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Blood of Eden #0.5 - Dawn of Eden
Till The World Ends: Dawn of Eden / Thistle & Thorne / Sun Storm
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 defence, the enigmatic Ian Matthews, up until the world ends.
FEATURING A PREQUEL TO THE IMMORTAL RULES BY JULIE KAGAWA
249 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 29, 2013
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6230 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 218 reviews
January 18, 2016
Labor Day Weekend and Half-Price Books 20% off sale were completely irresistible.
Really. I couldn't.
So I headed over and found a few books I knew were delightful and one I thought may be interesting.
Just guess which one was the dud.
Here, let me help you:
Death of the Necromancer review: http://clsiewert.wordpress.com/2013/0...
The Shadowed Sun review: http://clsiewert.wordpress.com/2013/0...
Review for Retribution Falls: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
But I'm a fan of the apocalypse genre, and I've heard both Aguirre and Kagawa's names around GR for quite a while. I often enjoy short stories/novellas. And, sale!, right?
Wrong.
Dawn of Eden, by Julie Kagawa: A woman running one of the last open clinics for victims of the Red Lung disease takes in two strangers, one of which has the disease. Unfortunately, his disease has mutated, spreading like wildfire among the already dead. The handsome living stranger, Ben, soon convinces Kylie they need to abandon the clinic and head to his estranged childhood home at a ranch in Illinois.
Overall, I was disappointed in the writing. It was acceptable, if slightly slightly flat. Plotting was completely predictable. A vaguely interesting disease premise/world-building was severely hampered by super-tropey characters that may indeed be deemed Too Stupid To Live. Alas, they do: apparently it is a prequel to one of her more popular series.
Thistle & Thorne by Ann Aguirre: A woman in the slums has a job forced upon her by the local gang-leader. Although it is a set-up, she becomes the excuse for a brutal campaign.
This was the standout in the collection. Just enough bones of some interesting world-building, decent plotting, and somewhat standard characters that actually have some depth to them. Slight beginnings of a romance that did not in any way interfere with problem resolution.
Sun Storm by Karen Duvall: yet another woman working at a hospital (sigh) in exchange for her demented father's care. She's a Deviant, a person who has been exposed to the devastating sun-showers and lived, developing a super-power. She meets Ian outside the hospital, and he tags along as she goes on a run to warn a nearby town of an incoming storm.
A meh, although it might appeal to fans of superheros and Rachael Cline's weather-related UF. Characterization is an inconsistent mess. Interesting world-building. Amazingly bad dialogue.
Truly, I'd advise a pass, unless you are a fan of any of the authors. It did convince me that Aquirre will likely be worth checking out further, while Kagawa won't.
March 27, 2013
Dawn of Eden by Julie Kagawa - 4 stars
In my review of The Immortal Rules, I complained rather loudly about the lack of backstory and the incomplete worldbuilding. With Dawn of Eden, Kagawa elegantly took care of that little problem and gave us a story that is informative (a foundation for this series, I’d say), at times terrifying, but also very human and warm.
Although it describes the apocalypse, Dawn of Eden has a strong underlying message of hope that cannot be ignored. Some of the horrors portrayed are difficult to stomach, and I don’t say this lightly. I’ve read my fair share of horror, but a scene or two in Dawn of Eden made me uncomfortable at the very least. On the other hand, love can be born in such awful circumstances, and that’s what Kagawa decided to show us.
I find it most interesting that this series puts Kanin front and center, even though he appears very briefly. I feel it’s reasonable to assume that he’ll be the one to find some solution in the future. Since he’s my favorite character, I’m very much looking forward to seeing more of him.
Thistle & Thorne by Ann Aguirre - 5 stars
It took no more than a few seconds for me to find myself completely immersed in this world. It’s amazing how Aguirre establishes her world building and her heroine’s voice in no more than two pages. Her world solidifies around you so quickly that you become captivated before you fully realize what’s going on. I’ve experienced this so many times now, but I never get tired of it.
Thistle and Thorne is begging to be a full-length novel. Now that I’ve caught a glimpse of this world, and especially the characters, there’s nothing I’d love more than to see it turned into a series. I’m quite willing to beg and bribe, if necessary.
The ending was perfect – it was both entirely satisfying and open enough to leave me hopeful and excited about things to come. The world Aguirre created has an enormous potential and I’m confident she’ll make the best of it. She always does.
Sun Storm by Karen Duvall - 3 stars
Sun Storm is a well-written and well-paced story, although it certainly isn’t without issues, especially in the romance department. I’m not a fan of couples that are drawn together by some supernatural force or that are get together in a situation where they have no other options because I feel it makes their love both unconvincing and less valuable. Some authors find a way to make it work regardless (Tahereh Mafi is an excellent example), but Karen Duvall is not among them, at least not in this case. Sarah and Ian were drawn to each other because of their abilities, they complemented each other perfectly. That left me wondering about the nature of their (rather sudden) attraction for each other. As hard as I tried, I just didn’t believe their feelings were genuine.
Sun Storm may be the weakest link in this anthology, but it’s still a decent enough tale. The worldbuilding alone is interesting and thought-provoking enough to make this story well worth your time.
In my review of The Immortal Rules, I complained rather loudly about the lack of backstory and the incomplete worldbuilding. With Dawn of Eden, Kagawa elegantly took care of that little problem and gave us a story that is informative (a foundation for this series, I’d say), at times terrifying, but also very human and warm.
Although it describes the apocalypse, Dawn of Eden has a strong underlying message of hope that cannot be ignored. Some of the horrors portrayed are difficult to stomach, and I don’t say this lightly. I’ve read my fair share of horror, but a scene or two in Dawn of Eden made me uncomfortable at the very least. On the other hand, love can be born in such awful circumstances, and that’s what Kagawa decided to show us.
I find it most interesting that this series puts Kanin front and center, even though he appears very briefly. I feel it’s reasonable to assume that he’ll be the one to find some solution in the future. Since he’s my favorite character, I’m very much looking forward to seeing more of him.
Thistle & Thorne by Ann Aguirre - 5 stars
It took no more than a few seconds for me to find myself completely immersed in this world. It’s amazing how Aguirre establishes her world building and her heroine’s voice in no more than two pages. Her world solidifies around you so quickly that you become captivated before you fully realize what’s going on. I’ve experienced this so many times now, but I never get tired of it.
Thistle and Thorne is begging to be a full-length novel. Now that I’ve caught a glimpse of this world, and especially the characters, there’s nothing I’d love more than to see it turned into a series. I’m quite willing to beg and bribe, if necessary.
The ending was perfect – it was both entirely satisfying and open enough to leave me hopeful and excited about things to come. The world Aguirre created has an enormous potential and I’m confident she’ll make the best of it. She always does.
Sun Storm by Karen Duvall - 3 stars
Sun Storm is a well-written and well-paced story, although it certainly isn’t without issues, especially in the romance department. I’m not a fan of couples that are drawn together by some supernatural force or that are get together in a situation where they have no other options because I feel it makes their love both unconvincing and less valuable. Some authors find a way to make it work regardless (Tahereh Mafi is an excellent example), but Karen Duvall is not among them, at least not in this case. Sarah and Ian were drawn to each other because of their abilities, they complemented each other perfectly. That left me wondering about the nature of their (rather sudden) attraction for each other. As hard as I tried, I just didn’t believe their feelings were genuine.
Sun Storm may be the weakest link in this anthology, but it’s still a decent enough tale. The worldbuilding alone is interesting and thought-provoking enough to make this story well worth your time.
March 27, 2013
Review for Dawn of Eden
“Whatever you’ve done, or think you’ve done, it’s over now. You can’t go back and change it. What you do about it, right now, from here on out, that’s the important thing”.
After reading The Immortal Rules, I made a promise to myself to read all the rest of the books in this fantastic series. So when I heard Kagawa was releasing a novella featuring Kanin, just in time to get you in the mood for The Eternity Cure I knew I had to get a copy. Dawn of Eden is the story based around before the rabids came into existence. The city is already on its last legs with so many people getting hit by the red lung disease that the hospitals are barely coping. That’s where we find our over working nurse Kylie, she’s losing patients all over the place despite her hard work, but she didn’t expect to be dealing with rabids when a guy called Ben brings his best friend in with unexplainable teeth marks.
What I was expecting by picking up Dawn of Eden was a greater understanding of Kanin’s character. His brief appearance in The Immortal Rules left one yearning for more, his appearance in Dawn of Eden was sort of disappointing, (I actually didn’t even realise it was even him until I finished the scene off!). But the story of Ben and Kylie trying to survive anyway they could had completely won me over that I sort of forgot my initial purpose in reading this book. I enjoyed following Ben and Kylie on their journey of finding a safe place away from the rabids. Of self-discovery and realising that when your life can end in an instant, you should spend each minute to the fullest and as if it’s your last. Kagawa once again created a fast paced story in Dawn of Eden, laced with dread in the pit of your stomach and a sweet romance. Fans of Kanin may be a little disappointed with this instalment, but I think fans of this series like myself will enjoy this teaser before The Eternity Cure hits the shelves.
Favourite quote:
“How do you do it?” I blinked. I’d gotten so used to his silence; the question caught me off guard. Strange, thinking I knew a man after only a few of hours with him. His brown eyes on me now, solemn and assessing. “Because you have to” I said, ducking through the back door with him behind me. “Because sometimes that’s the only thing that will get them through, the only thing that keeps them alive”.
“Whatever you’ve done, or think you’ve done, it’s over now. You can’t go back and change it. What you do about it, right now, from here on out, that’s the important thing”.
After reading The Immortal Rules, I made a promise to myself to read all the rest of the books in this fantastic series. So when I heard Kagawa was releasing a novella featuring Kanin, just in time to get you in the mood for The Eternity Cure I knew I had to get a copy. Dawn of Eden is the story based around before the rabids came into existence. The city is already on its last legs with so many people getting hit by the red lung disease that the hospitals are barely coping. That’s where we find our over working nurse Kylie, she’s losing patients all over the place despite her hard work, but she didn’t expect to be dealing with rabids when a guy called Ben brings his best friend in with unexplainable teeth marks.
What I was expecting by picking up Dawn of Eden was a greater understanding of Kanin’s character. His brief appearance in The Immortal Rules left one yearning for more, his appearance in Dawn of Eden was sort of disappointing, (I actually didn’t even realise it was even him until I finished the scene off!). But the story of Ben and Kylie trying to survive anyway they could had completely won me over that I sort of forgot my initial purpose in reading this book. I enjoyed following Ben and Kylie on their journey of finding a safe place away from the rabids. Of self-discovery and realising that when your life can end in an instant, you should spend each minute to the fullest and as if it’s your last. Kagawa once again created a fast paced story in Dawn of Eden, laced with dread in the pit of your stomach and a sweet romance. Fans of Kanin may be a little disappointed with this instalment, but I think fans of this series like myself will enjoy this teaser before The Eternity Cure hits the shelves.
Favourite quote:
“How do you do it?” I blinked. I’d gotten so used to his silence; the question caught me off guard. Strange, thinking I knew a man after only a few of hours with him. His brown eyes on me now, solemn and assessing. “Because you have to” I said, ducking through the back door with him behind me. “Because sometimes that’s the only thing that will get them through, the only thing that keeps them alive”.
September 18, 2019
Although I loved the first story I have to say that the other two fell short with me. Special the last one.
January 24, 2013
DAWN OF EDEN by Julie Kagawa
Typically with novellas there’s not a great deal of backstory for the characters or world, the short page length requiring the action to take place and the relationships to form more quickly, but to our utter delight, Ms. Kagawa’s contribution to this collection is the backstory itself. In it we get to experience the terrifying beginning of what will become the world of The Immortal Rules, the dark and bloody reality of the Red Lung virus depicted for us in gut-wrenching detail as humanity falls and the Rabids rise.
Though The Immortal Rules is a young adult series, albeit a gritty one, this prequel is perhaps more brutal and violent, and certainly more detailed on the romantic front, than The Immortal Rules, sliding it more firmly into the New Adult or adult category given its level of description. The relationship between Ben and Kylie is rich and layered despite the briefness of our time with them, their intimacy seeming to build slowly even though only days pass between their first meeting and a declaration of love, but even with such a short timeline Ms. Kagawa beautifully manages to give us a meaningful and genuine relationship – the birth of a love amidst the death of the world as we know it.
