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The New Blue Bloods Coven #1
Vampires of Manhattan
The Vampires of Manhattan is "hipster horror"--the memorable characters from her Blue Bloods series are older and cooler than before, trying to build "Millennial" lives in the bustle of Manhattan while battling forces of evil and, of course, each other.
Hero of this sexy, paranormal action tale is Oliver Hazard-Perry, former human conduit, and Manhattan's only human-turned-vampire, now the head of the Blue Bloods Coven. When his all-too-human lover is found murdered on the eve of the coven's annual Four Hundred Ball--a celebration meant to usher in a new era in vampire society, and to mark the re-unification of the Coven after decades of unrest and decay--Oliver is devastated.
Now, not only is he trying to create a new world order for the immortal elite, he's the prime suspect and is stalked by the newly installed head of the vampire secret police. Because according to the new rules, vampires who take human life can now be executed. Burned.
How can an immortal sentenced to die fight back? He has to find the killer--and the answers lie deep in vampire lore.
Hero of this sexy, paranormal action tale is Oliver Hazard-Perry, former human conduit, and Manhattan's only human-turned-vampire, now the head of the Blue Bloods Coven. When his all-too-human lover is found murdered on the eve of the coven's annual Four Hundred Ball--a celebration meant to usher in a new era in vampire society, and to mark the re-unification of the Coven after decades of unrest and decay--Oliver is devastated.
Now, not only is he trying to create a new world order for the immortal elite, he's the prime suspect and is stalked by the newly installed head of the vampire secret police. Because according to the new rules, vampires who take human life can now be executed. Burned.
How can an immortal sentenced to die fight back? He has to find the killer--and the answers lie deep in vampire lore.
225 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2014
114 people are currently reading
6391 people want to read
About the author
Melissa de la Cruz
187 books15.8k followersMelissa de la Cruz is the New York Times and USA Today best-selling author of many critically acclaimed and award-winning novels for teens including The Au Pairs series, the Blue Bloods series, the Ashleys series, the Angels on Sunset Boulevard series and the semi-autobiographical novel Fresh off the Boat.
Her books for adults include the novel Cat’s Meow, the anthology Girls Who Like Boys Who Like Boys and the tongue-in-chic handbooks How to Become Famous in Two Weeks or Less and The Fashionista Files: Adventures in Four-inch heels and Faux-Pas.
She has worked as a fashion and beauty editor and has written for many publications including The New York Times, Marie Claire, Harper’s Bazaar, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Allure, The San Francisco Chronicle, McSweeney’s, Teen Vogue, CosmoGirl! and Seventeen. She has also appeared as an expert on fashion, trends and fame for CNN, E! and FoxNews.
Melissa grew up in Manila and moved to San Francisco with her family, where she graduated high school salutatorian from The Convent of the Sacred Heart. She majored in art history and English at Columbia University (and minored in nightclubs and shopping!).
She now divides her time between New York and Los Angeles, where she lives in the Hollywood Hills with her husband and daughter.
Her books for adults include the novel Cat’s Meow, the anthology Girls Who Like Boys Who Like Boys and the tongue-in-chic handbooks How to Become Famous in Two Weeks or Less and The Fashionista Files: Adventures in Four-inch heels and Faux-Pas.
She has worked as a fashion and beauty editor and has written for many publications including The New York Times, Marie Claire, Harper’s Bazaar, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Allure, The San Francisco Chronicle, McSweeney’s, Teen Vogue, CosmoGirl! and Seventeen. She has also appeared as an expert on fashion, trends and fame for CNN, E! and FoxNews.
Melissa grew up in Manila and moved to San Francisco with her family, where she graduated high school salutatorian from The Convent of the Sacred Heart. She majored in art history and English at Columbia University (and minored in nightclubs and shopping!).
She now divides her time between New York and Los Angeles, where she lives in the Hollywood Hills with her husband and daughter.
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Want to read
July 30, 2016I'm so excited doesn't anyone understand this means it will still be jack and mimi and all them (minus bliss) though technically it will be azreal and abbadon and all those people. AREN'T YOU EXCITED!
October 3, 2015
4 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum http://bibliosanctum.com/2014/09/08/b...
I accepted The Vampires of Manhattan for review before I found out the book was actually the first of a sequel series to Melissa de la Cruz’s Young Adult Blue Bloods; fortunately, not having read those books did not seem to have a negative impact on my experience. Of course, there were a few moments where I sensed gaping holes in my knowledge of the background of the world, but on the whole my enjoyment of the storyline was unaffected. So if you’re unfamiliar with Blue Bloods and are uncertain as to whether or not you should check out this book, fear not! It’s perfectly fine to jump right in.
This might have something to do with the amount of time that has passed since the Blue Bloods series. Apparently, ten years have gone by, and the teenage protagonists are now all grown up, and while Blue Bloods may have been intended audience, The Vampires of Manhattan definitely feels more geared towards adults. Many of the characters have brand new lives, including Araminta Scott (formerly “Minty” but now known as “Ara”) who is now a Venator, an enforcer of sorts, specializing in paranormal activities and crimes. Mimi and Kingsley Martin, a married couple whose history is fraught with intense emotions have returned to New York following a particularly heated fight, after seven years of living in the Underworld. Oliver Hazard-Perry is now a vampire and has risen quickly in the Coven, preparing to take his place as its leader. With the help of his lover and human conduit Finn, they’re making sure the upcoming Four Hundred Ball will go off without a hitch.
But then pentagrams start appearing all over the place, and the discovery of a dead teenage girl who appears to have been murdered by a vampire leads to unease in the community, putting the Blue Bloods and Venators on alert.
The Vampires of Manhattan is touted as “hipster horror” right there in the description, though after reading it I think it’s more accurate to call it “yuppie mystery” on account of the ultra-sophisticated, extremely wealthy lifestyles that some of the characters flaunt. The Four Hundred Ball is the lavish, no-expense-spared affair that is at the center of this novel, the point where all the plot threads will culminate in a startling, dramatic climax. However, the story is also balanced with an investigation into a murder, with Ara and her new wolfish partner Edon Marrok hard at work to find the killer.
Told through many points-of-view, the novel will capture your attention no matter who you are, though if you have an inclination towards mystery like I do, then Ara’s perspective will probably interest you the most. I liked it best when she and Edon were following up on clues, especially when the investigation leads them to the hoity-toity prep schools of the city. Oliver’s perspective provides us with a glimpse into the life of a high-powered elite. And those who enjoy the ups-and-downs of a tumultuous romance will eat up Mimi and Kingsley’s chapters.
The plot itself is not terribly complicated, but that probably works in the novel’s favor. Being a follow-up series that will likely serve as a jumping-on point for a lot of new readers, a twisty, heavy and convoluted story would not have gone over too well with me, personally. I thought the book was pretty perfect in its simplicity, and at the same time I also grew to connect with many of the characters who I had previously no knowledge about, which is a rather impressive feat for an author. I imagine those who have read Blue Bloods will be even more thrilled to catch up with these characters.
I’m glad I discovered this urban fantasy, which was a fast read and thoroughly entertaining for the genre. Despite not knowing a lot of the background behind the vampires, it worked for me – and feeling lost when it comes to a book’s world usually drives me nuts. It’s my first book by Melissa de la Cruz, and this has actually made me very interested in going back to check out Blue Bloods, or her other YA work. I would expect that readers who are already fans of Blue Bloods to enjoy this, but I was certainly a bit surprised — but in a good way — that I did too.
I accepted The Vampires of Manhattan for review before I found out the book was actually the first of a sequel series to Melissa de la Cruz’s Young Adult Blue Bloods; fortunately, not having read those books did not seem to have a negative impact on my experience. Of course, there were a few moments where I sensed gaping holes in my knowledge of the background of the world, but on the whole my enjoyment of the storyline was unaffected. So if you’re unfamiliar with Blue Bloods and are uncertain as to whether or not you should check out this book, fear not! It’s perfectly fine to jump right in.
This might have something to do with the amount of time that has passed since the Blue Bloods series. Apparently, ten years have gone by, and the teenage protagonists are now all grown up, and while Blue Bloods may have been intended audience, The Vampires of Manhattan definitely feels more geared towards adults. Many of the characters have brand new lives, including Araminta Scott (formerly “Minty” but now known as “Ara”) who is now a Venator, an enforcer of sorts, specializing in paranormal activities and crimes. Mimi and Kingsley Martin, a married couple whose history is fraught with intense emotions have returned to New York following a particularly heated fight, after seven years of living in the Underworld. Oliver Hazard-Perry is now a vampire and has risen quickly in the Coven, preparing to take his place as its leader. With the help of his lover and human conduit Finn, they’re making sure the upcoming Four Hundred Ball will go off without a hitch.
