MASQUERADE by Melissa de la Cruz

Preparations are under way for the ball of the century. But as any true Blue Blood knows, it's the after-party that counts. And the cunning Mimi Force is getting ready to make sure her masquerade ball is the place to be for the Young, Fabulous and Fanged.

But Schuyler Van Alen has more on her mind than fancy dresses, even if her crush Jack Force, is sure to make an appearance. She's getting closer to finding out what's been preying on the young vamps and discovering the deadly secrets hiding under the masks...

Rich with glamour, attitude and vampire lore, this second instalment in the Blue Bloods saga will leave readers thirsting for more.

After reading the first Blue Bloods book the other day, I was excited about getting stuck into the second one in the series.

Schuyler Van Alen has decided to go to Venice--with Oliver--in search of her grandfather. Before her grandmother was killed in the first book, she mentioned that Lawrence Van Alen was the only one who could help her get to the bottom of the Silver Bloods mystery. But when Schuyler meets him, he tells her she's wasted her time. So, she heads back to New York. Where the preparations for the Four Hundred Ball are in full swing.

Now that Schuyler knows the truth about Jack Force and his sister, Mimi, she's trying hard to convince herself that she no longer has a crush on him. But he confuses her by paying attention to her, as well as flirting. Luckily for her, her exiled grandfather decides to surprise her by returning to New York. He moves into the mansion that her grandmother let go for so long and is keen to help her. Now that he's here, she's able to spend a lot of time with him, learning a bunch of vampire powers that The Committee doesn't want the younger Blue Bloods to know. He's a great teacher, and she's a very powerful student, but she's still a half-blood and it slowly takes a toll on her.

Meanwhile, Bliss Llewellyn is suffering through her own problems and confusion. She keeps blacking out and wakes up in places she doesn't remember going to. She also gives into the temptation of taking a human familiar. Mimi Force is as bitchy as ever, and when she teams up with a mysterious newcomer with his own agenda, she sets her sights on getting rid of Jack's distraction--Schuyler. With devastating results to herself.

I love the tangled web of these characters' lives. Because of the many lifetimes they've each lived and where they originated, many of them find themselves being parents, sisters, brothers, and even lovers in different lifetimes. It's quite an unconventional thing to get your head around, but as soon as you stop looking at it through human eyes and through the eyes of the mythology Melissa de la Cruz has created, everything starts to fall into place and makes sense.

Masquerade is a nice addition to the series, and has thrown me further into the mystery of the Silver Bloods. Also, the author's laid-back writing style gives this book a feel that turns serious subjects into a fun and easy book to read, while still keeping me intrigued every step of the way. Not to mention the little twist she threw in right at the end! Now the third cover makes sense.

I can't wait to see what happens next...

Masquerade: Blue Bloods Bk 2, March 2010, ISBN 978-190-565477-2, Orbit Paperback