#201 Book Review: The Eternity Cure

The Eternity Cure (Blood of Eden #2)
Release Date: 1 May 2013
Author: Julie Kagawa
Publisher: Harlequin Teen Australia
Source: Publisher for Review
Format: Paperback
Where to Buy:  Fishpond | Booktopia
More Info: Goodreads

Summary:

In Allison Sekemoto's world, there is one one rule left: Blood Calls to blood.
Cast out of Eden and separated from the boy she dared to love, Allie will follow the call of blood to save her creator, Kanin, from the psychotic vampire, Sarren. But when the trail leads to Allie's birthplace in New Covington, what she finds there will the change the world forever - and possibly end human and vampire existence.

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

Cover:
Love it! After the changes in the US covers of The Immortal Rules and The Eternity Cure because the girl in the original US cover of The Immortal Rules does not portray Allie as an Asian girl, I love how Harlequin Teen Australia fixed the issue and manages to keep the second book's cover similar to the first one!

Story:

Blood calls for blood...

Julie Kagawa never disappoints, this is the one thing I have been sure about after reading Kagawa's The Iron Fey series and the first book in the Blood of Eden series. I did read some mixed reviews on The Eternity Cure and it made me slightly worried about reading the sequel but alas, The Eternity Cure proved me wrong. I enjoyed the sequel immensely although not as much as the first book.

What I loved most about this book is the journey Allie has to face to find her creator/sire, Kanin. Unlike The Immortal Rules where Allie finds a group of humans and therefore, many characters are introduced, this book focuses on Allie, Kanin, Zeke, Jackal and Sarren, the psycho-vampire. I have to admit, the first half of the book did not quite grab me as the last half but as usual, Julie Kagawa's writing is action-packed, exploring the concept of the cure, blood bond between Allie, Kanin and Jackal and the romance between Allie and Zeke. The ending, though, was very unexpected but made me excited for book 3! It was perhaps more shocking than the ending of The Immortal Rules!

Characters:
Allie is still an awesome heroine who I adored from the first book. I think the main reason why I enjoyed this book is Kagawa's exploration of her characters' development. I love Allie's dedication to find Kanin because I love and admire Kanin so much to the point that I thought he was going to be a love interest for Allie in the first book! (I am secretly hoping this will maybe happen....eventually?) Allie's encounter with Jackal is quite surprising. All I remembered from the first book was that Jackal is an evil vampire but I underestimated his character. There is one part where I thought Jackal never did change, that he was still evil but he proved me wrong. While Jackal's actions in the first book are still etched in his character, his actions in this book balances his 'wrong-doings' in the first book. I can see why Kanin decides to change him to a vampire. Kanin himself, with his calmness, wisdom and words made me love him more. Reading about his character gives a strong impression of his maturity compared to Allie and Jackal, perhaps because he is a Master and he is much older than the two. Zeke, on the other hand, also develops and proves to Allie that he still loves her no matter what. His relationship with Allie is sweet, romantic and heart-warming. Meanwhile, all I can say about Sarren is he is one psycho-vampire (and stop saying little bird!)

Overall:
So you love The Immortal Rules? Then you will love The Eternity Cure! This action-packed sequel further unravels the story behind the Red Lung virus, its cure and the meaning of blood bond between a Master and his 'children'. With amazing character development, Julie Kagawa is back with a great second book in the Blood of Eden series!

4 Forget-Me-Not flowers for The Eternity Cure!

Thank you Harlequin Teen Australia for the review copy!

Check out the book trailer below!

#168 Book Review: The Lost Prince

The Lost Prince [ARC]
Release Date: November 2012
Author: Julie Kagawa
Publisher: Harlequin Teen Australia
Source: Publisher for Review
Format: Paperback
Where to Buy: Fishpond | Booktopia
More Info: Goodreads

Summary from Goodreads:

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

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

Cover:
Notice something different? YES! At a quick glance, the Aussie cover may look as though it's exactly like the US one although there's a slight change in it. The guy in the cover is zoomed closer and faces the opposite way to the US one in order to match the previous books in The Iron Fey series and I definitely love the idea!

Story:

Don't look at them. Never let Them know you can see Them.

So, the only thing I remember about Ethan is that he was kidnapped in The Iron King and Meghan came all the way to Nevernever to rescue him. She succeeded of course, but this event completely changed her life. And now she ended up living in the Nevernever, ruling as The Iron Queen. But turns out, Meghan's life is not the only one that changed. Ethan's life certainly did and this is his story.

The Lost Prince is a whole new insight into the world of The Iron Fey series. I never thought that Julie would write a book written from Ethan's POV but it is definitely a perfect idea. We all know Meghan's story since she mostly dwelled in the Nevernever, but what about Ethan? The boy who was kidnapped? What is his life like?

