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Bloodline #1
Bloodline
When nineteen-year-old John Shaw returns from World War I, he is haunted by nightmares - not only of the horrors of battle, but of the brutal midnight exploits of his superior, Captain Quincey Harker. When Harker appears unexpectedly in England and lures John's sister, Lily, to Transylvania, John must confront the truth.
324 pages, Paperback
First published August 18, 2005
74 people are currently reading
2885 people want to read
About the author
Kate Cary
12 books207 followersKate Cary is a writer of fiction for children and young adults.
She is one of three writers of a best-selling series of middle grade books called WARRIORS, published by Working Partners through HarperCollins, under the pseudonym Erin Hunter.
She is the writer of the BLOODLINE series of novels.
She is one of three writers of a best-selling series of middle grade books called WARRIORS, published by Working Partners through HarperCollins, under the pseudonym Erin Hunter.
She is the writer of the BLOODLINE series of novels.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 258 reviews
August 26, 2023
4 Stars:
This is truly a horrifying, yet intriguingly fantastic book by weaving her tale full of historical possibilities, drawing upon the truth for her fiction, which adds an intriguing dimension to the story. I was gripped, could not wait for the story to unfold and I had to keep reading. I think I will read book 2 just to see where the story goes
Among some of my favorites. Outstanding literary work. The characters are well developed, interesting. The liked characters are likable and the hated are unlikable. The writing is captivating enough to keep you interested until the end and leave you wanting more. It has a fairly original or uniquely well-developed plot. The pretense and romance was well balanced and done with properly distributed amounts of hints, behaviors and chemistry. Not so much predictable if at all. Overall, loved it, I recommend reading!!
This is truly a horrifying, yet intriguingly fantastic book by weaving her tale full of historical possibilities, drawing upon the truth for her fiction, which adds an intriguing dimension to the story. I was gripped, could not wait for the story to unfold and I had to keep reading. I think I will read book 2 just to see where the story goes
Among some of my favorites. Outstanding literary work. The characters are well developed, interesting. The liked characters are likable and the hated are unlikable. The writing is captivating enough to keep you interested until the end and leave you wanting more. It has a fairly original or uniquely well-developed plot. The pretense and romance was well balanced and done with properly distributed amounts of hints, behaviors and chemistry. Not so much predictable if at all. Overall, loved it, I recommend reading!!
March 5, 2021
Dracula is one of my favorite classics and Bloodline (Bloodline #1) by Kate Cary sounded like it had some potential. Unfortunately, it doesn't live up to that. I like the concept much more than the final product and most of that is due to characters and characterizations.
October 16, 2016
Initially I was excited to read BLOODLINE but once I got into it it felt like little more than a fanfiction-like Dracula retelling. And that disappointed me.
I’m really confused as to who Mina’s husband is supposed to be. Dracula was killed in the original. And it’s insinuated here that the man Mina married is Dracula’s son. Who then had a son, Jonathan Harker. But that’s supposed to be the son of Dracula because Mina cuckolded the original Jonathan? From the original? Really confused on that one.
The story itself progresses in nearly the same way Dracula does and at that point I was bored with it all. I mean if it’s just going to be the same story rehashed, what’s the point?
And then it got real fanfiction-y toward the end with who John’s father was and his upbringing and blah blah blah. Again, pretty disappointed. It’s kind of hard to review a book that’s basically a copy of something else. It’s a good copy, I guess. Didn’t bring much else to the table in terms of originality. At this point I might as well just re-read Dracula.
I feel like I may be being overly harsh on BLOODLINE, but if I wanted to read Dracula, I’d just read Dracula. This is the same story with characters by different names. Ugh.
2
I’m really confused as to who Mina’s husband is supposed to be. Dracula was killed in the original. And it’s insinuated here that the man Mina married is Dracula’s son. Who then had a son, Jonathan Harker. But that’s supposed to be the son of Dracula because Mina cuckolded the original Jonathan? From the original? Really confused on that one.
The story itself progresses in nearly the same way Dracula does and at that point I was bored with it all. I mean if it’s just going to be the same story rehashed, what’s the point?
And then it got real fanfiction-y toward the end with who John’s father was and his upbringing and blah blah blah. Again, pretty disappointed. It’s kind of hard to review a book that’s basically a copy of something else. It’s a good copy, I guess. Didn’t bring much else to the table in terms of originality. At this point I might as well just re-read Dracula.
I feel like I may be being overly harsh on BLOODLINE, but if I wanted to read Dracula, I’d just read Dracula. This is the same story with characters by different names. Ugh.
2
April 4, 2009
My 13 year old daughter brought this home from the library. She is a Twilight addict and probably wanted to see what other vampire books are like. I try to steal a book from her library pile every once in a while just to see what she's reading so I chose this one. I don't think I've read a book where the author did such a poor job with character development. I don't want to give anything away so that's all I'll say. Unless you enjoy superficial literature, don't waste your time.
May 30, 2012
Quick TL;DR:
*Great book, fun, compelling plot, engrossing characters, not a lofty read, but a fun one, and well-written for it.
*NOT your typical vampire YA novel--this is meant as a "sequel" to the original Dracula, and touches on some of the same themes, although not in as literary a way
*It's a trilogy, but the third book isn't out yet, and you'll be dying for more when you finish each one--be warned!!;-)
When I first saw this book, I was a page at my local library in high school. Shelving books is a good way to discover new ones to read, and I picked this one up to read the back cover. My first thought was that this was another of those books getting in on the vampire trend in YA, and that turned me off. But reading the back cover, I discovered it actually was a "sequel" to the original Dracula by Bram Stoker; all of the main characters are the descendents of the original gang in the Victorian novel, and it's set during World War I. I had read Dracula for fun the summer before, and loved it, so...maybe this wouldn't be too bad? My interest was piqued. Hesitantly, I decided to read it during my lunch breaks.
I'm so glad I gave this book a chance! It's not high literature, and if you're expecting it to hold up to the original classic, you're expecting too much, but this IS NOT another one of the typical vampire novels that are flooding the YA market right now in the wake of Twilight. The story was compelling, the characters were engrossing, and Cary manages a feat only one other author has been consistently able to pull off in successfully misdirecting me and doing it in a fun way (the other was J K Rowling, so I think that says something).