Rating: 4/5
THISTLE AND THORNE by Ann Aguirre
Ms. Aguirre adds a truly magnificent story to this anthology with "Thistle and Thorne", her uncanny ability to craft gorgeously complex characters used to its fullest with this all-too brief tale. Mari is a young woman who shows remarkable growth over the course of the story, her strength and desire to protect her brother and sister obvious from the beginning, but her time with Thorne molds her slowly but surely, adding layer after layer of steel to her already-existing armor coating. She’s a young woman who’s capable and deadly when necessary, yet she possesses none of the cockiness or swagger that typically accompanies abilities such as hers, instead recognizing her weaknesses and working around them to ensure she’s as effective a fighter, protector, and survivor as she can be.
Her relationship with Thorne is a fascinating contrast to what we saw expressed between Kylie and Ben in Ms. Kagawa’s story, the physical intimacy of the latter drastically different from the slightly strange (in the best way possible) and hesitant intimacy of the former. There’s hardly a touch exchanged between Mari and Thorne, but the air between them is thick with possibility and there’s a sense of unspoken understanding that gradually forms, building and strengthening until it becomes an almost physical caress we can feel down to our bones. The beauty of the promise between Mari and Thorne lingers in our hearts and minds long after reading, and it's my deepest wish and most sincere hope that Ms. Aguirre will see fit to return to this world at some point and explore their relationship further.
Rating: 5/5
SUN STORM by Karen Duvall
Though the bleak world depicted in the final novella of this anthology is as fascinating as the two that preceded it, inspiring in us the same thankfulness that our reality is–as of yet–still a far cry from the desperation and devastation portrayed page to page, the characters themselves pale a bit in comparison to our previous two couples. Sarah is a bit of an emotional cyclone, forming an opinion and passing judgment one minute only to spin 180 degrees the next, trusting Ian and then condemning him for his actions before quickly apologizing when her accusations prove false. Additionally, their feelings for one another form quickly and easily, which would be fine as Kylie and Ben’s did as well, but Sarah and Ian’s relationship lacks the poignancy we experienced just pages before with Ms. Kagawa’s and Ms. Aguirre’s contributions.
Overall "Sun Storm" is a quick and entertaining read, but it has the misfortune of following two stories where the characters shine brightly from the pages, illuminating their dark worlds with the beauty and strength of their radiance.
Rating: 3/5
Typically with novellas there’s not a great deal of backstory for the characters or world, the short page length requiring the action to take place and the relationships to form more quickly, but to our utter delight, Ms. Kagawa’s contribution to this collection is the backstory itself. In it we get to experience the terrifying beginning of what will become the world of The Immortal Rules, the dark and bloody reality of the Red Lung virus depicted for us in gut-wrenching detail as humanity falls and the Rabids rise.
Though The Immortal Rules is a young adult series, albeit a gritty one, this prequel is perhaps more brutal and violent, and certainly more detailed on the romantic front, than The Immortal Rules, sliding it more firmly into the New Adult or adult category given its level of description. The relationship between Ben and Kylie is rich and layered despite the briefness of our time with them, their intimacy seeming to build slowly even though only days pass between their first meeting and a declaration of love, but even with such a short timeline Ms. Kagawa beautifully manages to give us a meaningful and genuine relationship – the birth of a love amidst the death of the world as we know it.
Rating: 4/5
THISTLE AND THORNE by Ann Aguirre
Ms. Aguirre adds a truly magnificent story to this anthology with "Thistle and Thorne", her uncanny ability to craft gorgeously complex characters used to its fullest with this all-too brief tale. Mari is a young woman who shows remarkable growth over the course of the story, her strength and desire to protect her brother and sister obvious from the beginning, but her time with Thorne molds her slowly but surely, adding layer after layer of steel to her already-existing armor coating. She’s a young woman who’s capable and deadly when necessary, yet she possesses none of the cockiness or swagger that typically accompanies abilities such as hers, instead recognizing her weaknesses and working around them to ensure she’s as effective a fighter, protector, and survivor as she can be.
Her relationship with Thorne is a fascinating contrast to what we saw expressed between Kylie and Ben in Ms. Kagawa’s story, the physical intimacy of the latter drastically different from the slightly strange (in the best way possible) and hesitant intimacy of the former. There’s hardly a touch exchanged between Mari and Thorne, but the air between them is thick with possibility and there’s a sense of unspoken understanding that gradually forms, building and strengthening until it becomes an almost physical caress we can feel down to our bones. The beauty of the promise between Mari and Thorne lingers in our hearts and minds long after reading, and it's my deepest wish and most sincere hope that Ms. Aguirre will see fit to return to this world at some point and explore their relationship further.
Rating: 5/5
SUN STORM by Karen Duvall
Though the bleak world depicted in the final novella of this anthology is as fascinating as the two that preceded it, inspiring in us the same thankfulness that our reality is–as of yet–still a far cry from the desperation and devastation portrayed page to page, the characters themselves pale a bit in comparison to our previous two couples. Sarah is a bit of an emotional cyclone, forming an opinion and passing judgment one minute only to spin 180 degrees the next, trusting Ian and then condemning him for his actions before quickly apologizing when her accusations prove false. Additionally, their feelings for one another form quickly and easily, which would be fine as Kylie and Ben’s did as well, but Sarah and Ian’s relationship lacks the poignancy we experienced just pages before with Ms. Kagawa’s and Ms. Aguirre’s contributions.
Overall "Sun Storm" is a quick and entertaining read, but it has the misfortune of following two stories where the characters shine brightly from the pages, illuminating their dark worlds with the beauty and strength of their radiance.
Rating: 3/5
January 7, 2013
Really good anthology.
’Til the World Ends is an anthology of three novellas about a post-apocalyptic world. I was excited to read this anthology mostly because of Julie Kagawa’s story Dawn of Eden, the prequel to her highly successful Blood of Eden series. I’ve enjoyed Ann Aguirre’s Sirantha Jax series and Karen Duval was a new to me author.
Dawn of Eden by Julie Kagawa
Easily my favorite story in the anthology, or perhaps it was because I was familiar with this world. Dawn of Eden is the story of the aftermath of the Red Lung virus and the beginnings of the scary vampire-human zombie like creatures that rule the night. This story focuses on Kylie, a Red Lung virus survivor and Ben Archer. Ben is headed home to his estranged family. The story is exciting and the pacing is frenetic. Some interesting revelations are made about the hybrids. There is also the appearance of a mysterious character, identified only as K. Well done and darker than The Immortal Rules. Recommended that The Immortal Rules be read BEFORE this novella.
Rating: 4 stars
Thistle and Thorne by Ann Aguirre
I’m not really sure if this story fits into any of Ms. Aguirre’s series. This is an interesting take about a corrupt world set in the future after some world changing chemical spills. The world is lacking in resources and the main character resorts to theft in order to feed her younger siblings. She pairs up with an enforcer and the two of them work to unseat an incredibly bloodthirsty and corrupt official. I loved how this unlikely couple worked together. Nicely done.
Rating: 4 stars
Sun Spots by Karen Duval
I’ve never read anything by Ms. Duval, but I think I may need to look up some of her books. Sun Spots takes place after a devastating event called The Bell Ringer. The sun sends down deadly sparks that can kill most humans. Our heroine Sarah is able to predict these storms and makes it her purpose to warn people to take shelter when these storms arrive. She meets Ian who is able to control the weather. They soon realize that their powers are complementary and seek out government officials because Sarah has a premonition of a catastrophic end of the world. Sun Spots was an interesting story that held my attention throughout.
Rating: 4 stars
Overall, this was an enjoyable anthology and I am looking forward to reading more books by these authors.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin books for a review copy of this book.
Review posted on Badass Book Reviews.
’Til the World Ends is an anthology of three novellas about a post-apocalyptic world. I was excited to read this anthology mostly because of Julie Kagawa’s story Dawn of Eden, the prequel to her highly successful Blood of Eden series. I’ve enjoyed Ann Aguirre’s Sirantha Jax series and Karen Duval was a new to me author.
Dawn of Eden by Julie Kagawa
Easily my favorite story in the anthology, or perhaps it was because I was familiar with this world. Dawn of Eden is the story of the aftermath of the Red Lung virus and the beginnings of the scary vampire-human zombie like creatures that rule the night. This story focuses on Kylie, a Red Lung virus survivor and Ben Archer. Ben is headed home to his estranged family. The story is exciting and the pacing is frenetic. Some interesting revelations are made about the hybrids. There is also the appearance of a mysterious character, identified only as K. Well done and darker than The Immortal Rules. Recommended that The Immortal Rules be read BEFORE this novella.
Rating: 4 stars
Thistle and Thorne by Ann Aguirre
I’m not really sure if this story fits into any of Ms. Aguirre’s series. This is an interesting take about a corrupt world set in the future after some world changing chemical spills. The world is lacking in resources and the main character resorts to theft in order to feed her younger siblings. She pairs up with an enforcer and the two of them work to unseat an incredibly bloodthirsty and corrupt official. I loved how this unlikely couple worked together. Nicely done.
Rating: 4 stars
Sun Spots by Karen Duval
I’ve never read anything by Ms. Duval, but I think I may need to look up some of her books. Sun Spots takes place after a devastating event called The Bell Ringer. The sun sends down deadly sparks that can kill most humans. Our heroine Sarah is able to predict these storms and makes it her purpose to warn people to take shelter when these storms arrive. She meets Ian who is able to control the weather. They soon realize that their powers are complementary and seek out government officials because Sarah has a premonition of a catastrophic end of the world. Sun Spots was an interesting story that held my attention throughout.
Rating: 4 stars
Overall, this was an enjoyable anthology and I am looking forward to reading more books by these authors.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin books for a review copy of this book.
Review posted on Badass Book Reviews.
October 5, 2015
Final rating: 3.75/5 stars
This will not be a long review. In fact, I will just write what I think about it. I won't go into details.
This book is anthology consisting of three stories. I read this book because of the Blood of Eden series.
♦ Dawn of Eden by Julie Kagawa story was very interesting. I liked it, and most of all i loved the fact that it was how it began. Not to mention that , so this made me even more satisfied.
♦ Thistle & Thorne by Ann Aguirre story was nice. Even though it was short, it was well written and characters were good. But even though it was dystopia, i had a feeling it was all too normal. But that is okay too, because it held my attention.
♦ Sun Storm by Karen Duvall was the most interesting story I have read. I liked it, i liked the characters and i really loved the idea. I wish it was a series, because author could have made a great series, or more preferably, a full novel. Ending was too rushed though - i expected at least a full chapter, which was delivered in few paragraphs instead. But it was good nonetheless.
____________________________________________
OVERALL :
____________________________________________
The stories were well done, and they have held my attention. They could have all made great standalone novels, because they were written with a good potential to stand as a good series- except for the Blood of Eden, which is already trilogy.
____________________________________________
● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●
____________________________________________
MY BLOOD OF EDEN REVIEWS:
◉ 'Til the World Ends (Blood of Eden, #0.5)
◉ The Immortal Rules (Blood of Eden, #1)
◉ The Eternity Cure (Blood of Eden, #2)
◉ The Forever Song (Blood of Eden, #3)
This will not be a long review. In fact, I will just write what I think about it. I won't go into details.
This book is anthology consisting of three stories. I read this book because of the Blood of Eden series.
♦ Dawn of Eden by Julie Kagawa story was very interesting. I liked it, and most of all i loved the fact that it was how it began. Not to mention that , so this made me even more satisfied.
♦ Thistle & Thorne by Ann Aguirre story was nice. Even though it was short, it was well written and characters were good. But even though it was dystopia, i had a feeling it was all too normal. But that is okay too, because it held my attention.
♦ Sun Storm by Karen Duvall was the most interesting story I have read. I liked it, i liked the characters and i really loved the idea. I wish it was a series, because author could have made a great series, or more preferably, a full novel. Ending was too rushed though - i expected at least a full chapter, which was delivered in few paragraphs instead. But it was good nonetheless.
____________________________________________
OVERALL :
____________________________________________
The stories were well done, and they have held my attention. They could have all made great standalone novels, because they were written with a good potential to stand as a good series- except for the Blood of Eden, which is already trilogy.
____________________________________________
● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●
____________________________________________
MY BLOOD OF EDEN REVIEWS:
◉ 'Til the World Ends (Blood of Eden, #0.5)
◉ The Immortal Rules (Blood of Eden, #1)
◉ The Eternity Cure (Blood of Eden, #2)
◉ The Forever Song (Blood of Eden, #3)
May 13, 2013
The review is only for Dawn of Eden.