But then pentagrams start appearing all over the place, and the discovery of a dead teenage girl who appears to have been murdered by a vampire leads to unease in the community, putting the Blue Bloods and Venators on alert.
The Vampires of Manhattan is touted as “hipster horror” right there in the description, though after reading it I think it’s more accurate to call it “yuppie mystery” on account of the ultra-sophisticated, extremely wealthy lifestyles that some of the characters flaunt. The Four Hundred Ball is the lavish, no-expense-spared affair that is at the center of this novel, the point where all the plot threads will culminate in a startling, dramatic climax. However, the story is also balanced with an investigation into a murder, with Ara and her new wolfish partner Edon Marrok hard at work to find the killer.
Told through many points-of-view, the novel will capture your attention no matter who you are, though if you have an inclination towards mystery like I do, then Ara’s perspective will probably interest you the most. I liked it best when she and Edon were following up on clues, especially when the investigation leads them to the hoity-toity prep schools of the city. Oliver’s perspective provides us with a glimpse into the life of a high-powered elite. And those who enjoy the ups-and-downs of a tumultuous romance will eat up Mimi and Kingsley’s chapters.
The plot itself is not terribly complicated, but that probably works in the novel’s favor. Being a follow-up series that will likely serve as a jumping-on point for a lot of new readers, a twisty, heavy and convoluted story would not have gone over too well with me, personally. I thought the book was pretty perfect in its simplicity, and at the same time I also grew to connect with many of the characters who I had previously no knowledge about, which is a rather impressive feat for an author. I imagine those who have read Blue Bloods will be even more thrilled to catch up with these characters.
I’m glad I discovered this urban fantasy, which was a fast read and thoroughly entertaining for the genre. Despite not knowing a lot of the background behind the vampires, it worked for me – and feeling lost when it comes to a book’s world usually drives me nuts. It’s my first book by Melissa de la Cruz, and this has actually made me very interested in going back to check out Blue Bloods, or her other YA work. I would expect that readers who are already fans of Blue Bloods to enjoy this, but I was certainly a bit surprised — but in a good way — that I did too.
September 16, 2014
To see full review click here
Dear Blue Bloods Series,
I’m sorry I can’t do this anymore.
I read all seven full length books, the half books, even those two rather hellish spinoffs that I’m forced to read in order to understand you. But I have to stop here with your hipster horror attempt at New Adult.
Though, it’s not adult. Everyone is in their later twenties or early thirties and acts like they’re about forty.
So no.
Not New Adult since there are no random hookups with the BMOC.
I sort of wish there was though.
Maybe it would’ve made this book more tolerable instead of hearing just how old thirty is.
Really, most late twenty somethings don’t act that old.
I guess I actually have to talk about the actual book that did me in. This one is broken up into three main viewpoints. Though, we do sort of have a couple of interludes in a couple of other people’s heads.
I think the best way for me to fully explain to you why I’m breaking up with you is to talk about each of the parts.
A. Ara:
Why is she even in here?
Seriously?
Change her coloring and she’s basically Deming Chen Part II. In a lot of ways, this really did remind me of a rehash of Misguided Angel, especially Ara’s part.
Though, Deming wasn’t disgusting enough to like smelling like body odor.
"Besides, she liked the way she smelled, like sweat and hard work, after spending the last seventy-two hours sitting on her suspect." (1)
Is that suppose to make her endearing?
It doesn’t.
More or less her POV was used to do all the detective work. Personally, I wish they would’ve stuck us mainly with Kingsley who actually kicks butt. Ara was just…well, disgusting.
And I really have to wonder how someone who was nicknamed Minty back in grade school can like smelling like sweat and perspiration.
The romance or romances that Ara has our even more ridiculous. Both seem forced. One for the pure sake of a lame plot point, and the other one because de la Cruz just can’t couple anyone.
I’m sorry book, people who don’t wear deodorant shouldn’t be viewed as attractive.
Sorry.
B. Oliver and Finn:
Snooze fest.
Honestly, I wonder what happened to Ollie. In the first series, he was probably the most decent character out of the lot of them. Now though, he’s an asshole just like the rest of them.
It’s sort of ridiculous how he’s not the same character. I literally groaned when he started inner monologuing it about how he was no longer the nerdy kid and he was now ripped. Yeah, there was an actual quote that said that don’t believe me.
"He’d been a skinny human teenager, but he was almost thirty years old now, and to put it bluntly, he was ripped." (13)
So, needless to say Ollie’s head has grown about three times the size it normally was.
I was almost gleeful when his bimbo girlfriend ruined his life.
God, I hated Finn.
She really is a sad excuse of a Schuyler replacement who just impulsively decides to do something stupid with little to no buildup. And I can’t help but saying she sort of deserved her fate.
Dear Blue Bloods Series,
I’m sorry I can’t do this anymore.
I read all seven full length books, the half books, even those two rather hellish spinoffs that I’m forced to read in order to understand you. But I have to stop here with your hipster horror attempt at New Adult.
Though, it’s not adult. Everyone is in their later twenties or early thirties and acts like they’re about forty.
So no.
Not New Adult since there are no random hookups with the BMOC.
I sort of wish there was though.
Maybe it would’ve made this book more tolerable instead of hearing just how old thirty is.
Really, most late twenty somethings don’t act that old.
I guess I actually have to talk about the actual book that did me in. This one is broken up into three main viewpoints. Though, we do sort of have a couple of interludes in a couple of other people’s heads.
I think the best way for me to fully explain to you why I’m breaking up with you is to talk about each of the parts.
A. Ara:
Why is she even in here?
Seriously?
Change her coloring and she’s basically Deming Chen Part II. In a lot of ways, this really did remind me of a rehash of Misguided Angel, especially Ara’s part.
Though, Deming wasn’t disgusting enough to like smelling like body odor.
"Besides, she liked the way she smelled, like sweat and hard work, after spending the last seventy-two hours sitting on her suspect." (1)
Is that suppose to make her endearing?
It doesn’t.
More or less her POV was used to do all the detective work. Personally, I wish they would’ve stuck us mainly with Kingsley who actually kicks butt. Ara was just…well, disgusting.
And I really have to wonder how someone who was nicknamed Minty back in grade school can like smelling like sweat and perspiration.
The romance or romances that Ara has our even more ridiculous. Both seem forced. One for the pure sake of a lame plot point, and the other one because de la Cruz just can’t couple anyone.
I’m sorry book, people who don’t wear deodorant shouldn’t be viewed as attractive.
Sorry.
B. Oliver and Finn:
Snooze fest.
Honestly, I wonder what happened to Ollie. In the first series, he was probably the most decent character out of the lot of them. Now though, he’s an asshole just like the rest of them.
It’s sort of ridiculous how he’s not the same character. I literally groaned when he started inner monologuing it about how he was no longer the nerdy kid and he was now ripped. Yeah, there was an actual quote that said that don’t believe me.
"He’d been a skinny human teenager, but he was almost thirty years old now, and to put it bluntly, he was ripped." (13)
So, needless to say Ollie’s head has grown about three times the size it normally was.
I was almost gleeful when his bimbo girlfriend ruined his life.
God, I hated Finn.
She really is a sad excuse of a Schuyler replacement who just impulsively decides to do something stupid with little to no buildup. And I can’t help but saying she sort of deserved her fate.
June 15, 2015
1.5 stars?
I was definitely interested in this synopsis, but it just couldn't hold my attention. I wasn't familiar with the characters in the previous series and even though it was implied that this was an entirely new series, it didn't feel like enough {or any} background was given to set up the story.
There are a lot of POVs and some of them were interesting, but there wasn't any character who I connected with and made me care about what was happening. The plot was intriguing enough to get me to request it; however, it wasn't enough to keep me captivated.
**Huge thanks to Hachette Books and NetGalley for providing the arc in exchange for an honest review**
I was definitely interested in this synopsis, but it just couldn't hold my attention. I wasn't familiar with the characters in the previous series and even though it was implied that this was an entirely new series, it didn't feel like enough {or any} background was given to set up the story.
There are a lot of POVs and some of them were interesting, but there wasn't any character who I connected with and made me care about what was happening. The plot was intriguing enough to get me to request it; however, it wasn't enough to keep me captivated.
