together, and are suddenly in love?? It was just very strange especially for a ten chapter book.

Again, I really liked it, not as much of The Blood of Eden, but it was still really good and very Julie Kagawa, I just felt that where the characters came in it fell flat compare to her other series.

[Aaryn Flott · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read the prequel as a tester because I wasn’t sure if I wanted to embark on the series just yet. I typically love Julje Kagawa world building but her characters are typically to tropey.

But I actually loved the world building of this. It was creepy, gory, and horrifying. I loved the idea of rabid zombie vampires. Scary as shit. The only thing I could’ve done without, was the romance. Do platonic relationships not exist during the end of the world?????

[Renee B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

So.. Remember my criteria for giving a novella 5 stars? Can we forget about that for a minute? :P

Cliffhanger: CHECK.
Insta-love: CHECK.
Not part of the story: Half-CHECK.

Immortal Rules was set 60 years after the Red Lung virus claimed the lives of millions of people. In Dawn of Eden, we learn about the first outbreak, how it started out as an epidemic before vampire blood tainted the experiments and turned the sick into rabids.

Kylie is a doctor working in one of the few clinics left in D.C. and her patients are dying. There is no cure for the virus and each day she tries to lessen their pain although in the end she knows the virus will claim them. Kylie has hopes that a few will survive, because she is one of the survivors of Red Lung (which makes her immune, much like chicken pox I guess).

One night, two young men enter her clinic: Ben & Nathan. Nathan is wounded from an attack of which Ben doesn't give much details, and afterwards, there is something not right that Kylie can't put her finger on. Nathan is one of the scientists involved in the vampire experiments Hell breaks loose after her patients gets infected.

I really didn't like how Ben & Kylie had that insta-connection (but my, that was pretty steamy) and we meet Kanin! (although he only mentions himself as 'K') He's enough to bring that rating to 5 stars! :) Oh, I wanted to say it's Ben Archer. If y'all remember, Zeke and Allison come across an injured man in the woods who was chased by a rabid boar. He comes from an isolated settlement which is actually the Archer family farm, which we will know about in this novella.

A very good read for the readers of the Blood of Eden series. :)

“Whatever you’ve done, or think you’ve done, it’s over now. You can’t go back and change it. What you do about it, right now, from here on out, that’s the important thing.” - Kylie to K

[Trisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Oh, God," he whispered, closing his eyes. "What have I done? What have we done, Nate?"

a prequal to the book The Immortal Rules. It gives a slight history of the Red Lung through the story of a young doctor who is thrown into the plague and it's turn from death to zombie rabids.

I thought this was a great addition to the series and I liked hearing it from another set of people. amazing how they handled each thing they had to endure and what they found when they least expected it.

I can't wait for book 2!!

[Gaby · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay, I'm SO SAD that I can't give this book more than 3 stars. I liked the story and the suspense. I like both the main characters. However, I think that they fall in love too quickly. Seriously, they just met and suddenly they want to get married and have kids? That's not how it's supposed to happen! I know this is a very small thing, but once you get annoyed with both the characters, the read wasn't interesting anymore. Julie is an AMAZING author, I expect something much better with the romance, especially after she published The Iron King and Blood of Eden.

[Teresa Sporrer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ooh, mir hat die Kurzgeschichte sehr gefallen! Es hatte etwas von einer Creepypasta! Und ich lieeeeeeeeebe Creepypastas. Ihr wisst schon, die gruseligen Kurzgeschichten im Internet. Zwar sind Zombies und Vampire fast ein bisschen zu banal, aber die Verseuchten sind perfekt für diese!
Ja, man kann sagen, dass es zwischen den charas ziemlich schnell ernst wurde, aber hallo?! Die Welt geht unter und da hat man auch nicht mehr viele Alternativen. auch von Kindern kann man reden, denn verhüten kann man auch nur noch schwer ...
Also ...

[Becs · Rating 4 out of 5]

You’ve probably watched a zombie movie or TV show before, or at the very least 28 days/weeks later. So you know “that” scene. The one where the humans are hiding in a house, windows barricaded, and the dead are banging on the doors to get in and tear chunks off the Mary Sue and that dude with the big revolver. That scene is what this novella leads to - what it does so incredibly well - but it does it with rabid vampires!

I really enjoyed this. It follows Ben and Kylie. Kylie is helping Ben’s colleague in the hospital right at the beginning of the pandemic we know will later be Red Lung and lead to rabids popping up everywhere. But then Ben’s colleague turns and the pair have to figure out how to get the hell out of there. It therefore provides insight into the first days of that time period when the world shifted and humanity as we know it has to reevaluate its position in the food chain. So I really appreciated getting to see that, but I also appreciated that we didn’t stay there all that long. Instead we follow Kylie and Ben as they try to get to a safe place - Ben’s childhood home - and navigate safety within that place once achieved. That’s when it gets truly juicy, but the adventure is fun and generously written too (even with a cameo from Allie’s maker).

