Until I Die (Die for Me, 2)

I really, really enjoyed the first book in the Revenants series, Die For Me, but I thought it had its flaws and borrowed heavily from the TV series The Highlander.This book, I felt was very improved. The plot thickened, new characters were introduced, and new villains join the fray. I guessed the plot twist very early in the book but I still found myself enjoying the main character's reaction to the news. There are so many characters, but you feel like you get to know them all, the more time you spend with them. (And, if you listen to the audiobook, the narrator does a terrific job pronouncing all the French and giving all the characters unique voices.)Some situations hinted at in book 1 are continued and further developed in book 2, and it was awesome to see how the story flowed so easily from one volume to the next. Sometimes it's hard to continue a series because the author changes their writing style or picks the story up at an awkward place in the next book, but that's not the case here. I was wary but very pleased by the way book 2 developed. I was especially ecstatic that my very favorite character in the series was revealed to be gay in this book. It made me so happy to read that! The only thing till that point the series was lacking for me was some LGBT rep, and the author gave it to my fave.New revenants join the clan in Paris, and they're both powerful and ancient. Kate has a different relationship with each of them and their interactions were so much fun to read about, whether she was going to the cinema with Violette or flipping Arthur the bird, I loved every minute of it.This book contained so many of my favorite things: rare books, art heists, symbolic jewelry, a mysterious old shop, a misty cemetery, and a secret order. And everything was woven together seamlessly to create a spooky atmosphere at times, and heart-pounding excitement at others.I will say that the series continued to borrow more material from The Highlander. For one, a society of humans who aid the revenants was introduced. They're exactly like the Watchers from The Highlander. Also, if you've seen the TV show, you know there are good immortals and bad immortals. The main character, Duncan MacLeod, absorbs the energy or life force from the evil immortals he slays, and taking all that darkness into himself changes him. It's a major plot arc in the later episodes of the series. Well, Until I Die introduces that same setup in the Revenants series. We now learn that whenever an immortal revenant kills their enemy, the immortal numa, they absorb their power. And too much of a bad thing is not good.I feel like Revenants is basically Highlander fan fiction, but I don't mind. It's well-written and gets better as it goes. If you're not sure if you want to continue the series after reading Die For Me, please do. It only gets better. The audiobook narrator is great, but I also recommend the paperbacks for a surplus of bonus content at the end of the story!

UNTIL I DIE is the exciting and utterly enchanting second book in author Amy Plum's Revenants series. With its Parisian backdrop, its captivating storyline and lovable characters, this sequel continues this engaging series that is part urban fantasy and part paranormal romance with a touch of mystery.As Kate begins to settle into a life with revenants and starts to feel at home among them, two new arrivals and the departure of a close friend change things once again. And with Vincent keeping his distance and keeping secrets, she's feeling more like an outsider than ever.But when she learns that there may be a way for her and Vincent to find their happily ever after, a way that won't be as dark, dangerous and full of secrets as whatever way Vincent thinks is their only chance for happiness, she has to try and find out just what it is. Because if she can't, if Vincent's way is the only way, it could mean losing Vincent forever. And a lot sooner than she ever would have imagined.UNTIL I DIE introduces new characters, new threats and a chance at a happy ending for Kate and Vincent. It delves deeper into the world of revenants and touches upon a new development that will likely be explored in the next book in the series. And while the pace may start off slowly, it picks up as the story continues and leads to an incredibly exciting and climactic conclusion.The story's protagonist, Kate, has become an even stronger and more interesting character in this sequel. With Vincent's withdrawal and secretive behavior, she proves that she is more than capable of acting independently. And with Jules being ever-present, the story doesn't quite abandon the idea of a love triangle.The author continues to build upon the tension between the two factions of revenants in this sequel, and introduces a new, unknown enemy into the mix whose identity seems as if it would be fairly obvious to the reader, but less so for the characters, which adds to the story's suspense.But it is the story's end that offers the most thrills, excitement, surprises and heartbreak. The truth about the betrayal is uncovered, but questions still remain for the next book in the series. And with a heart-wrenching cliffhanger ending, this story guarantees that readers will return to find out whether this series ends happily or tragically.UNTIL I DIE is a must for fans of this series. With new developments about the revenants, new possibilities for the main characters, moments that heartwarming and those that are heartbreaking and a killer cliffhanger ending, this second installment in the series is not one to be missed.And for those readers who don't enjoy hanging off a cliff, having the next book in the series on-hand is also a must.