This is a prequel to the Blood of Eden series. It was a very good read. The story is not focused on the main characters of Kagawa's The Immortal Rules but on a different set of characters - the predecessors of the Archer family. In The Immortal Rules an important things happened when Zeke's group was at the Archer's. In this prequel Kanin appears for a short but important moment and that's the point where you understand the message of Dawn of Eden.
Although the story describes the start of the apocalypse with quite vivid horror scenes, it has a strong underlying message of hope. And Kagawa chooses to show us that love can be born even in the most awful circumstances. The romance between Ben and Kylie is very nice.
Overall Kagawa gives a good view of how the horror of rabidism started. The story is exciting and scary with great action scenes and even a real good sex scene!
This is a prequel to the Blood of Eden series. It was a very good read. The story is not focused on the main characters of Kagawa's The Immortal Rules but on a different set of characters - the predecessors of the Archer family. In The Immortal Rules an important things happened when Zeke's group was at the Archer's. In this prequel Kanin appears for a short but important moment and that's the point where you understand the message of Dawn of Eden.
Although the story describes the start of the apocalypse with quite vivid horror scenes, it has a strong underlying message of hope. And Kagawa chooses to show us that love can be born even in the most awful circumstances. The romance between Ben and Kylie is very nice.
Overall Kagawa gives a good view of how the horror of rabidism started. The story is exciting and scary with great action scenes and even a real good sex scene!
February 26, 2013
This book is fabulous prequel to The Immortal Rules, it gives all the background to how things actually are as they are...
The story that builds up between Kylie and Ben is fast but still well worth reading... I really enjoyed this book, although I have to say that is was rather scary in places!
Definitely worth reading prior to The Immortal Rules.
The story that builds up between Kylie and Ben is fast but still well worth reading... I really enjoyed this book, although I have to say that is was rather scary in places!
Definitely worth reading prior to The Immortal Rules.
Want to read
September 19, 2012JULIE!
That is all.
January 9, 2013
I never read anthologies, or short stories for that matter. Unless they have something to do with a bigger series. That's why I couldn't wait for 'Til The World Ends to come out, because it had a short prequel story on The Immortal Rules. Dawn of Eden might have been what pulled me in but the rest of the stories made me stick around. If I were to review each story in a paragraph or less this is what it would look like:
Dawn of Eden by Julie Kagawa 4/5
Was just right. It is simply a brilliant move by the author, and completely not what I was expecting. In it Julie Kagawa introduces us to a whole new facet of The Immortal Rules world, and I am not just talking about the world before the vampires took over. In it we get to see the story through an adult's eyes. The Immortal Rules is a strictly YA series, with some adults in it sure but the main character is a young recently turned vampire. So the change in MC was able to both change our perspective and build upon was already there by inserting a completely new voice into this infected world. If I were to give a rating to Dawn of Eden I'd give it a 4/5. It was interesting, and entertaining, but with the new spin come some downfalls. Because though I do encourage, and applaud, the change in MC I think some people may not take a liking to the new girl. At least to me the new female character wasn't as engaging as Allison is. On the other hand the ending left me unsatisfied. I have no idea what happens to the characters, and though the ending promises good things I can only expect the bad. There are uncontrollable vampires around, not to mention rabids!! For the setting of this novel expect something like The Walking Dead (first season), only the zombies are rabids and they are faster and stronger, hence deadlier. So the Walking Dead meets 28 Days Later.
Beware: Some sexy scenes, as in actual sex, lurk between these pages so I advise you to proceed with caution when it comes to Blood of Eden. These two adults definitely get it on.
Thistle & Thorne by Ann Aguirre 5/5
If I had to describe this story in one word I would have to go with: Fan-fucking-tastic! It was by far my favorite one of the entire book!
Here I was about to call it a day after I finished Dawn of Eden when I said to myself: "Self, you should probably give the other two stories a shot". I am very glad I give such advice because I am forever a fan of Ann Aguirre now. Actually, after reading her story I went on Goodreads, looked for everything else she has written and promptly friend requested her (still waiting on a response but here's to hoping). I am really, really hoping Thirstle & Thorne has a sequel, because their story is too good to pass on. The world built is one were the gap between the rich and the poor is so big they might as well live in two different worlds. The rich live inside this wall enclosed bubble were they don't have to worry about basic things like food, shelter, or medicine, while on the other side of the fence everybody is fucked. They have to resolve to steal from each other to continue living, and their shit hole is ran by a crazed crime lord. Mari, our main girl, is from the bad part of town. She, as well as her family before her, is an expert thief. This is what gets her in trouble in the end, she fails to steal something and that gets the ball rolling. You might think this story might potentially have some romance involved in it, but it doesn't. Everything between Mari and Thorne is exclusively business. That is, for now I think. Thorne is not your average guy. He is a thug, he is a criminal of sorts (not to say he is all bad but he makes sure you don't grow fantasies about his character), and he wants to dethrone the crazy lord. For that to happen though he is going to need Mari's help, and what comes after that is a whole lot of trouble and a world of fun.
I know I said I would review it in one paragraph but this story is so good it needs a little more so bear with me. The reason the world is so fucked in this story is due to chemical spills and things like that. Which is credible, but there is a lot of back story that is missing. Again, understandable because this is but a short story and it doesn't have enough pages to give us a history lesson. What it does do is entertain the hell out of you and keep you at the edge of your seat, sort of like Dawn of Eden does. It is smart, it is good, and I cannot wait for something to come out of it.
Sun Storm by Karen Duvall 2/5
This was by far my least favorite story. It was just hard to get through, and even harder to swallow. The world has been screwed by the sun; it hit us with it's fiery whip and we were doomed. Ever since these "sun storms" happen every often and if they manage to touch you then you are screwed because you die a horrible painful death. That is unless you are magically elected to have super awesome powers... oooookay. I had problems with the main character (annoying), the circumstances of the dystopian world, the pace, the problems faced, the romance, the fantastical ending... Let's just say this one wasn't for me. The romance was rushed and suffers from, dare I say it, insta love.
UGH, they were JUST meant for each other. And I get it that in a dystopian world you might want to speed the process along, but really, why are these two together? I think it's just because of their kynetic powers but that's just me. I have the hots for you, literally, you have the hots for me, want to fall in love in like a day and save the world?! Aaam, no thanks lady and get the hell away from me?
Overall it was a 2/3 and I would gladly recommend it not only because of Julie Kagawa's great story but athe other ones had a lot to offer as well (at least T&T did, and ST might for you).
Dawn of Eden by Julie Kagawa 4/5
Was just right. It is simply a brilliant move by the author, and completely not what I was expecting. In it Julie Kagawa introduces us to a whole new facet of The Immortal Rules world, and I am not just talking about the world before the vampires took over. In it we get to see the story through an adult's eyes. The Immortal Rules is a strictly YA series, with some adults in it sure but the main character is a young recently turned vampire. So the change in MC was able to both change our perspective and build upon was already there by inserting a completely new voice into this infected world. If I were to give a rating to Dawn of Eden I'd give it a 4/5. It was interesting, and entertaining, but with the new spin come some downfalls. Because though I do encourage, and applaud, the change in MC I think some people may not take a liking to the new girl. At least to me the new female character wasn't as engaging as Allison is. On the other hand the ending left me unsatisfied. I have no idea what happens to the characters, and though the ending promises good things I can only expect the bad. There are uncontrollable vampires around, not to mention rabids!! For the setting of this novel expect something like The Walking Dead (first season), only the zombies are rabids and they are faster and stronger, hence deadlier. So the Walking Dead meets 28 Days Later.
Beware: Some sexy scenes, as in actual sex, lurk between these pages so I advise you to proceed with caution when it comes to Blood of Eden. These two adults definitely get it on.
Thistle & Thorne by Ann Aguirre 5/5
If I had to describe this story in one word I would have to go with: Fan-fucking-tastic! It was by far my favorite one of the entire book!
Here I was about to call it a day after I finished Dawn of Eden when I said to myself: "Self, you should probably give the other two stories a shot". I am very glad I give such advice because I am forever a fan of Ann Aguirre now. Actually, after reading her story I went on Goodreads, looked for everything else she has written and promptly friend requested her (still waiting on a response but here's to hoping). I am really, really hoping Thirstle & Thorne has a sequel, because their story is too good to pass on. The world built is one were the gap between the rich and the poor is so big they might as well live in two different worlds. The rich live inside this wall enclosed bubble were they don't have to worry about basic things like food, shelter, or medicine, while on the other side of the fence everybody is fucked. They have to resolve to steal from each other to continue living, and their shit hole is ran by a crazed crime lord. Mari, our main girl, is from the bad part of town. She, as well as her family before her, is an expert thief. This is what gets her in trouble in the end, she fails to steal something and that gets the ball rolling. You might think this story might potentially have some romance involved in it, but it doesn't. Everything between Mari and Thorne is exclusively business. That is, for now I think. Thorne is not your average guy. He is a thug, he is a criminal of sorts (not to say he is all bad but he makes sure you don't grow fantasies about his character), and he wants to dethrone the crazy lord. For that to happen though he is going to need Mari's help, and what comes after that is a whole lot of trouble and a world of fun.
I know I said I would review it in one paragraph but this story is so good it needs a little more so bear with me. The reason the world is so fucked in this story is due to chemical spills and things like that. Which is credible, but there is a lot of back story that is missing. Again, understandable because this is but a short story and it doesn't have enough pages to give us a history lesson. What it does do is entertain the hell out of you and keep you at the edge of your seat, sort of like Dawn of Eden does. It is smart, it is good, and I cannot wait for something to come out of it.
Sun Storm by Karen Duvall 2/5
This was by far my least favorite story. It was just hard to get through, and even harder to swallow. The world has been screwed by the sun; it hit us with it's fiery whip and we were doomed. Ever since these "sun storms" happen every often and if they manage to touch you then you are screwed because you die a horrible painful death. That is unless you are magically elected to have super awesome powers... oooookay. I had problems with the main character (annoying), the circumstances of the dystopian world, the pace, the problems faced, the romance, the fantastical ending... Let's just say this one wasn't for me. The romance was rushed and suffers from, dare I say it, insta love.
UGH, they were JUST meant for each other. And I get it that in a dystopian world you might want to speed the process along, but really, why are these two together? I think it's just because of their kynetic powers but that's just me. I have the hots for you, literally, you have the hots for me, want to fall in love in like a day and save the world?! Aaam, no thanks lady and get the hell away from me?
Overall it was a 2/3 and I would gladly recommend it not only because of Julie Kagawa's great story but athe other ones had a lot to offer as well (at least T&T did, and ST might for you).
October 25, 2015
Dawn of Eden - Julie Kagawa (4 stars)
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 (4 stars)
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 (2.5 stars)
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.
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 (4 stars)
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 (2.5 stars)
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.
January 19, 2013
Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales
Quick & Dirty: A collection of stories that will make you think twice about the end of the world.
The Review:
Dawn of Eden by Julie Kagawa – 4 of 5 stars
I didn’t realize Dawn of Eden was a prequel to Immortal Rules until after the end. And that might have been a good thing. I was enthralled by the story, the world, and Kagawa’s characters. Once I was finished with the story, I instantly wanted more. Dawn of Eden seemed a little more adult than The Immortal Rules, with a darker tone and definitely a more somber theme.
Dawn of Eden had a complex world, evolving and decaying around the Red Lung virus. The Red Lung virus has spread across the United States, slowly infecting the citizens one at a time. In the beginning, it was only thought to be a severe and life-threatening flu, but everyone was wrong. In an apocalyptic-style world, it’s every man for himself. And for the main character, she has opted to stay behind to care for those who cannot care for themselves.
Kagawa approaches this prequel in a different way, allowing the reader to imagine a realistic world and then turn it upside down. An outbreak that leads to vampires, that swarms like rabid zombies. Scary, no? I loved how engaging Kagawa wrote her characters. I felt more involved and invested than I normally would in a short story. Definitely my favorite of this anthology.
Thistle & Thorne by Ann Aguirre – 3 of 5 stars
Living in a wasteland surrounded Fortress, there is a division of the world between the rich and the poor. The world is full of corruption and ugliness, changing to evolve around chemicals and spills. Like in most futuristic worlds, the world of Thistle & Thorne lacks resources. Most have to steal and pillage to survive, as is the case of our young siblings.