I couldn't wait for the next one,and when we got a copy of the sequel, I devoured--pardon the pun--that too. The frustrating thing that still gets me about these books is that they're meant to be a trilogy, but Kate Cary is a ghostwriter for the Warriors books. Those are more lucrative, so guess which she spends most of her time on? I don't blame her, she has to make a living, but I've been waiting years for a third installment, and it's one of those books that, when you first finish it, you want to immediately start the next one, so even waiting for the library to get it from another branch is frustrating. If you start these books, beware of that:you'll be begging for more and won't get it fast enough! I follow Kate Cary on Facebook, and she says she's not working on the third installment right now, despite there being several very passionate of us fans begging her for another. Maybe the muse just hasn't struck her right--er, bitten?;-)
Corny vamire puns aside, here's my actual review. The plot is paced very well, and the characters, as I said, are very engrossing...and unlike some other YA books, they get to have character arcs! Mary starts off very idealistic, but her opinions change by the end of the second book. She's a pretty cool heroine; it's hard to write a novel set in Victorian times and have the character be appealing to modern audiences without pandering to modern-day tastes about how women should act, which would compromise realism. Mary's no wilting violet, and she's far more empowered than Bella Swann, but she's still a little prudish and idealistic, which is treated as part of her character, and a flaw at that. She's not a Mary Sue; all of the characters are well-defined. I found myself developing crushes on some of the male characters--heh heh!^__^;--which rarely happens for me. When I go developing crushes on fictional characters, it's because I find them compelling. The book switches between several of the characters as narrators in each chapter, which works effectively in this story to give the reader a more complete view of what's going on and a more complex development of each character--characters can disagree with each other or trick each other,and while we know who we want to root for, it makes the book a lot more fun.
The series touches on sexuality a little, as you have to in a follow up to Dracula, but it's not "teen smut", as some YA books get called. It's done tastefully and briefly, with some of the characters discussing their hesitancy toward sexuality, but also a secret curiosity about it--this is Victorian England, after all, nice young girls of marriageable age don't go thinking abut sex, they think of England!;-)
But it's done frankly--we know when a character has been seduced and is living with a man in a sexual relationship outside of marriage, but in case any parents are worried about it, the characters do express feelings that they're not doing the right thing...and usually die, which is kind of odd. But if you're worried about what your 15-year-old daughter will learn from these books, it's exemplary compared to Twilight.
I did have one complaint; the novel is set during World War I, or The Great War, as they were then calling it. Mary is a nurse helping at the hospital that is treating wounded soldiers coming back from the trenches, and she speaks with horror of the agony of some of the soldiers who are being treated; they have burns or amputated limbs, and worst of all, some have been subjected to mustard gas, and it's now painful for them to breathe. The soldiers are treated as individuals; Mary transcribes letters to sweethearts for some of them, or bonds with favorites, or watches them grow quiet when asked about their experiences. Cary does an interesting job of portraying the horror of The Great War, which was then a major traumatic event for all parties involved, to the point where people thought there could never be another war after the suffering they'd all inflicted on each other. She talks about soldiers suffering from "shell-shock" (what they called PTSD at the time), people at home losing loved ones overseas, and the darkness of the violence the soldiers encounter in the trenches as represented by the cruelty of Quincy Harker, who tells us that the bloodshed is perfect for complementing and disguising his vampiric tendencies. But Cary doesn't commit to it; it's not graphic in the violence at all like people accuse The Hunger Games of being, but the personalization of the participants and the humanization of victims is done fairly well. But where's the resulting message? Here's all this horror; great, now tell us what you want us to take away from it. You don't get that involved in showing the horror of war and then not give the reader a message about it. What's the lesson? A generic, "war is horrible", something about the darkness of humanity, or the nature of evil, perhaps? Is all this talk of how horrible the war is just there to add to the horror element of the book, or increase the feeling of evil? Then again, this is just meant to be a fun book, a light read; Cary's going for a beach novel type of thing, not a didactic, "I'm going to teach the young generation to make the world they inherit better!" attempt at literature like Rowling and Collins make. If you go into it with too high expectations, you'll set yourself up for the wrong experience and not enjoy the book. As a fun read, it's wonderful, and I hope Cary gets on the third installment!
*Great book, fun, compelling plot, engrossing characters, not a lofty read, but a fun one, and well-written for it.
*NOT your typical vampire YA novel--this is meant as a "sequel" to the original Dracula, and touches on some of the same themes, although not in as literary a way
*It's a trilogy, but the third book isn't out yet, and you'll be dying for more when you finish each one--be warned!!;-)
When I first saw this book, I was a page at my local library in high school. Shelving books is a good way to discover new ones to read, and I picked this one up to read the back cover. My first thought was that this was another of those books getting in on the vampire trend in YA, and that turned me off. But reading the back cover, I discovered it actually was a "sequel" to the original Dracula by Bram Stoker; all of the main characters are the descendents of the original gang in the Victorian novel, and it's set during World War I. I had read Dracula for fun the summer before, and loved it, so...maybe this wouldn't be too bad? My interest was piqued. Hesitantly, I decided to read it during my lunch breaks.
I'm so glad I gave this book a chance! It's not high literature, and if you're expecting it to hold up to the original classic, you're expecting too much, but this IS NOT another one of the typical vampire novels that are flooding the YA market right now in the wake of Twilight. The story was compelling, the characters were engrossing, and Cary manages a feat only one other author has been consistently able to pull off in successfully misdirecting me and doing it in a fun way (the other was J K Rowling, so I think that says something).
