The Blood of Eden Series by Julie Kagawa

The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Allie is a human living in post apocalyptic America after a plague wipes out over half of the population and vampires take control. She and her gang of friends struggle every day just to not starve to death on the streets. Allie hates the vampires with everything that she is, until she is attacked and forced to make the choice between life and death. Choosing life, she then has to learn to come to terms with what she has become and try to figure out how to keep her humanity.

I loved this book for many reasons…First, I really liked Allie. She was a tough street girl who knew what it took to survive, yet she had a soft side to her, always helping out those around her. In a world where even humans had lost their humanity, Allie was struggling to try to keep hers.

I loved the descriptiveness of the book. The author really does a great job weaving Allie's tale and painting a picture of the world she lives in. I really liked the way Allie described everyday things that she hadn't seen before because they don't exist in her world…motorized bicycles (motorcycles) and winged mice (bats). Through the whole story the author described each setting, whether it be a run down, long forgotten farmhouse or a deserted paved road, with such feeling and intent.

I also loved the romance aspect of the story. There wasn't much romance to the story, which is a good thing (see below), but what was there was done well. I really liked that the story was from the POV of the vampire falling for a human. Most books are written the other way around, and it was a nice change. I liked that Allie and her love interest didn't fall in love instantly and were very cautious with their feelings.

Here's the 'see below.' The author did such a great job framing out Allie's character. In the beginning of the book I was rooting for her to survive, then after she turned and was alone I felt sorry for her, then after she met up with Zee's group I was glad that she had friends, and then later I was sad for her again. It makes for a great story when you can connect with the characters so much that you feel for them. I think a romance really would have ruined the story, as Allie wouldn't have felt like such a loner if she would have been able to make it work out. As it was, she was a very new vampire and trying to learn her limits, and she knew that falling for a human was out of the question.

In the end, Allie did what she had to in order to survive and keep her humanity intact. I liked the way things ended but am waiting very anxiously for the next book….which I will be buying the day it's released!

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The Eternity Cure by Julie Kagawa
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Immortal Rules was my first Julie Kagawa book, and I immediately fell in love with the characters, the writing, the story, everything! I had been looking forward to this second book for what seems like forever. The only thing I don't like about it is the cover (the blue one with the lungs or roots whatever they are on the front). I am very disappointed to have gotten this cover on the hardcover I purchased. Oh well, what are you going to do?

In this second book in The Blood of Eden series, our much loved heroine street girl-turned-vampire is still struggling with how to keep her humanity in a world where humanity is no longer valued. She is trying to do what she knows is right, even if it is not always the easiest. She makes some new friends along the way as well as crosses paths with some old ones we thought were lost. There comes a point where Allie has to decide who to trust, and she finds sometimes it is not the most obvious people.

The romance in the story, like the first book, is nicely paced and does not take over the story. While I want Allie to be happy and in love, the world she lives in is a rough and dismal place. There are many things that must be overcome before she gets her happily ever after…if she gets it at all.

Once again Ms. Kagawa's writing had me pulled into the story. The descriptive writing is beautiful and detailed. I am now anxiously looking forward to book three and will be re-reading the first two before it comes out!

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.