Format: Hardcover, 352 pages
Release Date: July 26, 2022
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Source: Publisher
Genre: Young Adult / Fantasy / Contemporary
After defeating Lucifer and sacrificing the love of her life, Jack,
Schuyler wakes up back in New York safe and sound. Only it’s not quite
the New York she knows, and she’s not in her regular body. She looks
different and feels different, and so does everyone else. Schuyler soon
discovers that in this world, her best friend has a different last name,
her parents are both alive and happy, and the love of her life? Not so
dead after all. The catch? Jack has no idea who she is.
As it
turns out, Schuyler is not in her New York. She’s not even in her
universe. This is an alternate reality. One where Lucifer is alive and
well, Blue Bloods are hardly benevolent, and Jack may have turned to the
dark side. Just when she thinks all is lost, Schuyler is contacted by a
familiar friend—a friend from her world who actually remembers
the Schuyler she used to be! But the friend also has a theory, and it’s
one she doesn’t like: that Schuyler was sent here to defeat Lucifer.
Again. And that she’s the only person in this universe—or any
universe—who can defeat him.
Back in 2013, the alleged final installment in author Melissa de la Cruz's Blue Bloods ended with Gates of Paradise. 9 years later, the author returns with Blue Bloods: After Life which features some of the same characters like Schuyler Van Alen, Jack Force, Oliver Hazard Perry, and Kingsley Martin. Here's the facts: The story takes place in 2020 which is apparently 10 years from the ending of Gates of Paradise.
Schuyler Cervantes-Chase is actually younger (15) than she was in the previous series (18), and her actual parents; Stephen Chase, and Aurora Cervantes, are alive and well. In the previous installments, Schuyler's mother was Gabrielle and her father, Chase, was dead. If you know anything at all about this series, you know that Schuyler is a Blue Blood vampire. She's also 1/2 human on her father's side. She still has to feed on human blood which is where Oliver comes in.
In this reality, both parents are apparently human which makes zero sense. I am hoping the author clears up that confusion quickly. Oliver Hazard-Perry is here, but his last name has been changed to Golding-Chang. Jack Force is here as well, but his sister Mimi, is now his twin brother Max Force. Jack is also the fallen Angel known as Abbadon, Max is the Angel of Death.
The only character who seems to be the same is Kingsley Martin who was soul bound to Mimi now Max. Schuyler had hoped that she would find her happy ending. She thought that the universe isn't done with her. Unfortunately, Schuyler's conscious somehow gets sent to the year 2020 where she wakes up in her doppelganger but she still has her old memories as well.
She quickly learns that Lucifer has somehow managed to travel back in time and change the history. It also appears that he has unleashed a disease that is killing humans. Unlike our pandemic, this disease wasn't created by Chinese scientists. To make things even more disturbing, Blue Bloods are luring humans to clinics to drain their blood, and Jack is Lucifer’s right hand man alongside his brother Max who is working towards the Silver Legacy solution.
What's worse, Kingsley believes that Schuyler was intentionally sent her to fight Lucifer and defeat him and correct all the wrongs he's set on the universe. So, while Schuyler has joined with Kingsley in stopping Lucifer, Max and Jack are having their own issues dealing with memories that seem to be cropping up. I should also talk about the fact that Schuyler isn't the only narrator, as Max, Jack, and Oliver get some part of this story.
The problem I have with this series, and I am prepared for the negative commentary, is that Schuyler and Oliver and Mimi were intentionally changed to satisfied certain members of the authors fan club. As an originalist, I don't care for changing character for the sake of change or to impress a core group to get them to purchase my product. The only good part of this new incantation is that there's no high school drama, shopping sprees, parties, and jet setting journeys abroad. Do I think I'll continue to read this series? Maybe when the author figures out what she's doing, and how much more pain and suffering and betrayal Schuyler has to deal with.
I cannot get over the name Max Force. It sounds like a 90s cartoon show. How will we defeat the villain? We'll have to use...MAX FORCE. What if they launch robot spiders? Then we'll attack with...MAX FORCE. Who will save the city? Max Force, using...MAX FORCE.
ReplyDelete