The Immortal Rules - Julie Kagawa

[goodreads]

Title: The Immortal Rules (Blood of Eden #1)
Author: Julie Kagawa
Genre: Paranormal, Dystopian
Rating: 4/5
# pages: 464
Date read: March, 2013

Red lung disease has claimed most of humanity, and the ones left alive live in fear of the vampire Masters, and the rabids (zombies) who live outside the cities.

So what's a human to do? Live outside the city and be on constant watch for rabids who'll claim anybody who steps outside after dark; or live inside the city and be used as cattle by the vampires?

Allison chose neither. She lived on the fringe of town, as an Unregistered who had to beg or scavenge for food. She could be picked up at any time... but at least she didn't have to go to the regular blood-lettings like the Registered did.

But one day she was caught outside the city walls after dark, and was attacked by a group of vicious rabids. A rogue vampire found her and drove them off, but Ally's dying. She now has to make a choice - stay among the living, but as one of the monsters she always hated; or accept death at the hand of a vampire.

While the outcome of this choice is pretty obvious, further events aren't, and it would be a shame to give any more of the plot away. Though it might at first glance seem like just another in an ever-growing stream of vampire books, it is in fact very different from most recent paranormal novels, and is more of a return to the original roots of the vampire folklore.

I liked the combination of the dystopian and the paranormal genres, and am interested in seeing where Julie Kagawa takes the story next. Fortunately she doesn't make the common mistake of leaving on a cliff-hanger, but it is still obvious that this is the first in a series.

This is the first book I've read by Julie Kagawa, but I liked her writing style, so it won't be the last :)