Review: Night of the Dragon - Julie Kagawa

Evil and hope clash and burn in the epic and shocking conclusion to the Shadow of the Fox trilogy.

All is lost.

Kitsune shapeshifter Yumeko has given up the final piece of the Scroll of a Thousand Prayers, in order to save everyone she loves from imminent death. Now she and her ragtag band of companions must journey to the wild sea cliffs of Iwagoto in a desperate last-chance effort to stop the Master of Demons from calling upon the Great Kami dragon and making the wish that will plunge the empire into destruction and darkness.

But even with their combined skills and powers, this most unlikely team of heroes knows the forces of Evil may be impossible to overcome. And there is another player in the battle for the scroll, a player who has been watching, waiting for the right moment to pull strings that no one even realised existed...until now.

Shadow of the Fox series:
Shadow of the Fox
Soul of the Sword
Night of the Dragon

Visit Julie Kagawa's website for more information.

Review:
I've been a fan of Julie Kagawa's writing for years but I honestly think that the Shadow of the Fox series is her best one yet. I've been caught up in this world from the beginning and I'm really sad that it's now time to say goodbye.

It's so hard to review the final book in a trilogy because I want to encourage everyone who hasn't started this series yet to dive straight in but I don't want to go into too much detail because I don't want to give away spoilers. What I've loved most about these books has been the fantastic Japanese mythology and all of the wonderful yokai & kami creatures that Julie Kagawa has introduced us to along the way. Our band of characters has been through so much since the first book but it all comes to a head in Night of the Dragon and they're facing more danger than ever before.

I'm not going to lie and tell you this is an easy end to their journey, this book prefers to grab you by the throat while it slowly rips your heart out, but what I will say is that I loved every minute of it. There are definitely heartbreaking moments in this book but there are also really sweet and heartwarming ones to balance that out and it was definitely a fitting end to a much loved series.

Source: Received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Paperback / Kindle

Review: Soul of the Sword - Julie Kagawa

THE TIME OF THE WISH APPROACHES…

Yumeko the shapeshifter had one task: take her piece of the ancient and powerful scroll to the Steel Feather temple and prevent the summoning of the great Kami Dragon. But she has a new enemy now. The demon Hakaimono, has escaped and possessed the samurai she thought would protect her, Kage Tatsumi of the Shadow Clan.

Hakaimono has done the unthinkable and joined forces with Genno, the Master of Demons, to break his curse and set himself free. But Genno wishes to overthrow the empire and cover the land in darkness. To do that he needs only one thing, the scroll Yumeko is hiding. As the paths of Yumeko and the possessed Tatsumi cross again the entire empire will be thrown into chaos.

AND CHAOS WILL DARKEN AN EMPIRE.

Return to Julie Kagawa’s beautiful and perilous land of shapeshifters, samurai and demons as Japanese mythology and magic swirl together in the New York Times bestselling author’s brand new adventure.

Shadow of the Fox series:
Shadow of the Fox
Soul of the Sword
Night of the Dragon

Visit Julie Kagawa's website for more information.

Review:
Soul of the Sword is the second book in the Shadow of the Fox series and picks up Yumeko's story almost immediately where the previous book left off. Tatsumi has been possessed by the demon Hakaimono and no longer has control of his own body, instead he is trapped deep inside his own mind and forced to watch as the demon uses his body to do unspeakable things. Yumeko knows she has to protect the remaining piece of the Dragon Scroll at all costs but at the same time she is determined to rescue Tatsumi even if that means putting her own life in danger.

I'm going to be honest and say I didn't enjoy this book quite as much as Shadow of the Fox, I missed Tatsumi's character and I felt there were times when the story lagged a bit, but it's still a strong instalment to the series and it definitely left me eager to get my hands on a copy of the final book asap.

Julie Kagawa really excels with her world building here, I love her use of Japanese mythology and all the different types of creatures she has introduced us to in this series. The different yokai & kami, the sword fights and the magic all combine into a fairly action packed story that kept me turning the pages. While I missed Tatsumi and the relationship he has with Yumeko I did find it interesting to see some of Hakaimono's point of view and I love Okame, Daisuke and the others who add a little light hearted fun to the story. Don't let the fooling around lull you into a false sense of security though, there is danger all around and the ending was a shocker!

Source: Received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Paperback / Kindle

Review: Shadow of the Fox - Julie Kagawa

A single wish will spark a new dawn. 

Every millennium, the missing pieces of the Scroll of a Thousand Prayers are hunted, for they hold the power to call the great Kami Dragon and ask for any one wish.

As a temple burns to the ground Yumeko escapes with its greatest treasure - the first piece of the scroll. And when fate thrusts her into the path of a mysterious samurai, she knows he seeks what she has.

Kage is under orders to kill those who stand in his way but will he be able to complete his mission? Will this be the dawn that sees the dragon wake?

Enter a beautiful and perilous land of shapeshifters and samurai, kami and legends, humans and demons... A world in which Japanese mythology and imagination blend together.