**Huge thanks to Hachette Books and NetGalley for providing the arc in exchange for an honest review**
November 9, 2018
.............GAH! I didn't expect to love the book as much as I did! It brought back memories of how much I loved the first series. I was a little iffy at first about reading the book, as I had a bad experience with several different book series that had a continuing series. But what I like about this one is that it doesn't completely follow the old characters. We have new characters right off the back and it's nice to have. The only question I have: WHEN DOES THE NEXT BOOK COME OUT?!?!?!?! I'm ready for it now!! I've been ready for the series since she finished the last series!
Want to read
April 16, 2014I can't wait for the next book. I am so excited for this book for multiple reasons one being that we find out if Jack and Schuyler can have children.
August 31, 2014
**I received this book for free as part of a contest run by Hachette/Hyperion Books. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.**
*Genre* Paranormal Romance
*Rating* 3.0
*My Thoughts*
The Vampires of Manhattan is the adult version of The Blue Bloods series which ended with the Gates of Paradise. The story begins 10 years after the Great War with Lucifer. Some of the original series cast members like Oliver Hazard-Perry, Mimi Martin-Force, Kingsley Martin, Jack Force and Schuyler Van Alen appear in this story as well.
The Vampires of Manhattan is told from the POV of 3 main characters: Venator Araminta (Ara) Scott, Oliver, and Mimi Martin (previously Mimi Force). The story switches from the present, five weeks in the past, and ends in the present with a cliffhanger ending, and the first real appearance of Jack and Schuyler to this new series.
Oliver is now the leader of the new blue blood coven and is an entirely different character from the original series. I would say that power and loads of money went straight to his head as well as the fact that he was given immortality by God himself. Although Oliver has nothing but good intentions when it comes to his new coven, he misses things right under his nose as well as friends who have his back without question. His relationship with Finn, his mortal familiar, is one of desire, love, heart break, and shock. I would hope that Oliver returns to his former self soon. I'm not too impressed with this new version or the fact that he was easily lead astray.
While Oliver is failing to realize what is happening to his own coven, Venator Ara Scott is thrown deep into a disturbing murder investigation that could cause 10 years of fragile peace and tranquility to slowly deteriorate. With a young girl and an artist dead, a new drug called Vitamin P on the streets, and Lucifer's minions plotting revenge against the Coven, Ara is thrown together with Edon Marrok, one of the legendary wolves, keeper of the passage of time, and a creature born of the underworld who fought alongside the vampires in the Great War. I was definitely eager to follow Ara and Edon as they dug through the mystery, and tried to unravel who was responsible, as well as their new partnership put together by lies, and deceit. I was much more pleased with Ara and Edon's story, than I was with Oliver and Finn's.
One of my favorite sayings is, "the more things change, the more they stay the same." The relationship between Mimi and Kingsley has always been one of intense heat and high emotions. They love other. They can't stand each other. They end up in huge fights. They end up tearing each others clothes off. Mimi returns to New York after 7 years in the Underworld, Kingsley follows because he can't stand to leave her alone. Mimi and Kingsley are once again drawn into vampire politics, and once again they must take up former positions that they walked away from at the end of the Great War.
I'd say that in order to better understand the world that de la Cruz has created, and to familiarize yourself with the cast of characters that are featured in this "new" series, it's probably a good idea to go back and read Gates of Paradise (Blue Bloods #7). I'll parrot what another review said. This series is clearly intended for the older Blue Bloods audience, and a way to keep this series alive. In many ways, it is similar to what Cassandra Claire did with her series. Just when you thought she was done with 3 books, she dragged readers back into her world with 3 more!
Expected publication: September 9th 2014 by Hyperion Books
*Genre* Paranormal Romance
*Rating* 3.0
*My Thoughts*
The Vampires of Manhattan is the adult version of The Blue Bloods series which ended with the Gates of Paradise. The story begins 10 years after the Great War with Lucifer. Some of the original series cast members like Oliver Hazard-Perry, Mimi Martin-Force, Kingsley Martin, Jack Force and Schuyler Van Alen appear in this story as well.
The Vampires of Manhattan is told from the POV of 3 main characters: Venator Araminta (Ara) Scott, Oliver, and Mimi Martin (previously Mimi Force). The story switches from the present, five weeks in the past, and ends in the present with a cliffhanger ending, and the first real appearance of Jack and Schuyler to this new series.
Oliver is now the leader of the new blue blood coven and is an entirely different character from the original series. I would say that power and loads of money went straight to his head as well as the fact that he was given immortality by God himself. Although Oliver has nothing but good intentions when it comes to his new coven, he misses things right under his nose as well as friends who have his back without question. His relationship with Finn, his mortal familiar, is one of desire, love, heart break, and shock. I would hope that Oliver returns to his former self soon. I'm not too impressed with this new version or the fact that he was easily lead astray.
While Oliver is failing to realize what is happening to his own coven, Venator Ara Scott is thrown deep into a disturbing murder investigation that could cause 10 years of fragile peace and tranquility to slowly deteriorate. With a young girl and an artist dead, a new drug called Vitamin P on the streets, and Lucifer's minions plotting revenge against the Coven, Ara is thrown together with Edon Marrok, one of the legendary wolves, keeper of the passage of time, and a creature born of the underworld who fought alongside the vampires in the Great War. I was definitely eager to follow Ara and Edon as they dug through the mystery, and tried to unravel who was responsible, as well as their new partnership put together by lies, and deceit. I was much more pleased with Ara and Edon's story, than I was with Oliver and Finn's.
One of my favorite sayings is, "the more things change, the more they stay the same." The relationship between Mimi and Kingsley has always been one of intense heat and high emotions. They love other. They can't stand each other. They end up in huge fights. They end up tearing each others clothes off. Mimi returns to New York after 7 years in the Underworld, Kingsley follows because he can't stand to leave her alone. Mimi and Kingsley are once again drawn into vampire politics, and once again they must take up former positions that they walked away from at the end of the Great War.
I'd say that in order to better understand the world that de la Cruz has created, and to familiarize yourself with the cast of characters that are featured in this "new" series, it's probably a good idea to go back and read Gates of Paradise (Blue Bloods #7). I'll parrot what another review said. This series is clearly intended for the older Blue Bloods audience, and a way to keep this series alive. In many ways, it is similar to what Cassandra Claire did with her series. Just when you thought she was done with 3 books, she dragged readers back into her world with 3 more!
Expected publication: September 9th 2014 by Hyperion Books
August 10, 2015
Rating: 2/5
Disclaimer: I received a free ecopy from the publisher, Hachette Books, via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
***Minor spoilers***
When I requested this title from Netgalley, I didn't realize that it would take place after whatever happened in the Blue Bloods series. I only discovered this after I started the book. I started reading Blue Bloods maybe 3 years ago and only got to book 4 or 5 before I lost interest. I didn't remember anything from the series, which made it hard to understand what was happening in this book at first.
Vampires of Manhattan follows the stories of a lot of different people. Ara is a Venator who is attempting to uncover the person who is responsible for pentagrams being drawn all over the city and mortals who are being killed by a vampire. Oliver is Regent (Regis?) of the Coven but isn't very involved in the story until later. Oliver's human familiar, Finn, is responsible for the Four Hundred Ball which is an important event in the story. Lastly, Mimi Force/Martin has left Hell and her husband, Kingsley, to return to New York because she realized that she cannot live her life out in Hell.
If you're thinking that that sounds all over the place, so am I. For the first portion of the book, I was very confused about what was happened. Who are all these people and why is it important that they all got introduced at once? It was pretty overwhelming and I didn't enjoy the wide range of perspectives very much. I think if someone who read Blue Bloods read this novel it would be easier to recognize the characters right away, but for me it was pretty difficult at first.
The main conflict in this story is discovering who is drawing the pentagrams and killing the mortals. However, I feel that this wasn't even focussed on enough. We get little tidbits of people trying to figure it out and then it's ignored for a long while. I feel like there wasn't enough emphasis on this issue for me to care that much when it was revealed who was behind everything. Fortunately, I didn't predict who was behind everything, so at least that was a surprise.
I did enjoy how everything came together at the end of the book. Everybody didn't get a happy ending, but at least their stories or plotlines were resolved and we weren't left with questions. I did find the epilogue pretty confusing since I had no idea what was going on. I think that Blue Bloods fans would be able to understand it, though.
Overall, I didn't enjoy the book as much as I could've. I know I wasn't the intended audience for this book. I was very confused at some areas in the book because of vampire politics and whatnot. If you're a fan of the Blue Bloods series it may be worth giving a try, but if you aren't or if you haven't read the Blue Bloods series, I wouldn't recommend picking this up.
