Recap of the Vampire Kisses Series
Up to this point, self-proclaimed goth-girl Raven Madison discovered her handsome, shadowy boyfriend Alexander has a hidden identity. He's a vampire. To further complicate things, Alexander and Raven had to stop Jagger, a creepy vampire Raven first met at The Coffin Club, from enacting his revenge on Alexander.
As if that weren't enough, the duo thwarted Jagger and his twin sister Luna's plans to turn Raven's arch enemy into a vampire. And after running Jagger and Luna off, all finally seemed under control. That is, until their tween vampire brother, Valentine, flew into town. Luckily, Alexander and Raven uncovered Valentine's true motives, and Alexander headed to Hipsterville to reunite Valentine with his siblings.
When he didn't return after several weeks, Raven took off after him. While staying with her hippie Aunt Libby, Raven unearths an underground club of real vampires. Hundreds of them. When she finally lets Alexander into her confidences about the club, he reveals a few secrets of his own.
Could Royal Blood be the End for Raven and Alexander?
Back in Dullsville, things are better than ever. Raven's spent every waking nighttime moment at the mansion with Alexander and his creepy butler, Jameson, and slept in Alexander's coffin during the day. She's added a woman's touch, albeit a gothic one, to the tomb-like home.
The beginning of school is fast-approaching, which means Raven must return to the dreaded normalcy of school routines and her arch nemesis Trevor Mitchell – without Alexander to keep her company. Add to that the mysterious handwritten, wax-sealed letter Alexander received from his parents telling of their impending visit, and Raven quickly realizes her gothic vampire love story is abruptly coming to an end. But will it be a happy ending?
Raven's excited and scared about Alexander's parents visiting, but is there more to the story? Alexander's demeanor has definitely changed since his parents returned and Raven has yet to meet them. Why won't Alexander introduce her to them? Is he ashamed of his human girlfriend? It seems nearly everyone in town -- including her friends and family – have spotted the eccentric vampire duo Constantine and Cassandra Sterling except Raven.
Invitation to Dine With Vampires
Raven finally receives her own handwritten invitation to dine with the elusive and eccentric Sterling's. What do you wear when dining with vampires? After an insightful evening with Alexander's parents, Cassandra invites Raven on a girls' night out. She's thrilled and has the time of her life.
Shortly thereafter, Raven's parents invite Alexander's to dinner and the Sterling's return the favor with a cocktail party a few nights later. All seems to be going well – even with some awkward moments with mirrors and blood.
And then a notice in the daily paper shatters Raven's world: The Sterling's are planning to sell the mansion and move back to Romania – taking Alexander with them – and she had no clue!
Race Against Time
Now, she and Alexander have to race against time to try to find a way for Alexander to stay in the mansion and in Raven's life. Will they succeed? Or will Raven lose her vampire boyfriend once and for all?
On top of her ever-increasing panic about how to keep Alexander in her life, Raven's thrown together with her arch nemesis Trevor Mitchell in a school project about their future. What Raven doesn't realize is that this project will give her the strength and perspective she needs to be honest with herself and ultimately help Alexander achieve his dreams.
Book Review
In the sixth instalment in the Vampire Kisses series, Royal Blood (Ellen Schreiber | HarperCollins Publishers | June 01, 2009 | ISBN: 9780061288876), Schriber reverts back to her standard fluffy, light-hearted style that's permeated this series. It's definitely not as intense as The Coffin Club (Ellen Schreiber | HarperCollins Publishers | July 01, 2008 | ISBN: 9780061288845), but draws us closer to Alexander and his family and is worth the read.
Laura Maly - I love writing. I love the feel, sound and cadence of words. I love recrafting and honing each sentence, and I love reviewing ...