I couldn't wait for the next one,and when we got a copy of the sequel, I devoured--pardon the pun--that too. The frustrating thing that still gets me about these books is that they're meant to be a trilogy, but Kate Cary is a ghostwriter for the Warriors books. Those are more lucrative, so guess which she spends most of her time on? I don't blame her, she has to make a living, but I've been waiting years for a third installment, and it's one of those books that, when you first finish it, you want to immediately start the next one, so even waiting for the library to get it from another branch is frustrating. If you start these books, beware of that:you'll be begging for more and won't get it fast enough! I follow Kate Cary on Facebook, and she says she's not working on the third installment right now, despite there being several very passionate of us fans begging her for another. Maybe the muse just hasn't struck her right--er, bitten?;-)
Corny vamire puns aside, here's my actual review. The plot is paced very well, and the characters, as I said, are very engrossing...and unlike some other YA books, they get to have character arcs! Mary starts off very idealistic, but her opinions change by the end of the second book. She's a pretty cool heroine; it's hard to write a novel set in Victorian times and have the character be appealing to modern audiences without pandering to modern-day tastes about how women should act, which would compromise realism. Mary's no wilting violet, and she's far more empowered than Bella Swann, but she's still a little prudish and idealistic, which is treated as part of her character, and a flaw at that. She's not a Mary Sue; all of the characters are well-defined. I found myself developing crushes on some of the male characters--heh heh!^__^;--which rarely happens for me. When I go developing crushes on fictional characters, it's because I find them compelling. The book switches between several of the characters as narrators in each chapter, which works effectively in this story to give the reader a more complete view of what's going on and a more complex development of each character--characters can disagree with each other or trick each other,and while we know who we want to root for, it makes the book a lot more fun.
The series touches on sexuality a little, as you have to in a follow up to Dracula, but it's not "teen smut", as some YA books get called. It's done tastefully and briefly, with some of the characters discussing their hesitancy toward sexuality, but also a secret curiosity about it--this is Victorian England, after all, nice young girls of marriageable age don't go thinking abut sex, they think of England!;-)
But it's done frankly--we know when a character has been seduced and is living with a man in a sexual relationship outside of marriage, but in case any parents are worried about it, the characters do express feelings that they're not doing the right thing...and usually die, which is kind of odd. But if you're worried about what your 15-year-old daughter will learn from these books, it's exemplary compared to Twilight.
I did have one complaint; the novel is set during World War I, or The Great War, as they were then calling it. Mary is a nurse helping at the hospital that is treating wounded soldiers coming back from the trenches, and she speaks with horror of the agony of some of the soldiers who are being treated; they have burns or amputated limbs, and worst of all, some have been subjected to mustard gas, and it's now painful for them to breathe. The soldiers are treated as individuals; Mary transcribes letters to sweethearts for some of them, or bonds with favorites, or watches them grow quiet when asked about their experiences. Cary does an interesting job of portraying the horror of The Great War, which was then a major traumatic event for all parties involved, to the point where people thought there could never be another war after the suffering they'd all inflicted on each other. She talks about soldiers suffering from "shell-shock" (what they called PTSD at the time), people at home losing loved ones overseas, and the darkness of the violence the soldiers encounter in the trenches as represented by the cruelty of Quincy Harker, who tells us that the bloodshed is perfect for complementing and disguising his vampiric tendencies. But Cary doesn't commit to it; it's not graphic in the violence at all like people accuse The Hunger Games of being, but the personalization of the participants and the humanization of victims is done fairly well. But where's the resulting message? Here's all this horror; great, now tell us what you want us to take away from it. You don't get that involved in showing the horror of war and then not give the reader a message about it. What's the lesson? A generic, "war is horrible", something about the darkness of humanity, or the nature of evil, perhaps? Is all this talk of how horrible the war is just there to add to the horror element of the book, or increase the feeling of evil? Then again, this is just meant to be a fun book, a light read; Cary's going for a beach novel type of thing, not a didactic, "I'm going to teach the young generation to make the world they inherit better!" attempt at literature like Rowling and Collins make. If you go into it with too high expectations, you'll set yourself up for the wrong experience and not enjoy the book. As a fun read, it's wonderful, and I hope Cary gets on the third installment!
Read
March 26, 2019Name: Sebastin Lewis
Book title: Bloodline
Personal Response
I think that John was a boring character and I wish there was more action in the book. I like how Quincey turned good at the end of the book.
Plot Summary
John was sent out to war as a translator. He admired his captain and wanted to be as fearless as him. He constantly wrote notes to his sister Lily at home. When his captain took him on a night mission to destroy some of the enemies defenses he got badly injured and his captain carried him back to safety. John woke up in a hospital and the girl who was taking care of him was named Mary. Lily wrote a note to Johns captain saying thanks for saving her brothers life. Johns captain visited Lily and they grew close and planned to get married. They go to the captain's house in Transylvania and John found out that captain Harker was a vampire. John and Mary decide to go save Lily from being hurt. When they get there John finds out he is Harkers half brother. His sister Lily decided to kill herself instead of marrying Harker. John became a powerful vampire and Harker saw the good in life and wanted to change. Harker left Transylvania and Mary had to leave John so she was not killed or hurt. John is the new ruler of the vampires and Mary made it back home safely.
Characterization
John was not a strong person and he did what he was told to do. As he was in the war he learned he could not take a life of killing. He was tired of being weak and wanted people to respect and fear him so he willingly became a vampire. In the end, John was more powerful than he could ever imagine and everyone feared him and did not question what he did.
Recommendations
I would recommend this book to anyone who likes blood and gore. I think that people from the ages of twelve and up should read this book. Younger readers might find the book to bloody to enjoy it. I recommend reading the rest of the series to the book because it shows the story from other people's perspectives.
Book title: Bloodline
Personal Response
I think that John was a boring character and I wish there was more action in the book. I like how Quincey turned good at the end of the book.
Plot Summary
John was sent out to war as a translator. He admired his captain and wanted to be as fearless as him. He constantly wrote notes to his sister Lily at home. When his captain took him on a night mission to destroy some of the enemies defenses he got badly injured and his captain carried him back to safety. John woke up in a hospital and the girl who was taking care of him was named Mary. Lily wrote a note to Johns captain saying thanks for saving her brothers life. Johns captain visited Lily and they grew close and planned to get married. They go to the captain's house in Transylvania and John found out that captain Harker was a vampire. John and Mary decide to go save Lily from being hurt. When they get there John finds out he is Harkers half brother. His sister Lily decided to kill herself instead of marrying Harker. John became a powerful vampire and Harker saw the good in life and wanted to change. Harker left Transylvania and Mary had to leave John so she was not killed or hurt. John is the new ruler of the vampires and Mary made it back home safely.