Shadow of the Fox series:
Shadow of the Fox
Soul of the Sword
Night of the Dragon

Visit Julie Kagawa's website for more information.

Review:
Once in every millennium the person who holds the Scroll of a Thousand Prayers has the power to call upon the great Kami Dragon and make one wish. For the safety of the world the Scroll has been torn into pieces and each section is held by a different group of protectors. Yumeko is a young, half-kitsune, girl who has been raised by monks in the Silent Winds temple who secretly guard one of the pieces. When the temple comes under attack by demons she is tasked with the important job of taking the scroll piece to safety.

Tatsumi trained from birth as a samurai learning to control a powerful cursed sword so he could become the Kage Demonslayer. He has been tasked with tracking down the pieces of the scroll and told he must to whatever it takes to bring them home to the head of his family. When Tatsumi and Yumeko meet she tricks him into believing she can lead him to the first part of the scroll but what will happen if he realises that she has been carrying the piece with her all along?

I really enjoyed Shadow of the Fox, its the first instalment in Julie Kagawa's new series and I love how different each of the worlds she creates are. This is a magical world based on Japanese mythology full of all kinds of yokai & kami supernatural creatures, some I recognised and others that were completely new to me. Yumeko and Tatsumi are hunted by demons and monsters at every turn as they travel in search of the hidden temple and you never know quite what will be thrown at the reluctant allies next.

Yumeko has had a very sheltered upbringing so she is quite naive and sweet and often far more trusting than she should be but she also has an incredibly mischievous streak and some fun illusion abilities that are going to make her a force to be reckoned with as she grows into her powers. Tatsumi on the other hand is much harder, he's been raised to be a warrior and taught not to trust anyone or let anyone get too close so he's much more aloof and wary than Yumeko. He wields a cursed sword that is possessed by the demon Hakaimono and it takes a lot of willpower to use the sword without letting the demon get inside his own head. As they fight alongside each other during the search for the hidden temple they have to learn to trust each other and what I really enjoyed was that it wasn't always Tatsumi who saved the day, there were times when Yumeko's skills were just as important in keeping them both alive.

This is a slow build story with absolutely fantastic world building that takes readers on a journey across a beautifully described fantasy land. I was captivated with this book from the beginning and didn't want to put it down for a minute. I loved both Yumeko and Tatsumi but we also meet some fantastic side characters and I really enjoyed the occasional chapters we got from Sumi's point of view. I have a feeling this series is going to become a firm favourite so I can't wait to get my hands on a copy of Soul of the Sword next year!

Source: Received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Paperback / Kindle

Don't forget to check out the rest of the stops on the Shadow of the Fox blog tour:

Blog Tour: Soldier - Julie Kagawa

Today I'm taking part in the blog tour to celebrate today's release of Soldier, the third book in Julie Kagawa's Talon Saga. I absolutely love Julie's writing so I'm excited to have an extract of the book to share with you.

The third thrilling instalment in The Talon Saga from New York Times bestselling
author Julie Kagawa.

When forced to choose between safety with the dragon organisation, Talon, and being hunted forever as an outcast, Ember Hill chooses to stand with Riley and his band of rogue dragons rather than become an assassin for Talon. She's lost contact with her twin brother, Dante, a Talon devotee, as well as Garret, the former-enemy soldier who challenged her beliefs about her human side and who she now shares a deep bond with. Ember is also struggling with the powerful and stirring nature of her inner dragon. Combined with the recent deaths and the deceit and guilt that have been tormenting her since joining Riley, she is worryingly withdrawing into herself, while a fiery anger rages inside of her. Riley understandably is concerned that Ember is struggling to cope with the recent chaotic events and what is ahead for the rogue gang – never a good sign for a young dragon being pushed further to the edge…

While Ember battles with her emotions and her inner dragon, Garret journeys alone to the United Kingdom, birthplace of the ancient and secret Order of St. George. Here he heads straight to the home of the Patriarch, the head of the Order of St George, to spy on his former brothers where he uncovers deadly and shocking secrets that will shake the foundations of dragons and dragon-slayers alike. The rogue dragons will need Garret's skills and insider knowledge of the Order to negotiate an impossible deal - and if they fail, there will be no way to stop all-out war.

Soldier is a heart-pounding modern adventure, set on both sides of the Atlantic, full of secret societies, forbidden love and dragons!

Previous books in the Talon Saga

PRAISE FOR JULIE KAGAWA:

‘One killer storyteller’ – MTV

–

‘Katniss Everdeen better watch out’

– Huffington Post on The Immortal Rules

–

– ‘The first in a new series, Talon leaves readers perfectly balanced between satisfaction and anticipation’ – BookPage

–

– ‘Kagawa knows just how to end a first volume for maximum cliff-hanger drama’ – Booklist

–

– ‘A strong, promising start to the Talon Saga’

– Publishers Weekly

About the Author:

JULIE KAGAWA was born in Sacramento, California. But nothing exciting really happened to her there. So, at the age of nine she and her family moved to Hawaii, which she soon discovered was inhabited by large carnivorous insects and frequent hurricanes. She is the New York Times bestselling author of The Iron Fey series, the Talon series and the Immortal Rules trilogy.

