Until I Die (Revenants) [Kindle Edition]

Amy Plum (Author)

Book Description

I wish there was only today, just right now, and no forever.

It seems fitting that I fell in love in Paris, the most beautiful city in the world. And if I pretend, I can almost believe that my life is normal and everyone I care about is safe.

But as long as I’m with Vincent, “normal” doesn’t exist. Gorgeous, charming, and witty, he’s everything you could ask for in a boyfriend—but his destiny is so much more.

Even more terrifying than his destiny are his dangerous enemies, enemies who will kill for immortality. How are Vincent and I supposed to be together forever if we’re always in danger?

I know I’ll do whatever it takes—even if it means lying to the people I love—to fight against a fate that is trying to tear us apart.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Move over, Bella and Edward. Plum introduces a world and a story that are sure to intrigue teen readers and will easily attract fans of the Twilight series."--Booklist

Review

"Move over, Bella and Edward. Plum introduces a world and a story that are sure to intrigue teen readers and will easily attract fans of the Twilight series."--Booklist

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• File Size: 655 KB
• Print Length: 384 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins; Reprint edition (May 8, 2012)
• Sold by: HarperCollins Publishers
• Language: English
• ASIN: B0068LTML8
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Enabled
• Lending: Not Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #21,527 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Middle Book! May 8, 2012

By Amanda Welling

Format:Hardcover

irst Impressions: I read Die for Me when it was released last year and I had been waiting for what seemed like forever to grab a copy of the second book, Until I Die. I loved just about everything from the first book, so I was ecstatic when Until I Die arrived on my doorstep and I promptly opened up the package and started to read.Oh, and the cover art is gorgeous!

First 50 Pages: I'd like to start this by saying that I adore the setting for both books. The rich, intrinsic, and drop-dead gorgeous Paris setting is to die for (no pun intended). The way the author describes everything makes you feel like you are really there experiencing everything the characters are going through without being overly done or confusing. Her writing style is pretty straight-forward and fairly easy to read and follow. Although, when the author does add French to the mix, it is a little bit distracting. I don't know more than five words in French, so I had to stop reading and Google certain words and such. It was a tiny annoyance.

With that being said, Until I Die felt very much like a "middle" book and I'll explain why I felt this way later on in my review. For the first 50 pages, I was seriously hooked and it didn't take me very long to finish the whole book.

Characters & Plot: I'm going to keep this spoiler free since I am writing this review a few months before the release date. I don't want to torture fans with spoilers!

The pacing in Until I Die is a bit slower than the first novel, I believe, and it is one of the reasons I consider this book a really good "middle" book, which technically speaking, it is since it is part of a trilogy. This book is completely full of all sorts of background information, more romance, and less action, but there are a few kick-butt fighting scenes thrown in as well.

We learn a TON about the Revenants, their history, how they came to be, etc. I loved this because in the first book the lack of background information about the Revenants really bothered me and I had been hoping the author would answer the many questions I had in a later book, which she indeed did. What I really love about these books are the characters and Amy did a great job when it comes to character development in this book.

Kate really shines in this book and I just love everything about her. She is capable of handling her own business, strong, caring, and always wants to do for others. She is very mature for her age and that is probably from everything she has had to deal with. Vincent on the other hand has a serious hero complex, and kind of dangerous considering the fact that when he saves someone's life, he in turn dies for a short time. In this book, Vincent pledges that he will stop trying to rescue everyone so that he and Kate can grow their relationship. This doesn't work out very well when they figure out that Vincent may not remain immortal for very long because someone is out to get him. Now here is where I have to say I found this book very predictable. I figured out who was trying to kill Vincent almost immediately, and I ended up being right. It took some of the mystery and suspense away from me, but maybe that won't happen with other readers.

The other characters are fantastic as usual. Charlotte is a personal favorite of mine, as well as Jules. Each character is better developed in this book and we get to see the characters individual personalities shine through.

Final Thoughts: The ending of this book KILLED ME! I want you to be warned that there is NO happy ending here. It completely devastated me on a few different levels. I was not expecting the book to end the way it did and I'm just heartbroken from what happened. Amy Plum made a very bold move in relation to the ending. I'm not too sure many other authors would have had the nerve. Needless to say, it is a major cliffhanger and now I have to wait and cross my fingers and hope that SOMETHING changes in the final book.

