The Immortal Rules

The Immortal Rules is pretty up-front about being a vampire romance. What's less obvious at first glance is that not only is it a vampire romance, it's also a YA dystopia. And not only is it a YA dystopian vampire romance, it is a YA dystopian vampire romance with zombies. (Okay, the shambling mindless undead Rabids with their instantly-infectious bites are technically another kind of vampire, but, I mean, come on.)

And the heroine wields a katana. Because of course she does.

This being the case, The Immortal Rules had the potential to be a terrible mess of popular trends stuck together. Surprisingly, however, it manages to be a fairly cohesive and enjoyable piece of sci-fantasy. It's not perfect, but it's certainly better than the show more premise might lead one to expect.

Allie, the protagonist and narrator, is a strong and well-developed character, and her lifelong resentment of the vampire overclass, as it were, adds a twist to the standard oh-no-I've-become-a-monster angst. The love interest, Zeke, was less engaging--kind of blandly nice and supportive--but at least the romance subplot is fairly low-key and doesn't consume the more action-packed main plot, and there is a refreshing lack of love triangle shenanigans. (Also, I personally will take "bland nice guy" over "brooding jerk who shows his love by being an absolute tool" any day, but your mileage may vary.)

The first section of the book was well-paced with plenty of action and a general sense of urgency; the author doesn't shy away from gore or gritty details when describing Allie's hand-to-mouth and constantly endangered pre-vampire existence, which keeps the stakes feeling high. The portion depicting the newly vampiric Allie's training in her new abilities loses some of that urgency, but adds katana fight scenes, so one can't really complain. Once Allie joins up with Zeke's group of Eden-seeking pilgrims, things slow down considerably and there are stretches of not much happening. The pace does pick up again towards the end, though.

The worldbuilding did a pretty good job of fusing the vampire/zombie/dystopia elements in a way that made sense, and nothing stood out to me as memorably stupid, out-of-place, or straining credibility.

The Immortal Rules is perhaps not an amazing or groundbreaking book--there's not much here you haven't seen before, it's just in unusual combinations. And it does have its flaws, primarily in the pacing and the lukewarm romance. But all things considered, it's a solid, fun read for people who enjoy vampires, dystopias, and/or action heroines cutting zombies' heads off with swords. show less

Well, hot damn! I wasn't expecting THAT.

Let me be straight. I don't like Julie's Iron Fey series, and I wasn't expecting much from this book, however I happened to be as wrong as I was about Holly Black whose fae series are not to my taste, but whose Cassel Sharpe books I freaking adore.

This was PHENOMENAL. A brutal mix of I Am Legend and Ashes by Ilsa J.Bick with a bit of Blood Red Road. No fancy-pantsy love triangle, no absurd irrational twists of plot, very decent world-building and fantastic pace.

I feel so alive now. All my senses are on fire.

What is so so good about The Immortal Rules, it's this single-minded focus of the novel to bring to our attention one girl's struggle to stay human, and not become a monster everyone thinks show more she should be. That's it. Very simple and very effective.

What drives Allison first is the need to survive and help people somehow to make a difference, to make a stand against the vampires. When she becomes the exact same thing she despises, she still can't abandon her secret desire to help.

She finds this group of people on the way to a Utopian city with no vampires and goes out of her way to help them get there through the scariest and saddest moments of their terrifying journey.

Not everyone will get there, there are no miracles along the way, and nothing is PG-13 rated. You've been warned.

This book is bloodthirsty, savage and very gripping. I won't call the ending a cliffhanger per se, but it's suitably samurai-ish for Allison Sekemoto, and I can not wait to read what's next in the series.

Overall, this was a wonderful and exhilarating ride. I can find no fault in The Immortal Rules whatsoever and highly recommend it to everyone! show less

Original post here: http://offbeatvagabond.blogspot.com/2012/09/book-review-immortal-rules-blood-of....

Finally, a YA vampire read with scary-ass vampires. I loved this read so much. No whiny teenage drama, no annoying love triangles, and no sparkles. This is a read that mixes dystopian with the supernatural. It is a story of epic proportions.

The world knows about vampires. They have taken over. After the Red Ling virus nearly wiped humans off the face of the Earth and turned vampires into deformed monsters called Rabids, leftover vampires emerged and have taken charge. Rabids are just as fast and even more vicious than vampires. The humans that are left either choose to become registered or unregistered humans. Registered humans (aka show more pets) get the protection, homes, and food from vampires for the price of their blood. Unregistered humans live on the outskirts of the vampire run cities, where everything is ruined and barren. They not only have to fight and scramble for food and water, they must also be careful of the Rabids, humans that couldn't turn into vampires. But one night while on the run for food, a girl named Allison is attacked, but is saved...by a vampire. She becomes what she has always avoided and is working hard to keep humans, both from others and herself.