I love stories which help piece it all together; this was just that. Not essential reading but everything you’d want from a novella (really - it doesn’t just feel like the typical money making tick box exercise many novellas feel like they’ve been written for).

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book drew me in right away because I can relate to the hospital/clinic setting. It made me think about if something drastic like this were to happen while I was at work in the hospital. All the carnage and devastation. Kylie is a doctor trying to help the sick and dying from a virus plague like thing. Everyone else has panicked and bailed on her. Then a newcomer brings in a wounded patient from the outside. Little do they know, this patient could mean the death of all of them in worse ways than the virus. The newcomer, Ben, and Kylie form a close bond from working together trying to survive. It is a fight for their lives, literally. There are things that defy anything science has ever known. And Kylie seems to be the only person to ever survive the virus. I don’t want to ruin it but if you like dystopian type books with vampire creatures and plagues, you will love this. I can’t wait to start the next book and I’m really curious about the mysterious stranger with dark eyes who helped them on their journey then disappeared. He seems to hold the key and answers for what has taken place. There was research being done to try and cure the virus but it seems to have made things worse. The book ended at a good point so it wasn’t really a cliff hanger. Hang on for an intense ride!

[Michele (Reading Lark/CanadianTwiMom) · Rating 5 out of 5]

My review for Dawn of Eden, part of the 'Til the World Ends anthology, can also be found on Reading Lark: http://readinglark.blogspot.ca/2013/0...

WOW! This was not quite what I was expecting! But...it was a really GOOD surprise at that! Dawn of Eden is a prequel novella to The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa, and part of 'Til the World Ends, an anthology comprised of three unrelated dystopian/post-apocalyptic short stories by different authors. In Julie's contribution, we are transported back in time, through the perspective of Kylie (and Ben Archer), to the desperate beginnings of the Red Lung virus that nearly obliterated humankind off the planet.

Kylie, the main character of this short story, was a fresh-out-of-school-doctor in charge of a make-shift hospital because she was one of the few medical professionals left in the city to attend to those dying from the insidious virus. Ben Archer, and his friend Nathan, stumbled into Kylie's clinic, bloodied and battered. At this point in the story, the name "Archer" sounded very familiar so I went back to my copy of The Immortal Rules and remembered that the Archers were the family who owned the homestead that Allison, Zeke and company stumbled upon in the first book.

Now back to Dawn of Eden...

Pretty early on, Kylie realized that Ben wasn't telling her the whole story about how they got into the condition they showed up in, and that had serious repercussions after Nathan's condition worsened. Because I've read The Immortal Rules, I easily guessed what was going to become of him, but it wasn't any less terrifying to witness.

Through all this intense drama packed into only a few pages, the characterization was still perfectly carried out. Kylie's compassion for her patients, despite being fully aware of their odds of survival, was desperately heroic. She tried to instill in her interns that there was always hope, no matter how futile their efforts seemed to be, and it was evident she truly believed there was always hope, and I liked that in her. She was not dillusional either...not with all she had witnessed. Even though she was often running on auto-pilot, adrenaline and caffeine, it seemed, she was always level-headed and smart about things.

Ben was described as ruggedly gorgeous (even battered and bloodied) but it was obviously evident he had a sensitive heart as well...and you know that combination would be a win, and in my opinion, it was! Ben's protectiveness for Kylie was swoon-worthy. Now, don't roll your eyes...they did fall for each other rather quickly...but it would not be unreasonable to imagine given the situation they were in. Their desperation to FEEL anything but hopelessness and despair was a driving force for sure, but they were brought together nonetheless and they became a great team. As his story unfolded, it was easy to fall for him as Kylie did.

Now...here is where I will interject that this is NOT a Young Adult story. Kylie and Ben were in their 20's...and they were desperate, shocked, numb and horrified by all they experienced...so that their only comfort was in each other...I'll let your imagination run with that thought.

And Kanin made an appearance in this story as well! Everyone knows I LOVED Kanin in The Immortal Rules...so his part in this story was a real treat! "K" was the nameless and mysterious stranger who saved Kylie and Ben from an attack of Rabids. What I loved about his part in this story was that we learned that someone inspired and restored Kanin's faith in humanity and his fight to right his wrongs -- namely the experiment that resulted in the creation of the Rabids. It was a perfectly executed bridge.