Connect with the Author:

Website / Twitter / Facebook / Instagram

Extract from Soldier by Julie Kagawa

(posted with permission of both the author and the UK publisher MIRA)

Don't forget to check out the rest of the stops on the Soldier blog tour too!

Blog Tour: The Iron Warrior - Julie Kagawa (Exclusive Extract)

I'm thrilled to be taking part in the UK blog tour to celebrate the release of The Iron Warrior, the final book in Julie Kagawa's Iron Fey world. I absolutely love this series (although I have to admit I'm embarrassingly behind - I REALLY need to finish reading it ASAP!) so I'm sad it's coming to an end but I'm excited to see what happens with all my favourite characters and I'm looking forward to seeing what Julie comes up with next.

To celebrate the release I have an exclusive extract to share with you all but before I get to that let me give you a bit more information about the book:

In the spectacular conclusion to Julie Kagawa’s magical series The Iron Fey, the world of Faery could be changed forevermore...

Waking after a month on the brink of death, Ethan Chase is stunned to learn that the Veil that conceals the fey from human sight was temporarily torn away. Although humankind’s glimpse of the world of Faery lasted just a brief moment, the human world has been cast into chaos.

Ethan is shaken to his core when he discovers who is behind the cataclysmic events - including his attempted murder. His nephew Keirran, the traitor son of the Iron Queen, Meghan Chase is responsible for the turmoil that has descended on the Nevernever. Kierran is now leading the army of the Forgotten Queen, whose powers are growing in strength. A devastating uprising between the courts will be inevitable, unless Keirran can be stopped.

Disobeying his sister once again, Ethan and his girlfriend, Kenzie must search for answers long forgotten. As they journey through dangerous magical worlds they come face to face with unprecedented evil and Ethan has no choice but to form allegiances with his enemies in a bid to destroy the dark magic which is destined to rip the faery world apart.

The breath-taking final instalment in this unforgettable saga, where the world of fey will face their greatest challenge yet is perfect for fans of The Hunger Games and The Mortal Instruments series.

Previous Books in the Iron Fey world

About the Author:

JULIE KAGAWA was born in Sacramento, California. But nothing exciting really happened to her there. So, at the age of nine she and her family moved to Hawaii, which she soon discovered was inhabited by large carnivorous insects and frequent hurricanes. She is the New York Times bestselling author of The Iron Fey series, the Talon series and the Immortal Rules trilogy.

Connect with the Author:

Website / Twitter / Facebook / Instagram

Don't forget to check out the rest of the stops on the blog tour:

Afternoon Tea with Julie Kagawa!

A couple of weeks ago I was incredibly lucky to be invited to an afternoon tea with Julie Kagawa that was organised by Mira Ink and Midas PR to celebrate the release of the final book in her Iron Fey world, The Iron Warrior. I fell in love with Julie's writing a few years ago when I first read The Iron King and have been a fan ever since so I was really excited to get the chance to meet her.

I met up with Sophie (from So Many Books, So Little Time) and we managed to find Kettner's in no time, it's in Soho so quite central and I was able to walk there from Charing Cross which made things really easy. The restaurant is lovely and it's a fabulous place to visit if you're looking for an afternoon tea spot. You can see from the pictures how lovely (and plentiful!) the food is and we all ate more than we probably needed to but still didn't finish everything provided.

L-R: Me, Julie Kagawa, Cara from Mira Ink, from Waterstones, Daphne from Winged
Reviews, Lorraine from Midas PR and Sophie from So Many Books So Little Time.

Julie was absolutely lovely and I really enjoyed chatting with her. I'm a bit behind with the Iron Fey books but I absolutely love the world and the characters so I'm sad that the series is coming to an end. We did try to find out if Julie thinks she'll ever revisit the world but at the moment it isn't something she has any plans for. I'm still keeping my fingers crossed but in the meantime we have several more books in the Talon series to look forward to (I didn't realise it's a five book series) and it sounds like Julie has plenty of other ideas that will keep her busy writing for the foreseeable future!

Me with Julie                                                 Sophie & I

We had all bought a huge stacks of books with us (see pic above!) but Julie was happy to sign them all and she even did this awesome dragon drawing in my autograph book!

It was such a lovely afternoon - great company, fantastic food and the chance to meet one of my favourite authors! I'd like to say a massive thank you to Lorraine & Cara for organising everything and inviting me along and of course to Julie for taking time out of her incredibly busy tour schedule to come and chat with us all :o)

Review: The Eternity Cure - Julie Kagawa

In Allison Sekemoto's world, there is one rule left: Blood calls to blood

She has done the unthinkable: died so that she might continue to live. Cast out of Eden and separated from the boy she dared to love, Allie will follow the call of blood to save her creator, Kanin, from the psychotic vampire Sarren. But when the trail leads to Allie's birthplace in New Covington, what Allie finds there will change the world forever—and possibly end human and vampire existence.