Mari must do what she can to survive, even if she is to work for Starvos, the local bossman. Mari scavenges and pawn, doing what she can to deliver goods to her employer. But in her neighborhood, things aren’t as bleak as others, and this is the reason Starvos wants her out of the picture. In a job gone wrong, she meets Thorne.
Mari was very innocent, at least from my perception. I felt that she seemed too innocent given the life that she leads. She is straightforward and honest, well as honest as one can be given who her employer is. I didn’t instantly connect with, not until she met Thorne. Thorne is the rogue knight in shining armor. He isn’t so clean and proper, but instead he’s a guy’s guy. He has unclear motivations, and I think it was because of that uncertain reason that fascinated me. There was chemistry between the two and it made for a pleasant read. Thistle & Thorne had a slow start for me, but slowly picked up the pace.
Sun Storm by Karen Duvall – 2 of 5 stars
It was difficult for me to get into Sun Storm. I’m not certain if it was the disconnect between the characters and I, or even if it was the plot, but it took a while for me to finish this story. It’s also personal preference, so I still think you should give this story a shot.
In Sun Storm, the trees are leafless and the lawns are brown. The rooftops are charred, because the world is enveloped with the scorching heat of the sun. No one dares venture outside anymore. Exposure kills you with Sun Fever, if you’re lucky. Otherwise, you’re left with altered DNA. In Sun Storm’s dystopian world, the circumstances were beyond the realms of fantasy.
I didn’t connect with Sarah or Ian. Sarah seemed a little much and I didn’t find anything to relate with her. The relationship was hard to accept. In a case of insta-love, it was really fast. It seemed rushed and I couldn’t take a moment to accept what was going on. Sarah seemed a little much and I didn’t find anything to relate with her.
FTC Advisory: Harlequin Luna provided me with a copy of ‘Til The World Ends. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review. In addition, I don’t receive affiliate fees for anything purchased via links from my site.
Quick & Dirty: A collection of stories that will make you think twice about the end of the world.
The Review:
Dawn of Eden by Julie Kagawa – 4 of 5 stars
I didn’t realize Dawn of Eden was a prequel to Immortal Rules until after the end. And that might have been a good thing. I was enthralled by the story, the world, and Kagawa’s characters. Once I was finished with the story, I instantly wanted more. Dawn of Eden seemed a little more adult than The Immortal Rules, with a darker tone and definitely a more somber theme.
Dawn of Eden had a complex world, evolving and decaying around the Red Lung virus. The Red Lung virus has spread across the United States, slowly infecting the citizens one at a time. In the beginning, it was only thought to be a severe and life-threatening flu, but everyone was wrong. In an apocalyptic-style world, it’s every man for himself. And for the main character, she has opted to stay behind to care for those who cannot care for themselves.
Kagawa approaches this prequel in a different way, allowing the reader to imagine a realistic world and then turn it upside down. An outbreak that leads to vampires, that swarms like rabid zombies. Scary, no? I loved how engaging Kagawa wrote her characters. I felt more involved and invested than I normally would in a short story. Definitely my favorite of this anthology.
Thistle & Thorne by Ann Aguirre – 3 of 5 stars
Living in a wasteland surrounded Fortress, there is a division of the world between the rich and the poor. The world is full of corruption and ugliness, changing to evolve around chemicals and spills. Like in most futuristic worlds, the world of Thistle & Thorne lacks resources. Most have to steal and pillage to survive, as is the case of our young siblings.
Mari must do what she can to survive, even if she is to work for Starvos, the local bossman. Mari scavenges and pawn, doing what she can to deliver goods to her employer. But in her neighborhood, things aren’t as bleak as others, and this is the reason Starvos wants her out of the picture. In a job gone wrong, she meets Thorne.
Mari was very innocent, at least from my perception. I felt that she seemed too innocent given the life that she leads. She is straightforward and honest, well as honest as one can be given who her employer is. I didn’t instantly connect with, not until she met Thorne. Thorne is the rogue knight in shining armor. He isn’t so clean and proper, but instead he’s a guy’s guy. He has unclear motivations, and I think it was because of that uncertain reason that fascinated me. There was chemistry between the two and it made for a pleasant read. Thistle & Thorne had a slow start for me, but slowly picked up the pace.
Sun Storm by Karen Duvall – 2 of 5 stars
It was difficult for me to get into Sun Storm. I’m not certain if it was the disconnect between the characters and I, or even if it was the plot, but it took a while for me to finish this story. It’s also personal preference, so I still think you should give this story a shot.
In Sun Storm, the trees are leafless and the lawns are brown. The rooftops are charred, because the world is enveloped with the scorching heat of the sun. No one dares venture outside anymore. Exposure kills you with Sun Fever, if you’re lucky. Otherwise, you’re left with altered DNA. In Sun Storm’s dystopian world, the circumstances were beyond the realms of fantasy.
I didn’t connect with Sarah or Ian. Sarah seemed a little much and I didn’t find anything to relate with her. The relationship was hard to accept. In a case of insta-love, it was really fast. It seemed rushed and I couldn’t take a moment to accept what was going on. Sarah seemed a little much and I didn’t find anything to relate with her.
FTC Advisory: Harlequin Luna provided me with a copy of ‘Til The World Ends. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review. In addition, I don’t receive affiliate fees for anything purchased via links from my site.
June 7, 2013
Initial thoughts: Of all the stories in this compilation, I think Ann Aguirre's "Thistle and Thorn" impressed me the most, followed by Kagawa's "Blood of Eden" (which was good but I had some qualms about it), then Karen Duvall's "Sun Storm" (which I didn't really care for that much).
Full review:
I thought "Til' the World Ends" was a decent collection of dystopian realmed stories that focus on romance and harrowing action. The stories themselves had variant quality and I'll reflect on my reactions to the individual novellas below. If I were rating this collection on an overarching note, it would be around 3.5 stars.
"Blood of Eden" by Julie Kagawa
I feel absolutely terrible for reading this prequel story before "The Immortal Rules", because looking back on it - Holy spoilerific Batman. I went into this story blind, and for what its worth, this novella can be read on its own without any prior knowledge of the realm of "Immortal Rules". However, there are so many things you are likely to miss that have significant weight in the story if you don't read "Immortal Rules" beforehand, though it doesn't feature all of the same character. Kylie is a young doctor focused on working towards treating patients with the rampant Red Lung virus. She feels ill at ease with all the blood and losses that occur around her, but something interesting happens when a guy around her age named Ben Archer brings in a friend who needs treatment...and then becomes something that neither of them expect.
Pretty much this is the equivalent of featuring vampire zombies within an apocalyptic scenario. The vampire beings in here are called "Rabids" and pretty much turn anything they bite and kill into one of their own. It is not a pretty scenario. For what it's worth, I liked Kylie and Ben both, and the story does start on an intriguing note with the expansions on the virus, the world, and the overarching scenario. But I felt a little at odds with the subsequent romance. I wasn't expecting the sexy times scene in the shed while Rabids were pounding on their door. It was steamy, don't get me wrong, just...a little awkward in transition in a story I expected to be more horrifying. And there's a bit of roughness even toward the end as some events with Ben's family are occurring (though the action scenes and heartbreaking revelation in that part of the novel were decent as well). There's a familiar character here that I'm not going to spoil from "Immortal Rules", but it gives the latter story much more clarity to consider it with "Dawn of Eden".
I would give this respective story 3 out of 5 stars.
Thistle and Thorn by Ann Aguirre
Definitely my favorite novella out of the three. The chemistry between Thistle and Thorn (as well as the sexual tension) was by far the best in this particular compilation, as was the respective stakes in the given story. Thistle is a thief who is in the wrong place at the wrong time and gets some unexpected help.
Thistle meets Thorn. Thorn is probably about as cocky as you could think, but the trade off between Thorn's confidence and Thistle's witty remarks kept their banter highly entertaining between some dangerous scenarios in a corrupted world. While I would've liked to see a little more of the world developed here, I thought it was a well written story that stood on its own rather notably. It kept me entertained, in good humor, and engaged to the very end. I don't know if it ties into any of Aguirre's other work, but I'll admit I was intrigued by it and I would read into the realm again.
I would give this 4 out of 5 stars.
Sun Storm by Karen Duvall
This was very much the weakest link in the collection. If it wasn't the instalove between Sarah and Ian that turned me off, it was the rather odd worldbuilding, featuring the characters' manipulation of the weather in an environment where the heat kills off those who stay in it too long. Save the world, get the hook-up, not much to say to what happened here. I couldn't connect to the characters, unfortunately - they annoyed me more often than not. Much less the haphazard way the foundations of the world were built upon - they were shaky at best. I wouldn't be opposed to seeing what else Karen Duvall writes, but I didn't care for this particular story.
I would give this story 1.5 out of 5 stars.
Overall, I would recommend this collection for those who like brief reads within the dystopian realm. It was a good collection and I liked reading it, though it had some uneven spots in points.
Overall score: 3.5/5
Note: I received this as an ARC from NetGalley, from the publisher Harlequin MIRA.
Full review:
I thought "Til' the World Ends" was a decent collection of dystopian realmed stories that focus on romance and harrowing action. The stories themselves had variant quality and I'll reflect on my reactions to the individual novellas below. If I were rating this collection on an overarching note, it would be around 3.5 stars.
"Blood of Eden" by Julie Kagawa
I feel absolutely terrible for reading this prequel story before "The Immortal Rules", because looking back on it - Holy spoilerific Batman. I went into this story blind, and for what its worth, this novella can be read on its own without any prior knowledge of the realm of "Immortal Rules". However, there are so many things you are likely to miss that have significant weight in the story if you don't read "Immortal Rules" beforehand, though it doesn't feature all of the same character. Kylie is a young doctor focused on working towards treating patients with the rampant Red Lung virus. She feels ill at ease with all the blood and losses that occur around her, but something interesting happens when a guy around her age named Ben Archer brings in a friend who needs treatment...and then becomes something that neither of them expect.
Pretty much this is the equivalent of featuring vampire zombies within an apocalyptic scenario. The vampire beings in here are called "Rabids" and pretty much turn anything they bite and kill into one of their own. It is not a pretty scenario. For what it's worth, I liked Kylie and Ben both, and the story does start on an intriguing note with the expansions on the virus, the world, and the overarching scenario. But I felt a little at odds with the subsequent romance. I wasn't expecting the sexy times scene in the shed while Rabids were pounding on their door. It was steamy, don't get me wrong, just...a little awkward in transition in a story I expected to be more horrifying. And there's a bit of roughness even toward the end as some events with Ben's family are occurring (though the action scenes and heartbreaking revelation in that part of the novel were decent as well). There's a familiar character here that I'm not going to spoil from "Immortal Rules", but it gives the latter story much more clarity to consider it with "Dawn of Eden".
I would give this respective story 3 out of 5 stars.
Thistle and Thorn by Ann Aguirre
Definitely my favorite novella out of the three. The chemistry between Thistle and Thorn (as well as the sexual tension) was by far the best in this particular compilation, as was the respective stakes in the given story. Thistle is a thief who is in the wrong place at the wrong time and gets some unexpected help.
Thistle meets Thorn. Thorn is probably about as cocky as you could think, but the trade off between Thorn's confidence and Thistle's witty remarks kept their banter highly entertaining between some dangerous scenarios in a corrupted world. While I would've liked to see a little more of the world developed here, I thought it was a well written story that stood on its own rather notably. It kept me entertained, in good humor, and engaged to the very end. I don't know if it ties into any of Aguirre's other work, but I'll admit I was intrigued by it and I would read into the realm again.
I would give this 4 out of 5 stars.
Sun Storm by Karen Duvall
This was very much the weakest link in the collection. If it wasn't the instalove between Sarah and Ian that turned me off, it was the rather odd worldbuilding, featuring the characters' manipulation of the weather in an environment where the heat kills off those who stay in it too long. Save the world, get the hook-up, not much to say to what happened here. I couldn't connect to the characters, unfortunately - they annoyed me more often than not. Much less the haphazard way the foundations of the world were built upon - they were shaky at best. I wouldn't be opposed to seeing what else Karen Duvall writes, but I didn't care for this particular story.
I would give this story 1.5 out of 5 stars.
Overall, I would recommend this collection for those who like brief reads within the dystopian realm. It was a good collection and I liked reading it, though it had some uneven spots in points.
Overall score: 3.5/5
Note: I received this as an ARC from NetGalley, from the publisher Harlequin MIRA.
