The Immortal Rules (Blood of Eden, #1) in The Wide Web of Friends in YA Books

Nov 14, 2011 M. rated it really liked it

Shelves: can-t-wait, new-series, waiting-for-completion, ya-pnr, own-it, to-read-soon

Review with Spoilers

This is a difficult book to review. On one hand, Julie's writing got me completely hooked to the story from the first page. But on the other hand, there were some MC's traits that grated on my nerves more times that I can count.

I like the mix of paranormal with dystopian. Think of what Legend would look like if it had vampires in it. I swear, I kept waiting for Will Smith to make an appearance. I spotted many similarities between the world Julie created and the one in the mov Review with Spoilers

This is a difficult book to review. On one hand, Julie's writing got me completely hooked to the story from the first page. But on the other hand, there were some MC's traits that grated on my nerves more times that I can count.

I like the mix of paranormal with dystopian. Think of what Legend would look like if it had vampires in it. I swear, I kept waiting for Will Smith to make an appearance. I spotted many similarities between the world Julie created and the one in the movie. The plot was fast paced and many things are covered in the first book.

The MC starts out as human, street rat, fighting to stay alive in a city where vampires rule and if you're not Registered, you don't exist. Finding food is the number one priority for Allie, and when she finds a hidden stash outside of the city's wall, she enlists the help of her gang to get it. But there are many risks. Beyond the wall, the night is infested with rabids, crazy vampires who look like the bad guys from Will's movie but way more vicious, with fangs and claws. Insert foreboding score. Of course, things don't go as planned. Allie's friends get killed and she ends up the evening as a vampire, the thing that she hates the most.

I like Allie's sire, Kanin. He's not a mean old vampire, nor he's Angel, a vampire with a soul. He's pragmatic and tries to make Allie understand that she needs to forget her previous life as a human. That's when my problem with Allie's begins. She's stubborn, doesn't listen to Kanin's advice, and does what she wants. The plot begins to be propelled forward by Allie's stupid decisions and that's not something I like to see.

Allie's is also a very inconsistent character. She describes herself as one thing, but her actions don't support any of that. The amount of time we spend stuck in her head with her constant debate of what's right and wrong is tiring.

I thought that maybe Kanin could be the love interest and I would have liked that. The real love interest is human Zeke and honestly, I didn't care for him. He was super sweet and cute, but I just didn't buy the chemistry between him and Allie. Worst of all, is that Allie barely knows him and starts obsessing with him instantly. It was ridiculous and made me even more antagonistic toward their romance.

She even put Kanin's life in second place in order to get her precious Zeke to Eden. Come on! Kanin saved her freaking life and that's how she pays him? No, I didn't care for that.

So, I'm giving The Immortal Rules 3.5 stars. Mainly because of the writing and Kanin. (Despite Jackal being a psychotic jackass, I like him more than Allie, too. At least his honest about what he is, unlike Allie). ...more

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Mar 16, 2014 Angela Blount rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: goddaughter-approved-picks, ya, post-apocalyptic-dystopian

A solid 3 ½

(Rating rounded up to emphasize that I did like it notably more so than the first in the Iron Fey series. And that's not just because I'd tend to pick vampires over fairies. ;) )

This YA dystopian vampire/near-horror tale blends many familiar elements that fans of Blade and Blood The Last Vampire will appreciate, casting them in a post bio-apocalyptic setting. Violent and bleak, but without being -completely- devoid of hope. (But yeah...still -mostly- devoid. So try not to get too att
A solid 3 ½

(Rating rounded up to emphasize that I did like it notably more so than the first in the Iron Fey series. And that's not just because I'd tend to pick vampires over fairies. ;) )

This YA dystopian vampire/near-horror tale blends many familiar elements that fans of Blade and Blood The Last Vampire will appreciate, casting them in a post bio-apocalyptic setting. Violent and bleak, but without being -completely- devoid of hope. (But yeah...still -mostly- devoid. So try not to get too attached. >.> Just sayin'.)

Allison Sekemoto presents as a strong, survivalist heroine—simple in motivation, relatable, and beautifully flawed. It is entirely through her perspective (first-person) that the story unfolds. The questions-of-humanity theme runs deep throughout. As one could easily derive from the back cover blurb, Allison is turned into the thing she hated most early on and spends much of the story deciding 'what kind of monster' she is going to be. Abandoned by the vampire who created her, she finds unexpected purpose with a roving band of humans who don't realize what she is. Their quest for a vampire-free city is one that obviously can't end well for her--but she is none the less tempted by the prospect of choosing to be a protector rather than a mere predator.

There is definitely a romantic element, but the development is admirably natural and gradual. Zeke isn't the kind of hero you'd expect from this kind of world—he's a genuinely nice, generous, all-around good guy, in spite of his surroundings. Outside of his leadership role, he's something of a laid-back Beta-male, making him a solid and logical complement to Allison's vampiric (and personality-based) aggressiveness. While not a raging ball of adolescent testosterone and bad-boy angst, Zeke is exceptionally capable of slaughter when slaughter is called for. I'm calling this one a win for nice guys.

The prose is engaging and skilled—morbidly amusing at some points, and emotionally resonant at others. The pacing is rapid once you get through the first 50-page setup, and the fight scenes are numerous and well depicted. Most secondary characters have a bit of believable depth to them, but there were a few that felt pretty flat, in this reviewer's opinion. *coughcough Stick coughcough Ruth coughcough*

One thing did drive me crazy at regular intervals—and fans, please correct me if I missed something: Early on in Allison's Vampire training, it's shown that vampires in this particular world have the ability to seal/heal the puncture wounds they've made using their tongues. Yet, after that initial lesson, Allison is never again shown using this handy trick or testing to see if it works on other kinds of wounds. Even when it would be -glaringly- advantageous to those she cares about. It's as if that detail and all it's fascinating potential is simply forgotten.

