Book 4), The Van Alen Legacy (Blue Bloods

Lawrence is dead and the Conclave thinks Schuyler Van Alen is his killer. That's why she and her conduit Oliver are on the run, never staying in one place for more than a few days to evade capture by the Venators they fear are pursuing them. They know the trust of what happened in Rio, but few are willing to believe that the demon Leviathan is free. Despite Schuyler and Oliver's evasive maneuvers, they end up crossing paths in Paris with Jack and Charles Force, who have been tracking Leviathan. After a confrontation with the demon and the ensuing panic, the young Blue Bloods return to the relative safety of New York City. All is not well there either. Bliss's attempts to fight who she is are futile, Schuyler is once again confused between her love for both Jack and Oliver, and even Mimi is having second thoughts about her upcoming bonding with her vampire twin Jack. But there is little time for these young Blue Bloods to dwell on their complicated love lives amidst the Silver Blood threat. There is no longer a doubt that the Silver Bloods have infiltrated the highest Blue Blood ranks. The only hope now lies in an ancient prophecy and blind faith in the strength of the young vampires.

Chilling, suspenseful, and undoubtedly thrilling, this fourth installment in the Blue Bloods series is just as juicy as its prequels. De la Cruz has again succeeded in weaving a fast paced supernatural tale with awesome storytelling. Although with the deteriorating conditions and financial troubles of the Blue Bloods, some of the high end glitz and partying has been toned down or disappeared, the increased danger from the Silver Blood threat and all kinds of intrigue more than make up for it. there is nary a moment without even a hint of danger, and I just love how de la Cruz keeps the reader guessing, even if it's a little frustrating at times. In addition to an enthralling plot, character development is spectacular. New developments in the young Blue Bloods' romantic relationships forces them to reconsider their choices to see if the one they're with is really the one they want. Mimi's character in particular showed a lot of growth, and I was glad to see that under her tough exterior, she does have a heart. Like always, de la Cruz ends this novel in suspense, leaving readers, me included, hungry for more.

The Van Alen Legacy will be devoured by fans of the earlier book in the Blue Bloods series as well as readers who enjoyed The Mortal Instruments trilogy by Cassandra Clare and Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick.

With The Van Alen Legacy, Melissa de la Cruz takes her series and its characters to the next level. After floundering in Revelations, I felt as though the series' fourth book grabbed me in a way that none of its predecessors managed. Wow.

It's challenging to write a review of The Van Alen Legacy without revealing the secrets that make it such a great read. De la Cruz does a great job of advancing the already fantastic mythology of her world, in which Blue Blood vampires are fallen angels bound in a centuries-old battle with the Silver Bloods, corrupted, evil vampires led by the biggest baddies any author could adopt - Lucifer and his brother, Leviathan.

Readers should dispense with any preconceived notions they brought to the book. Secrets are uncovered, identities are revealed and new relationships are formed that will keep series fans on the edge of their seats. Schuyler Van Alen and her best friend and conduit, Oliver, are on the run in Europe after the murder of her grandfather. Her secret love, Jack Force and his sister Mimi have become Venators and are on the hunt for Schuyler and other Blue Bloods touched by the tragedy that marked the end of Revelations. Bliss is fighting the overpowering presence of The Visitor that possesses her, and her father Forsyth is jockeying for control of the Conclave. Each character faces a dynamic journey in this book that will not disappoint de la Cruz fans.

One of the best things about this series is that, as soon as I think I have the plot figured out, de la Cruz takes her story and twists it on its ear. I love it, and admire her plot-weaving abilities. Overall, this is a great read. For the first time in this series, I'm eager and excited to see what lies ahead for the characters. I can't wait for the next book.

This was the best Blue Bloods novel yet. The character development was great, the settings were great, the addition of new characters was great, and the relationships were great. It was all great! The author says on her website that there may be 12-13 Blue Bloods novels, and I say, sign me up! I'll be buying and reading all of them if they continue to be as good as The Van Alen Legacy. Big thank you to Tanya for recommending this series to me!