There's a new plague on the rise, a strain of the Red Lung virus that wiped out most of humanity generations ago—and this strain is deadly to humans and vampires alike. The only hope for a cure lies in the secrets Kanin carries, if Allie can get to him in time.

Allison thought that immortality was forever. But now, with eternity itself hanging in the balance, the lines between human and monster will blur even further, and Allie must face another choice she could never have imagined having to make.

Blood of Eden series:
Dawn of Eden (Novella in the 'Til the World Ends anthology)
The Immortal Rules
The Eternity Cure
The Forever Song

Visit Julie Kagawa's website for more information.

Review:
I'm finding it really hard to write a review for The Eternity Cure, I absolutely loved the first book in this series but for some reason this one didn't quite live up to my expectations. I enjoyed how dark The Immortal Rules was and it was great seeing a nasty side to vampires again but the thing I loved most was Allie, She was just such a fantastic character, she had been changed into the thing she hated the most because it was the only way to survive but she remained the kind of person who put everyone else's needs above her own even though she considered herself a monster. Allie was strong, smart and capable and more than anything she was a survivor, she was willing to fight for what she believed in and she wouldn't back down no matter what danger she had to face.

Unfortunately I think Allie lost some of that kick-arse attitude in this book, it's hard to put my finger on exactly what felt so different about her here but she started to really irritate me. I think it was the way she constantly mooned around over Zeke that started it (even when they're fighting for their lives she's more interested in thinking about kissing him than worrying about how to kill her enemies!) but it was also the fact that she's become so indecisive, the way she's turned her back on her principles to take the easy route, the way she spent half the book complaining about being a vampire and how terrible it was and especially the way she was so judgemental of other vampires for doing things that she has done herself. I don't know how it all went so horribly wrong with her and I really, REALLY hope she pulls herself together in The Forever Song.

As far as the plot goes the beginning of the book felt very slow to me, it seemed to take a long time for things to get going but once the pace picked up I started enjoying the story much more. I actually found myself coming to like Jackal (something I never would have expected!) probably because he was so honest about who and what he was. He had no problem killing people who got in his way which is something that Allie was constantly judging him for but he never pretends to be a good guy and he is after all a vampire. Allie herself was happy to kill when she felt the situation required it but she constantly berated Jackal for not following her own self imposed set of rules and I felt that she was a little hypocritical in her attitude.

I didn't hate The Eternity Cure, in fact there were a lot of things I liked about it - the search for Kanin, the changes to the Red Lung virus and the battle with Sarren to name a few - but it didn't wow me as much as I'd hoped it would. I'm still going to be reading the final book though because I really do have to know how things are going to turn out for Allie and her friends.

Source: Received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Paperback / Kindle

Review: 'Til the World Ends - Julie Kagawa, Ann Aguirre & Karen Duvall

New York Times bestselling and critically acclaimed authors Julie Kagawa, Ann Aguirre and Karen Duvall imagine what it takes to survive in a world where everything you know—and love—is about to disappear…forever.

Dawn of Eden by Julie Kagawa

Before The Immortal Rules, there was Red Lung, a relentless virus determined to take out all in its path. For Kylie, the miracle of her survival is also her burden—as a doctor at one of the clinics for the infected, she is forced to witness endless suffering. What's worse, strange things are happening to the remains of the dead, and by the time she befriends Ben Archer, she's beginning to wonder if a global pandemic is the least of her problems….

Thistle & Thorne by Ann Aguirre

After a catastrophic spill turns the country into a vast chemical wasteland, those who could afford it retreated to fortresses, self-contained communities run by powerful corporations. But for Mari Thistle, life on the outside—in the Red Zone—is a constant struggle. To protect her family, Mari teams up with the mysterious Thorne Goodman. Together, they'll face an evil plot in both the underworld of the Red Zone and the society inside the fortresses that could destroy those on the outside…for good.

Sun Storm by Karen Duvall

Sarah Daggot has been chasing storms since she was a child. But after the biggest solar flares in history nearly destroy the planet, she becomes a Kinetic, endowed by her exposure to extreme radiation with the power to sense coming storms—in the cosmos and beyond. And she's not the only one. Sarah believes the Kinetics are destined to join forces and halt the final onslaught of the sun. She'll vow to keep trying to convince the one missing link in their chain of defense, the enigmatic Ian Matthews, up until the world ends.

For more information about any of these authors you can visit their websites by clicking the links below:
Julie Kagawa
Ann Aguirre
Karen Duvall

Review:

Dawn of Eden - Julie Kagawa

Blood of Eden series:
Dawn of Eden (Novella in the 'Til the World Ends anthology)
The Immortal Rules
The Eternity Cure
The Forever Song

Dawn of Eden is a prequel to Julie Kagawa's Blood of Eden series, it's set long before events in The Immortal Rules and gives readers more insight into how the red lung plague initially started and just how quickly it spread. To be honest this story was the reason I wanted to read the anthology and it was a really nice addition to the series. It introduces us to two new characters: Kylie is a young doctor struggling to look after the patients at her field hospital with limited medical supplies and dwindling members of staff; and Ben is a young man who just wants to make it back to the isolated farm he grew up on to check that his family are okay. If you've read The Immortal Rules you'll probably recognise Ben's farm but I'm not going to say more than that in case you're new to the series.