Disclaimer: I received a free ecopy from the publisher, Hachette Books, via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
***Minor spoilers***
When I requested this title from Netgalley, I didn't realize that it would take place after whatever happened in the Blue Bloods series. I only discovered this after I started the book. I started reading Blue Bloods maybe 3 years ago and only got to book 4 or 5 before I lost interest. I didn't remember anything from the series, which made it hard to understand what was happening in this book at first.
Vampires of Manhattan follows the stories of a lot of different people. Ara is a Venator who is attempting to uncover the person who is responsible for pentagrams being drawn all over the city and mortals who are being killed by a vampire. Oliver is Regent (Regis?) of the Coven but isn't very involved in the story until later. Oliver's human familiar, Finn, is responsible for the Four Hundred Ball which is an important event in the story. Lastly, Mimi Force/Martin has left Hell and her husband, Kingsley, to return to New York because she realized that she cannot live her life out in Hell.
If you're thinking that that sounds all over the place, so am I. For the first portion of the book, I was very confused about what was happened. Who are all these people and why is it important that they all got introduced at once? It was pretty overwhelming and I didn't enjoy the wide range of perspectives very much. I think if someone who read Blue Bloods read this novel it would be easier to recognize the characters right away, but for me it was pretty difficult at first.
The main conflict in this story is discovering who is drawing the pentagrams and killing the mortals. However, I feel that this wasn't even focussed on enough. We get little tidbits of people trying to figure it out and then it's ignored for a long while. I feel like there wasn't enough emphasis on this issue for me to care that much when it was revealed who was behind everything. Fortunately, I didn't predict who was behind everything, so at least that was a surprise.
I did enjoy how everything came together at the end of the book. Everybody didn't get a happy ending, but at least their stories or plotlines were resolved and we weren't left with questions. I did find the epilogue pretty confusing since I had no idea what was going on. I think that Blue Bloods fans would be able to understand it, though.
Overall, I didn't enjoy the book as much as I could've. I know I wasn't the intended audience for this book. I was very confused at some areas in the book because of vampire politics and whatnot. If you're a fan of the Blue Bloods series it may be worth giving a try, but if you aren't or if you haven't read the Blue Bloods series, I wouldn't recommend picking this up.
September 11, 2014
4.5 stars
I've been a long-time fan of the Blue Bloods series and I love the concept of The New Blue Bloods Coven. The Vampires of Manhattan features my favorite characters from the Blue Bloods series, ten years after the last book, The Gates of Paradise. Many things have changed, yet some remain the same.
It was so great "catching up" with mostly everyone, especially Mimi, Kingsley, and Oliver. Mimi, especially, had grown and changed so much. I really enjoyed her parts of the story, as well as Deming Chan's role. I always liked Deming and especially like that she will play a more prominent role in this series. She's a complex character and I look forward to her journey.
I have always loved the opulent, luxurious world of the Blue Bloods, and the fact that their entire existence is kept secret from humans just makes them all the more alluring. I liked that this series is more adult than the Blue Bloods series, which is fitting since the characters are older now.
Some of the things that were glossed over in the Blue Bloods series are really fleshed out in The Vampires of Manhattan. I have always wanted to know more about the Venators and enjoyed their inclusion in this book. Ara and Deming were two of my favorite characters, and I look forward to getting to know them even better in later books.
This book had a great, fast pace, which kept me reading long past the time I said I'd stop. I'm not a huge fan of a third-person narrative, yet de la Cruz uses it to perfection in her books, eliminating the need for superfluous dialogue and keeping the story moving quickly.
The Vampires of Manhattan is a great start to a promising new series. I can't wait to read book two
I've been a long-time fan of the Blue Bloods series and I love the concept of The New Blue Bloods Coven. The Vampires of Manhattan features my favorite characters from the Blue Bloods series, ten years after the last book, The Gates of Paradise. Many things have changed, yet some remain the same.
It was so great "catching up" with mostly everyone, especially Mimi, Kingsley, and Oliver. Mimi, especially, had grown and changed so much. I really enjoyed her parts of the story, as well as Deming Chan's role. I always liked Deming and especially like that she will play a more prominent role in this series. She's a complex character and I look forward to her journey.
I have always loved the opulent, luxurious world of the Blue Bloods, and the fact that their entire existence is kept secret from humans just makes them all the more alluring. I liked that this series is more adult than the Blue Bloods series, which is fitting since the characters are older now.
Some of the things that were glossed over in the Blue Bloods series are really fleshed out in The Vampires of Manhattan. I have always wanted to know more about the Venators and enjoyed their inclusion in this book. Ara and Deming were two of my favorite characters, and I look forward to getting to know them even better in later books.
This book had a great, fast pace, which kept me reading long past the time I said I'd stop. I'm not a huge fan of a third-person narrative, yet de la Cruz uses it to perfection in her books, eliminating the need for superfluous dialogue and keeping the story moving quickly.
The Vampires of Manhattan is a great start to a promising new series. I can't wait to read book two
September 16, 2014
See full review for The Vampires of Manhattan at: http://toomanybooksnotenoughshelves.w...
“Come to think of it, what was a happy ending after all? It wasn’t as if once the credits rolled and the lights came on or an author wrote, ‘The end,’ you stopped living, because there was so much more of life to live, wasn’t there?” pg. 110
So Melissa de la Cruz might have ended her Blue Bloods series back in 2013, but as the quote above states, life goes on for the characters she wrote about. In Vampires of Manhattan she picks up ten years later with Oliver about to take over as Regis for the new Blue Bloods coven, Mimi and Kingsley married but having a trial separation or the ‘Persephone clause,’ and a Venator by the name of Ara investigating the death of a mortal girl and the appearance of pentagrams.
“Come to think of it, what was a happy ending after all? It wasn’t as if once the credits rolled and the lights came on or an author wrote, ‘The end,’ you stopped living, because there was so much more of life to live, wasn’t there?” pg. 110
So Melissa de la Cruz might have ended her Blue Bloods series back in 2013, but as the quote above states, life goes on for the characters she wrote about. In Vampires of Manhattan she picks up ten years later with Oliver about to take over as Regis for the new Blue Bloods coven, Mimi and Kingsley married but having a trial separation or the ‘Persephone clause,’ and a Venator by the name of Ara investigating the death of a mortal girl and the appearance of pentagrams.
December 28, 2014
It was strange starting Vampires of Manhattan. Reading Blue Bloods where all main characters were teenagers to now where they’re all grown up sophisticated urban elite in Vampires of Manhattan. Usually once the series ends that’s it, it’s finished and you don’t get re-visits. So that was a nice change to get a new series of them 10 years down the line. Though if you plan on reading the Blue Blood’s series I wouldn’t recommend reading this book first. It will spoil a lot of things (unless you don’t mind that), but saying that, I think this book will be liked by both sides. I think those who enjoyed Blue Bloods will enjoy reading this series but also those who didn’t. I think enough information was included that new readers can enjoy this book without getting horribly lost in the plot. The plot wasn’t complex but easy to follow.
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October 26, 2014
I liked the Epilogue mainly because Jack and Sky was seen. :)
It was a good one albeit lame towards the end. I mean, the reason for all of this crap. Maybe it's something big for others but not for me. I did enjoy reading it, though.
Hoping for more! Next book I'll see more of Jack and Sky! Yay!
It was a good one albeit lame towards the end. I mean, the reason for all of this crap. Maybe it's something big for others but not for me. I did enjoy reading it, though.
Hoping for more! Next book I'll see more of Jack and Sky! Yay!
continue-finish-series
October 24, 2011Hmmm...I love Blue Bloods, but new characters? I'm not so sure.
January 21, 2015
A very good book. It was nice to see some of the characters from the old series again. Hope Oliver will be able to find Finn. Who's Scooby?
April 13, 2017
2.5 stars
June 19, 2017
The only thing I hate is that I waited so long to read it.
First, of course, I had to finish the original series (not that it was entirely necessary but it did help and I was already halfway through) that I enjoyed but did not love as much as I did this book.
I loved seeing characters I've been familiar with for so long in a new setting. Seeing them all grown up in their new lives ten years later. Had I been following them since the first book, Blue Bloods, came out I'd have been 16 and would have partially grown up along with them, (I didn't. I started the series when I was 21.) and I feel like this book is a love letter to those readers who stood by these characters for that long.
The story isn't as complex as in the previous series (where they're trying to stop Lucifer, so complex would be expected there) this is a home grown mystery. Which I'm sure would have led to more amazing complexity and another great adventure had this series been continued. There's something else to hate.
First, of course, I had to finish the original series (not that it was entirely necessary but it did help and I was already halfway through) that I enjoyed but did not love as much as I did this book.