oooOOOooohhh how I enjoyed this book! Sometimes book two of a trilogy can be a bit tricky to navigate. We are no longer starting out the story so you don't get the anticipation of all of the firsts that the characters are going to experience and the fun of meeting all of the new people. But then it is also not the final book so we know not everything is going to be wrapped up with a cute little bow.I thought Until I Die was an excellent middle book. This is the book for gaining information, seeing where the story is going to lead... it did an excellent job and even threw in quite a bit of suspense and action.I really warmed to Kate in this book. I admitted in my review for Die for Me that she was not my favorite person all of the time. She was so forwards and backwards, I was getting whiplash. But here she really came into her own. In fact I can even say she was pretty kick ass. She is learning to fight with the help of Gaspard and Vincent and she is a natural talent. It has only been a short space of time but I really think she has grown into her character. I won't say I absolutely love her yet but it is getting there.However Vincent is as loveable as ever, if not more so than in book one. I simply adore him. He is such a gentleman and knows exactly how to take care of Kate. Meaning, he is always there to help her but he doesn't run in to push her aside so he can save the day. Of course he worries about her, because he loves her, but he isn't an over macho alpha male that thinks she can't handle herself. He lets her fight when she needs to and only steps in when she obviously needs help. I really like this about his character. It shows he has grown over his many years because from the age he is actually from it was a very different time and you would think his overall attitude would be different. This just shows how great he is.Until I Die is ultimately about Kate and Vincent trying to find a way to be together. They are 'together' but they know this is not going to be forever. Vincent is trying to find way to resist the urge to die and in doing this he will be able to age along side Kate. Kate knows this is a lot to ask of him and smartly comes to the conclusion that it is not only her that this would effect. Vincent is a being that saves humans, this is his sole purpose. What if he didn't do the right thing in a moment's notice and that split second meant the person he was to save actually dies. How would she live with this... how would Vincent live with this? Vincent thinks he has found a way to prevent his urges but wants to keep it a secret until he can see if it works. In the time being Kate goes out on her own to search for more answers and to find a way to help their situation.Pretty much the same cast of characters are still around however there are a couple of new faces, Violette and Arthur. They are old, as in old old. They have joined Vincent's kindred in Paris because the Numa (aka bad guys) have disappeared and they all know that they are up to something. Since these two have been around for so long they have a lot of connections so they have been brought in to see if they can help. From the moment they enter the scene you are trying to guess if they are good, or if they are bad. But... there won't be any spoilers here.In my review of Die for Me I mentioned the possible love triangle (gasp) between Vincent, Kate and Jules. Again we see more affection from Jules toward Kate but nothing really concrete. However, I have noticed that there is a novella from Jules' POV, Die for Her, that is due out in April 2013. So this would leave me to believe that any big revelations in this department will come out in that novella or in the final book. I do love Jules and I hope that his character is not ruined for me or left unhappy. I really want him to get his own happily ever after.So, do you know what else a second book in a trilogy is known for? Yep you guessed it. A cliffhanger! And man oh man is this a huge one! I sat there at the end and just stared at the page for a few minutes. In fact I have to say I was on the edge of my seat for the whole of the last 15% - 20%. Again I refuse to put in any spoilers and I even hate voicing my thoughts about certain subjects because I don't want to give anything away or put thoughts in people's minds before they read the series. But I have to say that I really have a strong suspicion about what may ultimately happen in this series and just thinking about it gives me a fresh wave of butterflies... I can't wait to find out how it all ends.How long do we have to wait you ask? Well, after Jules' novella in April it appears that book three, If I Should Die, is due out on May 7th 2013. So really there isn't that long a wait. Of course I would rather have it here right now to start but since I don't I will just add these two to my trusty book release calendar."But now I have something that blows that feeling out of the water. Every time I need a hit of joy, I think about you. You are my solace, Kate. Just knowing that you are in this world, everything makes sense."ChristineRainy Day Reads

