The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa Review

Title: The Immortal Rules (Blood of Eden #1)

Author: Julie Kagawa @Jkagawa

Genre: Young Adult, Vampire, Dystopian, Post Apocalyptic

Page Count: 480 pages

Publish Date: April 24, 2012

Book Type: Kindle galley from Netgalley, Signed Hardcover

Publisher: Harlequin Teen @HarlequinTeen

ISBN: 9780373210510

From Goodreads: 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 Review: The cover model isn’t exactly how I pictured Allison Sekemoto to look, but I like how it’s essentially black and white with only the red accent. Plus, I read this book in two days--which for a 480 page book is pretty good for me. It was a pretty hard book to put down!

Julie Kagawa did something really smart here. She combined two of the most popular Young Adult genres: dystopian and vampires. This may seem like overkill, but it actually worked really well. I was starting to get sick of vampire books because they all seem to have a very similar Twilight-esque formula. This is why I absolutely adored the addition of the dystopian society.

The registered and unregistered humans in The Immortal Rules reminded me a lot of my favorite Young Adult vampire series, The Morganville Vampires, by Rachel Caine. This made me really excited and added an extra element of danger to the world Kagawa created. Kagawa is an amazing world builder and a master of character development. In all of her books, I can picture everything vividly. It makes the reading experience that much more enjoyable.

I really enjoyed the characters in The Immortal Rules. Allie was an excellent protagonist and pretty badass. Zeke was a complex character who made some very interesting choices. I want to get to know Kanin more because of his extremely rich history. I have a feeling we will get to know more about him in future books and that makes me so excited. The rabids in the book were pretty genuinely terrifying. I definitely wouldn’t want to face them.  

Overall, this is one of the best Young Adult vampire novels I have read in a long time. I’m impatiently waiting for the sequel!

Side note: The excerpt from the next Iron Fey novel was kind of awesome! 

Thanks to Harlequin Teen, NetGalley, and Julie Kagawa for this review copy. Also, a special thanks to Harlequin Teen and Julie Kagawa for the signed copy and Immortal Rules hoodie I won on Twitter! 

Top 10 Book Boyfriends in 2011

Wooo just this one and then I’m all caught up! This one is going to be difficult.

1. Eric Northman from the Sookie Stackhouse novels by Charlaine Harris

There will never be a year when a Sookie Stackhouse novel releases that Eric wouldn’t make this list. I don’t care what kind of stupid things he does.

2. Shane Collins from the Morganville Vampire novels by Rachel Caine

Okay, so I have about three books to catch up on in this series, but I. Love. Shane.

3. Sean Griswold from Sean Griswold’s Head by Lindsey Leavitt

Totally crush-worthy.

4. Ron Weasley from the Harry Potter novels by JK Rowling

I don’t care. He will always make my list. Always.

5. Puck from the Iron Fey novels by Julie Kagawa

I like how he’s mischievous. 

Drawing (which is awesome) from Deviantart

6. Finnick Odair from the Hunger Games novels by Suzanne Collins

Okay, so this isn’t technically 2011, but I DON’T CARE. Finnick is too good to not be on this list. What a babe.

7. Will from the Ghost and the Goth novels by Stacey Kade

Love him!

8. Neville Longbottom from the Harry Potter novles by JK Rowling

Since the movie came out in 2011, he counts...right?

9. Thomas from the Maze Runner novels by James Dashner

He always tries to do the right thing. <3

10. Ben from the Elixir novels by Hilary Duff

I know. But, he’s totally swoon-worthy! 

Tomorrow is Top 10 Characters in 2011--tough decisions there!

Who were your book boyfriends from 2011? Did we share any?

The Iron Knight by Julie Kagawa Review

Title: The Iron Knight (Iron Fey #4)

Author: Julie Kagawa

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal Romance

Page Count: 361 pages

Publish Date: October 25, 2011

Book Type: ARC provided for review

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

ISBN: 9780373210367

Picture from Amazon

From Goodreads: My name—my True Name—is Ashallayn'darkmyr Tallyn.

