Bloodline

by Kate Cary

Overview

Thirty-five years have passed since the death of the Master. But now a new evil walks among the living. . . .

When nineteen-year-old John Shaw returns from the trenches of World War I, he is haunted by nightmares—not only of the battlefield, but of the strange, cruel and impossible feats of his regiment's commander, Quincey Harker. Harker's ferocity knows no limits, and his strength is superhuman.

At first John blames his bloody nightmares on trench fever. But when Harker appears in England and begins wooing John's sister, John must confront the truth—and stop Harker from continuing Dracula's bloodline.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781101099872
Publisher:	Penguin Young Readers Group
Publication date:	08/17/2006
Sold by:	Penguin Group
Format:	eBook
Pages:	352
Sales rank:	952,427
File size:	250 KB
Age Range:	12 - 17 Years

About the Author

Kate Cary grew up in central England, and now lives in rural Scotland with her husband and young son. She won a scholarship to study Women’s History at university. Kate has written a number of activity and adventure books for younger readers, and three epic animal fantasies.

Editorial Reviews

Gr 7 Up-This story is an interesting blend of mystery, horror, and romance, and readers who love vampire novels will find it a refreshing twist to the classic story. Mary Seward recognizes the patient who has just been brought into the Purfleet sanatorium. It is Lt. John Shaw, who lives in the mansion near the hospital along with his sister Lily. Hoping to help him, Mary begins to read his diary, written during his tenure in the trenches in France during the Great War. John describes his encounters with a Captain Quincey Harker, a brave but "bloodthirsty" leader. Lily meets Captain Harker during one of her visits, they fall in love, and he takes her home to Romania to be married. However, Quincey is the son of Count Tepes and Mina Harker, and he has taken Lily to Dracula's Castle to fulfill the family's destiny. Lily and John are also connected to Count Tepes, as John is the son of Count Tepes and Rosemary Shaw. As the wedding day draws near, the full story of the family is revealed. Lily is faced with a dilemma-to live forever as a vampire or to end it all. Written in diary format with excerpts from each main character, this novel continues the saga of Count Dracula with a new generation. Each character is fully realized, as are the environs that surround them. Although readers know that something binds the characters together, the author maintains suspense until the end.-Jana R. Fine, Clearwater Public Library System, FL Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

School Library Journal

What if Dracula had descendants? Cary's story begins a generation after Bram Stoker's Dracula, likewise written in diary format. John Shaw, a WWI lieutenant, is awed by Captain Quincey Harker, but when he returns home wounded to be nursed back to health by Mary Seward, he's haunted by horrifying delusions of his time with the Captain. Neither John nor Mary can prevent Harker-son of Stoker's Mina-from eloping with John's beloved sister Lily. Mary's father teaches the couple everything he remembers about his youthful battle with Dracula and sends them off to rescue Lily. It seems that Harker's not really the son of Stoker's hero Jonathan Harker, but of Dracula's descendant Count Tepes (the Romanian name for the historical Dracula, Vlad the Impaler, never used by Stoker). Much more horrifying revelations await John and Mary when they reach Transylvania and confront Harker's demonic family. Flat characterization abounds, but unexpected plot twists enliven this intriguing reinterpretation of a classic. (Fantasy. 12-16)

Kirkus Reviews