January 29, 2013
This is a dystopian anthology by 3 talented authors. I'll review each story, but give only one rating as a whole.
Dawn of Eden (Blood of Eden #.05) by Julie Kagawa
In this story we are given the prequel to Immortal Rules. This tale pulls together 2 different characters than who we meet in the first novel. So, there is no problem reading this one after the first. In this book Kylie and Ben meet up through a friend that has been bitten. Ben is reluctant to tell Kylie what has happened and in fact knows a bit more about the zombie like vampires preying on non-infected people. We know some of what is going on through the first novel and it pretty much stays on track with this one.
I do have to say I was a bit surprised by this story. I reads a bit more adult with a much more graphic scene of sex than we usually get with YA. In fact, I would have considered this prequel adult and had I read it before the novel, I would have thought the whole series was adult and not YA. Still, it works for this story. I do have to admit, I wasn't completely drawn into the romance between the two characters, but was not unconvinced either. Extreme circumstances can heighten emotions, but it just seemed that they needed more down time to really get to know each other to claim each other in a forever way. Still, it was an interesting addition to the series.
Thistle and Thorne by Anne Aguirre
I have to admit this was my favorite of the 3. Mari is someone of skill and can kick ass when needed. Strong female protagonist? Oh yea, you know I loved that. She meets up with Thorne after a robbery gone all kinds of wrong. He saves her but uses her for his end game. However, since their end games meet up by destroying the bad guy who is in charge goes along with Thorne. Perhaps she even steals his heart, but we are never certain.
I really enjoyed Mari. A bit of an optimist despite the circumstances, you really have to admire how she takes care of her siblings and close friends. She has become a reluctant leader in her area and this adventure will destroy her ability to be covert. So, when the ending of unanswered questions happens, I admit I wanted to start tweeting Anne Aguirre and begging her to finish it or give me a novel of these characters! Don't leave me like this!! Think that would work? ;)
Sun Storm by Karen Duvall
With this story you will have to suspend things you know with the world she has created. The sun creates storms and has baked the world. How people survived such harsh conditions has me baffled (especially the frail and infirm)... but then suspension of belief comes in so I can go on with the story.
I also have to say that I didn't completely buy the romance in this one, but it had it's sweet moments. I think if it was longer it would have been easier for me to see the two become inseparable, but that is sometimes the problem with short stories. You have so much to share in such little space. Still, it was an interesting concept even if the ending was a bit contrived. Perhaps this would have been better at novel length.
In all I give this anthology 3 1/2 stars. If you want to get your dystopian on, this might just fit the bill. Although the situations are bleak, you will find the light within each of these stories.
Dawn of Eden (Blood of Eden #.05) by Julie Kagawa
In this story we are given the prequel to Immortal Rules. This tale pulls together 2 different characters than who we meet in the first novel. So, there is no problem reading this one after the first. In this book Kylie and Ben meet up through a friend that has been bitten. Ben is reluctant to tell Kylie what has happened and in fact knows a bit more about the zombie like vampires preying on non-infected people. We know some of what is going on through the first novel and it pretty much stays on track with this one.
I do have to say I was a bit surprised by this story. I reads a bit more adult with a much more graphic scene of sex than we usually get with YA. In fact, I would have considered this prequel adult and had I read it before the novel, I would have thought the whole series was adult and not YA. Still, it works for this story. I do have to admit, I wasn't completely drawn into the romance between the two characters, but was not unconvinced either. Extreme circumstances can heighten emotions, but it just seemed that they needed more down time to really get to know each other to claim each other in a forever way. Still, it was an interesting addition to the series.
Thistle and Thorne by Anne Aguirre
I have to admit this was my favorite of the 3. Mari is someone of skill and can kick ass when needed. Strong female protagonist? Oh yea, you know I loved that. She meets up with Thorne after a robbery gone all kinds of wrong. He saves her but uses her for his end game. However, since their end games meet up by destroying the bad guy who is in charge goes along with Thorne. Perhaps she even steals his heart, but we are never certain.
I really enjoyed Mari. A bit of an optimist despite the circumstances, you really have to admire how she takes care of her siblings and close friends. She has become a reluctant leader in her area and this adventure will destroy her ability to be covert. So, when the ending of unanswered questions happens, I admit I wanted to start tweeting Anne Aguirre and begging her to finish it or give me a novel of these characters! Don't leave me like this!! Think that would work? ;)
Sun Storm by Karen Duvall
With this story you will have to suspend things you know with the world she has created. The sun creates storms and has baked the world. How people survived such harsh conditions has me baffled (especially the frail and infirm)... but then suspension of belief comes in so I can go on with the story.
I also have to say that I didn't completely buy the romance in this one, but it had it's sweet moments. I think if it was longer it would have been easier for me to see the two become inseparable, but that is sometimes the problem with short stories. You have so much to share in such little space. Still, it was an interesting concept even if the ending was a bit contrived. Perhaps this would have been better at novel length.
In all I give this anthology 3 1/2 stars. If you want to get your dystopian on, this might just fit the bill. Although the situations are bleak, you will find the light within each of these stories.
April 7, 2013
Dawn of Eden by Julie Kagawa take us to the time before Immortal Rules giving us an amazing look at the beginnings of the world we have come to love. The Red Lung virus is leaving a path of destruction in its wake. As scientist race to find a cure, doctors like Kylie fight to save those those they can. Kylie and a handful of nurses have been struggling in a make-shift hospital. Ben Archer arrives with his wounded friend and we discover that things are about to get worse. Kagawa has this incredible gift for drawing the reader in and immersing you into the tale. I adored Ben and Kylie and felt their relationship was genuine. The tale that unfolds is both terrifying and breathtakingly beautiful. I abso- freakin-loutely loved this and cannot wait for the next book. 4.5 stars
Thistle & Thorne by Ann Aguirre take us into a world that has been altered by a catastrophic chemical spill. It is a dystopian world that feels eerily real, where the rich live in fortresses and the rest of the world called the Red Zone is ruled by thugs with guns, money and manpower. The mob man rules and those who want to survive pay for his protection. Mari Thistle lives with her two younger siblings in the home that they owned while their parents were alive. She has learned to be a thief to survive and feed her family. Mari is sent on a task to steal a box for the mob boss within the fortress; she fails and narrowly escapes with the help of Throne Goodman. She learns of a terrible plot by the greedy mob boss and joins forces with Throne. The tale was fascinating, and Aguirre brought the world to life. There is no romance but a friendship develops and we see growth from Mari. The characters were fascinating and we got glimpses of their depth but I would have preferred a full length version of this particular tale. 3.5 stars
Sun Storm by Karen Duvall- brings us a post-apocalyptic world where solar flares have destroyed the Earth and people die from exposure. We meet Sarah Daggot who has been chasing storms since she was a kid. When the solar flares hit, she survived and was transformed into a Kinetic. She is able to predict sun storms and gives advanced warning for others to take cover. She meets another Kinetic the smexy, mysterious Ian Matthews and things heat up. Conspiracies, an evil Federal Agent gone rogue and a prediction of an apocalyptic sun flare kept me turning the pages. The romance was sweet and while I had a strong enough sense of the world and plot, I wish it had been a full length novel. Sarah and Matthew together were kiss-ass and the ended felt rush as a novella. I would pick up another book by this author. 4 stars.
Kimba @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer
Thistle & Thorne by Ann Aguirre take us into a world that has been altered by a catastrophic chemical spill. It is a dystopian world that feels eerily real, where the rich live in fortresses and the rest of the world called the Red Zone is ruled by thugs with guns, money and manpower. The mob man rules and those who want to survive pay for his protection. Mari Thistle lives with her two younger siblings in the home that they owned while their parents were alive. She has learned to be a thief to survive and feed her family. Mari is sent on a task to steal a box for the mob boss within the fortress; she fails and narrowly escapes with the help of Throne Goodman. She learns of a terrible plot by the greedy mob boss and joins forces with Throne. The tale was fascinating, and Aguirre brought the world to life. There is no romance but a friendship develops and we see growth from Mari. The characters were fascinating and we got glimpses of their depth but I would have preferred a full length version of this particular tale. 3.5 stars
Sun Storm by Karen Duvall- brings us a post-apocalyptic world where solar flares have destroyed the Earth and people die from exposure. We meet Sarah Daggot who has been chasing storms since she was a kid. When the solar flares hit, she survived and was transformed into a Kinetic. She is able to predict sun storms and gives advanced warning for others to take cover. She meets another Kinetic the smexy, mysterious Ian Matthews and things heat up. Conspiracies, an evil Federal Agent gone rogue and a prediction of an apocalyptic sun flare kept me turning the pages. The romance was sweet and while I had a strong enough sense of the world and plot, I wish it had been a full length novel. Sarah and Matthew together were kiss-ass and the ended felt rush as a novella. I would pick up another book by this author. 4 stars.
Kimba @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer
January 25, 2013
“I love you, Kylie,” he murmured. “Stay with me. Till the end of the world.”
No,thank you.
I am sorry, but I didn’t like this short story at all. Sure, Kanin was there for a while but her was more of an extra than a real character. He still managed to get my attention because he is Kanin. Dark, tortured, brooding vampire who wants to make things right.
Main character of this story is Kyle, a doctor in training who takes care of her dying patients who got infected with Red Lungs. I have no objections when it comes to her and her man, Ben. It’s just that the story itself jumped from YA dystopian novel into overly dramatic mess. It went something like this Dear, the world is ending. Let’s have unprotected sex! Who has time to go on a condom hunt! Ignore the strange man we met an hour ago who let us make love on his bed. If we stay quiet he won’t even hear us. Then Kyle and Ben travel to his childhood home which is in the middle of nowhere because he needs to go back even though his father is a hillbilly. And of course, people there don’t believe there are things like zombies and vampires until the rise from the ground and attack them. They huddle up the house while rabids run around. Some people die and we see Kanin again in the end boarding a boat like a boss saying to himself he will murder the whole crew.
I really didn’t expect this novella to be such a flop because it’s Julie Kagawa we’re talking about. I don’t have high expectations when it comes to novellas but I felt like this one was written just for the money. Over-the-top romance didn’t help either.
No,thank you.
I am sorry, but I didn’t like this short story at all. Sure, Kanin was there for a while but her was more of an extra than a real character. He still managed to get my attention because he is Kanin. Dark, tortured, brooding vampire who wants to make things right.
Main character of this story is Kyle, a doctor in training who takes care of her dying patients who got infected with Red Lungs. I have no objections when it comes to her and her man, Ben. It’s just that the story itself jumped from YA dystopian novel into overly dramatic mess. It went something like this Dear, the world is ending. Let’s have unprotected sex! Who has time to go on a condom hunt! Ignore the strange man we met an hour ago who let us make love on his bed. If we stay quiet he won’t even hear us. Then Kyle and Ben travel to his childhood home which is in the middle of nowhere because he needs to go back even though his father is a hillbilly. And of course, people there don’t believe there are things like zombies and vampires until the rise from the ground and attack them. They huddle up the house while rabids run around. Some people die and we see Kanin again in the end boarding a boat like a boss saying to himself he will murder the whole crew.
I really didn’t expect this novella to be such a flop because it’s Julie Kagawa we’re talking about. I don’t have high expectations when it comes to novellas but I felt like this one was written just for the money. Over-the-top romance didn’t help either.
December 24, 2022
I only read the Blood of Eden portion of this book because I loved Julie Kagawa’s series and wanted to read the prequel. It was good and have a bit of the backstory but I would have liked more.
January 23, 2013
Dawn of Eden, prequel to The Immortal Rules, by Julie Kagawa
First, let me say that although this is a prequel to the Blood of Eden series, you don't have to know anything about that series to enjoy it. If you have read The Immortal Rules, you'll definitely enjoy this short story more because it takes place right at the turning point, when things went from bad to worse, and the characters happen upon a familiar face, one that I didn't even realize how much I'd missed until their identity became clearer. In fact, there were quite a few familiar things, which kind of made this book feel like coming home.
Second, this short story is a bit more mature than a lot of YA, including The Immortal Rules. It doesn't detract from the story; I just wanted to give fair warning. Actually, the (sometimes graphic) sexuality of the book fits the intensity of the situation. Baser instincts take over when survival is on the line, when your world has been turned upside down and you're not sure whether you'll see the light of another day.
