- Blue Bloods (series)
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Blue Bloods Author(s) Melissa de la Cruz Country United States Language English Series Blue Bloods Genre(s) Young adult
Fantasy MysteryPublisher Hyperion Paperbacks Publication date March 27, 2007 Media type Print Pages 302 pp (paperback) ISBN 9781905654741 OCLC Number 123118232 LC Classification PZ7.M34788 Wi 2007 Followed by Masquerade Blue Bloods is a series of vampire novels by Melissa de la Cruz. The series is set in Manhattan, New York.[1][2] There are currently five books in the series: Blue Bloods, Masquerade, Revelations, The Van Alen Legacy, and Misguided Angel. A companion novel, Keys to the Repository, was released on June 29, 2010. Bloody Valentine, another companion novel was released on December 28, 2010. "Lost in Time," released September 2011. Two more books are set to be published: Gates of Paradise and Wolfpact.
Contents
Plot
Schuyler Van Alen has never fit in at Duchesne, her prestigious New York City private school. She prefers baggy, vintage clothes instead of the Prada and pearls worn by her classmates. Schuyler is an outcast at her school and only survives with the help of her best friend, Oliver Hazard-Perry. Her mother, Allegra, has been in a coma for years and her father, Stephen Chase, is believed to be dead. Schuyler lives with her grandmother, Cordelia, in a rundown mansion located in upper Manhattan. Although they share a home, Schuyler receives little affection from her grandmother.
Mimi Force is the "It" girl at Duchesne and believed to be the most beautiful girl in New York's history. Rich, beautiful, smart and powerful, Mimi and her twin brother Jack are the most popular children at their school. Their father, Charles Force, owns a series of businesses and has a lot of influence in New York City.
Bliss Llewellyn is a new girl at Duchesne. Big, curly red hair and cheer-leading moves are not as impressive in New York as they were in Texas. She quickly gets in the popular crowd in befriending Mimi Force, but later becomes good friends with Schuyler. Her father, Forsyth Llewellyn, is a senator.
When Schuyler and Bliss are fifteen years old, their lives change dramatically. They are invited to join "The Committee," which is made up of a select group of New York's oldest and most influential families, including Mimi and Jack Force. When Schuyler and Bliss attend their first meeting, they learn that they are vampires (or vampyres as Bliss liked to call herself), fallen angels known as Blue Bloods. They are born again and again, forever cursed to walk the Earth in a series of different lives, or "Cycles." Their current Cycle turns out to be an exciting one when they discover that their continued existence as Blue Bloods is being threatened by the Silver Bloods, Blue Bloods who have gone bad and are draining the life blood of other Blue Bloods. This is known as "Full Consumption" and allows the Silver Blood to carry the life and memories of their victim inside them forever.
The series follows the full cast of characters through several exciting adventures throughout the world.
Characters
Van Alen
Schuyler Van Alen (Dimidium Cognatus, Half-Blood) Schuyler is a half blood and the first of her kind with no Heavenly past. Her mother, Gabrielle, The Uncourrupted (Allegra Van Alen in this cycle), is a vampire but her father, Stephen Chase, was a human. Schuyler's best friend and Conduit is Oliver Hazard-Perry. He soon ignores Schuyler for having feelings for one Jack Force and gets into the Committee. Later, Schuyler finds out that Oliver is her Conduit and he was "assigned to her". After her grandfather's death, she went on a yearlong evasion from Committee justice with Oliver. After Mimi and Jack's failed bonding, she went with Jack to Italy, hoping to ask help from the European Coven in fulfilling the Van Alen Legacy.
Allegra Van Alen (Gabrielle, The Uncorrupted, the Virtuous, the Messenger, Archangel of the Light) Schuyler Van Alen's birth mother, her bondmate was Charles Force but she had forsaken their bond when she bonded with her human familiar, Stephen Chase (Schuyler's father), and slipped into a coma when Schuyler was three years old.
Cordelia Van Alen (Seraphiel, Angel of Song) Schuyler Van Alen's cycle grandmother, her bondmate is Lawrence Van Alen. She was attacked by a Silver Blood but lived long enough for her memories to be saved. She and her bondmate always carried concerns about Silver Blood corruption within the coven and due to this was removed from the Conclave.
