[Review] The Eternity Cure

(© goodreads)

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‚The Eternity Cure‘
by
Julie Kagawa

Blood of Eden # 2

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Synopsis:
In Allison Sekemoto’s world, there is one one rule left: Blood Calls to blood.
Cast out of Eden and separated from the boy she dared to love, Allie will follow the call of blood to save her creator, Kanin, from the psychotic vampire, Sarren. But when the trail leads to Allie’s birthplace in New Covington, what she finds there will the change the world forever – and possibly end human and vampire existence.
There’s a new plague on the rise, a strain of the Red Lung virus that wiped out most of humanity generations ago – deadly to humans and vampires alike. The only hope for a cure lies in the secrets Kanin carries. If Allie can get to him in time…..  (Source: Goodreads.com)

My thoughts about the book:
I’m just speechless and that doesn’t happen very often 😉
But after the end I don’t know whether I should be glad about the hopefully soon released next part or should cry because we don’t know what is going to happen next…

However, better I start right with the beginning:
Some months after Allie’s and Zeke’s ways have separated at Eden, she is still following the psycho-vamp Sarren, who has Kanin in his catches and torments and massacres him over and over again – Allie can feel this, because of her blood connection with Kanin. But instead of him, Allie hits in further results other old friends. At first by some of them, I immediately would have liked to turn around again and by others I’ve been enormously glad!! ♥
But about that I’m going to write more of it, further down.

Now to the writing style of Kagawa, which I find simply brilliant, admirable and desirable. Though she sometimes stretches her descriptions a little, but she makes the surroundings-descriptions so special and fantastic that it don’t disturbs me and so I’m just even more enthusiastic about it – whether it is about a fantastic fairy kingdom or like here about a cruel, somber area in tunnels or in wastelands, in which hope stands shortly before the end. *great*

Without any problems Kagawa also could create characters which got me, carried me away and with which, I simply fell in love with and I constantly worried about them. Even with Jackal I had this feeling, although I only wanted to strangle him at the beginning – but he could persuade me with his cheeky, unabashed behavior and change my opinion about him. (To tell the truth, he reminds me a little of Grimalkin from the Iron Fey series ^^)
But also Kanin was one of my favorites – and now that where I’m okay with the idea, that there will be no romantic incident with him – I’m glad about his fatherly behavior and for me he is a little like a grumpy bear, on which you also can lean on or is able to give you a good advice.

Now to the two main characters: Allie was just great once again and totally great. I like her even more than back then Meghan in the Iron Fey series, because she sorts things out and doesn’t hesitate long, doesn’t whine and in addition, she still has feelings and tries to hang on to her humanity. Alas, she is awesome and we could use more such female main characters in books. 😉

And ZEKE – what I should say more about Ezekiel than that I’m absolutely in love with him! ♥ Although, in the first book I already liked him, but there he was sometimes too blue-eyed for me and was too nice for this sad, dreary world, which he lived it. BUT now he has grown up and has become more masculine and a fighter. That sounds stupid, but it is like that! 😀 Moreover I buy everything from him and he is in the right mood, he is still sensitive, sweet and caring, like in the first part. He virtually had a tuning, which made him a lot better and yeah – now, I’m in love! xD

So – and now to the end – which has totally got me down and made me cry like a little baby! Therefore, now I would like to address only those, who have already read the book – because I would like to know your opinion on this subject and what you think, how it goes on now in the third part … because on the internet I can’t find any info about when part three is going to be published or how it will be titled, never mind a synopsis! *whine*

So from here -> SPOILER!!!

I saw it coming when Allie has said goodbye in the evening to Zeke, especiallay because she saw Stick lurking around in the shadows … this was just soo evident! And then when Zeke was really gone and we hear the tortures and the screams – oh god, I’ve cried like a baby and also yet, when I think back of it, it’s killing me. It was really very hard and sad and I felt so sorry for Allie. :‘-(

Now to my questions: What do you think after this prologue – do you think he has also become a vampire? Which I liked, to be honest – or do you think, Sarren just let Zeke live as a human? But this would be too easy for me! Moreover, then he could be together with Allie – be together for a long time, because they both would be immortal. Of course he didn’t wanted this, and hence, I think, the third part will be focused on the fact that Allie has to find her humanity again and Zeke has to master his existence as a vampire and to try not to perish – and yeah, they also have to find a cure against rabidsm and to kill Sarren – this psycho-asshole. Okay, do you think my opinion is right or is my supposition totally wrong? What do you wish for in the last part?