I loved seeing characters I've been familiar with for so long in a new setting. Seeing them all grown up in their new lives ten years later. Had I been following them since the first book, Blue Bloods, came out I'd have been 16 and would have partially grown up along with them, (I didn't. I started the series when I was 21.) and I feel like this book is a love letter to those readers who stood by these characters for that long.
The story isn't as complex as in the previous series (where they're trying to stop Lucifer, so complex would be expected there) this is a home grown mystery. Which I'm sure would have led to more amazing complexity and another great adventure had this series been continued. There's something else to hate.
February 8, 2015
See this review and more on my blog, After Hours at Lilybloombooks
It's been years since I decided to call it quits, and walked away from the Blue Bloods series. When I started the series, I quite enjoyed them but after a while, I grew tired of it. There were many reasons for this; but that's not here nor there.
The reason I decided to snag this one at BEA was mainly due to the fact that it's a "spin-off" of those characters I read about years ago. I have always found it fun and fascinating when an author writes a short story - or in this case, a spin-off - X amount a years later. Even though a book ends, or a series is over, doesn't mean those characters don't invade your thoughts from time to time, and we want to know what's happening now.
That being said, spin-offs are always a hit or miss. Mainly because if someone who had not read the original series with these characters, would need a good understanding of what happened before and someone who has read it, doesn't want a full rehash of events. This one felt even trickier because it is clearly targeted to an older audience, and those younger fans of the Blue Bloods series should probably stay away. So, fine lines.
I feel like I am somewhere in the middle. Since I quit reading the series (now that I think about it, there was only one book left >.<) I had a really good understand of the characters and world, but not what happened to everyone at the end of the series.
One thing I will say, the writing was just as I remembered. Simple and to the point - with a slight disconnection to the characters. In this novel however, lacking the bore that I seemed to get from the initial series. I was absorbed in the murder mystery and I loved how it was all pieced together.
There are several POVs in the story - and it took some time for the plot to really get moving in the beginning. We had to have that initial meet and greet with a character, a small sum up of what's happened, before things really got moving. Slow as it was, it was done well and I am actually glad Melissa went this angle.
As for the characters - Oliver, who was Skylar's close friend in the original series - and once human - is now the leader of the coven. Interesting turn of events, I'd say. He's different, which is understandable since he now pushing 30, but for me, not a good different. He is arrogant and blind, and let too many things slip between his fingers.
The ending was a quite the cliff hanger. Just for the simple fact that two of the most beloved characters in the series finally made an appearance. It's quite obvious who the new foe is, and I am curious to see how it is all going to play out.
Overall - I really enjoyed it. I am temped to finish off the previous books just to get a better understanding of what happened at the end. But no fears, I have no doubt that this can be read without reading the initial series.
Full of twists, betrayal and some intensely sexy scenes, Vampires of Manhattan is a great start of a new series.
It's been years since I decided to call it quits, and walked away from the Blue Bloods series. When I started the series, I quite enjoyed them but after a while, I grew tired of it. There were many reasons for this; but that's not here nor there.
The reason I decided to snag this one at BEA was mainly due to the fact that it's a "spin-off" of those characters I read about years ago. I have always found it fun and fascinating when an author writes a short story - or in this case, a spin-off - X amount a years later. Even though a book ends, or a series is over, doesn't mean those characters don't invade your thoughts from time to time, and we want to know what's happening now.
That being said, spin-offs are always a hit or miss. Mainly because if someone who had not read the original series with these characters, would need a good understanding of what happened before and someone who has read it, doesn't want a full rehash of events. This one felt even trickier because it is clearly targeted to an older audience, and those younger fans of the Blue Bloods series should probably stay away. So, fine lines.
I feel like I am somewhere in the middle. Since I quit reading the series (now that I think about it, there was only one book left >.<) I had a really good understand of the characters and world, but not what happened to everyone at the end of the series.
One thing I will say, the writing was just as I remembered. Simple and to the point - with a slight disconnection to the characters. In this novel however, lacking the bore that I seemed to get from the initial series. I was absorbed in the murder mystery and I loved how it was all pieced together.
There are several POVs in the story - and it took some time for the plot to really get moving in the beginning. We had to have that initial meet and greet with a character, a small sum up of what's happened, before things really got moving. Slow as it was, it was done well and I am actually glad Melissa went this angle.
As for the characters - Oliver, who was Skylar's close friend in the original series - and once human - is now the leader of the coven. Interesting turn of events, I'd say. He's different, which is understandable since he now pushing 30, but for me, not a good different. He is arrogant and blind, and let too many things slip between his fingers.
The ending was a quite the cliff hanger. Just for the simple fact that two of the most beloved characters in the series finally made an appearance. It's quite obvious who the new foe is, and I am curious to see how it is all going to play out.
Overall - I really enjoyed it. I am temped to finish off the previous books just to get a better understanding of what happened at the end. But no fears, I have no doubt that this can be read without reading the initial series.
Full of twists, betrayal and some intensely sexy scenes, Vampires of Manhattan is a great start of a new series.
December 2, 2014
I freaking loved this book! If you're a fan of the Blue Bloods series, you should certainly read this!
The Blue Bloods are back. And it's 10 years after the last war where Lucifer was defeated. And now Oliver Hazard-Perry is the regent (head of the coven). Things are going smoothly until Nephilims are mysteriously increasing their numbers. And unusual pentagrams and killings/brutal murders are taking off in the city of lights. Can't help but wonder what this has to do with the upcoming Four Hundred Ball the vampires are celebrating in honor of the 10th anniversary of the peace. But things are not so smooth after all.
My thoughts:
OMG! I was so excited to read this book months ago (since I got them from BEA), BUT life got in the way of me and my blue bloods love. BUT finally I got to read this baby and you guys it's wonderful! It was such a fast read because it's fast paced and detail-oriented yet doesn't turn you around and around like a fool, it goes directly to the point of the story. We get to read from Oliver, Mimi and a new character, Ara's POV's. And for a bit from Kingsley and Finn (Oliver's girlfriend) and the wolf guy, Edon. Okay, okay, I had to admit I wasn't very fast to read at the beginning of the book.. BECAUSE! I read the last book two years ago? And my brain is not really a computer genius so I had to redownload every possible detail of memory I had of this! And when I was able to scrape of enough ones.. at least enough to continue (and not be lost like "who is this again" and "what happened again?" and "did this happen? this didn't happen" and be all adamant and defensive LOL!). Anyway, at first I was a bit hesitant to read this because I was afraid the plot Melissa was going to bring them all back is not worth it? Because they're all living happy ending lives.. HAHA. BUT who am I kidding, just to see Jack and Schuyler again will be a gem! BUT ALAS! They weren't there!.. YET. AT least in this book, but they were at the ending (so HURRAY!).
For this new series, I really didn't enjoy Oliver's POV, I didn't like his character the way I liked him on the Blue Bloods. He is so stuckup here, I guess you'll be when you're regent.. BUT I loved reading Ara's POV, I like her in short. Also Edon. I like their scenes and interactions together. She's so badass like nobodies business. Oooh and Mimi and Kingsley. I love love Mimi here! At the last series, it took a long time for me to like that girl, but here she's quickly likable. And Kingsley. Well, there was never a day I didn't like him. ha! Finn, however, Oliver's girlfriend. SKy's half sister? Stephen Chase's daughter too. Anyway, I really didn't like her. Didn't have any good vibes off of her, from the beginning. For some unexplainable reasons, I just don't. And I turn out to be on the right track on that...
So overall, this book is pretty exciting! It lived up to it's hype. Not much of fighting to the death scenes, but pretty much made a good foundation for the whole new series!!!
The Blue Bloods are back. And it's 10 years after the last war where Lucifer was defeated. And now Oliver Hazard-Perry is the regent (head of the coven). Things are going smoothly until Nephilims are mysteriously increasing their numbers. And unusual pentagrams and killings/brutal murders are taking off in the city of lights. Can't help but wonder what this has to do with the upcoming Four Hundred Ball the vampires are celebrating in honor of the 10th anniversary of the peace. But things are not so smooth after all.