Lawrence Van Alen (Metraton, Heavenly Scribe) Schuyler Van Alen's cycle grandfather, and Corderlia Van Alen's bondmate. He went into a self-imposed exile to conduct a research on his own about the Silver Bloods while disguising himself as a professor at Venice. Upon returning to New York after the attack at the Repository, he won the title as Regis. Unfortunately, he was slain in Rio by Leviathan.
Stephen Chase (Human Familiar) Schuyler Van Alen's birth father.
Oliver Hazard-Perry (Human Familiar/Human Conduit) Schuyler's best friend since the second grade, he's also her Conduit. Oliver is a strong academic student and helps Schuyler deal with the knowledge of being a Blue Blood. He went with Schuyler for a whole year as she tried to evade the Committee. Currently, he is a scribe in the Repository.
Force
Benjamin "Jack" Force (Abbadon, Angel of Destruction, Twin Angel of the Apocalypse, the Unlikely, Destroyer of Worlds) Cycle son of Charles Force and Trinity Burden Force, his bondmate is Madeleine "Mimi" Force, his twin sister. But Jack falls in love with Schuyler (as he supposedly did for her mother many centuries ago, however later proven to be false) despite the consequences he will face if he breaks his bond to Mimi. Yet he had conducted a secret affair with Schuyler. Currently, he is in the company of Schuyler, searching for the Gates.
Madeleine "Mimi" Force (Azrael, Angel of Death, Twin Angel of the Apocalypse) Cycle daughter of Charles Force and Trinity Burden Force, her bondmate is Jack Force, her twin brother. She wields power and authority. She has a strong personality and not easily pleased.Mimi struggles with the knowledge of Jack's growing infatuation with Schuyler. Yet, while she was on a Venator mission, she was said to have conducted an intimate affair with Kingsley Martin. Upon returning to New York, she planned her bonding with Jack but it had turned into a disaster for her brother had ran off with Schuyler. And with the disappearance of Charles Force and death of Lawrence Van Alen, she earned the title of Regent.
Charles (Van Alen) Force (Michael, Pure of Heart, the Valiant, Prince of the Angels, Supreme Commander of the Lord's Armies, Archangel of the Light) Cycle father of Madeleine and Benjamin Force, his bondmate was Allegra Van Alen but he bonded to Trinity Burden Force in a Red Blood marriage after the bond was forsaken. When he lost his title as Regis, he withdrew himself from the Blue Blood life. But after Lawrence's death, he was seen at the Bal des Vampires in a battle with Leviathan. Currently, he is lost in the White Darkness.
Trinity Burden Force (Sandalphon, Angel of Silence) Cycle mother of Madeleine and Benjamin Force, her bondmate perished in the Great War and married Charles Force in a Red Blood Union. She is a widely known socialite in New York City and spends a lot of time helping with charity work and raising her cycle children.
Llewellyn
Bliss Llewellyn (Azazel, The Darkling, Lupus Theliel, Angel of Love, Wolfsbane) Cycle Daughter of Forsyth Llewellyn and BobbiAnn Llewellyn. She has no heavenly bond until she falls in love with Dylan Ward, who was later killed by a Silver Blood. She is Gabrielle's first trueborn daughter from a union with Lucifer. She was last seen at Mimi and Jack's bonding where she banished Lucifer from her body which turned her into a human. Currently, she is searching for the "Hounds of Hell" as instructed by Allegra.
Forsyth Llewellyn(Malakai, the Steward) Cycle father to Bliss and Jordan, he is also the bondmate of BobbiAnne. He won a seat as the senator when he moved back to New York. Forsyth was one of Charles most trusted allies but it was later revealed that he was a Silver Blood traitor. After Lawrence's death and Charles' disappearance, Forsyth tried to instate himself as Regis. Only Mimi had kept the vote from being unanimous. After the failed bonding between Mimi and Jack, he went missing.
BobbiAnne Llewellyn (Andela, of the Dawn) Cycle mother to Bliss and Jordan, the bondmate of Forsyth. She was said to be superficial, silly and a social climber who never fit in with the New York upper crust. It was revealed, that like her bondmate, she too, eas a Silver Blood traitor. She perished in the massacre in Rio.
Jordan Llewellyn (Pistis Sophia, Elder of the Elders, the Watcher) Cycle Daughter to Forsyth and BobbiAnn Llewellyn and held the spirit of Pistis Sophia, the Watcher. She has no bondmate, and is born into her full memory. She was called up grudgingly due to the pleading of Cordelia Van Alen and was never really accepted by her cycle parents because they were afraid she'll expose them. When, she took her action and tried to kill Bliss, she was abducted and later on killed. But since Sophia can change physical shells, as Jordan died, she found a new host in Jane Murray, who had been hit by a bus.