This was a great prequel that hooked me in very quickly. It's quite dark (all the books in this anthology are to a certain extent) but there is a thread of hope running through it too. Ben and Kylie are great characters and I enjoyed the romance that develops between them. We get a brief appearance from Kanin too and it was interesting to learn a bit more about his past.

Thistle & Thorne - Ann Aguirre

I think Thistle & Thorne actually ended up being my favourite story in the anthology, as far as I can tell it's stand alone but the way things were left at the end has me hoping that we'll see more of these characters in the future - I would definitely purchase a full length novel about these two if Ann Aguirre decided to write one! This is set in a dark world where much of the land is desolate, the wealthy live in protected, gated communities while the poor struggle to survive in what's left of the old cities and towns. Life is hard, gangs rule and unless you keep your head down you're very likely to come under attack.

Mari Thistle is an expert thief but she only steals what she needs to survive and to keep her younger siblings safe. She is the sole provider for her family and when she catches the attention of one of the gang bosses she suddenly finds herself in deep trouble. Thorne is a member of the gang who isn't happy with the way things are run, he has been waiting for a chance to make a power play against the current leader and Mari gives him the perfect excuse. The two of them must work together to find a way to beat a dangerous enemy if they are going to have any hope of surviving.

I loved these two characters, Mari is fiercely independent and is used to having no one but herself to rely on. She is incredibly protective of her siblings and will do whatever it takes to keep them safe even if it costs her everything. Thorne is harder to read in the beginning, I wasn't sure what his motives were but it quickly becomes clear he has a good reason to want to change things. It's not easy for these two to trust anyone but the more time they spend together the better they are at reading each other. I enjoyed the world building and would love to revisit these characters so I'll be keeping my fingers crossed we see them again in the future.

Sunstorm - Karen Duvall

I actually ended up feeling disappointed by Sunstorm which was annoying because the story had so much potential. The world building was really interesting and I liked the idea of solar flares causing so much damage to the earth. Due to the strength of the flares people were now only able to leave their homes in darkness, daylight was too dangerous and would cause horrific burns to anyone caught outside with no shelter. A few people were able to survive the sunfever though and they gained some pretty interesting abilities.

I think the story fell down for me because of the characters, I found it hard to connect to any of them and I never felt particularly invested in what happened to them. There were frequently large jumps in time which made the story harder to follow and so many things that happened just seemed too conveniently placed just to move the plot forward. I still think the anthology is worth reading if only for the first two stories but this one could have been so much better.

Source: Received from publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Paperback:

Review: The Immortal Rules - Julie Kagawa

This is not your average vampire story, and these are not your average vampires. A rabid virus has killed off 6 billion humans, leaving a shell of a world, with the remains of the human population serving as blood cattle to the Vampire Prince and his followers. This is a world where vampires rule...

Allie 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 killed her mother and instill fear in the repressed population.

But after a disastrous food expedition, Allie is forced to make the decision she hoped she'd never have to face - die, or become one of them. Faced with her own mortality, Allie becomes what she despises most - a vampire. To survive, she must work with her vampire creator and learn the rules of the immortal, including the most important: go long enough without human blood, and you will go mad.

When Allie is separated from her creator, she flees into the unknown, to the world beyond the wall of her vampire city. There she joins a ragged band of humans who don't know what she is. These humans seek a legend, a cure to the Red Lung virus that decimated the population and created the rabids, the mindless creatures responsible for spreading the infection. But does such a cure exist? And can Allie prevent her vampire urges from destroying her new found family?

Blood of Eden series:
Dawn of Eden (Novella in the 'Til the World Ends anthology)
The Immortal Rules
The Eternity Cure
The Forever Song

Visit Julie Kagawa's website for more information.

Review:
Allie lives in a brutal futuristic world where a virus has wiped out the majority of the human population. The lack of humans to feed from caused vampires to come out of hiding and they have now taken control of the cities treating the remaining people as little more than cattle. People who are registered have to provide blood to the vampires and in exchange they are given a small amount of food to eat. Those who refuse to register live on the edges of society forced to steal and forage for food to survive but unable to leave the city for fear of the rabids (zombie like creatures) who are outside the city walls.

Allie hates the vampires and everything they stand for, she dreams of the humans rising up and fighting against them one day. Her life on the fringe of society is difficult but she has a crew who she lives with and they all help each other to survive. Then one day something terrible happens, an attack by the rabids leaves Allie with two choices - death or being turned into the thing she hates most. Although she hates the idea of becoming a vampire deep down Allie is a survivor so she takes the only option available to her. Forced to leave her home Allie is at the beginning of a difficult journey, she meets up with a group of humans who are searching for sanctuary but if they discover what she is they will never accept her.