Cover:
Once again it fits perfectly to Allie, but I liked the cover from the first part a track better.

All in all:
An emotional rollercoaster, which though gets starting a little slowly, but then takes up such a rapidly drive and doesn’t stop up till to the end, until you are breathless when you read the last page. *wow*

Rating:
4,5 of 5 points (soo aswesome!)
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Quotes:  (Between Allie and Zeke)

Allie: „Promise me you’ll keep fighting, for as long as it takes. We’re not dead yet.“
Zeke gave me the smallest of grins. „Technically, you are.“

Zeke: „You haven’t changed. You’re still beautiful and dangerous and incredible. and I’ll keep telling you that for as long as is takes you to believe it. But right now, all I want to do is kiss you, except I’m terrified that if I try you might throw me off this balcony.“

Zeke drew back, looking a little dazed. Gazing down at me, he gave a wry smile, licking his lips. „That… didn’t have anything to do with him over there, did it?“ he asked, sounding suspiciously amused, and a little breathless. I bit my lip.
„Does that bother you?“
„If it involves kissing you? Please, use me to prove a point anytime.“

His hand framed my cheek, brushing my skin. „No one who fights so hard to do the right thing is evil.“

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Succession:

# 1: Julie Kagawa – The Immortal Rules »»
# 2: Julie Kagawa – The Eternity Cure »»
# 3: Julie Kagawa – Untitled

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(© goodreads)

About the author – Julie Kagawa:
Julie Kagawa was born in Sacramento, California. To pay the rent, Julie worked in different bookstores over the years, but discovered the managers frowned upon her reading the books she was supposed to be shelving. Then she worked as a professional dogtrainer for several years, until her first book sold and she stopped training to write full-time.
Julie now lives in Louisville, Kentucky. She lives with her husband, two obnoxious cats, one Australian Shepherd who is too smart for his own good, and the latest addition, a hyper-active Papillon puppy.
(Source: juliekagawa.com)

Visit her Website »»

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[Review] Anna dressed in Blood

German Cover

English Cover

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‚Anna dressed in Blood‘
by Kendare Blake

Anna #1...

Synopsis:
Cas Lowood has inherited an unusual vocation: He kills the dead.
So did his father before him, until his gruesome murder by a ghost he sought to kill. Now, armed with his father’s mysterious and deadly athame, Cas travels the country with his kitchen-witch mother and their spirit-sniffing cat. Together they follow legends and local lore, trying to keep up with the murderous dead—keeping pesky things like the future and friends at bay.
When they arrive in a new town in search of a ghost the locals call Anna Dressed in Blood, Cas doesn’t expect anything outside of the ordinary: move, hunt, kill. What he finds instead is a girl entangled in curses and rage, a ghost like he’s never faced before. She still wears the dress she wore on the day of her brutal murder in 1958: once white, but now stained red and dripping blood. Since her death, Anna has killed any and every person who has dared to step into the deserted Victorian she used to call home.
And she, for whatever reason, spares his life. (Source: Goodreads.com)

My thoughts about the book:
I’ve not even read the first two chapters and I‘ve immediately known – YES, this is a book, which I’ll like and in the end it has turned out, that I was right. From the first pages on, I felt the same atmosphere, I’ve while watching the TV-series ‘Supernatural‘ and also the language was similar to this show. What is fantastic for me, because I’m a huge fan of the series! Unfortunately, here there is missing the sexy brother, but I can live with that, because Cas is also not ugly, but exactly the contrary. 😉 Moreover, he is funny, charming, though a little bullheaded, but nevertheless he acts with caution, is cheeky and just refreshing!

Cas is in general a very likeable character, who though sometimes is a little bit arrogant about himself, when it comes to his specialty ->  killing ghosts, but the reader thereby also recognize a little his insecurity behind the cool facade.
Also Anna was an interesting character, who sometimes was also cruel and had a bad side in her, but she also has a good and disarming one, so that the read can’t divide her in ‘black and white’, but in grey shades.
It was like this also with almost every character in the book, that every figure showed their good and also weaker sides as well. As for example one of the characters later played the hero in the second row and he was a guy, who showed little courage at the beginning or Carmel, the blond beauty of the school, who later presents more than only her appearance.