Just One Gripe:
I wish De la Cruz would write faster!

The Best Thing About This Book:
The plot and fast pace.

The Van Alen Legacy begins a year after the events of Revelations. Melissa de la Cruz stays true to her unique storytelling format by continuing to tell the novel from only the female perspective. Told in the alternating points of view of Schuyler, Bliss, and Mimi, the reader has plenty of plot details and twists to keep their attention.

I found that this story was one of the most gripping of the series to date, and once I began this novel, I just did not want to stop. One aspect that pleased me the most was the character growth, especially in regards to Mimi Force. While she has never been a favorite character of mine, I have to admit by the end of the novel, I really came close to liking and maybe even admiring her. In the span of about two novels, she has gone from a horridly spoiled brat to a woman taking care of herself and family issues as they may arise.

While I throughly enjoyed this novel, I am left with an overwhelming feeling of wonder as to how those 369 pages flew by so quickly. Yes, there is plenty of new details for the reader to discover; however, when looking at the bigger picture, not too much in the way of the overall plot unfolded. In the end, it seems that the main aspect that the reader walks away with is a lot of needed back story, which is an element that Melissa de la Cruz excels in. She slowly peels away at the plot's layers giving readers just enough information to momentarily satisfy them, but it is the undiscovered layers that have her readers begging for more. And like her other readers, I am sated for the moment, but will soon be desperately craving the next installment of this riveting series.

With the stunning revelation surrounding Bliss's true identity comes the growing threat of the sinister Silver Bloods. Once left to live the glamorous life in New York City, the Blue Bloods now find themselves in an epic battle for survival. Not to worry; love is still in the air for the young vampires of the Upper East Side. Or is it? Schuyler has made her choice. She has forsaken Jack for Oliver, choosing human over vampire. But old loves die hard...And even coldhearted Mimi seems to suffer from the ties that bind.
Young vampires unite in this highly anticipated fourth installment of the New York Times best-selling series.

I love the Blue Bloods series. And I loved this book even more. The Van Alen Legacy finally wove together several of the plots that had been waiting in the wings for a while.

My favorite character is Schuyler, and that's why I was a little disappointed with how the focus of this book came away form Schuyler and centered more on the two other narrators, Bliss and Mimi. Schuyler as a character was, I think, the best and most impressive yet. She's traveling the world with no one but Oliver by her side, and she has a team of Venerators on her trail, yet she stays strong and cool.

Plot-wise, this book was a HUGE leap forward. And just like previous books, people die. People that I loved and really, really, really didn't want to die. Romances blossomed and were reinvigorated, or crumbled and shattered. It was intense, and I almost didn't see the ending coming.

{By the way, I'm totally going for Jack. Yum.}

Again Melissa de la Cruz gives us an amazing book that's hard to put down. If you're a fan of the Blue Bloods series, make sure you pick up The Van Alen Legacy.

Book Details:
Hardcover
369 Pages

Blue Blood Schuyler Van Alen and her Conduit, Oliver Hazard-Perry, are on the run.

Her grandfather has just been murdered by the Silver Bloods, but the Conclave thinks she did it. Their last hope is to ask the European Conclave for refuge and aid as she tries to fight the demon that killed her grandfather and is looking to maybe get her next.

Meanwhile, her best friend, Bliss Llewellyn, in is the Hamptons, where her body has been taken over by an unknown spirit she calls "The Visitor."

Mimi Force is flying around the world, looking for Bliss's sister, Jordan, who is actually The Watcher, an age-old Blue Blood who keeps a lookout for the fallen angel, Lucifer.

Old love brings Schuyler back to New York along with Mimi as Bliss fights to overcome her mysterious Visitor. But in the end, they must all come together to fight the Silver Bloods when they return with a vengeance.

I really enjoyed this installment of the BLUE BLOODS series. Seeing the characters mature and change along with their relationships was so satisfying. We also learn a lot about the history of the Blue Bloods and the Croatan betrayal, which all ties into real history, which was really interesting.