Our main character Allison is a very strong girl. She is forced to live in a wasteland along with s few fellow survivors. Those who chose not to live under the vampires' reign. She makes sure those around her are kept alive. She is the one that put's her neck on the line to feed her friends. I instantly had a connection with her because she was so brave and did what others simply didn't or couldn't do. She is one of my favorite heroines. Her mentor Kanin is interesting. He is hiding something and whatever it is, you know it is big. I love the group that Allison finds when on the run. They are run by someone named Jeb who is a bit of a religious nut. His son Zeke was a definite favorite. Zeke and Allison are great together even though they fight it, for different reasons.

The plot to this book was amazing. Jeb was a crazy nut taking this whole group to New Eden. He believes New Eden is where they not only have food and protection, but they are working on a cure for vampirism and rabidism. I love following them on this journey because we see how Allison is fighting to keep her humanity. That even though she is surrounded by humans, she refuses to hurt anyone and does whatever she can to keep them safe. There is also a subplot of a vampire named Jackal who is gunning after their group. He is very dangerous and knows more about the group and Allison than they think.

I love the journey Kagawa has put us on. You really get a feel for these characters. They all feel genuine. Their reactions are real and make you relate to them more. I haven't had the chance to read Kagawa's Iron Fey series, but I plan to start sooner rather than later. I love her style and her world-building. This is the way I wish more YA vampire books were written. Thrilling, suspenseful, emotional with a little romance. I love the concept of a dystopian world with vampires. That alone was enough to make me want this. The progression of the book is very intense and complex. You really don't know what will happen next and it keeps you on the edge of your seat. Not to mention Hollywood sees how promising this book is that it is set to become a film soon. I have one command Hollywood: keep Allison Asian. I am sorry, but it had to be said. We know how you operate. Don't screw that up. Nonetheless, pick up this book. Allison is a vampire you should all know. show less

When I got approved by NetGalley to read and review The Immortal Rules, I think it's the first time I actually cheered out loud to get an ARC of a book! I even did my own version of a happy dance, which luckily only my dog saw since I tend to look a bit spastic when I'm dancing all by myself! I haven't read Julie's Iron Fey series yet, but I'd have to be living under a rock not to have heard how awesome it is, and I couldn't believe I was getting the chance to read The Immortal Rules because I LOVE vampire stories! Then I got worried because maybe I was putting too much pressure on myself to like the story, and maybe it wouldn't be able to live up to the hype - but I shouldn't have been worried, because it was everything I had hoped it show more would be ... and MORE! I loved it! I actually read it about a month ago but life got in the way (it has a way of doing that, doesn't it?) and I wasn't able to write the review until now. I have a bit of a review list going on, but as soon as I got word I'd been approved to read it, I jumped on it and started reading it right away - and I didn't put it down until I was finished! Yes, it was that good! You know how sometimes when you're reading books for review, you keep checking to see what page you're on because no matter how much you're enjoying it, you're trying to get through each book as quickly as you so you can mark it as read and move on to the next one? Well, I definitely kept checking to see what page I was on, but not because I wanted to get it finished quicker - it's because I kept hoping that I wasn't very far in because I didn't want it to end! I even tried to read slower so it would last longer, but the writing was so well done that I couldn't read it slowly if I wanted to! The characters were well developed, and there was definite character growth from start to finish, the pacing was excellent, and there was just the right amount of action and emotion. I felt like I was invested in the story from the get go, and I really cared about the characters.

One thing that I really loved about this book was the fact that not only is it a vampire story, but it has a dystopian/post-apoc setting as well. A virus has swept through the human world, wiping out a fair number of them, which allows the vampires to come out of hiding and take over. Humans now have to register to donate blood regularly, and they work for the vamps. Some humans try to stay off of the grid and live in hiding, including Allison Sekemoto, who harbors a strong hatred of vampires after watching her mother die and blaming the vampires for it. Unfortunately, one night she's out after dark and is attacked by a band of rabid vamps. Another vampire finds her and offers her the choice: die there and then, or be turned into one of the things she hates most in the world. Her survival instinct kicks in and she opts to be saved, even though being a vampire goes against everything she believes in. The vampire who saved her, his name is Kanin, is a loner who agrees to teach her what she needs to know to survive. In time she finds out that there's a lot more to Kanin than meets the eye! Allie sets out to learn what it means to be a vampire and what her place is in the world now, and she ends upon a quest that will take her far from her home and way outside her comfort zone!

I can't say enough how much I loved this book! After reading it I've decided that I'm definitely going to read Julie Kagawa's Iron Fey series, and I will be waiting impatiently for the next installment in the Blood of Eden series, which can't come soon enough for me :D show less

I LOVED this series.