The sense of despair and hopelessness with what they had to face back then was gut-wrenching but that despair was also what sucked me right into the story virtually from the start....just as The Immortal Rules did. The pace was quick and intense, which I expected it would be given the number of pages holding this story together...but true to fashion, Julie worked her magic awesomely. Once I was able to really sit down and read, I couldn't put it down. And because The Immortal Rules was originally geared to a mature young adult audience, I need to mention that there was some language and some fairly graphic sex, albeit well-written, but not meant for the younger set. And I would further add that teens would not really be missing anything from the original story (Allie's perspective), for not having read this novella. Dawn of Eden really served to fortify what we already learned in The Immortal Rules with a little bit more back-story.

Having said that, I do hope Kylie and Ben become players in the main story as I'd like to know how things turned out for them. I have some questions since I couldn't find any reference to them in The Immortal Rules...although they might have been nameless characters. I will look out for that when I reread the first book before the sequel comes out in April. (Note: Having read The Immortal Rules AGAIN...and The Eternity Cure...I understand the timeline a lot better. Kylie and Ben were a couple of generations earlier than 'present day' Allie, Zeke and company.)

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read Julie's novella prior to its official release! I will admit that I requested 'Til the World Ends for Julie's story within but I may just read the other two novellas in short order. But I wanted to first get the word out about this awesome little short story...older Julie fans will not be disappointed!

[Riley · Rating 4 out of 5]

the smut was so unnecessary 🙄

[Kayleigh · Rating 1 out of 5]

I loved the first two books in Julie Kagawa'a Blood of Eden series so I was super excited to hear there was a prequel novella. But...I was kinda disappointed.
First of all, I really did not enjoy the main character Kylie. The story is told in first person from her perspective and I just found her to be very irritating. Throughout the story I thought she needed to get her priorities sorted out and I found she went back and forth on things she has said quite a bit.
One of the main things that really bugged me about this was the romance... sigh... Kylie and Ben meet at the height of drama, with their lives, and Kylie's all important patients lives, in danger, the world is falling apart, Kylie has no where to go and it seems all she's worried about it how Ben looks with his shirt off. I'm sorry but that's just unrealistic. And even as the story goes on you'd think she'd have other things on her mind but all she keeps going on about is how "ruggedly handsome" he is. After only a few hours we realise that of course Ben is different from any other guys and she has feelings for him. Yeah, right.
Along that same vein, I also had a problem with the extremely in depth sex scene. Now don't get me wrong, I'm all for some sexy times in books but this just seemed very out of place. There was way too much detail for this kind of story, I almost felt like I was reading erotica at this point. And most annoyingly, in the characters mind they were making love and it was all very romantic. I had to remind myself that these people had only met less that 24 hours ago and yes, while it's believable that two people stuck together in this kind of situation would maybe have sex, why can't they call it what it is?! A real adult woman would have no problem voicing in her mind that she was going to have sex and yet that word was never used.
So, as far as the romance and even the plot line of this novella, I kind of felt like it would have been MUCH better suited to being a full length novel. Then the characters would have had more time to make their feelings more believable and the plot wouldn't have come across quite so rushed. It really pains me to say such harsh things about this because I love this series and I had high hopes to learn more about how the world started out. Of course I still loved reading about the world and it was interesting seeing how things were back in the beginning but I just wanted more - to me this was solely a romance story.
If you really love Julie Kagawa and you want to give this a go then do but to be honest I don't think it is at all necessary to pick up.

[Anna (Enchanted by YA) · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 STARS

After learning that this novella wouldn’t be directly about the main characters from the Blood of Eden series, my interest significantly dropped and I was unsure whether I even wanted to read it. Although it’s not completely separate (thank God) because it has the Archers, who if you’ve read the series will remember as the family Zeke and Allie stumble across while travelling.

Since it tells story of the Red Lung virus’s beginning it was obvious why Allison and Zeke don’t make appearances, but all is not lost because Kanin does actually pop in now and again, who I just so happened to love in the other books.

It was interesting seeing his involvement even for a second, just as it was interesting seeing the start of the rabid infestation. You understand other people’s involvement in it (not just Kanin’s) and while I think this was the main focus/point of the novella; Julie Kagawa also managed to include a full romance in this novella and the biggest accomplishment was that it didn’t really feel like insta-love.

The characters I’ll admit were a little naff, they had depth and lots of different battling emotions, and the chemistry between Kylie and Ben was undeniable in their desperation situation but as they were only just introduced there was not enough time to connect with them like there was with Allison and Zeke.

I think what it comes down to for me is that I don’t think this novella does the series justice, because while the series was a thrilling and engaging read it took me a lot longer to finish this one book and I didn’t enjoy it nearly as much.

Posted on: http://enchantedbyya.blogspot.co.uk/

[Pamela · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't say enough about how great this series is and how you should read it. I wish I had read this first but it didn't need to be. I love this series no matter what. I loved what this book told me about one character and how the virus started. This will be one of those books I will miss now that it is over.