I absolutely loved "Die for me", Amy Plum's first novel in this series, so it was only to be expected that I'd grab this book the moment it hit the shelves but the question is: Was it actually as good? Well I can tell you what I think but first, what's this one about?This time around Kate and Vincent have a dilemma. Previously, Vincent promised Kate that he would try not to die because she couldn't handle seeing him die over and over again. Now for those of you that are a bit confused, Vincent is a revenant (Somebody who sacrifies themselves to save another human and as a result comes back to life, undead, with a compulsion to save more lives whilst never really dying themselves). The problem is, everything Kate comes across recently is just a reminder that her relationship with Vincent will always lead to her inevitably aging whilst he goes on living once she dies. So how can they fix it? Well, individually and in secret, they set out to try and find solutions (of which you'll have to read the book to find out about). Whilst all of this happening the numa (the "evil" revenants) are out for revenge after the death of their previous leader, Lucien.So before you read this, do you need to read the first one again? I didn't and I read "Die for me" months ago. If you don't remember much of the backstory from last time it's not really a problem because luckily Amy Plum goes over most of what happened within the first few pages - don't worry though, it isn't pages of recapping the previous story; it's drip fed to us quite nicely. There are a lot of recurring characters from the last book, and sadly with the events in "Die for me" Kate must say a temporary goodbye to Charlotte and Charles (the twin revenants) although they do crop up throughout the book from time to time. But with the loss of these characters comes the gain of two new additions to take over their duties in the revenant household - Violette and Arthur. I liked these two characters; they were interesting so it was a nice addition. We also look into the lives of Genevieve and her husband Phillipe (the revenant-human relationship mentioned to us in the last book).But I'm sure all you really want to know is whether it's as good as the first book? Well, I desperately want to say yes but unfortunately parts of this book force me to say that no, it didn't quite hit the mark. BUT, that isn't to say it isn't great and I still really enjoyed it I just had one issue with it which left me feeling a bit disappointed: It was predictable. The plot itself is a good one but from almost a third of the way through I knew what the "twist" would be and who would be responsible - and usually I'm completely in the dark and have no idea! This predictability ruined the story somewhat for me because I became a bit irritated with Kate for missing the obvious (I can't say much more without ruining the story for you).Overall, I still recommend this to those that loved Kate and Vincent last time. The ending is great and is such a cliffhanger that I can't wait to see what happens next. It's just that "Until I die" was a little too easy for me to work out; but "Should I die?" looks to be a fantastic read!

This is a beautiful story of an American teenager living in Paris who falls in love with a dashing French lad who happens to be dead (well he is for 3 days a month). Not much there to grab you ....wrong!!!I stumbled upon this series & have been blown away. The books are well written & the story is well thought out. No wandering storylines or gapping holes. It isn't fast paced but equally it is certainly not boring.The concepts are fresh & new without being to weird for some of us oldies to understand. The descriptions are indepth & just from reading the books I have a real desire to see Paris. The characters are real & likeable. The author does well with the relationship between Kate & Vincent : sweet & tender without the reading having a hyper due to all the sugar. No hot sex scenes as I get the impression that this is written for the young adult market. Anything more I believe would spoil this story.This book could stand alone as the scene is set quite well from the begining but I would recommend you read the 1st book (Die for me).Complaints..... I hate the ending. Note to author ....NEVER end a book like that unless you have the next one going to print within a few months. Drives your readers insane waiting to find out what happens.My advice don't buy on Kindle ...you are going to want to keep this one & read it over & over again.

I waited for this book for absolutely ages and when it arrived two days before actually release date I was so happy!I've read some on the reviews saying that the book was 'predictable', yes it was clear that something was going to happen to Vincent because its a book, it can't end perfectly or Amy wouldn't be able to do a series from them....I honestly think that this book was well worth the wait!Also on another note, the author (Amy) is absolutely lovely! I have a signed bookmark and bookplate from her and I also have my Die for Me signed by her from when she visited London, I think that the next book will be one to blow everyone out of the water!Defiantly one of my favorite authors!

This book had a slow start, but I did enjoy the details about the developing relationship and more knowledge about the revenants.The second half of the book was more gripping for me though. However, I had figured out who the 'baddie' was early on and why certain events happened. I'm not sure if it's because it was obvious or I watch too much Crime Drama and am naturally suspicious :)