This was a really good book. A few small flaws here and there but nothing major. Like I said, it is an in-between book so expect a slower pace; the characters, the heightened romance, and the background information on the Revenants completely make up for the slower action. I would definitely recommend this trilogy to anyone I know. For fans of Die for me, Until I Die won't disappoint!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Middle book syndrome strikes again July 24, 2012

By starryeyedjen

Format:Hardcover

So...I have tons of scribbles for this book. If you know my reading style at all, you know that this is never a good sign. When I'm consumed by a book, or vice versa, I tend to forget to stop and record my thoughts. When a book is not living up to my expectations? THAT'S when I find myself with pages of notes. Granted, I can't include a lot of my notes in my review because some of my thoughts were particularly spoilery, but you get the point.

I loved Die for Me when I read it last year. I liked the story, the characters, the setting...I even appreciated the bad guy. However, I'm starting to notice a trend. A big majority of the books I read this time last year - read: the first books in trilogies that are slated to release sequels this year - really wowed me. Maybe I was just getting back into my reading groove and was happy to read anything at that point. This was around the time I started my blog and everything was new and shiny and full of awesome. I guess what I'm trying to say is that if you compared my taste in reading materials from a year ago to the present, the results might be a bit skewed. Basically, I'm just warning you that I'm not going to review Until I Die as favorably as I did Die for Me, and I want you to know that I'm not picking on the book or the author. Also, it may not be any fault of the author or the book. It really could just be me that changed.

That said, I feel that Until I Die fell into the "middle book slump". It was 350+ pages of fluff, nothing of any consequence really happening throughout the entirety of the novel. Sure, Kate is searching for a way for her and Vincent to have a somewhat normal life together, and he's conducting experiments with the same end result in mind. However, the majority of the book was spent on Revenant history and unsubstantiated claims of a Champion and other Revenant-related lore that was neither unexpected nor unsurprising. After the first quarter of the book, I already knew where the storyline was headed, and although I love to be proven correct, the result left me quite dissatisfied.

My biggest complaint, though, was how contrived this novel felt. I have no less than five written examples of obstacles being overcome rather conveniently, despite the odds being stacked against the characters, and those are only the ones I felt compelled to document. Life, love and everything in between isn't easy for your average human, so why would I find it believable that a human dating a not-so-gross zombie would have an easier go of it?
I did appreciate the fact that Vincent feels the need to point out to Kate that she has pretty much ostracized herself from all of her former friends and that she still does need those connections to the normal world. I can't really fault Vincent for anything there; I do so hate a protagonist who dumps all of her former relationships for one with a guy who's already warned her away from him for various reasons. On the other hand, Vincent doesn't push Kate away because of the wrongness of their relationship, as so many wrong-for-her love interests are wont to do, so kudos on that front, as well.

I didn't hate Until I Die, and I'll definitely pick up the next book in the series. I just wish Until I Die hadn't been such a middle novel. I was so excited about this book, and it just fell short of my expectations. I've been trying to curb those as of late, but when you've already read the first novel and adored it, what do you do?

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Plum doesn't pull any punches May 5, 2012

By T. Edmund

Format:Kindle Edition

In the sequel to Die For Me, we find Kate and Vincent making 'happy dating teenagers' surrounded by Vincent's revenant family, filling their days teaching Kate sword-fighting and gossiping about the love-lives of the others.

Surprise, surprise tranquil happiness can't last, Kate starts to question her and Vincent's relationship, wondering just what his long (immortal) term plans are, and just how strong is the need to sacrifice himself to save others?

Meanwhile Vincent has a plan to tackle his sacrificial needs, a plan that he hasn't let Kate into the loop of.

Frustrated by the situation Kate investigates the mythology of the revenant and finds out more than she ever wanted to know.

Until I die, continues an original fantasy series that breathes new creatures into a genre flooded with the same old beasties. The focus of the tension is on relationships and mythology, so I will say if you're looking for an action fantasy this might not be your cup of tea. However, that doesn't mean this book isn't more hard hitting than your average 'fluffy' supernatural romance.

The ending will leave you gagging for If I Should Die, the concluding book due 2013

More About the Author

Amy Plum is the author of the International Bestsellers DIE FOR ME (Indie Next List pick, Romance Times top pick, and recipient of a starred review from School Library Journal), UNTIL I DIE, and IF I SHOULD DIE. The trilogy is accompanied by an eNovella entitled DIE FOR HER, told from another character's point of view.

Amy grew up in Birmingham, Alabama before venturing further afield to Chicago, Paris, London and New York. An art historian by training, she can be found on most days either daydreaming or writing (or both) in a Parisian café. Visit her at http://www.amyplumbooks.com and check out http://www.youtube.com/user/revenantcentral for videos and extras.