In spite of the subject about ghosts and the creepy background, it is also really funny and is written very refreshing. The narrative view is from Cas, and I like it that once a guy is telling the story instead of a girl – and I’ve liked this much. Add to that the story was written in the present, which has fitted well to the plot and the tempo.
I find particularly the writing manner of Blake very easy, loosey-goosey and fast to read. It’s not overloaded, but contains nice approaches and descriptions of Cas’ feelings. Moreover, I think that the author writes the dialogues just great. I find some authors write them easier and other have more problems with dialogues. But Blake’s dialogues sounded absolutely natural and they always fits perfectly in the story. *great*

Up to now it sounds really great and now you probably ask yourselves, why the book hasn’t got five stars. This is due to the fact that the book has become weaker in the last third section. Not only by the plot, but unfortunately also by the characters. Anyhow Cas lost some of his spirit and also his connection with Anna wasn’t right. Though it was nice, but it was also too quick and also illogical.
The same happens with the famous ‚final battle‘, which got heightened till the end and then was solved too easily. Here for me the end was also over too quickly and too short. I would have wished for more information, because at the end, there were still some questions open.

Luckily there is still a second part, which I’ll read for sure and I hope that this will be published soon in German. In English you can already get the second part, so hopefully it won’t last long with the translation.

Cover:
It’s an absolutely brilliant cover, which has made me curious right from my first look. I think it doesn’t only looks great and special, but it also fits perfectly to the plot of the book! *top*

All in all:
I found this book really very entertaining, exciting and every now and then also creepy, but still within the scope for a YA book. The dialogues, characters and writing style were great and I like to recommend this book gladly, especially for fans of ‘Supernatural’

Rating:
4 of 5 points – (Great, Great, Great)
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A huge Thanks for the reviewer’s copy to:

© Random House

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Succession:

#1: Kendare Blake – Anna dressed in Blood »»
#2: Kendare Blake – Girl of Nightmares

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(© Kendare Blake)

About the author – Kendare Blake:
Kendare Blake is an import from South Korea who was raised in the United States by caucasian parents. You know, that old chestnut. She received a Bachelor’s degree in Business from Ithaca College and a Master’s degree in Writing from Middlesex University in London. She brakes for animals, the largest of which was a deer, which sadly didn’t make it, and the smallest of which was a mouse, which did, but it took forever. Amongst her likes are Greek Mythology, rare red meat and veganism. She also enjoys girls who can think with the boys like Ayn Rand, and boys who scare the morality into people, like Bret Easton Ellis.
(Source: http://kendareblake.com/bio.php)

Visit her Website »»

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Review: The Immortal Rules

(© goodreads)

(© goodreads)

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‚The Immortal Rules‘
by Julie Kagawa.

Blood of Eden # 1.

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Synopsis:
Allison Sekemoto survives in the Fringe, the outermost circle of a vampire city. By day, she and her crew scavenge for food. By night, any one of them could be eaten.
Some days, all that drives Allie is her hatred of them. The vampires who keep humans as blood cattle. Until the night Allie herself is attacked—and given the ultimate choice. Die… or become one of the monsters.
Faced with her own mortality, Allie becomes what she despises most. To survive, she must learn the rules of being immortal, including the most important: go long enough without human blood, and you will go mad…  (Source: Goodreads.com)

My thoughts about the book:
Is it enough if I say: ‘I LOVE this book‘???
No – this wouldn’t be hardly enough! 😉

I must confess that I had a longer reading stagnation before this book, in which I preferred to watch TV or make something else rather than reading my books. But then I’ve got this book in my hands and everything was blown away like nothing. This book has reminded me again of why I love reading so much and how intensely one can get pulled in another world and can feel for book characters.
I don’t need to tell you again about the great writing style of Kagawa anymore, or?! It’s wonderful with enchanting descriptions of the surroundings, the feelings and thoughts of the characters but it’s never to overload and exactly properly. She catches incredibly well the emotions of her figures and hence lets the reader amazingly well be part of the events and the internal struggles. *great*
I don’t want to tell anything at all about the plot because I don’t want to ruin the tension for you, but I can say that it was a great experience to read this book. It was stirring throughout the book and an absolute page-turner which has tied me up from first to the last page.

Though some things were a little bit foreseeable, but this hasn’t disturbed me at all because Kagawa has made it nevertheless to hold always the tension and the story never let me go.