The story, as usual is as magical and exciting as The Iron Fey series. Julie's writing manages to deliver a hilarious, fun and action-packed book at the same time. Since it is set in the same world as The Iron Fey, I was definitely expecting cameos from Ash, Meghan, Puck and they did appear, making the story complete. Even Greymalkin, our favourite cat appeared in this book too! The developing relationship between Ethan and Kenzie is interesting and I can't wait to see where the sequel takes us!

Characters:
Dear Ethan, I want to hug you a billion times throughout the beginning of the story. I never thought your life would end up like this. You had to act like you're the bad guy because you don't want your loved ones to get hurt by Them and deep down, you miss your sister although you sometimes blame her for the mess in your life. I can't blame you, but boy you ROCK and I definitely support you with Kenzie!

ASH. MEGHAN. PUCK. GREYMALKIN. HOW I MISSED YOU GUYS! Meghan and Ash, I'm so happy to see that you both are so happy together! Puck, as usual, I miss your attitude and pranks. Greymalkin, as always, the charming and mysterious cat! AND THERE IS KEIRRAN! This guy, let me tell you, is just AMAZING. I don't want to spoil you guys who he is but well, if you guys already know then you know he is SO AWESOME. 

There are other characters from The Iron Fey series that make an appearance in this book like Leanansidhe and I'm just really happy that the characters are all gathered in one book, creating a wonderful story!

Overall:
Miss The Iron Fey series? Scratch that. I have to be more specific! Miss the characters from The Iron Fey series? Well, instead of another sequel, here's something better for you! In Julie Kagawa's newest series, we have our main protagonist, Ethan, discovering that despite his hatred for the feys, he must journey through Nevernever to find a friend and reconcile with her sister, The Iron Queen. Fast-paced, exciting with a touch of humour and romance, fans of The Iron Fey series will definitely love The Lost Prince!

5 Forget-Me-Not flowers for The Lost Prince!

Thank you Harlequin Teen Australia for the review copy!

#96 Book Review: The Immortal Rules

The Immortal Rules (Blood of Eden #1)
Release Date: April 24th 2012
Author: Julie Kagawa
Publisher: Harlequin Teen Australia
Source: Publisher for Review
Format: Paperback
Where to Buy: Amazon & The Book Depository
More Info: Goodreads

Summary from Goodreads:
In a future world, Vampires reign. Humans are blood cattle. And one girl will search for the key to save humanity.

Allison Sekemoto survives in the Fringe, the outermost circle of a vampire city. By day, she and her crew scavenge for food. By night, any one of them could be eaten.

Some days, all that drives Allie is her hatred of them. The vampires who keep humans as blood cattle. Until the night Allie herself is attacked—and given the ultimate choice. Die… or become one of the monsters.

Faced with her own mortality, Allie becomes what she despises most. To survive, she must learn the rules of being immortal, including the most important: go long enough without human blood, and you will go mad.

Then Allie is forced to flee into the unknown, outside her city walls. There she joins a ragged band of humans who are seeking a legend—a possible cure to the disease that killed off most of humankind and created the rabids, the mindless creatures who threaten humans and vampires alike.

But it isn't easy to pass for human. Especially not around Zeke, who might see past the monster inside her. And Allie soon must decide what—and who—is worth dying for.

My review:

Cover:
The cover looks awesome. That is how a true vampire looks like! When they cry, they cry bloody tears! The girl in the cover is similar to how I imagined Allie looks like too!

Story:


Would you rather be a vampire or die when on the brink of death?


Allison 'Allie' Sekemoto is an Unregistered. This means she is not a 'blood cattle'. Vampires do not own her and she is free from them. But, Unregistered people do not get the privilege of free food from the vampires. Life is a struggle everyday for Allie. She has to scavenge for food. One day, she is attacked by Rabids and is on the brink of death when she is faced with two choices. Both still means death but one might allow her to still be in this world. Allie wants to 'live' and therefore begins her life as a vampire and the search for Eden, a Human city with no trace of vampires at all...


The Iron Fey series has ended but not Julie Kagawa's stories! She is back with a kick-ass story of a katana-wielding heroine! Oh yes, you heard me! Allie wields Katana and out of all the swords out there, Julie's choice of Katana is perfect for Allie! I have heard great things about The Immortal Rules so I knew it is going to be an awesome book before I started reading it. When I first heard that Julie is going to write about vampires, I wondered how she is going to write a story which is different to all the vampire books out there. Vampire is a really popular paranormal creature after all. But, Julie's The Immortal Rules is a unique vampire story. It's not all about love between vampires and human, it's a story of survival. Julie's vampires are also the REAL DEAL. They burn in the sun, they need blood and they cry blood. The concept of vampires ruling cities in The Immortal Rules is amazing. Humans are exposed to vampires and they know that vampires are living among them. Worst of all, they are even used as 'blood cattle' to provide the vampires with the blood they need. This book is filled with constant action scenes and even though the beginning is quite slow, it gets exciting and I can't put the book down at all. The ending makes me desperate to get the second book. Even though it's going to be another year of wait, I know it'll definitely be worthwhile because Julie never disappoints!


