Review: The Immortal Rules

The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



Book Info: Genre: Dystopian Fantasy Reading Level: Young Adult Available: Currently available in Hardcover and Kindle/eBook format; available in Paperback on 5/4/12 from MIRA Ink.

Disclosure: I received a free eGalley from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis: In a future world, Vampires reign. Humans are blood cattle. And one girl will search for the key to save humanity.

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.

Then Allie is forced to flee into the unknown, outside her city walls. There she joins a ragged band of humans who are seeking a legend—a possible cure to the disease that killed off most of humankind and created the rabids, the mindless creatures who threaten humans and vampires alike.

But it isn't easy to pass for human. Especially not around Zeke, who might see past the monster inside her. And Allie soon must decide what—and who—is worth dying for.

My Thoughts: What an awesome book! In a world filled with books about dystopian futures, vampires, zombies and ridiculous romantic entanglements, Julie Kagawa manages to write a dystopian young-adult vampire book with zombies (well, what else would you call the rabids??) and still make it completely fresh and exciting. I read it in one marathon sitting – took me about 7 hours.

I was afraid there might be a romantic triangle in here, as that seems to be de rigeur nowadays; I was very thankful not to run across one. The reasons that Allison holds herself aloof from those around her, including Zeke, to whom she is drawn, are realistic without being overly dramatic. Characters that are essential to the plot are developed well. I would have liked to have seen a bit more development of the more minor characters, but you can’t have it all. The plot flowed smoothly; this is a very creepy and dangerous world in which these people live, and I often found myself shuddering in sympathy.

I believe a wide range of people will enjoy this book – fans of dystopian fiction, horror fiction, psychological thrillers, etc. This is book one of a series, and I know that I, for one, will be watching with keen interest for upcoming books in this series. Highly recommended.



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