My thoughts:
OMG! I was so excited to read this book months ago (since I got them from BEA), BUT life got in the way of me and my blue bloods love. BUT finally I got to read this baby and you guys it's wonderful! It was such a fast read because it's fast paced and detail-oriented yet doesn't turn you around and around like a fool, it goes directly to the point of the story. We get to read from Oliver, Mimi and a new character, Ara's POV's. And for a bit from Kingsley and Finn (Oliver's girlfriend) and the wolf guy, Edon. Okay, okay, I had to admit I wasn't very fast to read at the beginning of the book.. BECAUSE! I read the last book two years ago? And my brain is not really a computer genius so I had to redownload every possible detail of memory I had of this! And when I was able to scrape of enough ones.. at least enough to continue (and not be lost like "who is this again" and "what happened again?" and "did this happen? this didn't happen" and be all adamant and defensive LOL!). Anyway, at first I was a bit hesitant to read this because I was afraid the plot Melissa was going to bring them all back is not worth it? Because they're all living happy ending lives.. HAHA. BUT who am I kidding, just to see Jack and Schuyler again will be a gem! BUT ALAS! They weren't there!.. YET. AT least in this book, but they were at the ending (so HURRAY!).
For this new series, I really didn't enjoy Oliver's POV, I didn't like his character the way I liked him on the Blue Bloods. He is so stuckup here, I guess you'll be when you're regent.. BUT I loved reading Ara's POV, I like her in short. Also Edon. I like their scenes and interactions together. She's so badass like nobodies business. Oooh and Mimi and Kingsley. I love love Mimi here! At the last series, it took a long time for me to like that girl, but here she's quickly likable. And Kingsley. Well, there was never a day I didn't like him. ha! Finn, however, Oliver's girlfriend. SKy's half sister? Stephen Chase's daughter too. Anyway, I really didn't like her. Didn't have any good vibes off of her, from the beginning. For some unexplainable reasons, I just don't. And I turn out to be on the right track on that...
So overall, this book is pretty exciting! It lived up to it's hype. Not much of fighting to the death scenes, but pretty much made a good foundation for the whole new series!!!
December 20, 2014
The Blue Bloods series is one of my all-time favorites, so I was ecstatic when I found out that I had won a copy of Vampires of Manhattan through Goodreads First Reads! I have to say, this book did not disappoint, and I'm excited to read the rest of the series. Vampies of Manhattan is the first in a new adult series that takes place roughly ten years after the events of de la Cruz's YA Blue Bloods series, and follows popular characters from the Blue Bloods books as well as some all-new characters.
First of all, I'm going to go ahead and say that if you haven't read or didn't enjoy the Blue Bloods series, you probably will not enjoy this book. I definitely feel like Vampires of Manhattan is written specifically for Blue Bloods readers, and I think it would be incredibly confusing to start this book as a newcomer to this world. The history of the Blue Blood society is not re-explained in Vampires of Manhattan, and even though I've read the entire Blue Bloods series, I still found myself confused at times, trying to remember the meaning of a certain term or the details of a character's current life/past lives.
The story is told mainly from three perspectives: Ara Scott, a young venator (a new character); Oliver Hazard-Perry, the mortal-turned-vampire who is currently leading the New York coven as regent; and Mimi Martin (previously Mimi Force), who has left her husband, Kingsley, in Hell to move back to New York. These three perspectives take place in the present, but there is a brief middle section of the book that takes place five weeks prior which is told in the perspectives of Ara, Finn (Oliver's human familiar and human conduit), and Kingsley.
I really liked Ara, and I hope we see more of her in future books. She was easily the most relatable character, in my opinion. I found both Oliver and Finn incredibly annoying; despite Oliver's good intentions, he was blind to a lot of fairly obvious warning signs due to his being drunk on power and all too caught up in material wealth, while Finn was just... frustrating. Mimi and Kingsley's lack of communication also frustrated me, because they could have saved themselves a lot of heartache by simply talking to each other; however, their perspectives were my favorite to read.
The plot was interesting enough, if not a little predictable, but it kept me engaged and reading nonetheless. I really was interested to see how everything would be tied together and resolved, and I must say, I was satisfied with the ending.
All in all, while this book had its flaws, it was a fun, quick read, and I really enjoyed it overall! I would recommend The Vampires of Manhattan to any fan of the Blue Bloods series. Can't wait for future books in this series!
First of all, I'm going to go ahead and say that if you haven't read or didn't enjoy the Blue Bloods series, you probably will not enjoy this book. I definitely feel like Vampires of Manhattan is written specifically for Blue Bloods readers, and I think it would be incredibly confusing to start this book as a newcomer to this world. The history of the Blue Blood society is not re-explained in Vampires of Manhattan, and even though I've read the entire Blue Bloods series, I still found myself confused at times, trying to remember the meaning of a certain term or the details of a character's current life/past lives.
The story is told mainly from three perspectives: Ara Scott, a young venator (a new character); Oliver Hazard-Perry, the mortal-turned-vampire who is currently leading the New York coven as regent; and Mimi Martin (previously Mimi Force), who has left her husband, Kingsley, in Hell to move back to New York. These three perspectives take place in the present, but there is a brief middle section of the book that takes place five weeks prior which is told in the perspectives of Ara, Finn (Oliver's human familiar and human conduit), and Kingsley.
I really liked Ara, and I hope we see more of her in future books. She was easily the most relatable character, in my opinion. I found both Oliver and Finn incredibly annoying; despite Oliver's good intentions, he was blind to a lot of fairly obvious warning signs due to his being drunk on power and all too caught up in material wealth, while Finn was just... frustrating. Mimi and Kingsley's lack of communication also frustrated me, because they could have saved themselves a lot of heartache by simply talking to each other; however, their perspectives were my favorite to read.
The plot was interesting enough, if not a little predictable, but it kept me engaged and reading nonetheless. I really was interested to see how everything would be tied together and resolved, and I must say, I was satisfied with the ending.
All in all, while this book had its flaws, it was a fun, quick read, and I really enjoyed it overall! I would recommend The Vampires of Manhattan to any fan of the Blue Bloods series. Can't wait for future books in this series!
Read
September 23, 2014Thank you, Hachette Books, for the review copy and on my blog - readers have a chance to win a SIGNED COPY! through October 13, 2014, 11:59 PM CST. http://wp.me/pAaOH-SO
The cover: Gorgeous! Perfect! Definitely does exactly what a cover should do: peak your interest and create a desire to find out more!
Never read the Blue Bloods Series? Don't worry! You can start with VAMPIRES OF MANHATTAN and follow along beautifully. The novel is geared to New Adults/Adults. It's for anyone who appreciates great world building, fantasy, vampires, or outstanding storytelling. The characters jump off the page and keep you guessing. Kingsley happens to be one of my favorites.
The Blue Bloods won the war and are celebrating their victory of Lucifer. But wait . . . someone is killing young adults girls and burning or painting pentagrams all over Manhattan. Alarm bells sound for the soon-to-be Regis Oliver and his human female familiar Finn, who is planning the Four Hundred Ball to commemorate the victory. Someone wants to stop the celebration. Venator Ara Scott is on the case to find out who. I love Ara. She's a strong, flawed character, struggling to make a difference and keep Manhattan peaceful. Maybe someday, she'll do more than kick some major butt. Maybe she'll find love?
I love the mystery and surprises of this novel. For Blue Bloods fans, you'll be thrilled with the continuation of the series. For people who love to read NA, you'll gobble up this sophisticated book geared toward you. It has a plot that will have you hooked and begging for the next book in the series.
VAMPIRES OF MANHATTAN is a page-turner. I can't wait for more.
The cover: Gorgeous! Perfect! Definitely does exactly what a cover should do: peak your interest and create a desire to find out more!
Never read the Blue Bloods Series? Don't worry! You can start with VAMPIRES OF MANHATTAN and follow along beautifully. The novel is geared to New Adults/Adults. It's for anyone who appreciates great world building, fantasy, vampires, or outstanding storytelling. The characters jump off the page and keep you guessing. Kingsley happens to be one of my favorites.
The Blue Bloods won the war and are celebrating their victory of Lucifer. But wait . . . someone is killing young adults girls and burning or painting pentagrams all over Manhattan. Alarm bells sound for the soon-to-be Regis Oliver and his human female familiar Finn, who is planning the Four Hundred Ball to commemorate the victory. Someone wants to stop the celebration. Venator Ara Scott is on the case to find out who. I love Ara. She's a strong, flawed character, struggling to make a difference and keep Manhattan peaceful. Maybe someday, she'll do more than kick some major butt. Maybe she'll find love?
I love the mystery and surprises of this novel. For Blue Bloods fans, you'll be thrilled with the continuation of the series. For people who love to read NA, you'll gobble up this sophisticated book geared toward you. It has a plot that will have you hooked and begging for the next book in the series.
VAMPIRES OF MANHATTAN is a page-turner. I can't wait for more.
