ARC Review: The Eternity Cure (Blood of Eden #2) by Julie Kagawa

The blurb as seen on Goodreads:

Release Date: April 30, 2013
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
446 Pages

Out here in the Fringes, there is only one rule: Blood calls to blood. She has done the unthinkable: died so she might continue to live. Now Allie, the reluctant teenage vampire who was cast out of Eden, and Zeke, the human boy who loves her, must attempt to save the world from a deadly new strain of plague. In order to do so, they must first hunt down the monster who holds the promise of the cure—and Allie’s beloved mentor—in his sadistic grip…. Joined by Allie’s blood brother, Jackal, this unlikely posse of companions will brave a landscape stalked by raiders, rabids, and rogue vampires. But even if they survive, they’re bound for the Inner city, and a vicious showdown that will test their bonds in ways they never expected. It may just be that becoming undead was the easy part. Confronting the horrors of Allie’s awakening hunger, her growing feelings for Zeke, and the uncertainties of their future is going to be the ultimate challenge.

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The Eternity Cure… Oh what to say about you. You are everything a person could want in a young adult horror novel. Gore? Check. Violence? Check. A badass chick wielding a katana? Check. Major twists that will leave readers agape? Check. Check. Check.

Julie Kagawa has a real talent, there is no doubt about it. If it wasn't obvious before, it is now. In The Eternity Cure, she brilliantly weaves a hellish tale of vampirism and deadly plagues, all while adding a dash romance. It works very well for the author's prose and the characters that she has developed. This series has brought back the terrifying vampires we grew up with back with a vengeance and it's one that readers won't soon forget!

I read this with my reading buddy, Jen and we both found it difficult to finish without a bottle glass of wine. I'd had a warning beforehand about the way the book ends, but no one really explained how big of a cliffie it really is! Though I could kind of see it coming, it still left me shell-shocked and desperate for the next book! 

Julie Kagawa is brilliant. Not only is the book extremely entertaining, but I found very little faults. I loved the movement of the story, the characters, the writing style and how even though we (thankfully) don't live in this world, Ms. Kagawa makes us understand the anguish of this world. 

The world-building is absolutely phenomenal. The prose is haunting. And the characters? These characters are fantastic. Allie, of course, is an awesome female lead. She's smart, she's strong-willed and she's ruthless when she needs to be. Reading from her perspective is utterly thrilling. Kanin is probably my favorite character though. I am dying to get a glimpse inside his head. He's a real mystery because he is so closed-off! Now… Don't tell Jen, but I actually really liked Jackal in this book as well. That may be the biggest surprise of them all! His not exactly a good guy, but his wit and humor provided the perfect amount of comedic relief, so the reader wouldn't overdose on all of the angst (and boy is there a lot of angst). Zeke… I like Zeke, really I do, but I'm still not in love. He feels a bit too much like a cardboard cutout to me.

Readers who enjoyed the first installment of the Blood of Eden series will love The Eternity Cure even more. I know that was the case for me and I am not usually one for horror--unless it involves zombies. If you haven't read this series yet, I sincerely recommend you do so! It's addictive and fast-paced. I just can't rave enough about it. The Eternity Cure is a thrilling ride that leave reader chomping at the bit for the third novel!

I received an e-copy of this novel from the publisher for my honest opinion and review via Netgalley.

Teaser Tuesday: The Eternity Cure (Blood of Eden #2) by Julie Kagawa

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by MizB over at Should Be Reading!

To participate, all you have to do is:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (Make sure what you share doesn't give too much away! You don't want to ruin the book for others!)

Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can ad the book to their TBR lists if they like your teasers!

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"The smell of blood hit me soon after, soaking the air and making my stomach turn with Hunger. As we drew closer to the underground camp, voices began to echo out of the tunnels: cries, shouts, angry hisses and snarls."
Chapter 17,  74% e-ARC
The Eternity Cure (Blood of Eden #2) by Julie Kagawa

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ARC Review: The Eternity Cure (Blood Of Eden #2) by Julie Kagawa

The blurb as seen on Goodreads:

Release Date: April 30, 2013

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

446 Pages

Allison Sekemoto has vowed to rescue her creator, Kanin, who is being held hostage and tortured by the psychotic vampire Sarren. The call of blood leads her back to the beginning—New Covington and the Fringe, and a vampire prince who wants her dead yet may become her wary ally.

Even as Allie faces shocking revelations and heartbreak like she’s never known, a new strain of the Red Lung virus that decimated humanity is rising to threaten human and vampire alike.

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Review:

The Eternity Cure – basically Kagawa takes your heart, rips it out of your body, stomps on it a few times for good measure, and then proceeds to try to shove it back into you. And I loved every minute of it.

Source

The Eternity Cure picks up a few months after the Immortal Rules ends. Allison has left Zeke and his band of wayward travelers at the gates of Eden while she heads out on a mission to find Kanin, her sire. Alone, just following the internal pull she feels toward those of her blood line. Along the way, she finds a very unlikely ally in her blood brother Jackal. Together they set out searching for Kanin. But Jackal is not the only person from her past she encounters. Her journey plus finding Kanin and the events after leave you not only wanting more, but gasping for breath as you sort out what just happened.

While the Immortal Rules felt a little slow moving at times, Eternity Cure was just the opposite. Never once was there a dull moment, and just when you thought you safe…nope. The writing style was flawless. Kagawa has a way of describing everything in just the right amount of detail, and I loved that she never shied away from the violence of vampires.  

Now, let me take a moment to discuss the characters:

Allison

“I was a monster who killed and prayed on human life. I could never escape that, but at least I could choose what kind of lives I took.”

Source

It goes without saying that she is badass. She’s an amazing fighter, says what she’s thinking, and always tries to do the right thing. She tries so hard to hold onto that little ounce of humanity left inside of her. And she stands by what she wants and what she believes in. The only person ever to give her reason to pause is Zeke.

Oh Zeke.

“No one who fights so hard to do the right thing is evil.”

Source

I just want to hold him. Wrap him up in a blanket and protect him from this cruel world because no matter how much horror he sees, he still holds on to that eternal optimism that everything will work out. 

Kanin and Jackal

Allison’s blood family. We got to learn and see a different side of Kanin here and it was interesting how he went from mentor/teacher to Allison, to more like her comrade in arms. He taught her all he knows and now has left it up to her to decide what she does with it. And Jackal- here was a character I never expected to like, especially after the first book. But holy crap if I wasn’t cracking up at all of his one-liners. And the thing about Jackal, he doesn’t beat around the bush. He tells you straight up where his loyalties lie, but that doesn’t mean that he won’t surprise you at times.

Sarren

“Hello, little bird. The camera on this computer is shot to hell, I’m afraid, so we’ll just have to be content with audio. Pity. I really wanted to show you what I’ve been doing. But, perhaps a song is worth a thousand pictures, hmm?”

Shudders. So so creepy. There aren’t words to describe this monster. His calm demeanor while playing with his prey creeps me out to no end.

And I will not name the one person who we meet up with in New Covington, as I don’t want to give everything away. Just know, there’s a certain place in hell carved out especially for you, remember that. 

And that ending...

Source

I laughed, I gasped, I almost threw my kindle, and I cried. So many different emotions. So many feelings. I need the next one…like now. Not even joking. You listening, Julie?

JENN

 So much thanks to Netgalley and Harlequin Teen for allowing me to read this ARC.