Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Book Review: The Eternity Cure

Title: The Eternity Cure

Author: Julie Kagawa

SPOILER FREE description (as explained here): Newly-turned vampire Allison Sekemoto must follow the call of blood, like breadcrumbs, to save her sire and mentor Kanin from Sarren, the psychotic vampire holding him captive. The trail leads Allie to her old home in New Covington and the Fringe, but there’s no time for nostalgia.

A new strain of Red Lung—the insidious virus that decimated the human population decades ago—has emerged. This time, it’s fatal to vampires, too. A cure might be among Kanin’s many secrets—if Allie can reach him in time.

But when the brave, fearless human boy she left safely behind re-enters her life, Allie is torn between the remnants of her humanity and the bloodthirst that consumes her. How can two people so different feel so much for each other? One was born good. The other was reborn a monster. It’s a love as undeniable as it is impossible.

A History of The Eternity Cure: The second book in the Blood of Eden Series, and the sequel to The Immortal Rules. It was released on April 30, 2013, by Harlequin Teen. Series rights for The Blood of Eden, have been optioned by Palomar Pictures.

On the Author, Julie Kagawa: Born in Sacramento, California, Julie Kagawa is the New York Times bestselling author of the Iron Fey series and the Blood of Eden series. From a young age, Kagawa loved books and was often found hiding novels behind math textbooks in class. She enjoyed writing "some very dark and gruesome stories" that often shocked her teachers, while "the gory tales faded with time, the passion for writing remained". Kagawa worked an odd assortment of job until she was able to support herself writing full time. She now live in Louisville, Kentucky with her husband and their pets.

Review (SPOILER ALERT!):
After reading and reviewing The Immortal Rules, I was edger to read the sequel. Last week, I finally got my hands on The Eternity Cure, which turned to out to be as thrilling as its proceeder. I read it late into night, finishing the book in under twenty-four hours. 


The plot about this book is centred around Allison's journey to find and rescue her sire Kanin, from the Sarren, an slightly crazy vampire after vengeance. We only got a few glimpse of Sarren in the previous book, but in this book its clear that he will likely be the main antagonist of the series. And what a great villain he proves to be! 

Kagawa manages to create a compelling character by making his actions frightening and crazy, while letting the character understand exactly why he does it. Sarren's torture techniques are ruthless and inhumane, but though the use of backstory, the reader learns that he's seeking vengeance for the horrible experiments done to him. While readers won't condone his actions, it helps to understand them. 

Sarren isn't the only fascinating character in the novel. Jackal - the villain of the last novel - also returns, and this time on Allison's side. Character development continues to be a strong point for this series. We see Jackal as more for than the power-hungry vampire he was in the first book. He turns into the bad-boy you can't help but love, as you watch his and Allison's blood-sibling bond grow. 

And finally moving on to the main character, Allison. She has grown into a strong vampire who knows that while she is a monster - it is up to her to choose the type of monster she is. But that doesn't mean she is struggle free. She continues to grow as a character, as she learns to open up to Zeke, and work to have a relationship with him, despite her being a vampire and him a human. Kagawa emphasis that it isn't easy for her to be with him, but that their love is worth it. 

Once again, I feel as if the characters make this series stand out from other vampire novels in the market. The theme of choosing the type of person you want to be, and loyalty to others are apparent throughout. Another defining factor is the focus on vampireism and how it came to be. We get more backstory of the characters and the world they live in, while the character learns that there may be a cure to the red-lung virus that plagued the world years ago. 

All in all, Kagawa has crafted another thrilling book filled with strong character, and an action packed plot. Not to mention the amazing, yet emotionally draining, cliff hanger ending. I think its safe to say, I'll be reading this series till the end. 

Who would I recommend it to? Teens 15 and up. For anyone who read the first book, and enjoys a good dystopian novel with supernatural elements. 

Favourite Quote: "It's not the physical scars that are the most painful."


What do you think? Did the second novel capture you as much as the first? What did you think of the character development? Continue the conversation below!

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