I really enjoyed this short story. I actually had forgotten how much I enjoyed The Immortal Rules and its post-apocalyptic/dystopian take on vampires and the surviving humans. It was interesting to see how the plague originated and how people reacted to it...and to those that it changed. The reactions were so believable and realistic, with the characters reflecting on losing their humanity along with everything else they'd already lost.
This is a great addition to the Blood of Eden series and has me anticipating The Eternity Cure even more than I already was. Because as much as I liked the characters in Dawn of Eden, I am so ready to return to the aftermath and all the characters I've already grown to care about: Allie, Zeke, and (hopefully) Kanin.
Rating:
Thistle & Thorne by Ann Aguirre
So, I don't know why I was under the assumption that this short story was a precursor to the Razorland series. Maybe it's the names...they seem reminiscent of the ones given to the brats once they were of age. (I was probably thinking of Thimble, right?) At any rate, once I got past the fact that this was a new post-apocalyptic world Ann Aguirre had created, I found it much easier to immerse myself in the story.
In fact, this story flew by once Thorne's character was introduced, which is honestly pretty early on. He plays a rather important role. Don't get me wrong, I really liked Mari's no-holds-barred attitude, but all her plans went out the window the minute Thorne Goodman stepped into her life. Don't expect any big romantic declarations of undying love or anything like that, though. These characters have their own complicated lives to get in order before they can find time for love...though, they would make a very good match.
This short story is a brief glimpse into a dying world, where half the population lives in opulent fortresses while the other half struggles outside the fortress walls, paying "the bossman" for safety. But no one is really safe on the outside. The degradation and squalor of this world is due in part to chemical spills and earthquakes that ravaged the landscape many years before, but the people have done nothing to slow its further decline. And that's sorta where Mari Thistle and Thorne Goodman come in.
I really, really hope that there's a full-length novel planned to follow this short story. The intensity of this story and the pacing both kept me riveted, but the world itself has me intrigued, as well. The colorful cast of characters doesn't hurt either. All in all, this was an explosive story sure to delight fan's of Aguirre's Razorland series. Here's hoping there's more where this came from!
Rating:
Thanks to Harlequin & Netgalley for providing a copy for review!
These reviews can also be found at The Starry-Eyed Revue.
First, let me say that although this is a prequel to the Blood of Eden series, you don't have to know anything about that series to enjoy it. If you have read The Immortal Rules, you'll definitely enjoy this short story more because it takes place right at the turning point, when things went from bad to worse, and the characters happen upon a familiar face, one that I didn't even realize how much I'd missed until their identity became clearer. In fact, there were quite a few familiar things, which kind of made this book feel like coming home.
Second, this short story is a bit more mature than a lot of YA, including The Immortal Rules. It doesn't detract from the story; I just wanted to give fair warning. Actually, the (sometimes graphic) sexuality of the book fits the intensity of the situation. Baser instincts take over when survival is on the line, when your world has been turned upside down and you're not sure whether you'll see the light of another day.
I really enjoyed this short story. I actually had forgotten how much I enjoyed The Immortal Rules and its post-apocalyptic/dystopian take on vampires and the surviving humans. It was interesting to see how the plague originated and how people reacted to it...and to those that it changed. The reactions were so believable and realistic, with the characters reflecting on losing their humanity along with everything else they'd already lost.
This is a great addition to the Blood of Eden series and has me anticipating The Eternity Cure even more than I already was. Because as much as I liked the characters in Dawn of Eden, I am so ready to return to the aftermath and all the characters I've already grown to care about: Allie, Zeke, and (hopefully) Kanin.
Rating:
Thistle & Thorne by Ann Aguirre
So, I don't know why I was under the assumption that this short story was a precursor to the Razorland series. Maybe it's the names...they seem reminiscent of the ones given to the brats once they were of age. (I was probably thinking of Thimble, right?) At any rate, once I got past the fact that this was a new post-apocalyptic world Ann Aguirre had created, I found it much easier to immerse myself in the story.
In fact, this story flew by once Thorne's character was introduced, which is honestly pretty early on. He plays a rather important role. Don't get me wrong, I really liked Mari's no-holds-barred attitude, but all her plans went out the window the minute Thorne Goodman stepped into her life. Don't expect any big romantic declarations of undying love or anything like that, though. These characters have their own complicated lives to get in order before they can find time for love...though, they would make a very good match.
This short story is a brief glimpse into a dying world, where half the population lives in opulent fortresses while the other half struggles outside the fortress walls, paying "the bossman" for safety. But no one is really safe on the outside. The degradation and squalor of this world is due in part to chemical spills and earthquakes that ravaged the landscape many years before, but the people have done nothing to slow its further decline. And that's sorta where Mari Thistle and Thorne Goodman come in.
I really, really hope that there's a full-length novel planned to follow this short story. The intensity of this story and the pacing both kept me riveted, but the world itself has me intrigued, as well. The colorful cast of characters doesn't hurt either. All in all, this was an explosive story sure to delight fan's of Aguirre's Razorland series. Here's hoping there's more where this came from!
Rating:
Thanks to Harlequin & Netgalley for providing a copy for review!
These reviews can also be found at The Starry-Eyed Revue.
December 17, 2012
This is a short review for Julie's story, Dawn of Eden, which is a short story from 'Til the World Ends. I have loved her book, The Immortal Rules, ever since it came out this April. This story is a prequel to it. And it's all kinds of amazing. Not as good as the long book, but it's still amazing and is a great read. I enjoyed the writing a lot, like I always do with Julie's work. I also liked the characters a whole lot. And yeah. The plot is beyond amazing. It's unique and special. And so well done.
Dawn of Eden is about Kylie and Ben. Kylie is a doctor, working at this clinic just months after the Red Lung virus started to spread. A lot of people are already dead. She's working with a few other people, trying to keep sick people healthy. It isn't going very well, though. Since most of earth is dying away. And ah. This sickness is kind of awful and all kinds of fascinating. I enjoy reading about it so much, which I probably shouldn't, lol :)
Suddenly this guy shows up at her clinic, with his sick friend. Kylie stitch them both up, but it's not going well for the hurt guy, Nathan. We also get to know Ben a bit. He does seem so great. A bit tortured, but I liked that a lot ;) If you have read The Immortal Rules, you probably know what happens next. But I will share it, still. Something awful is happning to Nathan. Suddenly he's dead, and he's smelling so bad, so fast. And then he wakes up. Changed. White eyes, sunken skin. He kills one of the people working with Kylie. And it's kind of awful but also so amazing. I might be a fan of a lot of death and blood. Which there is in this.
This is where we get to know about the Rabids. I loved reading about them so much in The Immortal Rules, and I loved reading about them in this one as well. They are an amazing plot twist. We don't really see any vampires in this book, but that's okay. I loved reading about Kylie and Ben. They make a great couple. Some might call it insta-love or whatever, but I felt like it could happen like that with anyone. I loved it a lot. I kind of thought this would be a YA book, but it wasn't. And that was amazing.
I don't really read Adult books, but I knew I needed to read this one because of my love for The Immortal Rules. And I'm so glad I did. The plot is amazing. Won't spoil more of it. Just that we get more of the Rabids. And we even get to see Kanin a bit! Ahh. Which was totally awesome, to be honest. But yeah. This book is amazing. Exciting and sweet. There is some steamy romance, and I liked it a lot. This is a must read for every fan of The Immortal Rules. Think you must read it either way, though :)
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Harlequin for the chance to read and review this book early. <3 There is three stories in this book. But I only read the first one, Dawn of Eden, which is about 130 pages long. Maybe I'll read the others at a later time, but not yet. I'm very happy with this story, though. And I cannot wait to read more by Julie. Super excited for the second book, The Eternity Cure. <3
Dawn of Eden is about Kylie and Ben. Kylie is a doctor, working at this clinic just months after the Red Lung virus started to spread. A lot of people are already dead. She's working with a few other people, trying to keep sick people healthy. It isn't going very well, though. Since most of earth is dying away. And ah. This sickness is kind of awful and all kinds of fascinating. I enjoy reading about it so much, which I probably shouldn't, lol :)
Suddenly this guy shows up at her clinic, with his sick friend. Kylie stitch them both up, but it's not going well for the hurt guy, Nathan. We also get to know Ben a bit. He does seem so great. A bit tortured, but I liked that a lot ;) If you have read The Immortal Rules, you probably know what happens next. But I will share it, still. Something awful is happning to Nathan. Suddenly he's dead, and he's smelling so bad, so fast. And then he wakes up. Changed. White eyes, sunken skin. He kills one of the people working with Kylie. And it's kind of awful but also so amazing. I might be a fan of a lot of death and blood. Which there is in this.
This is where we get to know about the Rabids. I loved reading about them so much in The Immortal Rules, and I loved reading about them in this one as well. They are an amazing plot twist. We don't really see any vampires in this book, but that's okay. I loved reading about Kylie and Ben. They make a great couple. Some might call it insta-love or whatever, but I felt like it could happen like that with anyone. I loved it a lot. I kind of thought this would be a YA book, but it wasn't. And that was amazing.
I don't really read Adult books, but I knew I needed to read this one because of my love for The Immortal Rules. And I'm so glad I did. The plot is amazing. Won't spoil more of it. Just that we get more of the Rabids. And we even get to see Kanin a bit! Ahh. Which was totally awesome, to be honest. But yeah. This book is amazing. Exciting and sweet. There is some steamy romance, and I liked it a lot. This is a must read for every fan of The Immortal Rules. Think you must read it either way, though :)
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Harlequin for the chance to read and review this book early. <3 There is three stories in this book. But I only read the first one, Dawn of Eden, which is about 130 pages long. Maybe I'll read the others at a later time, but not yet. I'm very happy with this story, though. And I cannot wait to read more by Julie. Super excited for the second book, The Eternity Cure. <3
January 24, 2013
Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy
Three stories feature couples facing the end of the world in the form of zombie-like vampires, ruthless leaders in post-apocalyptic worlds, and environmental disasters that imbue some with super powers while condemning others to cannibalistic insanity. All three feature prominent romances, though only one delivers a story that will leave readers hoping for survival.
Dawn of Eden by Julie Kagawa
There were several things that bothered me about this story including cliche characters, insta-love, and several continuity issues. One of the bigger issues was that this story is very adult. The characters are in their mid twenties and there is a pretty graphic sex scene. Wouldn’t be a big deal except that this is a prequel to Kagawa’s Blood of Eden series which is very YA. Are they really marketing this to the same audience? That issue aside, this story pals in comparison to the first book. The writing is poor especially in the beginning which involves a lot of medical discussion that feels as inauthentic as anything I’ve ever read. As a fan of THE IMMORTAL RULES, it was fun to see some of the characters before the Red lung virus took over, but most of this prequel is a mess. Several lines made me cringe including this gem:
“…you’re awfully young and pretty to be running a clinic alone…”
Absurdly, I blushed at the compliment.
Rating: 2/5
Sexual Content: One graphic sex scene
Thistle & Thorne by Ann Aguirre
Ann Aguirre is a favorite author of mine no matter what she’s writing. In this world that is reminiscent of the one in Escape from New York, life is kill or be killed. As always in Aguirre’s stories, the characters take center stage. A young, resourceful thief, and a vengeful assassin team up to overthrow a tyrant. The romance in this story is super subtle with hints of promised sensuality. Both characters as 100% focused on the task a head of them, so a romance rightly takes a back seat. The pacing is excellent and the payoff and the end is super satisfying, if not a complete resolution. I’m hoping that’s because Aguirre plans to write more about Thorne and Thistle. Both are such fascinating characters that they deserve to have their story told.
Rating: 5/5
Sexual Content: A brief, non graphic rape
Sun Storm by Karen Duvall
This story has a very similar structure to Kagawa’s Dawn of Eden. A doctor in a clinic fighting an incurable ailment meets a mysterious guy with secrets about the ailment, and goes on a perilous trip with him. The writing and characterizations are slightly stronger, but even the idea of crazy environmental upheaval creating supernatural abilities isn’t enough to elevate this story beyond average.
Rating: 3/5
Sexual Content: Kissing. Mild sensuality.
Three stories feature couples facing the end of the world in the form of zombie-like vampires, ruthless leaders in post-apocalyptic worlds, and environmental disasters that imbue some with super powers while condemning others to cannibalistic insanity. All three feature prominent romances, though only one delivers a story that will leave readers hoping for survival.