For example, the thing with Stick was without big surprise because his character was shown from the beginning to be week and easily to manipulate. The same was with Kanin, who only appeared in a short part in the beginning, but who even though has left an impression on me and also his ‚story’ at the end I’ve saw it coming before it happened.

The best in the book was that I was so enthusiastic by the main character Allison, briefly called Allie, and I’ve hoped and felt with her throughout the book and I liked her because she was strong and thoughtful all the time.

Certainly she had also her weaker sides for example when she was striving for the blood of the people around her or when she had hide from her internal conflicts and shoved them away in this part. But this hasn’t disturbed me particularly because it was understandable. Allie has grown up in a world where it’s only about the naked survival and there it is no wonder that she also rather pushes her feelings and grief and confusion aside during the plot and simply continues; one step after the other to survive. Hence I’m quite sure that the grieve work and the processing of her feelings will take an important part in the second book and I’m already looking forward to it!
The other characters in the book were many and most of them I’ve also grown fond of but which also have led to grief and emotional turmoil. Besides Allie I’ve liked the most of course the two men in the story, or also the little Taylor – he was just too cute. 🙂

With the boys or men of the story I’ve to struggle with myself to and it’s a really hard decision whom I’ve liked more or with whom I think that Allie should end up. Usually I can recognize very soon the preference of the author or often I see it coming properly who will be together at the end with the main protagonist and takes the role of the main male character. But here it is really difficult, particularly because I can’t really choose for myself. On the one hand I strongly suppose that Zeke will make it because of the way Kagawa described him and constantly wrote about his appearance – as well as she did with Ash in the Iron Fey series. This she hasn’t done at all with Kanin and I still don’t know exactly he looks like, only that he has dark eyes, not more. Moreover he presents himself rather cautiously and mysteriously and therefore the reader doesn’t know much about him, because he just tells nothing. But he has something that doesn’t let go me, and to tell the truth, also fascinates me even more than perfect Zeke, who always does everything for others, is kind and clever and looks good. Kanin is different; dark and mysterious and he shows his character only with his actions, although he has a bad opinion about himself.

Oh I just don’t know… But I think I’m a little more for Kanin, although I think that Zeke will be become the ‘jack of hearts’. *though*though*
Who of you has already read the book? What do you think with whom Allie ends up and who of them do you like more or find more interesting? I’m curious about your opinions! 🙂

© imlovingbooks.com

© imlovingbooks.com

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Cover:
A fantastic cover which is a real eye-catcher and which I always like to look at. Especially great is the bright white writing which almost glows, the red tear and also the slightly shining, reflecting border.

All in all:
A wonderful book in which story one would like to be part of, although it plays in a life-menacing world in which all hope is lost. Nevertheless, one would like to be present because the story is so thrilling and one gets fond of the characters and care for them very fast.

Rating:
5 of 5 points

My Recommendation:
to BUY!

For Fans of:
YA, Fantasy, Mystery, Vampires, Dystopias
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Quotes:

Allie: „The mighty hunter. He can take down viciousrabids and rampaging boars, but one old lady can make him flee in terror.”
Zeke: „One scary old lady. You didn’t hear what she told me when I got up— you’re so cute I could put you in a pie. Tell me that’s not the creepiest thing you’ve ever heard.“ His voice climbed a few octaves, turning shrill and breathy. „Today for dessert, we have apple pie, blueberry pie and Ezekiel pie.

Kanin: „There will come a time when man is no longer concerned only with survival, when he will once more be curious as to who came before him, what life was like a thousand years ago, and he will seek out answers for a hundred years or so, but humans‘ curiosity has always driven them to find answers.“

Allison: „You don’t dwell on what you’ve lost, you just move on.“.

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Succession:

# 1: Julie Kagawa – The Immortal Rules »»
# 2: Julie Kagawa – The Eternity Cure »»
# 3: Julie Kagawa – Untitled

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About the author – Julie Kagawa:

(© goodreads)

Julie Kagawa was born in Sacramento, California. To pay the rent, Julie worked in different bookstores over the years, but discovered the managers frowned upon her reading the books she was supposed to be shelving. Then she worked as a professional dogtrainer for several years, until her first book sold and she stopped training to write full-time.
Julie now lives in Louisville, Kentucky. She lives with her husband, two obnoxious cats, one Australian Shepherd who is too smart for his own good, and the latest addition, a hyper-active Papillon puppy.
(Source: juliekagawa.com/)

Visit her Website »»

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