I am the last remaining son of Mab, Queen of the Unseelie Court. And I am dead to her.

My fall began, as many stories do, with a girl…

My Review: Once again, I just love how these covers all fit together. I also love how the blue swirls match Ash’s eyes. Very nice. “Soulless, Banished, but Never Forgotten.”

I struggled a bit through The Iron Queen. I had just praised Meghan on my review of The Iron Daughter and that was probably the kiss of death for me. The way she was treating Puck really annoyed me and I thought it took a long time for the action to start. The sappy love story was really played up and, unfortunately, that is not what I enjoy about this series. 

Needless to say, I was a bit nervous about starting The Iron Knight. I did end up enjoying it more than I had anticipated. I loved the interactions between Ash and Puck. I’m also glad that we got a little more insight into their characters. Grim will always be my favorite character in The Iron Fey series. He’s the best. It was nice to have the opportunity to see things through Ash’s eyes.

I always love the way Julie Kagawa paints a picture with her words. I can always picture everything that she is describing. That’s key to a good fantasy/paranormal novel. If I couldn’t picture the world these characters are living in, I’m sure I wouldn’t enjoy these books nearly as much as I do.

Also, it wouldn’t be a Julie Kagawa book if there weren’t some twists and turns when you least expect them. The Iron Knight did not disappoint in that department.

If you’ve read the rest of the series, this one is definitely a must read. If you haven’t started the series yet, you probably should.

Thanks to Harlequin Teen and Julie Kagawa for this review copy!

The Iron Knight Excerpt and Q and A with Julie Kagawa

Today I have a nice little Q&A with Julie Kagawa and an excerpt from The Iron Knight for you! Enjoy. :)

Where did you get your inspiration for the physical environment of the Nevernever?

For me, the home of the fey should be beautiful, haunting, and just a little bit creepy, much like the faeries themselves.  So I took an environment and made it so that something was just a little off about it.  I wanted readers to experience the same unease as Meghan when traveling through the land of the fey.

If you had no other choice, which character would you want to step into the life of within your Iron Fey series?

It would have to be Grimalkin.  Super smart, super snarky, and can turn invisible whenever he wants.  Who wouldn't love to be a cat?  ;-)

What is your writing space like?

I have an office, with a desk in front of a window so I can see out.  Unfortunately, the window faces the rising sun, so the blinds are usually drawn because the sun blinds me, lol.  My desk has my laptop on it, several books stacked and scattered about at random, and a constant supply of empty soda cans everywhere.  Caffeine, I can’t live without it.


Thanks for the lovely Q&A! I would totally want to be Grimalkin as well. He's the best. Now, for a treat, I have an excerpt from The Iron Knight to share with you all!

“Oh, fine,” Puck sighed, tromping along behind me. “But if he’s not here, I refuse to go to the Spider Queen’s palace with you, ice-boy. That’s where I draw the line.” My name, my full, True Name, is Ashallayn’darkmyr Tallyn, and I am the last son of the Unseelie Court.

The next stop on the tour is at YA Books Central tomorrow!

The Iron Daughter by Julie Kagawa Review

Title: The Iron Daughter (Iron Fey #2)

Author: Julie Kagawa

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal Romance

Page Count: 359 pages

Publish Date: August 1, 2010

Book Type: Owned Paperback

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

ISBN: 9780373210138

Picture from Amazon

From Goodreads: Half Summer faery princess, half human, Meghan has never fit in anywhere. Deserted by the Winter prince she thought loved her, she is prisoner to the Winter faery queen. As war looms between Summer and Winter, Meghan knows that the real danger comes from the Iron fey—ironbound faeries that only she and her absent prince have seen. But no one believes her.

Worse, Meghan's own fey powers have been cut off. She's stuck in Faery with only her wits for help. Trusting anyone would be foolish. Trusting a seeming traitor could be deadly. But even as she grows a backbone of iron, Meghan can't help but hear the whispers of longing in her all-too-human heart.