Overall, this was a great read, and I can't wait for the next one!

Reviewed by: YoungBibliophile

"The Van Alen Legacy" is the fourth instalment of Melissa de la Cruz's on-going "Blue Bloods" teen vampire soap opera series of books; and something of a cracker this one is, too!

Plot-wise, it carries on seamlessly from where "Revelations" left off and the author manages to keep the action and the drama flowing throughout, without descending too far into the mire of designer brand name-dropping to which some of the earlier books had been prone. Indeed, the writing, as well as the story and its characters, is altogether more mature in this volume than earlier volumes and in many ways it is by far the best of the series so far. Unfortunately, having moved much of the action out of her native USA and into Europe, the gaffs really do come thick and fast on occasion (the line "there were [...] goblets of the finest Burgundy and Bordeaux from the hostess's vineyards in Montrachet" is probably the worst, being utterly wrong on more levels than you can count). Few readers will care about this one little bit, however, and most will just be happy to lie back and go with the flow of the silliness (although the randomly incorrect grammar and pidgin Latin does become more than a little tiring by the end of the book, I have to say).

Some of my complaints from earlier volumes about plot elements seemingly being forgotten are addressed in this volume too, which for me at least, earns it a few more points. As with earlier volumes, though, don't expect any resolution to the main story here; the author leaves plenty of things to be covered in the next book of the series, "Misguided Angel". The Kindle edition, by the way, is reasonably well produced, with end of chapters all marked, although it does seem to suffer from some odd transcription errors.

If you've been reading and enjoying the others in this series, then this volume will most certainly not disappoint; so, what are you waiting for? Get your teeth into this one, and quickly!

So I like the Blue Bloods Series alot. And although some parts I would change in the series, its one of those series that once your done reading one book you kind of cant stop thinking about it and so therefore your basically HAVING to read the next. With The Van Allen Legacy this book was the by far the BEST book so far in the series. It had action from the beginning to the end and never left you bored or unwilling to keep reading the next chapters. The romance was wonderfully done and I actually found myself liking Mimi. I dont know what possessed me to like her but something in this book really opened my eyes to see her true feelings towards things. How strong she was and how she was just trying to follow the rules and keep her honor. I also loved the romance sparks between her and Kingsley. It was amazing. I also loved Jack and Schuyler and just everything. It is definitely a must read and worth the ten bucks I spent. :)

I reccomend it to everyone. You will not be disappointed and will be wanting to "sink your teeth" into the next book..

I swear this series just gets better and better as it goes on. I went from thinking book 1 was just ok to loving this one and not being able to put it down. We were totally left hanging at the end of Revelations and this book picks up almost a year after the events down in Rio. The chapter's point of views rotate between Bliss, Schuyler and Mimi which at first was a little jarring but you quickly find the rhythm. There is a lot of action going on as we now know who Bliss really is and begin to see what plans her father is hatching. Schuyler and Oliver are also on the run after the Conclave accuses Schuyler of killing her grandfather. We find out a lot more information in this book about who people really are and the parts they played in the past. We also seem to get some sort of resolution in the Schuyler-Oliver-Jack love triangle. And no I will not say what happens. You should run out and buy the book to find out. The one small negative I had was on the Bliss-Mimi relationship. We don't see them interact much yet we hear Bliss often referring to how flighty and superficial Mimi has been acting recently. Yet when we see her point of view and Mimi's point of view I didn't see what she was talking about. I was even surprised to find myself actually starting to like Mimi in this one. Still a wonderful book and I cannot wait for the next one!

"The Van Alen Legacy" is told from the perspectives of Schuyler, Mimi, & Bliss, with each chapter dedicated to one of the three's story. Schuyler is in Paris with Ollie, on the run from the Coven that has blamed her for the death of Lawrence Van Alen. We find Mimi in Brazil searching for Jordan/Sophia; Kingsley Martin is also along for the hunt. Bliss is back in NY & dealing with Lucifer's hold on her mind. As usual, this Blue Bloods installment was action packed & hard to put down. It's always hard to review these books without giving away any spoilers, so I will just say that several secrets come to light. There is a big fight scene at the end, & Schuyler & Mimi both go through crises involving Jack & Kingsley.