All in all, a satisfying plot for those who aren't burned out on the darker take on vampires. To this reader the writing shows Kagawa is not only prolific, but still honing her abilities as a storyteller. Always encouraging to watch an author grow along with their work. :) ...more

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May 25, 2012 Chester rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011-to-2015-pub

"You will always be a monster — there is no turning back from it. But what type of monster you become is entirely up to you."

Anyone who knows me knows that I am a huge fan of The Iron Fey series. So when I first heard of Blood of Eden, I was like, "Oh no. Must you do this Julie? And here you're one of my queens." I was so scared I'd be disappointed that I put off reading the book for months. I guess I should have trusted Julie more. The Immortal Rules had me captivated from the beginning.

If ...more

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Sep 26, 2014 Amy rated it liked it

I enjoyed this book and the characters were great. The world was pretty well developed and the back stories were fully fleshed out but there was still something very forgettable about all of it. Even the title of the book still escapes me half the time. It was a nice twist on vampires and on the apocalypse, plus there were plenty of action scenes but it was still missing something that I just can't quite put my finger on. I would put it down for a few days at a time and not miss the characters a ...more

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Jan 31, 2011 Carie rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites

WOW – I LOVED this book!! The characters and situations were awesome--and there were lots of tense, terrifying moments. I loved Allie, Kanin, Zeke, Darren, etc. Loved the world Ms. Kagawa created and the fascinating choices and challenges Allie faced--and her development throughout the book. I loved her strength, too ((view spoiler)), and her relationships/interactions with the various characters in the story, particularly with Kanin and Zeke. And, this book was WOW – I LOVED this book!! The characters and situations were awesome--and there were lots of tense, terrifying moments. I loved Allie, Kanin, Zeke, Darren, etc. Loved the world Ms. Kagawa created and the fascinating choices and challenges Allie faced--and her development throughout the book. I loved her strength, too ((view spoiler)), and her relationships/interactions with the various characters in the story, particularly with Kanin and Zeke. And, this book was largely VERY unpredictable--especially regarding the (view spoiler). But, other than these few things, I thought the plot was very fresh and hard to predict. And I loved the revelation about (view spoiler)--I had no idea what those were all about and I was very surprised by the explanation! I also loved the history and exploration of (view spoiler) and the way the pieces of the plot came together here, creating new developments, challenges, and goals for the next book(s) in the series.

My only tiny beef with this book was that I thought the (view spoiler)?! But, despite this, I thought the book was FANTASTIC!! I loved every minute of it and I can’t wait to find out what happens next!!
...more

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Jan 26, 2012 Anna rated it liked it

Shelves: favorite-authors

I'm really torn on how many stars to give it.

It's really like a 3.5-4ish star review.

Let me start off by saying that I am and always will be a HUGE fan of Julie Kagawa. I kept seeing mixed reviews, especially with it being so long and I can understand a little of what there talking about.

It wasn't simply that it was so long because if a book is fantastic it wouldn't matter, but sometimes in this book there were moments when it just drug (I'm not sure if that's a word lol!) on, then it would pick ...more

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Oct 19, 2012 Jessica Gomez rated it it was amazing

HOLLY UNDEAD SNICKIES JULIE(BATMAN)!

This book surpassed all of my expectations! I enjoyed the Fey series, but felt that it was almost of repeat in some parts, same obstacles, different characters, and on and on.

But here!!! Fireworks. I was pumped every moment reading. I couldnt get it absorbed fast enough. Starting out as human, then turning to Vampire. The emotions she goes through, trying to understand that becasue she is a Vampire everyone sees her as souless. A demon to walk the earth. When HOLLY UNDEAD SNICKIES JULIE(BATMAN)!

This book surpassed all of my expectations! I enjoyed the Fey series, but felt that it was almost of repeat in some parts, same obstacles, different characters, and on and on.

But here!!! Fireworks. I was pumped every moment reading. I couldnt get it absorbed fast enough. Starting out as human, then turning to Vampire. The emotions she goes through, trying to understand that becasue she is a Vampire everyone sees her as souless. A demon to walk the earth. When in reality, she is as much the same person as she was. Well... besides the desperate urge to drink someone dead. That doesnt really count though because its the Vampire desease inside her compelling. But whether you let it consume you is a different story.

Kanin teaches her how to be a Vampire, how to live. That out of everything she needs to let go of her humanity. But why? she cant seem to understand why you cannot be a Vampire and still CARE and LOVE like a human.

Then she meets Zeke. Someone who turns her impulses upside down and inside out. She proves to herself that her humanity, even though technically she is no longer human, is still full intact.

She proves to humans over and over, that she would go out of her way to save everyone. But Caleb seems to be the only other person to trust her, and even he is leary.

All the positives said, what would a review be without the thornes.

The book was told from Allison's point of view, which was great! But you never really got a good look into the other charaters. I mean you do know a little about them, enough to understand the Characters purpose in the story like Ruth was in love with Zeke and the one "out to get Allison" for Zeke being interested in her, then there was Jeb, the preacher. THe on with the faith, the drive to get them there. But you never really understand them, or why they are the way they are and WHAT drives them.

The one that intrigued me the most was the crazy lady in their group, (her name is eluding me at the moment). what was she talkign about seeing a red aura around the demons, meaning rabids and vamps. but she never mentions anything about a red ring arouns Allison...

Something to ponder.......

good book. Cant wait for the next installment. ...more

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May 26, 2013 Andrea Evans rated it it was amazing

Shelves: ya, i-own

A really good book. There are a lot of dystopian novels coming out, and a million vampire novels, but this is the first novel I have seen that combines the two. There is romance, but only a little.

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