Author: Julie Kagawa
Publisher: HarlequinTeen
Release date: April 24, 2012
Pages: 485
How I got it: For review from publisher
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.I absolutely LOVE Kagawa's Iron Fey series, so I put aside my weariness towards the idea of a post-apocalyptic vampire novel because I knew if Julie Kagawa had written it, I would love it. So imagine my shock and sadness when I...didn't.
The pace was just really...slow. The Immortal Rules is nearly 500 pages, and it reads like it. Certain plot points dragged on and on when sometimes I felt like portions of the novel could've been cut out entirely.
Yet not once through the dragging plot did I find a character to invest in. I thought Allison was going to be kick-butt, and while she has her moments, I didn't find her the be the character I was hoping for and had a hard time connecting with her, especially when she seemed to be making one stupid mistake after the next. I never cared for Zeke either, and Allison and Zeke's relationship seem awkward and fake to me.
However, The Immortal Rules had its shining moments. Kagawa's writing is, of course, great, and the dark and hopeless world she created is strikingly vivid and gory, and Kanin was a mysterious character. Unfortunately, this wasn't enough to hold my interest in the story for long periods of time.
Plot: Slow and not what I was expecting.
Characters: Ok, I guess.
Writing: Great.
Ending: Good, but I doubt I'll be reading the sequel.
Kid friendly? There's violence and gore, and a little bit of swearing.
Overall:
I put this book down way too many times.
It took me a long time to read this, way longer than it should've. The Immortal Rules just didn't hold my attention and wasn't for me.
Other opinions:
Even though I didn't love The Immortal Rules, you might, so I've got one finished copy from HarlequinTeen to give away to one of you! US only, ends on the 30th. Good luck!
I'm going to star the Immortal Rules today. I read mixed reviews about it and now i'm afraid since you're saying that the plot is slow :/. I hope I'll like it anyway !
ReplyDeleteI hope so too! Lots of people seem to love it, soooo maybe I just missed something?
DeleteNice honest review! The plot was much slower than I imagined it would be, too. I was so relieved it started picking up the pace. Sorry you didn't enjoy the story more, but I can definitely understand why you didn't.
ReplyDeleteKanin was a mysterious character, wasn't he? I wish he had been in the book more! He was fascinating,