Characterization
John was not a strong person and he did what he was told to do. As he was in the war he learned he could not take a life of killing. He was tired of being weak and wanted people to respect and fear him so he willingly became a vampire. In the end, John was more powerful than he could ever imagine and everyone feared him and did not question what he did.
Recommendations
I would recommend this book to anyone who likes blood and gore. I think that people from the ages of twelve and up should read this book. Younger readers might find the book to bloody to enjoy it. I recommend reading the rest of the series to the book because it shows the story from other people's perspectives.
Read
August 27, 2024Okay I just need to post this somewhere where hopefully people will understand why I feel this way.
For YEARS, I had been trying to find this book that I forgot the name of. All I remembered was that it was inspired by Dracula, like I'm pretty sure Dracula ends up showing up at the end of the book, and it was written in letter form (epistolary). It was one of the first books I read in epistolary format and I absolutely loved it. But for the longest time, whenever I would ask for help, I wasn't able to find it because hello? I didn't have a lot to work with.
BUT TODAY! I was finally able to find it thanks to the Monster Librarian website after searching "dracula inspired young adult books from the 2000s" and idk how that worked because the 2000s is a long time now, but there it was, towards the bottom of the list and I don't think I would have realized it was that book until the cover stopped me, which made me read the synopsis. FINALLY! I found it and now I wish I could read it again. If you read this far, thank you! I know it's nothing super exciting, but I'm telling you. This book has plagued me for years and I just could never figure out what book it was.
For YEARS, I had been trying to find this book that I forgot the name of. All I remembered was that it was inspired by Dracula, like I'm pretty sure Dracula ends up showing up at the end of the book, and it was written in letter form (epistolary). It was one of the first books I read in epistolary format and I absolutely loved it. But for the longest time, whenever I would ask for help, I wasn't able to find it because hello? I didn't have a lot to work with.
BUT TODAY! I was finally able to find it thanks to the Monster Librarian website after searching "dracula inspired young adult books from the 2000s" and idk how that worked because the 2000s is a long time now, but there it was, towards the bottom of the list and I don't think I would have realized it was that book until the cover stopped me, which made me read the synopsis. FINALLY! I found it and now I wish I could read it again. If you read this far, thank you! I know it's nothing super exciting, but I'm telling you. This book has plagued me for years and I just could never figure out what book it was.
September 26, 2024
This book, just like the first time I read it, is phenomenal and having the story of Dracula continue on in this way is fascinating to me. I do love the second book in this series, though the first really sets up what is going to haunt the remaining characters in the second and draws a bridge between the classic novel and this author's version of a continuation.
I did have a few questions at the end of the book, but I also know the story continues...I just can't remember if these questions are answered or not. Time to find out...
I did have a few questions at the end of the book, but I also know the story continues...I just can't remember if these questions are answered or not. Time to find out...
June 24, 2020
I read this when I was a kid, fresh off reading Bram Stoker's Dracula, and I thought this was a really spectacular and faithful sequel at the time - in spirit and continuity. I remember the war scenes being effectively nauseating (which is a reaction I've not often had to books), and I remember the action and drama being just riveting. I don't know if it would hold up on reread, especially since I'm certain there's a lot in Dracula I missed at 12 or 13, but this was definitely a highlight among my teen reading years.
March 8, 2025
4/5⭐️
Epistolary Dracula fan-fiction core and I’m so here for it!
I first read this book when I was 10 or 11 and I kept thinking about it since. Read it for the second time and I LOVED IT.
Epistolary Dracula fan-fiction core and I’m so here for it!
I first read this book when I was 10 or 11 and I kept thinking about it since. Read it for the second time and I LOVED IT.
October 23, 2018
Personal Response
I personally liked this book because it's set during the WW1 era. It also gives me a sense of adventure whether it was in the trenches in France or the poor land in Transylvania. Also, the way the story is told by a journal is a really nice touch to the book.
Plot Summary
The plot is about a boy who goes to war and is haunted by his destiny, to become a vampire. When he is injured in combat he is taken back to London to be brought back to good health. When he does he finds out his sister is dating the guy that put him into such stress, Captain Harker who is apart of Dracula's bloodline. He soon finds out that she is to marry him by destiny. She will never be able to marry him as when she finds out about his intentions she kills herself by jumping out a window into the jagged and sharp rocks below. Mary escapes with the sacrificial baby into the nearby Romanian village below the hill.
Recommendation
I recommend this book to mostly all genders and species. It's mostly a teenage like high school level. I don't know many books like this one but this is the book I choose.
I personally liked this book because it's set during the WW1 era. It also gives me a sense of adventure whether it was in the trenches in France or the poor land in Transylvania. Also, the way the story is told by a journal is a really nice touch to the book.
Plot Summary
The plot is about a boy who goes to war and is haunted by his destiny, to become a vampire. When he is injured in combat he is taken back to London to be brought back to good health. When he does he finds out his sister is dating the guy that put him into such stress, Captain Harker who is apart of Dracula's bloodline. He soon finds out that she is to marry him by destiny. She will never be able to marry him as when she finds out about his intentions she kills herself by jumping out a window into the jagged and sharp rocks below. Mary escapes with the sacrificial baby into the nearby Romanian village below the hill.
Recommendation
I recommend this book to mostly all genders and species. It's mostly a teenage like high school level. I don't know many books like this one but this is the book I choose.