Dawn of Eden by Julie Kagawa
There were several things that bothered me about this story including cliche characters, insta-love, and several continuity issues. One of the bigger issues was that this story is very adult. The characters are in their mid twenties and there is a pretty graphic sex scene. Wouldn’t be a big deal except that this is a prequel to Kagawa’s Blood of Eden series which is very YA. Are they really marketing this to the same audience? That issue aside, this story pals in comparison to the first book. The writing is poor especially in the beginning which involves a lot of medical discussion that feels as inauthentic as anything I’ve ever read. As a fan of THE IMMORTAL RULES, it was fun to see some of the characters before the Red lung virus took over, but most of this prequel is a mess. Several lines made me cringe including this gem:
“…you’re awfully young and pretty to be running a clinic alone…”
Absurdly, I blushed at the compliment.
Rating: 2/5
Sexual Content: One graphic sex scene
Thistle & Thorne by Ann Aguirre
Ann Aguirre is a favorite author of mine no matter what she’s writing. In this world that is reminiscent of the one in Escape from New York, life is kill or be killed. As always in Aguirre’s stories, the characters take center stage. A young, resourceful thief, and a vengeful assassin team up to overthrow a tyrant. The romance in this story is super subtle with hints of promised sensuality. Both characters as 100% focused on the task a head of them, so a romance rightly takes a back seat. The pacing is excellent and the payoff and the end is super satisfying, if not a complete resolution. I’m hoping that’s because Aguirre plans to write more about Thorne and Thistle. Both are such fascinating characters that they deserve to have their story told.
Rating: 5/5
Sexual Content: A brief, non graphic rape
Sun Storm by Karen Duvall
This story has a very similar structure to Kagawa’s Dawn of Eden. A doctor in a clinic fighting an incurable ailment meets a mysterious guy with secrets about the ailment, and goes on a perilous trip with him. The writing and characterizations are slightly stronger, but even the idea of crazy environmental upheaval creating supernatural abilities isn’t enough to elevate this story beyond average.
Rating: 3/5
Sexual Content: Kissing. Mild sensuality.
January 15, 2013
Dawn of Eden by Julie Kagawa
This story totally fits as a prequel for Julie’s The Immortal Rules.
Humanity is immersed in chaos as an implacable virus has appeared and no one seems to be able to resist it, only a few counted people have survived, this virus is called Red Lung an in just a very short time it has caused devastation everywhere and decimated the entire world population, there seems to be no hope. Kylie works as a doctor in an improvised clinic though all her efforts seems futile as the number of deaths keeps increasing, then one day Ben Archer appears and stranger and terrible things start happening, as if things weren’t bad enough it seems the terror has just started.
This was a great story! I love Julie’s writing and this one didn’t disappoint, it’s a more adult story, the whole scenario is pretty dark and I was biting my nails at the edge of my seat ‘cause it was all pretty intense, there was never really a dull moment and I think the characters were very well defined too. I was pleased to see a familiar face and about the discovery of certain thing, so I was most than pleased with this story. I’d recommend to fist read The Immortal Rules and then Dawn of Eden but you certainly can’t miss this!
Thistle & Thorne by Ann Aguirre
This was very good!
You have a world divided between the rich and the poor, the first have the resources to make themselves a living inside Fortresses since due to chemical spills it is all a wasteland out there. Now the poor, they have to earn their living, fighting amongst themselves, scavenging, and pretty much doing whatever it takes. And this is Mari Thistle’s world where she fights hard to keep their family feed, to do so she leaves a double life as a thief. Then one day she is forced to ream up with Thorne Goodman and together they’ll try to stand up against the one who tries to destroy their home and has made a hell of their lives.
Ok, I really really hope Ann Aguirre continues with this story ‘cause it was pretty good, Mari is a strong girl she can fend for herself and cares for her family, Thorne is dangerous and mysterious but you get to see glimpses of another side of him, and they work great as a team. Lots of action, I think a lot of you will enjoy Thistle & Thorne! And please Ann Aguirre, write more about these characters!
Sun Storm by Karen Duvall
I think this was my least favorite of all the three stories, I had a hard time picturing the scenario in which we found Earth and I don’t think the characters were really solid. Also I felt the ending a little rushed, maybe if it had been a larger story with more depth it would have worked better but the premise is good so maybe some of you will enjoy it.
All in all the anthology is pretty cool so it’s definitely worth reading it.
This story totally fits as a prequel for Julie’s The Immortal Rules.
Humanity is immersed in chaos as an implacable virus has appeared and no one seems to be able to resist it, only a few counted people have survived, this virus is called Red Lung an in just a very short time it has caused devastation everywhere and decimated the entire world population, there seems to be no hope. Kylie works as a doctor in an improvised clinic though all her efforts seems futile as the number of deaths keeps increasing, then one day Ben Archer appears and stranger and terrible things start happening, as if things weren’t bad enough it seems the terror has just started.
This was a great story! I love Julie’s writing and this one didn’t disappoint, it’s a more adult story, the whole scenario is pretty dark and I was biting my nails at the edge of my seat ‘cause it was all pretty intense, there was never really a dull moment and I think the characters were very well defined too. I was pleased to see a familiar face and about the discovery of certain thing, so I was most than pleased with this story. I’d recommend to fist read The Immortal Rules and then Dawn of Eden but you certainly can’t miss this!
Thistle & Thorne by Ann Aguirre
This was very good!
You have a world divided between the rich and the poor, the first have the resources to make themselves a living inside Fortresses since due to chemical spills it is all a wasteland out there. Now the poor, they have to earn their living, fighting amongst themselves, scavenging, and pretty much doing whatever it takes. And this is Mari Thistle’s world where she fights hard to keep their family feed, to do so she leaves a double life as a thief. Then one day she is forced to ream up with Thorne Goodman and together they’ll try to stand up against the one who tries to destroy their home and has made a hell of their lives.
Ok, I really really hope Ann Aguirre continues with this story ‘cause it was pretty good, Mari is a strong girl she can fend for herself and cares for her family, Thorne is dangerous and mysterious but you get to see glimpses of another side of him, and they work great as a team. Lots of action, I think a lot of you will enjoy Thistle & Thorne! And please Ann Aguirre, write more about these characters!
Sun Storm by Karen Duvall
I think this was my least favorite of all the three stories, I had a hard time picturing the scenario in which we found Earth and I don’t think the characters were really solid. Also I felt the ending a little rushed, maybe if it had been a larger story with more depth it would have worked better but the premise is good so maybe some of you will enjoy it.
All in all the anthology is pretty cool so it’s definitely worth reading it.
October 28, 2014
What it's about: I'm labeling this New Adult because the characters are in their 20s, and the bedroom scene in Julie Kagawa's story is more explicit than most YAs.
• 4 stars: Dawn of Eden by Julie Kagawa: This is a prequel to her Blood of Eden series and deals with Kylie and Ben. Both are alive for the Red Lung and birth of the rabids that destroyed their world. They have to survive together and make it to Ben's family farm.
• 5 stars: Thistle & Thorne by Ann Aguirre: I really wish this one were a full-length novel, because there's tons of chemistry but no follow-through with the two main characters. Mari Thistle is a thief who gets caught up in a regime change. The person who drew her into this shift of power? Thorne Goodman, an enforcer for one of the most-feared men. The two have to work together to throw off the balance of power, but Mari and Thorne will discover how well they work together. An unpaid favor makes me hope we'll see more of these two.
• 3.5 Stars: Sun Storm by Karen Duvall: Sarah is one of the Kinetic. Sun storms that ravished Earth and still throw off sparks changed her DNA, giving her the power to predict where a storm will hit next. Ian Matthews can control the weather up to a point, but has a very bad man following him. The two will learn that they need to band together to save Earth, if they can survive.
Why you should read it: When anthologies are well done, they're by far my favorite books to read. You not only get prequels and half stories from favorite authors, but you discover new authors as well. Dystopian romance is one of my favorite genres, and Ann Aguirre does it the best. I really enjoyed all three stories, but I have to say Thistle & Thorne was my favorite. The chemistry and intensity that surrounded the two characters made them a treat to read about, and I definitely recommend reading any of her books. Julie Kagawa's story was also very enlightening, and her Blood of Eden series includes The Immortal Rules and The Eternity Cure. This is the first work I've read of Karen Duvall's, and I'll be putting more of her books in my queue.
To see more books from these authors as well as fresh romance releases check out the HEA Blog
http://www.usatoday.com/story/happyev...
• 4 stars: Dawn of Eden by Julie Kagawa: This is a prequel to her Blood of Eden series and deals with Kylie and Ben. Both are alive for the Red Lung and birth of the rabids that destroyed their world. They have to survive together and make it to Ben's family farm.
• 5 stars: Thistle & Thorne by Ann Aguirre: I really wish this one were a full-length novel, because there's tons of chemistry but no follow-through with the two main characters. Mari Thistle is a thief who gets caught up in a regime change. The person who drew her into this shift of power? Thorne Goodman, an enforcer for one of the most-feared men. The two have to work together to throw off the balance of power, but Mari and Thorne will discover how well they work together. An unpaid favor makes me hope we'll see more of these two.
• 3.5 Stars: Sun Storm by Karen Duvall: Sarah is one of the Kinetic. Sun storms that ravished Earth and still throw off sparks changed her DNA, giving her the power to predict where a storm will hit next. Ian Matthews can control the weather up to a point, but has a very bad man following him. The two will learn that they need to band together to save Earth, if they can survive.
Why you should read it: When anthologies are well done, they're by far my favorite books to read. You not only get prequels and half stories from favorite authors, but you discover new authors as well. Dystopian romance is one of my favorite genres, and Ann Aguirre does it the best. I really enjoyed all three stories, but I have to say Thistle & Thorne was my favorite. The chemistry and intensity that surrounded the two characters made them a treat to read about, and I definitely recommend reading any of her books. Julie Kagawa's story was also very enlightening, and her Blood of Eden series includes The Immortal Rules and The Eternity Cure. This is the first work I've read of Karen Duvall's, and I'll be putting more of her books in my queue.
To see more books from these authors as well as fresh romance releases check out the HEA Blog
http://www.usatoday.com/story/happyev...
April 20, 2013
For this review and more my blog
Before I tell you what I thought of this book it is worth pointing out that although this book features stories from YA series, this is in fact quite an adult. There is violence and also sexual content, even in Dawn of Eden by Julie Kagawa. So, if you are young or are thinking of getting this book for a younger Blood of Eden (Immortal Rules) fan then is aware that it might not be suitable.
Til the World Ends is a really hard book to rate. If I was giving just Dawn of Eden a rating then it would be a five star but the other two stories in this anthology are nowhere near as good.
Dawn of Eden by Julie Kagawa had me hooked from beginning to end. The Immortal Rules is one of my favourite YA books of all time so I couldn’t wait to get my teeth stuck into this. It did not disappoint at all, the storyline was great, and it was touching, exciting and scary. The action scenes were amazing and the romance to die for. Plus there was a little cameo from Kanin aka the love of my life.
Thistle and Thorne by Ann Aguirre was alright. I just couldn’t quite get into this and because of that I found it a little confusing. The romance didn’t grab me either. I thought the idea was good but the world building and other factors needed some working on.
Sun Storm by Karen Duvall was like Thistle and Thorne in that I couldn’t get into it. I also didn’t really like the characters in this one, they were a little but silly and their romance wasn’t much better.
I wonder If maybe I would have enjoyed these stories if I hadn’t read Dawn of Eden first, maybe it ruined me for the other stories in this anthology. This book is definitely worth the read for Dawn of Eden if nothing else.
The publisher provided me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
Before I tell you what I thought of this book it is worth pointing out that although this book features stories from YA series, this is in fact quite an adult. There is violence and also sexual content, even in Dawn of Eden by Julie Kagawa. So, if you are young or are thinking of getting this book for a younger Blood of Eden (Immortal Rules) fan then is aware that it might not be suitable.
Til the World Ends is a really hard book to rate. If I was giving just Dawn of Eden a rating then it would be a five star but the other two stories in this anthology are nowhere near as good.
Dawn of Eden by Julie Kagawa had me hooked from beginning to end. The Immortal Rules is one of my favourite YA books of all time so I couldn’t wait to get my teeth stuck into this. It did not disappoint at all, the storyline was great, and it was touching, exciting and scary. The action scenes were amazing and the romance to die for. Plus there was a little cameo from Kanin aka the love of my life.
