The Eternity Cure by Julie Kagawa

The Eternity Cure by Julie Kagawa
Release Date: April 30, 2013
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Source: Publisher

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. (courtesy of Goodreads.)

Review

Julie Kagawa has a way with paranormal creatures. She’s mastered fairies and now vampires. What should she tackle next? Witches? Zombies? I think I’d prefer witches. But we’re going to have to wait, because she still has so much left to offer in the vampire realm. The Eternity Cure is just as strong and fun as The Immortal Rules.

The Immortal Rules was largely about Allie learning to accept her new identity as a vampire and also trying to retain an element of humanity. The Eternity Cure is more plot driven (or at least I care about the plot more than in the first book). Allie is striving to rescue Kanin, her vampire father/mentor, from the hands of Sarren, the psycho vampire. Along her journey, she meets up with old friends, new allies, and new and old enemies.

Three guys are at the center of this story: Jackal, Zeke, and Kanin. However, unlike many second books, there is no love triangle. It’s one of the few instances where I am disappointed by a “love straight line”. Why? Because Jackal = Awesome and Zeke = Snore. Jackal is hilarious in a dark, demented way. He’s strong, intelligent, and approaches even the most life-threatening scenarios with a snarky comment at hand. True, he’s probably evil and lacks little things...like a conscience. But Jackal made this book worth reading. It’s too bad that neither Allie or Jackal have figured out they’d be great for each other.

Zeke is okay. Objectively, I recognize why he and Allie fit together. He’s kind, determined, honest, brave, daring - an unassuming knight in shining armor. Allie values Zeke’s genuineness and selflessness. But he’s so white bread.

Enough about Zeke. Kanin is also a prominent character in this series. He is Jackal’s opposite in many ways. The strong, silent, reassuring type. Allie and Kanin have somewhat reversed roles. She now strives to be his savior. I don’t want to say much because it gives away too much of the plot, but if Kanin was your favorite character in The Immortal Rules, you’ll be very happy with him in this book.

I continue to like Allie. She realizes that the world is a harsh place. She’s practical enough to make compromises for the sake of the greater good, such as traveling with Jackal, the vampire who heartlessly killed her friends. But she also draws a firm line violating her self-imposed boundaries - the elements that keep her from becoming a monster.

Now for the plot. It took me a chapter or two to get invested, but once I did, The Eternity Cure was a wild, rocky ride. I spent the last 20% of the book glued to the pages, ignoring all my chores because I couldn’t tear myself away. Just when it seems like all the characters’ problems are solved, another huge obstacle is placed in their path. Julie isn’t afraid of causing her characters extreme pain, both physical and emotional. As in all her books, there’s a perfect balance between character development and crazy fight scenes.

*Spoiler - Highlight text to read: Was anyone else secretly happy when Zeke “died” at the end of the book? My first thought was “finally, we’re rid of him” only to be disappointed at the last page. Even though I don’t think Jackal or Kanin are good romantic matches for Allie, I had visions of Allie “sharing blood” with one of them in the next book. Maybe it will still happen and we’ll have a true love triangle.

The Eternity Cure is a strong follow-up to The Immortal Rules. It avoids most of the boring second book pitfalls. We’re introduced to a great new character, the romance is strong (if you like Allie/Zeke), and the plot moves ahead steadily. Highly recommended!

Rating: 4 / 5

Here's How to Buy the Book! 

Amazon 

Barnes & Noble