Bloodline by Kate Cary

October 2010, Egmont
336 pages, Paperback
Review copy

Young Adult, Paranormal

Summary from Egmont

Blood from last nights raid has hardly dried on my uniform, still the familiar craving builds in my belly, I long to wield my sword. I can feel the blade slicing through the air then skin then flesh then bone. - Captain Quincy Harker.

When nineteen-year-old John Shaw returns from World War I, he is haunted by nightmares – not only of the horrors of battle, but of the brutal midnight exploits of his superior, Captain Quincey Harker.

When Harker appears unexpectedly in England and lures John's sister, Lily, to Transylvania. John must confront the truth. Only the love of pure Mary can save him from Count Dracula's poisonous bloodline. But the line goes further than John and Mary can possibly imagine.

A new seductive evil walks among the living..

(Note: I have neither read books nor seen films on Dracula - this is a sequel to Dracula)

Reasons for loving Mary: She keeps a firm head even when reading and living in terrifying conditions.

Is there another character who deserves a special mention? Lily - she's naive and drove me potty with her love-sick ways, but I feared and felt sorry for her too.

How evil/nasty is the enemy? People, we are talking relatives of Dracula - of course they are evil! I'm genuinely freaked out enough that I'm not looking forward to it going dark tonight (and yet I know I'm going to read the sequel)

Are they plenty of plot twists and surprises? Yes, big ones I didn't see coming.

One of my favourite parts was....when it ended. Not because the horrors were over (which warrants a 'yay'), but because something truly wonderful happens with Mary which pushes aside the horrors.

Content: a lot of gore (quite graphic, of the vampire kind) moderate romance,

Despite being freaked out over it (more than when I came to a certain point involving Mogget in Sabriel (by Garth Nix) (which I will re-read sometime)), I give this an 9/10.