December 2, 2010
I read this because I love 'Dracula' and I was hoping for a sequal with equal kapow to keep me interested. I found about 1/10th of that in Bloodline. For a start, not many original characters are used other than Mary's father. Even Tepes wasn't actually Dracula (I think. That was very vague). I was annoyed that vampires can reproduce. Surely that's biologically impossible, considering how they're essentially animated corpses. Another Dracula spin-off, 'The Historian' by Kostova, is what led me to 'Bloodline'. Whereas 'The Historian' was well-developed, well-researched and unpredictable, 'Bloodline' was only half-developed, not very well researched and highly predictable. The title gave everything away! It was obviously about the continuity of the bloodline of Dracula from page one. Quincey ('Quincey'? Ha!) was obviously a vampire and Mina had turned into a slut, which really disappointed me. Sure, the brides of Dracula were supposed to be hot, but they weren't supposed to seduce the son of their husband by another woman. That was another thing that annoyed me. It was so nearly incest between Lily and Quincey (Rosmary + Mr Shaw --> Lily, Tepes + Mina --> Quincey, Rosemary + Tepes --> John). That's just a little too closely almost-related to be normal.
Mary was a little boring. And she was very nosy, reading John's diary. John annoyed me the minute he started interacting with Mary. He was very overprotective. The minute he found out he was half-vampire (like we all had guessed, and HOW?!) he immediately gave into Mina's seductions (eww gross) and became a vampire himself, while being a complete dick to Mary, Quincey and even Mina. Quincey was the only interesting character. He emulated Dracula rather well, and was easy to dislike as an antagonist (even though I was rooting for him because I'm annoying like that) but was obviously going to be either really evil or annoyingly good in the end. He ended up going good, which is boring. Lily couldn't have been flatter if Cary had tried. Mina was a complete whore. Rosemary was boring. Tepes was undeveloped and unnecessary. Dr Seward was underused.
Overall, readable.
Mary was a little boring. And she was very nosy, reading John's diary. John annoyed me the minute he started interacting with Mary. He was very overprotective. The minute he found out he was half-vampire (like we all had guessed, and HOW?!) he immediately gave into Mina's seductions (eww gross) and became a vampire himself, while being a complete dick to Mary, Quincey and even Mina. Quincey was the only interesting character. He emulated Dracula rather well, and was easy to dislike as an antagonist (even though I was rooting for him because I'm annoying like that) but was obviously going to be either really evil or annoyingly good in the end. He ended up going good, which is boring. Lily couldn't have been flatter if Cary had tried. Mina was a complete whore. Rosemary was boring. Tepes was undeveloped and unnecessary. Dr Seward was underused.
Overall, readable.
May 4, 2018
This book is actually really good. I didn't think I would like this book as much as I actually did. It's not like other books about vampires. The writing is great being told threw notes that the main protagonist sends back to his sister. It's a horror, thriller, vampire, WWI, and suspenseful book. I like that in this book the main protagonist isn't a vampire like most books with vampires in it. This book takes place in WWI, and it doesn't just tell you that it makes you feel it. It's really good at being scary without going through the normal retain you get with most books and movies these days. It reminds me a lot of the older vampire books such as Dracula. The only down said is the "bad guy" isn't all that bad, at least in my eyes he's not he's just making the most out of what he has. It's a very good book, has a great plot and is told super well. I would recommend people who enjoyed the old vampire stories to This is a must read horror book. The book does start off slow by setting up how the rest of the book is going to be told, its told by the main character sending letters back to his sister. In the first few chapters, I didn't think this way of storytelling was going to work out, but it turned out that this type of storytelling actually works very well. It helps jump from scene to scene and jump forward in time( which only happens a few times) without being too jarring. I don't like the dialog because it's very old timely (ca WWII). It makes it a little hard to read at times, but it doesn't hurt the book all that much. This book doesn't make the ¨bad guy¨ be all that bad; you can see where heś coming from and why he does what he does. heś right where I would expect a hiding vampire to be, in war where he can feed on people without being too alert. I really enjoy this book. It does a lot of right with not doing much wrong, you could count the dialog and being told through letters as bad, but I think you can overlook them for all the good the book does; the storytelling, being scary without trying too hard, letting you see the bad guys point of view and having his story hidden and slowly told.
March 22, 2010
You want a real vampire story? This is definitely it!
It's WWII and Captain Harker is in the trenches sucking Nazi blood. He's taken a liking to Lieutenant John Shaw, though... Soon enough, John is injured on a personal night raid with Harker and develops a fever that send him home to England. He ends up in a sanatorium where Mary Seward works as a nurse. She reads his diary and quickly falls in love with John. Of course, John doesn't know this, thanks to the fever. So, Mary tends to him and waits for him to come back to his senses. She also informed John's sister, Lily, that he was there. Lily soon hears of how Captain Harker rescued him when he was injured. She is so grateful of this heroic act that Lily sends him a letter to thank him. Captain Harker responds to her that he will be in England for business and will be sure to visit both Lily and John. He is invited by Lily to stay with her (and John when he returns to the Hall) just before John wakes up. When he does, he has his suspicions of Harker because of vague memories of the war. For the meanwhile, he blames these on the fever and tells himself that Harker is only friends with his sister. John is also involved in his own romance with Mary Seward, so he has a lot on his mind about how to go along with how to tell her of his affection. Captain Harker sends Lieutenant Shaw to work in London, and then he steals off with Lily, intending to "marry" her in his home country of Romania. When John returns to his hometown and informs Mary of this, they ask her father for advice on what to do. John had just proposed to Mary and was upset to have to leave her so soon to rescue his sister from his captain. Mary's father, though, is reminded of who Harker is and tells the lovers that they must go and rescue Lily before it's too late. They take off to go to Romania, but you'll have to read the book to find out whether our beloved characters will be captured by the bloodline of Count Dracula or not.
