Blue Bloods Series

You might be tired of the whole vampire saga, but I just can't seem to get over it.  I've been reading Melissa de la Cruz's Blue Bloods series since the beginning.  I was actually lucky enough to score an ARC of Masquerade, so you see I am quite loyal to these tales.  The posh setting these young vampires operate within is so opulent that I really enjoy picturing their wardrobes and parties.

In my opinion, what sets Blue Bloods (click there to watch a trailer) apart from other series is that de la Cruz tackles the question why vampires exist.  This premise becomes important in understanding  how all the characters are connected.  I also like the historical tie in that many of America's original settlers back in 1620 were actually vampires.  You see, the passengers on the Mayflower not only wanted to escape religious persecution, but also sought to establish a vampire colony.  Hello, Lost Colony of Roanoke explained.

Despite its historical roots, Blue Bloods follows the modern day set of vampires.  These glamorous families include many teens who attend the exclusive Duchesne in New York City.  Of these, Mimi and Jack Force are the elite of the elite.  Then there is Schulyer Van Allen, who doesn't seem to fit in at all, except with her best friend Oliver.  As Blue Bloods opens, Schulyer is beginning to discover her lineage and how she fits in to the vampire world.  But, she's not like the rest, which presents a problem.

The series continues with Masquerade, Revelations, The Van Allen Legacy, Misguided Angel, and Lost in Time.  Each of these extends the story a bit more, and we learn how each of the characters and their families fit together in this life but throughout history as well.  They face dangers from not only within their group, but from the dangerous Silver Backs and the evil Countess.  Another highlight of the series is that de la Cruz included Bloody Valentine (considered 5.5 in the series order), which is a series of short stories about some of the characters.  In this way, Cruz was able to go back in time and explain events that happened before the series began, like the mystery of Schulyer's parents.  I loved it!  Also, there is Keys to the Repository.  This a companion book to the series and is written in short stories, letters, and journal entries that give readers a look into the Repository, the secretive vampire historical records.

These books are a lovely guilty pleasure.  For me, they provide the feeling of a mysterious, paranormal story with a side of celebrity gossip.  You can't get much more fun than that.  The last book in the series is will be available in October 2012.  So, you've got plenty of time to catch up if you haven't fallen in love with Jack Force, oh oops, I mean the Blue Bloods yet.