Review: Until I Die & ARC Giveaway

Until I Die by Amy Plum

Genre: YA

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Goodreads Says: Kate and Vincent have overcome the odds and at last they are together in Paris, the city of lights and love.

As their romance deepens there’s one question they can’t ignore: How are they supposed to be together if Vincent can’t resist sacrificing himself to save others? Although Vincent promises that he’ll do whatever it takes to lead a normal life with Kate, will that mean letting innocent people die? When a new and surprising enemy reveals itself, Kate realizes that even more may be at stake—and that Vincent’s immortality is in jeopardy.

In Die for Me, Amy Plum created a captivating paranormal mythology with immortal revenants and a lush Paris setting. Until I Die is poised to thrill readers with more heart-pounding suspense, spellbinding romance, and a cliff-hanger ending that will leave them desperate for the third and final novel in the series.

WOW! I’m sitting here trying to figure out exactly how I feel…

Still trying…
Trying…

I’m still left at Hmmm…

I’ll figure it out by the end of this review. I hope.

As you all know I bumped this series up on my TBR list because I received an ARC of Until I Die while attending RT Convention 2012. As you also might know I didn’t score the first book very high. Just in case you don’t already know this then find out why HERE. If you follow me on Goodreads you’ll realize that I rarely give a book a 5 star rating. An impressive book usually gets 4 stars and so 3 stars isn’t altogether a bad rating. Sorry, in order to get a 5 star rating it has to be one special book. Give thanks to JK Rowling for my tough scoring because the writing and the feeling left after reading those books is what I compare all my readings/ratings to.

OK so with that said! I gave this a 5 star rating. The more I thought about the book and how it left me at the end the more it earned its 5 star rating.

Amy Plum totally redeemed herself with this read. I LOVED IT.

Until I Die picks up a few months after Die For Me. Kate is adjusting to the Revenants and the Revenants are adjusting to Kate. For the most part she is considered family and has earned their trust. She spends most of her time at the mansion that houses Vincent and his Revenant family. Kate is training with a sword so that she can defend herself better in case she faces off with a Numa. Numas are the equivalent of the Revenants in that they are undead but polar opposites in how they are kept animated. Speaking of the Numas, the surviving Numas are keeping a low profile since their leader was killed. It's as if they’ve all disappeared which keeps the Revenants in a constant state of alert.

Towards the end of the first book Vincent decides that he will make the ultimate sacrifice and force himself to not die in place of another in order to shelter Kate from having to mourn his death over and over again. Kate jumps on this and agrees to be with him. Well, something happens in Until I Die that makes Kate rethink the terms of this agreement.

What I liked:
o The cover. Amy Plum continues to be blessed by the cover gods.

o In Die For Me I didn’t care much for Kate because I didn’t see anything special about her. She just was and that just wasn’t good enough for me. In this book she becomes that special person. We get to finally see a personality. She is strong, smart, responsible, determined, brave, realistic (as she can be given the circumstances), proactive and passionate. In the last book she was broken but even that didn’t come through. In this book you know she WAS broken but is mending.


o As I mentioned before, something happens that makes Kate rethink the terms of the agreement she has made with Vincent where he is forced to go against his compulsion to save people. She actually grows up in this moment. Instead of calling it quits like last time, which by the way quitting doesn’t even enter her mind this time (YAY KATE), she decides she will not stand by and let Vincent deal with the compulsion on his own. She realizes that he has a purpose and they just need to find a way to make everything work out. This is a huge turning point in their relationship and also one for Kate. She’s not being so selfish or close minded about things.

o Although we don’t see much of Vincent, he still has a strong presence and the feeling of importance and significance permeates throughout the book in regards to him. We get to experience a deeper understanding of the love Vincent and Kate share when he is around.


o NO LOVE TRIANGLES! I forgot to mention this as a plus in the last review. I don’t like them too much and it seems a lot of writers dig them. I totally appreciate that this writer does not! Life seems to be complicated enough for Vincent and Kate. Just sayin’.

o Revenants. Oh how I loved getting to know more about them! You will meet new characters and learn more of the Revenant/Numa lore.


o France. The author does a great job in placing you in the story and making you feel as if you are traveling throughout Paris and other parts of France. I WANT TO VISIT FRANCE!

o There is a new villain in this book. I liked the new villain. I knew who the new villain was but still… I liked the new villain AND the book!


o Jules, Ambrose, and Charlotte! I continue to love them. They continue to be beautifully written. They are likable and you want to follow their storylines and dig further into their thoughts/history. I have some theories about Jules! I caught something there. Did you catch something there? Um yeah… I have a lot to say about this one and if any of you want to discuss, hit me up.

o Georgia! Yeah, big sis has won my heart. She is definitely a wonderful person to have in your corner and I am so glad that Kate has her unconditional love and support. As crazy as she is she is equally perceptive and more people should listen to her.


o You actually find “Until I die” in the story. I LOVE THIS.

o The ending… OMG!


o That upon finishing this book I felt compelled to Google Revenants and learn more about their lore.

I really don’t have any major dislikes this time. I just need to leave you with this thought though. The Revenants are supposed to be out making sure people are safe. There is a huge compulsion to take the person/human’s place in a situation that leads to death. You don’t experience those situations very much in this book. Also, there is an ongoing animosity between Revenants and Numa. They are enemies and you’d think there’d be more action. You don’t experience very much action in this book. I have come to terms with this. Perhaps this is not the type of book Amy Plum wants to write. HOWEVER, Ms. Amy, if you happen to read this review… adding more action would make this series even more kick ass! OMG! The potential is there!

If you didn’t like the first book very much, I recommend giving this one a try. It is fast paced in that there is something constantly happening just not in an action packed way. You will find an intriguing, compelling story full of passion, mysteries, love, anguish, lore, history and even have laugh out loud moments.


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I loved this book so much that I've gone out and bought a copy to add to my shelf. I'd love to gift the ARC I received at RT 2012.  If you'd like a chance to win  SIGN UP!

a Rafflecopter giveaway This giveaway/gift is open to US/Canada residents. Winner will be announced on May 27. You will have 48 hours to email me with your mailing address. If I do not hear from you within that time frame you will forfeit your win and another winner will be chosen. Giveaway/Gift will be mailed within a week of receiving your mailing address.