June 8, 2015
I wanted to like this book because I quite liked the original Blue Bloods series, but to be honest with you guys, I don't know how to feel about this spin-off book. I mean, apart of me wants to enjoy it but there is also another part that can't. I just feel like there has been too much time that has passed between the original and the new spin-off series and because of that I don't care much about the characters anymore. Plus the story didn't make sense to me and lost its way, which did not help.
Don't get me wrong here, it's not entirely a terrible book but I just don't have the same love and appreciation for it - at least when you compare it to the original series that the book is based on. I feel like it's time to move on from the characters, you know?
Don't get me wrong here, it's not entirely a terrible book but I just don't have the same love and appreciation for it - at least when you compare it to the original series that the book is based on. I feel like it's time to move on from the characters, you know?
October 8, 2014
This book is part of an ongoing series and as a reader I read this later novel cold turkey with no knowledge of the prior books. That said, I got into the book really fast as the author gives enough background information so the new reader is not totally lost. The crux of the story involves the ritual killing of young girls in time of vampires, demons and humans and the search yo find out who or what is responsible. I could see Trublood fans really liking the series but the characters lack the humor of those in the Trublood based books.
Want to read
August 9, 2012YAyyyyyy!!!!
December 31, 2019
Sadly, not as good as the original Blue Bloods series, but it wasn't terrible.
November 28, 2025
I listened to this entire book for literally nothing to happen. you have to read the second book to finish any sort of story, and I just don’t care enough to keep reading.
July 8, 2015
This review was written for The Review Diaries
You can read the full review here
Thanks to Netgalley and Hachette Books for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review
Who wrote this blurb? Where they drunk? Had they even read the book? Because when I re-read the blurb after reading the book I did a double take. This blurb has very little to do with the actual book, because the book this blurb is describing (apart from the use of the phrase ‘hipster horror’ which should never ever be used again) actually sounds kinda interesting. Whereas what I actually read really wasn’t.
Back when I was but a young vampire book reading teen, I really enjoyed the first couple of Blue Bloods novels, but the library never had any more than the first two and my monies didn’t stretch to buying all of them, so I drifted away from the series and kept promising that one day I’d go back and read them properly. In the meantime I read some of Melissa’s other novels and really enjoyed them, so when this one came up and professed to be a new series I figured it looked interesting and I stood a chance of knowing what was going on if it was a new series.
Don’t be fooled.
There were lots of things that weren’t explained that I’m assuming I would understand better had I read the previous Blue Bloods series, and there were things being explained in such minute detail that I imagine it would have been seriously frustrating for anyone who had read the previous novels – it was getting frustrating for me and they were supposed to be helping me out. It didn’t strike the right balance between harking back to the previous series whilst standing on its own two feet as a whole new animal. It leaned far too heavily on the previous series and the knowledge you’d have from reading that and as a result it really didn’t earn the label of a new series in its own right.
The characters really weren’t that interesting, they didn’t grab my attention, I wasn’t invested in any of them and I didn’t get caught up in their stories. The whole mystery at the books centre was a bit of a farce. If you’re going to have a murder mystery you have to set it up with clues throughout, not just go for the big reveal at the end and go ‘tada! It was this person all along!’ without the appropriate build up. Sure there were a few hints, but not nearly enough to create a substantial case for the culprit, and that’s incredibly frustrating to read.
The pacing was good for the most part. It was a bit all over the place with present day then skipping back six months in the middle of the novel and then coming back to the present again. It helped to fill in a few of the blanks, but it didn’t really give enough of a payoff for it to really feel worth it. I found the murder mystery plot to be the most engaging of all of them. The rest of the story threads felt like privileged people whinging – never a particularly good storyline – and people in their late twenties complaining about how over the hill they were and old and stodgy. They didn’t talk or feel like real people. The writing seemed to oscillate between good and downright terrible.
"He’d been a skinny human teenager, but he was almost thirty years old now, and to put it bluntly, he was ripped."
I mean who talks like that? What even is this? My eyes. I wanted to love it, I really did, but it’s been badly managed with the blurb and marketing it as New Adult – they’re all thirty, you’re hardly a new adult by that age. Plus trying to sell it as a new series, when really you don’t stand much of a hope unless you’ve already read all of the previous Blue Bloods books.
All in all this was a quick but ultimately disappointing read, which has put me off going back to the Blue Bloods series. Maybe in a few years I’ll try the original series again, but I’ll be steering well clear of any more of the New Blue Bloods Coven.
You can read the full review here
Thanks to Netgalley and Hachette Books for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review
Who wrote this blurb? Where they drunk? Had they even read the book? Because when I re-read the blurb after reading the book I did a double take. This blurb has very little to do with the actual book, because the book this blurb is describing (apart from the use of the phrase ‘hipster horror’ which should never ever be used again) actually sounds kinda interesting. Whereas what I actually read really wasn’t.
Back when I was but a young vampire book reading teen, I really enjoyed the first couple of Blue Bloods novels, but the library never had any more than the first two and my monies didn’t stretch to buying all of them, so I drifted away from the series and kept promising that one day I’d go back and read them properly. In the meantime I read some of Melissa’s other novels and really enjoyed them, so when this one came up and professed to be a new series I figured it looked interesting and I stood a chance of knowing what was going on if it was a new series.
Don’t be fooled.
There were lots of things that weren’t explained that I’m assuming I would understand better had I read the previous Blue Bloods series, and there were things being explained in such minute detail that I imagine it would have been seriously frustrating for anyone who had read the previous novels – it was getting frustrating for me and they were supposed to be helping me out. It didn’t strike the right balance between harking back to the previous series whilst standing on its own two feet as a whole new animal. It leaned far too heavily on the previous series and the knowledge you’d have from reading that and as a result it really didn’t earn the label of a new series in its own right.
The characters really weren’t that interesting, they didn’t grab my attention, I wasn’t invested in any of them and I didn’t get caught up in their stories. The whole mystery at the books centre was a bit of a farce. If you’re going to have a murder mystery you have to set it up with clues throughout, not just go for the big reveal at the end and go ‘tada! It was this person all along!’ without the appropriate build up. Sure there were a few hints, but not nearly enough to create a substantial case for the culprit, and that’s incredibly frustrating to read.
The pacing was good for the most part. It was a bit all over the place with present day then skipping back six months in the middle of the novel and then coming back to the present again. It helped to fill in a few of the blanks, but it didn’t really give enough of a payoff for it to really feel worth it. I found the murder mystery plot to be the most engaging of all of them. The rest of the story threads felt like privileged people whinging – never a particularly good storyline – and people in their late twenties complaining about how over the hill they were and old and stodgy. They didn’t talk or feel like real people. The writing seemed to oscillate between good and downright terrible.
"He’d been a skinny human teenager, but he was almost thirty years old now, and to put it bluntly, he was ripped."
I mean who talks like that? What even is this? My eyes. I wanted to love it, I really did, but it’s been badly managed with the blurb and marketing it as New Adult – they’re all thirty, you’re hardly a new adult by that age. Plus trying to sell it as a new series, when really you don’t stand much of a hope unless you’ve already read all of the previous Blue Bloods books.
All in all this was a quick but ultimately disappointing read, which has put me off going back to the Blue Bloods series. Maybe in a few years I’ll try the original series again, but I’ll be steering well clear of any more of the New Blue Bloods Coven.
September 2, 2014
Read the full review here: http://notesfromthedarknet.wordpress....
Where I Got It: A friend of Atsiko��s managed to score a brace of YA and NA ARCs donated to a book fair by a distributor. I’ve been actively seeking New Adult titles to read, and a trade published series by a well-known author seemed like a great place to start, although I’ve never read the original YA series.
Review:
I picked this up because of a desire to read New Adult in general, not UF/PR or a Blue Bloods continuation particular. So that might color my review a bit.
The book was okay, and after the first half I didn’t have trouble turning the page, but it wasn’t particularly engaging, and the first half seemed like a lot of set-up for how the lives of the characters have changed from when the original series ended ten story years ago. Personally, I don’t accept that as an excuse. A really good book, especially the first in a new series, should not have to trade on the reputation of any predecessors. And it’s not like the book didn’t have words to burn on such a thing; it was fairly short.
With similar caveats, I didn’t find the characters particularly engaging. Or maybe this time it’s because I don’t find the rampant materialism of the upper classes interesting on a surface level. Either way, they seemed like fairly staandard PR/UF characters with little uniqueness to recommend them over other similar main characters in other series. There seemed to be a lot of sex and a lot of ruminating going on, and as I hadn’t read the original series, I didn’t feel pulled into that aspect either. The plot for the first half of the story was barely there, kind of humdrum, and not engaging.
