Book Review: The Eternity Cure
Media Type: Ebook (ARC)
Title: The Eternity Cure
*Series: Blood of Eden #2
Author: Julie Kagawa
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Pages: Hardcover; 446
Release Date: April 30, 2013
Source: NetGalley
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Content Screening: Violence; Adult Language
HDB Rating: 3 Keys to My Heart
Recommended to: Readers who are looking for a new take on the vampire genre.
Add it on: Goodreads / Shelfari / Amazon / B&N
Allison Sekemoto has vowed to rescue her creator, Kanin, who is being held hostage and tortured by the psychotic vampire Sarren. The call of blood leads her back to the beginning—New Covington and the Fringe, and a vampire prince who wants her dead yet may become her wary ally.
Even as Allie faces shocking revelations and heartbreak like she’s never known, a new strain of the Red Lung virus that decimated humanity is rising to threaten human and vampire alike.
Last year I read the first book in the Blood of Eden series, The Immortal Rules. I devoured it, raved about it, and then began waiting rather impatiently for the next book in the series. When The Eternity Cure was offered to me for review, of course I snapped it up! Julie Kagawa has done for the vampire genre what I didn’t think possible; she’s made it kick-ass again.
This new installment opens up with Allie on a quest to rescue her sire. I was instantly transported back into the gritty, vampire-run world that Kagawa had built for me in the last book. The difference this time, of course, was that Allie was on the side of the majority. If you’re a vampire in a vampire-run world, there’s nothing to be afraid of…right? Wrong. From the beginning Allie is thrown twist after twist until it seems like she just can’t catch a break.
Now here comes the part where I explain why I didn’t quite love this book as much as the first one. The Eternity Cure has a lot going for it. Allison is still a very strong, kick-ass heroine, Kanin is still a heartthrob, and we even get Zeke back (which I can’t deny made me giddy). However the problem for me was that I could see everything coming around the bend. I missed being surprised.
I completely understood that there was really no more character growth for Allie to go through. The end of the last book showed a girl who had mostly accepted her transformation. Thus, all the inner battles she waged, and the way she pushed others away from her, felt forced to me. I felt like they placed simply to create tension, and it was tough for me to like Allie as much this time around. I also felt like a lot of the action was very linear and there were a lack of really big confrontations. It made this a much slower read for me.
Despite it all, I know I’ll continue the series. I will follow Allison, Kanin and all the rest into the sunset for as long as they choose to travel. What I really believe is just that The Eternity Cure suffered from middle book syndrome in my eyes. There was a lot that needed to happen, that needed to be explained, to set up what is coming next. This book definitely moves things forward. The only thing I am truly grumpy about is the ending, but I’ll leave that for you to discover. Suffice it to say that this wasn’t my favorite installment, but I’ll still be back for more.
Other books in the series:
The Immortal Rules (Blood of Eden #1)
FTC Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. I was not monetarily compensated for my opinion.