It's WWII and Captain Harker is in the trenches sucking Nazi blood. He's taken a liking to Lieutenant John Shaw, though... Soon enough, John is injured on a personal night raid with Harker and develops a fever that send him home to England. He ends up in a sanatorium where Mary Seward works as a nurse. She reads his diary and quickly falls in love with John. Of course, John doesn't know this, thanks to the fever. So, Mary tends to him and waits for him to come back to his senses. She also informed John's sister, Lily, that he was there. Lily soon hears of how Captain Harker rescued him when he was injured. She is so grateful of this heroic act that Lily sends him a letter to thank him. Captain Harker responds to her that he will be in England for business and will be sure to visit both Lily and John. He is invited by Lily to stay with her (and John when he returns to the Hall) just before John wakes up. When he does, he has his suspicions of Harker because of vague memories of the war. For the meanwhile, he blames these on the fever and tells himself that Harker is only friends with his sister. John is also involved in his own romance with Mary Seward, so he has a lot on his mind about how to go along with how to tell her of his affection. Captain Harker sends Lieutenant Shaw to work in London, and then he steals off with Lily, intending to "marry" her in his home country of Romania. When John returns to his hometown and informs Mary of this, they ask her father for advice on what to do. John had just proposed to Mary and was upset to have to leave her so soon to rescue his sister from his captain. Mary's father, though, is reminded of who Harker is and tells the lovers that they must go and rescue Lily before it's too late. They take off to go to Romania, but you'll have to read the book to find out whether our beloved characters will be captured by the bloodline of Count Dracula or not.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 27, 2015
Personal Response: I think it´s a good book. It's scary, gory, and an adrenaline rush. The author did a good job with how the story changes between all the other characters in the book. The way she does it´s pretty awesome, because it's all between multiple characters, but they all write in a journal. I have read a lot of books about WWI and this is the best. The detail the author writes in this book is phenomenal to me. It´s creepy, disturbing, and different, but all in all it´s a good book.
Plot Summary: The plot is hard to understand at times. The main thing in the book is that Lieutenant Shaw needs to recover from something called trench fever. Shaw gets this fever when Captain Harker asks Lt. Shaw to go on a night raid. A night raid is when Captain takes certain people with him at night onto no man's land and sneak over to the german side of the war and kill them. (Yes Cpt. Harker has a Blood lust.) When in the raid. Lt. Shaw gets severely injured and Cpt Harker carries him a long distance to get him to a hospital.
Recommendation: I recommend this to High School teens. If you like violence and big plot twist,this is a good book for you. There´s creepy and very disturbing things in this book, but all in all its good.
Plot Summary: The plot is hard to understand at times. The main thing in the book is that Lieutenant Shaw needs to recover from something called trench fever. Shaw gets this fever when Captain Harker asks Lt. Shaw to go on a night raid. A night raid is when Captain takes certain people with him at night onto no man's land and sneak over to the german side of the war and kill them. (Yes Cpt. Harker has a Blood lust.) When in the raid. Lt. Shaw gets severely injured and Cpt Harker carries him a long distance to get him to a hospital.
Recommendation: I recommend this to High School teens. If you like violence and big plot twist,this is a good book for you. There´s creepy and very disturbing things in this book, but all in all its good.
October 3, 2009
This is a book which continues in the same vein (get it? Vein, vampires? Hardy har har) as the original Dracula both in its storytelling method (through diary entries and letters) and in many of the characters. However, it falls short of the original in its pacing, which is erratic, and story, which can't seem to make up its mind (is it a romance? Is it horror? Is it a thrilling action-adventure? It could be all of those, if the story were more cohesive). Character development is pretty shallow, and the plot seemed somewhat contrived. It's not a terrible book, but it could've been so much more. However, to be fair, I'm not in the target age range, seeing as I'm an adult (although I use that term loosely). I believe this book and series was written more for a young-adult audience, so perhaps I'm judging it too harshly. I'll put it this way: Even though I have no interest in reading other books in this series, I wouldn't go so far as to say this book is as atrocious as Twilight.
February 5, 2014
During World War 1, 19 year old Lieutenant John Shaw is ill with what is known as trench fever. The horrors of war have overtaken every waking moment. His Commanding Officer,Captain Quincey Harker, is the root of all of John's nightmares. Harker is a vampire that has preyed on the living for many years. It seems now Harker is trying to win over Lily Shaw(John's sister). John has to face Harker in order to get his sister back. John must storm the castle full of monstrous demons and face a familiar . Although things take a turn for the worst.
This book is a different take on vampires from the Dracula tales. This supernatural roller coaster takes on the world of vampires as seen by both mortals and immortals. It is a series of diary entries that contain supernatural/paranormal events. This book was full of mysteries and suspense from beginning to end. I highly recommend to all who enjoy Gothic literature.
This book is a different take on vampires from the Dracula tales. This supernatural roller coaster takes on the world of vampires as seen by both mortals and immortals. It is a series of diary entries that contain supernatural/paranormal events. This book was full of mysteries and suspense from beginning to end. I highly recommend to all who enjoy Gothic literature.
October 9, 2016
This book was pretty good I enjoyed reading it. There was action, drama, and romance this book was really good. This book's setting is in England in the 1900's and it follows a young man John Shaw who returns from the trenches of World War I and he is haunted by the horrors of battle. Not only that but the things he had witnessed of his commander , Quincey Harker. When Harker is in England he begins wooing John's younger sister , Lily. John finds out that Harker is a vampire but he found out too late Harker and Lily ran away to get married in Harker's castle. If the two get married Count Dracula's bloodline will continue to thrive.
December 10, 2016
Bloodline was an interesting book the fused Dracula and world war 1. The character development was quite interesting as well especially how the main character turns from innocent man trying to save his sister in to violent cold-hearted person. Towards the end the book starts become dramatic characters start to change, some die, The antagonist starts regrets his actions,The protagonist turns in to a antagonist. There is a nice plot twist as well
November 7, 2015
Wow. I found this so blah...that instead of dnf'ing, I just went through it in snooze mode...
September 16, 2018
The author did an amazing job of capturing the voice of Bram Stoker as she continues to tell the story of Mina Harker and her descendant, Quincey Harker. If you love Dracula, read this book.
July 29, 2010
it was AWESOME!!!!!!!
October 22, 2018
Bloodline
by Kate Cary
Imagine being in bed and having nightmares for 2 months straight, only for these dreams of reality to be true the effects of paranormal specimens on the mind can be quite effective. Bloodline is a book that you think is going to be your typical go to Transylvania kill a vampire win the war etc. etc.
This book puts a twist on your typical horror story by twisting your mind with fear. Here, let me explain. Throughout the book the main character, John, is being haunted by Dracula's descendants. After he is hospitalised the dreams start:”I can upon a scene I will not forget for an long as I live” (25). I really like this aspect of the book.