I received this from Disney-Hyperion for review.

This is book 4 of the Blue Bloods series by Melissa De La Cruz
Pros

* I like Mimi in this one. She does a cool thing by helping Kingsley track down the Silver Bloods. She kinda rocked in that position. Until the end of the book.
* Schuyler's love triangle gets messy but resolved.
* Oliver. Oh, how I <3 Oliver. He could be my familiar any day.
* Silver Bloods. Yup, they are tricky things. They made this book interesting.
* Passion. There are some episodes of overbearing hormones. Had my toes curling. Hmmm, Jack. ;)
* Intense scenes. There were a few OMG! moments. Great action scenes.

Cons

* The book ended with a new found hatred for Mimi. I could strangle her. I only hope she decides otherwise.
* Death. More death! Melissa is cruel to her readers!

Overall

This addition was a bit slower for me. I enjoyed it but it seemed kinda drawn out or something. The ending was terrible, meaning I must read the next book because it has to resolve its self as a happy ending. Won't it? :(

Wow! Such a great addition to the series, I loved The Van Alen Legacy. The Blue Bloods series has always had a special place in my heart, so I was super excited to read this one- and it didn't disappoint! The characters were back and better than ever and the action was amazing. There were new twists in the plot that kept me reading until all hours. I don't want to include any spoilers, but for those of you who have read the first three books- go buy a copy of The Van Alen Legacy today! From the first page I was pulled in and I was breathlessly reading the last few pages, wondering how it would end. Now that it has ended, I can't wait for the next book in the series!

Melissa de la Cruz's writing style is fantastic. She has just the right mix of romance and adventure, happiness and sadness, family and friendships. Everything just goes together very well. For some books, having each chapter narrated by a different character confuses me or makes me just want to know what's happening to one character. Not this time. I loved knowing what was happening to all the characters who narrated, and how they felt about different things that were happening. There was so much excitement going on in The Van Alen Legacy, I was reading every chance I had. I love the kind of books that make me think about the characters when I'm not reading, and wonder about the plot when I'm going to sleep- and The Van Alen Legacy definitely did that. All in all I would highly recommend The Van Alen Legacy!

* May contain spoilers to those who haven't read the other books in the series*

Schuyler's love triangle with Jack and Oliver was still in full swing in The Van Alen Legacy, but things were definitely becoming clearer about who she was going to end up with. I liked Mimi's character even more in The Van Alen Legacy and her romance with Kingsley was something I hadn't anticipated. There are some new twists involving Allegra- and a big surprise towards the end! I think The Van Alen Legacy answered almost all the questions I had at the end of Revelations and I'm eagerly awaiting the next novel in the series.

* End of spoilers *

So all in all I would highly recommend this book to any fans of the other Blue Bloods books and to those who haven't read them here's the series:

Blue Bloods
Masquerade
Revelations
The Van Alen Legacy

Rating;
Plot: 10/10
Characters: 10/10
Ending: 10/10
Enjoyment: 10/10
Cover: 10/10 (Did I mention how much I love the cover?)
__
Overall: 50/50= 100%

Melissa De La Cruz's Blue Blood series continues to deliver with the "Van Alen Legacy". If you're a fan of the fist three books your going to love this one. The story starts with Oliver and Schuyler on the run from the Venators in Paris, Mimi in Brazil looking for Jordan, and Bliss in the Hampton's trying to figure out how to seize control back from the "Dark Passenger". Basically just a year after Revelations left off.

