Cover Love: Gates of Paradise by Melissa de la Cruz

As you might know, I used to be a huge fan of The Blue Bloods series - I still like the series but I think it has been stretching things a little too much - and one of my favorite things about it is their lovely covers. 

So, today I bring you the cover for the upcoming Gates of Paradise (7th and Last book of the series). 

Isn't it gorgeous? By the bottom of the cover I think this time they characters are going to London! 

Here is the summary, accoridng to Amazon:

Schuyler Van Alen is running out of time. The Dark Prince of Hell is storming the Gates of Paradise, intent on winning the heavenly throne for good. This time he has his greatest angels by his side, Abbadon and Azrael, or as they are known in the coven, Jack and Mimi Force.

Will Bliss and the wolves she has recruited to join her win the battle for the vampires? Is Schuyler prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice, the same one Michael was forced to make in Florence so long ago? Love and vengeance, duty and and loyalty, life and death, are all at odds in the gripping, heartbreaking finale of the Blue Bloods series.

Have to admit I'm a bit excited about it! LOL and this is my favorite cover, tied with the one for Van Alen Legacy. 

Book Gossip 26 - Announcements

Wow! I hadn't done one of these in a while!

But two things happened in the last few that made me want to write another book gossip post!

First, a few days ago,  Melissa de la Cruz announced that the still untitled Book Seven of The Blue Bloods series, will wrap up the current narrative arc and bring conclusion to the Mimi - Jack-Schuyler storyline that we started with. She said that there might be more books in the same universe, but you know, conclusion finally!

I do love this series but I was starting to feel like the plot was stretching thin. 

Lost in Time (book six) will be released in October 4th, 2011, with book Seven coming sometime in the Fall of 2012. 

For more details, you can check Melissa de la Cruz's site.

And then, just yesterday, Melina Marchetta (she who writes the most amazing books you will ever read) posted the first description of her upcoming release Froi of the Exiles, which is coming out in Australia this October, on her blog.

  

Three years after Lumatere is united, Froi has adopted the ways of his new homeland, dividing his days between rebuilding the kingdom and training with the Queen’s Guard. Until a mysterious man arrives with a promise that he can grant a young assassin access into the palace of Lumatere’s enemy: to kill the King of Charyn. 

  

But once inside the secretive kingdom of stone, Froi is forced to protect the half mad Princess Quintana and her unborn child who will be the first babe born to Charyn in eighteen years.  And in breaking his bond to his beloved Queen Isaboe and Finnikin, Froi may just be the one to bring peace between two kingdoms and find out the truth to his past.

Sounds interesting, and even though I only Liked Finnikin, I'll still read this, I'm sure. No cover yet, though, and it will probably won't be published in the US until 2012, but I'm still pretty excited about it.

Also, Happy Birthday to Melina Marchetta - her birthday is today (or was today? since it's already another day in Aussieland?) Anyway, Feliz Cumpleaños. 

Cover Love #21 - Lost in Time

I'm a huge fan of these covers, I simple adore them and LOVE that they go together.

There is no clear summary yet, but for what has been floating around, the book picks up right after the end of Misguided Angel, with pretty much everyone - Mimi, Schuyler, Oliver, the Lennox Brothers, Deming and her sister - going to Egypt for their own reasons, while Jack goes to New York to confront Mimi, and Gabrielle keeps looking for Charles.

Much as I love the cover, and I actually liked Misguided Angel, I sort of think that the plot is stretching  a bit thin, so I hope it picks up.

Misguided Angel by Melissa de la Cruz

WARNING: Misguided Angel is the 5th book of the Blue Bloods series, as as such, this review might include some spoilers of previous book.

The Blue Bloods are under attack and no one is sure who is the one responsible for it.

In Europe, what once felt like protection is now feeling like confinement, and Schuyler and Jack find themselves watched by the European Coven and by the bounty hunters Mimi set on Jack. They have to find the Gates, but they might find something more.

In New York, Mimi is dealing with crisis after crisis, as the newly appointed Regent of the NY Coven. When a young blue blood girl goes missing, Mimi must find help in unexpected places to find answers, and in doing so starts to dealing with her own grief and rage.

New comer Deming, has come to New York from China, where she and her sister are Venators. In NY she's helping Mimi find whoever is targeting young blue bloods, and trying to uncover the reason why.

Their three stories mix in Misguided Angel. And I have to say it felt a bit like three novellas strung together, because the book focused on each girl at a time. It was different from the other books, and it did make the story go by faster, but I'm not sure how much I liked it.

