Masquerade (Blue Bloods Series #2) »

Schuyler Van Alen wants an explanation for the mysterious deaths of young vampires. With her best friend, Oliver, Schuyler travels to Italy in the hope of finding the one man who can help—her grandfather. Meanwhile, back in New York, preparations are feverishly underway for the Four Hundred Ball, an exclusive gala hosted by the city's wealthy, powerful, and unhuman—a true Blue Blood affair.

But it's at the after-party, a masquerade ball thrown by the cunning Mimi Force, that the real danger lurks. Hidden behind the masks is a revelation that will forever change the course of a young vampire's destiny.

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

VOYA

The young, rich, and undead students of the Duchesne School return in this sequel to Blue Bloods (Hyperion, 2006/VOYA April 2006). Fearing the return of the ancient race of vampire killers called Silver Bloods; anticipating the wonders of the Four Hundred Ball, where they will be presented to the Blue Bloods community; and mourning the loss of loved ones, Schuyler, Bliss, Mimi, and the others face peril all around them. Schuyler discovers the depth of her powers on a trip to Venice, searching for her long-lost grandfather. Bliss experiences strange and disturbing blackouts, and Mimi suffers the most frightening fate of all. More serious in tone than de la Cruz's previous vampire novel, this sequel continues developing her modern mythology, tying the characters to Lucifer, Michael, and other former angels of heaven. The tongue-in-cheek tone of the first book prevented the story from being too over-the-top, and this novel suffers a bit because of its gravity. De la Cruz intersperses newspaper articles and psychiatric reports about a young woman who disappeared in the 1870s under mysterious circumstances. These archival anecdotes further tie the present to the past, although a bit awkwardly. Still fans of the first book and the author's other works will not be disappointed. The continued fusion of the New York City kingdom of the super-rich with the creepiness of the vampire world is sure to please teen readers, and a late surprise will make them eager for the next installment.