The Immortal Rules (Blood of Eden, #1) in YAholics Anonymous!

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The Immortal Rules (Blood of Eden, #1)

Julie Kagawa

Start date: August 1, 2014

Finish date: August 31, 2014

Discussion: Group Read

Why we're reading this: Book Pool Winner's Choice…more
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What Members Thought

Apr 18, 2012 Katie_la_geek rated it really liked it

The e-book is currently 拢0.99p on Amazon!! So if you haven't read it then go get it!!! Because it is great and stuff : )

Review also published on

The Immortal Rules is the first Julie Kagawa book I have read and to be honest I wasn鈥檛 really sure who she was before reading this (I know, I know I must be living under a rock or something.) So I wasn鈥檛 quite sure why The Immortal Rules was garnering so much attention and excitement. It seems as though this book is a bona-fide hit months before ...more

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Apr 28, 2012 Justin rated it it was amazing

Where do I even begin? Julie Kagawa is an absolute genius, in my opinion she is one of the best Young Adult authors out there. I was somewhat skeptical of this book at first because of how much I loved Julie's Iron Fey series. I was so afraid this new series wouldn't live up to my thoughts of her previous books. But she has done it again with this new series, I am without a fraction of a doubt hooked on it. Unless you've read one of her books, it's extremely difficult to explain just how amazing Where do I even begin? Julie Kagawa is an absolute genius, in my opinion she is one of the best Young Adult authors out there. I was somewhat skeptical of this book at first because of how much I loved Julie's Iron Fey series. I was so afraid this new series wouldn't live up to my thoughts of her previous books. But she has done it again with this new series, I am without a fraction of a doubt hooked on it. Unless you've read one of her books, it's extremely difficult to explain just how amazing her writing is. It's honestly one of those things you have to experience for yourself, to realize what people mean.

I've mentioned before how I don't really care for the way Vampires are being portrayed in some YA books, in fact I mentioned that in my last review which was also a book dealing with vampires. It's not that I dislike it, I just enjoy when vampires are portrayed in a darker way. The Immortal Rules give you dark, gritty and everything in between. It seems like Julie made sure to make her vampires something you would truly be terrified of if you ever had a run in with one. I was actually a little surprised just how gruesome some parts of this book were, but it really added the the atmosphere and the fact that it was much darker and grittier made it that much more addicting.

In my mind I kept thinking of the show Walking Dead while reading this book. Maybe it's just because of the Red Lung Virus but instead of people turning into zombies they turned into vampires. I just can't get over how epic this story is though. It's not your average vampire story by any means, Julie has put a very unique twist on things and it's beyond amazing what she has done. I would easily say that this is the best vampire story that I have ever read.

Julie has an amazing way of getting the story across to her readers. She is great at building up suspense, and keeping you reading with fast paced scenes full of action. The Immortal Rules has a mix of everything. I just can't stop thinking that the best choice Julie made with this book was to make it so dark, like I have mentioned before. It just made the book so much more interesting. I mean even Allison showed off a very dark side during several scenes in the book. I loved the idea of the different "Ranks" I guess you could say, of vampires. It was an interesting touch and I felt like it added for a lot more back story as to how things came to be as they were in the book. I still think there is a lot to learn as the series moves on though, there were a quite a few questions I had when the book was over.

I could go on and on about the story, it's such an epic experience. If you enjoy real vampires, you will want to read this story. I'm not going to go into anymore detail about the actual story, even though there is so much more I could talk about. I just feel like by doing so I would start getting into spoilers, and that is something I don't want to do. Because this book is so worth the experience of reading.

Julie has always had a way with her characters, and she didn't fail us with The Immortal Rules. There is an amazing cast of characters in this book. Allison is such an awesome character, same with Zeke. They couldn't be more different, but oddly enough they were so much alike. As of finishing the book, I feel like I am most intrigued by Kanin. I am extremely anxious to learn more about him, figure out what exactly happened and to see where things go in the next book in regards to him. Don't get me wrong, I am excited to see where things go for Allison to but there are just so many questions I have about Kanin.

