The Immortal Rules

Starred review from April 30, 2012
Set in a near future where despotic vampires rule crumbling cities after a devastating plague has swept the country, Kagawa's Blood of Eden series kicks off with a bang. Seventeen-year-old unregistered human Allie Sekemoto would rather hover on the edge of starvation than submit to the branding, tracking, and monthly blood draws required to receive food rations from the undead overlords. She hates the vampires, but her survival instinct is stronger: when she is attacked and fatally injured, she accepts being Turned by an outlaw vampire to save herself. Forced to flee the city, Allie plays human and joins a clan that wanders the wilderness searching for a fabled safe haven called Eden. Torn between her maddening need for blood and the remnants of her humanity, Allie is a terrific heroineâtough, pragmatic, yet sympatheticâand readers will be hungry to see where her story goes. Kagawa wraps excellent writing and skillful plotting around a well-developed concept and engaging characters, resulting in a fresh and imaginative thrill-ride that deserves a wide audience. Ages 14âup. Agent: Laurie McLean, Larsen-Pomada Literary Agency.