Book Review: THE IMMORTAL RULES by Julie Kagawa

Book: The Immortal Rules

Author:  Julie Kagawa

Category:  Young Adult Dystopian Fiction

Publisher:  Harlequin TEEN

My hand dropped to my lips and jaw, probing my teeth where the ache had been.  I drew in a quick breath.  There they were. Fangs. Very long and very, very sharp.  I snatched my hand back.  It was true then.  I really had done the unthinkable.  I'd become that which I hated most in the world. A vampire. A monster - Allie

"What are you doing to me?  you make me question everything I've learned, everything I know.  Truths I've believed since I was a kid, gone.  What's wrong with me? I shouldn't be feeling any of this.  Not for a....."- Zeke

In a future world, vampires reign. Humans are blood cattle. And one girl will search for the key to save humanity.

Allie is a survivor.  She lives through the deaths of her mother, her friends, and even her own, only to rise as a being she loathes, a vampire.  She then gets trained by her maker, Kanin, to survive and kill if need be.  Allie is forced go on her own after Kanin is attacked by a vicious vampire named Sarren. 

On a road to nowhere she sees and helps a lost boy, Caleb, who happens to belong to a group of ragtag human survivors, one of whom is Zeke. He is the adopted son of Jebediah Crosse, leader of the group whose mission is to find Eden, the supposed human paradise.  They sleep during the day and travel in the dark, always ready against rabids, animal like creatures feared by both humans and vampires.

back cover of The Immortal Rules

Against her will, Allie gets close to Zeke.  But everyday that she’s with him, she gets closer to either kissing or biting him for blood.  Since vampires look human, Allie is able to keep her identity a secret until Ruth, the girl who wants Zeke for herself, discovers the truth.  Zeke lets Allie go but she secretly follows the group on their march towards Eden. 

One night they are attacked and captured by human minions of a vampire named Jackal who has been after Jeb for many years.  Allie is too late to save everyone but Zeke.  They set out together towards Jackal’s dominion and in the process fall deeper in love.  Through many deaths and bloodshed, they save the others except the most important one whose secret may spell the end of vampires and rabids.  A secret he passes on to Allie right before he dies…..

Author Julie Kagawa

Author Julie Kagawa has another winner in Allie Sekemoto.  From the get go, Allie is a very strong character, even more so than Meghan chase of The Iron Fey series, Kagawa’s other bestseller.

I know Vampire stories have been told many times over and they mostly read the same….but this, Kagawa’s world, is very different.  She makes this post apocalyptic world filled with vampires scary yet intriguing with lots of blood and gore.  Definitely a far cry from Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight series.

Written in Allie’s perspective, this book is action packed and perfectly paced.  Boredom will not set in as edge-of-your-seat moments are in every few pages.  The romance is not too pushed, in fact I appreciate the subtlety of its progression where the readers are given time to breathe until almost at the end. 

The Iron Fey series

I like that Allie kicks ass even before turning into a vampire.  She has a strong will and wit that no one, not even Jeb, can break.  But while Zeke is a strong character, he is also conflicted by what he knows as opposed to what he sees in Allie as a person, a vampire and the person he loves.  It is interesting to read them go through I should and I shouldn’t moments, many of which end up with Allie just walking away.

I can say nothing bad about this book.  Julie kagawa is an amazing writer whose consistency is much appreciated by fans like me.  So pick this up along with the Iron Fey series.   I’m definitely looking forward to the sequel of The Immortal Rules: Blood of Eden.