The ending of the book was absolutely insane. The last few chapters were packed with action and awesome moments. I felt like the story was wrapped up nicely. I was left with the biggest smile after reading the last two sentences of the book, it just shows how awesome of a character Allison is. I don't really feel like it ended on a cliffhanger, there are a lot of things I want to know but a majority of those questions came from the beginning and middle of the book, not the end.

I apologize for this review being so long, but there was just so much I wanted to say. I can't recommend this book enough. I strongly feel like The Immortal Rules will be sitting comfortably among the list of the best books in 2012. It's such an amazing book, that is so different from her other series. If you're a fan of Julie's writing, you don't want to miss out on this book. ...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 陆

(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 陆

(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鈥攕imple 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鈥攈e'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鈥攎orbidly 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鈥攁nd 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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Apr 11, 2012 Claudia the Night Owl marked it as to-read

Ohmaigod! this sounds amazing!

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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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Nov 05, 2012 Renuka rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy, adventure, young-adult, science-fiction, dystopia, romance, action, paranormal, cliff-hangers, reviewed

Shocking as this may be, it wasn't a completely typical vampire nonsense book. It was actually really, really good! It helps I was already familiar with Julie Kagawa through her Iron Fey series (which still makes me swoon) and so I was eager to try her next big thing. And it was definitely big.

It wasn't human girl meets vampire boy....it was vampire girl meets human boy. And that makes a big difference. And said human boy doesn't even show up until part 3 or something. Huh? It doesn't matter act Shocking as this may be, it wasn't a completely typical vampire nonsense book. It was actually really, really good! It helps I was already familiar with Julie Kagawa through her Iron Fey series (which still makes me swoon) and so I was eager to try her next big thing. And it was definitely big.

It wasn't human girl meets vampire boy....it was vampire girl meets human boy. And that makes a big difference. And said human boy doesn't even show up until part 3 or something. Huh? It doesn't matter actually, the beginning was just as good, even if it was a little slower. Kagawa takes time to build the world, really emphasizing the scary, ruins of New Covington. She lets us see the utter desolation humans live in, and we meet Allison as a human. This is crucial because after Allison is Turned, she retains those human qualities that made her special.

Each character was really written in depth. We have Allison, a beautiful, badass heroine who isn't afraid of much. Her internal emotions were expressed so well, and we could feel her inner turmoil. And she is a real survivor, she will always choose to live. Next, there is Kanin, mysterious and brooding. He teaches her (and us) all the Vampire history that we need to know. He reminds me of a father figure...if you know, you teach your children how to avoid rabids, fight with katanas, and avoid the sun. And of course he has a mysterious past too. Finally, Zeke, Jeb and other humans. Zeke is adorable. It's funny when strong, immortal female lead, meets naive human boy/love interest. He is quite adorable, but a bit too floppy. Nevertheless, he also has a fiercer side which helped me to warm up to him. We (me and Zeke) had issues when he wouldn't trust Allison, but he resolved them quite nicely. The rest of the humans are equally as adorable, if also slightly dumber. It was frustrating, watching them tramp around looking for their Eden. Humans are such flawed creatures. But it is absolutely impossible not to get attached to every single one of them. Except Ruth maybe.

The romance doesn't actually start until hallway through the book. By that time, Allie has already become a vampire, been betrayed, learned Vampire history, learned how to use katanas, and had to fight off psychotic rabids and grinning vampires. No romance though....until, enter Zeke. He is just a ray of sunshine. But it makes him and Allie work. Her dark side trying to suck his blood and him tripping over himself to talk to her. Just kidding. Actually no, not really but they do get to know each other, and even though he mistrusts her, he still loves her (and stuff).

TNot much to say about the style of the writing. Allie's POV is great and in depth with her struggle to come to terms with the fact that she is now the thing she hates the most. The dialogue is fierce and funny at times, and each character expresses their own little quirks (ex. Dorothy).

Overall, if you are bored of Vampires, don't read it I guess. What can I say? There are the typical "I don't want to be a monster and drink human blood" conundrums. But if you are looking for a fresher take on the whole Vampire genre, I highly recommend this one. No irritating, arrogant, sparky boys here. Just great characters, a terrifyingly real world overrun by evil, and a lot of blood.
...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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