I personally love the Blue Blood series but this book did take some time to get into. The writing flowed really well, I just think the formatting of the book could have been planned better. Cruz is no stranger to writing a chapter focusing on one character and then the next chapter writing about another. It worked well in the previous books because the character interacted with each other more, in The Van Alen Legacy the group of characters didn't cross paths until the end book. Each individual spent so much time apart in the beginning it was hard to focus on the plot. You jumped from Schuyler to Mimi, Mimi to Bliss, and Bliss back to Schuyler, it was infuriating. Just when you got into the chase in Paris, Cruz switched you to Brazil, and when you got into Brazil she switched you to New York. It drove me completely nuts flip-flopping between each one with a different story, different place, different thoughts. I just couldn't connect. Finally I just sectioned off the chapters labeled Sky and read those completely through, Then I did the same for Mimi and Bliss. I sectioned the chapters off until their storylines crossed paths again then I read the book normally. Sectioning the stories made it a much easier read and I enjoyed it so much more.

It was amazing to visualize each character's growth between the first book to this one, Mimi`s not a total "Ice Queen" anymore, Sky learned how much she would sacrifice for love, and Bliss learned to take control of the situation.

All in all a fantastic read! This is definitely one of those books that leaves you begging for more!

I can't wait for Misguided Angel (Blue Bloods, #5)!!!

The Questions: (max 5*)

YA or Adult-- YA

Tearjerker -- ** I didn't cry but my sister did at the end of the book.

Comedy--* not so much in this one.

Action-- **** a lot of running and fighting.

Drama-- **** Drama, Drama , Drama!

Gruesome--N/a

Love-- *** The love triangle isn't the main focus in this book.

Worth the money to buy?--Yes buy it if you bought the first 3. If you
haven't I suggest buying those first.

Blue Bloods Series- Interesting reads, but not great or amazing. Not sure I like the premise of reincarnated vampires, but there you go. I have read all the ones out, so it is something to read but not something you'll ever read twice. Finished the Van Alen Legacy and I enjoyed it. Not something I will read again but better than the others.

I thought this was the most interesting of the series- more substance over style with a plot that made me interested to see what happens next.

Every time another book comes out in this series I get wrapped up in it. Such a creative take on vampires that it keeps me interested and waiting to see what happens next. I love that there are so many story lines going at the same time because no matter who your favorite characters are you get to keep track of them as well as the rest of group of friends/enemies.

Such a fun interesting read.

Melissa de la Cruz's fourth installment of the Blue Bloods series was a well-paced and attention grabbing read. De la Cruz does a great job of alternating points of view from her three main characters: Mimi, Schuyler, Bliss. The book picks up a year after the events in Rio. Bliss is battling with herself and her sanity. Mimi is hunting for the missing Watcher aka Jordan. Schuyler is on the run from her kind seeking answers to the Van Alen Legacy.

The story moved along nicely and we learn a lot about the characters and even about some of the newer ones like Kingsley and the Visitor. The characters have grown since the last book and mature even more within the pages of this one. So many loose ends are tied while some are untied and left for us to guess at while we wait for the upcoming books. This book was informative and full of needed information. However I was left feeling like this was a middle, tie in kind of book where it was more a transition book into the rest of the series.

While "Revelations" had a hard hitting impactful end and climax, "Van Alen Legacy" left me with an anticlimactic story. That is not to say that is boring, or slow- on the contrary it is quite entertaining but I did feel some things were forced and lacking real emotion ( I won't quite say what so I don't spoil anything) or left me expecting more drama (again, sorry, avoiding spoilers). There was just a lack of a truly gripping climax.

Overall, "Van Alen Legacy" is a fun read where many fans will be satisfied with the new turn of events. The added characters, plots, and mysteries will leave you wanting more! Now we must wait patiently for the sequel.

When I saw all the positive reviews for this book I had to put another prospective down because I just didn't care for this installment at all. The Van Alen Legacy is the 4th book in the blue blood series and although I'll admit that I'm not the biggest fan of this particular series, i enjoyed certain aspects of the previous books. I found the main character, Schuyler, to be an overall likeable person and her best friend Oliver one as well and the whole socialite aspect mixed in with some vampires keeps me intrigued. But this book was just boring!