The Immortal Rules is a fantastic start to Julie Kagawa's new series, the world she has created is dark and terrifying and it made a nice change to read about more traditional nasty vampires who look at humans as food. The world building was great giving enough information about the history to capture your interest and make it believable but not overwhelming the story with massive info dumps. I'm looking forward to discovering more as the series continues.

My favourite thing about the story was Allie though, she is a great heroine and one who always puts others before herself. When she was still human and living with her crew in the vampire city she looked out for the other members of the team and went hungry herself to make sure they had food too. Then once she has been changed she protects the human travellers that she meets even when she knows they would kill her if they discover her secret. I found it really interesting watching her try to come to terms with the fact that she has been changed into something that she has always hated, she has her opinions about vampires challenged but she has no doubt that she has been turned into a monster and she hates herself for it. I really want to find out more about Kanin, the vampire who changed her and hope he has a bigger part in the next book. I also loved Zeke who is second in command of the group that Allie meets on her journey.  It was nice to have hints of a possible romance but I'm glad that this didn't overtake the rest of the story.

Like I said I think The Immortal Rules is a fab start to the Blood of Eden series and it is a book I'd recommend to vampire fans and lovers of dystopian / post apocalyptic fiction. I can't wait for the next instalment!

Source: Initially received from publisher via NetGalley but I also received a print copy from Mira Ink in exchange for an honest review

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Paperback / Kindle

Book Trailer: The Immortal Rules - Julie Kagawa

Today I want to share the trailer and the animated cover for Julie Kagawa's new book The Immortal Rules. This is the first book in her new Blood of Eden series which is set in a brutal and frightening futuristic dystopian world where humans are blood slaves to the vampires who rule the cities. Anyone who refuses to become a blood slave has to fight for survival in a world where food is scarce and everyone is living in poverty. I will be posting my review of The Immortal Rules later today but I'll tell you now that it's a fantastic book and one I'd highly recommend!

This is not your average vampire story, and these are not your average vampires. A rabid virus has killed off 6 billion humans, leaving a shell of a world, with the remains of the human population serving as blood cattle to the Vampire Prince and his followers. This is a world where vampires rule...

Allie 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 killed her mother and instil fear in the repressed population.

But after a disastrous food expedition, Allie is forced to make the decision she hoped she'd never have to face - die, or become one of them. Faced with her own mortality, Allie becomes what she despises most - a vampire. To survive, she must work with her vampire creator and learn the rules of the immortal, including the most important: go long enough without human blood, and you will go mad.

When Allie is separated from her creator, she flees into the unknown, to the world beyond the wall of her vampire city. There she joins a ragged band of humans who don't know what she is. These humans seek a legend, a cure to the Red Lung virus that decimated the population and created the rabids, the mindless creatures responsible for spreading the infection. But does such a cure exist? And can Allie prevent her vampire urges from destroying her new found family?

What do you think of this really cool animated version of the cover?



and finally here is the trailer:



Don't forget to check out the other stops on The Immortal Rules blog tour:

Winner: The Immortal Rules - Julie Kagawa

With the help of Rafflecopter I am happy to announce the winner of a UK paperback copy of The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa is:

Brittany S (email address starting b_l2006@...)

Congratulations Brittany!  You should have already received an email from me asking for your address so please make sure you look out for it.  If I don't hear back from you within 48 hours then a new winner will be chosen.

1,000 Follower International Giveaway: The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa

When I started blogging back in 2010 I never expected that I would still be at it nearly two and a half years later. I also never thought that anyone would be interested in reading my rambling reviews so I can't tell you how shocked I was when I hit 1,000 blog followers a few weeks ago.

Since I just realised that this will be my 1,000th blog post I had to make it my 1,000 Followers Giveaway! I want to say a massive thank you to everyone who has ever visited my blog but especially those who have become regular readers and those who leave such lovely comments.

I don't usually make people follow to enter my giveaways but this time I'm making an exception because this is my way of saying thank you to the people who are followers. New followers are welcome to enter too though.

Anyway you probably want to know what I'm going to be giving away! I have a UK paperback of The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa to give to 1 lucky winner. This is the first book in Julie's new Blood of Eden series and sounds absolutely fantastic!

This is not your average vampire story, and these are not your average vampires. A rabid virus has killed off 6 billion humans, leaving a shell of a world, with the remains of the human population serving as blood cattle to the Vampire Prince and his followers. This is a world where vampires rule...

Allie 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 killed her mother and instil fear in the repressed population.

But after a disastrous food expedition, Allie is forced to make the decision she hoped she'd never have to face - die, or become one of them. Faced with her own mortality, Allie becomes what she despises most - a vampire. To survive, she must work with her vampire creator and learn the rules of the immortal, including the most important: go long enough without human blood, and you will go mad.

When Allie is separated from her creator, she flees into the unknown, to the world beyond the wall of her vampire city. There she joins a ragged band of humans who don't know what she is. These humans seek a legend, a cure to the Red Lung virus that decimated the population and created the rabids, the mindless creatures responsible for spreading the infection. But does such a cure exist? And can Allie prevent her vampire urges from destroying her new found family?

