Revelations by Melissa de la Cruz

Schuyler Van Alen feels trapped. Although her grandfather Lawrence is back, Schuyler has been forced by the court system to live with her uncle Charles Force and forbidden by her uncle to see or talk with Lawrence or her best friend Oliver. Living in the imposing Force household is nothing if uncomfortable despite its many luxuries; Mimi constantly targets her to satisfy her petty spite and Jack, her forbidden crush, won’t even as much as look at her. The only things that can comfort Schuyler are her secret meetings with her forbidden acquaintances. As Schuyler’s many secrets get tangle dup, she finds her love life isn’t the only thing in trouble. An ancient source of power located in Rio de Janeiro is being threatened by the Silver Bloods. Lawrence and a small team of Venators fly south to investigate, but when the Conclave announces these Blue Bloods are in trouble and Schuyler loses contact with her grandfather, the worse is suspected. As the inevitable battle between the Blue Bloods and Silver Bloods looms even closer, Schuyler will have to determine who’s friend and who’s foe if she and the ones she loves are to survive.

Once again, de la Cruz has delivered a fast-paced story about an epic power struggle between good and evil, complicated by hidden double agents and judgments clouded by fear. I just adore the Blue Bloods series; it is one of my favorite vampire series because of how it combines an original interpretation of vampires, historical events, and angel versus demon struggles of biblical proportion with present day technology and culture. Revelations is the third installment in Schuyler’s adventures, and the war between the Blue Bloods and Silver Bloods is going from bad to worse. The Blue Bloods always seem to be one step behind their cunning enemies. This leads to much strife among the Blue Bloods, many of which refuse to believe their way of life is falling apart. I commend de la Cruz for her skill at first creating an interesting plot and then surprising the reader with every shocking twist and turn. This story is not one the reader can easily predict the outcome of, and that makes reading it all the more exciting. In addition to a fantastic plot, I liked the complication of the characters’ relationships and the struggle between who is meant to be and who wants to be. On a side note, I like the wording and vocabulary used in this story, because I don’t feel stupid when indulging my appetite for glamorous vampire tales.

Fans of this novel’s prequels, Blue Bloods and Masquerade, will not want to miss Revelations. Readers who liked Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick and The Mortal Instruments trilogy by Cassandra Clare will also enjoy this series.

Rating: 4.5

Review copy from publisher Disney Hyperion