Over the course of the books I've grown to like Mimi so much, I think she's my new favorite character, and I even like Oliver when she's with him (when he was all hung up on Schuyler, he was a bit pathetic), I like the way he makes Mimi see certain things. Schuyler, I'm starting to feel more and more like she should grow a spine, hers was the story line that got nowhere, in my opinion. And I liked Deming a lot. She's a good addition to the narrative voices.

Also, the epigraphs from Gabrielle point of view were awesome and so, so, so intriguing. I can't wait to find out more.

So, now I'm really looking forward to Blue Bloods 6, and to Bloody Valentine novella coming December 28th.

Favorite Quote: "Vampires don’t die,” Oliver pointed out. “They get recycled to suck for another day. Pun definitely intended. Or don’t you know your own history?”

(for Deming, the Lennox Bros, Mimi and Oliver!)

Cover Love #8 - Bloody Valentine

Isn't it absolutely gorgeous? I don't know who's in charge of these Disney-Hyperion covers but GOOD WORK!! don't ever leave the Blue Bloods because their covers are absolutely awesome and they all fit so nicely together!! That is always a plus.

(Hear me out, cover people, unless the original cover is hideous - and the Blue Bloods' covers are not! - no one likes a cover change mid series!!! NO. ONE.)

Anyway, Melissa de la Cruz revealed it today in her blog along with a tid bit or two of what the book is about, check it out (plus, she's a very funny blogger in my opinion).

Love,

Cover Love #3 - Misguided Angel

Here's the cover for the Fifth book in the Blue Bloods series, Misguided Angel, coming out October 5, 2010. And also the final cover for Keys of the Repository, coming out June 29th, 2010. I love both covers, and I'm SO glad that the the publisher is keeping the theme of the covers so they all fit nicely together, even the Keys one, with the silhouetted keys at the bottom.

As for the one for Misguided Angel, if my obsessive watching of Engineering an Empire doesn't fail me, I think that the city in silhouette is Florence. Will we go back to Italy in this book? I hope so. What is there not to love about Italy?

Cover Love #1 - Keys to the Repository

You guys know how much I love my covers! so I've decided to start Cover Love as an extension of Book Gossip (where I usually posted the covers I came across) so it'll be more focused.

This time I bring you, courtesy of Melissa De La Cruz's blog, the preliminary cover for Keys to the Repository:

Pretty nice, huh? I love how they keep the theme of the Blue Blood's covers with the keys in silhouette in the bottom part, where they usually put a city's skyline.

See ya next time,

The Van Alen Legacy by Melissa de la Cruz

WARNING: This review might contain spoilers of the first three books in the Blue Bloods series.

Schuyler Van Alen has been on the run for over a year, ever since what happened in Rio - when Leviathan was released and her grandfather, Lawrence, was killed - she has known no peace. Desperate, she and friend Oliver try to seek the protection of the head of the European Vampire Coven but once there everything goes wrong.

Elsewhere, Mimi Force - Schuyler's nemesis - is working with a group of Venators (think Vampire investigators) lead by Kingsley Martin, trying to track down The Watcher. Even though part of her can't stand Kingsley, being around him is the happiest she has been in a long while, surprising since her Venator job is keeping her away from her twin and soulmate Jack.

Back in New York, Bliss - friends with both Schuyler and Mimi at different times - fears she's going mad, there are voices in her head and she seems irrevocably linked to the darkest, most dangerous being of creation.

What will happen to these three young vampire ladies?

The Blue Bloods Vampires are pretty much the only vampires I currently like and The Van Alen Legacy is probably the best book in the series so far. I was amazed in the way Schuyler, Bliss and Mimi carried the blunt of the book. At first I thought I would lose interest and get bored with the Bliss-parts since I never thought much of her before, and I thought I wouldn't like the Mimi-parts since I didn't like her but as I found myself racing through the book, all three girls became important to me.

The book is action packed and lots of stuff happen, many things come to a full circle, closing some points of this first narrative arch and setting the stage for the next one (as well as giving an opening for the upcoming spin off, which will be werewolf centric).

The only part I didn't like so much was that we didn't get much on the boys - Jack and Kingsley, mostly - and I sort of missed them. Can't wait for the next book, Misguided Angel, to see where the Blue Bloods take us.

Grade:

1/2

Book Gossip (#10)

Book Gossip # 10
A short one this time.

Melissa de la Cruz confirmed yesterday in her blog that the release date for The Van Alen Legacy (forth book of the Blue Bloods Series) will be October 6, 2009

Book Gossip (#7)

Book Gossip #7

Cover time again. Found the cover for The Van Alen Legacy at Melissa de la Cruz's site and by the looks of it I think Schuyler, Jack, Mimi & Co. will be heading off to Paris.

