The Forever Song by Julie Kagawa (Blood of Eden #3)

Genres: Young Adult, Dystopian, Post-Apocalyptic, Paranormal, Romance
Publication Date: April 15th 2014

POV: Female - First-person, Past tense.

My Rating: 3 out of 5

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Vengeance Will Be Hers

Allison Sekemoto once struggled with the question: human or monster?

With the death of her love, Zeke, she has her answer.

Monster

Allie will embrace her cold vampire side to hunt down and end Sarren, the psychopathic vampire who murdered Zeke. But the trail is bloody and long, and Sarren has left many surprises for Allie and her companions—her creator, Kanin, and her blood brother, Jackal. The trail is leading straight to the one place they must protect at any cost—the last vampire-free zone on Earth, Eden. And Sarren has one final, brutal shock in store for Allie.

In a ruined world where no life is sacred and former allies can turn on you in one heartbeat, Allie will face her darkest days. And if she succeeds, triumph is short-lived in the face of surviving forever alone.

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I am really sad that this series did not blow my mind like The Iron Fey did and continues to do with each installment of The Call of the Forgotten. I know most people love Blood of Eden, and many love it more than The Iron Fey. But this series just makes me nervous, wondering if The Iron Fey was a one-off for me and Julie Kagawa. Will I love Talon or not?

Like book 1, this dragged. About halfway through and all they had done was walked. Allie, Kanin, and 

Jackal walking to Chicago. Sure they came across a few of Sarren's massacres, and they stopped to feed on some farmers. But half the book was just them walking to Chicago. And then they picked up Zeke and that was cool, but he was being a big baby again and then they continued walking. Actually at this point I think they picked up a vehicle, but the point is that nothing happened until they got to Eden.

The whole final scene on the island and on the barge was really cool and awesome. Zeke turned out to be a bad-ass vampire, even though no one thought he would make a very good vampire. So I am glad he proved them wrong and finally became relevant. And when Allie is needed, she really steps up. I don't think it was until the climax of this book that I really started to appreciate her. But that took way-the-hell too long! The climax of a book cannot carry the whole book. But I am glad that she proved herself to Kanin, and to herself in the end. I was happy for her, and Kanin I guess. Although I feel like Kanin was just a ghost. We never really knew him. He was just there but her never said anything.

The story of this series, overall, was great. I liked the idea of the world Julie created, and the mission Allie and her friends were on. I just wish they characters who carried out that mission were not so flat, and that it hadn't dragged so much. It probably could have been done in two installments. But book 2 was definitely the highlight of this series for me. It felt the most full and involved. There was so much going on. With the introduction of Jackal as an ally, the infected, the city and the Prince, Stick, and Sarren. A lot was going on and I never got bored. I assumed the series was picking up steam and that in book 1 it was just finding it's footing. But sadly it went down hill from there.

I feel like the way things ended was pretty incomplete. I feel like I need another book. I know that this was Allie and Zeke's story and they got everything they could want in the end, and the important part of their story is over. But I lived for Jackal while reading this series (or at least in books 2 and 3). I was always just waiting for his next scene, his next line. I didn't like the way he and Allie parted. It just doesn't feel right to me, to not know what becomes of him. I want to know if he goes to Europe, what he does there, if he ever sees Allison again, if he treats her like a Master when he does. I just want more Jackal. :(

“I am proud of you, Allison Sekemoto,” he whispered as he drew back. “Whatever you decide, whatever path you choose to take, I hope that you will remain the same girl I met that night in the rain. The one decision for which I have no regrets.”

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

Genres: Young Adult, Dystopian, Post-Apocalyptic, Paranormal, Romance
My Rating: 4 out of 5

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In Allison Sekemoto's world, there is one rule left: Blood calls to blood

She has done the unthinkable: died so that she might continue to live. 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 Allie finds there will 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—and this strain is 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.

Allison thought that immortality was forever. But now, with eternity itself hanging in the balance, the lines between human and monster will blur even further, and Allie must face another choice she could never have imagined having to make.

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I enjoyed this a bit more than book 1, The Immortal Rules. The story is more developed, with several more layers and went in more interesting directions. Zeke isn't quite as much of a wuss, and we see a new, far more interesting and entertaining side of Jackal. And Sarren is a far better villain than Jackal was. Jackal works better as comic relief IMO. He made me bark with laughter at the most unexpected moments.

It took me awhile to get into this, I think because it was just Allie and Jackal at first. I enjoy their banter now, but at first I didn't know if he was gonna try to kill her at any moment. But now that I have gotten to know him better I really enjoy his company. But things really picked up once Zeke and Kanin were added to the picture. They are a great team, despite their drastically different backgrounds. And like Allie once mentioned, you would not expect to see them working together, but with their common goal, they work together well.

The tension was high in this and I never knew what was going to happen next, and there were a lot of emotions near the end. I gotta say I really don't understand Stick. What the hell was he trying to do? He said he wanted her to see him, but there were other ways. It made no sense. Did he have romantic feelings for her? I guess it doesn't really matter, like he doesn't matter to Allie anymore. Still a bit frustrating.

I still don't really love Zeke, which is a shame after the amazing and unforgettable Ash and Puck from Julie Kagawa's The Iron Fey. But I can accept him. There is no denying that he makes Allie better. He's like Allie's version of Peeta, just less awesome. Despite the evil cliffhanger in this, I will be enthusiastically yet calmly waiting for The Forever Song.

"There would never be another soul as bright as his. And that both terrified me and made me savagely - and maybe selfishly - determined to keep him. Zeke was mine now. Forever."

The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa (Blood of Eden #1)

Genres: Young Adult, Dystopian, Post-Apocalyptic, Paranormal, Romance
My Rating: 3 out of 5

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To survive in a ruined world, she must embrace the darkness…

Allison Sekemoto survives in the Fringe, the outermost circle of a walled-in 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 dies and becomes one of the monsters.

Forced to flee her city, Allie must pass for human as she joins a ragged group of pilgrims seeking a legend—a place that might have a cure for the disease that killed off most of civilization and created the rabids, the bloodthirsty creatures who threaten human and vampire alike. And soon Allie will have to decide what and who is worth dying for… again.

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I am not sure where to start. Its hard not to be biased. I guess the easiest place to start would be to say that I didn't enjoy this as much as The Iron Fey. I thought the first half of the book was far too slow, and it took awhile before anything happened. And I am not entirely won over by Zeke. I liked him more in the end, once he finally got some courage and stood up for Allie. At first he was extremely kind, but he never really stood up for himself or anyone else. He was kind when he could be, otherwise he just did what he was told. And I really couldn't believe how he let Jed treat him. But I started to like him in the end. He did a few very impressive things and started to become the man he would have been without Jed's influence, so I am looking forward to seeing more of him, which I am sure we will. As well as Kanin.

Overall, I really enjoyed the story, even if I had some issues with the pacing. I like where I see this going and I cant wait for more action. Allie kicks ass with her katana. :P A zombie chopping vampire with a katana.

One of the most impressive things about this book IMO, was the vampire lore. Being a vampire was not glamourized, and a perfect combination of vampire characteristics were kept that helped it feel real. Characteristics that could be explained with science fiction, rather than the supernatural. It was messy and gritty. Allie's struggle was both more desperate and more believable than other vampire books I've read. I see a lot of potential for this series. There were no issues that cant be easily overcome in the next book (pacing, Zeke manning up). I look forward to reading more, and growing to love the series as a whole.

“So, what do you think I am?” Naive, I thought at once. Naive, brave, selfless, incredible and much too kind to survive this world.