Katie's Book Blog!!

The Immortal Rules is my new favorite book by Julie Kagawa and that is saying a lot since I adored the Iron Fey series. This new series from Julie Kagawa is so different from her previous series and from anything else that has been done in YA. Don't let the fact that it's a vampire story fool you!The world Julie Kagawa has created in The Immortal Rules is a bleak and dismal one. Humans are blood cattle for vampires and the ones that refuse take their chances with being Taken or starving to death. Life is easy for no one and the world is not a friendly place. The world-building is fluidly interwoven with the story with fabulous attention to detail. Julie Kagawa does not shy away from anything and her descriptions manage to be both brutal and beautiful at times.The main character, Allison, loathes vampires but when given the choice to die or become one, she Turns. She is terrified of what she might become but she never wants to die. When given the chance she will always choose to live even if it means being undead. Being a vampire doesn't change a lot about her though. She is still scared, alone, lost, and confused. She still has feelings and a lot of the time those feelings are her downfall. She loves and hates with her whole heart and you don't want to be on this girl's bad side. She is brutal! She's a fabulous heroine and she is matched with the wonderful Zeke. Zeke is the perfect blend of ruthless rabid killer and total sweetheart. He's impossible not to like although sometimes you will want to hit him. Kanin, Jeb, Ruth, Caleb, Bethany, and the rest of the cast of characters are all brilliantly well-developed. I expected no less from Julie Kagawa.The story takes time to really take off but that is okay because readers will want to savor the lush descriptions and world-building. These vampires have a very unique history and it's fascinating to read about even if it's not fast-paced. Believe me, the second half of the book will make up for that. It's non-stop action and around every turn is someone threatening Allison's and the gang's survival. It seemed like the last 200 pages were fight scene after fight scene that had me on the edge of my seat.My only warning about The Immortal Rules is that it is rather dark, violent, and at times, kind of scary. There are some rather brutal, gory scenes that not all younger readers will be able to handle. Go into this book warned if you don't like gory fights and blood.Overall, The Immortal Rules is a fantastic start to the Blood Of Eden series and I can't wait to see where the story goes next. It's a dark and gritty world but it is one that readers will be drawn into and I guarantee you won't be able to stop thinking about it long after the last page has been turned.