My Review: “Love & Betrayal. A Faery World Gone Mad.” Once again, I love these covers. The font, the swirls. Awesome.

I really admire how Megan follows through with her word. She has a pretty good moral compass and she will do something if she thinks that it is right...even if she doesn’t necessarily want to do it. She’s also coming into her powers, which is always fun to read.

I thought that the character development in The Iron Daughter was done very well. Meghan, Ash and Puck became more fleshed out, but so did some of the minor characters. I don’t want to talk about them too much because it will get spoiler-y, but some of the minor characters are my favorites!

I also think that I liked the story line in The Iron Daughter even more than in The Iron King. The action seemed to be stepped up a notch since Meghan was already aware of the Faery world.

I wish the romantic aspect of the book had been a little bit more developed. I like to know why things are happening, not just that they are. Sure, Ash, is troubled and pretty and a good fighter, but why does Meghan love him so much? I need to know! But, this is such a minor complaint that it doesn’t even really matter too much.

Also, I have noticed that these books are pretty hard to review without spoilers. Alas, I’m really excited to start The Iron Queen and make my way to The Iron Knight. 

Have you read this series? Which book is your favorite?

The Iron King by Julie Kagawa Review

Title: The Iron King (Iron Fey #1)

Author: Julie Kagawa

Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal Romance, Fantasy, Fairies

Page Count: 363 pages

Publish Date: February 1, 2010

Book Type: Owned Paperback

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

ISBN: 9780373210084

Picture from Amazon

From Goodreads: Meghan Chase has a secret destiny; one she could never have imagined. 

Something has always felt slightly off in Meghan's life, ever since her father disappeared before her eyes when she was six. She has never quite fit in at school or at home. 

When a dark stranger begins watching her from afar, and her prankster best friend becomes strangely protective of her, Meghan senses that everything she's known is about to change. 

But she could never have guessed the truth - that she is the daughter of a mythical faery king and is a pawn in a deadly war. Now Meghan will learn just how far she'll go to save someone she cares about, to stop a mysterious evil no faery creature dare face; and to find love with a young prince who might rather see her dead than let her touch his icy heart.

My Review (I’m trying not to give any spoilers here): This cover has half of a face, but I don’t even care. I love, love, love the use of the font here and how the swirls continue throughout the cover. Plus, every cover in the series looks great together. They will be awesome sitting on my bookshelf once I acquire The Iron Queen and The Iron Knight (non-ARC version). “The Iron King is a must read!”... well, I would have to agree Gena Showalter. “Iron, ice, a love doomed from the start.” Why did I wait so long to start these books?! I actually think these books would make amazing movies. I’m only about 2/3 of the way through the second, but they seem to have a very cinematic value to them.

There are some amazing characters in The Iron King. I knew from the start that I would like Robbie. He’s a little bit of a prankster, but I could tell right away that he truly cared for Meghan. Speaking of Meghan, she is a really good main character. I thought the way that she handled some of the tough situations that came her way was really realistic. She has a very natural narrative voice. Another favorite character of mine is Grimalkin. This is saying a lot because, much like Robbie/Puck, I DO NOT LIKE CATS. I’m allergic and they creep me out, but Grim is amazing. He is calculating, but totally comes through in a pinch. 

The action and adventure scenes in The Iron King were awesome. I loved all of the fighting and chase scenes. Julie Kagawa has a true way with words. I could absolutely picture everything from this fantasy world that she was describing. 

I loved how some of the fairy/faery aspects from The Sookie Stackhouse books could be found in The Iron King as well. Maybe this is true for all fae books? I’m not that familiar with them. You guys, I think I finally found a book review I’m super passionate about again! It hasn’t been over a year or anything since I’ve been this passionate. *insert heavy sarcasm* This is why this review sort of just seems to be me yelling incoherently. Sorry.   

My one gripe for the story is that there is a bit of insta-love. You can judge for yourselves how you feel about that aspect of the story.

Have you started this series yet? If not, why? ;) Let me know what you think in the comments!