The Eternity Cure
(Blood of Eden 2)
Author: Julie Kagawa
Publisher: Harlequin Teen, 2013
Genre: YA Post-Apocaliptic
Buy: Amazon ♥ B&N ♥ TBD
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.
As she follows the call of blood searching for Kanin, Allie tries doing her best to follow her sire’s teaching of choosing what kind of monster she is. But then the pull leads her to her brother, an unlikely ally that seems to want to help her as much as he wants her dead. Teaming up with Jackal was the last thing Allie wanted to do, but it’s a necessary burden if she hopes to survive the hordes of rabids, the new strain of monsters called bleeders, and psycho Sarren. What Allie never counted on was finding her heart again amid all the chaos. Will she let herself feel and care, or will she steel herself against heartache? Then the deadly virus is unleashed again! As the clock ticks down, Allie will have to make a choice of saving one of the two people she loves most. Who will she choose?
The Eternity Cure brings back the horror, the romance, and the thrill of following the deadly Allison Sekemoto on a dangerous adventure!
Kagawa has created a deadly world with not only vampires, but rabids, bleeders, and off-the rails completely psychotic vampires too. The new monsters (bleeders) look human, but act as vicious as rabids and are a hundred times scarier because they laugh. Oh yes. Imagine a bleeding horror coming at you and laughing. *shudders* Talking about the fantastically creepy…Sarren! The dude is bat-shit crazy, but omg do I love it when he spews poetic crap and says things like, “Perhaps, I will pluck out both your eyes, then remove all your teeth, and make a necklace from them. Or maybe a wind chime. I do love wind chimes, don’t you, little bird?”
Allie is deadlier than ever with that katana of hers, but I love how that is balanced out by her innocence of not knowing certain things. It was beautiful reading about her discovering things like music and dancing. Zeke also comes back deadlier and more than ready to hunt vampires. He still feels guilt at killing others, even when it’s self-defense. But that just makes me love him more because he’s so darn inherently good. Once again, this unlikely couple went through a lot in this book. Zeke finally sees the real vampire side of Allie in all her bloody, throat ripping glory. Allie in turn believes in Zeke and lets herself get closer, battling the monster inside for a chance at happiness.
Best award for supporting character goes to…Jackal! He might be a two-timing bastard when it suits his needs, but oh my god can he make me laugh like no other. The dynamic between him and ally is all the way brother and sister annoying the heck out of each other, but still saving their asses from dangers all around. Jackal’s one liners were more than awesome. The dude is dying and still running his mouth.
For a second I was a tiny bit disappointed at the ending, because I had sort of figured it out. But then came the last 8 or 5% and I quickly devolved into incoherent cursing and choked sobs. It’s Julie Kagawa, so it’s a more than awesome and unexpected ending and it ripped my heart into pieces. Well done Kagawa, well done. I am more than excited to see where Allie’s story leads next now that she’s decided to embrace the monster within.
PS: Is this going to be a movie? Because, dammit, it should!
*Arc copy provided by the publisher via Netgalley*
Favorite Quotes:
~Feel alive~
“Where exactly?”“Doesn’t say.”
“So we’re going in blind. Searching for a lab that may or may not be there. In the middle of a nest of rabids who will trap us underground if we can’t find a way out.”
“Exciting, isn’t it?” Jackal grinned and folded the map again. “It’s moments like this that really make you appreciate immortal life. Don’t you love it, sister? Doesn’t it make you feel alive?”
“I’ll pass, thanks.”
~X marks the spot~
A few miles from the nest, we didn’t seem to be any closer to the hidden lab.“You’re just guessing now, aren’t you?” I snapped at Jackal, who shot me an annoyed look over his shoulder as we ran.
“Sorry. I didn’t see the big X with the words Top Secret Government Laboratory on the map, did you?”
~Proving a point~
Zeke drew back, looking a little dazed. Gazing down at me, he gave a wry smile, licking his lips. “That…didn’t have anything to do with him over there, did it?” he asked, sounding suspiciously amused, and a little breathless. I bit my lip. “Does that bother you?”
“If it involves kissing you? Please, use me to prove a point anytime.”
~Good news and Bad News~
A minute later, Jackal prowled out of the darkness from between two houses, smirking at us. “Well, I have good news and bad news,” he announced. “The good news is that the jeep is still where we left it, and I got the damned thing working again.”“What’s the bad news?” I asked.
“Something took my fuzzy dice.”
