I received this book for free from NetGalley, the publisher as a free story in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Source: NetGalley, the publisher as a free story
Eternity Cure
by
Julie Kagawa
dystopian, science fiction in a Kindle edition that was published by Harlequin Teen on April 30, 2013 and has 448 pages.
Explore it on Goodreads or Amazon
Other books by this author which I have reviewed include The Iron King, The Iron Daughter, The Iron Knight, The Immortal Rules, The Iron Queen, The Lost Prince, The Iron Traitor
Second in the Blood of Eden dystopian series for Young Adults revolving around a young woman turned vampire who returns to the city of her birth, New Covington.
I received The Eternity Cure as an ARC from the publisher.
My Take
This was a nice change from The Immortal Rules, which was just too same-same. Too much like other dystopian stories, albeit with a vampire as the good guy!
Instead, whew, Kagawa’s descriptions alone are enough to send you racing through The Eternity Cure! I do like how Kagawa retains most of the usual disaster issues, but with twists: plague that wipes out mankind with surviving pockets here and there; some pockets are independent while others are ruled over by a “strong man”, in this case, the strength is represented by the vampires; scientists on both sides of the problem; the betrayal from one of their own, in this case, a vampire attempting to help humanity; and, a forbidden love story — with tremendous problems as opposed to the usual issues of merely opposing beliefs.
One of the few times, a “bad guy” gets to suffer for his sins. Only it’s the wrong “bad guy”.
Ooh, tricky bringing Jackal into this as she does. Talk about a rock and a hard place! And then it gets even rockier and Kagawa takes every advantage to twist and turn, leaving us wondering for pages what will happen next. Who will appear from the past and what will their reactions be? Most of them…you won’t believe.
Oh. The piano scene. It’s so sad, and so romantic.
It’s a hard world with everyone on any side simply doing their best to survive.
Oh. God. The ending. All that loss. There is just so much loss in this story, and it will drive me mad until the next installment comes out! I have to know what happens next!!
The Story
A plague wiped out most of humanity, and the vampires are helping to preserve most of the rest. There are a few holdouts. People who refuse to accept the vampires’ terms.
Allie was one of the holdouts, and it was that choice that almost led to her death. Now the man, the vampire, who rescued her is in trouble. And Allie is desperately searching for Kanin.
If she can only find Sarren, she can return that life-saving favor. For Kanin, for the vampires, for humanity. She must or Sarren will destroy everything.
The Character
Allison “Allie” Sekemoto is quite a moral vampire, eating only where it won’t hurt anyone. Anyone who deserves to live anyway. Kanin is the vampire who turned her, saved her life in The Immortal Rules. He also has a tumultuous past. One for which too many believe he should pay.
Ezekiel Crosse was the human with whom she fell in love in The Immortal Rules. The young man onto whom all responsibility devolved. Malachi Crosse, Zeke’s great-great-grandfather, was one of the scientists in New Covington; he tried to get a warning out. Caleb, Matthew, and Bethany are safe in Eden, adopted. Jake has gotten married. Silas and Teresa are happy.
As for Zeke:
“It wasn’t home without you.” Just made me cry…
Jackal, a.k.a., James, is her blood brother, another human whom Kanin saved. A self-declared Prince of a flooded city, a mistake. For Jackal is too caught up in the same dreams he had in The Immortal Rules. Except for that knowledge he has that Allie doesn’t… Azura is the Master of Washington, D.C. What’s left of it anyway. Kagawa’s description of the Metro underground station was just horrific!
Sarren has gone mad, and he’s got his own plans for retribution. I’m not saying he’s not somewhat justified…I just can’t approve of his methods.
The vampire, Prince Salazar, rules New Covington. Mr. Stephen is the prince’s secretary; a man with a lot of power who is too willing to use it.
Stick! The weak, little boy Allie thought was her friend, whom she worried had died is alive. And, boy, was she wrong about him! Roach is another survivor hiding out with the new guy who took over the Fringers. Who is saving them.
The mole men are even lower, civilization-wise, than the Fringers. I keep trying to think of the story they remind me of — H.G. Wells’ Time Machine
Eden was the promised oasis in this new world of fear and terror. The goal in The Immortal Rules. Just not the final destination for all. Rabids are humans the scientists tried a cure on. Oops…
The Cover and Title
The cover is the most beautiful blue with a tone-on-tone print that reminds me of brocade. I have to confess I don’t grasp the significance of the upside-down tree, bare of any leaves that encompasses the title, unless it’s intended to remind us of family trees. For Zeke and his scientist ancestors and, possibly, Allie’s new vampiric bloodlines.
I’m thinking the title is the hope they all have, the search for The Eternity Cure that will save the world.
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