I have to say that I like the cover job they are doing with these books, all the covers are different but they all fit together nicely.

Still no official Pub date for The Van Alen Legacy thought Amazon is dating it for October 6, 2009

Book Gossip (#2)

Book Gossip #2

Just a quick note - About Blue Blood's 4th book The Van Alen Legacy
Well, basically, the pub date has been pushed back roughly a month; because Melissa de la Cruz wanted more time to work on it. So now the Pub date will be sometime in October.

She also confirmed a rumor I head a while back that, though the Blue Bloods will encompass roughly ten books, there will be three narrative arches. The first one will be mostly resolved in The Van Alen Legacy; and in book 5 a mini-trilogy will start, with another starting in book 8.

She also announced there is going to be a sort of spin off novel called Wolf Pact, so I'm guessing furry, cute werewolves will come into play at some point in The Van Alen Legacy

For more info, check Melissa's site FAQ

Revelations by Melissa de la Cruz

Blue Bloods Book 3
Since these aren't books that can be read by themselves I'm going to assume you read The Blue Bloods and Masquerade already (reviews of those here and here respectively).

So, Schuyler Van Alen isn't a happy camper, thanks to Charles Force's meddling, she had to leave her home and grandfather to move in with him and his family which include both his nemesis Mimi and her forbidden crush Jack; and she's forbidden from contacting her grandfather or best friend Oliver.

There is only one small scape from the oppressive Force mansion, on respite: An apartment in the Perry Building where she meets in secret with Jack, even knowing they are not supposed to be together, they can't help themselves. Especially after Mimi starts talking about renewing the Bond with Jack, which will make him hers forever (again).

Schuyler is confused and sad, especially after finding out that breaking the bond could very well land Jack in the same position her own mother, Allegra Van Alen is in - deep into a coma from which she can't or chooses not to scape - after breaking her own bond with Charles.

But soon bigger problems come in the picture, like what's brewing in Corcovado, underneath the statue of Christ the Redeemer... ancient secrets and betrayals of apocalyptic proportions. We finally learn who the Silver Blood is but that's just the beginning, leaving the door open for more questions.

I've to say that the big saving grace of these books, what keeps them from being this long, boring, vampire version of Romeo and Juliet, with Jack and Schuyler's impossible love, is the fact that there is a bigger plot, stuff is happening, interesting stuff. It's no that the love story falls to the back burner, because it is important to the whole plot, but in a way that it's not boring and instead is suspenseful.

I can't wait to read book four The Van Alen Legacy, and learn what happens next. I do hope we come to a conclusion of this narrative arch then because I hear we might see as much as nine Blue Bloods books in all, and I frankly don't think I can stand six more books of impossible love - but someone told me we are to have at least two more different narrative arches, so I'm crossing my fingers for a 'conclusion' to the Jack & Schuyler dilemma in the next book.

Grade:

Masquerade By Melissa de la Cruz

Book Two of the Blue Bloods Series (I'm going to assume you read the first one, The Blue Bloods, if not I reviewed it right here)

Schuyler Van Alen has traveled to Venice in hope of finding her long lost grandfather Lawrence Van Alen; before dying, her grandmother Cordelia told her that Lawrence might know how to destroy the Silver Bloods, horrible creatures who prey on young Blue Bloods like her self (Schyler has survived two attacks). Though she does find her grandfather after two frustrating weeks, she comes home empty handed.

Back in New York, everyone is getting ready for the Four Hundred Ball, a vampire-only ball where the best of New York society (all of them Blue Bloods) gather to welcome the newest members into their fold. After the ball, Mimi Force (Schuyler's archenemy) is throwing a party just for teens, and Schuyler finds herself invited! There she gets kissed by a mysterious guy whearing a mask. Could that be Jack Force (Mimi's twin, something else and Schuyler's impossible crush)?.

Well, everyone can see Jack and Schuyler are drown to each other and Mimi is not about to stand for it, even if it means invoking dark magic and bringing the Silver Bloods awfully close.

-
Okay, finally, after months (I've had this book since October) I read Masquerade. Though I had liked Blue Bloods I was kind of put out by some of the things there -being as I'm culturaly catholic- but, having processed that, this book went down a lot easier. And I did enjoy it!

There are still a lot of mysteries and unanswered questions as well as a frustrating love cuadrangle between Mimi-Jack-Schuyler and Oliver (Schuyler's best friend). And in general is one of the better vampire books I've read in a long while and I like it much more than the Twilight Series, Masquared feels richer, with lots of back story and rules to the universe it's situated in.

A good read.

Grade: