Review: The Van Alen Legacy by Melissa de la Cruz

The van Alen legacy is easy: find the gates to the underworld and protect them so Lucifer can’t escape. Of course since the attack in Rio, where Lucifer tricked Lawrence van Alen into killing an innocent and thus releasing Leviathan (before Lucifer killed Lawrence) finding and protecting the gates is something Schuyler van Alen is finding very difficult.

Van-Alen-Legacy-Coverrrrr-the-blue-bloods-5478997-396-594First, her former clan is after her (not that they were very supportive in the first place.) Second the Silver Bloods are still trying to kill her, the other Blue Bloods and take over the world. Third, her best friend (unknown to Schuyler) is the host to Lucifer’s incarnated bit of soul and is engaged in a battle for herself.

Schuyler seeks refuge with a Blue Blood countess in Paris while across the world Mimi has joined the Venators, or secret Blue Blood FBI and is trying to piece together what happened the night the clan elders were killed in Rio. It’s this voyage that finally made me like Mimi. Of course it seems Mimi finally likes Mimi, not the spoiled elite Blue Blood princess, but as the shadowy protector of fallen and human alike. Ironically, it’s once Mimi leaves the culture of Blue Bloods and starts actually working to protect her people and others that she realizes how far the Blue Bloods have strayed from their vision of redemption. Since this is one of the themes I love most in this series, of course I loved travelling with Mimi through this realization.

The Blue Bloods are still struggling. Some with their need for leadership. Others with their denial or the existence of Silver Bloods in their midst. Others (namely Jack and Mimi) with the nature of the soul bond, two souls formed from one, perfect mates for always. But what  if you don’t want perfect. What if you grow, which is the whole point of the Blue Bloods cycle of immortality. They’re supposed to grow and change, but it seems for the first time they’re realizing how set against change their culture is.

If the other books waxed about being a teen in a world that doesn’t trust you enough to tell the truth this one runs full steam into how hard it is to stand up on your own and do what you think is right (or even figure out what right is). There’s real character growth, braveness, and sorrow here, propelling readers and characters alike into the future.

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