Review Detail

Reckoning is the second book in the Bloodline series by Kate Cary, revolving around the life of vampires in the early 20th century. While this vampire series is a reincarnation of the classic Dracula storyline, it offers a fresh perspective and is a thriller that is well worth reading.

Picking up where Bloodline left off, Reckoning begins with Quincy Harker in a monastery, fighting off his vampiric urges. Since the recent events in Draculas Castle, John has risen to the challenge of continuing the powerful line of Tepes. His former fiancée, Mary Seward, has fled and returned to Purfleet, where she hopes to be forever free from the horror of the vampires that so recently poisoned her life.

Try as she might, Mary cannot forget about the unfortunate death that befell her friend, Lily, and she struggles to return to her old life. Mary is afraid of being out after dark, and it is only after much prodding from her father that she ventures out to dinner with he friends for the first time in months. Slowly, Mary begins to suppress her suspicions of the world, especially after meeting the charming Lord Bathory, who captivates Mary with his bookish charm. Still, Mary knows that she has not escaped the clutches of the vampires, and it is only a matter of time before they disrupt her life once more.

Quincy Harker is still a vampire, and he still feels the bloodlust that drives him to feed on others. However, ever since he lost his beloved, pure Lily, he is determined to reform himself. Lily would rather die than succumb to the darkness of Quincys family, and after her death, Quincy is forced to rethink his own life. While Quincy has decided to change for the better, John has embraced his newfound evil side. He will not leave Mary to live her mortal life in peace, and the struggle that ensues is as fascinating as it is unpredictable.

As a bit of a disclaimer, I have not read the first book in this series, Bloodline. But after a couple of confusing chapters, I was able to really get into the story and understand what was going on. Of course, I still do recommend that you read Bloodline before Reckoning, but if you choose not to, the important points from Bloodline are briefly rehashed for clarity. Cary is great at creating larger than life characters, I especially felt that Quincy and Mary were very complex and I could really sympathize with their plight. At many points in the story, Cary built up suspense so that my heart was literally jumping out of my chest!

Even though I am not typically a fan of vampire fantasy, I think the Bloodline series is good enough to transcend genre boundaries and appeal to a wide variety of readers. Cary really explores in depth what it means to be a vampire. Rather than look at the book from a black and white, good vs. evil standpoint, Cary acknowledges the many shades of grey within each character. For those that love action movies, Reckoning will give you an adrenaline rush unlike any other!