Characters:
Allie is my newest favourite heroine! She is totally a kick-ass girl who wields Katana as her main weapon besides her fangs! I love everything about her and I love reading her transition from a human to a vampire and how she finally learns to accept her life as a vampire and learns the skills to be a vampire. I also really enjoyed reading her time with Kanin, the Master vampire who turned Allie. I nearly thought he is the main love interest. I don't actually mind because Kanin is pretty awesome but when Allie finally meets Ezekiel 'Zeke' Crosse (the guy everyone has been raving about after reading The Immortal Rules), I absolutely fell for Zeke too! He's the sweetest, kindest, caring gentleman ever! I really adore his relationship with Allie. I love reading the other characters who travel with Zeke such as Caleb, Derek, Jake, Jeb and really hated Ruth. She was very annoying and perhaps if I were Allie, I might have done something bad to her! Julie's characters are always amazing and well-written! 


Overall:
The Iron Fey series might have ended but not Julie Kagawa's stories! Julie is back with a kick-ass story of a katana-wielding heroine through The Immortal Rules. With a unique REAL DEAL vampires concept and amazing characters, Julie takes you into a story of survival, what it means to be vampire and if hope and salvation exist for these damned creatures.

5 Forget-Me-Not flowers for The Immortal Rules!

Thank you Harlequin Teen Australia for the review copy!

Check out the book trailer!

Check out the newest Harlequin Teen TV, featuring The Immortal Rules too!

Upcoming Giveaway: The Iron Knight by Julie Kagawa

Hey guys,

I've been thinking about how much I love The Iron Fey series and how much I appreciate those who love it too! The official trailer has been released and the book itself is going to be released on 25th October! If I can reach 100 followers on my blog and 150 followers on twitter, I'm going to giveaway 1 book of The Iron Knight! So, please spread the news in your blog, twitter, and follow my blog and twitter! Please leave a comment if you follow me and I'll follow you back! Tell me what you think about this too!Thank you so much for the support! Stay tuned for more giveaways!

My sixth book review: The Iron King

The Iron King
Genre: Young Adult
Pages: 363
Published: February 1st 2010
Author: Julie Kagawa

Summary from Goodreads:
Meghan Chase has a secret destiny; one she could never have imagined.
Something has always felt slightly off in Meghan's life, ever since her father disappeared before her eyes when she was six. She has never quite fit in at school or at home.
When a dark stranger begins watching her from afar, and her prankster best friend becomes strangely protective of her, Meghan senses that everything she's known is about to change.
But she could never have guessed the truth - that she is the daughter of a mythical faery king and is a pawn in a deadly war. Now Meghan will learn just how far she'll go to save someone she cares about, to stop a mysterious evil no faery creature dare face; and to find love with a young prince who might rather see her dead than let her touch his icy heart.

My review:
WOW! I just loved it so much! I devoured this book in about a day! I can't stop reading and this is really an addictive book! The Iron King is the story Meghan Chase, an ordinary girl who never thought that she is a daughter of a fairy king, Oberon (Yep, it's from Shakespeare's A Midsummer's Night Dream). Her brother, Ethan was stolen and she had to go to the faery realm (Nevernever) with her bestfriend, Robin Goodfellow (a.k.a Puck). There, she met the winter court's youngest prince, Ash. Then, she made a deal with Ash to help rescue his brother. But, Megan and Ash fell in love with each other. This book is so addictive! I find myself falling hard for Ash! I've always been team ASH even before reading this book. When I read the summary ('dark stranger'), I just can't wait to read about him in the book. As I read the first few chapters, I kept on waiting for this 'dark stranger' to finally appear! Ash is cold towards Megan at first, but then he started to open up with her and fell in love with her. Although, the ending made me doubt that Ash was really in love with Meghan. No worries though! He's the coolest fae ever! Not only he's gorgeous but he yield a sword and his fighting skills are supreme. This book is written so well! The details of the Nevernever made me actually able to imagine what it's like going in there!


The cover is amazing too. I love the font of the title and the colour of the book. I probably kept on swooning over Ash many times especially when he was so romantic! Julie Kagawa sure knows how to make girls swoon over a fae prince! :P


Overall: ADDICTIVE! It's so hard to stop reading. I also find Puck really funny and completely the opposite of Ash. Ash is cold like ice while Puck is warm like sun. I think this is probably one of my all time favourite paranormal young adult book! It's just so amazing! 


TEAM ASH! 

5 Forget-me-not flowers rating for The Iron King!

The Iron Daughter is the sequel of The Iron King. I've read that one too and absolute loved it! Going to post a review on that one soon!

The Iron Knight Giveaway at The Fairytale Nerd

The Fairytale Nerd is hosting The Iron Knight giveaway!
The Iron Knight's going to be released on 25th October 2011!
I loved The Iron Fey series. Going to be post a review on that series soon too!

http://thefairytalenerd.blogspot.com/2011/08/giveaway-iron-knight-by-julie-kagawa.html