Thistle and Thorne by Ann Aguirre was alright. I just couldn’t quite get into this and because of that I found it a little confusing. The romance didn’t grab me either. I thought the idea was good but the world building and other factors needed some working on.
Sun Storm by Karen Duvall was like Thistle and Thorne in that I couldn’t get into it. I also didn’t really like the characters in this one, they were a little but silly and their romance wasn’t much better.
I wonder If maybe I would have enjoyed these stories if I hadn’t read Dawn of Eden first, maybe it ruined me for the other stories in this anthology. This book is definitely worth the read for Dawn of Eden if nothing else.
The publisher provided me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
April 27, 2013
I picked up this anthology because I like the theme of it and I have read books from two out of the three authors…Julie Kagawa and Ann Aguirre. Karen Duvall is the only new author to me.
I read Julie’s Iron Fae series and really enjoyed those books. I however have never read her Blood of Eden series. So I was a little confused by the monsters portrayed in Dawn of Eden. What I mean is that I know the Blood of Eden series is about vampires but I did not know that the vampires had zombie like traits. So this confused me when I read this short story. Also, something that bugs me when you have male and female lead characters that are supposed to have a romantic relationship as well is the fact that they meet and then just hook up. I guess you could call me a bit of a romantic. I want my male and female heroines to get to know each other a little more before they hook up. The exception is if I am really feeling the guy and can see why the female would fall for him right away. I guess in this story I was not feeling Ben instantly. However I did like this story enough to want to check out the Blood of Eden series.
In Thistle & Thorne by Ann Aguirre, I liked this story but it was my least favorite of the three. I just could not get into the story as much or the characters. This was sad because I have really gotten into the whole post apocalyptic genre right now. Also what was lacking some from this story unlike the other two stories was the action. So when you combine little action with characters you can not connect with then you are left with an uninteresting story.
I enjoyed reading Sun Storm. This story had more magical elements in it. Just would have liked for the characters to have used their powers more. What made this story for me was the world. It was like I could feel the scorching sun wanting to burn my skin. I am going to check out this author’s other books.
December 4, 2012
I've just finished the first SS in this anthology which is the prequel to The Immortal Rules. Let me just say that it was absolutely FANTASTIC!!
Julie Kagawa is one of my favorite writers ever. Even in this SS her magic with words transcends the page. I am absolutely dying to read more from her.
As far as the SS goes, it's a great set up for those who haven't yet read The Immortal Rules. For those that have already TIM, well it's just awesome to get the background on how the plague and the rabids started.
Julie Kagawa is one of my favorite writers ever. Even in this SS her magic with words transcends the page. I am absolutely dying to read more from her.
As far as the SS goes, it's a great set up for those who haven't yet read The Immortal Rules. For those that have already TIM, well it's just awesome to get the background on how the plague and the rabids started.
April 25, 2018
Um...well, the first book was okay, the second was pretty good and the third I didn't like at all.
Dawn of Eden
These zombie/vampire apocalypse stories aren't really my jam, but I liked this one okay. It was lacking depth and the connection between the characters didn't really feel like anything other than, "hey we may be the only two people so let's be together"--it certainly didn't feel like love. nothing really new or earth-shattering, overall i put it at about a 2.5-3 star
Thistle and Thorne
I did actually really like this. It was actually not too hard to imagine the setting, the way the world turned to absolute shit. What it turned people into, the struggle and what people would be willing to do to survive, but also how some turn into absolute monsters because of power and greed and fear. I liked both the characters, I liked that while nothing happened between them, there were some moments between them where you felt a little something, and hoped for more, however, if something would have happened it would have felt totally out of place, so that was pretty perfect. I would read more about these two characters. I think Thorne is pretty awesome.
4 stars
Sun Storm
I did not like this at all. The overall idea wasn't bad, but I just could not get into it. I did not like Sarah. Well, its not that I didn't like her, I just really didn't care at all. I think Ian could be a pretty interesting character, but we were left with flat encounters and what I considered to be awkward dialogue given the amount of time they knew each other. Throw in the token guy-gone-mad-wants-everyone-to-die and it was just not for me.
1.5-2 stars
Dawn of Eden
These zombie/vampire apocalypse stories aren't really my jam, but I liked this one okay. It was lacking depth and the connection between the characters didn't really feel like anything other than, "hey we may be the only two people so let's be together"--it certainly didn't feel like love. nothing really new or earth-shattering, overall i put it at about a 2.5-3 star
Thistle and Thorne
I did actually really like this. It was actually not too hard to imagine the setting, the way the world turned to absolute shit. What it turned people into, the struggle and what people would be willing to do to survive, but also how some turn into absolute monsters because of power and greed and fear. I liked both the characters, I liked that while nothing happened between them, there were some moments between them where you felt a little something, and hoped for more, however, if something would have happened it would have felt totally out of place, so that was pretty perfect. I would read more about these two characters. I think Thorne is pretty awesome.
4 stars
Sun Storm
I did not like this at all. The overall idea wasn't bad, but I just could not get into it. I did not like Sarah. Well, its not that I didn't like her, I just really didn't care at all. I think Ian could be a pretty interesting character, but we were left with flat encounters and what I considered to be awkward dialogue given the amount of time they knew each other. Throw in the token guy-gone-mad-wants-everyone-to-die and it was just not for me.
1.5-2 stars
September 13, 2017
I only read "Dawn of Eden" by Julie Kagawa but it was fantastic. Not as gory as I was expecting but still quite violent. An intriguing little story, I can't wait to see how the rest of the Blood of Eden series goes.
May 15, 2022
Loved reading this collection of stories, I've read most to all of the books of the authors that I've read before, and yeah, can't wait to reread those series! I just love these worlds!
January 21, 2013
I received this book from NetGalley for an honest review. There is three short stories included in this book. Each deal with the world as it changes most of the time it is headed to the end. They are all fascinating stories that will have you wanting more to see what happens next.
Dawn of Eden by Julie Kagawa
This is the story of what happened during the Red Lung. The virus that was destroying humans everyone. It is the time when everything is bad but then it soon turns a whole lot worse. Kylie is a doctor who has survived the Red Lung and has some helping running a clinic. She hardly ever sleeps but keeps pushing on hoping for a miracle. When two new people arrive at the clinic she realizes one of them is hiding something. Ben keeps trying to get her to leave and warning her that she is in danger. She soon realizes that the people she thought of as dead are changing and Ben may know why. Now they are on the run fighting for their survival.
I love The Immortal Rules and this is the prequel to that book. It is awesome to get to see just how everything got started and you get to see everything was already going down before the world changed. Kylie is a fascinating character. She shows such amazing strength in this book. Ben even tho he has secrets you can tell he is a good guy and really to me just seemed like a good old boy with more smarts than he shows. You also get to see Ben's family which if you have read The Immortal Rules you will be sure to recognize the place they are from. You also get to see some familiar faces that add a great touch to the story. Even if you have not read The Immortal Rules pick this up as it is a wonderful story.
Thistle & Thorne by Ann Aguirre
Mari Thistle does whatever she can to survive and keep her siblings safe in a world that has been turned into a chemical wasteland. She does job no one else will do but soon someone wants to put a stop to her. Thorne Goodman is a thug and only out for hisself. For some reason when he is told to bring in Mari he does the opposite and goes on the run with her. He has some motives of his own tho he wants to take down the boss running things and he just may need Mari's help doing so.
I love love love this story. It is so wonderful and I really hope to get to see more of this world. The author create one in this short story that leaves you begging for more. Mari does what she has to do to help her family even when that may hurt her. You have to like that she is that devoted. Thorne offers to help her and unlike some books she doesn't instantly trust him. They each earn each others trust. Great no stupid girl you get in some books. Thorne is tough and for the most part that is all you get to see. A few time you get to see the soft vulnerable side and that just makes him a better character for it. They both face being killed
constantly and the action never stops. You have a bad guy who will stop at nothing to get what he wants. He doesn't care who he kills to do so. I love reading this cause you get so caught up in it. There is attraction between Mari and Thorne but neither act on it. You in a way want them to hook up but they both would rather put other things before themselves. Wonderful change to were it isn't about love it is about doing what is right. I do hope there is more books to this story so I can see what happens next.
Sun Storm by Karen Duvall
The world has been changed forever do to sun flares. Everything is different and some people have changed cause of the flares. They have powers. Sarah can predict storms and now may have people after her who want to use her power. She finds this out with the arrival of Ian. He has a power of his own and is being hunted for it. Together these two may hold the key to healing the earth or destroying it. They just have to figure out who to trust to do it.
Out of the three stories this is my least favorite. I just couldn't get into the characters and couldn't get into the story. The plot has a great idea a solar flare has destroyed most things on earth and changed people. They normal ones are still in danger if they get caught in solar flares they could go insane, die or be burned. It just fell flat for me. The two main characters just didn't do much to keep my attention or where that impressive. I think what this needed was a better bad guy or more powers other people had showed more. That really would have kicked it up. It is still a decent read just not my favorite.
I recommend anyone who loves a dystopion or even a paranormal book to pick this up. Two of the stories I really loved and the third was ok. I look froward to reading the next The Immortal Rules book and more books by Ann Aguirre. They both write such wonderful stories.
Dawn of Eden by Julie Kagawa
This is the story of what happened during the Red Lung. The virus that was destroying humans everyone. It is the time when everything is bad but then it soon turns a whole lot worse. Kylie is a doctor who has survived the Red Lung and has some helping running a clinic. She hardly ever sleeps but keeps pushing on hoping for a miracle. When two new people arrive at the clinic she realizes one of them is hiding something. Ben keeps trying to get her to leave and warning her that she is in danger. She soon realizes that the people she thought of as dead are changing and Ben may know why. Now they are on the run fighting for their survival.
I love The Immortal Rules and this is the prequel to that book. It is awesome to get to see just how everything got started and you get to see everything was already going down before the world changed. Kylie is a fascinating character. She shows such amazing strength in this book. Ben even tho he has secrets you can tell he is a good guy and really to me just seemed like a good old boy with more smarts than he shows. You also get to see Ben's family which if you have read The Immortal Rules you will be sure to recognize the place they are from. You also get to see some familiar faces that add a great touch to the story. Even if you have not read The Immortal Rules pick this up as it is a wonderful story.
Thistle & Thorne by Ann Aguirre
Mari Thistle does whatever she can to survive and keep her siblings safe in a world that has been turned into a chemical wasteland. She does job no one else will do but soon someone wants to put a stop to her. Thorne Goodman is a thug and only out for hisself. For some reason when he is told to bring in Mari he does the opposite and goes on the run with her. He has some motives of his own tho he wants to take down the boss running things and he just may need Mari's help doing so.
I love love love this story. It is so wonderful and I really hope to get to see more of this world. The author create one in this short story that leaves you begging for more. Mari does what she has to do to help her family even when that may hurt her. You have to like that she is that devoted. Thorne offers to help her and unlike some books she doesn't instantly trust him. They each earn each others trust. Great no stupid girl you get in some books. Thorne is tough and for the most part that is all you get to see. A few time you get to see the soft vulnerable side and that just makes him a better character for it. They both face being killed
constantly and the action never stops. You have a bad guy who will stop at nothing to get what he wants. He doesn't care who he kills to do so. I love reading this cause you get so caught up in it. There is attraction between Mari and Thorne but neither act on it. You in a way want them to hook up but they both would rather put other things before themselves. Wonderful change to were it isn't about love it is about doing what is right. I do hope there is more books to this story so I can see what happens next.
Sun Storm by Karen Duvall
The world has been changed forever do to sun flares. Everything is different and some people have changed cause of the flares. They have powers. Sarah can predict storms and now may have people after her who want to use her power. She finds this out with the arrival of Ian. He has a power of his own and is being hunted for it. Together these two may hold the key to healing the earth or destroying it. They just have to figure out who to trust to do it.
Out of the three stories this is my least favorite. I just couldn't get into the characters and couldn't get into the story. The plot has a great idea a solar flare has destroyed most things on earth and changed people. They normal ones are still in danger if they get caught in solar flares they could go insane, die or be burned. It just fell flat for me. The two main characters just didn't do much to keep my attention or where that impressive. I think what this needed was a better bad guy or more powers other people had showed more. That really would have kicked it up. It is still a decent read just not my favorite.
I recommend anyone who loves a dystopion or even a paranormal book to pick this up. Two of the stories I really loved and the third was ok. I look froward to reading the next The Immortal Rules book and more books by Ann Aguirre. They both write such wonderful stories.
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