Picking up right where book 3 left us and told from not only Schuyler's prospective, but Bliss's and Mimi's as well, de la Cruz tries to interweave 3 stories into one major event for the characters. This was probably the downfall of the book. Bliss wasn't a strong enough character to carry her chapters. I know in the last book she played a larger role, but not enough to make the reader genuinely care about what happens to her personally, so to read about her inner struggles with "the visitor", it just wasn't captivating enough. Her relationship with Dylan comes up again but barely and it was kind of annoying, in the sense that it was a bit melodramatic. Bliss's sections are a bit confusing with with whole "visitor" aspect and could have played a much smaller role in the process leading to the big finale.

Mimi is just downright unlikeable so to read anything from her point of view is annoying and boring. The only thing I cared about was how her actions would effect Schuyler's life in the previous books. Mimi is trying to track down Jordan with with the help of Kingsly and there's some sort of romance forming, but not really... i just didn't care one way or another and in the end, their little adventure didn't even matter. The reader could literally brush over her parts and still know what's going on. Mimi's character was a contradiction in this installment as well, I just couldn't get a grip on it.

Schuyler's parts are the most interesting still. Her and Oliver are still on the run from the bad guys and are seeking the aid of the European coven's only to find out that the Silver Bloods or whatever have been tracking them. Just when you think their relationship has become something more, Jack shows up and saves the day aka ruining the bond between Schuyler and Oliver. So they run and there's danger and then they go back to NYC... revealing that they didn't really need to have been on the run and it was all pretty pointless. There are sweet moments between Schuyler and Oliver that makes the reader want them together. Oliver is genuinely a nice guy and it's hard for the reader to understand the attraction for Jack.

This book was boring. Even the big finale of an ending was boring. Everything just sort of happens and is accepted. There was no real drama or emotion. I don't get what everyone else saw in this book. It's a decent book, but if it weren't part of a series, I wouldn't waste my time on it.

I have been guiltily binge reading this series and I absolutely love it! It is a different and original take on vampires. Fun read! I've found it very unpredictable and confusing at times and that is why it has kept me obsessively reading them one after the other. On to the next one!

These books put such a unique spin on the vampire world, and it's origins. You will not be dissapointed in this series. I would reccomend reading them in order! Fall in love with the world of Schuyler Van Alen and the Blue Bloods!

Love this book. Great contimuation of the series. My favorite so far. De la cruz captures teen angts so well. The conflicts that teens encounter are made relatable in this rich vs. poor/blue bloods vs. red blods and the true friendship between Schuyler and Oliver vs. her relationsip with Jack. true love in its many forms.

These books are wonderfully written and the story is creative. Each book entices the reader making you want more and more. Best of all the author sums up the story lines of each character leaving no loose ends.

Melissa de la Cruz's fourth installment of the Blue Bloods series was a well-paced and attention grabbing read. De la Cruz does a great job of alternating points of view from her three main characters: Mimi, Schuyler, Bliss. The book picks up a year after the events in Rio. Bliss is battling with herself and her sanity. Mimi is hunting for the missing Watcher aka Jordan. Schuyler is on the run from her kind seeking answers to the Van Alen Legacy.

The story moved along nicely and we learn a lot about the characters and even about some of the newer ones like Kingsley and the Visitor. The characters have grown since the last book and mature even more within the pages of this one. So many loose ends are tied while some are untied and left for us to guess at while we wait for the upcoming books. This book was informative and full of needed information. However I was left feeling like this was a middle, tie in kind of book where it was more a transition book into the rest of the series.

While "Revelations" had a hard hitting impactful end and climax, "Van Alen Legacy" left me with an anticlimactic story. That is not to say that is boring, or slow- on the contrary it is quite entertaining but I did feel some things were forced and lacking real emotion ( I won't quite say what so I don't spoil anything) or left me expecting more drama (again, sorry, avoiding spoilers). There was just a lack of a truly gripping climax.

Overall, "Van Alen Legacy" is a fun read where many fans will be satisfied with the new turn of events. The added characters, plots, and mysteries will leave you wanting more! Now we must wait patiently for the sequel.