I had just about given up on vampire books. I had beyond given up on them. But Kagawa has pulled me back.
Allison is everything I want from a heroine. Tough, strong, and complex. An added bonus is that she isn't white. Not that I mind having a white protagonist but I want more diverse books and characters in my life.

Kagawa's characters are real and easy to identify with. The world she creates is believable and I love her writing. She didn't give me stupid happy endings, even though, I admit. I kind of want a stupid happy ending for my beloved pack of survivors.
I could not put this down. Can't wait to read the next in the series.

**Part of a double review with Tynga **

Tynga's done an amazing job of explaining why THE IMMORTAL RULES is the beginning of what promises to be an exciting new dystopian vampire series. I'm going to keep my comments short to (try to) avoid repeating what Tynga's already said.

THE IMMORTAL RULES sucked me in once I started reading it. I started reading it one night before bed, intending to read a few chapters, and ended up finishing it in the wee hours of the morn. Julie Kagawa's created an amazing world and inhabited it with wonderful characters and they are impossible to resist. Here's why:

Allie's humanity only shows once she's become a monster. When she's living as an Unregistered in the vampire city, we see sparks of selflessness but show more Allie's really in it to survive, no matter what. Don't get me wrong, you'll be rooting for Unregistered Allie in no time but it's when she's transformed and is forced to adapt to her new life that she really shines. We see a new maturity and resolve that make Allie an even more interesting character. She has to face some hard truths as part of her transition from human to vampire, which is tough on Allie but great for the reader. Plus, as you get further into the story, the contrast between Allie and some of the pilgrims looking for Eden are quite striking because the author's done a wonderful job of showing the different shades of humanity and how tragedy and adversity can shape people.

Julie Kagawa's world building is outstanding in this book. The idea of impenetrable vampire cities, where humans are registered as property and are basically treated like cattle, is an interesting spin. It's vampire hoarding at the extreme but it makes a lot of sense in the context of this world. =) She's created a visceral world and I loved how gritty and real it feels just as soon as you start reading. I also love the contrast between vampires and rabids, especially since the main difference between them seems to be that the vampires retain their personalities (as long as they feed regularly) while rabids are animalistic, feral killing machines. The explanation for why rabids exist is really interesting and will definitely play a huge role in future novels, if I'm not mistaken.

I'm also terribly intrigued by Kanin and his role in shaping the society that the book is set in. He's a tough mentor for Allie and we learn a lot about him over the course of THE IMMORTAL RULES. He's in a unique position in vampire society and it will be interesting to see how that plays out over the series.

I'll close off by saying that THE IMMORTAL RULES is an outstanding novel, filled with action, tough choices, and harsh realities. It's dystopian but has some hopeful moments and you'll find yourself rooting for Allie before you know it.

http://www.tyngasreviews.com show less

Yes! This book was so awesome. I'm so happy I decided to read this.
I liked everything about this story. It has certain elements that reminded me of animes I've seen, such as vampires ruling the humans after a virus spreads (like in Owari no Seraph), or the fact that people live in cities surrounded by walls so the rabids don't get in (like in Shingeki no Kyojin, except here is with titans), or simply the fact that the main character is of asian ascendance and fights with a katana, which is awesome. I think this book uses all the right things from the genres it's included in and it uses them well. It's a very good young adult book.

I absolutely love the main character, Allison. I love that she's totally badass but also has a big heart. show more And she was very believable on both traits.
The romance was so good, so naturally developed that when the kiss finally happened I got butterflies and goosebumps all over. It wasn't like they met and the girl was starstruck by the guy's beauty or hotness. It was all subtle, slow and natural. It wasn't exaggerated. It made sense.
The whole book made sense, actually, in spite of it being about vampires, a bunch of people trying to find a haven called Eden, and the zombie-like vampires that are the rabids. Despite all that, the plot made sense all the way to the end, and nothing felt forced or rushed.

I loved Julie's writing. The descriptions of the places were always perfectly clear and simple and easy to imagine. As were the action scenes. And the descriptions of all the emotions Allie goes through are done so well. I felt her struggle, sadness and despair as if it was my very own.

I love that there weren't any loose ends. Sure, the story doesn't actually end, but there wasn't anything left unexplained. I'm sure a lot of the things that are included in this book will be a part of the rest of the series and will probably be explained in more detail, but everything this book introduces, it explains. And I can't tell you how happy that makes me, because loose ends drive me crazy. So, Julie, I thank you for that.
The story may have been left in a cliffhanger, but I think it's done well, and it's really not that big of a cliffhanger anyway. The main story of this book does end. It's just that Allison's whole story isn't over yet.

In conclusion, I absolutely loved this book and I'll probably get on with the second one right away because I can't wait to know how this continues. show less