Something I like is the way the book is structured with multiple journal entries of each character. This makes it easier to read for some readers with the ability to distinguish characters when normally you would need to be able. This would happen 100 times throughout the book.
I would highly recommend this book with the ability to say that it was a great read and I was able to understand it. The plot of the book was great it to a twist that was slightly foreshadowed and was just a great book.
This book was supposed to be a sequel to Dracula by Bram Stoker in 187 .
The only bad thing about this book is the setting. However, it's expected. The book starts during WWI, then the hospital and, you guessed it, Transylvania. Most vampire books take place at Transylvania, so you can be able to tell the book end at Transylvania
Lastly, I think the book was a great it was an interesting read with the ability to tell a great story also able to be distinct with the characters, and at the same time having a great plot.
by Kate Cary
Imagine being in bed and having nightmares for 2 months straight, only for these dreams of reality to be true the effects of paranormal specimens on the mind can be quite effective. Bloodline is a book that you think is going to be your typical go to Transylvania kill a vampire win the war etc. etc.
This book puts a twist on your typical horror story by twisting your mind with fear. Here, let me explain. Throughout the book the main character, John, is being haunted by Dracula's descendants. After he is hospitalised the dreams start:”I can upon a scene I will not forget for an long as I live” (25). I really like this aspect of the book.
Something I like is the way the book is structured with multiple journal entries of each character. This makes it easier to read for some readers with the ability to distinguish characters when normally you would need to be able. This would happen 100 times throughout the book.
I would highly recommend this book with the ability to say that it was a great read and I was able to understand it. The plot of the book was great it to a twist that was slightly foreshadowed and was just a great book.
This book was supposed to be a sequel to Dracula by Bram Stoker in 187 .
The only bad thing about this book is the setting. However, it's expected. The book starts during WWI, then the hospital and, you guessed it, Transylvania. Most vampire books take place at Transylvania, so you can be able to tell the book end at Transylvania
Lastly, I think the book was a great it was an interesting read with the ability to tell a great story also able to be distinct with the characters, and at the same time having a great plot.
May 25, 2019
Set during the First World War, Bloodline is a sequel to Dracula, one of the best known novels of all time. Bram Stoker's terrifying tale depicts Count Dracula's move to England during the latter part of the nineteenth century. Although it's not necessary that the reader be familiar with the classic to enjoy this new book, knowing the ancestors of Cary's characters adds an extra layer to the plot.
Cary borrows Stoker's design, continuing the story in letters, journal entries, notes, newspaper clippings and ship logs. After a slow start in the battlefields of northern France, Lieutenant John Shaw is injured and eventually returns to England with an unusually virulent case of trench fever. Comatose in a hospital near his home, Carfax Hall, Shaw is cared for by Nurse Mary Seward. Mary reads Shaw's journal. She hopes that knowing what happened on the battlefield will aid her in healing his mind and body. His account frightens and disturbs her. When Shaw recovers, he believes the journal to be the result of feverish dreams, but Mary isn't so sure.
Buffy fans will find Bloodline darker than the television series, but will enjoy the love story between Quincy Harker, John Shaw's commanding officer and Shaw's sister, the innocent Lily. Harker departs Carfax Hall with a besotted Lily whom he has promised to marry at his castle in Romania.
Cary does an excellent job of keeping the reader on edge and turning pages. Satisfying and unanticipated twists in plot keep this follow-up from being just another boring vampire spin off. Bloodline is a satisfying read for both Dracula and Buffy fans, plus a scary introduction to the terror vampires have held over the imagination of readers and moviegoers since Count Dracula first stepped out of Bram Stoker's pages.
Cary borrows Stoker's design, continuing the story in letters, journal entries, notes, newspaper clippings and ship logs. After a slow start in the battlefields of northern France, Lieutenant John Shaw is injured and eventually returns to England with an unusually virulent case of trench fever. Comatose in a hospital near his home, Carfax Hall, Shaw is cared for by Nurse Mary Seward. Mary reads Shaw's journal. She hopes that knowing what happened on the battlefield will aid her in healing his mind and body. His account frightens and disturbs her. When Shaw recovers, he believes the journal to be the result of feverish dreams, but Mary isn't so sure.
Buffy fans will find Bloodline darker than the television series, but will enjoy the love story between Quincy Harker, John Shaw's commanding officer and Shaw's sister, the innocent Lily. Harker departs Carfax Hall with a besotted Lily whom he has promised to marry at his castle in Romania.
Cary does an excellent job of keeping the reader on edge and turning pages. Satisfying and unanticipated twists in plot keep this follow-up from being just another boring vampire spin off. Bloodline is a satisfying read for both Dracula and Buffy fans, plus a scary introduction to the terror vampires have held over the imagination of readers and moviegoers since Count Dracula first stepped out of Bram Stoker's pages.
September 15, 2020
the issues Mary faces in the very beginning are relatable to the issues most of us face sometimes. Toward the end her issues start to become more fantasy related. For example, in the beginning when she first meets John she is not sure how to help him. I can relate to this issue because many times in my life I was in a position where one of my loved ones needed help and I wasn't sure how to help or if I could help. Also, another issue Mary faces in the beginning is deciding whether or not she should read the journal. I can relate to this issue because sometimes in my life i have been tempted to do things I'm not supposed to do like procrastinating when it comes to my homework. Towards the end her issues become more fantasy related like trying to defend herself against the vampires. I can not relate to this issues because I haven't had and supernatural issues in my life.
The author did a very good job engaging the reader throughout the whole book. I like how we got to see each characters point of view on events that happened. I also like how the characters thoughts and point of view of events was organized into detailed journal entries. in the beginning i was really interested in this book and wanting to read page after page each time i got the chance. However towards the end I lost interest and found it repetitive. For the first half of the book it just seems like a fictional war love story type of book. In the middle and the second half of the book you start to realize that this isn't any normal war book but it also has some fantasy elements in it like vampires. Overall i liked the book and thought it was interesting and fun to read but it wasn't my favorite and i most likely won't be reading this book again.