Off-Coven
Dylan Ward (Xathaneal, the Hidden One) Cycle family unknown. As Xathaneal, he has no bondmate, but throughout his cycles, he was continuously drawn to Azazel (Bliss). Dylan was accused of murdering Aggie Carondolet and taken into the custody of the Regis. He then broke free of the holding. It was believed he was in the process of being corrupted by the Sliver Blood's, if he was already Croatan. He was missing for a few months (presumably he was on Shutter Island) before returning to the city. He was later found dead beside Lawrence when Lawrence killed him, under the guise of Lucifer.
Martin
Kingsley Martin (Araquiel, Angel of Vengeance, the Angel with Two Faces) One of the Conclave's skilled and trusted Venator. Kingsley was a reformed Silver Blood and became a key to understanding Silver Bloods. Throughout his cycles, he was always falling in love with Azrael(Mimi). He was sent to Paris to hunt for Leviathan but was seen at Mimi and Jack's bonding. After the Silver Blood ambush in the bonding, he is believed to be trapped in the underworld.
House of the Morningstar
Lucifer (The Morningstar, Lightbringer, Prince of Heaven, Prince of Darkness, Archangel of the Dawn) Lucifer, leader of the Fallen and king of the Silver Bloods was the most beautiful and powerful of the angels until he challenged the Almighty. He is said to be so bright that it hurts to look at him. He is Bliss's birth father. Currently, he is stilled trapped in the underworld after his failed escape, thanks to Kingsley.
Leviathan (The Giant, the Kraken, Goliath of the Glom) Brother to Lucifer. He was released from his prison when Lawrence killed an innocent(Dylan) but thanks to Kingsley, Leviathan is once again in Hell.
Nan Cutler (Harbonah, Angel of Annihilation) She served as Regent in the Conclae before it was revealed that, she too, was a Silver Blood traitor.
Critical reception
"De la Cruz introduces a conception of vampires far different from stake-fleeing demons in traditional horror fiction, coupling sly humor with gauzier trappings of being fanged and fabulous." -Booklist (starred review)[Full citation needed]
"The intriguing plot will keep teens reading." -School Library Journal[Full citation needed]
"Juicy voyeuristic peek into the lives of rich Manhattanites-who happen to be vampires." -Kirkus Reviews[Full citation needed]
Titles in the series
- Blue Bloods, the first novel in the series, was published in March 2007[3]
- Masquerade, the second novel in the Blue Bloods series, was published on July 1, 2008
- Revelations, the third novel in the Blue Bloods series, was published on July 21, 2009
- The Van Alen Legacy, the fourth novel in the Blue Bloods series, was published on October 6, 2009.
- The Keys to the Repository, a companion book, was released on 29 June 2010. It contains short stories and information on Schuyler, Mimi, Bliss and others. This book does not continue the plot from The Van Alen Legacy.
- Misguided Angel, the fifth novel in the Blue Bloods series, was published on October 26, 2010.
- Bloody Valentine, a Blue Bloods novella, published on December 28, 2010. Bloody Valentine is 3 short love stories of 4 main characters:Oliver Hazard-Perry, Allegra Van Allen, Schuyler Van Allen, & Jack Force.
- Lost in Time, the sixth novel in the Blue Bloods series. was published in September 27, 2011 and is out in stores now. Per - http://melissa-delacruz.com/index.php/info/faqs/
The seventh and final Blue Bloods novel, "The Gates of Paradise" will be published in January of 2013.
- Wolf Pact, a spin-off of the Blue Bloods series, set to be published in 2012, with Bliss Llewellyn as its central character.
- "Witches of East End" is another spin off, based on a character from "Bloody Valentine" which takes place in a fictional town, North Hampton, and was marketed towards adults.
References
- ^ Ward, Kate. "What young adult novel should Hollywood adapt next?", Entertainment Weekly, 21 September 2010
- ^ La Ferla, Ruth. "A Trend With Teeth", New York Times, 2 July 2, 2009
- ^ Information in this section compiled from melissa-delacruz.com, Books and Diary: My new projects are officially announced
External links
Categories:- Young adult novel series
- American young adult novels
- American vampire novels
- Novels set in New York City
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