Giveaway Details:

• Courtesy of Mira Ink I have 1 UK paperback of The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa to giveaway to a lucky international winner.
• The winner will be chosen at random from all entries received.
• To enter please use the rafflecopter below to enter, as this giveaway is meant as a thank you to my followers you MUST be a follower to enter.
• There are optional extra entries for tweeting about the giveaway but that is not required to enter.
• The giveaway will close at 12:01am EST on the 23rd of April 2012 and the winner will be contacted soon afterwards. You will have 48 hours to reply to me with your address or a new winner will be chosen.

Review: Winter's Passage - Julie Kagawa

Meghan Chase used to be an ordinary girl...until she discovered that she is really a faery princess. After escaping from the clutches of the deadly Iron fey, Meghan must follow through on her promise to return to the equally dangerous Winter Court with her forbidden love, Prince Ash. But first, Meghan has one request: that they visit Puck--Meghan's best friend and servant of her father, King Oberon--who was gravely injured defending Meghan from the Iron Fey.

Yet Meghan and Ash's detour does not go unnoticed. They have caught the attention of an ancient, powerful hunter--a foe that even Ash may not be able to defeat....



The Iron Fey Series:
The Iron King
Winter's Passage (Novella)
The Iron Daughter
The Iron Queen
The Iron Knight

Visit Julie Kagawa's website for more information

Review:
Winter's Passage picks up Meghan's story right after the ending of The Iron King and gives us an insight into the journey she takes with Ash to fulfil her promise to return to the Winter Court with him.  While I wouldn't recommend reading Winter's Passage before you read The Iron King as it includes a couple of spoilers I would definitely recommend reading it before you move on to The Iron Daughter.

I thoroughly enjoyed Julie Kagawa's debut novel and am looking forward to continuing to read this series, she has created a world rich in mythology and full of interesting characters that has me hooked.  I love Meghan and Ash but Grimalkin remains my favourite character so I was glad to see him make an appearance in this story.  I can't tell you much about Winter's Passage without giving spoilers so I'll just say that it includes a little romance and plenty of action and is well worth reading, especially since it is a free addition to the series.  I love it when an author gives a little something extra to their fans! 

Source: I originally downloaded this copy via Netgalley but you can also find it as a free read on the Amazon Kindle

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Review: The Iron King - Julie Kagawa

Meghan Chase has a secret destiny - one she could never have imagined ...

Something has always felt slightly off in Meghan's life, ever since her father disappeared before her eyes when she was six. She has never quite fitted in at school...or at home.

When a dark stranger begins watching her from afar and her little brother is taken, Meghan senses that everything she's known is about to change.

She could never have guessed the truth. Meghan is the daughter of a faery king and a pawn in a deadly war. Now Meghan will have to choose between a normal life and her magical destiny - and between her best friend and a darkly dangerous prince.

It's time for Meghan to enter the faery world...

The Iron Fey Series:
The Iron King
Winter's Passage (Novella)
The Iron Daughter
The Iron Queen
The Iron Knight

Visit Julie Kagawa's website for more information

Review:
Meghan has never quite fitted in either at school or at home with her family, ever since the disappearance of her father something has just felt wrong.  She should be excitedly looking forward to her 16th birthday but too many strange occurrences are making her nervous.  Then her young brother seems to have a complete personality transplant and Meghan makes the horrifying discovery that the real Ethan has been kidnapped and a violent changeling has been left in his place.  Meghan is determined to get her brother back, even if it does mean venturing into the Nevernever and facing some of her worst nightmares.  But will she succeed and if she does what will it cost her?

I have heard so much about the Iron Fey series since The Iron King was released in the US last year that although the fey tend to be my least favorite paranormal creature I have been really looking forward to reading this book.  When I started reading it didn't take long before I was noticing things that reminded me of several other stories (A Midsummer Night's Dream, Alice in Wonderland and Labyrinth along with many others) and I loved the way Julie Kagawa has managed to give the flavor of some of my favorite fairy tales but still come up with a unique and interesting story that is completely her own.  You will find plenty of familiar mythology in there but Julie has also added a twist that I've never seen before and was very impressed with.  It's hard to say more about the twist without giving spoilers but I'm sure anyone who has read the book will know what I mean.

I liked Meghan, she was completely selfless when it came to her search for her brother and I liked the fact that she was willing to risk anything to make sure she got him home safely.  She does make mistakes but I think that is understandable considering the way she is thrown into the deep end with this whole new world with rules that she knows nothing about.  What I really appreciated was the fact that she learnt from her mistakes and didn't keep repeating them.  Her character really grew in confidence as she learnt more about her new surroundings and although she did need help from her friends at times she didn't just sit back and expect anyone to save her, in fact she tried hard to make sure she could save herself.

