Blood Feud (Drake Chronicles) [Paperback]

The second in this dark and gripping and not to mention quite funny series about a modern day vampire family was just as good as the first, if not better!

This book follows a different Drake brother; Logan who is the second eldest of the 7 Drake brothers. The action leaves off pretty much not long after it ended in the first book and delves straight into the aftermath of the Drakes mother having killed the Queen and thus inherited her role and the rest of the family gaining royaly status as a result. Father Liam, sees it as great oppertunity to organise and create treaties in the hope of creating a peace and a safer future for his vampire children. In comes the girl who helped save thier mothers life, Isabeau from the Hound faction who live in the quiet and secluded caves on the outskirts and having helped them already, seems the perfect negotiator from her Hound people to negotate for the treaty on their part.

It is not long before she catches Logan's eye and they seem to hit it off but it's never that simple. Isabeau is not exactly the romantic type due to her past... and she tries to deny the connection which is clearly present between Logan and herself. I really loved her character, she is stubborn and fierce but at the same time vulnerable which comes out in the many trips back in time we take as a reader to pre and post French Revolution to discover what has made her like this. Slowly between flipping back to the past and back to the future each time, the mystery about her past unravels as the book goes on and we learn that a certain person is responsible for what she is and about her need for revenge...
I really like the charcter of Logan too as he was so different to that of Nicholas in the last book, dressing up in his period/pirate style clothes and his old fashioned gentlemanly ways were some what of a nice change from the usual sterotype of the sexy vampire. I like that he seemed real as opposed to creating him as somewhat unobtainable like in most vampire fiction.

The last book alternated between Solange and Lucy in terms of narrative but this book seems to do it more in sections of Logan and Isabeau. The ending makes clear that while things are solved for now, that the battle against Montemarte is still going strong and he is not ready to give up his fight to cliam both the crown and Solange.

I really liked that we were not left in the dark about developments from the last book in terms of Lucy and Nicholas and Solange and Kieran which was nice. All too often in series which take on this kind of form, the writer forgets to do this and leaves readers frustrated about the goings on of the previous characters, so this was a definate plus! I also like that she carried through the little Disney references here and there about Snow White and Sleeping Beauty that she started in the last book. Most of all I liked how different Logan was from Nicholas and I am sure that each book after will be concentrated on one brother at a time and with the frequent mention of Quinn in this book,like that of Logan in the last, I think Harvey is trying to get us used to Quinn for the next one. I could be wrong but I think he may be the focus of the next one! I can not wait to see where she takes the Drake story next, we have a bit of a wait though, as the next installment: Out for Blood is out November the 1st. I have mines preordered :)

Cassandra220689

I was hugely excited for the second installment in the Drake Chronicles and am glad to say that it pleased me a lot! I know a lot of you girls out there are excited for it too - you better be, because this is so much better than Love Lies Bleeding (US title: Hearts at Stake)!

Let me start by saying that it surpassed all my expectations. I thought it was going to be a book that was more romance than anything but boy was I wrong. It was a good mix of mystery and action (I love!) - it was really a fast-paced read which I could barely let go of.

It is not only an excellent sequel, it can also stand-alone. Alyxandra Harvey continues the plot in Love Lies Bleeding smoothly, without foregoing the development of the relationships (Nicholas-Lucy!) established in its predecessor. If anything, it actually entices any reader who has not yet read Love Lies Bleeding to read it.

Blood Feud is told in both Logan's and Isabeau's perspectives. The difference in their way of thinking delivered a very insightful glimpse into a tale that was part past and part present. Logan's point of view is always fraught with humour and indignation whilst Isabeau is the more reserved, thoughtful type. Logan is hilariously funny and Isabeau, though trying not to be, is still a girl underneath all the hatred she harbours. They are a wonderful pair together, but I'm afraid I'm still a hard-core Lucy-Nicholas shipper!

The narrative is not exactly told in alternate POVs, but rather in blocks. You have several chapters of Isabeau's perspective and several of Logan's succeeding that. In between an omniscient narrator relays the past that explains Isabeau's experiences during the French for revolution and elaborates her thirst for revenge. I must say that these chapters are very well-placed, so that they support the continuity of the plot rather than distract the reader from it. They serve also as a form of characterisation of Isabeau. Well described and strongly portrayed, it allows the readers to not only understand, but also sympathise with Isabeau.

What I did not favour in the general plot would be the lack of characterisation on Logan's part. Isabeau was definitely a developed character; I was not sure Logan is. I certainly would have wanted more on his part. The second and final thing I can say about the plot is that I wanted more romance! Quite difficult to impose on a character such as Isabeau but the fan-girl in me screams more.

I have once more enjoyed immersing myself in Alyxandra Harvey's vampire world. The Drakes and Lucy are always a pleasure to be with, but with the addition of Isabeau and with the deeper, more action-packed plot, Blood Feud just made it a whole lot better!

i bought this book for grand/daughter she was really thrilled she said its the best book shes read, will be buying her more books