In the second half, I think I had a better grasp of the characters, there were fewer references to the previous series, and the plot had finally got going somewhat. It wasn’t by any means approaching the top half of my enjoyable books list, but it wasn’t slogging through the dross anymore, either. By the end, I was still not impressed. It was a short book, and I don’t think I lost too much of my time reading it, but I would not personally pick up the next book.
I would recommend it to UF/PR readers and Blue Bloods fans looking for a quick fix, but I wouldn’t recomment it to anyone who hasn’t read the author and who doesn’t read a great deal in those genres.
Conclusion: 65/100 (Decent if you like the genre and read the originals)
Premise: 6/10 (Pretty cliche)
Plot: 7/10 (Was okay if quite confusing at first)
Setting: 8/10 (Well-realized)
Main Character(s): 7/10 (Okay, but not great)
Romance: 6/10 (Maybe if you’ve read the original series, but otherwise not interesting)
World-building: 7/10 (Understandable even to a newbie, but a bit cliche)
Supporting Characters: 6/10 (Decent, but not fantastic)
Writing: 6/10 (Competent, but could have been better)
Themes: 6/10 (There aren’t many clear ones, and I didn’t feel them very strongly)
Resolution: 6/10 (Major cliffhanger)
Buy Or Borrow: I’d say borrow, but it may be because paranormal isn’t my favorite genre. If you like it or liked the original series, this is probably worth the money.
Similar Books:
Not many, since YA hasn’t really taken off yet. But the original YA series, Bluebloods, or even Anne Rice’s Lestat books might be a good follow-up if you haven’t read them already.
Where I Got It: A friend of Atsiko��s managed to score a brace of YA and NA ARCs donated to a book fair by a distributor. I’ve been actively seeking New Adult titles to read, and a trade published series by a well-known author seemed like a great place to start, although I’ve never read the original YA series.
Review:
I picked this up because of a desire to read New Adult in general, not UF/PR or a Blue Bloods continuation particular. So that might color my review a bit.
The book was okay, and after the first half I didn’t have trouble turning the page, but it wasn’t particularly engaging, and the first half seemed like a lot of set-up for how the lives of the characters have changed from when the original series ended ten story years ago. Personally, I don’t accept that as an excuse. A really good book, especially the first in a new series, should not have to trade on the reputation of any predecessors. And it’s not like the book didn’t have words to burn on such a thing; it was fairly short.
With similar caveats, I didn’t find the characters particularly engaging. Or maybe this time it’s because I don’t find the rampant materialism of the upper classes interesting on a surface level. Either way, they seemed like fairly staandard PR/UF characters with little uniqueness to recommend them over other similar main characters in other series. There seemed to be a lot of sex and a lot of ruminating going on, and as I hadn’t read the original series, I didn’t feel pulled into that aspect either. The plot for the first half of the story was barely there, kind of humdrum, and not engaging.
In the second half, I think I had a better grasp of the characters, there were fewer references to the previous series, and the plot had finally got going somewhat. It wasn’t by any means approaching the top half of my enjoyable books list, but it wasn’t slogging through the dross anymore, either. By the end, I was still not impressed. It was a short book, and I don’t think I lost too much of my time reading it, but I would not personally pick up the next book.
I would recommend it to UF/PR readers and Blue Bloods fans looking for a quick fix, but I wouldn’t recomment it to anyone who hasn’t read the author and who doesn’t read a great deal in those genres.
Conclusion: 65/100 (Decent if you like the genre and read the originals)
Premise: 6/10 (Pretty cliche)
Plot: 7/10 (Was okay if quite confusing at first)
Setting: 8/10 (Well-realized)
Main Character(s): 7/10 (Okay, but not great)
Romance: 6/10 (Maybe if you’ve read the original series, but otherwise not interesting)
World-building: 7/10 (Understandable even to a newbie, but a bit cliche)
Supporting Characters: 6/10 (Decent, but not fantastic)
Writing: 6/10 (Competent, but could have been better)
Themes: 6/10 (There aren’t many clear ones, and I didn’t feel them very strongly)
Resolution: 6/10 (Major cliffhanger)
Buy Or Borrow: I’d say borrow, but it may be because paranormal isn’t my favorite genre. If you like it or liked the original series, this is probably worth the money.
Similar Books:
Not many, since YA hasn’t really taken off yet. But the original YA series, Bluebloods, or even Anne Rice’s Lestat books might be a good follow-up if you haven’t read them already.
Read
October 5, 2023This is one of those series that you need to read the original before the spinoff. Without that nostalgia, this isn’t really much of a story. The lore of this world is barely explained, and there were so many different character viewpoints, which I’m sure were awesome to go back to, but as new characters they were a bit flat. Gave up at 25%. I’ll have to come back to this one after trying the original series.
August 28, 2014
This and other reviews on my blog My Friends Are Fiction
The Story:
I have never read the Blue Bloods series nor had I heard of Vampires of Manhattan prior to receiving a copy in the mail. It was pretty great timing since I’ve been rather stressed so a vampire book was what I needed.
De La Cruz’s writing was fast paced and simplistic though entertaining. I was drawn into the story though I had no knowledge of the world or characters. I know that I missed a lot because of being a newbie but it was still enjoyable. I found myself lost on many points because there are a lot of references to the ending of the Blue Bloods series. Surprisingly, I was able to grasp the general world and concept though I felt in the dark for some aspects. Somehow it was okay to not know exactly the history of the world and just go with it.
This story revolves around a central investigation so it had the feel in some ways to a detective story and that was my favorite aspect. I enjoyed the idea behind vampire secret police and was curious as to what was causing havoc in a world that should be peaceful. The major plot and climax of the story was a bit of a let down but I’m thinking that someone with a history with this world and characters would have a much deeper feeling than I did.
The Characters:
From what I could tell most of the characters were present in the original series and we are revisiting their lives years after the final showdown. I had zero knowledge or attachement to the cast of characters but I did find that I enjoyed them generally speaking. Since this was written as a follow-up there wasn’t a ton of character development but I still grew attached to Ara and Edon. The other characters had moments but I was most interested in the central investigation.
I was least interested in Oliver and Finn though a good amount of the story revolved around them. Even though they were my least favorite I wasn’t bored with their story line and still found their sections fast paced. I had the feeling while reading that fans of the series would be very happy to see old characters return and see how relationships have changed over the years.
Final Thoughts:
I found Vampires of Manhattan surprisingly entertaining even with my lack of knowledge about the series. I am confident that fans will be happy to revisit favorite characters and see how they have changed. For a newbie like myself the book succeeded decently well on its own though I knew I was missing a lot of references. I also felt that the world and characters were less developed than I typically enjoy but this was understandable. Overall, VoM was fast paced, entertaining and a light read.
The Story:
I have never read the Blue Bloods series nor had I heard of Vampires of Manhattan prior to receiving a copy in the mail. It was pretty great timing since I’ve been rather stressed so a vampire book was what I needed.
De La Cruz’s writing was fast paced and simplistic though entertaining. I was drawn into the story though I had no knowledge of the world or characters. I know that I missed a lot because of being a newbie but it was still enjoyable. I found myself lost on many points because there are a lot of references to the ending of the Blue Bloods series. Surprisingly, I was able to grasp the general world and concept though I felt in the dark for some aspects. Somehow it was okay to not know exactly the history of the world and just go with it.
This story revolves around a central investigation so it had the feel in some ways to a detective story and that was my favorite aspect. I enjoyed the idea behind vampire secret police and was curious as to what was causing havoc in a world that should be peaceful. The major plot and climax of the story was a bit of a let down but I’m thinking that someone with a history with this world and characters would have a much deeper feeling than I did.
The Characters:
From what I could tell most of the characters were present in the original series and we are revisiting their lives years after the final showdown. I had zero knowledge or attachement to the cast of characters but I did find that I enjoyed them generally speaking. Since this was written as a follow-up there wasn’t a ton of character development but I still grew attached to Ara and Edon. The other characters had moments but I was most interested in the central investigation.
I was least interested in Oliver and Finn though a good amount of the story revolved around them. Even though they were my least favorite I wasn’t bored with their story line and still found their sections fast paced. I had the feeling while reading that fans of the series would be very happy to see old characters return and see how relationships have changed over the years.
Final Thoughts:
I found Vampires of Manhattan surprisingly entertaining even with my lack of knowledge about the series. I am confident that fans will be happy to revisit favorite characters and see how they have changed. For a newbie like myself the book succeeded decently well on its own though I knew I was missing a lot of references. I also felt that the world and characters were less developed than I typically enjoy but this was understandable. Overall, VoM was fast paced, entertaining and a light read.
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