[Tammy Kesteloot · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this prequel a lot! I loved this entire series!

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a interesting beginning to the series. I like that we got to read how it all begun, before I get into the series. I can't wait to see how the story progresses!

[Kaka_shi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hmm...
Yea, i dunno. i liked it.
There's something nagging at me an i can't pin point it. But definitely read it.

[Jessica · Rating 1 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book. The plot was decent, it was just way to cheesy and I strongly disliked the love at first sight crap.

[Aelin Eisner · Rating 3 out of 5]

I absolutely loved the main books in this series, so I was thrilled to discover a prequel. Unfortunately, it wasn’t exactly what I’d hoped for.

I read this after I finished The Forever Song, hoping we’d maybe get some of Kanin’s backstory since he was my favorite character. He’s in this story, but not for long and you wouldn’t even know it was him unless you’ve read the other books already. That being said, I do recommend you read this one last. It makes more sense as things play out and you realize the connection to the main story.

Going off of my earlier comment, I really do wish this had been set further in the past. I want to read about the vampire experiments and Kanin’s involvement. When was the first case of red lung? Who was the first rabid and how did it escape? I would’ve liked to see Kanin’s initial meetings with Jackal and Sarren too.

Okay, moving away from my obvious bias towards Kanin, I did eventually enjoy this story and I’m glad there’s even a prequel at all. Since I’d already read the other books, it was obvious to me what the rabids were and I found myself screaming at the characters like I do when I watch horror films. I wish there had been more time to develop Kylie and Ben’s relationship because that moved a liiiitle too quickly for my liking, but I understand it’s meant to just be a short story.

Anyways, now that I’ve finished this, I have to say goodbye to this series, as it was the last thing I had to read. I hope maybe one day we’ll get another prequel about Kanin or Jackal!

[JenBsBooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

I adored The Immortal Rules - although it's been quite a while since I read it. I saw this included in Audible's Audible Escape, and I'm on a 2-month trial there.

Right off though, the doctor gives "eight mms of morphine into his veins" ... and as I was listening to the audio, the narrator said "millimeters". I was able to grab a sample of the book to check and see if the error was with the narrator or the text, and it was the text. Millimeters is a length, this needs volume. Should be milligrams, mg ... right? Just one of those "I can't be the only one who noticed that" and was surprised it made it through editing, both text and audio.

There was also and audio blip "he said ... he said" that should have been edited out.

I liked the story, and the background on the Red Lung sickness ... I while this was put out by Harlequin, I really wasn't expecting the bodice-ripper sex scene. Once upon a time, maybe I was a little interested in that type of romance writing ... now, it just always seems over-the-top and, repetitive, as each author tries to describe sex so earnestly. Eye-rolling for me. I guess maybe that's why it was included in AudibleEscape though!

[Khanique McDaniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been looking for a good vampire novel for weeks and I will admit that while I didn't want them to sparkle, I also didn't expect to have goosebumps after reading a prequel!

I love a good origin story and this one is definitely memorable. It read like a tv show or movie. At times, it reminded me of The Walking Dead and the parking lot of dead bodies gave off COVID vibes. (Note to self, check when this book was printed)

Ben and Kylie have quite the week that I can't even fault them for having sex, much less unprotected sex, in the middle of a pandemic/vampire apocalypse. I don't know how they orgasm with vamps clawing outside their window but more power to you both!

Simple but effective, I am glad I understand this series before diving in. This book did what a prequel should. We were given the origin of what caused this plague on humans while meeting two people, who I hope will live through this, if not a bit mentally unstable.

I can't see the hands of time turning back but I am ready to see the future that the author has built for these characters.

[longtimewish · Rating 3 out of 5]

La precuela que nos enseña que no importa que seas una doctora honesta que perdió a todos sus seres queridos por culpa de una plaga que está acabando con la humanidad y un estudiante involucrado con los creadores de un apocalipsis zombi-vampirico, lo más importante es el amor, el amor heterosexual*.

Fue agradable conocer un poco más del mundo de Blood of Eden, y para ser una historia corta fue bastante concisa. Los personajes están bien, no tienen mucho desarrollo pero en ciento y algo de páginas eso es difícil. Mi única queja es que en realidad nunca explican como se origino Eden, o sea ¿ese grupo eventualmente se fue a la isla? ¿Cómo lo hicieron? ¿O en realidad nada que ver? Porque si no fueron ellos los fundadores de Eden entonces el título no tiene sentido.

Una lectura entretenida; el cameo de Kanin fue lo mejor de todo.

(*Si entendieron la referencia sepan que me caen re bien).