The book focuses on the characters of John and Lily Shaw, siblings who have lost their parents. Mary Seward, a nurse in the sanatorium in the England town of Purfleet, and Quincey Harker, John Shaws commanding officer in the army.
John Shaw is enlisted in the army and is forced to the trenches where he works as a communications officer, under the command of Quincey Harker. There are whisperings of how Harker is strange, and often brutal with both the enemy and fellow soldiers.
John is overcome by a wound he receives, and is forced to return to Purfleet to the sanatorium where Mary works. Mary takes John under her wing helping him through his nightmares and the fever he has developed.
Lily Shaw meets Harker when he returns from the trenches, and so the story begins.
Bloodline was almost like a blast from the past. It takes place 35 years after the original Dracula and is written basically the same way. Journal entries from the major characters in the book. It was definitely different and something I'm not used to, besides when I read Dracula many many years ago. It makes things a bit hard to follow on occasion, but once you understand how the book is written your buckled in and ready for a heck of a ride.
The characters were a little bit hard to swallow, as they book is set in 1916 during the first world war. Women being concerned with being submissive to the men. Men being to much of the "I'm the hero" kind of mentality...but that was the way things were then, so I choked my distaste back and finished the book, and i was glad I did. The book brought a heck of a lot more than I thought it would.
Kate Cary has a way of describing settings, and characters with a keen "eye", she takes the time to describe things so the reader can actually envision the characters and setting cleanly. When the setting is dark, gloomy or somewhat glum she chooses her words well.
I think my biggest complain was someone was a crappy editor when one of the journal entries is listed as "John Seward". I actually had to go back and check and make sure I wasn't losing my mind, I remember asking myself "Isn't it John Shaw?" Yes it was...stupid editors. Nothing bugs me more than finding a poorly edited book.
Possibly a new career path?!?! LOL! Not likely!
Next book is Naked in Death by J.D. Robb. As recommended by my BF Dawn. She says the books will become and obsession...which worries me a little...but hey I haven't gone wrong with her recommendations before.
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