The Iron King has an interesting cast of supporting characters of which my favorite would have to be Grimalkin the talking cat who I adored.  I also really found myself liking Puck and the banter between him and Ash.  I want to learn more about both Puck and Ash and I'm hoping they have major roles in the rest of the series.  My only complaint would be that the romance happened a little too quickly and without me feeling much of a connection between the two characters.  I would have preferred more time spent on them getting to know each other, especially when there is a whole series for us to see things develop between them.  Having said that I am hopeful that we will see much more of this in future books and I'm looking forward to seeing what happens next.

Overall I'd say The Iron King is an impressive debut and the start of a series that I'm looking forward to reading more of.  I'm very curious to find out more about Julie's mythology and would recommend this book to any fans of a good fairytale.

Source: Received from Mira Ink in exchange for an honest review

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Author's Animal Antics - Julie Kagawa

Author's Animal Antics is a regular blog feature here at Feeling Fictional where I'm very excited to have some fantastic authors come and chat to us about their pets or share animal related stories.  I'm thrilled to introduce the lovely Julie Kagawa as my guest today...

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Hello, my name is Julie Kagawa, author of The Iron Fey series.  As a full-time writer, I'm often asked what I did before I was published.  The answer to that question is: a lot of things.  I worked as a clerk in a bookstore (which didn't go over so well; apparently, the managers frown upon reading books instead of shelving them), I was a pet store employee, I worked the desk at a veterinarian's office, and most recently, I was a dog trainer.

You might notice that most of my jobs either involved books or animals.  And you would be correct.  I love animals.  This probably comes from growing up on a farm and having every kind of pet imaginable: horses, rabbits, dogs, cats, chickens, pigs, ducks, cows, goats, and so on.  I've trained everything from horses and dogs, to parrots and cats.  Including a very special cat who helped me in my dog training classes and ultimately became the inspiration for Grimalkin.

He was a big, pure black cat named Shinobi (which is another word for "ninja".").  We adopted him from a rescue organization to keep our other cat (Sniper) company.  It quickly became clear that this cat was much smarter than your average feline.  I wondered how smart he really was so I decided to find out.  Using lunch meat and a clicker, I started short little training sessions with him.

It became quite clear that I wouldn't be able to train him the way I would a dog.  For one, while he was quite eager to work for lunch meat and pepperoni, it was only when he wanted to.  I couldn't force him to do anything, and when he decided we were done, we were done.  Still, he caught onto things faster then any dog I'd ever trained; he learned Sit in one session, Roll Over, Jump, Down, and Wave in a day.  I even got him to walk on a leash.

The greatest triumph came in one of my training classes, however.  I was working with a roomful of noisy, barking dogs, trying to explain the basics of clicker training, when one of the students asked, rather dubiously, if it would really work.  I brought Shinobi out, and in front of a dozen barking dogs, he performed all his tricks perfectly.

No one ever questioned me after that.  And people started coming into the store just to see the "trained cat."  Unfortunately, after a few weeks of this, Shinobi decided he'd had enough and simply stopped performing in public, no matter how much I begged.

So now he lives a life of luxury at home, playing with Sniper and our two dogs, his few weeks of fame behind him.  Sometimes, though, just for fun, I'll wave at him, just to see if he remembers.  And every so often, he waves back.

For more information on the Iron King and to find out about forthcoming releases from Mira Ink visit www.miraink.co.uk

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Thank you so much for visiting today Julie, I'm so impressed you managed to get Shinobi to perform on command - especially in front of a room full of dogs!  I know how stubborn my cats are and I can't imagine them doing anything like that.  I'm very tempted to go out & buy a clicker and give it a try though :o)  Grimalkin is one of my favorite characters in The Iron King so it was really nice to find out more about the cat who helped bring him to life.

Meghan Chase has a secret destiny - one she could never have imagined ...

Something has always felt slightly off in Meghan's life, ever since her father disappeared before her eyes when she was six.  She has never quite fitted in at school...or at home.

When a dark stranger begins watching her from afar and her little brother is taken, Meghan senses that everything she's known is about to change.

She could never have guessed the truth.  Meghan is the daughter of a faery king and a pawn in a deadly war.  Now Meghan will have to choose between a normal life and her magical destiny - and between her best friend and a darkly dangerous prince.

It's time for Meghan to enter the faery world...

Julie Kagawa is the author of the popular Iron Fey series that took the US by storm when it was released last year.  I've been wanting to read the series for what feels like forever so I was incredibly excited when book 1 The Iron King was released by Mira Ink in the UK in January.  Let me tell you now I really enjoyed the book (I'll be posting my full review later today so make sure you check back for more information) and I can't wait to read the rest of the series.  Luckily we don't have too long to wait book 2 The Iron Daughter will be out in the UK in April and book 3 The Iron Queen will be released in August.

If you'd like a chance to read a free ebook of The Iron King the Sunday Express is giving 1,000 copies away to UK readers.  Make sure you get hold of your copy quickly before they run out - you can find all of the details here.

Find out more about Julie and her work here - Julie's Website / The Iron Fey Website / Blog / Twitter / The Iron Fey Facebook Page

For more information about the Author's Animal Antics feature click here