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By: Sher A. Hart

This is the first book I’ve read by Julie Kagawa, and it’s very thick. Since I got bored reading another famous vampire novel, I thought this one would bore me too. Not so. That’s not to say the whole book was too exciting to put down. Kagawa paced her story well. Besides all the action, she gave readers stopping places by making small books within her big book. Smart strategy for a story this length. All the thrills of a horrific roller coaster ride where the operator will let you off if you need a break. I guarantee you’ll get back on as soon as you take care of life’s little necessities.

The main character, Allison, starts as a human hardened from living as an unregistered member of a street gang to avoid having to give blood to her city’s vampire Lord. The author does a good job creating a bleak picture of the city where Allison and her gang are starving in the fringe. The search for food outside the city in rabid territory is what sets the plot in motion. If you didn’t know Allison ends up as a vampire early on, check the blurb. Let’s just say there’s a lot of grief and death before Allison chooses to live as the undead. (more…)