The author did a very good job engaging the reader throughout the whole book. I like how we got to see each characters point of view on events that happened. I also like how the characters thoughts and point of view of events was organized into detailed journal entries. in the beginning i was really interested in this book and wanting to read page after page each time i got the chance. However towards the end I lost interest and found it repetitive. For the first half of the book it just seems like a fictional war love story type of book. In the middle and the second half of the book you start to realize that this isn't any normal war book but it also has some fantasy elements in it like vampires. Overall i liked the book and thought it was interesting and fun to read but it wasn't my favorite and i most likely won't be reading this book again.
February 25, 2023
Let me set up the background, so I originally read this book in junior high, high school, I can’t remember the exact date and I remember loving it and when I moved I lost it. I walked into a used bookstore and found this book again and had to have it and I finally got around to reading it again and still loved it!
It’s a sort of Dracula retelling by using characters that people are familiar with-if they read or know anything about Dracula-and also copies the style of the book with the different POVs in journal form. It honestly makes sense that a relative of Draculas would thrive during the war (takes place in WW2) and be seen as a hero and move up in the ranks quickly. John Shaw was definitely similar to Jonathan Harker in their innocence of life. Mary and Mina also similar in their devotion but Mina turns out, ended up being seduced by Dracula’s son, Tepes and so Quincy Harker-named after the American Quincy who risked his life-came to be. Definitely weird arrangement that John’s half sister is destined to marry his half brother Quincy…like that’s too close to being related for my taste. Lily is just a great and sad character. She fell in love and when confronted with the truth of it all, instead of letting people control her she decides to make her own path by unfortunately killing herself. John turned into a complete tool! Shame. I’m glad Quincy saved Mary, he didn’t seem to want the life that was planned for him so I'm glad he saved her. I look forward to reading the second one. 5/5
It’s a sort of Dracula retelling by using characters that people are familiar with-if they read or know anything about Dracula-and also copies the style of the book with the different POVs in journal form. It honestly makes sense that a relative of Draculas would thrive during the war (takes place in WW2) and be seen as a hero and move up in the ranks quickly. John Shaw was definitely similar to Jonathan Harker in their innocence of life. Mary and Mina also similar in their devotion but Mina turns out, ended up being seduced by Dracula’s son, Tepes and so Quincy Harker-named after the American Quincy who risked his life-came to be. Definitely weird arrangement that John’s half sister is destined to marry his half brother Quincy…like that’s too close to being related for my taste. Lily is just a great and sad character. She fell in love and when confronted with the truth of it all, instead of letting people control her she decides to make her own path by unfortunately killing herself. John turned into a complete tool! Shame. I’m glad Quincy saved Mary, he didn’t seem to want the life that was planned for him so I'm glad he saved her. I look forward to reading the second one. 5/5
January 3, 2025
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Kate's writing is, in my opinion, adequate and very fitting to the gothic setting of this world. I also liked all characters. I especially liked Mary and Lily, which was why I felt terribly sad while reading Lily's death segment. Furthermore, the ending was rewarding and interesting. However, I wish there was more characterization throughout the book. Due to entries, not much can be learnt about the characters beyond an introspective level. It would've been great to see how Kate could build on characterization without limiting herself to following this diary entry format. Also, the ending felt rather rushed. Some of the characters' behaviors were questionable. For instance, I had never expected Lily to end her life. It was simply not something that she could be capable of. I was also taken aback by John's sudden change of demeanor upon transforming into a vampire. Lastly, apparently I had established a very distinct idea of Quincey's character than intended. I had honestly taken him to be a good, honest, and caring man, despite him being two faced due to how he behaved with both Lily and John, demonstrating kindness and affection. So, this book could definitely use quite a lot of refinement. But needless to say, It was a book I really enjoyed and I do recommend it to people who are interested in gothic literature.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 23, 2020
Bloodline takes place during World War I. John Shaw, a nineteen-year-old, joins the British Army and is sent to the front lines, in the trenches. He works as a communications officer who listens to German radio feeds and translates what he hears. His regiment commander is a man named Quincey Harker, who is the son of Jonathan Harker and Mina Murray from the original Dracula novel. Harker is famous for going on raids in the enemy trenches alone at night, and shows several feats of superhuman strength that seem impossible. He is also shown to be cruel to his men. One night a soldier named Private Smith falls asleep on his watch, and Germans invade the trench. As punishment, Harker orders him to be tied to a wagon wheel on no man's land. Private Smith does not die from being shot or shelled, but appears to die of fear.
September 28, 2017
I don't typically love journal-style storytelling, but the writing flow drew me in enough to finish it. I did not expect the end such as it was, but that might have been because my copy has a duplicate chunk of pages 217-248(that was a lot of pages)and it seemed to have perhaps jumped a scene or two when it picked back up after the fact. I felt like some of the details could have been fleshed out more, with perhaps some subtle foreshadowing, but perhaps my missing scenes would have tied it together, instead of leaving me to wonder where this and that had come from. I finished it, which is more then I can say for some books, but hopefully there are other editions out there with the proper pages in order and everything tied together.
January 14, 2020
An old vamp- I mean, familiar.
I first read Bloodline years ago. After watching Netflix Dracula in one go, I felt the need to return to this bloodthirsty duology.
Highly recommend for anyone who loves vamp lore, Dracula, and period pieces. Set during the first world war we are thrown into the trenches along side Lieutenant Jonathan Shaw and Captain Quincey Harker--a mystery to all men on the front, who takes on single man hunts in the dead of night and returns lusting for more, night after night.
Written in the form of letters and diaries, readers are seamlessly led from one perspective to the next as we learn who Captain Harker really is, and how he will forever change all that Jonathan knows and loves.
I first read Bloodline years ago. After watching Netflix Dracula in one go, I felt the need to return to this bloodthirsty duology.
Highly recommend for anyone who loves vamp lore, Dracula, and period pieces. Set during the first world war we are thrown into the trenches along side Lieutenant Jonathan Shaw and Captain Quincey Harker--a mystery to all men on the front, who takes on single man hunts in the dead of night and returns lusting for more, night after night.
Written in the form of letters and diaries, readers are seamlessly led from one perspective to the next as we learn who Captain Harker really is, and how he will forever change all that Jonathan knows and loves.
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