ARC Review: The Eternity Cure by Julie Kagawa + Giveaway!

Woman, what have you done to me?

I was literally grabbing the edge of my seat at the last few pages of the book and I completely fell off it after turning the page over and realizing it was the last one. A scream followed soon after.

Title: The Eternity Cure (Blood of Eden #2) by Julie Kagawa
Release Date: April 30th 2013 (US) / May 3rd 2013 (UK)
Published by: Harlequin Teen/ MIRA Ink
Source: Publisher (Thanks Lisa & Elise for giveaway copy!)
Buy: Amazon | Book Depository

Summary:

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.

I should not be surprised of the unexpected twists and turns a Julie Kagawa book presents, but it still gets to me, every single time. In this action packed sequel, Allison is on a race against time to save her sire, Kanin. Trapped in the hands of a psychotic vampire named Sarren who will do anything to inflict the same pain he has felt when Kanin betrayed their race, Allison is on a desperate search to find him, but she won't be able to do it without enlisting the help of an unexpected ally. As they track Sarren, Allison comes face to face with something much worse than the Red Lung virus, and it's infecting everyone, including vampires. Now Allison had the seemingly impossible task of finding Kanin, and stopping the virus before it kills everyone.

I've said this before and I will say this again: Allison Sekimoto might be small, petite to some, but she's never to be underestimated. She's got a heart bigger than anyone, and she's not afraid to do anything in order to protect the ones she loved. Her struggle to not become the monster she fears will drive away the people she had learned to care about is the main conflict for her in this book, and my admiration for her just grows. I agree with what Jackal and Kanin says: it takes a certain strength to become a creature of the night, and Allison got through it. There's a lot going on inside her head as she was wondering if embracing who she has become was the right thing to do, and what does becoming a vampire has in store for her in the future. What about her and Zeke?

Am I crazy, or am I just reading too much into Kanin and Allison's relationship? I never, not once, did I feel, that his actions were fatherly towards her. Not once. Granted he might be her sire, but I felt there were moments where they were just connected in a way Zeke and Allison will never be, and it's not just the call of blood. There was one particular moment where I still wonder if it was punishment and cruelty that Kanin wants to show or was it something leaning towards something more. This part of my review just confirms how I secretly will not object if Kanin and Allison will ever have that 'something'.

Trust Julie Kagawa to mess with my mind as I struggle to make sense of Jackal's true character. Even after the end of this novel I am uncertain if he's one who hides under the facade of evil but has something inside of him that might make him a little good, or if it's the reverse. Some of his intentions were good, and according to Kanin he's lost, but can someone who lost his way be redeemed? Jackal is a fun vampire to read, and though I hated him in Immortal Rules, he's showed sides to him in The Eternity Cure that can't be overlooked. Also, Jackal took over the limelight and stole it away from Zeke. Although Zeke's character tends to fade in the background a little bit because of his kind nature, he's shown flashes of strength and leadership that gives his character room for potential growth. I just hope he's able to withstand whatever the story throws his way especially with the trials he went through in this book.

The plot is nothing short of brilliant! I've always had high praises for Julie Kagawa for being such an imaginative writer and The Eternity Cure just takes me into a world unlike anything I've read of before. If you think Immortal Rules was a high octane read, The Eternity Cure was filled to the brim with action scenes one after another. Be prepared to plunge in to the fast paced story from page one because it doesn't stop until the end. And the best part is? You'll want more even after you're finished reading. It's a dark, bloody world and Julie Kagawa did a great job building it and creating characters who can kick butt and still manage to be complicated and deep at the same time. If you think the story ends when the race to find Kanin comes to a close, you have a new type of plague, Bleeders, deranged vampires and the potential threat of all life on earth ending to keep you going. An explosive story with rapid pace, highly volatile characters and unexpected plot twists, Julie Kagawa had the recipe for an amazing follow up down a tee in The Eternity Cure. I cannot get enough of this series!

Now when can I please have the next book?

My rating:

Content (plot, story flow, character):

As a reader, I know how hard it is for a story to sustain its "life" especially when it comes to sequels as it is often a hit or a miss, but not Julie Kagawa. She's just a brilliantly awesome and a highly talented writer, and she's also my favorite. Will 5,000 butterflies do as a rating? :)

Stunning: Worthy of a Goddess' Praise!

Book Cover:

I love it! And then I just realized, are those the capillaries in the lungs? I thought they were tree roots.

GIVEAWAY ALERT!
WIN AN ARC OF THE ETERNITY CURE BY JULIE KAGAWA!



Because I want you all to read this stunning book, I am giving away this ARC to one lucky person!

Rules:

Open internationally
Must be at least 13 to enter
Ends 5/20
No cheating! I will check the entries and I WILL DISQUALIFY you if I find you cheating.

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