Review: The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa

Synopsis:
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.

Publication Date: April 24, 2012
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal, Vampire
Source: Thanks very much to Harlequin Teen for making this title available on Netgalley.


Review:

I had very mixed feelings about this book and that made it hard to decide on the rating. It was very love/meh for me. I thought the beginning was amazing! The world is awesome, the vampires are scary and there is plenty of action. The middle really dragged for me...and it being a long book, there was a lot of middle. Then the end gears back up and is also awesome and amazing. As far as the characters go, I really liked Allie. She's a decisive fighter type girl when she is first introduced. As her...moreI had very mixed feelings about this book. It was very love/meh for me. I thought the beginning was amazing! The world is awesome, the vampires are scary and there is plenty of action. The middle really dragged for me...and it being a long book, there was a lot of middle. Then the end gears back up and is also awesome and amazing. As far as the characters go, I really liked Allie. She's a decisive fighter type girl when she is first introduced. As her character evolves she is less sure of her path, but still holds to her core values. And she's still very . . . fighter-y :) Her mentor, Kanin, was one of the more interesting characters to me. He's not in the book a whole lot, but he makes an impact. Then there's Zeke. I liked Zeke. Zeke's a good guy. BUT, especially compared to Allie, he came off kind of wimpy to me. I think this is a book a lot of people will love. It's a very cool vampire book with a unique story. For me there were just a lot of slow parts. Of course like I mentioned before, the last 50 pages of the book made sure I'll be reading the next one.

Graphic Novel Review: House of Night by P. C. Cast/Dark Horse Comics

Synopsis:
* The magical world of New York Times best-selling authors P. C. Cast and Kristin Cast comes to comics!

Until recently, Zoey Redbird was an average high-school student worrying about grades, boys, and breakouts. But priorities have a way of changing when you’re Marked as a vampyre, enroll in the vampyre academy House of Night, and have to figure out a whole new social hierarchy, affinities for elemental magic, and physiological changes that make you crave blood! Collects issues #1-#5 of the series.

Follow Zoey, and her group of devoted friends, as they turn toThe Fledgling Handbook, a historical vampyre tome, in hopes of better understanding this big, new world of vampyrism.



Publication Date: July 4, 2012
Genre: Graphic Novel, Paranormal, Young Adult
Source: Thanks to Dark Horse Comics for making this title available on Netgalley.


Review:
I've recently become very enamored by graphic novels. This one caught my eye because I've read most of the books in this series. The books are easy to read and entertaining, maybe slightly addicting. But it's been awhile since I've read them, especially the first ones. This comic does the novels so much justice and it's basically awesome in its own right.

I was GAGA over the artwork. It is seriously eye-poppingly gorgeous. The attention to detail on every single character is superb. And the colors! I read this as an e-galley, but plan on heading to our local comic book haunt to buy this one once it releases. It's just beautiful. And me wants it on my shelf.

Like I mentioned, it's been awhile since I've read the books and I don't remember how much detail was told about the history of the Dark Daughters, but the comic goes in-depth and shows each of the five stories. Those parts might have been my favorite. I know I keep saying it, but the artwork just blew my mind. The history of the five elements is broken up by Zoey trying to navigate her way as the new leader of the Dark Daughters at the House of Night. The banter that goes on amongst Zoey and her group of friends stays true to the novels and was very well done.

Fans of the House of Night series will love this, as well as those that have never read them. I hope there are many more in this comic series because I would love to collect them :)